Ganondorf Rebellion part 5 Is this what you wanted? (history of Hyrule)

After the death of Lord Oronox, many of the Lords on the west of the river declared their allegiance to the Crimson Prince. Those on the East where his brother had poisoned them they would not commit to him. He had asked Tatyana and Tyros to bring the Lords to heel but his brother's forces held the river's edge. It was time for a more forceful message.

Edict from The Crimson Prince to all Lords failing to exhibit the virtue of Loyalty:

Thus saith the Lord:

Since you refuse to support your Prince
All through the land of Hyrule...

I send a pestilence and plague
Into your house, into your bed
Into your streams, into your streets
Into your drink, into your bread
Upon your cattle, on your sheep
Upon your oxen in your field
Into your dreams, into your sleep
Until you break, until you yield
I send the swarm, I send the horde
Thus saith the Lord.

The Grand Druid who Tyros has gifted immortality was quickly put to work. He called upon the skills of his old life. The lord's whose loyalty was even slightly hinted at disloyalty had their lifestock sick and die cursed and plagued. Their water turned to poison and their forest shrivel and die.

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Ganondorf held the parchment with the Crimson's Prince edict. His brother, lovely and virtuous brother was threatening his people to bring them to obey. She had corrupted him beyond saving. Ganondorf called out into the night striken by sorrow and tormented. He longed only to return to how things were but knew if could never happen.
"Once I called you brother
Once I thought the chance
to make you laugh
Was all I ever wanted..." He just wanted his brother back.

"My Lord?" Mervic asked. Ganondorf replied, "Light the arrows. You can't let those ships reach the shore. They come from the Crimson City with out doubt full of wolf beasts and cold killers. we must sink the ships before they reach the shore. Mervic we must sink them." Merivic replied as he bagan to cast, "I send the thunder from the sky, I send the fire raining down."

With the lightning and fire rained from the sky propelled by Mervic's proficient casting. Lord Ganondorf nodded at the rangers assembled on the shoreline. Praying to virtue that only the monsters were on those ships and no elf."

They loosed their burning arrows into the line of ships. The fire spread quickly among the ceder planks of the ship and linen ropes and sails. Screams filled the night competing with the crackling of the burning wood to fill the night air. Screaming of beasts and immortal both rang through the night.

As Ganondorf stood on the shore he could see at the edge of his elven vision the coast of the Crimson city convinced it was his brother standing on the edge looking back he said to him through the flames that scattered the darkness of night,

"And even now I wish that Virtue
would demand another
Serving as your foe on it's behalf
Is the last thing that I wanted..."

The ships sank and the invasion failed. The shore was held. The rangers had done their duty, now the remaining druids prayed to combine their strength and fill the river with creatures of pure elemental make. Creatures of solid water to isolate the Crimson forces to the island. The Virtue of Nobility required him to fight for those too weak to defend themselves. If she was making use of force to scare and torture the people he would stand between them. He never wanted it to go so far.

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The Grand Druid stood before the Tree Ents of the west forest. The ents spoke first, "Thank you for coming," They said in the slow long dragging tounge of the Ents, "You are different Druid, an unnatural force is sweeping through our forests, and even the leaders of Hyrule burn our young trees. The same unnatural touch that rests on you. We had hoped you could be relied on to but an end to the slaughter of our friends and restore harmony to the forest."

His response was quick, "Do you serve the Lady Tatyana Black Velvet and the Crimson Prince with out question."

Stunned the Tree Ents stood unmoving and unresponding. They thought long before they spoke, "We are not on their side, they are not on our side. It is her that kills the Nymphs and he who burns the forest, they must stop or we will stand against them."

He began to cast and twist nature under his dark power,
"I send a hail of burning ice
On ev'ry field, on ev'ry tree" Burning ice fell from the sky for as far as the elven eye could see. It burned, and froze and died.

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Lord Ganondorf walked with his daughter through the halls of what had become the capital of Green Hyrule. All of Hyrule that remained green did so because they held strong to virtue from the south of the lightning desert to the east edge of the great river to the sea shore. The druid order had started over as a smaller order, the rangers fought to hold the border and had done so now for years. It was a fortunate accident when Nicodemus learned silver harmed both the wolf beasts and the cold ones.

"Tell me about the Crimson City again father." She said. "It was a city build dedicated to virtue with spires built of crystal one for each virtue building a perfect unity and powerful city." He responded trying to hide the sadness from his daughter.
"Though I'm afraid its not like that anymore."

"Why father?"

"We've talked about this princess. When people replace virtue with pride the people suffer. Hyrule was more than great. Now . . . go your tutor is waiting." She nodded and turned doing as her father asked. He paced the halls no longer knowing what to do next. Nobility required he be determined and consistent, he had to stay committed. Despite his commitment he could not find anyway to break the stalemate. He had motivated the and even compelled the people to defend themselves but still could not come to terms with using the golemns. Even if he wanted to there was no realistic way to get to them.
This was my home

He thought about his last day in the Crimson City. Towers of crystal that touched the sky. The tower of Beauty with cascading waterfalls and draping ivy housed the theaters, music halls and galleries of paintings that touched his soul. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he looked towards the Crimson City. Nicodemues' last scouting report said that it was crawling with walking dead creatures and elves ran and hid as they were hunted by an ever increasing number of cold ones who lived by drinking the blood of elves. They were running out of elves to eat and turning on each other. Monsters created devoid of virtue of course could not build a beautiful society.
Looking to the distance and seeing the Crimson Prince in his mind he wept,

"All this pain and devastation

How it tortures me inside
All the innocent who suffer
From your stubbornness and pride..."

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"If the Forest falls their spirit will break. Can you kill it from here?" Lord Tyros said in an even forceful tone. The souless who use to be a druid said, "No my connection with the forest and nature has grown strained. Take me there and I can do it."

Tyros grabbed his arm and lept into the air both turning into smoke and mist than bats. They soared through the night air crossing over the green hills and over the great river. Lord Tyros left him on the gentle slopes of the south green hills. He knew them because he knew all of of Hyrule. As the Grand Druid he knew every blade of grass and every rock, everywind that caressed the trees spoke to him. Now it was time to destroy it all, so was the will of Tyros and the Will of the Lady Velvet. He began to chant:

"I send the locusts on a wind

Such as the world has never seen
On ev'ry leaf, on ev'ry stalk
Until there's nothing left of green"

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Tyros reported to the Crimson Prince. "It is done my Prince I was able to place him across the river. This should give us the opening I need for the remainder of my pack to break their lines. I will have Ganondorf's head by month end.

The Crimson Prince looked like stone. Tyros had seen this look before. He had seen it in all of her lovers, he had seen in in himself. He was totally hers now, as was Tyros. The Crimson Prince nodded, "I send my scourge, I send my sword
Thus saith the Crimson Lord!" Tyros took no insult at the druid being called his scourge or Tyros being called his sword. He laughed inside because he knew that the Crimson Prince was only an extension of her. A weapon in her never ending war. It was only a matter of time before she was bored, they never lasted much past this point it was not to him to find somewhere else for them to go, someone else for her to love.

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Mervic left the cave. It was set up now, Gallendriel would be safe so long as Ganondorf did not know about it. Mervic knew what Ganondorf was only starting to realize -- saving Hyrule was not possible. Too much damage had been done, the kingdom was too far the infection had grown too deep. The focus now how to change to rebuilding Hyrule and to do that an Heir, Gallendriel had to be safe. Ganondorf would become the greatest weapon the weapon Hyrule needed, Mervic's plan was a risky one but it was the only option he saw. One as virtuous as Mandrake Ganondorf could never think of this plan nor execute it until their was no other choice.

His thoughts were distracted as he heard a loud buzz that drown out all other sound. Pouring down the hill was an avalanche of blackness bubbling and twisting on itself -- locust. As the dark cloud rolled over him he responded by fanning his fingers and arcing a huge fan of flames incinerating the swarm in front of him. Where are they coming from?

He spun a spell and lept into the air taking flight to find the source of the scourge. He found it just before dawn. A man in druid robes kneeled on the ground shaking. The rocks that use to be covered in moss that surrounded him where now bare and brown. Mervic acted quickly, he could not let the cave fall into Tatyana's hands. He waved his hand and reversed the gravity below the cursed souless corruption. He fell upwards rapidly and turned to mist scattering.

Mervic countered by weaving a whirlwind containing the mist and forcing it to condense. Lifting his hand the corruption caused one of the locust to expand and rapidly grow. The insect lept to Mervic causing him to divert his attention. A fireball quickly consumed the summoned beast but it gave the corruption time to strike Mervic from behind. Mervic felt pain pulse through his body popping blood vessels throughout his body ripping tears through his flesh all through his body. But what came after the pain was worse. Like all joy and life was being just sucked out of him. Their was only coldness. Shuttering Mervic fell to the ground nearly unable to move. The corruption leaned over him licking his lips like some hungry cat. "The blood of a mage must taste so sweet." It hissed. Cold The thought crossed his mind and gave him teh idea born of desperation. Ice shards shot up through the ground and drew the water in the air around them together freezing solid. The Crystals surround the corruption and seemed to lock him in place. Mervic crawled on his stomach away from the wall of ice. He pulled out his spell book frantically looking for something anything else to cast. But spells he use to know he could no longer remember spells he use to cast no longer made sense. What had happenned to me?

The ice wall began to crack then shatter in an explosion. Mervic could not believe it the strength required to break ice that thick could not be an elf. The corruption lept up in the air and charged like a starving animal. It dove for him just as the sun tore into the sky on the east horizon. Its raise filled the sky to blue and illuminated the landscape. Most amazingly when it touched the corruption it burst into flames. Ash and screams were all that was left. The remaining mass was charred and burning as Mervic stood. Can't be saved has to be rebuilt, Hyrule will find a new day.

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Ganondorf listened as Mervic related the tale of his battle. The damage down to the nature of the area was severe but not unfixable. Why was he attacking the forest? He meant to ruin all of Hyrule, why? His home would be destroyed and for what?

On his balcony looking out over what was left of Hyrule he wept again,

"You who I called brother

Why must you call down another blow?

Let your princess go
Thus demands virtue"

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"They held the southern line from us sir, we just need more men. Those who fight for us only do so out of fear, we can't hold battle lines. When men get close to the border they desert and defect. He is winning the hearts of the people with his lies. We need more men more loyal men or eventually it will all crumble." Arithos reported to Tatyana as the Crimson Prince listened. The Crimson Prince seemed to stand with a broken heart. Arithos and Tatyana continued talking, they seemed to do that often as he more and more lost heart in this war, he wondered if their conversations ever grew into more. Rumors did reach his ears that she had spread her love to others in his court, but so long as she shared it with him he would be content. Love was the greatest of all virtues, why should it not be shared?

LOVE. There were many shapes to love. He had loved his brother. He looked out over the Crimson City and to the East where he was somewhere leading this rebellion against virtue.

"You who I called brother

How could you have come to hate me so?"

He looked at the Crimson city which had become a ruined shell of itself. The towers empty and cold. Trash and debris littered the street. The war had taken such a toll he needed more and more cold ones as soldiers, though they could only travel one night before the sun would vanquish them. The druid grove was destroyed and the forest was dieing, he asked his brother again, "Is this what you wanted?"

Tatyana glided up to him touching his arm. Her cool touch felt good and inviting. All he ever wanted.

"Maybe this is my fault. Hyrule is in ruins and it was I who,

I send the swarm, I send the horde."

"NO!" Tatyana insisted with fervor. Like refuting that fact was the core point of her existence. "You are the Crimson Prince. You are more holy and have more virtue than all of Hyrule. He started this war by ignoring your virtue. Its nobility that demands we be consistent. You can not give what is mine, you love me right. He caused this the virtue of Nobility claims accountability to who caused the tragedy. You must stand my righteous valiant prince."

He felt there was wisdom in her words. He only wanted her love, but it was a blessing that virtue backed her stance. He responded,
"Then let my heart be hardened
And never mind how high the cost may grow
This will still be so:
I will never let my princess go..." Pausing to look into her eyes that for the first time he ever remembered seeing doubt and fear in her eyes, He softly spoke to reassure her,
"Thus saith the Lord."

With tears she said with attempted commitment, "We can still make this work, its not too late."

Looking out his window the Crimson Prince said
I will not...

Ganondorft said
Let your princess go