-Ganondorf Dragmire-

Ganondorf stood in the midst of a large crowd of warriors. At his back were the Majora forces, and before him was his enemy. He stood in a clearing, a wide circle, as this was the nature of the agreement. He was in a duel.

His opponent was a strong man of the mountains and champion of the rival tribal clan. The man wielded a large staff. Ganondorf wielded his two swords.

"I give you one last chance to join me. You and I have always been enemies, but it need not be that way. I will make you a vessel and a governor under me. Your power and prestige will not diminish, in fact it will grow. However, if you do not bend the knee, you will come to learn why I am not considered a merciful man." Ganondorf said.

His rival smashed his staff into the ground and replied, "I would rather die on my feet then submit to the Demon of Majora!"

With that said, he charged at Ganon. Ganon sighed as the man approached.

Ganon did not bother with giving him a fight. He had not come to amuse himself. He had come to win. Ganon planted a sword into the ground, brought up a hand, and drew on his Gift of Din. His triangle flared, and a great flame erupted from his hand, enveloping the rival. At the same time snakes of twilight burst from the ground, wrapped themselves around his arms and legs, and holding him down as Ganon executed him slowly and painfully.

Most men would die instantly. Dinfire was hotter than any normal fire. It spoke well of the man's strength that it took time for him to die. Unfortunate for him, though. He screamed to his last, not being given the comfort of a quick death nor fainting. When it was done, he was nothing but a pile of ash.

Ganon's red hair glowed against the fire before him. His red eyes pierced their souls without pity or mercy. Fire filled his hand. To everyone involved it looked as though he was a demon.

The enemy bowed with their faces to the ground. With their leader defeated, Ganon had conquered them.

He turned and returned to the camp of his army. The army had grown substantially in the previous months since the campaign began. He had not been committing genocide, but conquering and recruiting. So the camp was a mix of many different mountain tribe armies. Each one was small, ranging from fifty to two hundred. But all together Ganon saw the beginning of a powerful force.

Naturally with the conquest also came a restructuring of his governmental structure. He wasn't big on politics, so the Majora had a governor, each tribe had a governor, and the new structure was more or less a council of these governors. Ganon could have gone for the whole monarch government, but he felt it was too much work.

Ganon entered the tent to find a hawk was perched on a post. He eyed the bird a moment. A soldier stood by the perch. The hawk looked very familiar...

"A message for you, my lord." The soldier said.

"Good. Give it to me."

"Err... the bird won't let me have it." The soldier said. The hawk stood proudly. It was a young thing too. A woman snorted from the other side of the tent. This woman was Malon's nurse and teacher. Ganon had formally adopted Malon, but he had no experience in raising a child and so employed a woman to help do the raising.

Ganon rolled his eyes. He walked up to the bird, presented his arm, and the hawk stepped on. "Well, Andim, what do you have for me?" He pulled a note from the bird's leg and placed the bird back on the perch. He placed the paper in a pocket.

"Sir? The note?"

"Allow me to sit and rest before bothering me with paperwork!" Ganon replied gruffly. "I'll take care of the bird tonight and reply later. You may go." the soldier bowed and left. Ganon looked to the woman. "How has she been?"

The woman smiled as he sat down. "She is doing well. She finished her studies for the day and has gone out riding."

Ganon nodded. Malon had taken well to horses and would soon gain her own pup. If her interaction with Kagami was any clue, she would be good with tamed wolves. "That is good. Anything else?"

"She had a bit of a temper for a while. I think she feels cooped up."

"I understand the feeling. I do not like mountains myself much."

"No, I think it is because she has only had soldiers to be around for a year. It was good to take her with you on your campaign, you and Kagami are the only family she has left, and I have shielded her from the worst of it, but we can only do so much for her. She is reaching an age where her mind is more and more aware, and she can't grow only having chested-beating death-singing fighting warriors for neighbors... Unless you wish for her to become a warrior."

"I do not." Ganon replied. "I do wish for her to have basic training to defend herself, but no more. Our ways will not be her ways. What do you suggest?"

"Take her back to Majora. Let her live in a civilian world. Not an army camp."

"We have had this discussion before. She refuses to leave my side. Are you suggesting we end the campaign early? There are still more tribes to conquer."

"Not at all. But perhaps leave it to a general in your stead. Take Malon back to Majora, be involved with your government rather than your army. It may be boring to a warrior like you, but being a parent is about self-sacrifice." She chastised him.

Ganon scoffed with a smirk. "If anyone else had taken this tone, or taken the liberty to speak so with me, they would have been removed from the tent. I don't even allow my own mothers to lecture me. Yet here I am, a king, being lectured, by a nurse." The woman didn't budge, and that is why Ganon respected her enough to bring her along in his campaign. Not all woman can stand to be around a lot of soldiers for long, but she was a retired warrior herself. "I promise, at the very least, I will think on it."

"Good, good. That is all I ask. I know my place."

"I don't think either of us can know what your place is, not right now. All I know is you are what Malon needs you to be. I am not much of a parent."

"You're doing better than you think. She fears and respects you and seeks your approval in her own way like a daughter should for a father. It has only been a few seasons, and already this young city-pub girl is well on her way to learning the Majora lifestyle." The woman stood by the opening of the tent. Ganon followed her gaze and saw Malon returning having run Kagami beside her pony.

"Have you considered getting married?" She asked him. "Malon will need a mother figure again... when she recovers from the trauma."

"I have considered it." Ganon admitted. "But after considering all the woman of Majora and the mountain tribes, they either do not excite me, or I don't consider them an equal, or they are terrified of me too much to accept, or they are annoying, or they are... simply vexing to the extent our marriage would most likely end with one of us dead. Certainly there are many notable woman of worth, but I cannot be bothered with them. I will not 'settle' for mere 'notable'. If it is only about Malon, then you will suffice for motherly figure and there are many others who can show her how to be a woman. But marriage is about me and my relationship to my woman, not just her."

"It is also a political tool."

"And I don't care. I'm selfish like that."

"You also don't want to replace Malon's mother in her life..." Ganon grunted in response, without commitment.

Malon entered, and the woman gave her a quick goodbye and a hug before departing. Kagami entered after and plopped himself down on a rug.

"You tired him out I see. Good, he has been gaining a little weight." Ganon jested. Kagami growled lightly, but otherwise did not seem to argue the point. The wolf laid his head down and panted. Malon did not respond, to his disappointment. Ganon watched Malon sit and find something to occupy herself as she too rested. She did respond with nods or gestures, but otherwise... She hadn't said a word since her mother died.

It tended to make things awkward.

Malon rested from her ride and Ganon thought. He pulled out the paper from Zelda and read it. He closed his eyes, came to a decision, and burned the paper with two fingers.

"I conquered another village today while you were out. I am glad you were out. It was not a scene I would have wanted you to be present for." Ganon said. Her only response was a slight head-turn to better hear him. "This means we have made substantial progress, enough that... I am considering... putting a halt to it."

Malon looked up to give him her attention. Ganon nodded. It was something. "I promised the high princess of Qin I would conquer the mountains in a year. There are more mountain territory to the north and south, but this will easily suffice."

And now her expression turned vacant and bored. Good Din he was bad at this. "My point being that we are going to leave the army in the hands of one of my trusted vessels and head to either Majora or Qin. I want to stop by Majora and see how things are before continuing on, or..." Ganon hesitated. "We can stop by Joket and see 'her' grave."

Malon's eyes widened greatly and she paled. She stilled. Whereas some shook in fear, she stilled as if being a statue would mean she wouldn't be seen by what she feared. She knew what Ganon was talking about. He was referring to the grave of Kuroko Dragmire and her husband, who's name Ganon could not be bothered with.

"It has been many months... I'm sure she misses you." Ganon pressed gently. Referring to the spirit of Kuroko wanting her to visit her grave. "But, I am sure she would understand if you are not ready. There are always next time, just... think on it. I will let you decide which of the two we go to on our way. For now, rest up. After dinner we will pack up to depart."

-Village of Jouto, Qin-

The messengers from the capital went out across the land to conscript a quota from each village and city and fortress. The larger the city, the larger the quota. Among the villages called for was the quaint village of Jouto, Link's home.

The village of Jouto was a small village comprised of a plantation in the midst of a trade road. So when the messenger arrived to conscript men, two were selected.

Tou Bi and Hei Bi, brothers.

"Well, that's that." Hei said. He loaded up his sack and threw it over his shoulder.

"Ready?" Tou asked from the door.

"Yeah."

The two opened the door to find the village had gathered around. They had really hoped to leave quietly, but it seemed it would be the exact opposite.

"Good luck!" A woman bowed.

"We will be praying for you."

"Do your best!"

"If you see that good-for-nothing Link, drag him back! He owes me a year of caravan guarding!" The mayor patted them on the back.

Hei rubbed the back of his head and nervously chuckled. "We will, we will. Next ya see us, we will be rich with loot!"

"Oh is that right?" A couple of the men asked. They grouped around them while laughing, and shoved Hei into a headlock. "Has little ole' Hei grown!?"

"Get off ya bastards!" Hei fought them off. "I'll show ya!"

Tou just smiled and shook his head. He pulled his brother along out of the crowd. The conscripter said they had to arrive at Genyuu Pass in a few days to meet up with the army.

Tou was stopped by a girl who jumped at him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You better come back!"

"Yeah." Tou blushed.

Tou had grown up to have a crush on Midna, and perhaps may have even started to love her. Her death had crushed him, but life has a way of healing such wounds. He would never stop mourning Midna, but he had found a fiancé since.

In the same manner another girl, named Too Lin ran across the fields to meet up with them, and stopped to catch her breath. She looked to Hei. "Make sure to come back, please... Both of you, protect each other."

Hei huffed and tried to be tough, but one look at the fear in her eyes crumbled it all and he grabbed her in a hug so tight she squealed loudly. Much to everyone's laughter. "Wait for me, Too Lin!"

"How a girl fell in love with your buckteeth, I'll never know." Tou teased his younger brother.

"Shut up!" Hei 'Bucktooth' Bi exclaimed.