-Qin Army, Link-

The following morning the one hundred woke to a head splitting migraine. They had passed out drunk the night before in all manner of positions. Some wondered what happened to their clothes, others wondered why they had too many. One woke wrapped up in a tent rather than quilt or blanket and another woke with his head lodged in a giant wine vase. It took three men to get it off.

At first it was but a few men, but as the sun peaked over the distance to give a hearty hello, the rest quickly woke to raise their fists, cover their faces, and curse at it.

Not one soul did not suffer this morning. All had drunk, even Solitare had a bit while Ganon had quietly gorged himself. Solitare did not take much, with his small size, to be affected while Ganon took two entire vases before passing out. The wine had spilled over and Kagami lapped at it before following his master in an alcohol induced coma.

There was only one soul among them who did not drink.

"Good morning, boys! Who's ready to-"

A large man grabbed Link and threatened to beat him senseless if he uttered another word. Everyone in earshot groaned painfully. Ganon stepped in, grabbed the man by the wrist and in one motion popped it out of place. Link coughed.

"No one threatens to kill him but me." Ganon whispered. He still had his wrist in his hand. In another motion he snapped the wrist back. "Now leave."

Link said, "Thank y-"

"Utter one more syllable and I will gut you." Ganon whispered harshly at Link. His eyes were more red than usual and he groaned in pain. Link nodded and decided, wisely, to have a quieter morning.

From the look of things, there had not been another engagement overnight. The armies were both licking their wounds for the night. There was faint movement on the Zhao hill, and the call went out for some to gather and line up. Link, his squad, and the one-hundred who had celebrated with him were not called to the front lines this time, but were told they would be in reserve behind the front and to join another thousand-man commander who had lost some men.

This was the plan at first, but another notice was given for them to gather on the main hill where Ouki Mitagi was stationed with his personal bodyguard battalions and his officers. They were not allowed entry inside. They were told to station themselves outside of the command. From where they stood they could see Ouki Mitagi sitting on a chair overlooking the battlefield.

It was a surreal moment. None of them, save two, had ever met Ouki, and to see him for the first time was breath-taking. He had a powerful presence and his body oozed strength. His gaze was not upon them, yet they were intimidated by the sight of him.

From there, an officer questioned them all as to who their leader was. No leader could be presented. They were an assortment of squads with many leaders among them. The one leading Link's squad was Ganon.

The next question was who it was that lead them against the chariots. To this question the answer was unanimously Link. Link was ordered to enter the command structure. This left the one-hundred with mixed feelings. Some feared Link had wronged Ouki in some way and told him to beg for forgiveness, others wondered if Link had accomplished something worthy of recognition from the High General, and their response to the latter was to see him in awe. Yet others wondered if Link was just confused for someone else, or had a message to deliver to Ouki from someone important, if Ouki wanted him as a servant, or whatnot. All in all a very mixed perception and beliefs were whispered among them.

Even Ganondorf was left completely perplexed by this.

Link looked up at Ouki, and felt the pit of anger in his stomach burn. He had questions for the general, and if the general wanted to oblige him, then who was he to pass up the opportunity?

Link, to everyone's amazement and awe, entered the perimeter. The Englishman stopped and stared on seeing Link approach. At first the Englishman thought he saw the dead rise, but he knew better. This boy was not a ghost. He was either a twin, a most interesting twist to his day certainly, or, more likely, Ouki had deceived him. For his part, the Englishman was not hurt by this thought. What he was told and not told was at the whim of Ouki. If It was Ouki's will that the Englishman believe something untrue, than he would bow to the superior ways of his mentor and friend.

"Leave us." Ouki said.

"My Lord?" The Englishman questioned.

"I will explain all to you, have faith. But for this moment, I desire to be alone with him." Ouki replied. Ouki continued to sit, his gaze rested on the battlefield and Zhao in the distance. He had not turned his head to perceive Link approach from behind.

The Englishman bowed and left to a distance from where he could not hear them, while still seeing them if his presence would be requested once more. Ouki extended his hand and waved Link forward. Link approached further and stood by his side.

"I must say... you surprise me," Ouki said.

"Because you expected me to be dead or?" Link asked.

"Not at all. I do apologize for my action, but it was necessary. I am loyal to the princess, and I believe you to be as well, but we both stand in a position where loyalty to her has become... complicated."

"What?" Link was confused.

"Tell me, Link. Did you spend time with the Zora?"

"I did."

Ouki nodded. His countenance was unusually pensive for his upbeat personality. "That is good. You have grown in the last year, I am pleased. What I am surprised by is the knowledge that you would leave the Zora at this time, join my army, and for it to be against Harken of all people... and for you to keep company of a Dragmire and Sheikah." Ouki cast his gaze briefly on the one-hundred who Link had saved. "Did you time it this way on purpose or was it divine chance?"

"Neither." Link answered. "I just so happened to see an army was gathering and joined it."

"Because you wish to grow to becoming a general..." Ouki mused.

"Yes..." Link growled. "Which I had come to you for! Only for you to almost kill me!"

"As if-"

"The Zora doctor said you broke nearly every bone in my body!"

Ouki stopped, stared at Link a moment, returned his gaze to the battlefield, and muttered, "Woops."

"'Woops' my ass! I should be dead! Why did you do it?! I had gone to you for training and instead I get a boot to the chest, took weeks to recover from the fall, only to be tortured, beaten, and spit on by the people you knew I was landing on the front door of! I had to get involved with their politics, and I didn't ask for that! I didn't sign up for politics!"

"Unfortunately you will find war and politics are inseparable." Ouki replied. "As for the rest... all I can do is apologize again. You see... I cannot tell you, though I know it, why they want you dead, only that they do. The alternative was insured death."

"'They'?"

"The Sheikah." Ouki answered heavily.

Link's breath hitched. The Sheikah wanted him dead? "B-but why!? I haven't done anything to them! Unless you mean the radicals following Zant, in which I can guess why they want me dead..."

Ouki shook his head. "No. It is the loyal Sheikah that want you dead. If anything... the radicals would be the ones to follow you."

"F-follow... me. What?" Link's eyes widened. His legs felt like jelly and his mind blanked.

"In chess... there is a single piece that is the most deceitful. A pawn. If one can bring it across the board... the pawn can become anything. A queen. A knight. A bishop. A rook... even a king, if the rules could allow it." Ouki turned to look at Link. "You are that pawn, boy. I wish I could tell you of the power you hold, but I sold my soul long ago to seal it. Just know this: You have the potential to become anything you want. You can be the most loyal soldier in the history of Qin, or you can snap it in half with but a word. You can gather all of Zelda's enemies to your flag against her, or you can raise her kingdom high."

"Th-that doesn't answer anything." Link murmured. "I don't understand. I never asked for this!"

"We never do ask to be born."

"Why... Why are you telling me this?"

"So you may understand, even if just a portion of it." Ouki closed his eyes sadly. "I had hoped you would stay hidden, but you have placed yourself in the most crucial war of these days, and have accomplished an achievement that will reach the ears of the Sheikah... and you have a Sheikah in your company. You almost seem to insist on being found out by your enemy."

"I have done nothing to them! I am loyal to Zelda!"

"As am I. As is the Sheikah. We are all loyal to her, of that I have no doubt. But Link... this is politics... this is the kind of game of power I have never wanted to be in. I am poor at it. The fact is in being loyal to Zelda, the Sheikah must kill you or risk hurting her. And I, in being loyal to Zelda, must kill you. Zelda would not wish for your death, but it would be better for her."

Link realized, "But you didn't... You betrayed her to save me."

"My loyalty is divided. I fully expect there will be grave consequences. I may lose my head for it."

"Even you?! The greatest general of Qin! The pillar of our military!?"

"Even I am a slave to some things, and have made vows I must hold to... or risk it all."

"But... Why?" Link asked desperately. He felt he was being given more questions than answers. He was being threatened by his own allies for a reason he could not grasp. He was just a slave boy who wanted to become a great general and help Zelda! "Why risk it for me!? I'm just a slave! You're a high general!"

"You're not just a slave!" Ouki barked loudly. The large man stood and looked down on Link.

This quieted Link, who stared up at him frozen in terror of what he was told, as well as fear at the sheer power of Ouki being displayed in his sudden rage. Tears of pure fear, frustration, and confusion fell from his eyes. All around them men stopped to stare. The one-hundred below became convinced Ouki was going to kill Link now.

"You're-" Ouki stopped short. He wanted to say more, but he knew he should not. Already he sensed the boy was vastly in over his head. To tell him the reason. The single sentence that could explain all of it... it would break him. It would also break every vow Ouki had made. It could easily be even considered treason... and could destroy the kingdom. Yet he so desperately wished for the boy to understand, to be able to see clearly what course to take from the knowledge of what paths he could choose in life...

It frustrated Ouki greatly.

He settled for a simple statement. He forced his rage to subside and said gently, "You're not just a slave. You may have been, but now you have the potential to become anything you want. So no matter the political games... no matter the fact that your allies may see you as a threat... What is it you want to be?"

"I-I... I want to be a general. I want to support Zelda... support the whole kingdom."

"Like a pillar?"

"If it reaches that far, yes." Link nodded. He used his sleeve to rub the tears from his eyes. "I will go as far as I can. If I die on this battlefield, then that's that. But I know what I want to do. I always have."

"Then chase that dream!" Ouki insisted heavily. "You want to defeat the Sheikah? You want to stay loyal? Then make yourself indispensable. Make yourself great. Accomplish so much on the battlefield, that the Sheikah will hesitate. Don't put yourself in the game with them, lest they think you a player of the game. Create a strong friendship with the princess, until her allies fear removing you from her!"

"I will!" Link proclaimed.

"Good." Ouki breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was not at rest, but it would appease him if Link followed his advice, and it worked in keeping the Sheikah off his back. "Let us go, there is a reason I had called for you besides to talk with you briefly."

"Where we going?" Link wondered.

"Not far."

Ouki, without any prompts given to his officers, left his seat, walked out of the barricades, and approached the one-hundred from before. The one-hundred men bowed with their faces to the ground, save Ganon, who merely bowed at the hip slightly, enough to show respect.

Ouki said to them, "Raise your heads." They did. "I have listened to the report given by my officers, and inquired with General Moubu. They all agree you have accomplished something worthy of recognition. It is common for a commander or general to bestow rewards for achievements on the battlefield, so you will all be given a portion of the spoils equal to your achievement. You stood as the last of the one-thousand man unit and held your ground against Zhao. For this you have one portion. You then stood your ground against a unit of chariots that had devastated the other units. For this, you have a second portion. You not only stood against this unit of chariots, but you defeated them! For this, you have a third portion. Congratulations, men of Qin! When you walk away as victors, I have instructed the palace that each of you are to receive thrice the portion than had you not accomplished anything!"

Cheers of thanks came from the men. Many wept as they realized they would no longer be poor. It did not mean they would be necessarily wealthy or could retire, by any means, but it at least meant that they would be rewarded. Naturally, though they did not consider it, all men in the army received portions on their accomplishments. Had they stayed in reserves, they would not risk their lives as much, but they would also receive only a basic portion. They were regular infantry. They were not officers nor had their accomplishment included defeating any commanders or generals. So one could say the size of the portions are relative. At the very least they would be better off and their time away from their normal occupations would be worth their time and risk to their families.

Ryo had established a law years ago that widows of war would be given the portions in the stead of their husband, rather than it all being confiscated by the generals or palace of Qin. It had become well known and is yet another part of why he is popular.

"In addition, I have a proclamation to make." Ouki stated. "In the battle, your one-thousand man commander died. A replacement has been placed, but there is a special portion given to Link." Ouki looked to Link. "You took up the flag of Qin, and lead these men to accomplish what they did. Such a talent and loyalty is worthy of its own portion. For this: I give you this." Ouki pulled out a jewel.

The jewel was a jade rupee shaped as a small bird and had writings etched into its surface.

"Keep it on you at all times, it is the token of your rank."

"My what?" Link asked.

The men collectively gasped. Ganon coughed.

"... Read it."

"I can't read."

"You can't read." Ouki repeated.

"Slave remember? Duh."

"Don't speak to him so casually!" Hei hissed quietly. "He's a general!" Many were terrified Link would be executed right then and there for his casual tone. On Ouki's part, he wasn't affected.

"... Right. It says: One-hundred man officer. Independent unit."

Link's breath stopped. "Y-you mean-"

"You are promoted from a foot soldier, to the leader of one-hundred men. These men. As an independent unit, meaning you are not part of a larger unit, such as a thousand-man or ten-thousand man unit, but are your own unit with your own order and your own command structure. The only orders you take are directly from a general. You answer only to me."

Without skipping a beat, Ouki presented Link with a small scroll, who numbly took it. Ouki said, "These are your orders. I look forward to your results." He turned and left.

Link turned to see ninety-nine gaping men with almost stars of amazement, awe, and admiration in their eyes. (Ganon was stunned beyond belief as well, but refused to have such an embarrassing display.) Link, the boy who had lead them against the chariots, had been requested a personal audience with the high General and legend, yelled back and forth as if they knew each other and had that kind of relationship, and then was given command over them... as an independent unit that answered to no one but Ouki himself.

"Who the realms are you!?" A random one exclaimed.