Power of an Ancient King (Patreon)

Wanting respect from the people of Hyrule he reigns over, Rauru unlocks the power of the Triforce for himself... Enjoy!

*************

Rauru sat on the throne of Hyrule— the throne he had made himself. He and his people had come to this land, and by sharing their magic and their knowledge, had brought together the several disparate tribes of Hyrule under a single banner. The Hylians, Zoras, and Rito had all joined with Rauru's people the Zonai, building a nation united under worship of the goddess Hylia and the forces of Light. So far, it had gone well. There were, however, two problems: the Gerudo and the Gorons. 

Rauru had no desire to dominate or go to war, but that was, unfortunately, all the Gerudo and the Gorons seemed to respect. The Gerudo were all female warriors and lived out in the desert, while the Gorons were a rock-like people that prized strength and durability above all else. The reasoned arguments of joining with the rest of Hyrule had so far fallen on deaf ears— and worse, the other tribes in Hyrule were beginning to take notice.

The Zonai king drummed his clawed fingers against his throne, turning to his Hylian Queen, Sonia, and his sister, Mineru. "Where is Ambassador Medli?" he asked.

Sonia too turned to Mineru, who only shrugged in response. "I couldn't fathom. I've not received any messages."

A Rito then sauntered in, a red-feathered youth putting on airs, he bowed his head to Rauru. "Apologies, Your Highness— Ambassador Medli is unable to attend your meeting today. He sends his warmest regards."

Rauru frowned. "This is the second time Ambassador Medli has not come to our meetings."

"And as I said, Your Highness, he is unable to attend, regrettably. He is very busy."

The Zonai stood to his full height, dwarfing the Rito messenger. His features were, like all Zonai, part lapine, part draconic, giving him a long, angular, solemn face when he needed it. "I wonder if the Ambassador was ever too busy for his Elder's summons."

The red-feathered messenger opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came. Rauru held up his hand. "You are dismissed."

The Zonai sighed heavily, slinking back into his throne as the messenger left. The beautiful Queen Sonia rested next to her husband, stroking his fur. "Oh, my dear— why are you letting this annoy you so? It was just a routine meeting. You hardly had anything of importance to discuss, besides some local customs."

"Because I'm supposed to be their King!" Rauru snapped suddenly, thumping his fist against the throne. "I'm supposed to be their leader, and yet, ever since the Gerudo and Goron ambassadors denied our overtures, I have noticed a disturbing trend amongst the courtiers. They don't come when summoned, they hardly heed my word— I'm losing respect from them."

Sonia clicked her tongue, brushing away errant strands of Rauru's white hair. "My love, this land has never had one king. People are not used to the idea of answering to one person— and you're the one who always says the Zonai are not here to dominate, but unite. That will take time, but people will come around."

"I don't want to dominate. But I also do not want to be disrespected, either." He sighed. "The Goron ambassador is coming in a couple of days, for one last chance to discuss terms. If he laughs in my face again… I simply can't have it. I need to show them that we are strong, we simply wield our strength in different ways."

"You need a show of force, but not a show of destruction," Sonia replied.

Rauru sat up, his eyes lightening as the seed of an idea came to him. "Yes, yes— that's it exactly."

Mineru had been quiet, thinking to herself as her brother talked. She then snapped her fingers, turning to Rauru. "Actually… I think I might have an idea. By your leave, brother?"

Rauru arched his brow, following his sister deeper into the palace the Zonai had built for their king. They came to the archives, Mineru's domain— a vast, cathedral-like space filled with tomes of knowledge and magical artifacts, many of them divine in nature.

"I think you see the dilemma ahead of us, Rauru," Mineru began, passing several wonders of the world, many that the King recognized, and several he could only guess as to their purpose. "The Hylians and Sheikah, the Rito and Zora, they already possessed a desire for peace. The Gerudo and Gorons, however, are the proudest warriors in the realm. They live for honorable combat. But we did not come here to be conquerors— not only would it go against our ideals, it would also risk us losing our power over light."

"Yes, exactly," Rauru nodded. "I also don't want to bring them in through scaring them— fear can so easily turn to hate, and that would also end in disaster."

"You need to demonstrate your strength in such a way that it is obvious for all to see. And I think that is where this could come in handy." Mineru stopped before a plinth, where rested a solid gold triangle adorned with a sacred symbol.

Rauru looked to Mineru sharply. "The Triforce of Power? That is one of the most sacred artifacts of Light— and you want to use it for… what, exactly?"

"To unite the realm," she replied. "Rauru, you are the King. You would use it to fulfill the mission given to us by the Goddess of Hylia and avoid war. What could be more appropriate than that?"

"We hardly understand it, for starters!" Rauru sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know."

Mineru approached her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rauru, we've already exhausted every overture of friendship with the Gerudo and Gorons. We send them gifts, they call it tribute— we try reasoning with them, they call us weak. We need to try something different."

Rauru looked at Mineru, bowing his head. "I suppose you are right. Very well." Gingerly, he picked up the Triforce of Power, infusing it with his light magic. The reaction was like mixing sulfur and saltpeter; a sudden, bright, brilliant flash struck Rauru that knocked him and his sister back— but then, as he grasped the Triforce, he felt its power seeping into him. He could smell the clean burnt scent of lightning lingering in the air and hear the pounding of his heart. His body pulsed, energy like the sun radiating from his core and spreading to his body. It was intoxicating, the feeling of immeasurable strength and ancient power, reaching back to the goddesses who made the world. 

His body began to shift; he could feel his bones snapping and reshaping, his muscles burning, but the pain was part of the ecstasy, the adrenaline. He curled his toes, and his legs suddenly billowed in size. He huffed, and his chest surged like an advancing army. He tensed, and his arms inflated. All of him continued to grow- veins snaked their way across densely roped arms, biceps rising up like verdant hills. The muscles in his chest striated, filling out like sails under full wind. His core tightened and warped, abs like stone stacking upon one another and snaking down to his dense quads. His back spread out like wings, a rolling valley of hard muscle, supporting a sprawling mountain range of his shoulders. His neck was like that of an ox, and his legs were thick as tree trunks. He was monumental; he looked around wildly, seeing how he towered even further above his sister.

"Oh…" Rauru huffed, lifting his arm above his head, his bicep so swollen it was close to colliding with his cheek. "I suppose this will do."

Mineru laughed breathlessly, stunned at the transformation her brother had undergone. "I had never thought… brother, how do you feel?"

Rauru took a moment to catch his breath, then turned to his sister with a glimmer in his eye. "I feel… excited. I don't know whose reaction I'm relishing to see more— Sonia, or the Goron ambassador's."