Part IX: "Those Who Have Sinned"

The Artronnen army advanced to just 100 meters before the castle drawbridge...and stopped. They were waiting. Waiting for the Hyrulians to make their move. They would not have to wait long.

Link and Rauru found themselves in what appeared to be a desert.

"These," Rauru began, "are the Castanerean Deserts." He pointed at a castle on the horizon and continued, "That is where the exiles established Artronnis. I do believe the men who are about to pass through here are headed in that direction."

"Huh?" Link said, confused.

"Just watch."

Sure enough, it wasn't but a few seconds before a group of thirty-five men broke the horizon. On their uniforms they bore the crest of the royal family. Just as Rauru had said, they were heading straight for Artronnis.

"Let's go forward a bit. To their arrival," Rauru said.

Immediately, they found themselves standing in a village, not unlike one in Hyrule, sitting in the shadow of Artronnis Castle. Darkness had taken its course many hours before. As a result, there were no Artronnens awake to be concerned with the arrival of the Hyrulians. It was all going exactly to plan.

As they neared the center of the city, the group's leader began instructing his men.

"Visit every house, and retrieve one son, if any, from every family," he said. "Proceed to take them outside the village for their treatment. FALL OUT!"

The officers did as they were told, and in no time, seventy people had been led back in the direction that the group had come from, leaving many confused and outraged parents in their wake.

Arthur Blavidus emereged from the cloud of angry Artronnens.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he yelled. "Where are you going with my son?!"

"And mine" yelled a different Artronnen.

"And mine, too!" yelled another.

The leader of the Hyrulian group stepped forward.

"My name is Simone Gardent," he said, "and I have traveled here to deliver a message from the people of Hyrule." He pulled out a scroll, unrolled it, and began to read. "In the one hundred years since your exile, there has been great debate over what should become of you. In a recent hearing held in accordance with Hyrule law at the time of you exile, it was decided that your original punishment of permanent exile from the land of Hyrule was not sufficient, and harsher punishment was needed." He rerolled the scroll. "We will deliver that punishment."

In an instant, the Artronnens realized what was happening to their sons. Their children. Every last one of them was speechless, except for one.

"You," Blavidus growled at Simone. "You will pay for this. Not now. Not even in your lifetime. But I assure you that sometime, somewhere, the Hyrulians will pay for this."

Simone spoke not a word. Instead, he turned around and began marching out of the village. His men silently followed.

The Artronnens gave them due time to leave before venturing out to retrieve the bloody, decapitated bodies of their sons.