Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Majora's War - To be a Dragmire

-Ghiradrim-

Defeat.

Defeat was a common feeling for one such as him.

He didn't mind, though. He was adaptable. He was cunning. He did not see defeat as a true end, but merely as the acknowledgement that a method did not succeed and so the solution to his problem must be reconsidered. One who does not accept defeat cannot achieve any true victory. Yet, even despite this nature within him, he felt, for the first time, without reservation, truly and utterly defeated.

He had seen and watched his brother for generations, so while he knew things to be a bit different this time, the possibility of what he had just witnessed was so far beyond his sight, so alien and outside the realm of possibility, that he was stunned.

For a moment, Ghiradrim gaped. He stood on the top cliff-face of the valley and watched the battle play out, and just when victory was within reach, literally and figuratively, it was snatched away.

The moment passed and Ghiradrim sighed, "No matter... there is always the next cycle."

Next time he wouldn't leave it to chance. He had thought leaving the child, the vessel to which was poured the spirit of his lost brother, with a clan that had suffered so deeply would instill within him the anger he needed to feast on. Yet this had failed. Next time he would raise the child himself.

"There won't be a next time."

Ghiradrim smiled. He smelled them as much as heard them.

Ghiradrim turned to see a gathering of Fae, and other children of Farore, assembled against him. They took on as many shapes and forms as the imagination might allow. Fitting for children of the goddess of imagination.

Ghiradrim nodded in greeting. "Fae. You look worse for wear and..." his grin widened and rows of sharp teeth revealed themselves. "You smell weary. Tell me, have you enjoyed this game of mine?"

A few stepped forward brandishing weapons, and Ghiradrim revealed but a fraction of his true form in allowing hundreds of appendages ending in sharp thorns to sprout from his shell while dozens of eyes appeared on his face and body; but the coming battle was halted as the lead Fae put his hand out to stop his ally.

The Fae Elder said, "Enough, you cannot kill him. None of us can."

Ghiradrim smirked cheekily and eyed the youngling to have challenged him. Was it a babe in their own years or merely to him? Hard to tell anymore. None of the less whichever it was, the challenger was still foolish enough to confront him without understanding, without measuring.

The Fae Elder stepped forward and stood by Ghiradrim to look down into the valley and at the individuals in it.

"Depravation." The Fae Elder said, "You have lost this round, and I intend to capitalize on it. Though hope has been small, it has appeared in its subtlety perhaps guided by the Divine. I saw it when Power and Wrath's union was damaged by the sacrifice of our energies here, and I have seen it in the strengthened union of the others. Your manipulations will not work this time."

Ghiradrim chuckled. "I may be a manipulator, but at least my victims know it as it is for that purpose to which they come to me. You- you're so much worse. He doesn't even know, does he? How hopeless this is? You have him all set up to be a sacrifice."

"There is a way."

"Oh, I agree. There are actually three ways. Shall I explain them to you? I'm sure you have already known them, but while we are here being all familiar, why not? First way is he makes a wish with the combined power of the destined. But then you know what will happen the moment he touches it, no? Almost has several times, but you lot stop him at every turn, and likely will continue to lest your greatest fears come forth. Second way is to use his bane against him. My brother dies, but so does Power. You and I both know his spirit won't survive that. The third way is your Goddess's little plan. Kill him and let another generation try his hand at Power and Wrath. Who knows? The next time might be better! Oh, and while we are at it, let us not forget that little new fourth way you people came up with. But then we both know how that went, now don't we? I couldn't have asked for a better trigger to this 500 year joke if I tried! I truly applaud you! I'm loving the results!"