Day of the Arachnids

Day of the Arachnids is the thirty-fourth mission of Hyrule Historia and the eighth mission in The Return of Sulkaris arc. Princess Zelda is on the run, forces under the orders of Hylia in pursuit. With their numbers depleted, the Hylian and Lanayru armies now rest between swarms of Gohma and approaching Wizzrobes from behind. Just when it seems like they are outnumbered and outclassed, the Princess hatches a plan to pit arachnid against arachnid.

Intro
In the Oocca City in the Sky, Liyer comes to report to Demoko. POV switches to Link and Zelda in Lanayru. '''POV switches to Mido interrogating Zora captives in an occupied Lanayru town. Seeing no symbol on the hand of one captive, Mido feeds her to the Gohma; he then finds the symbol present on the next captive's right hand.''' POV switches to King Kazakk and Aydia, who spots an incoming Gohma swarm. An Aracha surfaces behind Zelda, who runs up from the sands to a rock. Zelda smirks.
 * Midna: Over a month after the Gohma attacked Hyrule, the state of the land continued to fall into chaos.
 * Midna: The armies under the King of Hyrule were forced into full retreat by the Wizzrobe.
 * Midna: The Princess now fled north, an army of Hylian Mages under the command of Lana in pursuit.
 * Midna: Sulkaris and the Gohma advanced further into Lanayru Province, consuming one city after the next.
 * Midna: But as Hyrule continued to falter below, another force watched from above...
 * Midna: One perhaps even more dangerous than even the Fallen Sage and her Gohma.
 * Liyer: Hail, Your Highness Demoko.
 * Demoko: Your messenger tells me of events that escaped my sight.
 * Demoko: Nothing escapes my sight.
 * Liyer: I speak the truth, northern Hyrule is quite at war.
 * Demoko: I hear that an organisation of Hylians wielding magic has arisen.
 * Liyer: Yes, the Kingdom's military seems as surprised as we are.
 * Demoko: Do they pose any kind of threat?
 * Liyer: It is the nature of their undetection that concerns me, not their weapons.
 * Demoko: As it should.
 * Demoko: Regardless, they would have to contend with my army of Oocca!
 * Liyer: I would still worry about any who has the power to subvert your gaze.
 * Demoko: As such, I will have you investigate this matter further.
 * Demoko: You will uncover the leader of this magic cult.
 * Liyer: I would suggest military intervention instead, Your Highness.
 * Demoko (turns back and begins to walk away): Denied.
 * Liyer: You are afraid of what you have seen, is that it?
 * Liyer: You are afraid of Sulkaris.
 * Liyer: You're afraid Hyrule will discover the truth.
 * Demoko (turns to Liyer): I, afraid?
 * Demoko: Hyrule is no more than a world of spoiled, rotten children!
 * Demoko: They take no responsibility for their sin, their evil, and their mess.
 * Demoko: In their pride they have lost their way.
 * Demoko: They forget who rose them outright from the dust!
 * Demoko: They are but juvenile, thinking themselves elder.
 * Demoko: They think themselves owed, nay, entitled the aid of us most high.
 * Demoko: I deny my Dominion and aide to those below.
 * Demoko: Let Sulkaris ravage those she stood for.
 * Liyer: Master, I have been witness to a Prophet.
 * Demoko: Who?
 * Zelda: I don't think I've ever been this far north.
 * Link: My grandmother lived here back in the day so I know the area well enough.
 * Zelda: Where is she living now?
 * Link: She passed away.
 * Zelda: Oh...
 * Link: Anyway, try and stay up on the rocks.
 * Link: Arurodas nest all over Lanayru this time of year.
 * Link: Their claws can snap you right in half.
 * Zelda: A pity they won't snap Gohma in half.
 * Link (spotting the Hylian army): Looks like your father caught up with us.
 * Mido: If you follow me, you might live a few minutes longer. (leads the captives to see Sulkaris)
 * Mido: They have the mark.
 * Sulkaris: Who is it you idolise?
 * Zora Cultist: The First Sage of Water.
 * Sulkaris: And why is it that you idolise her?
 * Zora Cultist: She made all the lush waters of Hyrule.
 * Zora Cultist: She gave the Zora what we crave.
 * Sulkaris: What you crave. You worship one for but a service.
 * Sulkaris: Are you not ashamed that you look past the rest of creation? (steps closer to the cultist)
 * Sulkaris: Where is your false Goddess hiding?
 * Sulkaris: Where is she hiding? (grabs the chin of the cultist, then, when she doesn't answer, kills her and snaps the neck of another, then moves to the last cultist)
 * Sulkaris: Where is she?!
 * Zora Cultist (shivers): She slumbers northeast beneath the Greshou Library.
 * Zora Cultist: At least that is what our cult believes.
 * Sulkaris: Have you so little faith that you give her secret into my hand?
 * Zora Cultist: I have faith she will stop you from taking the Triforce again.
 * Sulkaris: If only you knew the truth of the matter. (feeds the three cultists to the Gohma)
 * Mido: Are you just going to forget about Agitha?
 * Sulkaris: She served her purpose, now I seek the First Sage of Water.
 * Mido: Agitha believed in your cause, and you're just going to leave her in prison?
 * Sulkaris: She is right where she needs to be.
 * Mido: And what do you plan to do when you find this First Sage?
 * Sulkaris: Kill her.
 * Aydia: They know we're here and they outnumber us.
 * Aydia: I knew we should have waited for Laruto.
 * Kazakk: Prepare to fall back then.
 * Kazakk (spots Link and Zelda): I knew I could trust you to keep my daughter safe.
 * Link: Just glad you're all alive too.
 * Aydia: The Gohma are setting up a perimeter.
 * Aydia: It looks like they are going on the defensive.
 * Kazakk: If only we had the manpower we could use that to our advantage.
 * Aydia: Or a battery of Trebuchets...
 * Link: I told you to stay up on the rocks.
 * Aydia: He's right, Arurodas are extremely aggressive.
 * Aydia: There's probably a few hundred nests in just this area.
 * Zelda: Just how aggressive are they?
 * Aydia: Piss one off and it'll chase you across the Province.
 * Link: What is it, Zelda?
 * Zelda: I have an idea.
 * Zelda: What if we angered every one of these creatures we could find here?
 * Aydia: We'd not stand much of a chance against them all.
 * Zelda: If we got their attention with archers and lured them to the Gohma...
 * Link: We could set up a pretty nasty three-way fight...
 * Aydia: I've heard of worse plans.

Aftermath
'''An Aruroda emerges from the nest and is goaded against the Gohma. Link then throws a Bomb Flower into the next, causing a very angry Moldarach to come out, hellbent on killing Link.''' Moldarach, ignoring the Gohma, continues to chase Link and Aydia. '''Moldarach catches up to Aydia. After a short fight, Link manages to attract the creature's full attention. When it charges at him, Link steps aside, causing it to hit an Armogohma, then runs back to Aydia and the Zora army.''' '''After killing the Armogohma, Moldarach turns to Link and Aydia, but is killed in turn by Sulkaris. Sulkaris effortlessly shrugs off the efforts of Hylian and Zora soldiers to hurt her and manhandles Link in a duel, but decides to stop fighting him when she sees Liyer.''' '''Sulkaris departs without a word. Liyer speaks to Link.''' Liyer and Link meet Kazakk and Zelda in the Panacle Cove. Zelda sees three visions: Sulkaris killing Malkorbagia in Greshou Library, Lana leading an army of Hylian Wizards standing over the corpse of a Hylian soldier in the background of a firewall, and Lana receiving horrific Fire Staff burns. '''POV switches to Impa and Saria visiting the Deku Tree's Grove, now abandoned. Saria takes a bow and an ocarina from her drawers.''' Saria turns back and looks at her house for the last time.
 * Aydia (rouses an Aruroda nest by making loud sounds with her sword and shield): Rise and shine my little dumpling!
 * Aydia: Link!
 * Aydia: I'm going to die because of a kid in a green dress...
 * Link: Hopefully that will keep them occupied.
 * Aydia: It had better keep them occupied.
 * Sulkaris: Is your master that afraid to see me eye to eye?
 * Sulkaris: Or merely insulting me by sending his child of a pawn?!
 * Liyer: His Highness brings you a fair warning.
 * Sulkaris: I would have him tell me personally!
 * Liyer: You are to withdraw the Gohma from Hyrule at once.
 * Sulkaris: Or else what?
 * Liyer: He will take action.
 * Sulkaris (laughs): I call your bluff.
 * Sulkaris (shoves Link aside to step closer to Liyer): Your master is a liar and a coward!
 * Sulkaris: You expect me to believe he will intervene?
 * Sulkaris: He would rather keep his secrets than save these Hylians!
 * Sulkaris: Hear this, successor.
 * Sulkaris: My plan will draw your master out into the open.
 * Sulkaris: What I plan will force him to take action.
 * Sulkaris: And when my plan succeeds, Hyrule will see the monster that he truly is.
 * Sulkaris: The truth will be known.
 * Liyer: Unfortunately these people will never know it if you kill them.
 * Liyer: You and I need to have a talk.
 * Link: This isn't going to be a date, is it?
 * Kazakk: What is the name of this woman that saved our soldiers from the Fallen Sage?
 * Liyer: My name is Liyer and I am a servant of His Highness, Demoko.
 * Link: The First Sage of Time?
 * Liyer: Yes.
 * Kazakk: By Nayru, does he plan to stop Sulkaris?
 * Liyer: Demoko does not plan to intervene.
 * Kazakk: Why not? He can't just let Hyrule fall apart!
 * Liyer: I did what I could to convince him otherwise.
 * Link: Why did he send you if he has no plan to help us?
 * Liyer: He wishes that I monitor the situation.
 * Kazakk: I demand an audience with your master!
 * Liyer: He will not hear you out.
 * Liyer: I speak on behalf of him in all matters.
 * Kazakk: I have quite a few complaints to send his way.
 * Link (comes to Zelda's aid with Kazakk and Aydia): Zelda!
 * Link: What did you see this time?
 * Zelda: I think I saw a library... a giant library on a coast...
 * Aydia: The Greshou Library?
 * Zelda: I saw Sulkaris there... and I saw...
 * Zelda: An army led by a lady with blue hair.
 * Link: Lana...
 * Zelda: We have to follow Sulkaris.
 * Aydia: I don't know if you noticed but Sulkaris is just a wee bit invincible.
 * Zelda: We have to follow Sulkaris.
 * Zelda: If we stay here the army I saw in my vision will kill you all.
 * Liyer: Are you claiming to have the gift of prophecy?
 * Zelda: I am.
 * Zelda: You have to believe me, father.
 * Zelda: Please...
 * Kazakk: Rally the soldiers, we pursue Sulkaris in an hour.
 * Aydia: What?
 * Kazakk: You heard me, we march unto the Greshou Library!
 * Aydia (speaks to herself): We're doomed.
 * Kazakk (speaks to Liyer): I'll remember that your master failed to lift a finger. (leaves)
 * Link: Is there nothing you can do?
 * Liyer: I don't think so. (walks away)
 * Zelda: Thank you for believing in me.
 * Link: It's unwise to doubt the pink fire.
 * Impa: Do you have everything you need?
 * Saria: I'm ready.
 * Impa: I suggest we find Darunia first.
 * Impa: The Gorons would be a great help against the Gohma.
 * Impa (embraces Saria): I'm sorry this happened, but your father would want you to be strong.
 * Saria: I know.
 * Impa: There comes a point in all our lives where we have to move on and grow up.
 * Impa: You were lucky to have such a long childhood, I had none.
 * Saria: The Great Deku Tree never prepared me for this.
 * Impa: With time you'll learn to be an adult and find something greater in Hyrule.
 * Saria: I see only terrible things in Hyrule.
 * Impa: I didn't say it'd be easy.
 * Impa: Is there anything else you left behind?
 * Impa: Saria?
 * Saria: No. (turns back and leaves the Deku Tree's Grove with Impa)