The Covenant



The Covenant is the forty-first Hyrule Historia mission, the final mission of Return of Sulkaris as well as Hyrule: Total War itself.

Intro

 * Midna: For the first time since their attack on Malkariko, the Gohma were in full retreat.
 * Midna: Hyrulean forces were lead by Mido into the Misery Mire, the dreaded homeland of the Gohma.
 * Midna: This alliance would burn hives across the swamp and exterminate the fleeing Gohma at every turn.

Hylian Trebuchets are shown launching flaming projectiles at the Gohma hives, and Walker Cannons shooting at them, burning them to ash.


 * Midna: The Gohma would not die quietly, however.

'''POV changes, showing the center of Hive Vitreous, and the giant slimy eyes of the same name at the center of it. All the Sage Medallions are wrapped in spider webs.'''


 * Midna: For although their face was that of Sulkaris, they had been driven by another...
 * Midna: Another with more grand motives than consuming Hyrule.
 * Midna: This final battle against the Gohma would have far reaching consequences.
 * Midna: By its end, the world will have changed forever.

The Hylian Army marches inside the swamp, closely followed by the Gorons.


 * Darunia: It's just like old times, old friend.
 * Kazakk: This is nothing like that time we stormed Ontheon.
 * Darunia: Yeah, we didn't need the help of any stinking Zora back then.
 * Darunia: It was just you and I.
 * Darunia: We even got you a wife out of that.
 * Darunia: Now look at us, getting old.
 * Kazakk: Oh please, you have countless years ahead of you, Sage.
 * Kazakk: I'll be lucky to outlast the decade.
 * Darunia: Either way, glad to be joining you in a siege again.
 * Kazakk: Hopefully it will be our last one.

The focus switches on the three Zora Ruto, Laruto and Aydia.


 * Laruto: Yes, I am assuming the role of Queen Regent until Prince Ralis is old enough for the throne.
 * Ruto: I am the eldest daughter of Rutela, the throne is my birthright.
 * Laruto: You lost that right in the divorce of your parents, you know that.
 * Laruto: You are welcome to reside in Lanayru but the throne is mine until your brother can take it.
 * Laruto: As a Sage, you probably should not have a place on any throne.
 * Ruto: I retained Queenship of the Dominion, despite my status as Sage!
 * Laruto: Ruto, if I can be honest with you for a moment, the people do not favor you.
 * Laruto: I don't wish to spit venom, but most of us see you as a self-centered brat.
 * Laruto: You may wonder why you are without husband and children, but we don't.

Tetralyna, riding on horseback, approaches Darunia who was looking over the scene.


 * Zelda: Even her own kind finds her insufferable.
 * Darunia: They sure do.

Darunia approaches Ruto, and smiles at her.


 * Darunia: It's a good time to smile, we're about to smash some Gohma.
 * Ruto: Darunia, now is not a really good time.

The scene moves to Impa, Rauru and Saria.


 * Rauru: Sometimes I wonder why that giant dwadling fish made her a Sage.
 * Impa: Because he was a giant dwadling fish.
 * Rauru: Many of us are not prepared when the title calls to us, you know better than most of us here, Impa.
 * Saria: How did Impa become a Sage?
 * Rauru: Not unlike you... she was young and gorgeous back then.
 * Rauru: She was full of life like you are, Saria.
 * Saria: Impa, full of life?
 * Rauru: Oh yes, Impa was a catch back in those days.
 * Rauru: Had she not married that baboon of a husband I would have made her my wife.
 * Impa: The marriage was never consumated.
 * Rauru: Because you died... died doing what you always did best.
 * Impa: I died for the good of Hyrule.
 * Rauru: There had not been a Shadow Sage for quite some time.
 * Rauru: I felt Impa was perfect for the job.
 * Rauru: I named her Sage because of her devotion.
 * Rauru: I am sure those luscious eyes probably clouded my judgement though.
 * Impa: How kind.

POV switches to Link, walking away from the rest of the army, meeting up with a group of members of the Order, Carock, Nostrum, Lana and Hylia herself.


 * Hylia: Have you come to apologize for disobeying my command?
 * Link: I'm not saying sorry for doing my job.
 * Hylia: Your freedom does not excuse blatant disregard to bring the Princess and killing a few Wizzrobe.
 * Link: The Princess is afraid of you.
 * Hylia: I don't care if she is afraid of frogs, you disobeyed and did battle against your own order.
 * Link: Carock attacked innocent Hylian men!
 * Link: I saved her and fellow Hylians from being torched by Wizzrobes, something Zelda predicted!
 * Link: I acted in self defense and to protect the people, I was doing the job that you gave me.
 * Hylia: If you have not come to apologize, then why are you standing before me?
 * Link: To get answers.
 * Link: Why are you demanding the throne?
 * Hylia: I have made no demands, only an offer of covenant.
 * Link: Why are you making such an offer?
 * Link: Do you really plan to usurp the Three Goddesses?
 * Link: And now you claim to have had children that are part of the royal bloodline?
 * Link: I have always trusted in your wisdom, but this past year has only made me question you more.
 * Nostrum: If I may interject...
 * Nostrum: I have known you since you were a wee boy, Link.
 * Nostrum: I still remember the day I found you, wandering the cathedral and helping those war victims.
 * Nostrum: You are like a second son to me.
 * Link: You are the closest thing I've had to a real father.
 * Nostrum: Good, then please trust me now.
 * Nostrum: I am telling you, as a father, trust in Hylia.

After some hesitation, the Knight in Green bows to the Goddess.


 * Link: Forgive me, your grace.
 * Link: I meant no rebellion, only duty.
 * Hylia: You are forgiven.
 * Nostrum: Resume your duties.
 * Carock: He should be punished for killing my soldiers!
 * Nostrum: Silence, boy!

POV changes to a row of Trebuchets and Walker Cannons facing Hive Vitreous, the armies of Hylian, Zora, Gorons and Oocca emerging from behind them.


 * Mido: There, I upheld my end of the deal.
 * Mido: I've led you to every one of their damn hives.
 * Mido: I did my part, now you owe me a pardon!
 * Saria: I can't let you get away with what you've done.
 * Mido: What?
 * Saria: You get away with everything, it has to stop.
 * Mido: If you go back on our deal that makes you just as bad as me!

'''Angered, Saria approaches Mido and begins to punch him in the face, shocking Link who had just returned, while amusing Darunia. However, he steps in to stop the one-sided fight.'''


 * Darunia: Easy now... my people will deal with him for you, Saria.

'''Saria looks down, saddened, while Mido cries. He is picked up by Dangoro, made to be sent away.'''


 * Mido: You can't just do this...
 * Mido: We had a deal to live up to!
 * Mido: Link, you're an honorable man, make them stop!
 * Mido: Link, I am sorry for all those times I bullied you around, do something!
 * Mido: Link, I'm sorry!

'''Mido is taken away, and Link seems left with mixed feelings, as is Saria. All of this is interrupted by the arrival of Gohma and what seems to be Sulkaris' armor. Using the power of the Forest Medallion, she uses her accompanying Gohma to recreate her naked mortal body, now green and insect-like. She stares at King Kazakk and smiles at him.'''


 * Kazakk: Sulkaris.
 * Sulkaris: King Daphnes Nohansen Kazakk of Hyrule.
 * Sulkaris: I have come to parley with you, your Highness.
 * Kazakk: There will be no parley!

'''Kazakk throws his spear in Sulkaris' mouth, making the Fallen Sage scream in pain and fall to her knees. Darunia and the Gorons erupt into laughter and the King approaches the body of the coughing Sulkaris to retrive his weapon.'''


 * Kazakk: May that be half as painful as your last death.

'''Suddenly however, another Sulkaris body emerges, composed of other Gohma bodies. This one is almost fully insectoid. It startles Kazakk's horse. Soon enough, many more of those Sulkaris monsters begin emerging from the ground.'''


 * Sulkaris: Death... is such an... inappropriate word...

Everyone readies their weapons, and the King turns back from the fiends who keep emerging.


 * Kazakk: Burn it all!
 * Kazakk: Burn it all to the ground!!!
 * Aydia: Ready your arms, Lanayru!
 * Darunia: Brothers, you know what to do!
 * Liyer: No one stop until every last one of the spiders is dead!

'''The Sulkaris Gohma march on, and the Matriarch dons an Armogohma shell. From the center of Hive Vitreous a bigger figure emerges. It's similar to the other Sulkaris clones, but much taller and with many spikes and bigger claws. She roars and begins approaching.'''

Interlude
'''The fight rages on. One of the Sulkaris Gohma is killed off by Lanayru's Coralmold Ballistas. Aydia points towards the Matriarch and shouts.'''


 * Aydia: Focus on the large one, I want her down and dead now!

'''The Coralmold Ballista shoots at the Matriarch, stopping her onslaught. Ooccoo uses her Dominion Rod to send an Oocca construct flying on the giant Armogohma, allowing Aydia to give her the finishing blow.'''

'''POV switches to Link and Saria. Link kills a Pincergohma, but the duo is soon intercepted by the greater Sulkaris, who charges a beam from her Gohma eye. Link and Saria evade the blow, and the Kokiri shoots an arrow in the monster's eye. Darunia rushes in to help, hitting her head with his hammer. The fiend quickly regains composure and knocks Darunia away, trying to find Saria again, allowing Link to do a spin attack in her face. Saria takes the opportunity to shoot another arrow, sending the monster on a rampage. She shoots another beam of energy that Link manages to outrun. She is then shot down by a Walker Cannon of Liyer, biding Link enough time to run back and stab the demon in her eye, killing her.'''

'''Everyone stands victorious, as it seemes the day had been won. It's clear the battle isn't over yet at all, as many Gohma, both living and dead, begin getting sucked into the center of the hive, where Vitreous resided. Many bolts of energy erupt, and the slime mass of eyes begins rising from the ground thanks to the power of the Sage Medallions. The hive itself fuses with that abomination as all the people present watch in horror. A Demon of Old finally takes shape.'''


 * Liyer: Iemanis...

'''Iemanis spreads its appendages, its many eyes looking in all directions, except for its center one which stares directly at its enemies. The demon takes its first step.'''

Outro
'''No matter what they do, Iemanis seems unable to be killed or even slowed down, torching, crushing and sending flying anything in its path. It's clear that the people of Hyrule are up against something above them all.'''


 * Rauru: We can't stop this!
 * Rauru: The demon is beyond us, we have to retreat!
 * Rauru: My King?!
 * Kazakk: Damn it all!
 * Kazakk: Fall back! Fall back to the southeast!
 * Rauru: Retreat! All forces fall back from the Mire!

'''The army begins to retreat, as Zelda stares at the Druthulidi spreading horror and destruction in its wake. Zelda looks upon everyone running away, and begins having a vision. Her subjects, all bowing the Goddess Hylia, as something, a face, descends from the skies.'''


 * Zelda: Hylia... I surrender to you...
 * Zelda: Please Hylia, I surrender the throne!

And so Hylia appears right behind her, magically.


 * Zelda: If you save us, the throne of Hyrule will be yours.
 * Zelda: We will abandon the Old Gods.
 * Zelda: Please, I beg you!

The Goddess gets down from her throne.


 * Rauru: Wait Zelda, no!
 * Hylia: Rise, my child.

'''Tetralyna does as she is told. She stops to look at her wounded hand before shaking hands with Hylia. Iemanis still rampages, and burns whatever it sees. However, the Mire begins to crack, and as the soldiers retreat, a white figure flying in the air stands against the Demon of Old. The ground breaks, and giant mounds of dirt run down the beast, forcing it to back off and keeping it in place. Hylia rises her arm, and the nearby sea begins rising. Iemanis tries to torch the Goddess, but she sends the beam flying back, destroying one of the hive's pillars. A great wave is formed, swallowing all of Hive Vitreous. The demon breaks free and runs for Hylia, intent on killing her. Everyone watches filled with awe and uncertainty. It's then that Hylia summons a great thunder, blowing up Iemanis seemingly without effort. All Hylian soldiers bow the the might of the Goddess Hylia.'''


 * Midna: It was thus that Princess Zelda had given her future throne to Hylia.
 * Midna: Soon the Hylians would forsake the Old Gods and kneel before Hylia.
 * Midna: Yet despite the takeover, a great question came about in the minds of many.
 * Midna: Where did the bloodline of Hylia come from?
 * Midna: Who sired her dynasty that lead to Princess Zelda?
 * Midna: How did Hylia, with all her power, believe her lineage had ended?
 * Midna: Such questions will bring more stories for me to tell in the Historia.

The Sage Medallions disappear from the ruins of Hive Vitreous and the Mire, going back to those they truly belong to and restoring the Sages' powers.


 * Midna: But for now the Gohma were no more.
 * Midna: They would never recover from such a defeat.
 * Midna: For a time the people of Hyrule would be able to return home to a time of peace.
 * Midna: Such a peace had not existed between so many races since the time of King Gustaf.
 * Midna: Despite this victory, the damage of Sulkaris and the First Sages would not fade easily.
 * Midna: Perhaps the pain would never fully heal.

POV changes to Mido being taken to his cell by a Goron somewhere on Death Mountain.


 * Midna: But there were many reasons for those of Hyrule to rejoice despite all that had been lost.
 * Midna: Rejoice for the justice against the Fallen Sage and all those that followed her.

'''Mido is locked down, but quickly notices he is not alone in the cell. His cellmate was a Volvagian Clutch Queen, who didn't seem to keen having to share her prison chamber with him.'''


 * Midna: Rejoice that many had lived through the year of terror at the hands of the Gohma.

'''The scene changes to show Queen Oraiya's funeral being attended by her daughter and husband, as well as many knights. A dead swan is placed on the Queen's grave by Tetralyna.'''


 * Midna: Rejoice despite the loss of so many loved ones.

POV changes to the Temple of Time.


 * Midna: Rejoice that the Kingdom and its people had not fallen

'''A bas-relief is made of Rauru, Liyer and five Triforce Vanguards. Link and Ooccoo are seen walking together, and a little dog barks among all the partying guests. King Kazakk and Regent Queen Laruto are also seen talking together.'''


 * Midna: Rejoice for new friendships between nations.

'''We then see Rauru walking towards Impa, who is leaning on a pillar, away from mostly everyone. He hands her a Cucco leg which she accepts.'''


 * Midna: For those they held dear at their sides with each battle.

'''Ruto is seen meeting with Telara and Zaleen. He lost one of his legs during the conflict.'''


 * Midna: For those that they thought had been lost.

'''Ruto then notices something, and asks the couple to wait a second. Darunia is scouting for food he can eat, but nothing on the table is part of a Goron's diet. Luckily, the Sage of Water gets his attention and shows him a Rock Sirloin, putting a smile on his face.'''


 * Midna: Rejoice from the most unexpected of places.

'''We return to Link and Ooccoo. He shows her a medal of sorts, which brings her to the realization the relative he told her about was him all along. This revelation prompts her to hug him.'''


 * Midna: Of course rejoice for family, even when they thought they might have had none left.

'''Link manages to spot Zelda speaking with Liyer, but she quickly takes her leave to go outside of the Temple of Time. He follows suit.'''


 * Midna: And so the tale of the Fallen Sage comes to an end...
 * Midna: ... and the start of another tale begins...

Link approaches Zelda outside.


 * Link: Was the smell of Ruto's cooking getting to you too?
 * Zelda: Oh no, I am not much of a socialite, unlike you.
 * Link: Yeah, Lana always said I had a habit of never shutting up when there's a party.
 * Zelda: It's earned, I think the people will hail you as a hero after all you've done the last year.
 * Link: I am just a nobody in a green tunic.
 * Zelda: Why are you even still in that tunic?
 * Zelda: Don't you have anything else for occasions?
 * Link: It's for adventuring, besides, you are still in a funeral dress.
 * Zelda: I'm still in mourning.
 * Link: And I'm still adventuring.

Zelda lets out a small chuckle.


 * Zelda: I never got to properly thank you for saving me.
 * Zelda: I mean, you did a clumsy job, getting stuck with me in that little orb.
 * Zelda: Honestly, you rubbed me the wrong way at the time.
 * Link: It was a tight fit...
 * Zelda: But you still saved me, nontheless.
 * Zelda: And you believed me when I had the visions.
 * Zelda: You always trusted me even though you had no reason to.
 * Zelda: I only hope you trust in my pact with Hylia.
 * Link: I am glad I could help you.
 * Link: Now with all that nonsense in the past, I'd like to formally introduce myself.
 * Link: I am Link, son of Arn.
 * Zelda: I am Princess Tetralyna Nohansen Zelda the Fifth of Hyrule.
 * Zelda: I am honored to have met you.
 * Link: The honor is all mine, Princess of Hyrule.
 * Tetra: Oh please call me Tetra, formality doesn't suit you at all.
 * Link: I'll be as formal as I want, Princess Tetralyna Nohansen Zelda the Fifth of Hyrule.
 * Tetra: Speaking of suiting you, why did you get rid of your beard?
 * Link: No one liked it.
 * Tetra: A shame, the look fit you well.
 * Link: You're the only one who thinks that.
 * Tetra: Not everyone has my good taste, I suppose.

'''Tetra's eyes begin glowing, startling Link a bit. She has a vision of a tall black tower surrounded by smoke pipes. She quickly snaps out of it.'''


 * Link: Another vision?
 * Tetra: Just a brief and vague image... I couldn't make anything of it.
 * Tetra: Best not to worry about something so unclear.
 * Link: I could drink to that...