The northern wind whipped through the battlefield, biting and cold, as the 4,000-strong Hylian army advanced toward the city of Sovi. The sound of thousands of boots marching in unison reverberated across the land, a relentless tide of soldiers clad in sophisticated steel armor. At their helm, Lord Ryakudatsu, a Rito warlord, glided through the air, eyes cold and ingenious.
"Attack!"
Valord Sovi, however, stood firm. Despite the overwhelming odds—her 600 soldiers no match for the invaders' sheer numbers—she refused to bow. Being the Valord of the city for decades, giving up without a fight would stain her reputation. Her four white-blueish wings flexed as she stood tall, saber at her side.
Sovi raised her blade high, its edge catching the pale northern light as she stepped forward atop the battlements. Her voice rang out, clear and unwavering across the walls.
"Archers! Ready your bows!"
The Nihovy archers, positioned in staggered lines behind the stonework, drew their strings taut. The quiet tension of the moment hung in the air like a held breath.
Sovi's wings flared wide as she narrowed her eyes toward the advancing army. "Loose!"
A thunderous snap of bowstrings filled the air as hundreds of arrows flew in unison, darkening the sky before they arced down toward the enemy ranks.
The first volley of arrows rang through the air from the defenders, but the Hylian army pressed on. Their shields rose, and though a few fell, they were hardly slowed. The defenders had little chance to hold back such a mighty force.
But Sovi had no intention of waiting for defeat.
"Boom!" A sonic boom left in her wake as she flew towards the approaching army.
Ryakudatsu's gaze shifted toward her. "MWHAHAHA! You monsters really think you can handle this young master's power! So be it! Die!"
Sovi's eyes narrowed, her voice a low growl in response. "Shut up Bird!"
Ignoring Sovi's taunts, Ryakudatsu knocked three arrows on his bow, pointed towards Sovi.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" Bomb arrows exploded all over the battle field as Ryakudatsu shot at Sovi with his Falcon bow.
Sovi was just too fast for Ryakudastu to get a hit, but the Nihovys behind her were a different matter.
"Argh!"
"Help me!"
"My legs! My legs! They're gone!"
Various shouts rang throughout the battlefield, many of them were victims from Ryakudatsu bombardment. From light injuries to missing limbs some even exploded into a blood mist on the spot.
"Damn you coward!" Enraged, Sovi hurled herself at the Hylian army. Those in her path experienced ruptured eardrums before they were cut down at supersonic speed.
"You dare insult this young master!" Ryakudatsu shrieked as he struggled to catch up with Sovi.
"Stupid Bird! Look where you are! You really thought I was running around?! You can't fire bomb arrows at your own forces! Now die!" Sovi retorted as she turned around mid flight, shooting towards enlightened Ryakudatsu.
Terrified, Ryakudatsu dived towards the Nihovy army to get away from Sovi and the Hylian army but the warlord's action was futile. Sovi was too fast, too powerful. Her blade flicked with lethal precision, and with a sudden, decisive moment, she sliced through the air with such force that Ryakudatsu had no time to react.
The warlord's eyes widened as Sovi's sword cleaved through his body with one clean stroke. His form was split in half at the waist, the two halves of his body falling from the sky like discarded sacks of flesh. Blood rained down as his upper and lower halves hit the ground with a sickening thud. Silence descended for a heartbeat as the Hylian army paused in shock, unsure how to react to their leader's brutal, sudden demise.
Sovi hovered in the air, her chest heaving with exertion, but her eyes locked onto the army below. "Now," she called out, her voice echoing across the battlefield, "who else is next?!"
For a moment, the Hylians faltered, their resolve shaken. Ryakudatsu had been an unmovable pillar in their ranks, and with his death, uncertainty crept through their soldiers. But it wasn't enough as the Hylian army is named the strongest force on the continent for a reason.
"Hold your ground!" A Hylian officer, Lord Hairiahito shouted, his voice cracking as he tried to rally the stunned soldiers. "Valor's are known for tiring out really quickly! Look! She appears exhausted!!"
Another soldier barked, "For Ryakudatsu! For vengeance!"
Their cries caught like wildfire. The initial hesitation twisted into fury, and a roar erupted from the Hylian ranks as rage replaced fear.
With a roar, the army surged forward once more. They pressed against the walls, swarming like locusts, determined to avenge their fallen leader. The first wave of soldiers closed in on Sovi's position. She darted toward them, her sword cutting down every soldier in her path. She moved like a blur, her wings glowing intensely, striking down one soldier after another, her attacks leaving trails of blood and devastation behind her.
But as she fought, the numbers against her grew. The Hylians came from all sides, their weapons raised high, and despite her speed and skill, they were overwhelming her. Sovi fought like a whirlwind, her blade flashing through the air, but her movements began to slow. Each strike was a little more labored, each dodge a fraction less nimble.
Her soldiers, though brave, were being cut down one by one, their inferior armor and weapons no match for the might of the Hylian army. Sovi could hear the cries of her people, the invaders had breached the city.
Her wings flexed again as she shot through the air, her sword cleaving another soldier in half with a single stroke. But she was tired. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and the heat in her body burned fiercely as she continued to fight. She could feel her strength draining, her movements becoming less precise. She wasn't sure how much longer she could last.
"Sovi, we need to fall back!" one of her generals shouted as he fought to protect the civilians fleeing out of the city. "They're too many! We can't win this."
Her eyes flicked toward him. There were too few of them left, and the Hylians were pressing harder with every passing second. She had taken down dozens, but the army before her numbered in the thousands
"Die Hylians!" Sovi shouted, her voice hoarse as she pushed herself forward. Her sword slashed through another soldier, and she tried to keep moving, but her bursts grew more sluggish, her wings dimmer. Every beat felt heavier than the last.
One of the Hylians lunged at her, his spear aimed at her side. She twisted just in time, but the spear grazed her wing. She glanced at her wing, seeing no injury, she cut down the aggressive Hylian. She was running out of time, and the reality of her situation began to set in.
"Sovi, please! We must retreat!" another soldier cried out, his voice tinged with desperation.
Sovi's eyes, both glowing and spinning, met the soldier's. She hesitated for a moment, but she knew the battle was lost. Her forces had been shattered, and the city had fallen.
With a final, painful gasp, Sovi turned her back to the battle, her wings still flapping slowly as she pushed herself away from the carnage towards the escaping civilians.
As the last of her soldiers and civilians fled westward, making their way toward Viskov, Sovi looked back one last time at the crumbling city walls.
Sovi had fallen.
…
The moment the defenders vanished beyond the gates and into the west, the Hylian army surged through what remained of the city's outer defenses like a flood released from a broken dam. Without resistance to slow them, the soldiers scattered through the streets in disorganized packs, their orders forgotten, their discipline quickly replaced with hunger and greed.
They broke down doors with shields and boots, storming into homes and shops alike. The sound of shattering wood, crumbling stone, and terrified screams echoed through the narrow alleyways. Pots were overturned, chests cracked open, and whatever gold, grain, or goods the citizens had failed to carry with them were snatched up without hesitation.
Smoke began to rise as the first fires were set—whether by accident or malice didn't matter. Sacks of flour ignited as torches were tossed into kitchens. Tapestries were torn from walls, and sacred relics, once carefully guarded in shrines and family altars, were smashed underfoot or pocketed like trinkets.
A Hylian lieutenant barked out, "Take everything of value! Leave nothing for the dogs of Viskov!" His men cheered in response, dragging stolen goods behind them, even as frightened townsfolk—too old, too injured, or too slow to flee—were pulled from hiding places and forced into the streets.
Children wailed, clutching at parents or older siblings, as soldiers herded them away to question or worse. Livestock ran wild in the chaos, bleating and screaming through burning courtyards. A horse, set loose from a stable, galloped past with part of its mane aflame, disappearing into the smoke.
At the city square, a group of Hylians tore down the banner of Sovi from the Manor gate and raised a crude flag—brown and yellow, depicting the triforce. A brutal declaration that the city had fallen, and a new power ruled now.
From the balcony above, the Hylian officer Ryakudatsu laughed as he hurled a Sovi City Flag—a horizontal triband; grey, white and grey with a black sideways S in the center—onto the mud below, stained and torn.
"This is only the beginning," he said to the Hylian soldiers below him. "Let the world see what happens to those who defy us. Next battle, we march in the streets of Viskov!"
"Towards Viskov!"