[Fanfiction] Dry Fate of the Gerudo

(This story has been written. It's currently under editing.)

40 years after the events of Ocarina of Time, Gerudo Valley has fallen victim to a famine. Ganondorf is dead (at least for the time being) and the land spent 8 years without a king. A male Gerudo named Validane was born and as such, he became the new Gerudo king. As the king of the Gerudo, it is his duty to solve the famine.

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Dry Fate of the Gerudo
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Part 1 (many more to come)

It was a red summer for Gerudo Valley. The desert was hot all year, and in summer the heat became far too intense, oppressive and unforgiving. The few plants that existed in Gerudo Valley were now dead which in turn forced animals to die. Consequently this left the Gerudo people starving and weak. There were great worries of the dry fate of the desert dwellers. Sand became solid with no water to soften it, which soon turned the ground of Gerudo Valley into a baked half brown colour scarred by famine, which contrasted horrifically with the golden sand that once formed the valley. It was matched perfectly by the barely living skeletons of the Gerudo who walked it.

Because of their “unusual” ways Gerudo were firmly ostracized by other races, particularly Hylians. There had always been a feeling of animosity but this had only intensified by Ganondorf’s reign. Most ordinary Hylians believed that every Gerudo was a follower of Ganondorf and even before that they regarded Gerudo as somewhat inferior. In turn, Gerudo had disliked Hylians for many past ages having disapproved of their culture. The Hylians, despite it being their duty to look after Hyrule, were unlikely to be even remotely interested in the fate of Gerudo Valley. The only Hylians that ever came to Gerudo Valley were merchants who wanted gold. Gerudo Valley was a haven of gold.

The Age of Ganondorf had ended thirty-three years ago and Gerudo Valley spent eight years without a king. The new king was a man named Validane, who was twenty-five years of age. He bore a resemblance to Ganondorf with his short red hair, dark skin (albeit slightly lighter than Ganondorf’s) and yellow eyes, except that he was less imposing and somewhat withdrawn in his appearance. Unlike Ganondorf, he was not a warrior king and therefore wore very different clothes. Whilst Ganondorf was an imposing figure with a dark face wearing black armour, Validane preferred to wear robes heavy with colour. He was skilled with weapons but preferred to use forest magic. Validane was currently speaking to his people from the roof of his residence, the Gerudo Fortress.


“It is forty years since the last time a Gerudo has set foot upon the cause of destruction. We must not make the mistakes Ganondorf made – we must learn from these. What is there in Gerudo Valley? Nothing! This is a desert – nothing grows, everything dies! We cannot live on these lands! I have replaced Ganondorf, and I want my people to survive. We have no choice but to claim land from the surrounding realms!”

Validane stepped back inside the Gerudo Fortress after his speech to be greeted by his close companion Magrald.

“Validane? Are you sure?”

“Yes. I am certain. This is a bleak summer. I have no food, and I would take no food from any of my people. Death walks my path, and I must not walk it. My animals are all dead.” Validane replied with the aggression born from grief.

“You remind me a lot of Ganondorf in his early years. He wasn’t always the villain he was known to be. In summers past, he went hungry so that his people could eat. He always served them well and they loved him in turn. It was a tragic moment to me when he became too greedy for power. He was jealous of Hyrule and the fickleness of history made his past forgotten to the world.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Magrald.” Validane replied quickly but softly. He smiled wistfully and walked away.

Magrald was one of Validane’s trustees. Magrald was a Hylian and an old man of seventy-three years of age. Most people would be dead by this time – however he was skilled with many forms of magic – fire magic in particular and those who used magic always seemed to live longer. He had been an advisor to Ganondorf but had fled Gerudo Valley when Ganondorf became too greedy. He had warned the world of Ganondorf’s greed and ambition, which in turn had given him a grand deal of money and power. However, he had been desperate to assist the new Gerudo king when he was brought into the world. Magrald had worked for Validane ever since an early age. He was very majestic in his appearance. Validane’s other trustee was a man named Vadon. Vadon, in contrast to Magrald, was scruffy in appearance. Magrald had met him after escaping from Ganondorf and the two had become extremely close friends.


Validane had been speaking to his Gerudo followers and hearing their cries for help. He was an inexperienced king, being only twenty-five years of age. His reign was not unlike Ganondorf in his early days before he was driven insane by his lust for power. When Validane said he had no choice but to invade the surrounding realms, there was an underlying element of sorrow in his voice. Validane had no intention to forget his comparison with Ganondorf and he was proud of it. Validane brushed his knowledge with one of the many books from his groaning bookshelves – Minoland, a town under construction. The book told Validane of the plans for this new town and how it would appear.

The capital of Hyrule was a long way away from Gerudo Valley and it was impossible to believe that the two lands were even in the same world. Whilst Gerudo Valley was a lifeless desert, Hyrule was an oasis that was never too hot or too cold. Hylians rarely became short of money or food, even the peasants.

Dalvros had been king in Ganondorf’s days, but by this time he had died of old age. Dalvros had no sons, so his daughter Zelda became queen and she had married Link, who was now the king. Link was now fifty-five years of age and had been highly respected from the start of his reign. Zelda was a year younger – fifty-four years. They had two children: a son named Rarnam and a daughter named Saria. Both children were at this time in Goron City. Rarnam was named after a particularly clean river believed to be magical and Saria was named after a mutual friend of both Link and Zelda. The older Saria still lived now and remained the sage of the Forest Temple.

Ever since Link had taken the crown he had made many changes to Hyrule and in his policies. Having played the key role in returning peace to Hyrule, Link was desperate to ensure that no villains would enter his territory again. Every day, Link would send one of his trustees around Hyrule and its neighbouring realms to ensure that no malice had been spotted.

Being that he was not of noble blood, Link was a lot closer to his people than many kings of the past. In fact, Link focused heavily on appealing to the peasants of Hyrule having created several villages with a view to a sheltered yet fertile section of the Hyrule field. The largest of these was Namindo which was a growing settlement. Namindo was never going to be as major as Kakariko Village but Link was hoping it could come close. Link had also found more land – a forest path named Vadune which led to Gerudo Valley.

Castle Town had expanded now and was named Hyrule City, being that it was so grand and beautiful. Link had paid a master artist to create statues of all of the Seven Sages and replace it when the Sage was replaced. Rauru and Nabooru were dead but the others – Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa and Zelda were still alive. Statues of the seven sages surrounded the square and upon the ground was a carving of the Triforce. The shape and colour of this beautiful relic was captured with accuracy near equal to the Goddesses. In addition to Castle Town, Link had ordered the construction of a new town named Minoland which was nearing completion. The town was accessed via a northern exit from the Lost Woods.

Yet Link’s reign had not passed without mishaps – although Hyrule was flourishing, he had been forced to threaten the Kokiri and the Zoras for money and minerals in order to achieve the goals he had promised. Link never paid it back, with the excuse that “he had no spare money to return.” Link regretted this mistake, but only paid back half the value of what he had stolen.

Link and Zelda lay in their king-sized bed on the morning of the 1st of May.

“The 1st of May.” Link said as he turned to look at Zelda.

“It looks like a fine morning to me.” Zelda replied.

“Summer is here. After a long period of wind and rain it has arrived.” Link said, beaming with joy.

“Is it warm outside?” Zelda asked Link.

“I haven’t been outside at all. Sleeping late means more energy today.” Link said mischievously.

Zelda turned away from Link and turned back to him. “Such a lack in dignity.”

A servant entered the room.

“Any wishes for breakfast, your highness?”

Link was quickest to speak. “Bacon. From the pig that was killed yesterday. Sausage also.” Link was slightly rude but soft in tone.

“What of her majesty?” The servant asked as he bowed down to Zelda.

“The finest of Hylian fruits.” Zelda replied.

The servant left.

“This is a warm 1st of May.” Link said to Zelda.

“How can you tell?” Zelda asked with a slightly puzzled look.

“The intensity of the sun is slightly different each year. It appears to be slightly hotter than normal. That looks to me like a strong sun.” Link explained.

“I always lived a sheltered life. I could never tell.” Zelda replied.

“The warmer it is, the more fertile potential our crops have. We should maximize the use of our lands.” Link said with a slightly mischievous smile.

“Truth be told, it has been a king’s duty to ensure the best for Hyrule. I cannot let you down.” Zelda said grudgingly.

Zelda followed Link to the fields, without saying a word. Link thought nothing of it – he was sure that Zelda wouldn’t stay this way for long. He gave his familiar mischievous grin once more.