It was another cool night at the fortress. The skies were clear, allowing the stars above to illuminate the vast ocean surrounding the grim prison. Long ago, this fortress was the base of a mighty army. Now it stood desolate, devoid of all peaceful life. Atop this large precipice rested an old sailing ship, lodged in the fortress's tower long ago. It was in this wreckage that the master of the fortress dwelled.

Whether this base was originally his or not was known only to him, for he had been alive longer that any other who now sailed the seemingly endless seas. He alone knew the true history of this realm. He knew what caused this place to be as it is, and who was responsible for it.

His eyes scanned over the fortress. The torches and searchlights illuminated the entire goings on within the cold walls. Beyond them, there was naught but still waters and the silhouettes of far distance islands. The most prominent of which was the massive column of the larger of the two isles known as the Mother and Child Islands.

As he looked over the vastness, a small creature entered his presence shyly. It was a short creature, shorter at least than its master. It had dark grey skin, long ears, a flat snout and a horn sprouting from its forehead. The only clothes it wore were a vest and a tattered pair of trousers held up by a thin stringed belt, buckled with a small skull.

It spoke to its master in a high pitched, shaky voice, as though it was suffering from a constant chill. "My lord, we've captured another girl. She waits for inspection with the others" it reported. Without facing his minion, the man simply nodded in understanding. With his update reported, the creature bowed and retreated.

He stopped, however, to deliver one final bit of news. "Also" he squeaked, breaking hit master's much desired silence, "A ship was spotted off shore. They were beyond range of our cannons, and did not stay for long. They did however fire a shot, but no damage to the fortress has been found. It is likely they missed". With that he left his master alone once again.

He closed his eyes after a short time, his ears picking up on the sounds around him. The crackling of the lit torches behind him was a sound all too familiar to him. A sound he rarely enjoyed. He lived with enough fire for one lifetime, and by now he was nearly sick of it. No, there was another sound he was searching for.

The slight buffeting of the calm waves against the fortress's base rocked in a steady rhythm. It was still an unfamiliar feeling, being so close to water. Though it was undrinkable, it was still a welcomed element.

He heard the wind gliding above the sea's surface, guiding the smaller waves to and fro. His head tilted up slightly, feeling the cool breeze. The evening air brushed on his cheeks and flowed through the hairs of his beard. It was so gentle, so kind. This was not at all compared to the winds of his homeland. There, everything was harsh.

His trance was interrupted, however, with the heavy flapping of wings. The man's eyes opened to the sight of his massive servant bird leveling out before him. It was a mighty beast, clad in feathers ranging in color from blue to white to purple. It had four tales similar to those on kites, ranging in color from yellow to bright green. Upon its face, it wore a thick metal helmet, protecting the monster's only weak spot atop its head. The beast was a Kargaroc, an avian predator of the seas. This particular one, however, was the lord of all Kargarocs. This was the Helmaroc King.

As it hovered before its master, the man could see that in its beak, the Helmaroc King held a child. A boy, clad in green, stared wide eyed at the man. But how did…the ship. He must have been a crew member of the ship his minion reported on earlier. The "shot" the creature mentioned was probably this boy being shot at the fortress. Clever, he thought.

With a side nod, he ordered his servant to dispense of the intruder. The Helmaroc King, all too pleased to carry out its Lord's orders, took a mighty swing, tossing the boy far out of sight. The child's screams faded into the distant waters, where not even a splash was heard.

Once the task was done, the man was once again left alone with his thoughts. His eyes wandered over the seas once more. His nostrils caught the salty scent of the waters, and his skin felt the soft breeze once more. His eyes closed once more, allowing him to recall his past. All the choices he made, the chances he took to get where he wanted to be.

As he stood there, his mind went back further and further. Finding the fortress, Surviving the flood, Being resurrected, being sealed away, taking the Triforce, Killing the King, becoming a king, growing up…there, the beginning.

This is the Tale of a King of Evil, a Gerudo Lord. This is the story of Ganondorf Dragmire.