Prologue
"Have you found them yet?"
"Yes, My Lord. An informant spotted them near Kakariko where they were seen heading into the forest. We have since determined they have been hiding from us there. The forest is large, but we have all available troops scouring the woods. It won't be long now. We will have them by nightfall."
"Good. Inform me at once when they have been located."
The man bowed and left, leaving Ganondorf alone on the top of a large hill.
Ganondorf turned to face the horizon, the sun growing ever nearer to its edge. His victory was close at hand. Soon he would possess the unbridled power of the Triforce and all would kneel before him. A malevolent smile perverted his face, a wildfire erupting behind his cruel eyes.
Chapter One
"Zelda, run! I'll hold them off as long as I can."
"I won't leave you!"
"We can't outrun them forever and we can't let him get hold of both of us. At least this way one of us can make it. Now go!"
"Link…"
"GO!"
Zelda held his gaze for a moment, her eyes filled with sadness. Turning and running off into the forest, she disappeared between the trees.
Link spared a moment to make sure Zelda made it out of sight before he drew his sword and slung his shield onto his arm. He spun to face the approaching horde of lizalfos. He had barely set his shield before they were on him.
With a cry he rushed forward to face the onslaught. Two fell with his first charge. Their comrades leapt over their prone forms, slashing at Link. He took the hits on his shield and spun away to his right. Using his momentum, he thrust forward, skewering another lizalfos on his sword. As he drew back, he swung his sword behind him in a horizontal arc, fending off several lizalfos that had tried to flank him. By this time, the mass had surrounded him, but he wasn't going to give up. He had to buy Zelda as much time as possible.
He hacked and slashed in a frenzy, dodging and blocking all the while. He felled many foes, but the lizalfos kept coming in a never-ending swarm. Somehow he hadn't sustained any major injuries. Only minor cuts and bruises marred his body. But his arms were leaden. If the battle kept up at that pace, his luck was bound to change.
Just then, a row of darknuts appeared over the hill. A dark figure towered behind them—Ganondorf.
"Enough."
At his command, the lizalfos stopped their assault, but kept Link contained in a ring of flashing teeth and swords. Breathing heavily, Link lowered his sword and shield—slightly. He faced Ganondorf and his elite, a snarl coming to his lips.
"Restrain him. And find the girl."
The lizalfos not comprising the circle detached and ran off into the trees. Watching, Link prayed a silent prayer for Zelda. He could only hope he had given her enough time to get away. Turning back, Link saw the darknuts part. Ganondorf stepped forward between their ranks.
Ganondorf was clad in black armor. The armor was ornate, befitting a dark king. A heavy, crimson cape billowed behind him, matching his blazing hair. His gauntleted hand rested on the pommel of a large sword, hanging at his left hip. Like his armor, the sword was heavily gilded. A large ruby shone in the pommel. Dark leather lined with gold wrapped the grip and the crossguard branched and curved to elaborate points.
At a wave of Ganondorf's hand, three lizalfos came forward to restrain Link. Link struggled as they grabbed his arms. Two more set about disarming him, ripping the Master Sword out of his hand and cutting through the straps on his shield. It fell away with a dull clatter onto the dirt, raising a small cloud of dust. One of the lizalfos kicked the shield away.
Still struggling violently, Link hurled abuse at Ganondorf. "You'll never find her, Ganondorf! I'll never let you attain the full power of the Triforce." Blood trickled down Link's arms where the lizalfos' claws dug into his skin. The scarlet drops pooled at his elbows, then fell onto the earth and the legs of his captors alike.
Ganondorf smiled. "You're in no position to threaten me, boy." The Captain of the darknuts stood on Ganondorf's right and a half step behind him. Looking sidelong at him, Ganondorf ordered, "Bring him."
The Captain stepped forward, drawing his sword. Approaching Link, he raised the sword over his head as if to strike an overhead blow. Link merely watched, willing as much contempt into his gaze as he could muster. Instead of bringing the blade down on Link's neck, the Captain brought the pommel down on top of Link's head with a devastating blow.
Link staggered, his vision blurring. He felt a hot dribble slide down his face. The world skewed sideways as Link fell first to his knees, then onto his side. The Captain's boots withdrew as Link's world faded into darkness.