Ganondorf felt his body pull in every direction, as if he spun in a circle at incredible speeds, but he knew he stood perfectly still. All he experienced was the force that tore him from the Sacred Realm to his destination. He clutched Dora in his arms, against his torso, to prevent them from being separated. One hand rested on the back of her head that protectively held her against his chest. She was of a shorter Gerudo height, and he taller than average, which simply made perfect for holding her.
Only once the spinning sensation ended did he dare open his eyes. Ganondorf possessed limitless confidence, to a point it was dangerous. He only ever saw the home of the Yiga clan in Dora's memories. He scanned his surroundings and found the tall brown mountain sides, itchy sand, and that familiar dry heat. Hanging between the mountain walls were ropes holding banners of an inverted Sheikah symbol.
"Oh, good, we made it," Dora exclaimed weakly, squinting against the glaring afternoon sun.
Ganondorf also suffered loss of strength, but not as severe as her. Before the ritual, she offered to sacrifice all of her energy first, before tapping into his. He only agreed because that tactic put him in a position to better protect her if they encountered enemies upon arriving at their destination. He hefted his wife into his arms across his chest, and walked deeper up the narrow path between the mountains. She closed her eyes contently and rested her head against his shoulder. Her weight slightly increased when she dozed off. The road steepened until he reached tall steps carved out of the middle of the mountain.
"Halt!"
Ganondorf continued to march forward, never faltering. His only concern was finding a place for Dora to rest. Her role in the upcoming battle was paramount.
"You are either deaf, or a fool. I command you to stop. Hand over that woman and leave or you will be killed," the man threatened.
The steps were large enough to be small landings compiled into a wide staircase. The distance between them was far, even for Ganondorf's long legs. He used only the strength in his left leg to lift his and Dora's weight to the first step. Two more steps above him, He found three masked men aimed arrows at him, each one prepared for a fatal strike. He was forced to pause at last and his glare landed on each of the archers. Their heads slightly twisted, as if they glanced at each other. Apparently they were accustomed to people running in terror.
"Who dares trespass on the territory of the Yiga clan? Are you allied with the royal family of Hyrule? State your business," the man demanded like a spoiled child. He appeared in view, far above on the last landing. "Wait," the masked man whispered abruptly. "Unbelievable. Impossible."
Ganondorf never gave him a chance to retract his statement. His hand of the arm supporting Dora's knees popped open to reveal a single dense ball of energy. It floated into the air and split into three. Each one hovered for just a moment, until flames flickered to life around the orbs. They shot forward simultaneously and collided with the chest of his enemies wielding bows.
Screams of agony ensued. Nothing was obviously wrong until the purple fire dissolved their white masks and rolled out of their mouths and eye sockets. The magical flames were so hot their bones and skin burned to ashes in seconds.
The outspoken man on the top landing became silent, as if he reconsidered his initial approach to this intruder. Ganondorf moved to climb to the next level when the man above him wondered aloud, "That woman you carry protectively, how did she come to harm? How did you find her?"
Ganondorf's thoughts raced to determine if the man played a game of ignorance to draw out answers, or if he was that oblivious. How could any member of the Yiga clan fail to recognize Dora? In all those lost years her appearance barely changed, while he was trapped as a monster. "Are you familiar with this woman?" he asked, playing along.
"You hold none other than Ganondora Dragmire, the rightful queen. Your similar traits and identical crown can only mean you are the true King of Hyrule," he responded soberly. "We have eagerly awaited your return. I am Felious, Master of the Yiga clan, the home for followers of the demon king. Come, she may rest in one of our beds." He held out his arms to accept the burden of carrying Dora inside, but Ganondorf stubbornly refused by pulling her closer to his torso. Felious easily understood his master's reluctance to hand over such a precious woman, and settled for leading them inside.
The caverns beneath the mountain were furnished with stacks of wooden boxes and crates, at times tall enough to make archer towers. Patrolling guards carried lanterns to light the large rooms, in addition to the sparsely mounted torches on walls. Four corridors and three rooms later, Felious led Ganondorf into a chamber where the walls were lined with stacked beds that were merely cots with blankets and pillows.
Ganondorf placed Dora on the lowest bed farthest back in the room. He moved slow, as if she were a child, and used great care in resting her head gently on the pillow. It was more luxurious than he remembered from living in Gerudo Fortress, but not quite the castle she always spoke of fondly. He turned around to address the leader of the Yiga, and found he gathered an audience of three more members. They all bowed their heads.
"Master, how do you come to return to us, much less that of a human form?" Felious asked.
The King of Evil simply gestured toward his sleeping beauty with the slightest movement of his hand to provide his answer. "My queen has more than earned her rest this day. Ganon is tame and I am free of the seal," Ganondorf advised. "It was her ingenuity that decided we should transport here upon our freedom, to prepare for the conquering of Hyrule."
"We are at your service, my lord," Felious said sincerely, bowing once more with his arm across his chest.
"A tour of your fortress, along with a discussion of Hyrule's current state and its leaders, would please me," Ganondorf informed. "Foremost, who are the members of the Yiga?"
"Allow me to show you who we are exactly," Felious said, slightly varying from his master's wishes. He reached toward his face with gloved hands, and lifted the mask from around his head. He slid his fingers under the suit atop his head and pulled it back to reveal his hair.
A rush of confusion, immediately followed by clarity, overwhelmed Ganondorf. Felious was of dark skin, perhaps a tone lighter than his own, yellow eyes, and dull, fiery hair. "Are all of you Gerudo?" he wondered.
"We are comprised of voe and vai, as well as some Hylians, and specifically a few turncoat Sheikah members. We even have a few Goron, Rito, and Zora members, but they generally work undercover at their respective homes," Felious explained.
Ganondorf chuckled cruelly. "The Gerudo still do not allow men among their town, and the birth of a male is surrounded with such a terrible omen that they exile them?"
"Precisely," Felious confirmed. "The rate of male births actually began to rise. When the next male was born, the elders demanded for the mother to abort the pregnancy, and when she refused they demanded she abandon the newborn, leave it to die. Instead, she abandoned them. That woman came to despise how the Gerudo were being led, and taught her son about our strong king Ganondorf that the others betrayed. Others who believed what the elders did was wrong also left and joined her. We were a small group and nameless at first, but we have always followed you as the one true king. One day, a strong, noble Gerudo woman found us, and united us with a purpose, trained us to fight, until we named ourselves Yiga and stole our symbol. If the Sheikah symbol is for those loyal to the Hyrule royal family, dedicated to protect them, then the best symbol for us is the opposite of everything they stand for. We serve only the royal Dragmire family. Since then, we have taken to fighting against the hero when he arises."
"You have done a poor job in slaying him," Ganondorf remarked coldly.
Hesitantly, Felious explained, "In the past, we have been led by some who lack a sense of strategy. At best we have been a persistent nuisance," he admitted solemnly.
"How is your leadership determined?"
"Primarily through battle. I defeated my comrades in every set of skills to take the title," he answered proudly. "I am eager to discuss what it is you plan to do next." He turned to face the exit, and ordered one of the guards to stay behind. "Alert us if she awakens before our return." Felious led Ganondorf out of the room, and said, "Our fortress is equipped to accommodate all of your needs."