Thirty-Six
As Erik and Val moved off in one direction of the long hallway, Link followed Viktor and Freia in the opposite direction. They saw no further guards, and the Hero gradually got a better sense of his surroundings.
The hallway was dark, with no windows, its only feature endless lines of cells on either side. None were occupied by more than rats and bones, and the air had an oppressively heavy quality, as if the building itself was trying to tell them they didn't belong here. Only a few flickering torches provided illumination.
Ahead of him, Viktor and Freia moved quickly, partially crouched. Their feet made no sound, and Link's stealthy footsteps seemed deafening in comparison.
Link's thoughts raced in nervous anticipation. He was close now, so close to seeing his mother for the first time in more than fifteen years, so long a time that he did not quite remember her face.
What would he say to her? What would she say to him?
It was almost too much to bear, and it seemed as if with each step the end of the hallway drew further away instead of closer.
Viktor suddenly halted, holding up a clenched fist. He glanced back at Link and opened his hand, palm facing the young warrior. Next, he pointed at a spot on the floor, waving his sister over. She crouched in front of it, frowning thoughtfully.
Link reached out and tapped Viktor's shoulder. What's going on? he mouthed silently.
Magic sensor, Viktor mouthed back. It sets off a silent alarm somewhere.
Freia spent several seconds considering the black spot on the floor, seeming to stretch on into eternity to Link, before she finally opened her hand and very slowly moved her fingers in a series of gestures. After pausing for several more seconds, she waved them forward and slowly stepped over the otherwise featureless section of hallway.
Several paces later, Viktor stopped again and held his arm out in front of Link, who saw the trap shortly thereafter. His extensive explorations of ancient ruins had given the Hero a thorough knowledge of booby traps and how they were constructed, and he saw what kind of trap this was almost immediately.
One row of stones across the hallway were slightly raised, and this would not seem out of the ordinary but for the small, circular holes in the walls on either side of the raised row. An inattentive step on one of the stones of the row would trigger a pressure sensor, which would launch some kind of projectile at the unfortunate fleeing captive.
Link made to step over the row, but Freia shook her head, pulling him back with one hand on his shoulder. She traced her finger in two diagonal lines over the row, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "More magic sensors. Let me find the gap."
She stood in front of the trap with her eyes half-closed in concentration, occasionally turning her head slightly, and finally she walked to the far left edge of the hallway and took a wide step over the raised row of stones, ducking suddenly at the end of her step and taking a few steps into the center of the hall before standing again.
Viktor duplicated her movements exactly, pausing to wedge a throwing knife in a crack in the stones of the wall at the point where he ducked. He waved Link over, and the Hero picked his way to the waiting Sheikah agents, glancing back at the seemingly featureless stretch of hallway behind him.
It's a good thing we're teleporting out of here, Link thought to himself.
Freia gestured a few times at her brother, pointing off down the hallway. He nodded, leaning back against the wall as she moved off, checking for more traps.
"What do these magic sensors do?" Link whispered to the agent.
Viktor gestured back at the trap they had just bypassed and whispered back. "Nothing other than setting off some sort of indicator somewhere else in the fortress. The guards set them off on their rounds, which are probably set in schedules. If a sensor is triggered when no guard should be present, they know someone is moving around who shouldn't be, and come down to investigate." He gestured quickly, and his throwing knife pulled itself out of the wall and flew into his hand. "The guards would know where all the traps are, but," he gestured at a dark stain on the floor next to one of the rows of holes in the wall, "they would appear to be effective security on their own. There is no escaping from this place without help."
Link nodded silently, a sinking feeling in his stomach. If he had tried this on his own, even with all his experience in dungeon-crawling, he would have set off the sensors and been forced to fight his way out of here. It was a sobering thought.
Ahead, Freia suddenly halted before one of the cells, the contents of which Link could not see. She gestured silently to her brother, and he came forward and crouched at the door, withdrawing a small, thin object from a pouch on his belt.
Link moved to stand behind the two Sheikah, not willing to wait until the door was open. But he saw nothing, and he strained to see further into the cell until Viktor swung the door open, clenching his hands around the bars when one of the hinges squeaked almost imperceptibly.
The young warrior took a slow step inside, and immediately, he saw her, sitting with her back to him on the narrow cot. At his approaching footsteps, she turned and stood, looking up at him in shock; he paused as well. He was taller than her, he realized distantly. They stood like that for several moments before she stepped forward, disbelieving joy mixed with sadness on her face.
Tears formed in the woman's eyes, and she reached up a hand to touch his cheek. "You… you look so much like him. So much."
Link opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked down at her, feeling tears of his own well up as her face triggered a flood of memories.
A smiling face, gentle and caring, hovers over him, joined by another face with eyes full of pride.
Cold, in a gigantic room with staircases on both sides. "There you are," a loving voice says, and arms encircle him, lifting him into the air. The arms are warm, and he feels safe in them. The gentle face smiles at him, touching her nose to his.
Tears, streaming down the gentle face, pleading in indistinct words as a large, threatening presence towers over them both.
Steam, rising from a bowl of hot soup. The gentle face is there, smiling as she always does when she looks at him, and she raises the spoon to his lips. "Look how big you're getting, Link," the loving voice says. "You're going to be big and strong when you grow up, aren't you?"
Snow, an endless expanse of it, and comforting warmth surrounding him, letting none of the cold through. A man, bound in a heavy coat and scarf, approaches, and the loving voice calls out to him. The man removes his scarf and bounds forward, sweeping him up off the ground, and looks into his eyes with deep pools of blue, so full of pride and love.
Ice, shifting in a frozen river as the man with proud blue eyes rows a boat, his face sad. The gentle face is also sad, and she looks down at him. Arms encircle him, and he feels a cheek against his hair as she pulls him close, kissing the top of his head. He does not understand why they are so sad.
Water, sparkling in a forest spring. He feels happy, and plays with a horse, small like him. He hears raised voices, and then sees a face -gentle- but not one he knows. Warm green eyes beckon to him, and he follows the pretty lady in the long green dress. Maybe she is taking him to the gentle face and the man with proud eyes. He does not see them behind.
Link pulled his mother in close, afraid she would disappear again. She squeezed him twice as hard, and mother and son shared their embrace for several more moments, both reluctant to let go.
The moment was ruined by a darkly sarcastic voice just behind them, one eerily familiar to the Hero. "How touching. I do hate to interrupt, but you and I have to talk."
Arnak looked out at the wreckage, and felt his anger rise once more, screaming forth from the pit in which he tried to contain it. People had died by the dozens in an instant of flame and ruin, and he had not been here to stop it.
He had failed. Just like he had failed those in his village. Just like he had failed those who had died in the siege of the city he had just left. His purpose was to stop people from dying at the hands of these conquerors, and that seemed to be something he was incapable of doing.
Arnak's senses prickled, and, leaving his companions, he stormed into a partially destroyed building and grabbed something immaterial in the rough, unforgiving vise of his hands.
The thing tried to twist away, to shift and spread apart and wriggle out of his grip, but he clenched his hands and forced it to solidify, until a man-shaped cloud of smoke writhed and screeched in front of him.
"What are you?" he snarled between clenched teeth, increasing the strength of his grip.
The creature replied only with a pained whimper, feebly trying to get away. Acting almost on instinct, Arnak raised his right hand in front of its glowing yellow eyes, manifesting his Triforce with a blinding golden light.
It shrieked and tried to squirm away, but he held it fast. It grew more solid under his grip with each passing second, until Arnak held a being tinted a dark shade of black by the throat, holding his glowing hand next to its head.
"I… I serve… the Master. I can do… only his will," the creature panted, its voice high and thin, as if coming from a great distance away.
Arnak again tightened his grip, lifting the creature free of the ground, but suddenly felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Raskys, his friend's eyes hard.
"Hey!" he said. "Cool it! What's wrong with you?"
And just like that, something seemed to snap in Arnak's mind, and he dropped the creature, backing away. He could not believe what he had been doing. This was not at all like him. He was never this angry, not since the day his life had been torn away.
Viserys stepped into the room, his sword drawn. He pointed it at the creature, which seemed to be entirely solid now, and he stepped closer, resting the point on its collarbone.
"What are you, and why did you do this?" he demanded coldly.
"I serve the Master," the thing replied in its unnaturally thin voice. "He knows what to do, and I do it."
Arnak looked closer at it. The creature might once have been human, but was only relatable to that term in shape now. He stepped closer to it, ignoring the look of fear in its yellow eyes.
"What can you tell us of your master?" he inquired, trying to keep his tone non-threatening.
The smoke-creature only shrieked in its eerie voice and shrank away. Arnak raised his hands, backing a few steps away, and then noticed that his Triforce was still glowing. Curious, he extended his right hand, and it pulled back again. He lowered it, and the creature relaxed slightly.
"I think it is sensitive to light," he said.
Viserys left his sword where it was. "Why did you do this?" he demanded again.
"The Master commanded me. I can do only his will."
Raskys cocked a wry eyebrow. "Well, at least it hasn't been brainwashed." His smile and sarcastic tone faded. "I don't think we're going to get much out of it."
As Arnak relaxed, the glow from his Triforce faded, until it finally vanished entirely, the marking darkening to its usual black color.
Just as it did, the smoke-creature faded and became more immaterial, passing right through Viserys' sword as it leaped away from him and jumped into the shadow of a pile of rubble. All three of them tried to grab it, but it moved too fast and was gone.
Viserys sheathed his sword. "This presents a new set of problems. If the enemy has servants that are capable of such things, it will make security much more difficult. We do not possess the capability to provide enough illumination to eliminate shadows, so they may strike at any time."
Arnak frowned. "All the more reason to eliminate their master as quickly as possible."
Raskys, who had wandered off, suddenly turned and shouted, "Hey! Over here!"
Leaving Viserys to continue surveying the scene, the big man made his way over to where his friend waited, standing next to a body slumped against one of the barges, a thin trail of blood running from a small cut on his forehead. Arnak recognized Shad and moved closer, checking him over.
He was unhurt except for the cut on his forehead, and Shad woozily blinked back into consciousness as Arnak crouched beside him and shook him awake.
"Are you all right?" the big man asked, handing Shad his glasses.
The scholar nodded as he put his glasses back on. A look of horror came over his face, and he glanced about in panic for a moment before he willfully focused on Arnak's weapon to distract himself. "Is that a Biggoron sword you have there? I've never seen one outside of a book."
"What's a Biggoron?" asked Raskys, checking a body. The man stirred, and the soldier moved on to the next one, waving over a medic.
Shad slowly got to his feet, wincing at an apparent headache. "Biggoron was the finest metalworker of the Goron tribe, and he made swords of the highest quality. They were highly sought after, but usually only a Goron or someone of similar size could use them. The Hero of Time is reputed to have been one of the few Hylians who acquired one."
Raskys smirked. "I take it from his name this Goron was rather large?"
"Well, yes. He was said to have been so big it was impossible to see all of him at once, though I rather think this was an exaggeration," Shad replied. "He might even still be alive. I must confess I do not know how long Gorons live."
Arnak rested a hand on the hilt of the sword at his side, looking down at the scholar. "You were not injured?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.
"No, I am fine," Shad replied. "I was attacked by some sort of creature, but it did not injure me. It seemed to be made of smoke." He hung his head sadly. "It killed the Oocca I was talking to, though."
Raskys nodded. "We ran into something like that, though it probably wasn't the same one. They sound like those things Majacen told us about on the boat here."
"I believe it is the same type of creature that had been spying on us and searched our baggage," Arnak said. "It is sensitive to light. We know that much. Do you know of any way to defend against it?"
Shad shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know much about magic, actually. I was never very interested in it."
Arnak gestured behind him at the damaged buildings of Nimbus City. "Come, then. We will go see what we can do to help."
Erik kept close to the wall, his eyes moving constantly in search of threats. On the opposite wall, Val did the same, and they passed through several cell blocks like this, quietly avoiding or incapacitating any guards they encountered.
The Sheikah warrior stretched out with his other senses as well, trying to determine if any magical traps were located nearby. He did not extend this aspect of his search too far, however, for fear of attracting the Dark Lord's attention. It was a miracle they hadn't been discovered and attacked already.
Suddenly, his Communication Stone buzzed in a pattern he recognized. It was a summons, one that indicated the one contacting him could not talk, but wanted him to come to them as quickly as possible. It was generally used when agents were trapped and needed assistance from their teammates.
Erik looked over at Val, and her expression told him her stone had done the same. She gestured silently back down the hall, and they set off, only to suddenly run into an invisible barrier.
Val drew her sword and prodded ahead with it, but it stopped just in front of her, as if she were trying to drive it into a stone wall.
The two warriors looked at each other with a sense of alarm. Neither of them had sensed that they had triggered any sort of trap, and could find no reason for this barrier. At her questioning look, Erik shook his head. He didn't even sense anything there, yet they could not proceed.
What was going on?
In the Kokiri Forest, Midna followed Link as best she could with her senses, focusing on the energy of the marking she had given him. It was not very strong, barely enough for her to sense that he was in a long, open space with three people nearby, one very close.
From their proximity, she was guessing that the person standing closest to him was his mother, and that they had found her. That was a relief. Now all they had to do was get out of there.
Suddenly, a dark, malevolent presence manifested itself barely a few paces behind Link, and Midna's eyes snapped open. It was not the presence she had been dreading, but it was familiar nonetheless. This was almost the worst thing that could have happened.
She glanced over to see Zelda looking back at her. The other princess had sensed it, too.
Link was in trouble, and there was nothing they could do to help him.
Very slowly, Link turned to look at the person standing behind him, his left arm tense and ready to snap up and draw his sword.
The shape of the newcomer was that of a huge, muscular man, at least seven-and-a-half feet tall, encased in dark plate armor with gilded edges. His gaze was fiery, and it took the Hero a few moments to realize that he was slightly transparent. He looked identical to the last time Link had seen him, down to the glowing white wound in his chest.
The Dark Lord Ganondorf, former Bearer of Power and two-time conqueror of Hyrule, stood there with a patient expression, his lips twisted in a mocking sneer.
"Do not draw your weapon, boy." He made no effort to hide his hate or disdain. "You cannot hurt me in this form, even with that… thing you wield." He spread his hands in an almost placating gesture. "Just as I cannot harm you."
Link raised his hand to the hilt of the Master Sword anyway. "Where is the other Dark Lord? Coming from the other direction while you try to distract me?"
Ganondorf fixed him with a pitying look, sneering again. "I would not stoop to such a tactic, boy. If I was going to attack you, I would have simply stabbed you in the back, were I able to do so. Raneses is entirely unaware of your presence, and if you wish him to remain so, you will listen to me and refrain from activating your Triforce."
The young warrior left his hand where it was. "What do you want?"
The Dark Lord dropped his hands to his sides. "You have done well, infiltrating this fortress to rescue the captive so soon after she was taken. My descendant did not think you capable of such a thing, but I suspected as much. He is a careful tactician, but he continually underestimates you and your allies." Ganondorf leaned forward slightly. "I will no longer make that mistake, boy, not after our encounter." He raised a threatening finger to point squarely at Link's heart. "We will fight again, and I will crush you. But, this is not the time."
He straightened and moved off a few steps, looking down the corridor at something only he could see. "I will let you and your mother go, as she is of no use to me, and I cannot fight you while I do not possess a body." Ganondorf turned around to look at Link and the others. "This is not the time for you and Raneses to do battle. He is strong, perhaps even stronger than I was, and you will need the other two Bearers with you if you hope to defeat him."
Link narrowed his eyes, distrustful. "Why are you telling me this? Why are you letting us go?"
Ganondorf smiled, a disturbing, malevolent grin full of arrogance and condescending amusement. "It is very simple, boy. I wish to make Raneses angry; angry enough that he will not be as careful as he usually is. Being deprived of his hostage will make him very angry indeed." He gestured idly behind. "Being given two more in her place will hardly placate him, but it must be done."
The Master Sword was out of its scabbard and pointed at the Dark Lord almost faster than Link could blink, realizing what Ganondorf meant. "You will do no such thing. Let them go."
All trace of humor vanished from Ganondorf's face. "You are not in a position to make demands, boy. I can easily free Raneses from his meditations, and if I do, he will be down here and you will be dead faster than even you can react." He raised a hand to gesture at Link again. "I do not wish to see Raneses in control of the world any more than you do. He may be powerful enough, but he is hardly suited for such a thing. He craves power for its own sake."
"And you don't?" Link challenged, still pointing his sword at his enemy.
Ganondorf glared at him. "I do not have to explain myself to one such as you. If you wish both your mother and yourself to live, you will leave this place now." He crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of a smile quirking one corner of his mouth. "Your death will come, boy, and it will be by my hand...but not today."
With that, he faded away, and they were left alone once more. Link scowled furiously at the place where his enemy had stood.
He turned to Viktor and Freia. "Please, take my mother somewhere safe. I'll see if I can free Erik and Val." He turned to his mother. "I will see you back in the forest."
Nomi nodded, smiling sadly. "Hurry."
Freia took hold of her arm, and the two of them vanished. Link turned back to Viktor.
"Let's go. I will not abandon them, no matter what he said."
Viktor nodded sharply, and the two of them set off down the corridor.
Inside his meditation chamber, Raneses opened his eyes, marveling at the power flowing through him. He was more powerful than ever before, and now he could dimly sense all three pieces of the Golden Power through the Triforce of Shadow, though Courage was hard to find, as if it were dormant.
The Dark Lord bolted upright as his questing tendril finally connected with the Hero's piece of the Triforce. He was here!
Ganondorf manifested himself, smiling slightly. "You have unlocked the second tier of power, Raneses. You are close to controlling the Golden Power."
"He is here!" Raneses hissed aloud. "The Hero is in the fortress! How did he find this place?"
Ganondorf frowned thoughtfully. "You are right; he is here. I do not have an answer for you. You should go to the dungeon and kill him for his arrogance in daring to challenge you. You are powerful enough. The others are not with him."
Raneses made to teleport himself to the dungeon, but his ancestor held up a hand.
"Do not. You will need time to adjust, and your powers will be unreliable until then. Run instead." Ganondorf gestured to the door.
The Dark Lord paused only long enough to rip the Sword of Darkness out of its scabbard before storming out of his chambers and down the stairs of his tower as fast as he could. Raneses hurled a string of curses at the insolent Hero as he ran, furious that he was here before his preparations were complete. Defeating him would be much more difficult now, but it was still possible.
Running down the steps was taking too long, so Raneses planted a hand on the rail and vaulted over the side, falling for several seconds before landing with a jarring impact on the next landing. He continued this until he reached the bottom of the tower, and ignored his protesting legs as he broke into a full sprint for the dungeon.
It was time for the Hero to die.
Erik prodded the invisible barrier with his boot again, trying to find an edge, but there was none. The hallway was sealed off in a similar fashion a few feet away, so there was no escaping that way. Both of them had tried teleporting out, but something was suppressing them.
"We're caught!" exclaimed Val, her expression pained. "He must have detected us!"
Erik nodded silently in reply, his mind working furiously as he looked around their invisible prison. There had to be something he could do.
One of the doors at the end of the long hallway opened, and both warriors tensed, but they relaxed as they saw it was Link and Viktor, their swords drawn.
Link immediately charged forward and struck their invisible barrier with the Master Sword, resulting in a sharp cracking sound and several tiny filaments appearing out of thin air, as though the Hero had smashed a window. He drew the sacred weapon back and struck again. More cracks appeared, but it held.
As Link drew his sword back for a third strike, the door at the other end of the hallway slammed open and a gigantic man stormed in, running full tilt for them. He radiated a dark aura, and Erik's skull began to ache at the sheer power of it. He knew at once who it had to be.
With a wordless cry of fury, the Dark Lord charged at them, brandishing a sword black as night with a glowing red gem set into the hilt. From his speed, he would be here in only a few seconds.
Link smashed the Master Sword into the barrier again, and again it cracked, but it did not give. With frantic speed as the Dark Lord approached, he struck the invisible wall again and again, his eyes fixed on the approaching menace. A spider-web of cracks appeared, growing thicker and more connected, but still the barrier held.
At full speed, Raneses ran into the opposite barrier, and it cracked at the impact, but held him back for a few precious seconds.
Erik looked back at Link to see determination spread across his face, followed by an expression of concentration. The Hero frowned, looking down at his left hand, and concentrated again. Shock and desperation flashed across his features as he tried again and again to draw on his Triforce, without success.
As the Dark Lord raged against the other obstruction, Link gripped the Master Sword again and pulled it back in preparation for a powerful two-handed slash, but at just that moment, the barrier holding Raneses back shattered entirely.
In that instant, Erik knew what had to be done. He drew his sword, and as he met Val's eyes, she nodded and did the same, though there was a hint of something on her face that he could not interpret. He paused to look back at Link.
"Go!" he shouted.
He ignored the Hero's shout of protest and hurled himself at the Dark Lord, swinging his blade in a furious arc. The dark blade moved up to deflect his blows effortlessly, sweeping out to knock his head from his shoulders even as Raneses tried to charge past him, roaring in fury.
Val planted a foot on the wall and leaped over to intercept the strike with her own blade, and she whirled it around and under the Dark Lord's weapon to strike back at him. He was forced to take a step back, and he raised a hand, as though to use his powers, but he dropped it and swung back at them instead, scowling.
Erik rolled under a powerful slash, and jumped to his feet behind Raneses, slashing at his back. As the Dark Lord blocked it, the Sheikah glanced up to see that Link had not moved, and was still trying to break through the barrier.
Val attacked again in a whirlwind of strikes, spinning and ducking to avoid the return blows. Erik pointed at the Hero and looked at Viktor, putting as much force into his voice as he could.
"Go!" he shouted again. "He must not be lost!"
Raneses knocked Val away with a kick and turned back to Erik, leaping forward in an overhand slash. The Sheikah jumped out of the way, gritting his teeth as he saw the obsidian-black blade gouge a chunk of stone out of the floor. He raised his sword and blocked the next series of slashes, spinning out of the way as Raneses hurled a punch at his head.
"Get him out of here!" Val shouted, jumping over to stab the Dark Lord in the back.
The dark blade intercepted her strike, and Raneses whirled around to bring his fist against her stomach, knocking her backward with incredible force. Erik had just enough time to look up and see Viktor grab Link around the chest with one arm and haul him back, struggling furiously.
Their eyes met for an instant, and Erik was struck by the abject fury and despair on Link's face before Viktor transported them both away.
Then, Raneses' blade was screaming down at him again, and Erik again jumped out of the way, pausing to catch his breath as Raneses smashed the other barrier away and took a few steps down the hall in that direction.
The Dark Lord snarled in frustration and slowly turned to face the two Sheikah warriors, his yellow eyes glowing fiercely. His breath came in gusts, as loud and angry as an enraged bull as he slowly stalked back down the corridor, raising his weapon.
As soon as they were whole, Link shoved Viktor away, rounding on him.
"Why did you leave? We should have stayed!" He grabbed hold of the Sheikah warrior's uniform and clenched the dark fabric in his fists. "Why did you leave them behind?"
Viktor grabbed the young warrior's wrists, but Link would not let go. "Do you think I wanted to? They knew their duty, and so did I! You are not expendable." He sighed in frustration, his expression pained. "I did not want to leave them behind, but you must understand; without you, the war is lost. We have so few options, but..."
Link shoved him away again and stormed off through the forest without another word, not caring where he went. He had to be alone.
He walked aimlessly through the woods, no destination in mind, and it could have been minutes or hours later that he finally stopped at a dead tree, leaning over against another, smaller tree.
Link suddenly drew his sword and put all the strength he could into one powerful blow, pouring all his anger and frustration into it.
The blade of the Master Sword sank deeply into the tree, but it did not go all the way through, as he had been expecting it to. In fact, the impact jarred his hands, and he stepped away, looking down at his fingerless gloves in surprise. He knew he was stronger than that. The blow should have completely obliterated the dead tree, especially now that he had absorbed Nemo's power.
Then it struck him; his Triforce was still inactive, as it had been when he tried to draw on it in the Dark Lord's fortress. He tried again to draw on its energies, but it was as if it was simply not there, and he was an ordinary mortal once again.
Link ripped off his leather gauntlet, looking down at his hand. The Triforce marking was still there, surrounded by the swirling blue-green lines of his Twili marking, but it might as well have been a tattoo for all he could feel it.
He yelled in frustration and punched the dead tree with his other hand. He had been betrayed! Val had sealed off his Triforce, probably in the hopes that Raneses would slay him. She was either a traitor or not a Sheikah at all! He cursed himself for trusting her, the other Sheikah for not realizing what she was, and most of all Val herself for betraying them and causing Erik to be left behind to face the Dark Lord's fury.
Once he was thinking clearly again, Link sat down on a fallen log and sheathed his sword. Was she, in fact, a traitor? He knew nothing about the supposed Sheikah agent who called herself Val, and had suspected nothing before. She had given no indication during the mission she was plotting against them, and in fact, had fought Raneses along with Erik, buying Viktor time to transport him away. Was the report she had given him on the Oocca shipyards genuine, or was it merely another part of a larger scheme? If she was working for the Dark Lord, what was Raneses planning? Had this been the plan all along, to lure Link to the fortress without the powers of his Triforce, making him an easy target?
Link wondered, could he have defeated Raneses even without the Triforce of Courage? He had won his duel with Ganondorf purely through his own skill with the blade, though it was undeniable that his piece of the Golden Power had fueled his exertions, given him the strength to resist the Dark Lord's relentless assault.
Even at the end, when he finally fought Ganondorf himself in single combat, the first Dark Lord had come closer than any before to ending the Hero's life.
Link rolled under another strike, grunting in pain as this drove him into the barrier Ganondorf had formed around them, and it shocked him, sending burning fingers of energy coursing through his body.
His opponent chuckled darkly, approaching unhurriedly with his weapon hanging loosely at his side. The Dark Lord sneered at him, clearly considering him to be no threat. This was a game to him, nothing more.
The Hero looked at the glowing white wound in Ganondorf's chest. If he could only manage to land a solid strike there, it would all be over.
Yelling ferociously, Ganondorf leaped over to him in one long bound, bringing his glowing sword down in a powerful two-handed swing. Just as Link dodged out of the way, the Dark Lord twisted and sent his blade in a new arc, one that connected solidly with Link's side and threw the Hero to the ground, groaning in agony.
He had no time to check his new wound before Ganondorf stabbed down and Link rolled out of the way, the Dark Lord's sword sinking deep into the earth. Link tried to struggle to his feet, but the Dark Lord lashed out with a gauntleted hand and punched him in the jaw, sending him back into the barrier face-first.
Laughing in triumph, Ganondorf stalked closer to the battered Hero, blade poised for the final blow.
Link had won that fight, but it had come so close to ending for him that day, all hopes for Hyrule dashed as its protector lay bleeding on the ground. No one could have helped him, and had he not summoned the will to stand and fight once more -or been just an instant too slow- Ganondorf would even now be ruling Hyrule, joining forces with his descendant to cover the entire world in darkness.
His resolve strengthened, Link headed back for the Kokiri village. He knew what he had to do now. He would not let Erik's sacrifice be in vain. He would return to the Dark Lord's fortress with all the force he could muster and end this threat once and for all.
But first, he had to have his Triforce restored. It was his greatest asset against the Dark Lord, and he would need it when he finally fought him. And when he returned to the dark fortress, he would track down the captured Sheikah agents and discover the truth.
Raneses clenched his teeth in frustration, storming back through the dungeons toward his tower. One of the guards, piggish and stupid, snapped to attention near the exit, and he reached out and struck it across the face with the flat of his sword, knocking it to the ground.
He ignored its confused grunts as he slammed the door open and ascended the stairs to his private chambers. His plans were ruined, and now he would be forced to take drastic measures to delay the Hero and his companions.
They could not be allowed to return here, as they were no doubt planning to do, for his preparations were not ready for him to face the Triforce Bearers in combat. Individually, they were no match for him, but if they worked together…
Reaching his chamber, Raneses entered a room ordinarily hidden by a tapestry and marched for his Communication Stone, triggering it impatiently. He continued calling until the person he wished to speak with finally answered, inexcusable seconds later.
"Yes, my lord?" The voice was female, the raider Akame he had appointed as leader of the Gerudo while he was not present.
"Tell Jotun to rally his army and begin an assault on Hyrule. Burn the southern forests to the ground and demolish the castle and its surrounding city. Kill any remaining Hylians."
"My lord?" Akame's tone was shocked. "We have conquered Hyrule. Why are you doing this?"
"Do as I say!" Raneses roared. "We must delay the Hero and his allies as long as possible, and the burning of his homeland will surely attract his attention." He leaned in closer, so that the full force of his glare carried through. "Keep the Hero busy for as long as possible, no matter what the cost. Do you understand?"
Akame's image in the stone nodded uncertainly. "I- Yes, my lord. I will do as you say."
Raneses leaned in even further. "I do not care if the Hero manages to destroy all but you yourself! You will not surrender, and you will keep fighting until I order otherwise. Is that understood?"
He could tell she was shocked, but he had no time to placate her. Irritably, he cut the connection and returned to his chamber, walking to the window.
Ganondorf manifested himself, standing next to him. "Are you sure this is wise? A rash decision may lead to unforeseen consequences."
Raneses ignored his ancestor, continuing to look down at the violent ocean below. He was in no mood for Ganondorf's condescension.
The first Dark Lord nodded slowly. "You are understandably angry. Anger can be a powerful tool in the right hands."
Raneses continued to ignore him, too infuriated to note the self-satisfied smile that crossed Ganondorf's features.
"A powerful tool indeed."
Author's Note: Much thanks to Seldavia and Cloudrunner Sparty for their help with this chapter. It's definitely better for their input, and free of goofy errors, thanks to Sparty. Thanks again, guys! I really appreciate it. Also, the site occasionally cuts off a space near italics, so if you notice that, let me know so I can fix it. It's the site's fault, not mine. ;)
Now, I will be taking a short break to write another chapter of my Metroid story and do some other stuff, so the next update on this will probably be a couple weeks away. For any of you that are interested, the Metroid story can be reached through my profile.
(Revision Note: I have substantially less work to do now that I've reached the part where Sparty began beta reading, but there's still a sentence or two here and there that needs to be fixed. Enjoy the rest of the story!)