A Rebel's War - Part 5
-Outside Mitagi-
To Nabooru of the Majora, the Qin plains were a wonder. She very much enjoyed her ride through the country from west to east. It showed her just how vast the State of Qin was, and how small her clan was in comparison. It was a humbling thing, but it also became a matter of pride. Qin was willing to call the Majora equals, to respect them, and to give them opportunities to partake in the glory and pillages to come when it was time to take their place in the world.
Alongside Nabooru were representatives from three other clans the Majora had conquered, guards, the twin witches, a few Fae alongside their Elder, and everyone's servants for their journey. It ended up being a total of fifty men and women, not including steeds and wolves. A sizable caravan like theirs could not move too swiftly. It was large enough to worry cities and forts, but not quite large enough for them to immediately bar their gates.
It was all well and good. The Majora and Fae were content outside of cities. They were where Fae could be in easier terrain, a place without metal and stone. The wolves could run until they panted and collapsed with a smile. Most importantly, they were where Nabooru could gaze into the horizon. The world here was as a sea or an ocean of dirt or grass, flat and endless. It bothered her to have even a few trees block her sight, but it only increased her amazement when she could see as far as her eyes would allow once more
Then there was the fortress-city, the military capital of Qin. Mitagi was a wonder all on its own. One glance was all Nabooru needed to know they were mighty. The Mitagi alone could fight all of Majora and the mountain tribes and no doubt win. It made sense the Mitagi were the ones sent by the Betrayer King long ago to exterminate, enslave, and exile the mountain clans. It also made sense, now that Nabooru gazed upon their fortress, why the Mitagi were the ones who fought the Dragmire at the height of their rebellion.
"Amazing," Nabooru breathed.
"It is a powerful construct of man. In that, we are agreed," The Elder Fae said. "This city holds many powers and secrets. With them, this city stands as the greatest wall of defense against the Gerudo."
"You speak as if you know a few. Have you seen any before?"
The Elder nodded. "I have. In King Shorlin's day, this was a common point to expand east from. I have visited before then, too. There is a holiness hidden here the Fae know well."
Behind them, the twin witches cackled and laughed. "You speak of the Mitagi relics!" "Oh, what we would give to put our hands on a few!"
The Elder looked back at the twin witches and let out a resigned sigh. He was not fond of them, but he was tolerant. This made Nabooru smile. It was most unlike a Fae to express 'sighing' within their wooden constructs.
"Behave, ladies! We are here on business!" Nabooru chastised them.
The group approached the city, and on the outskirts they were met with liaisons from the Mitagi. Nabooru's group was escorted to the inner city and then into where a tall castle rested. From the first gates of the castle, stairs lead to a throne room. The throne room was not meant for a king, per se, but for the lord of the castle. However, no one sat upon the throne. All around it were men of war. People scurried in and out of the castle, and Nabooru gained the sense that there was much activity today.
Every eye turned towards their party, and more than a few were slightly judgmental. Nabooru recalled how the Princess Zelda walked into the halls of the Majora to similar judgement. The two cultures were far from alike. Mitagi were men with stone under their feet, stone on their walls, and metal on their chests. Majora were men of wood and earth, with fur and hide on their chests. The Majora wore few clothes in comparison, but Nabooru ensured her women were thoroughly covered as to not offend. They still kept no shoes on their feet.
A man approached and bowed at the waist. "Honored guests, welcome to Mitagi. My name is Lord Geoffrey, and I shall be your host during your stay. If you have any needs, please present them to me."
"What we have a need for-" The twin witches deliberated, "-is to rest these warts and blisters on our feet!" They tottered up to some empty stools and perched themselves. Sitting beside them were more men of war. The witches looked up, smiled, and winked. The men, with a sudden case of green, stood up and departed the room.
"Our need is to see our king," Nabooru said. "We wish to ensure he is here, safe, and well."
"Of that, you have my word," Geoffrey promised. "But I also fully understand the diligence of seeing for one's self. You shall see him, but first, there is a matter we must discuss… A matter in which we need the aid of your magics."
"What matter would this be that could come before us seeing our king?" Nabooru questioned.
The Fae Elder stepped forward and bowed to the Mitagi.
Geoffrey smiled and bowed back. "It is a pleasure to see you returned so quickly, Lord Fae. And to answer your question, my lady, there is great unrest in the city and safety has become a concern. I will relay more, but for this moment, I require the assistance of your magics. It is a… sensitive matter. Who among you has experience in your masks?"
The twin witches raised their hands.
Geoffrey motioned to the door. "If you could follow me, Lord Fae, my ladies. This is urgent."
The other Fae looked between them and consented to follow. The witches groaned and whined loudly but followed as well.
"This is a matter Qin wishes for you to be silent about. Only a select few know of what has transpired. I trust you, Lord Fae, because the Princess trusts you within her personal circle."
"The matter must be serious, then," Elder Fae concluded.
The four of them passed through several stairs and halls of the castle. Soon their route led to an area where there were no more guards, and a heavy, locked door stood before them. Geoffrey pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the first lock. Then he undid the second lock; then a third.
"This is not-" Geoffrey stuttered between heavy breathes, "Normally sealed."
The witches came over to him. One brushed her hand over the metal locks. "It is rigged… unused. Resistant."
"As I said, it's something sensitive," Geoffrey repeated. He finished undoing the locks and opened the door. Everyone entered the space beyond, and Geoffrey shut the door. He looked uncertain as to how to lock it once more.
Elder put a hand on the wood of the door, and before their eyes, the door widened and groaned. It met the stone wall on all sides. He turned and said, "It is sealed by my hand. I will return it as it was when we are done."
"Excellent," Geoffrey said, relieved.
Geoffrey led them further on, but they did not have to go far. There was a great noise up ahead. Within Zelda's bedroom, running and crashing was heard.
"Ow!" A young man cried. "Hold still! No! Not up… great! Just great!"
Geoffrey opened the room's door and motioned them in. With the door's opening, everyone inside froze. Malon stood to the side, smiling, and Sarah fretted. Link was aggravated: there was furniture knocked over, and a small animal perched on top of a cabinet. The animal was a white fox. She sat on the cabinet in the manner of a cat, looking down on the inhabitants with her tail wrapped around her feet. Cats have an interesting way of appearing majestic, dignified, royal, and even bored in their dismissive disdain. The white fox carried this air perfectly.
"Oh… my," Elder breathed out. His wooden voice was full of wonder as he gazed on the fox. Though Zelda's mark was hidden beneath her tail, the Fae tasted the soul of Zelda, despite her change of flesh.
"How to explain…" Geoffrey sighed. He raised his open hand to the top of the cabinet. "I give to you… the Heir Apparent Princess Zelda."
"What?" The twins asked.
Meanwhile, Link pulled up a stool and managed to grab Zelda, but she hissed and clawed at him. He managed to pull her down, but not without paying for it. She latched onto his nose with her teeth and leapt away. Zelda jumped onto the bed with Sarah and curled into the girl's lap. Link seethingly held his bleeding nose. Even as a fox, the glare Zelda gave him was scathing.
"She has been transformed with Majora magics just last night. And it is not just her… we have received reports that many in the city…" Geoffrey hesitated. "Transformed over the night."
"Are you accusing us of treachery?" One witch snapped. "Or requesting us for aid?" The other asked.
"The matter is under investigation, but we believe it to be tied with masks sold from a certain salesman. The people were transformed into the images they bought from him. We do not believe your people are at fault, but the salesman is somehow tied to your tribe. Otherwise, he would not have your magics."
"What makes our magics great-" The first witch started. "-is that anyone can use it," The other concluded.
"How this man came across your powers is another matter, but for the moment we require your aid. Please, free Zelda of this curse."
The witches looked at Zelda briefly. They huffed and faced each other. "You say it?" One asked.
"No, shall you?" The other insisted.
"I was born six seconds earlier."
"Must you continue to remind me?"
Finally, the first witch said, "We require something from you in return."
"Speak it," Geoffrey said.
"We wish for our aid to be presented as a sign of fellowship in the coming trial. Do not mistake this event as anything shorter than a war of words, Lord General."
"-Yes, we know of you," The second interrupted.
"-In this event, our king will be placed on the sword, as well as our allegiance to this alliance. The Mitagi will side with Mitagi. The Majora will side with Majora. Mitagi will wish for King Dragmire's death, and we will want his life. The only one to be between is the Heir Apparent. If she chooses to let him live, despite knowing that King Dragmire showed his darkest part, the great Mitagi will be angered and she will lose her greatest army. If she chooses to have him executed, our alliance will shatter and she will find war on more fronts than she can handle. You are forcing her to choose between the feral Majora and the mighty Mitagi."
Geoffrey listened with a serious air and looked at the floor. "What you say is true, but surely the Majora can select a new king that can respect the alliance."
"And surely the Mitagi can swallow their pride, or do your tall castles and strong walls speak of a pride that refuses to bend?"
"And what of your pride?"
"King Dragmire is our pride." The witches smiled.
"I see then, we are truly at an impasse," Geoffrey said. "As such… I will personally present your efforts to help us in the council… as a gesture. As you wish."
"Then we shall aid you," The first witch said.
"Must we? She is so much nicer as a white cat than as a woman…" The other witch complained. Zelda glared at them.
"She is, but this is for Lord Dragmire."
"Ah yes… he always gets himself into such messes."
The two approached the bed. Sarah scooted back worriedly, uncomfortable by their presence. They reached out their hands, "The princess, if you will."
Sarah looked to Geoffrey, who nodded his consent. Sarah released Zelda, and Zelda stepped before them. The witches put their hands over her fox face. She flinched at first, but she soon calmed and allowed their movements. The witches' brushing movements ceased as they instead held their hands around her. They moved their hands around as if they were to search her body. They frowned.
"There is no mask…" The first whispered.
"But there must be a mask," The Fae Elder argued.
"And there is no mask on her to remove," The other witch refuted. "We can feel the mask's presence, but it is not there. She was transformed by a mask, but she is not wearing it for us to remove. Where is the mask?"
Geoffrey looked to Link who shrugged in response. "Search the room," He said. "Zelda must have left it somewhere."
They all searched Zelda's bedroom from top to bottom and found the white fox mask in a drawer. One of the witches held it lightly, like holding it too closely would transform her too.
"So the Princess was not wearing it when she changed…" Link murmured.
"Did she ever wear it?" The witches asked.
"Once, at least."
The witches glanced at each other. "Then this magician is one to be feared," One said. "He is learning quickly: learning by using masks on many people to discern the rules we have placed. While a priestess would take years of study, he is learning in months. Clearly, this is a man of education, of discerning talent, with a crafty mind. If he really orchestrated a mass transformation overnight, he would likely only stay long enough to see the results of his work. He has likely fled by now, maybe even using the power of the masks in his escape."
"So you believe him to be gone?"
"If he is not, then he is stupid," The other witch chimed in.
"What of the princess?" Geoffrey pressed.
"Oh, her." The first witch waved him off. "This is beyond us."
"What?!"
"The Heir Apparent cannot be returned by us. Though we are priestesses, though we create masks, we have never worn and mastered using them. Therefore our talent is limited in removing them. If the mask was still on her, we could make a mask to counteract it and peel it off, but…" the rest went unsaid.
Sarah squealed in fright and held Zelda tight. Zelda squirmed to be released from the tight hold, but with a weak mewl, she relented.
"Then what shall we do? What can we do?" Geoffrey asked, trying not to despair.
"Even one who has worn a mask and removed it themselves may not be able to do this… to apply a mask's power by proxy… It is only a trick meant for the greatest of monsters when there is no other way. Masks are meant to be permanent, more so than any other magic. No one has ever reversed or defeated a trick quite like this."
"But he can do it," The other witch argued.
"I suspect so, but perhaps not. It may be even beyond him. He never mastered his own masking."
"He never needed one. He was born with his mask."
Geoffrey interrupted their growing squabble. "Then there is one who can do it? Who?"
"King Dragmire."
Geoffrey balked at the idea. He suspected there were wicked thoughts and schemes laced in the unspoken request. "You wish to bring her to him so that he may kill her!"
Elder and his Fae stepped between them. "My Lord Geoffrey, many times the daughter of Nayru has been before the Demon King, but never has he raised a hand against her."
"And you think he will be of the same mind since his rise to demonology?!"
"You speak a good thought, yet ignorantly. The demon has always been with him. He is no different from then. We will be seeing King Dragmire as it is, so I say let it be an opportunity for goodwill before we make it an occasion for judgement. Prisoner or not, he is no weaker in your hold than out of it. The fact that he has not broken out by now, with his loathing for chains and cages, troubles me as much as seeing the flesh of your Heir changed. I, too, wish to see him so I may understand the state of his mind."
"The state of his mind is hardly my concern."
"The state of his mind is of everyone's concern!" Elder harshly barked. Everyone jumped. "Make no mistake, Lord Mitagi, that the one thing holding back the fearsome power of the Demon King Ganondorf Dragmire is the mind of the Majora King! Within Ganondorf Dragmire is two fearsome wolves fighting for the same body, and I assure you, the wolf we know is the lesser. The less hateful one holds dominance for no other reason than its raw will. Should that wolf be eaten or lay down before the other, the Ganondorf Dragmire we know will die, and the demon you fear will return without an Ouki Mitagi to send it back!"
The Fae came closer until he was right in front of Geoffrey. "I know you loved your lord. Ouki was a great man among huma, and I mourn him too. He was a warrior without hate. Love and song and innocent games were always on his chest. I understand you witnessed much with your own eyes, but please… be aware of what is at stake."
Geoffrey was silent. He looked around at everyone and saw their somber expressions. He sighed. "I apologize, Lord Fae. Perhaps I am not as neutral as I would hold myself to be. You are correct. There is much at stake. So, with that said, what makes you think King Dragmire will have the magic to restore Zelda?"
"Because he bears the Mark of Power," Elder answered. "More than that, his control over his power is high. So much so that amongst the Majora, without ever having completed their 'Masking', he is able to control their masks more than any other. He is even able to pull others from their effects. It is on his power that the Majora choose to hope for a brighter future."
"I see… then if this power is the only cure to overcome the Majora craft, then we must see him."
"With guards no doubt," Link muttered sourly.
"Actually, no," Geoffrey revealed to everyone's surprise. "I understand your surprise, but King Dragmire is already under guard. He is under perhaps the only guard in all of Qin that can contain him. I do not know his name. He is known only as the 'Guardian,' but compared to him, no number of guards will compare. It would do no good for us to bring more guards. They would amount to nothing in a conflict."
"If you believe so strongly in the guardianship of this man, then we have nothing to fear," Elder said. "I, too, am a capable warrior, if the need shall arise. As are many of us here. There is no need to fear."
"Truly. You are right," Geoffrey nodded. He cleared his throat and settled his resolve. He stooped before the bed. Zelda pulled herself from Sarah's arms and approached the Englishman. "Princess, if it be your will, we shall go and see the prisoner, King Dragmire, now."
Zelda put a paw on his face.
"Err- Is that a 'yes'?" Link wondered.
-Later-
The Sheikah Shadowmaster later met up with the group to lead them to Ganondorf, who was somewhere in the basement. On behalf of both the Mitagi and Majora clans, as well as the royal family, it was finally time for everyone to see to the health of Ganondorf Dragmire.
"Here is the entrance to the deepest secret of the Mitagi," The Shadowmaster said.
He pointed to a slab of stone resting on the floor. The stone slab had the emblem of the Bird of Mitagi on it, or rather, a similar symbol to it. It actually looked more reminiscent of the ancient crest of Hyrule the Mitagi clan had based their emblem off of.
The Shadowmaster produced a circular glass and planted it on a nearby stand. The light from a cellar torch entered the glass and shined throughout it before continuing onto the slab. Moments passed as he aimed the light toward an unknown, but particular spot on the stone.
"Oooh, is it magical?" Sarah asked with wide eyes. "Is it going to make the stone disappear or open up? Is it ancient technology magic?!"
As if to answer her question, the stone slab shuddered and slowly parted like a double-door. Sarah squealed in surprise and delight. Under the stone was a man in heavy armor; beneath him was a set of stairs. Sarah squealed in further delight and Zelda squirmed in her uncomfortably tight grip.
"Hardly," the Shadowmaster smiled. "There is a tiny hole through which the Guardian can be made aware that there are visitors. He opened the door."
The Guardian stepped out of the stairwell and took a moment to look between his new guests. His gaze lingered on the Fae.
"I take it you are the Guardian of the Mitagi?" Geoffrey asked. He stepped forward to the armored soldier and saluted him. The Guardian silently returned the salute. "I have only heard whispers of you even amongst the highest ranks of the Mitagi."
"For a reason," The Shadowmaster said. "He guards treasures of the hoard since the Fall of Hyrule. He protects relics of power no man should wield without great care. While the Sheikah guard secrets of information, the Mitagi guard secrets of power of a more… physical sort."
"Is the treasure trove complete?" Link asked.
"Hardly," The Guardian whispered. His voice was dry, deep, and hoarse. It sounded like he had not used it in a very long time.
"The other nations most likely managed to get their hands on a number of ancient relics as well, but it is hard to say," Geoffrey mused. "They are wise enough to not use them openly. If they did, the other nations would all act in a similar fashion, and then whomever has the most relics would have a sizeable edge…"
Link did not understand. "And the problem with that is?"
"Can you say for certain Qin holds the most or the best?" Geoffrey asked Link. "No nation knows how many relics any other holds. It is like playing cards against six opponents when you know neither the number of cards in their hands, nor how strong each card is. It is better to not play all of your cards, lest you put yourself at risk. Therefore, we have only shown one or two. The Spear of Nayru is one of them. Thankfully, Ouki's reputation was not founded by his using it."
"A wise decision," Nabooru nodded.
"Why are you here?" The Guardian interrupted impatiently.
Geoffrey bowed slightly. "Pardon us, sir. We have become side-tracked. We are here to see your prisoner, Ganondorf Dragmire."
"All of you?"
"I understand if you are reluctant…"
"I am reluctant. My charge is to guard the chambers below, so intruders are unwelcome. I already accept the servants who bring the prisoner food and water, but I wish to accept no more than is necessary. I will accept no more than three at a time for this, so that I may watch over you all."
"Three only?! Pardon me, but you stand in the presence of generals, kings, and-"
"And my orders come from the Goddesses themselves," the Guardian interrupted. "Unless you supersede them, your attempt at bargaining or placing authority over me amounts to nothing."
Geoffrey looked back at the group, uncertain. There seemed to be no argument with the guardian's decision. He sighed in defeat. "Very well."
"Good. Sheikah, unless you intend to come as well, I would ask you to close the door behind us as each group descends with me."
-Sarah, Zelda, Malon-
They later discovered the Guardian's wishes also extended to pets. Despite the Majora's trickery in getting one of the witches in as well, the Guardian had none of it. After the door shut from above, the Guardian lead the two girls and fox into the depths of his domain. With only the Guardian's meager torch to light their path, down they walked into deep darkness.
The stairs ended onto a long and wide floor. This underground area looked like a building onto itself, like how a giant ball room could feel. On either side were large windows, long since broken and filled with stone. The center floor was flat, smooth, and shined, as if dust had not touched it a day since its construction. On the sides were also pedestal torches lit by some unseen force, as there was no wood for its fuel.
"Beautiful…" Sarah murmured.
The Guardian led them to the opposite end where an opened door, similar to the one that led to this place, stood. Within the second chamber was another large room, this one in the shape of an octagon, and Sarah froze at what laid inside.
In the center of the octagonal room was a series of layered stages towards a center. On the outermost stage were stands holding weapons, eight in total with two being empty. On the second stand, inside of the first, were three torches burning in three different colors: red, green, and gold. In the central and third stage was a rectangular stone with a sword planted firm inside of it.
The Guardian stepped before the pedestals and looked at the sword. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He turned to his visitors. "Welcome to the innermost sanction. This spot is the cornerstone at the very center of Mitagi, the spot on which everything is built. Be careful not to touch anything. This is my charge and my home."
"You live here?" Sarah asked.
"As I said, this is my charge. Now come, the dungeon is near. It is just below."
Sarah and Malon stepped onto the stand beside the Guardian. He took hold of the sword, and a great fire burst out of it into his hands. The fire raced up his arm and consumed his shoulders.
"My lord!" Sarah cried.
"Do not interfere! This is my curse… my charge…"
With terrible effort, he twisted the sword. The whole pedestal shifted under his grip, and he released it at once. The stand shook and collapsed into a hollow place within the second stand. The second stand then sank inside the third. The three stages now one, the center pedestal went deeper still and staggered downwards to reveal circular stairs.
"This way," The Guardian said.
"But your burns!" Sarah insisted. She stepped in front of him. "You must go and-"
The Guardian put a hand on her head. Sarah cringed at the weight of it. He must have been a strong man. He then patted her.
"Your concern is touching, young one, but misplaced. This place… I am a prisoner as much as the prisoner's guard. I am as much a relic as the treasures I protect. I am old, forgotten, and deserve to disappear."
"No one deserves that…" Sarah argued.
"You are a good person. Move on and forget about me. I do not deserve your gentleness."
The Guardian gently moved her to the side and stepped down the stairs. The next floor was only a single flight away. Sarah looked in all directions and saw prison bars. Among them were a few men that she did not recognize, as well as bones of former prisoners. These were dangerous men the Mitagi went so far to imprison that they were placed outside of the normal prison. The Mitagi wanted to ensure they would be forgotten.
Among the prison cells was one where a giant of a man was chained. His red hair illuminated the space around him, glowing the same way Malon's did.
"Ganondorf Dragmire, you have visitors," The Guardian greeted him.
Malon's eyes widened and she rushed forward, but Sarah put out a hand to stop her. Sarah's eyes were also wide, but for a different reason. Beneath the glow of the man's hair, his red eyes rested on them. Sarah felt her gut twist in terror at the horrid look in them. Ganondorf had changed since she last saw him. He was always scary, but to her now, he felt unnatural.
He had one arm chained to the wall within a metal gauntlet, and the other was free to rest in his lap. The shattered remains of the other gauntlet lay around his prison and his food sat uneaten. His cell door was wide open. If he wanted to, he could just walk out, but there he sat, unmoving.
"Leave me," Ganondorf muttered. His voice was weak, barely a whisper.
The Guardian sighed and looked to the girls. "Be careful. He may be compliant now, but he is a powerful Dragmire. The restraints do no good."
"The door is open," Sarah noted.
"As I said, the restraints do no good. If you wish to speak with him, check his health, then go ahead. I will be here, waiting." The Guardian backed up to the stairs. He did not walk up them, but he gave them space.
Sarah looked at Ganondorf and gulped. Zelda no longer squirmed in her arms. Malon hesitated, unsure what to do. On one hand, the man was all she had for family. On the other, he was deeply imprisoned and looked dangerous.
While Malon hesitated, Sarah did not. She swallowed and stepped forward. She let Zelda down and continued. She entered the prison bars, close enough so that Ganondorf could see her clearly.
"You…" Ganondorf's eyes widened at the sight of her, but just as quickly as his surprise rose, anger replaced it. His eyes narrowed. "Leave me," He hissed.
"No," Sarah replied firmly.
"No?" Ganondorf asked. With a grunt, he lifted himself to his full height. He had a bit of difficulty working his knees, but he stood strong all the same.
Sarah gulped again as two things struck her. He was still powerful and tall, but he was also looking sickly. How long had he been here? She wondered. His strong jawline was thinned, sharper. His dark skin looked flaky and dry. His red eyes were bloodshot and crazed.
He towered over her. Sarah backed up and found herself against the wall. She shook in fear but wouldn't leave. They needed Ganondorf's help, after all. As much as she wanted to flee, there was purpose to their visit.
"You know not the demons you stir, little girl," Ganondorf hissed. He studied her. He saw her fear, her hesitation, but he also saw her submission to embrace that fear. It was a curious thing to him. She was a normal girl, a nobody. She was no warrior, no soldier, and no one who would live around fear or fight it. Ganondorf could not help but wonder why she did not flee.
Ganondorf closed his eyes. He felt his consciousness dim for a fleeting moment. In this moment were visions of fire, blood, and screams of death. He opened his eyes and returned to the present. The girl was still there, standing before him. A dark thought drove him to put his hand around her throat, and the girl flinched in response. But he did not squeeze.
"Aren't you scared?" Ganondorf pressed. "You should be. You don't know… how hard it is to ignore this voice in my head." His eyes took a feral gleam, and his grip tightened ever so slightly. "It tells me… I must kill you. You have no idea how long I have tried to fight it… to ignore it." Again, his grip tightened a smidgen, enough for Sarah to grunt. "Always I thought it was me… My own failing. Did I lack in control? Why was my first true memory of coming out of the water? But now… I understand. This voice was never my own… Or perhaps it is more accurate to say this voice is my true self."
"No…" Sarah croaked within his grasp. "You are Ganon… dorf Dragmire…"
"And what is a Dragmire but a demon?"
"Is that… truly… what you think? Look there," Sarah pointed.
Ganondorf looked, and he paused. Malon had come closer, close enough for him to notice her hair.
"M-Malon?" His voice changed, softened, and grew confused. His grip loosened and Sarah coughed. The wild look in his eyes faded.
Ganondorf Dragmire and Malon Dragmire stared at each other. A million thoughts passed through them, not the smallest of which would be how Ganondorf had changed. Before, he was a pillar of strength, of stability. He was strong in mind, in spirit, in body, and in will. Now, they thought, now he was the broken shell of a man. He was confused, barely held together by flesh that was becoming as sick as his mind. His will and spirit were barely a trickle compared to before.
It reminded Sarah of a proverb: A weak man with a strong spirit can overcome anything. A strong man with a weak spirit crumbles before anything.
"I'm sure… you have questions," Ganondorf gulped. "I wish I could answer them, but I am still catching up myself."
Malon walked up to him as he talked. While being young, she was still tall enough to reach his chest. And though her arms were barely long enough to reach, she jumped up and slapped his face. Ganondorf put his free hand to his jaw in surprise. Afterwards, Malon embraced him.
Ganondorf gaped. He was shaken and surprised. Of all the things to be said or done, the choice to smack and then hug him was as incredible as it was alien to him. Shakily, he put his free hand on her back. His eyes watered, and for a moment, they sharpened. Before Sarah's eyes, he changed ever so slightly towards the man she knew.
"I'm sorry I left you behind," Ganondorf whispered. "This was something I needed to see for myself."
"I'm not angry because you left to fight," Malon whispered back.
Sarah gasped. Ganondorf's face couldn't get more surprised. How long had it been since Malon spoke? They thought. It was at least a year, which for a girl her age, was an exceedingly long time.
"I'm angry because you lost yourself there," Malon finished. Her voice croaked and she covered her face in his side.
A moment passed, and Ganondorf looked up. He blinked at Sarah, as if only now seeing her. "My apologies for the… threats. It is difficult to know my own thoughts anymore. What is your business here? Surely you have not come all this way just to say hello."
"We have not, no," Sarah confirmed. "We came for her sake-" Sarah motioned to Malon. "-As well as to see your well-being and health before the meetings, and… to gain your help with Princess Zelda."
"Zelda… she is in trouble, then?" Ganondorf inquired. He sighed. "I am sorry, but though I wish to honor the alliance, I am in no position to be of assistance to anyone. I am not chained well, nor is the gate closed, but I am trapped tightly within myself, as you have plainly seen. It is best I do not meet with her. I sense she is near, but it is better for both of us if she stays away. There is no knowing what I may do. My mind drifts between extremes at sudden moments."
"Zelda is already here," Sarah smiled knowingly.
"She is?"
Sarah bent down and scooped Zelda into her arms again. Ganondorf looked between them, confused. Then his eyes fell on Zelda's paw, and he gasped. The mark of Nayru was plainly visible to him.
"What is this?" Ganondorf murmured. He continued to flick between the girls and Zelda in confusion. "How can this be Zelda?"
"Well…"
-Link, Geoffrey-
While the rest of the group waited patiently for their turn, Link approached Geoffrey. "General, may I ask a question?"
"Certainly," Geoffrey said.
"You are an Englishman, a man far from the west, right?" Geoffrey nodded. "Then how did you come to be in Lord Ouki's service?"
Geoffrey chuckled. He tilted his head up in memory and smiled widely. "Ah, now that is a grand question. As one might imagine with that man, first impressions are as grand as the last, as crazy as the first, and one is always left questioning their accuracy. Questioning whether he is serious or in a joking mood. Or in my case… whether he was bluffing or not."
"Sounds funny," Link smiled. The others listened as well, hearing a story coming. When the topic is the Great Bird of Qin, one cannot help but be enraptured.
"Oh, it was. It was." Geoffrey laughed at some memory, then frowned briefly as he remembered something darker. "I still remember it as freshly as when it happened. You see, I was what my people would call a 'crusader.' I marched to take back precious land from the Muslim Horde that had invaded. We were bitter enemies: my people suffered under their Jihads for five hundred years with little resistance until then. Unfortunately, we fought on their terrain. There, they could use speed and raiding to their advantage, and we were but a mass of heavily armored, slow men… It did not go well. I was captured, tortured, enslaved, and finally sold to a merchant… for the price of an onion."
"An onion?!" Link gasped.
"Just an onion."
"Did these people think so little of you?! That's almost insulting! You're worth at least a city or two!"
Geoffrey laughed. "I am glad to hear you value me so highly that you would sell me for so much! But that was the normal price at the time. They captured and enslaved so many young girls, young boys, and women that the price fell to only an onion. It was a dark time for me… for all of us. But I was taken east by my new master. It turned out it was a Gerudo that bought me. I was placed at the helm of a Gerudo slave army, and we marched against Qin."
Link gasped.
"And there… as we crossed the border, there was no army. Even if there was, it would have only been a minor skirmish. We would be little more than a bug bite against a full army. Yet the Qin did not resist with a single soldier. Instead, as we came closer to a city, there was a single man on the road. The army stopped and watched him because they saw he was a very strong man simply putting on an act. He was juggling."
"Juggling," Nabooru grunted. She crossed her arms. "You cannot be serious."
"I make no joke, but only say what I witnessed," Geoffrey insisted. "Ouki Mitagi was juggling nine balls on the road. He stood unarmed in front of us, blocking the road, and juggling exactly nine balls."
"It had to be a distraction…" Link mused.
"That, too, is what I thought," Geoffrey admitted. "Our army stopped and there was a great murmur. At that time, Ouki Mitagi was still among the Ki family, known as Ou Ki, and he was much younger. He was about your age, young man." Geoffrey looked to Link. Link's eyes widened. "And by then, Ouki had earned himself enough reputation as a commander to at least be heard of by the commander of the slave army. Now I don't know if you know this, but juggling is very difficult. It takes great practice, and even then, not many men can juggle more than three balls. Ouki juggled nine. This feat alone caused my fellow soldiers pause, for if he could juggle nine balls, when they could not even juggle two, then how skilled was he in other things like combat? Was this a trap? Was this a distraction? Where was the army? In the end, we fled back to Gerudo."
Nabooru burst out laughing. "Cowards!"
"A second time we came out to fight Qin, this time with a full army of one-hundred thousand and a general at the lead. We crossed into Qin, and once more, there was no resistance. We came to a fortress to take it… and wouldn't you know it?"
"Ouki was juggling again?" Link asked.
Geoffrey shook his head, laughing. "No, no. Ouki was there, yes, but he had set up a table outside the gates of the city. He left the gates wide open and sat at the table, drinking tea as we came closer. There was not a single soldier on the walls, no army outside, and the peasants within were going about their business as usual. Confused, the general sent a few of us forward as emissaries to meet with the enemy commander. I was lucky enough to be among them. We approached, and Ouki greeted us warmly and loudly. He asked that we sit with him, drink, and discuss the terms of our surrender."
"Oh, this has to be a trap. This is obvious," Nabooru smirked.
"Exactly. There was an obvious trap. The strategist of the Gerudo army whispered amongst us that the army of Qin was hidden amongst the civilians, or were circling around to entrap us, or wanted us to take the city because it had a weakness only the Qin knew about. During all this time spent whispering amongst ourselves, Ouki watched and continued to ask that we drink tea with him. The emissaries said we would not, as it may be poisoned.
"However, I said, in my broken dialect, 'I will drink with you.' I sat at the table. Ouki said, 'Do you not fear it is poisoned as your masters do, blond-hair?' I shrugged, poured myself a drink, and spat it out as soon as it touched my lips. I yelled, 'This is poisoned!' My masters believed it to be true, decided it must have been a trap, and fled. The whole army turned around behind me and fled to Gerudo."
"Ouki poisoned you!?" Link gasped again.
"Yes!" Geoffrey yelled. "That was the worst tea I had ever tasted in my life! No man should ever suffer under such a vile concoction!"
Nabooru's eye twitched. "It wasn't poisoned… it just tasted vile."
Geoffrey continued, "Ouki said, 'Sir, that was a brilliant move. See how you are free now. Your masters have fled, believing you to be dead. Go where you wish.' I told Ouki, 'I was making no attempt to free myself, nor was I making a joke! This is the worst drink I have ever tasted! It amounts to poison! If you will allow me, I shall show you a proper drink!' And right then and there, I prepared tea as I knew it from my homeland to the best of my ability. As you can understand, the ingredients were not quite the same. I served it to him, and Ouki looked at me questioningly, perhaps contemplating if I was reversing the plot and poisoning him. He drank it anyway, and he gasped, 'This is poison!'"
"You poisoned Ouki!?" Link exclaimed.
"No, no. Please, just listen. Ouki said, 'This is poison! It burns a lust in my soul that desires more! Give me more!' So I served him more, and he drank it. He then demanded more. I made him more tea, and he drank it all again. He drank as a man addicted until it was coming out his nostrils. He said, 'I am a cured alcoholic for fine wine, and poisoned upon the need for the blond-man's tea! Sir, I must know your name!' I told him my name, and he said, 'Sir! I insist that you serve me!' I agreed. I said, 'Look, my masters have fled from you. I am far from home, believed dead by all who I have ever known except you. Give me a home, and I will serve, if only to save you from that wretched thing you called a drink, my lord.' Ouki said, 'Serve me at your wish, to act and do as you wish, but you willmake me this tea! We shall share it around the world and build an empire with it!' I told him he was drunken with the tea, and he agreed.
"I asked him, 'Sir, Lord Ouki, I have heard of your reputation from the Gerudo… and you have stopped two armies now. The first I saw was on the road where you were juggling nine balls, and the second is now. I ask you, how grand was the army you were setting up against us? Was it encircling us, preparing an ambush? Is your army here in the city, preparing to fight from within?' At my words, Ouki laughed. He said, 'Sir Geoffrey! There is no army. There was never any army. It was me, only me, both times!' In that moment, I was so amazed I swore my allegiance to him while he drank tea like a drunkard. Both of us laughed at how he had fooled the largest nation in Hyrule… not just twice, but thrice!"
Everyone listening gaped at Geoffrey. The witches, Nabooru, Link, even the Elder Fae could not believe what was said. Geoffrey smirked.
"Three times!? When was the third time?" Link asked.
"That would, admittedly, be later in our time," Geoffrey smiled. "But if you want, I shall tell you. You see, we were hired out by Gorondis as a mercenary army. In return, the wealth would be paid to Qin. Gorondis was having a sea war with the Gerudo at the time, and since Gorondis does not border Qin, the benefits to help outweighed the risk. When we heard of it, Ouki and I wished to deal a blow to the Gerudo that would help cement our reputation. We agreed and made the journey. Then we found out… the Gorons had no arrows. Trees were too scarce in their land to spare on war.
"Thankfully, Ouki had a plan. He asked the Gorons to make scarecrows and cover the boats with a roof. The Gorons did, and Ouki and I sailed out with an army of twenty men sailing ten large boats against the Gerudo. We came near them while under a great fog to make the scarecrows seem like our men. The Gerudo quickly saw the fleet and shot arrows at us. Ouki ordered for us to sit there and do nothing. During this, Ouki closed our boat's door, sat with me, and drank my tea while arrows flew at the boats. I remember… I never saw him more relaxed in all my life than when he was in danger and drinking my tea.
"The one emotion he bore was sadness. When one arrow made it between planks in the roof, flew in, and destroyed his tea cup, Ouki was done. At that point, he called for a retreat after a full day of arrows raining on us. We sailed back to Gorondis as the Gerudo cheered their victory. We returned home with, I do not exaggerate, five hundred thousand arrows. They were arrows generously donated by the Gerudo that we used against them the very next day. They actually ran out of arrows themselves after only a few hours, and we had many left to go. So we defeated the Gerudo a third time."
Geoffrey finally finished his long tale. He smiled at the looks of shock across his audience's faces. "Didn't I say first impressions are as grand as the last, as crazy as the first, and one is always left questioning their accuracy?"
(Note: This is all historically true. Muslim slave prices fell to that of an onion after 500 years of Jihad rule. Slavery of white women [and young girls/boys down to 4 years old] for sex slaves was common leading up to the catholic crusades. A Chinese army was stopped by a juggler named Xiong Yiliao, and another Chinese general, named Zhuge Liang, in the historical story Romance of the Three Kingdoms defeated his rival by doing as I described for Ouki: opening the gates, sitting outside, chilling, and being welcoming. Zhuge Liang later, having an army of archers with no arrows, also sailed boats covered in scarecrows in the fog towards his rival. His rival saw them in the fog, thought it covered in men, and shot a bazillion arrows at the boats. Finally, Zhuge Liang has enough, retreats, and gave free arrows to his army, courtesy of their enemy. The enemy cheered their victory… for all of two seconds before they were defeated by their own arrows. If you want to see this in cinematic glory, watch Red Cliff)
-Zelda, Malon, Sarah, Ganondorf-
Sarah placed Zelda back on the floor and Ganondorf stooped down to look at the fox. He looked her over carefully as Sarah explained what happened. When she was done, Ganondorf could not help but chuckle.
"Of course," He said. "Link had to go and give her a Majoran mask… and from a salesman of all people…" Ganondorf pondered the facts and looked down at Malon, who sat at his knee.
Ganondorf inwardly grimaced. Could it really have been the same man? He thought.
He also could not help but compliment the man. "This salesman has studied our art well and is learning quickly if he found a trick only rumored among us. My mothers are right. This is beyond their skill. It is beyond anyone's skill and is meant to be permanent."
"But you can undo it?" Sarah hoped.
Zelda looked up at him, and Ganondorf met her gaze hesitantly. "I don't know. I have never tried to undo a mask this strong. I may not be able to."
"May you at least try?"
"Why?" Ganondorf questioned. "I make no argument with what you may have heard. I am a demon. I was born in a ritual, created unnaturally. I bear the mark of the Triple Goddesses on one hand and the mark of the Twilight Pantheon on the other. I became the demon I am in battle with Ouki Mitagi. You should not trust me. You should leave me. Find a new, proper home for Malon. Let the evil of the Dragmires die here… lost and forgotten like the holy relics in the prison above my head. Though you have given me a moment of sound mind back, it does not change what I am. It does not change what has been opened… and what is coming." Ganondorf looked down shamefully. "A great evil has stirred, and I cannot stop it. I cannot stop what I am or even close the door that has been opened inside me."
"Because… aren't you her friend?" Sarah asked. She was uncertain what else to say. She could not debate philosophy or life. She was a common girl, and all she knew was that they had come for a single reason. "Zelda didn't come all this way to meet with a king of a clan. She could have sent an emissary to meet on her behalf if you were just an ally. Zelda hasn't left the palace since you helped her take it… until now, for no other reason than because you are her friend."
Ganondorf stared at Sarah. Her words, the idea of friendship, washed over him. He closed his eyes in rejection. "I don't have friends."
"Funny, neither did she until she met you and Link."
"Shut it, girl. Must you always know how to answer me?" Ganondorf groaned.
"I will until you at least try! I will persist!"
Ganondorf studied her again before chuckling. "Any who call you but a simple girl knows nothing. You would stand before me, look death in the face, and make a deal with the devil for your princess. I am impressed, by a serving girl, no less. Very well, you have won me over!" Ganondorf called Zelda to approach. "I don't know if you understand me, but I will try what I can."
Zelda stepped forward and sat in front of him. Ganondorf breathed in and out. "You people are far too trusting…"
He put a hand over Zelda's face, closed his eyes, and focused. The mark of the Triple Goddesses on his hand lit, as well as Zelda's mark. Though they did not see it, Link's mark also lit. Ganondorf shuddered. He did not start immediately because he first wanted to calm himself down. That was a difficult thing to do, more difficult than ever for him. His thoughts conflicted with the thoughts of the monster beneath his skin. The thirst for blood and fire grew until he could hardly distinguish it from his real thoughts. It took great will, and a little prayer, before his focus could turn towards properly helping her.
For a brief time, Ganondorf's thoughts properly focused, and he turned his power towards Zelda. He touched her face, grasped it, and pulled. At first, what he grasped was her face, but then there was a snap of something breaking off of her. The thing in question was like a giant white scale, but it disappeared in smoke as quickly as it appeared.
Zelda shuddered, no longer having fur to cover her from the dungeon's chill. She still wore a thin nightgown from before the night she changed. Ganondorf opened his eyes and stood. "Welcome back, Princess."
"Thank you, Lord Dragmire," Zelda said slowly. She flexed her jaw, popped her neck, and struggled to stand on two feet again. "Thank you for returning me to my real form. I assure you, I will make sure the court hears of your aid. I had come to meet with you and see to your wellbeing, as a friend like Sarah said. It gladdens my heart to see you are alive, but I am also sad to see your heart is so sick."
"A sick heart from a sick soul…" Ganondorf whispered. "I am cursed."
"I know a thing or two about curses."
"Do you?" Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.
"Yes… I never told you. I've never really told anyone, though it is not a secret. I was born shortly after the battle of Chouhei."
"I know little about it, though the name sounds familiar. Many Zhao I killed spoke of it in their final moments."
"It was a quick battle that ended in a terrible tragedy. A Qin general forced a Zhao army of four-hundred thousand to surrender. After they did, he then buried them all alive."
"He…" Ganondorf's eyes twitched. For a moment, Zelda saw his fury return, but she did not fear. Fury was a thing she was well accustomed to, especially when the topic was Chouhei.
"I was a hostage in Zhao at the time. As Zhao mourned, Ryo- not yet a Chancellor- rescued my father and left my mother and me behind," Zelda explained. "As one can imagine… Zhao turned their anger on me and my mother. I was… cursed… by Chouhei. The Zhao used the event as an excuse to torture us, chase us to the outskirts of town, and beat us at every turn. I survived by wrestling dogs, and fighting, or fleeing from men to steal handfuls of rice. There was not a day where Chouhei was not in my ears or the dead were not at my back."
"You were a young girl… how could you be blamed over the general's actions?" Ganondorf asked with his rage barely restrained. "This is injustice!"
"Next time you meet a Zhao, you are free to ask them. But as a man so closely used to anger, I think perhaps you understand why."
"Because you are the closest, easiest target," Ganondorf solemnly agreed.
"Indeed. Anger can be all the same. It is… difficult to escape the trauma. I am cursed to this day. In my nightmares, I see the dead claw at me: those from Chouhei and those who my future conquests would someday kill. In my wakefulness, I see rotting corpses and demons chase me, demanding retribution and my life. Zhao would wage war with all of Qin for no other reason than to kill me. I am Chouhei to them as much as I am the Ice Witch to Qin. My first friend, Chancellor Impa, walks on her toes around me as if I were fine glass. And my mother…"
Zelda closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm herself. "Once the jewel of Qin, she gave herself over to men to survive. Curses for me were always on her lips. My own brother hated me. My ministers plot against me. Even you… when we first met… demanded my blood for the sins of my fathers."
Ganondorf did not argue the point. He had indeed done so, and so played a role among the people who made her life difficult.
"I am cursed, Ganondorf, like you," Zelda concluded.
Ganondorf gave a deep sigh before speaking. "I will acknowledge you are cursed as well as I am, but your curse is not like mine. Power is a burden. It is a shackle for those of clear conscience and divine purpose. It yokes the responsible, tasking them to make impossible decisions. Power awards neither friend, nor ally. If the price of conviction is misanthropy, then the weak truly deserve a ruler. You are guilty of nothing but living-" He stopped, hearing his own words.
Zelda reached out and took his hand. He did not stop her. He was too busy pondering his own thoughts to be bothered by her touch. He suddenly lost his will and was curious as to what her thoughts on the matter were.
"It's not what I expected," Zelda mused.
"What?"
"Your hand. I would have expected it to be more… sinister, evil, or monstrous. Perhaps it would have claws, black or red scales. But your hand is warm and soft around the callouses and scars. For a demon, your hands are amazingly human. You are a human, Ganondorf. You know what a demon is for us humans? It is a parasite. Holiness can exist unto itself, but evil cannot. It uses us as its vessel. It acts through us because it cannot survive on its own. A demon is not all you are, Ganondorf Dragmire, unless you surrender to it. So fight the parasite and find a way to purge it from you entirely."
Ganondorf said nothing. He retracted his hand and looked at it for himself.
Seeing he had no more words, Zelda said one last thing, "And be wary of your warden. That man who is far behind us. While you may not know what has happened since my arrival, know he is not to be trusted. He has tried to kill me twice now, and I suspect he will try a third time."
Ganondorf's eyes widened. He briefly looked past her to the Guardian, who stood at the dungeon's opposite end. Ganondorf clenched his fist angrily and glared.
He said, "I do not dare hope, Princess… for what hope is there for me? But I will say at the very least… that I will consider your words… and the friendship you offer."
(edited by RealCoolDude u/10495976/)
