Chapter Eight:
Ganondorf trudged through the streets of the Gerudo Town. People scrambled out of his way, avoiding meeting his black glare.
None of them had come. Ganondorf had waited at the ruined coliseum for an extra day, but still no one had come. Not one feeble minded, spineless scrap of a warrior had come. Everything he had done in the past two weeks was all for naught. These stupid fools were too blind and selfish to stick their necks out, even for their own well-being. Fine then. Let them all die. Let them crawl to him, begging him to help them. Let them drown in blood and tears of their own failures.
Ganondorf stormed the steps leading up to the throne room. When Bulara had heard he had returned, she demanded a report of his exploits. Ganondorf snorted. Exploits? More like failures. None of them even considered helping him.
Bulara and the council stood in the room. Since when has this place felt so cramped? It felt like the weight of the whole rock above the roof was pressing down on him.
"Well, Prince, where is your army?" Melcia sneered. Bulara glared at her before turning to Ganondorf. "Tell us what happened, Prince."
"As planned, I ventured to each surviving settlement and spoke with the leader of the town. I explained my proposition, and all of them promptly refused. I left those shallow minded gap-toothed blubbery fools behind and seeked proper warriors, but found none. Failing that, I returned here," Ganondorf informed them.
"So you admit you wasted time and resources on a fruitless quest, potentially harming the whole of Gerudo Town and all those in it?" Melcia asked, a shark-like smile on her face.
Ganondorf gritted his teeth. "Yes."
"As I thought. A leader must be able to negotiate with others and set aside their own massive ego for the benefit of their people. Clearly, you don't have what it takes. Isn't that right girls?"
The members of the council avoided her eyes as she scanned the room. A satisfied smile grew on her face. "As I thought. I think we're done with you, Prince. You're dismissed."
Ganondorf inclined his head, entire body stiff. Carefully, he turned and left the Gerudo women. He walked down the streets quickly, ignoring the feeling in his gut that told him to go back in there and bash the smug vai's face in. Ganondorf walked to the Sand Seal pits. Athena sat on the ledge holding a book in one hand, feeding one of the seal's a safflina with the other. She didn't say anything as he approached.
"How'd you know I'd come here?" Ganondorf asked.
Athena rolled her eyes dramatically. "Cause you're so you. Let me guess. You're mad cause no one wanted to get themselves killed charging an uphill battle and some bitch called you incompetent and now you're gonna run away and sooner or later go to Hyrule Castle anyway because you're too stubborn to admit your pride has gotten the better of you."
"What are you studying for? You pointed out every bit of male testosterone there is," Ganondorf said.
Athena chuckled and stood up. Before Ganondorf knew what was happening, she wrapped him in a hug. She released him and stepped back. "I know what you're going through, Prince, and I know I can't stop you. Just know that when you're ready to talk, I'll be here."
Ganondorf watched her walk away. Going through? What was she talking about? There was nothing wrong with him. He was fine.
Ganondorf saddled up the seal and attached the rope to his shield. With a snap of his wrists, he was off. It took him about three hours to reach the Arbiter's grounds. It wasn't much to look at. There was a lot of sand, only broken by the three arches and several other man made structures carved from sandstone. They had been worn down over time, and the ancient Gerudo symbols were nearly unrecognizable now.
Ganondorf stepped off the shield and approached the middle gateway. The sand seal watched him curiously before laying its head down to sleep. As soon as Ganondorf reached the middle gateway, Ganondorf felt a tugging sensation in his chest. He gasped in shock as the black crystal pulled itself from his chest and hovered in the air in front of him. Black smoke began to emit from the crystal. As it did, the ground in front of him began to shake. The sand trembled and rose, shedding itself as a large staircase began to emerge from the ground. It settled behind the archway, shuddering as it came to a stop.
The black fog returned to the crystal, which reabsorbed into Ganondorf's chest. Ganondorf groaned, the tearing sensation nearly forcing him to his knees. Ganondorf glowered at the unpleasant feeling. Hopefully there would be no need to do that again. It hurt.
Ganondorf began walking down the tunnel. It grew dark almost immediately, almost as if the sun refused to shine down this passageway. With a wave of his hands, Ganondorf summoned a few balls of fire to light the way in front and behind him.
Ganondorf walked for a long time. He eventually lost count of how many minutes he descended the steps. Finally, the stairs ended and opened up into a large cavernous space. Ganondorf sent the fireballs out, revealing a large pit of sand with a few stones to use as stepping tools. At the other end of the cavern was a doorway shackled by iron bars.
Ganondorf warped to the other side of the room, ignoring the sand pit. Gripping the bars, he yanked them, trying to pull them out of the floor unsuccessfully. Ganondorf growled and unsheathed his sword. He angrily slashed the bars but to no avail. They remained stubbornly in his way.
Something shifted behind Ganondorf. Ganondorf turned but saw nothing. Sword in hand, he stepped into the sand. Immediately he started sinking and cursed himself. Of course it would be quicksand. Stepping back onto solid ground, Ganondorf scanned the area. Likely the iron bars wouldn't move until he conquered whatever was in the room.
Ganondorf leaped onto the nearest stone, loudly slapping his feet on the rough stone as he landed. When nothing stirred, he banged the flat of his blade against the side of the stone.
Something roared behind him. Ganondorf whirled to see a skeletal hand grasp the edge of the stone he was standing on. Like some kind of nightmare, the thing pulled itself up, revealing a skeletal skull and bony limbs, covered in rusty, dented armor. Some kind of animal furs or skin stuck out of the gaps in the armor, beefing up the skeletal monstrosity to the size of shorter Gerudo. It held a broadsword in one hand, in the same state as the rest of its gear. Red eyes glared at him as it stood at its full height and yelled again in a challenge.
Ganondorf lashed out at the skeleton, only to have his sword be deflected by the beast. It was surprisingly strong and agile, despite its decrepit state, and the sword, while appearing frail to the touch, was able to withstand Ganondorf's own attack.
Ganondorf kicked the skeleton back into the sand. It wobbled and sunk into the pit. It reappeared moments later, crawling forward, and this time it wasn't alone. Several more of these monsters crawled out from the sands. As Ganondorf watched, he counted over a dozen of the beasts making his way towards him.
Ganondorf lowered his stance, preparing for the tide of enemies to surge at him. The first one clambered to its feet on Ganondorf's rock and roared, charging at Ganondorf with his sword held high over his head.
Ganondorf moved fast, smashing through the bone of the warrior's forearm. Limp fingers fell to the ground and the soldier screamed. It was a bone chilling sound. Ganondorf grabbed the warrior's skull and stabbed him through the chest, tearing the man's head from his body. Ganondorf tossed the lifeless skull into the sand behind him as several more skeletons emerged from the sand.
Ganondorf dispatched the stal troops without much difficulty, only earning a small scrape on the armor on his arm. But no matter how many stal he destroyed, more kept coming from the bottomless pit of sand.
During a short reprieve from the onslaught, Ganondorf observed the room once more. On the far side of the room, a figure stood alone on the platform where he had entered from. It was tall and shriveled, covered head to toe in burial wrappings. It wore no clothing besides a wooden mask over its face. It stood silent and unmoving, black eyes boring into Ganondorf.
When another hand appeared on the rock, Ganondorf stepped on it, leaping away from the stone and onto the next, making his way towards the mummified figure. More hands rose from the sands, but none could touch Ganondorf as he leapt across the chasm. Just as he was about to lunge to the final rock that would let him stab the mummy, the figure's eyes glowed red and unleashed a horrifying scream. The shrill sound echoed through the cavern, until the only thing Ganondorf heard was that terrifying sound.
Ganondorf tried to move, to get away from the mummified corpse now slowly shambling towards him, but his muscles refused to respond. He could only stare in horror as the carcass' red eyes bored into his own. Finally, the red glow in the mummies eyes faded and movement flooded back into Ganondorf's body. He leaped back to safety, away from the thing.
Movement behind him forced Ganondorf to turn around. The demon's scream had reanimated the skeletons he had previously destroyed, and now they surged towards him again, crawling over one another in an attempt to get closer to him.
At least it confirmed that the corpse was in charge of the skeletons. Now he just had to find some way to kill it.
Ganondorf summoned a ball of fire in one of his hands and hurled it at the mummy. It connected, setting flame to the shambling corpse. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to stop the thing. It screeched again, but it didn't seem to have the same effect. Ganondorf grinned. As long as he stayed out of range of the corpse's voice he had all the time in the world.
Something grabbed Ganondorf's leg. Reflexively, Ganondorf kicked back, connecting with a bleached white skull. Right. He had to deal with the skeletons too.
Ganondorf turned, waving his hands to create a wall of flames between him and the horde of skeletons. After being assured they couldn't pass through, Ganondorf returned his gaze to the mummified corpse. It was still on fire, slowly staggering its way towards Ganondorf. The sockets were its eyes should be remained black and soulless, despite the orange glow of the flames slowly engulfing the monstrosity.
Ganondorf summoned a whirlwind of ice magic, casting it towards the corpse. It froze completely, a layer of ice coating the thing. Ganondorf jumped at it and swung his sword through it, shattering the carcass completely.
Ganondorf heard the grating of iron bars sliding. Ganondorf turned and watched as all the skeletons fell lifeless back into the sand. Ganondorf smirked, jumping over the rocks to the other side of the cavern. Opening the door, Ganondorf hoped the other traps would prove to be a bit more challenging.
On the other side of the room was a long hallway, with another door at the end. No iron bars caged it. It was just and empty room. Ganondorf stepped in uneasily. There had to be some kind of trap here. Ganondorf sent a ball of fire deeper into the room, but it revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Probing out with his magic, Ganondorf detected spells coating the room. They weren't powerful spells, but the sheer number of them would make removing them a waste of time. They prevented teleportation forward through the hallway, but oddly not backwards.
Ganondorf stepped fully into the hallway. The walls were overrun with dead vines and leaves. Ganondorf reached out and touched one of them, only to have it crumble beneath his fingers. He stamped his foot down and grinned at the response. The floor was hollow. There were probably deadly spikes or a pool of lava waiting below him, and uneasy tiles would make him fall down. Ganondorf smirked. Easy enough. All he had to do was make sure he didn't accidentally break through the floor and he was good.
Ganondorf began stepping over the stone path, carefully testing each stone before putting his weight on it. His full attention was on the floor. It was tedious work. He would likely only have one shot at this. If he made a hole in the floor, it might grow, cracking the whole floor. Every moment he expected to fall through the floor and teleport panickedly back to the beginning. Which was why the hissing sound from above caused Ganondorf to stumble and kick his foot to the floor.
Ganondorf stumbled, falling to his knees as he tried to prevent himself from falling. As he did, something massive shot out of the ceiling and smash into the floor beside him. Ganondorf yanked his foot from the floor as the thing retracted into the ceiling. Ganondorf jumped away as the massive thing slammed into the floor beside him again, making another hole in the floor. It was some kind of barbed pike. Large hairs came off the scaly armored plates of the creature's tail. The tail retreated back into the ceiling and Ganondorf caught a glimpse of the creature's six red eyes.
The floor began to crack, chunks of the fragile stone floor falling into the pit below. Ganondorf grimaced. He had been right. Spikes.
Ganondorf stumbled back to avoid falling into the abyss when the creature hissed again. Ganondorf whipped his sword out to deflect the creature's tail. It hissed in pain and struck at him again. Ganondorf dodged out of the way.
The cracks in the floor were widening. If Ganondorf didn't act soon, he might not make it to the other side. He waited for the creature to strike again and dodged it before running and leaping over the growing chasm. Ganondorf kept running, tripping over an inconveniently strung vine. As soon as he did, arrows began flying over his head.
Ganondorf growled. This better one damn good weapon.
Ganondorf crawled below the arrows. Angry hissing caused Ganondorf to look up. He spotted the creature prowling around above him. It didn't seem like the creature wanted to stick it's tail through the hail of arrows. If that was the case, Ganondorf definitely didn't want to get hit. Anything that would make a giant monster pause was always something worth avoiding.
Slowly but surely, Ganondorf made his way towards the end of the long hallway. Ganondorf rolled away from the arrow storm and rushed to the archway where the door was located. The creature hissed angrily again before storming off to do whatever monsters did. Ganondorf smirked and cracked his neck. Whatever was waiting for him on the other side was no match for him. This place couldn't even touch him. Ganondorf pulled open the door.
And was greeted by a fireball.
Only Ganondorf's quick reflexes allowed him to deflect the first ball of flame. Several more appeared in front of him, which Ganondorf deflected again. Ganondorf sent a blizzard into the room, trying to freeze whatever was inside. It failed, however, since his assailants simply breathed fire at it.
Ganondorf watched as the four floating skulls danced around the room. They weren't human skulls, since they had horns and a snout. Their eyes glowed the color of burning coals, when they opened their gaping maws, Ganondorf saw rows of jagged teeth before flames appeared from the inside of mouth.
Ganondorf deflected the fireballs and blasted bolts of lightning back at one of the floating skulls. It spun, stunned for a moment before refocusing on Ganondorf and shooting fireballs at him again. They danced like this for a while, until Ganondorf struck one with lightning for the third time. The lights in its eyes died and it fell to the earth and shattered. After another couple minutes, Ganondorf managed to kill the remaining three.
Ganondorf breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the room, examining the interior. It was mostly empty, save for the stairs leading down from the door, the stairs leading up to the large, chained door on the opposite wall, two raised altars before the stairs, and two doors parallel to the door Ganondorf was at.
Great. Clearly there was an object from each door that he needed to retrieve and put on the corresponding pedestal in order to proceed. Fine. Let's get on with it. Ganondorf decided to go through the door on the left, not for any particular reason.
The leftmost door led to an open space, filled with pillars and other rocks. The sand that made up the floor was deep. As Ganondorf walked away from the door, iron bars slammed down, barring the door. Wonderful.
The room extended outward, to the left of where he entered. Ganondorf climbed up the stone wall and looked down. The hallway with the spikes and arrows was below him. Great.
Ganondorf turned to a hissing noise. He scanned the room, but didn't see the monster. It hissed again, but it didn't sound like it was coming from below him. Ganondorf looked above him. The monster scuttled across the wall and dove at him, acid spraying from its jaws.
Ganondorf leaped from the top of the stone to the sand and rolled, turning to face his foe. The beast slammed into the stone, cracking it and shaking the room. It turned to face Ganondorf again, and he scared at the monstrosity while it hissed at him.
It was over ten feet from face to rear, with six legs and two, giant pincers for arms. They were huge and beefy, covered in brown scales and long hairs like the rest of its body. A massive plated tail twitched over its head, eager to use its huge barb to pierce into Ganondorf's body. Six yellow eyes glared at Ganondorf above a row of razor sharp teeth, globules of green acid filling its mouth. A singular green horn stuck out from it's head.
It was the horn that threw Ganondorf off. Everything besides that was simply a giant scorpion. The horn however, seemed off. It glowed, pulsating with a pale green light. It looked more like a rock than a natural part of an animal.
The scorpion finished its hissing and jumped at Ganondorf. He leaped back and the monster dove straight into the sand, disappearing from sight. Ganondorf growled. This was going to be an annoying battle.
Ganondorf climbed onto one of the pillars that was close to the ground. No sense in waiting for it to blindside him. He needed to fight this thing on his terms.
Ganondorf noticed a bump in the sand. As he watched it, it moved, circling around the pillar Ganondorf was standing on. After a moment, the scorpion lunged out of the sand and charged at the pillar, smashing into it headfirst with its horn. The pillar shook, making Ganondorf stumble. A huge barbed tail aimed straight for his head appeared in his vision, and only his quick reflexes prevented him from being skewered.
Ganondorf teleported off the pillar to regain his focus. The scorpion climbed onto the rock he had previously been on, searching for him. It prowled around the space, hissing and drooling acid from its mouth. It pooled there, slowly dissolving away at the stone.
While it was distracted, Ganondorf summoned lightning into his sword. It cackled, shedding sharks and illuminating the room. This got the scorpion's attention. It hissed at him, jumping off the rock and rushed at him. Ganondorf pointed his sword at the beast and shot lightning at it. The two forces collided, vibrant yellow arcs of lightning smashing into the massive brown mass of the scorpion. The scorpion was halted, stunned by the power. It stumbled back a few steps before throwing up its pincers like a guard. Ganondorf redoubled his effort, and the creature's feet dug into the sand trying to steady itself under the onslaught of Ganondorf's attack. Even still, it was pushed back a few feet. Ganondorf ended his torrent of lightning. It wasn't doing much damage and was wasting magic. He needed another way to kill this thing.
The monster screeched, throwing its head back and spraying acid into the air. It dropped onto the sand and started to sizzle. The scorpion turned back to face Ganondorf and shot a spray of acid at him. Ganondorf teleported away as the rock he was on was covered in the green liquid.
Ganondorf ran at the beast, yelling a battle cry. The scorpion roared one in reply and charged at Ganondorf, six legs scuttling through the sand.
The barbed tail bobbed ominously as it raced towards him. Ganondorf rolled to the side as it crashed into the sand, dodging the pincer that whipped past his head as well. Ganondorf whirled, rising to his feet as he slashed his sword at the beast's legs. His sword bounced off the armored plates with a resounding clang. Ganondorf jumped back, evading the swing of the scorpion's pincer and blocked the tail strike with his sword.
The scorpion's six eyes glared at him. The yellow orbs stared at him with hatred. It hissed, baring its fangs at Ganondorf. Ganondorf punched the scorpion in the face. It shrieked, rearing back. Ganondorf grinned. When in doubt, go for the eyes.
Ganondorf raced at it, jumping over its flailing pincers and swinging his sword at where the pincers connected to the main part of its body. Joints were usually vulnerable exposed pieces of flesh, and damaging them could greatly reduce somethings mobility and power.
This was not a usual circumstance. A rounded plate of scales covered the monster's joint. Ganondorf's sword clanged off the iron hard piece of beast and Ganondorf sailed behind it. He whirled and slashed his sword at the back of one of the monster's knees. Another clang signalled Ganondorf's failure to pierce its hide once more.
Ganondorf warped away as the scorpion tried to stab him again. Ganondorf peered down on it from his perch. This beast was an issue. It's scales were near impenetrable for his sword, and magic didn't seem to work either. It was perfectly armored, leaving no open weak spots, save for its eyes, which were guarded by the creature's appendages. It was fast too, and if it landed even a single strike, it was almost guaranteed a victory.
The scorpion spotted him from below. It hissed up at him and sprayed a globule of acid at him. Ganondorf teleported away, landing on a much shorter pillar. He formed a spiked ball of ice in his hand and chucked it at the unsuspecting scorpion. It hit the scorpion dead on, smashing against its hide and coating the creature in a layer of frost. Ganondorf jumped off the pillar and brought his sword down on the frozen monster.
The ice shattered, and the beast collapsed to the ground, where it laid there for a moment. Ganondorf yanked his sword upward. On the side of the creature, cracks appeared in the armor. Ganondorf smiled. An opening.
Before he could strike, the creature spun, smacking him with the back of its pincers, sending him flying. Ganondorf landed in the sand. He groaned. That hurt. Ganondorf rose to his feet, wheezing. The scorpion roared at him, scurrying across the sand. Ganondorf raised his hand, summoning a fireball. It grew bigger and brighter, the flames illuminating the room. With a maddening grin, Ganondorf hurled the ball of flame at the scorpion. The scorpion burrowed into the sand and the fireball sailed over its head. Ganondorf watched as it flew across the room and smashed into a pillar coated in green liquid.
The pillar exploded. The liquid ignited, sending huge plumes of flames into the air. Ganondorf had to duck as shards of the broken pillar rained down around him. Ganondorf gaped as enormous clouds of smoke rose into the air.
Oh come on.
The scorpion erupted in front of him sending sand flying. Ganondorf jumped back, deflecting the tail that almost skewered him. Ganondorf encased it with ice, forcing the tail to remain in front of the beast's face. Ganondorf froze the creature's pincers too then darted forward and stabbed the scorpion in one of its eyes. It screeched, and Ganondorf let go of his sword and grabbed its jaws, forcing its mouth open. As it readied to spray acid on him, Ganondorf opened his own mouth and breathed fire down the scorpion's throat.
Ganondorf leaped back as the creature screamed. Flames erupted from the crevices in his scales. It staggered back, smashing itself into pillars and rocks, waving its appendages frantically, clawing at its throat. Finally, it cried its final death throes and collapsed to the ground before exploding, throwing scales and chunks of meat across the room. Where it died lay the green horn and Ganondorf's sword. Ganondorf heard the metallic clanks as the iron bars raised, opening the door.
Ganondorf smirked as he retrieved both of the items. He exited the room and placed the horn on the closest pedestal. Gerudo text glowed green on the pillar and parts of the chains on the large door behind it disappeared. Halfway there.
After spending a few minutes to recover and heal the scrapes and bruises he had earned from fighting the scorpion, Ganondorf rose and headed over to the other door. What would he find on the other side? A four headed dragon? A ball of living magma? An enormous Chu Chu?
Ganondorf pushed open the door. The floor of the inside was solid sandstone. It was in the shape of a dome, the walls perfectly smooth. The floor was flat, the only item of interest being a circle painted onto the stone. In the center of the circle, a huge, armored man stood. When Ganondorf entered, he swung his sword twice in a challenge, and Ganondorf heard the now familiar shrieks of iron rods barring the door. He rolled his eyes. Was it really necessary at this point?
The man stood there, shield raised and sword pointed at Ganondorf. His massive metal armor coated his entire body. It was thick and black, with no interesting features either. His shield was made of the same material and was perfectly round. The only part of the huge figure that stood out was his sword. It was made of the same black material, but it had veins of green crystals and green Gerudo runes coating the sides.
Ganondorf was large in stature, but this man dwarfed him. It was nearly a foot taller than him, and significantly wider as well. The armor helped with that, adding to the man's beefiness. However, it should slow him down, and the size of the man's sword and shield would make him sloppy. He was undoubtedly strong, possibly stronger than Ganondorf, but he would have difficulty touching him. Ganondorf could dance around him and chip away at his armor, wearing him down before finishing him off.
Ganondorf considered all of this as if he was actually going to fight him. Right. He could shoot lightning. Lightning and metal did not mix well. Ganondorf simply raised his sword, charging it with lightning. He swung it down, blasting a torrent of electricity at the man. But unlike being fried like a Cucco, the man stepped forward and intercepted the lightning with his sword. The lightning absorbed into the man's sword, cackling with energy. Then, the man swung his sword back at Ganondorf, blasting the lightning back at him.
Ganondorf deflected the lightning, leaving it to smash into a wall. That was a neat trick. He oughta try it.
The man spun his sword and pointed it at Ganondorf before returning to a defensive position. Well fine then. If he wanted to do this the hard way, so be it.
The moment Ganondorf stepped into the ring, the man charged at him, swinging his sword down on him. Ganondorf spun out of the way, smashing his sword into the man's back. He stumbled and slashed at Ganondorf, but Ganondorf just jumped back, leading the man farther into the ring.
The two exchanged blows for a while. They were evenly matched, Ganondorf dancing around every one of his armored foe's strikes while his opponent simply stood there and took it, his swings ineffective against the dense armor. Neither one could gain the upper hand.
Ganondorf ducked under another one of the man's swings and punched the man in the stomach. Ganondorf growled as the man stumbled back. If he hadn't been used to the pain he would have curled up at the agony that flooded his fingers.
Ganondorf rose and spun his sword in a challenge. The man rushed forward, swinging his sword at Ganondorf's chest. Ganondorf blocked, letting the shock flow through him before elbowing the man in the face. The man's head bent back before twisting his waist and shoving his shield forward, shoving Ganondorf down to the floor. Ganondorf rolled back and rose to his feet, dancing on the balls of his feet. The man rushed him again, stomping his heavy metal boots. Ganondorf lunged forward, blocking the swing aimed at his head and wrapping the curve of his khopesh around the man's gauntlet. Ganondorf kicked the man, throwing him to the ground, at the same time jerking his sword up. The man's grip on his sword loosened and the green crystalline blade fell to the floor. Ganondorf kicked the man's shield away and scooped up his sword. The man kicked out at Ganondorf, who jumped away.
The man clambered to his feet. While he did, Ganondorf lunged, bringing the man's own sword down on his neck. It bounced off with a clang, so Ganondorf used his sword to cut up at the man's face. It smacked the man's helmet, sending him staggering back. Ganondorf kicked the man again, sending him sprawling.
Before he could get back up, Ganondorf pointed his khopesh at the man. Yellow light lit up the room as Ganondorf funneled electricity into his sword. The man looked up as Ganondorf unleashed a torrent of electricity. It coursed through his body, electrifying the man from the inside out.
After a few moments, the iron bars raised. Ganondorf lowered his sword and the iron body stopped spasming. Ganondorf turned on his heel and strode out of the room. As he placed the sword on the second pedestal, more green Gerudo symbols appeared on it. The final chains on the door disappeared. Ganondorf walked up the steps and placed his hand on the door. With a shove, he pushed it open.