For nearly two years, Agahnim had struggled to find the answer on how to completely open the Gate of Time and allow his master to enter the world of light. Small discoveries were rare and often found by accident, but slowly – the wizard began to realize just how ingenious the gate's design was and how difficult it would be to overcome.
Ganon had already revealed to him that the power of the ancient Goddess Hylia actively flowed through the doorway's frame and caused it to resist the Lord of Darkness' commands. Though ancient tales described the Goddess falling in battle, it was clear that she still existed somewhere – on some other plane of reality. But what was it that tied her to the mortal realm? What anchor kept her spirit from drifting away? That answer had come the previous summer- when the sorcerer's research in the royal archives discovered a very old passage, which described "the eldest daughter of the queen shall carry a powerful light – the light of Hylia herself."
Separate from this, the Gerudo had actually found the first clue just after the conquest of the capitol. To further shame the defeated Hylians and desecrate the remains of their great temple, the women of the desert tribe smeared the blood of their defeated enemies upon the pearl-white stones of the shattered cathedral, and over the cracked frame of the Door of Time. Slowly, the churning maelstrom of Ganon's dark portal began to flicker with lightning and rumble with renewed power. Calling his servant before the gate, the two determined that Hylian blood weakened the barrier – and allowed the Demon King to push more of his corrupting essence into Hyrule.
"All true Hylians descend from the Goddess herself…" mused a poem that Agahnim had found in the King's Collection. "There must be more truth to it than pretty romance." He reasoned. So, the secret to passing individual mortals back-and-forth through the gate was found. But to weaken the Goddess enough to allow the great lord to pass… would require the blood of the princess herself. This revelation, at first, felt like a great victory for Ganon's Lieutenant, but his enthusiasm was quickly stopped by his master's command: "The princess is not to be killed! She must live, for I have plans for her! Obey me!"
Therefore, the army of darkness could not risk killing her in an all-out assault, and she still remained guarded behind a withering, yet defiant wall of Hylian soldiers. Other means would have to be used to defeat them: intimidation, cunning, and subterfuge. "We will turn them against one another, my faithful servant." The dark lord explained, "Have patience. Time is on our side."
Despite his lord's assurances, the corrupted wizard was still eager to find any advantage to strengthen his own forces.
June 20th, 611 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 704
The Temple of Darkness, Formerly the Temple of Time
The new 'Temple of Darkness' was built in the form of a massive rotunda. Its only entrance stood beside the capitol courtyard, facing Westward, while within – at the East end – stood the remains of the Door of Time. Torches and braziers lined the interior, casting an ominous orange glow against the blackened and stained marble blocks of the once beautiful Temple of Time. Before the portal, stood a large, blood-stained altar – dedicated to the worship and praise of the Dark Lord.
After several hours of secluded meditation, Agahnim entered the temple and prepared a new ritual. Several bestial guards lined the room, while Nabooru knelt down before a chained and bloody Hylian woman near the portal itself. The Gerudo was softly petting her cheeks and cooing to her to be silent and not to cry – but the prisoner was completely gripped with fear and begged the insane woman to release her and her child. Splayed over the top of Ganon's altar and shackled to its corners, was a young boy of only five or six years old.
As the sorcerer approached, the beaten mother tore her head free from Nabooru's hands and cried out, "Have mercy, my lord! Please… we have done nothing, I swear!" The Gerudo swiftly gripped her face once more – digging her nails into the woman's flesh and cackling madly. "Nothing?! NOTHING?! You still breathe! That is offense enough!" she shrieked. "Leave her, Nabooru." Muttered the wizard as he studied the two prisoners. The insane matron squeezed the woman's face tightly for one more moment, before dashing to the altar and pretending to soothe the crying child.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" the mother screamed, pulling hard against her chains, but it was useless. She had been a starved prisoner for weeks – she could not possibly break free. Agahnim stepped over to the altar and softly ran his fingers over the boy's hair. "A beautiful child," he mused, "It always warms the heart to see a happy mother and child together… don't you think Nabooru?" Ganon's mistress quickly lifted her wide, bloodshot eyes and grinned madly at him in response.
"P-p-please… My lord… I b-beg you! Do not hurt him! We have done nothing to you! And we will not! Please, just let us go!" the woman begged, with tears streaming down her bruised cheeks. The moblins lining the chamber grunted and snorted with laughter as the sorcerer swept over to her and knelt down. "You wish to leave this place?" he asked her quietly. Desperately, she nodded her head 'yes.' "And you swear, to never take up arms against our lord? Or to give any comfort or assistance to those who would?" he added. Again, she nodded her head quickly – her eyes pleading for mercy. "In fact," the wizard continued, "You would be eager to see your child raised up… in our lord's service! For your own protection." The mother's frantic expression turned to fear, "H-he's… only a boy." She muttered.
"All too true!" exclaimed Agahnim, rising to his feet again, "But our lord is wise, and he knows how to make use of even the smallest life." He answered, turning to pet the shivering boy's hair with his talon-like fingernails. She continued to plead and sob at him to release them, but he ignored her. After studying her son for a few moments, he declared to the mother, "All I need from you is information. Tell me what I want to know – tell me truthfully, and you will be released – free to go wherever you please." The terrified woman's lips quivered for a moment. She did not trust the sorcerer's promise… but what could she do? She and her child were already prisoners in the cursed city, if there was any chance of escape, she had to try.
"What does my lord wish to know?" she asked in a hoarse voice. The corrupted sage grinned broadly (though his emerald scarf concealed the majority of his face). "You are called 'Mallara' are you not?" he asked. The woman nodded. "Daughter of Malorne, great-grand-daughter of Gustaf the Third, Dame of Drenan and lady-in-waiting to her Majesty?" he recited. Mallara looked up at him in confusion, "Ceremonial titles… I've never done anything in the court. I'm just the lesser-lady of a farming village." She answered. "But you are kin to the royal family." Hissed the wizard, leaning in close to her, "And so is your son."
"W-what does this have to do with him?!" she cried as he swept away from her, and came beside the altar. "It's this one." He muttered to Nabooru, who eagerly bounced in place and clapped her hands together. Agahnim, reached into a hidden pocket within his robes and carefully drew out the black-stone dagger that Ganon had sent to him -laying it upon the altar beside the boy. The sobbing child tried to slide himself away from it, but was held tight by the altar's chains. "What are you doing?!" the mother shouted, as the wizard closed his eyes and raised his hands above his head. At once, the churning, clouded blackness of the portal began to flicker and swirl with greater intensity. "I call upon thee… Ganon… Lord and Guardian of all creation… Master of the Infinite Darkness and god of the Living Realm… this humble servant begs an audience."
The air within the temple chamber began to rise and whirl about as a crash of thunder echoed out from the corrupted Door of Time. "Mommy?! Mommy!" the boy began to cry out, but Nabooru swiftly bent down and cooed at the child to be silent. "Its ok dearie… its ok… the great wizard is just going to show you some magic! You would like to see some magic, wouldn't you?" she tried, but the boy continued to struggle and shake. Mallara, sensing the approaching danger, pulled valiantly at her chains and screamed at the sorcerer to release her son. "I've told you what you wanted! Now let us go!" Another crash of thunder drowned out her pleas, as the surface of the portal began to clear, and a monstrous, terrifying silhouette came into view. All of the assembled creatures knelt – save the two standing behind Mallara, who bowed their heads.
Lowering his hands to the knife on the table, Ganon's Lieutenant cried out, "Receive this life! That it may nourish you and work to set you free, my lord!" Terror and adrenaline tore through the boy's mother as Agahnim lifted the knife up and prepared to sacrifice her child. With only the strength that a mother could possess, she tore her right hand free of its manacle – dislocating her thumb. The moblin guards quickly dove upon her as her son screamed out in terror. "Leave him! Take me! Take me! Just let him go!" she wailed until a sharp, sickening CRACK came from the altar, followed by silence.
The child shivered pitifully as blood poured out from around the knife driven into his heart. Slowly, his eyes unfocused and his skin began to turn pale. The guards firmly grabbed Mallara's arms, and lifted her clear of the floor to watch. Her screams and wails of anguish echoed out of the temple and even beyond the outer walls of the capitol gate.
But the ritual was not yet completed. Ignoring the wretched woman's cries, Agahnim once again lifted his hands above his head and began to chant various dark spells and incantations in ancient Hylian. Nabooru retreated from the altar as the boy's blood began to run to one side and then drip horizontally toward the Gate of Time. The longer the wizard chanted, the faster the blood began to flow through the air and disappear into the black surface of Ganon's realm. Before their very eyes, the child's corpse withered and decayed as every ounce of his life was drained. After a time, the final drops reached the dark portal and the sorcerer lowered his hands.
Silence – but for the choked sobbing of Mallara – followed. The wizard stepped around the altar, and approached the arch itself. The mirror-like surface of the portal had clouded once more, but it churned and twisted furiously. "My lord?" he called, fearing that the ritual had failed, but there was no answer. Suddenly, a new tremor rolled through the temple floor as the stone arch surrounding the portal groaned and snapped angrily. Lightning flashed within, before a torrent of smoke and ink-like blood burst out and enveloped the wizard. Nabooru and the moblins recoiled, shocked that their master seemed to attack his servant; but Ganon's voice thundered out, "You have done well, my most loyal thrall. I grant you this boon… that you may continue to serve my glory."
With a final, blinding flash of lightning, the smoke cleared and Agahnim was revealed once again. He was larger now, both in height and breadth, but the most striking change were his robes. The gentle emerald and gold were now transformed into crimson and violet. The sorcerer staggered backward – released from his lord's hand – and grasped the edge of the altar to steady himself. "T-thank you, my lord!" he gasped, looking down at his own hands in wonder. Carefully, the Gerudo matron stepped toward him, "What does it mean?" she asked quietly. He slowly turned – to face the altar – and gripped the knife that still protruded from the dead child's body. Shouting 'arise' in ancient Hylian, he tore the dagger free again.
With a terrifying screech, the corpse suddenly writhed and struggled, before shattering its own chains, and dropping its bony feet onto the floor. The wizard's eyes flashed as he cackled madly in triumph. "Release her!" he cried, "Let her and her beloved child go! Just as we promised!"