And now chapter 3 :)
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Zelda and Link laughed as they raced each other to Ganondorf's farm, shoving each other as they tried to get ahead of the other.
They slowed down once they entered the farm, searching for Ganondorf.
"He's still in his room, kids," Ganondorf's mother said from the kitchen window. "Why don't you go wake him?"
Ganondorf's mother, Irea, was a nice lady with brown hair always up in a bun and brown eyes that always twinkled when she smiled. She made the best wildberry pie.
"Thank you, Mrs. Dragmire!" Zelda said, smiling at Irea.
Thank you, Link signed, following after Zelda as they entered the house.
"Of course. You children be safe now!"
"Okay!"
Together, they headed to the second floor and down to Ganondorf's room, the door easily recognizable by the Ganondorf's Room plaque hung up.
Zelda knocked on the door.
With a small gasp, Ganondorf snapped his head up, glancing back at the door. He was sitting against it to prevent easy opening of the door.
"Gan?" Zelda asked. "Are you awake?"
Ganondorf didn't answer for a few seconds before he said, "Yeah. I'm awake. I'm…"
He glanced down at his right hand, blood dimming the glow of the Triforce.
"I'm sick. Must be a stomach bug."
Link looked at Zelda, frowning.
Sick?
The entire time they had known Ganondorf, he wasn't one to let an illness stop him from completing his chores. It must have been some stomach bug if he was willingly staying in his room.
"I guess," Zelda muttered to Link before asking Ganondorf, "Are you all right? Do you want something?"
"No. I'm…I just…I should rest today. Perhaps it's a 24-hour thing."
"Oh." Zelda looked down, disappointed. Then she grinned. "Will you promise to come play tomorrow if you feel better?"
Ganondorf grit his teeth, glancing down at the Triforce once more. He closed his eyes, sighing. "Yes, Zelda. I promise."
Zelda smiled at Link who nodded. "Okay. We'll see you tomorrow. Feel better!"
"Okay…"
Ganondorf listened to the footsteps leaving and once they had gone he sighed, hugging his legs to his chest and dropping his forehead on his knees.
"Oh, poor dear. Sick, huh?" Irea wiped her hands on a towel. "I'll be sure to whip up something for him to eat."
"Thank you, Mrs. Dragmire." Zelda gave a curtsey before she ran out, Link giving a wave as they left. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you later, dearies."
Ganondorf's father spread out more feed for the cuccos before he stopped, narrowing his eyes as he watched Link and Zelda leave. He looked up towards Ganondorf's window.
Scattering more feed for the birds, he replaced the bag in the storage container before he left.
It took little time for him to find a knight guarding the entrance to the city gates where he whispered something in the man's ear.
The knight nodded, saluting. "Thank you for the information, sir Draco. We will pass it along and retrieve the…issue."
Once he was done with his chores the next day, Link visited Ganondorf's farm once more. He searched the barn and the cucco coop but saw no sign of Ganondorf.
"There you are, Link," Zelda greeted as she approached the blond. "Did you see him?"
Link shook his head. Still in his room?
"Let's go see."
They went inside and up to Ganondorf's room. The door was wide open, bed neatly made.
Zelda peeked in but saw no one. "Where could he be?"
Link shrugged. Ask father?
Zelda clapped her hands. "Excellent thinking."
They returned outside and found Draco feeding the cows.
"Mr. Dragmire?"
Draco straightened, looking over at the two with a raised eyebrow.
"We were wondering where Ganon has gone."
"You just missed him," Draco grunted, turning back to feeding the cows. "He left to start his own farm in Hateno."
"What?!" Zelda squeaked while Link signed incredulously No way! He would have told us!
"Look, if he didn't tell you, that isn't my fault." Draco dropped the feed bag, turning to face the two. "He left. He's never coming back."
Zelda was about to say something but Link grabbed her shoulder. He shook his head, pulling her with him as they left the farm.
"Link! You don't actually believe him, do you?!"
Of course not! None of that made any sense! Link scowled. But I don't know where else he would be.
Zelda sighed, shoulders slumping. "Me either…"
"So, this is what you do now? Lock people up for a crime they could possibly commit?"
Ganondorf watched as the guard latched the second manacle on his wrist.
He really hadn't expected to be grabbed by the guards and dragged down to the dungeons beneath the castle.
"Oh no, you're just special," one guard said, sneering at Ganondorf as he crossed his arms.
He grinned at the sight of the great King of Darkness chained against the wall like a common thief.
"I hope you enjoy yourself down here. You're never going to see the light of day again."
"Not so tough now, are you, beast?" another guard challenged.
"We should have done this a long time ago."
Ganondorf remained quiet, eyeing the three guards standing several feet away from him. He raised up one hand, electricity crackling between his fingers, before he released the built-up energy at one of the guards.
It wasn't a killing blow, but the force of the magic sent the guard into the bars of the cell.
The other two guards gasped as they watched their companion fall to the floor.
"Dave!"
"How dare you!" the other guard snarled, whipping around to glare at Ganondorf.
Ganondorf blinked innocently, rattling the chains keeping him pinned to the wall. "I'm sorry. I can't do anything chained up like this. Is your friend okay?"
The guard responded by delivering a heavy punch to Ganondorf's stomach, causing the teen to drop his weight against the chains with a grunt.
"You think you're so clever, huh? We're not the ones chained up."
Dave got up with a groan, shaking his head before he approached Ganondorf along with the other two guards.
All three looked ready to murder.
This is going to hurt…
Zelda sighed as she climbed into bed, dropping her hands on her lap and frowning at them.
It had been several days since Ganondorf had supposedly left for Hateno, but it still didn't sit right with her or Link.
Ganondorf wouldn't have just up and left without telling them goodbye.
Why would his father lie then? Zelda wondered, glancing outside.
The town was on high alert as the full moon slowly rose, bathed in a blood red hue.
The blood moon.
A strange phenomenon no one had figured out quiet yet. Its power made monsters more vicious and brought the ones killed back to life. No one knew why it existed. It had always just been.
Clasping her hands together, Zelda closed her eyes.
Hylia, where is Gan? Please send me a sign to his location.
Zelda remained silent for several seconds before she opened an eye. She dropped her hands with a sigh.
"Well, that was stupid…"
Just as she was about to blow out the candle beside her bed to turn in, the candle's flame flickered sharply before extinguishing itself.
Startled, Zelda leaned back as whispers began to start around her.
Find him…
Power has awoken….
Zelda gazed around at the whispers swirling around her, a voice more prominent than the others.
Hurry! He must not bathe in the blood light!
A bright glow lit up the room and Zelda glanced down to see the Triforce resting on her right hand, the lower left corner lit up bright.
"The Triforce!"
The glow dimmed but a faint pulse began to pound in her hand.
Zelda brought the hand close to her face, staring at the Triforce.
"Will you show me where he is?"
Another pulse was her answer and Zelda scrambled out of bed, leaving her room. She used the Triforce as a dowsing rod.
The pulsing got stronger at the doors leading to the dungeon and Zelda pushed the door open.
"In here?"
She padded down the stairs, holding out her hand.
The pulsing intensified before it faded and Zelda saw Ganondorf in one of the cells.
She gasped, running to the cell and grabbing the bars. "Gan!"
Ganondorf glanced up when he heard his name, staring at the glowing form of Hylia standing on the other side of the bars.
"Songbird?"
The form faded and he saw Zelda standing in Hylia's place. He straightened in surprise.
"Zelda?! What are you doing here?!"
"What am I doing here?!" Zelda scoffed at the question, beginning to yank on the cell door. "What are you doing here?!"
"I…uh…."
"Princess?"
Both heads whipped around to spot a young guard staring at Zelda in confusion.
A red light slipped in through the windows and began to coat the room, shining from the blood moon.
Ganondorf grunted as he slid his feet back from the light.
The blood moon had always given him headaches, but this night he had none. He didn't want to find out why.
The guard approached Zelda and she looked between him and Ganondorf.
"I am so sorry about this," she muttered, before rushing the guard and knocking him down, giving one good punch to knock him out.
"I didn't know you could do that," Ganondorf said, impressed as Zelda shook her hand.
"Me either." She grabbed the keys and returned to the door, opening it and running into the cell. She tried the keys in the shackles. "Your dad said you left to Hateno!"
"Huh? No, I was captured and taken here."
"Why?!"
"You know why."
Zelda glanced up at him. She knew why. She could feel his Triforce. Was that why he acted like he was sick? Was he ashamed?
She shook her head then continued trying the keys.
"Why are there so many godforsaken keys?!"
"Princess!"
Ganondorf lifted his head as Zelda looked behind her.
Another guard stood at the entrance, wielding a spear.
As the guard began to approach the two, the blood moon's light reached Ganondorf's head and he grunted at the sensation of power crackling through his veins.
He closed his eyes then opened them, the color changed from gold to a bright yellow, pupils slitted.
"Duck down, Zelda."
Zelda barely had time to react when Ganondorf yanked one arm forward, chains going taut. He did it two more times and the chains were yanked from their post in the wall.
With one chain free, Ganondorf swung the end at the guard, striking him in the head.
Zelda uncovered her head, glancing at the fallen guard before grabbing Ganondorf's arm. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Ganondorf grunted, yanking the other chain out of the wall. He quickly wrapped the chains around his arms. "We need to leave. Now."
Zelda nodded and together, she and Ganondorf raced out of the dungeons.
The light from the blood moon lasted only an hour and it faded as they made their way into the hallway.
Apparently, the guard had been alerted as several were roaming the hall. They startled at the appearance of Ganondorf and Zelda.
"There he is!" one said, pointing towards Ganondorf.
"He has the princess!"
"Get him!"
"This way," Zelda said, grabbing Ganondorf's hand to lead him in a different direction.
She led him through twists and turns, taking a shortcut through the dining hall.
Without the light of the blood moon on him, Ganondorf felt drained but he forced himself to keep running. If he stopped, he was as good as dead.
Finally, they exited the castle, several guards on their heels. An alarm had sounded, several houses in the two lighting their candles so they could see what the hubbub was about.
Ganondorf knew they couldn't outrun the guards. The gates would be closed before they could ever reach them.
Glancing around, he spotted a white mare tackled nearby and he pulled Zelda towards it.
"What are you doing?" Zelda asked as Ganondorf shoved her into the saddle.
He climbed into the saddle in front of Zelda, grabbing the reins. "Getting out of here!"
The horse reared up when Ganondorf slapped the reins, forcing Zelda to grab onto Ganondorf to prevent being thrown off, before it cantered off.
The guards were shouting, several grabbing their own horses to chase after them.
The alarm had woken up Link, who wandered outside half-asleep, rubbing his eyes. As he rounded the corner of his house, his eyes widened at the sight of the white horse galloping past, Ganondorf and Zelda in its saddle.
Seconds later, multiple guards galloped past on their own horses.
Quickly, Link ran to the stable, unlatching Epona's stable door. He saddled her then climbed onto her, kicking her into gear to race after the guards.
The horse's hooves pounded on the cobblestone as it left the gates separating Castle Town from the castle moat bridge.
The gates scraped to a halt, halfway closed, allowing the guards to continue their pursuit.
One guard caught up to Ganondorf, galloping beside the horse, and raised a sword.
Ganondorf lifted a leg and kicked the guard off the horse.
Another guard pulled up to the other side of the horse and before Ganondorf could do anything, Zelda shoved the guard off his horse.
"I'm sorry!" she squeaked, looking after the guard she had pushed.
"Don't apologize to them!" Ganondorf grunted, keeping eyes out for more guards.
"But…I don't want to hurt them…"
"They want to hurt us!"
As a third guard pulled up, Link caught up to the guard's other side, pinning him between Epona and the white mare. Together, he and Ganondorf both punched the guard in the face.
"Link!" Zelda gasped at the sight of the blond.
Link grinned and waved.
"Come to join the party?!" Ganondorf asked as Link kept pace beside them.
Doesn't seem like my type of party.
Ganondorf laughed before he grunted when something pierced his shoulder. He looked to see an arrow jutting out of his right shoulder.
The guard that had fired notched another arrow.
Link slowed down to catch the guard, promptly smashing his elbow in the guard's face before snatching his bow and taking a few arrows from the quiver.
He turned, loaded an arrow, then fired at a guard before he did another arrow, firing at a guard that had appeared from behind a tree.
Both arrows struck the guards in the chest, knocking them from their horses.
Still a scary shot. Ganondorf thought as Link dumped the bow.
Link caught up to Ganondorf and Zelda. Where to?
"Hylia Bridge," Ganondorf grunted. "There's a small section beneath the bridge where we can hide out of sight."
Link nodded.
After nearly four hours of traveling, the three reached the enormous stone bridge spanning across Lake Hylia.
They slowed their horses and slid down from the saddles, leading them down the serpentine decline.
Zelda looked up as they got to the bottom, allowing the horses to drink.
Ganondorf was right; it was out of sight. She hoped it would allow them to rest without being caught.
Ganondorf sat down, working on trying to pry off the shackles around his wrists while Link gathered sticks to start a fire.
"Let me," Zelda murmured, kneeling beside Ganondorf. She took a bobby pin out of her hair and stuck it in the keyhole.
"Do I want to know how you learned to pick locks?" Ganondorf grunted, the first shackle coming off after a few wiggles of the pin.
Zelda just smiled at him and he rolled his eyes.
Sheikah.
The second manacle fell beside the first and Ganondorf rubbed his wrists. "Thanks."
"No problem." Zelda picked up the chains and tossed into the lake. "Let me get the arrow too."
He had forgotten about that.
Crouching behind him, Zelda grabbed the arrow shaft and without warning she yanked it out, arrowhead and all.
"Ow!" Ganondorf hissed, glaring at Zelda over his shoulder as she tossed the arrow to the ground.
"It's not supposed to be pleasant."
Grumbling, Ganondorf winced as Zelda began to clean the wound with a wet strip of cloth.
"Thanks….for taking the arrow."
"Not like I did it on purpose, princess. I'm just a bigger target."
Zelda frowned, halting in her motions briefly before she continued wiping the wound. "I got you into more trouble. Now they think you kidnapped me."
"Even if you had explained it to them, they probably would have thought that."
Zelda gently put her fingers next to the arrow wound. "I'm sorry we don't have any salve or dressings."
"It's fine. Next stable we can get it fixed up." He turned to smile at her. "Thank you for finding me."
"It wasn't me who found you."
Ganondorf was about to say something but he saw something out of the corner of his eye and snapped, "Link! What the hell are you doing?!"
Link froze like a deer in the torchlight, holding the arrow above the water. He frowned before signing, Getting fish? Dinner?
"With the arrow that shot Gan?!" Zelda asked, appearing disgusted.
I washed it off.
"You're impossible," Ganondorf mumbled as Link returned to spearing fish with the arrow.
"It's like he was raised by wolves," Zelda huffed, folding her arms.
After several minutes, Link caught some fish and speared them onto sticks before positioning them over the fire.
"Where will we go?" Zelda asked, looking away from the cooking fish.
Link looked at Ganondorf who realized the two were looking for him to lead them.
Ganondorf rubbed the back of his neck. "I was thinking Akkala."
Akkala?
"Yeah. We went to Hylia Bridge." Ganondorf traced the bridge above them. "They'll expect us to continue to Faron, not turn around. Akkala is safer. I heard about a small town that we could stay low in."
"Tarrey Town?" Zelda asked and Ganondorf nodded. "That is a small place. We may be able to blend in there."
"On our way to Akkala, we should pass a stable. Once there, we'll get supplies, disguises, and weapons. Monsters roam a lot of places we'll probably pass."
What about a map?
"A map? Yes, that would be good as well."
"Whatever we can get, we'll get," Zelda agreed.
Ganondorf gave a nod as Link pulled off the fish, handing one to him and then Zelda. He blew on the fish to cool it off before sinking his teeth into the crispy flesh.
Zelda stared at her fish uncertainly before she took a small bite. She gasped at the taste. "Wow! This is amazing, Link!"
Link appeared embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. It's nothing.
"It's good," Ganondorf grunted, flicking fish bones into the lake. "Even though it has not flavoring, putting it over the fire brought out its own natural taste."
"It's really incredible, Link. You're a natural cook."
Link waved a hand at them, looking down.
Something shot towards Ganondorf, hitting him in the head and knocking him on his back.
"Gan!" Zelda gasped in alarm.
"Ow!" Ganondorf rubbed his head before picking up the chains, recognizing them as the shackles. "What the…?"
"Stop throwing your damn trash in our lake!" a voice shouted.
The three looked towards the lake to see a brightly colored Zora floating several feet away.
"A Lake Zora," Zelda whispered.
She remembered learning about them. While the Domain Zora had more of warm-colored scales—red, black, dark blue—the Lake Zora were bright colors that ranged from yellow to pink. They fed on the freshwater fish in the lake as well as the Lizalfos that sometimes swam in the waters.
Two more Zora—a yellow one with a cut off headtail and a purple one with a missing eye—popped up beside the first.
"Keep your stupid trash!" the yellow one yelled, shaking a fist at the three.
"Why don't you go somewhere else?!" the purple one snapped.
"I-I'm sorry we threw trash in your home, Zora," Zelda said, standing up and moving to the water's edge, bowing several times. "But we have nowhere else to sleep for the night. I promise we'll be gone in the morning."
The embroidery on Zelda's nightgown caught one of the Zora's eyes and they turned to their companions, whispering to them. They gasped and looked back at Zelda.
"Fine," the first Zora grunted, crossing her arms, green scales catching the moonlight. "First thing in the morning though!"
"We promise! Thank you!"
The Zora turned, diving into the water and disappearing beneath it.
"What do we do with these now?" Ganondorf asked, holding up the chains.
Zelda frowned. It would be strange to carry them around without raising some questions.
We could sell them, Link suggested. They're good silver. Could be melted down and made into a weapon.
"Link's right. Someone's bound to want them."
Sighing, Ganondorf stared at the chains before he nodded. "If you say so. I hope you're right."
Once they had finished their dinner, they turned in for the night.
It was nice for Ganondorf to finally sleep laying down even if it was on hard ground. He wasn't sure how Zelda would handle it though as he was certain she was used to a soft bed.
Link could sleep anywhere.
Ganondorf glanced at the two who appeared to be asleep before he went back to staring at the stars in the sky.
He hoped the journey would be quick and simple but he knew it wouldn't be. It was never that easy.
Turning on his left side, Ganondorf closed his eyes to sleep.
The sun was peeking over the mountain ranges in the distance when Ganondorf was awoken by a change in the air.
He sat up, glancing around as the hairs on his arms stood up.
There was an electricity in the air that didn't seem to be bothering Link or Zelda.
There was a splash from the lake and Ganondorf whipped his head towards the noise, expecting one of the Zora from the night before, but he instead saw a green horn erupting from the water's surface.
At first it was a single jagged horn then it was a monstrous head that lifted itself up from the lake.
Ganondorf gasped as the dragon's serpentine body followed its head, water falling from its scales and glinting in the early morning light.
Farosh.
Farosh was a messenger of the Goddess of Courage, Farore. Typically, it was a gentle dragon, the electricity sparking from its body a defense mechanism that it couldn't control.
Farosh's eye swiveled down to stare directly at Ganondorf, a low rumble erupting from the dragon's throat.
