It was that dream again. The one I had every night; it was always the same, never changing in all these years. I could see no faces. I could hear him speak but it was…as if it was another language, the words held no meaning. But sometimes I understood, and I wished that I couldn't understand them at all…
A sharp pain on the side of my neck, a knife carved into the soft skin.
"No! Stop it! You're hurting me!" I heard myself yell, but something held me back; I couldn't move my arms to fight it off. Terror and dread washed over me, though
A dark voice chuckled mirthlessly and then whispered softly into my ear.
"Just a little while longer, then--"
A sharp bite to the rear awoke me. The nightmare faded away for the moment. I shot up and cursed at the horse but then stopped immediately. The sound of snapping twigs, the sound barely audible even to my high-strung senses. There were others in the forest; moving through the branches with utmost care. There were only four, illuminated by a single torch, barely visible though the silvery mist. I could tell these were not men at all, for they were all around six and seven feet tall.
Orcs, there are orcs in the forest…
The stallion had woken me to show me the monstrous things. For those of you who have never seen an orc, I will describe them to you. Orcs are truly horrible looking creatures. They vary from 6'10 to 8'5 in height; all are inhumanly strong and rippling with muscles. They have relatively small heads along with flat noses; two tusk-like teeth that protrude from the lower jaw like a bulldog, heavy brows and leathery, green skin. From what I could tell, orcs were merciless killers. They had begun to appear seemingly out of nowhere a few years before and had been plundering towns and burning farms ever since.
My heart burned with sudden hatred. From what I could tell, orcs were merciless killers. They had begun to appear seemingly out of nowhere a few years before and had been plundering towns and burning farms ever since. It was because of them that I was forced to steal for my keep and remain entirely homeless. I wanted to just scream, dash over the fallen logs and rocks, sword in hand, and kill the whole lot of them.
But bold doesn't mean stupid. Orcs used battle-axes, swords and maces on the battlefield with deadly prowress; no knight stood a chance against them one-on-one. And I was no knight.
I wondered what they were doing in the area. They weren't usually found so far south…Wonder turned into critical thought and then to a dilemma as I debated with myself whether or not to follow them.
For some reason, my curiosity always got the best of me.
I got up as quietly as possible. I started to follow them, keeping my distance to about thirty feet behind them. The tallest one led the way and carried a torch, singing the leaves overhead, the others followed behind him. They were talking among themselves in their deep, rumbling voices.
"…I just don't understand…He is only human. Why can't we just get rid of him? It wouldn't be too hard," said one.
"Yeah, we could…uh, toss him back into the water," Suggested a second uncertainly; a third nodded his head vigorously.
"Or run him through with our swords!" he said enthusiastically, the forth sighed in agitation.
"You are all fools if you really believe in that nonsense," He stated plainly, he sounded exhausted.
"Well if you're so damn smart, Fenter, then what do you think?" said the third, voice dripping with cynicism.
The forth whirled around to confront him, making the others stop dead in their tracks. His face was deeply scarred from battle, was the tallest I had ever seen and had wild black hair that was misty silver at the temples--he was obviously much older then the others. He glared coldly at the orc; he seemed to shrink under his murderous gaze.
"I think rookies should keep their mouths shut and not speak in such a vulgar manner to their elders! I taught you all better then that." He growled.
"But, sir…" spoke the second one quietly. "Jarvan and Weveren do have a point. So he has magic? Surly he can't be that powerful for any one of us to kill."
This orc had the most peculiar eyes I had ever seen. Instead of the usual black or even the rare red, his were a steel gray and seemed almost holographic when the light from the torch hit them. It also made him seem…I don't know, wiser than his brethren, save the old one.
"Testen, of what age are you?"
"One hundred and twenty five, sir."
I was not surprised to hear this. I heard that orcs had a life span of over a thousand years.
"And what do you know of magic?"
The orc looked down and drew his boot in the dirt. I realized that this must be an older orc training others that were considered teenagers by the rest of their people, if I was their age equivalent I would only be slightly younger. Maybe. I wasn't too sure how old I was. 16? 17? 18? It was hard to tell where it's hard to track down dates past two years ago or so.
"Just as I thought," He grumbled, turning around and walking through the brush. His apprentices followed.
"But there must be something we can do to stop him!" he blurted out one they had started moving again. His voice was filled with compassion and concern, something I would have never thought an orc capable of. "We can't just let him take over this land. I love this place, so full of light--have you ever seen so many different plants and animals? I don't want it to be reduced to dust like our world."
The old orc sighed heavily. "Yes, I love this land as dearly as you do. But, there is nothing we can do at the moment; he is far too powerful to be annihilated without the use of magic. All we can do now is hope that his mad quest for power brings him to his own demise. We shall see if he actually gets through the passage, there is a chance he won't, but if he does, I shall see when it is best to make our escape to Hyrule."
Hyrule? I had heard very little about Hyrule. All I knew was that it was a small yet prosperous country far to the east. Something so far away might as well never have existed. I was greatly puzzled over this conversation. Who was this person they were talking about? Why did they want to kill this one in particular? Did he have magic? But most of all, I wondered where they were going…
"But…what of the words from the Oracle?" asked Testen in a rather hushed tone, I had to strain to hear him.
"You spoke to the Oracle?"
"Yes-"
"No, " interrupted the forth orc who I could only assume was Weveren, "the Oracle sent for him. He wouldn't talk to anyone else. Tell 'em Testen."
"He says that a child with great power will be born. He can't see the outcome though, but he knows that the fate of the world rests upon its shoulders." This seemed to make him uneasy; he traveled in silence the rest of the way.
"Heavy stuff, man." Muttered Jarvan, shaking his head. "The question is if he'll turn to good or evil."
I could hear other orcs. Some were speaking in English and some were speaking in Onatin, the orc language but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices came from ahead of us. I could see the shafts of torchlight through the trees and could hear the grunts of a heavy breed of war-horses that the orcs used to ride into battle. They seemed to be at Black Pond…
Fenter, Jarvan, Testen Weveren headed towards the light, as I held back, unsure of what to do. I was terrified by then. I should have been smart and turned back to report that I had seen orcs, four was enough of a concern for them to send in troops. But my curiosity was getting the best of me, as always. Besides, no one would listen if I had told them, no one would believe a beggar.
Aww, hell, why not take a look? I asked myself, hand resting on the hilt of 'my' new sword.
I bravely started forward towards the light. But then I realized the horse had been traveling silently behind me the whole time. I turned around, he was giving me a what-do-you-think-you're-doing look with his large, expressive eyes.
"It's all right, I just want to see what's going on. You stay here, we'd be seen if you followed me." I whispered and held his nose. Then it struck me that I was talking to a horse. If anyone had heard that, they would have thought I was loosing my mind. Talking to animals…honestly…
But to my surprise, when I started forward, he stayed still. I marveled at this for a second, no horse I had ever heard of responded to human words. Then I remembered what I had followed the orcs for and continued on towards the light. I crouched down low so as not to be seen as I pressed on.
I gasped at what I saw. Stretched out below me was Black Pond, the land sloped down to it to create a sort of huge bowl-shaped theater where the water collected in a deep basin. From the rocky outcropping that I stood on, I could see more than five thousand orcs, the muster of the entire clan. Most were tightly clustered together, shoulder to shoulder around the water. A few, like the four orcs that I had followed, stood farther away. Unlike the orcs at the pond, who seemed happy and excited the other orcs seemed sullen and exchanged dark looks among themselves. I noticed that Testen was sharpening a massive five-foot-long sword with a rock, testing it on the hair of his arm. Fenter paced restlessly, glancing over at the pond on occasion.
Well, now what? I thought to myself. I was scared out of my mind. If an orc discovered me, I would die by the Red Eagle--which meant that a cut was made right below your rib cage and your internal organs were pulled out while you were still alive, one by one--heh, heh, not a pleasant thing to watch or experience. I think being hanged at the fair would have been a far more pleasant alternative.
I noticed that my breath emerged from my nose as freezing vapor. It made me terribly uneasy. Was it this cold before? No, something is very, very wrong…
All of a sudden, the crowd hushed, all eyes turned to the pond in one single fluid movement.
"Ganondorf! He comes!" announced one to the mass of orcs.
I watched with grave interest. I should have turned around I guess but I was nailed to the ground, transfixed as the water began to boil at the center. There were few at first, then it seemed that the pond frothed black bubbles. The source of them seemed to move under the water, moving towards the bank in my direction. The orcs at the water's edge took a few steps back as the trail of bubbles drifted ever closer.
A head emerged from the water followed by shoulders and the rest as a man trudged up the bank to the orcs. He was a huge man in strange black and brown armor. His skin was dark and looked tough as leather on his face. I couldn't tell what ethnicity he was. He looked Arabic but his stiff red hair that was beginning to recede from his sloped forehead proved otherwise. It was also hard to guess his age. He could have been anywhere from late thirties to mid fifties for all I knew. He was also a massively built man, looking as if he could very easily bench press a carthorse, almost like an orc but lacking their height, I knew he couldn't be quite as strong.
In one swift movement, every orc went down on one knee and bowed their heads. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back and inhaled deeply, wide nostrils flaring. He then looked back to the orcs at his feet and spoke in a rough voice with a slight metallic note in it.
"Ahh…It is good to be back after these last few years. One does miss this place after being away in the realm for so long. But I am rather disappointed in you all," His voice cut though the air like a knife and demanded respect from the monsters around him. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. His eyes rested upon one orc in particular who was directly in front of him. "Duran? Will you please stand up?"
The orc stood up. I recognized him as the warlord of the clan, a general of sorts and was a foot taller than the man that was probably around 6'7". But instead of appearing savage and brave as he did leading the hoards into battle, Duran was shaking violently. He's scared? Of what? He looks strong but it's nothing an orc can't handle. Who is this guy?
"Y-Yes, my king?" he stammered, barely contained terror evident.
"Duran, why have you not managed to obtain a member of the royal family?"
"Well, sir, I think it's because--"
"I did not ask for your opinion, orc. What of the siege equipment that was sent to you? Why have you not managed to storm the castle with it?"
"They found out about the attack somehow. The royal family fled." The man they called Ganondorf scowled and he quickly added: "I'm sorry I failed you."
"You pitiful worm. You know the policy that I have for failures…"
The eyes of every orc widened in horror, though the expression was a thousand fold on the face of the accused warlord.
"NO! Please, have mercy!" He screamed, falling to his knees. The man smiled and held out his hand, palm facing the whimpering orc. The orc's soldiers scuttled away from him, knowing what would happen next.
A horrific thing happened. The fingertips of the man's hand glowed purple, such a phenomena I had never seen before. A ball of purple flame flew from his hand and hit the orc in the face. Before my very eyes, the flesh began to slide off the bone like an overcooked chicken. Blood seeped from all visible openings in his body as his unearthly howls filled our ears. The screams were cut short when the rib cage fell out of the front of his chest. What was left of Duran slumped into his own puddle of blood and internal organs.
"Oh dear God!" I yelled without even thinking. All of a sudden, more than five thousand sets of eyes fell upon me including the yellow eyes of Duran's executioner. The man seemed fairly amused. His eyes seemed to burn with a light of their own as they met mine, but I couldn't be sure because of my hood. Oh shit, I am so screwed. I backed up a few steps at his cold, penetrating gaze. RUN!
I bolted into the forest, running as fast as my stiff, cold legs could carry me. I ran blindly through the forest, branches slapping at my face and thorns shredding my clothes even further. You must understand that magic was very rare in our part of the world.
The only ones that possessed the power in our country were the royal family, or more specifically, the males. Females carried the powers within them from what I had been told but lacked the power to use them, though their children inherited them just fine. Needless to say I had never even seen a member of the royal family, much less magic. Sure, I had seen magicians before when they performed in the market for spare change but that was all just diversion and slight of hand, they didn't make people melt like candle wax. This was real. This man they called Ganondorf was power. I was convinced that the he was pure evil, no doubt in my mind--if he was a man at all.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of light hoof beats at my side. I reached out a hand and touched the flank of the black stallion that trotted alongside me. I instinctively grabbed a hunk of his mane and swung up onto the horse's back. Before I was even properly seated, he hurtled forward. I flattened myself out, burying my face in the mane as we broke through the tree line and to the vast grasslands that were bathed in the glow of the full moon. He put on a tremendous burst of speed to a flat-out gallop along a dirt road. We left the forest far behind and the stallion slowed to a canter. But we were far from being out of danger as I soon learned.
CRACK!
The air around me was filled with electricity and I felt something hard hit me in the back. It was as if the blood in my veins was replaced with white-hot flames. I felt my whole body become rigid. My grip was released and I fell to the ground. I heard a sickening crunch as my leg broke under me. The horse realized that I had fallen and came back to where I lay. My eyes wouldn't focus right but I could feel the puffs of air as he checked me over by smell to see if I was all right--no, I was in great pain already, and I just knew there was more to come. I gritted my teeth from a mix of frustration, rage and pain. From farther away, I could hear the clank of armor as someone walked towards me. As the footsteps came closer, the horse came to the front of me, sheltering me from what was coming. I heard a voice.
"Away from him, horse," The voice commanded, cool as ice. The horse snorted in defiance. "Very well."
There was a flash of light. The horse screamed and jerked out of the way. The steps halted inches away from me. My eyes came to focus on the evil man peering at me down the length of his obscenely long nose. How the hell did he get here so fast?
"A scout of Guinness, how amusing. Tell me, in what way would you prefer to perish this fine evening?" he chuckled like it was just a joke.
I considered myself a true coward but seeing as to I couldn't run from this--but I wouldn't if given the chance. Better to die on my feet then at his. I wiggled the toes of my right leg; I had power to move again. With my good leg, I kicked out at the sand on the ground, spraying it in the man's eyes. With a growl he tried to rub out the sand, I staggered to my feet and drew out my newly acquired sword. When his eyes were free of the sand, he saw me twenty feet away from him, two-handed grip on the sword, shoulders hunched, all of my weight resting on one foot while only the toe of my other boot was on the ground. He glared at me darkly yet there was the hint of a bemused smile in those cold eyes. "Have you no honor?"
"You dealt the first blow, I'm only as ruthless as my enemy." I hissed. "Care to swap body fluids you murdering son of a bitch?"
He grinned broadly, was that the answer he had expected?
"A challenge! I gladly accept. I suppose I need some practice, I was aiming for your head," He said, lazily outstretching his arm, the fingers glowing slightly once more but this time green. "By the time I am through, you will be begging to die."
It was a pitifully short-lived battle. A neon green beam lanced from his hand towards me. I tried to jump out of the way but for that I would need two good legs for that. Instead I just managed to stumble to the side; I inhaled sharply as I felt the bones in my leg grind against each other. He caught me off guard and shot at me again, hitting me directly in the chest. Another snap. The force sent me flying into the air and landing some eight feet away on my back, the sword fell from my hand a little ways off. The pain was incredible; wave over wave of it washed over me.
The hood had fallen from my face. He gasped his eyes wide and surprised. When he spoke, it sounded oddly confused.
"A--A woman?"