Chapter Eleven Recovery

   Zelda paced back and forth in front of her father's bed, her eyes never leaving his prone form.  Impa, Saria, and Navi were with her, their attention divided between Zelda and the king.  Balio had just applied the antidote to the Jax's illness, and Zelda was growing impatient for results.

   "Relax Zelda," Saria finally said.  "A little bit, anyway.  Remember what the Deku Tree said…"
   "I know, I know," Zelda sighed, still pacing.  "The antidote doesn't provide instant results.  I know it will take some time before my father is back to normal.  But a sign—any sign at all—of his recovery would mean more to me now than anything else in this or any other world."  She looked absently at the back her right hand and saw the blackened triangle that had belonged to Link.  The psychic bond they had briefly shared was also gone, leaving a gaping hole.  "We have lost far too much already."

   The room was silent for several uncomfortable moments.  Finally, Navi piped in, "Has there been any more news from the front?"

   "No," Impa answered.  "Rolondrof and Skorn have not advanced from their current position, and it seems as if the influx of mercenaries has ceased.  Our forces are getting anxious, as is the manner of soldiers waiting for combat…"

   "Not necessarily a good thing," Saria added as an aside.

   Impa nodded her agreement, then continued.  "According to Darunia and General Gustan, the enemy should have struck days ago, if not weeks.  Tactically speaking, they would have gained a swift and sure victory.  They are waiting for something, and the fact that we do not know what that is worries our forces."

   Zelda had ceased to pay attention early on in the conversation; she had already heard it all before.  She was fast becoming an expert in warfare, and under different circumstances, she might have found the education enjoyable.  But knowing something and being forced to use that knowledge were two different things entirely.

   Her thoughts drifted off on a tangent, centering on the Chosen.  That was also an unknown factor; she couldn't be sure if Link's death also meant that the others had been killed, or if they had survived.  Navi and Rauru had tried to contact a being they called Bazillo in the Sacred Realm, but so far they had had no luck.  If they were still alive, then it was very likely that the outcome of the war would depend on the success of Shrike and the others.

   She paused when she thought of Shrike.  He and Link had been her best friends; indeed, her only friends at that age, isolated as she was within the palace walls.  Shrike had always been there for her, as both a guardian and a confidant, whatever was needed.  She had already lost her brother.  She didn't know what she would do if she lost Shrike as well.  She looked over at Impa, and realized that she must be equally worried.  The young man had been like a son to her, and even though she forbade herself the luxury of expressing her emotions, and as much as Zelda wished it weren't so, she too was only mortal.

   "We have lost far too much already," she silently repeated.

   Suddenly, she heard Saria gasp in surprise.  Zelda spun around to face the Kokiri, then followed her gaze to her father.  He remained motionless.  Zelda relaxed a little, but stiffened again when she saw what Saria had seen.  The little finger on Jax's left hand twitched.

   Gasping herself, she rushed to her father's side and threw herself on him, tears streaming down her face only to land on his.  Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Impa smile, but she couldn't be sure.  All her attention was focused on the king.

   "Daddy…" she sobbed, "Oh, daddy…"

   Her joy was cut short, however, as Ruto burst into the room, Rauru hopping in behind her.  Zelda rose to her feet and stared at the Zora queen.  Ruto's face was drawn in fear and concern.  "They are attacking!" she exclaimed.  "They came out of nowhere and ambushed our western guard.  Darunia and Nabooru are there now, fighting them back."

   Impa visually stiffened, and Saria covered her mouth in horror.  Zelda stood straight and made for the door, wiping the tears from her face.  "Hurry," she beckoned the others.  "We have no time to lose!  Rauru, please find Balio and tell him that my father is starting to awaken.  The rest of us will go to the battlefield."

   "I am not sure if this is wise…" Impa started before Zelda cut her off.

   "I am Wisdom!" she said fiercely.  "The Triforce of Wisdom chose me for It's bearer.  And if that power can help my people, then I will make sure that I am in a position to use it."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

   Three days after their escape from the dungeons of the Horik-tai, Malon walked down the hallways of the Sheikah fortress, a much nicer alternative to her previous 'home'.  Her muscles were still stiff, and her wounds were still raw, but the treatments by the Sheikah doctors had hurried the process incalculably.  She and the others would be ready to move out in a matter of days.  And if her and Shrike's meeting with Konai, the Sheikah chief, was a success, then that journey would be made infinitely more bearable.

   She looked over at Shrike as he walked calmly beside her.  She could tell that he was brimming with enthusiasm and anticipation, though he covered the expression well.  Apart from appealing to Konai for aid in their quest, he was also hoping to learn about what had happened to his people, how they had disappeared from Hyrule and left him as the heir to their legacy.  And to be honest, Malon had also been wondering that too.

   "Nervous?" she asked.

   Shrike continued to look straight ahead.  "Sheikah do no get nervous," he replied.  He then turned to face her, a faint smile tugging at his lips.  "But as a man, yes, I am very nervous."

   She laughed and looped her arm through his.  "Me too.  Do you think they'll help us?"

   "I'm not sure," Shrike answered.  "They only helped Mattalla and me rescue you because we beat their Dance of the Shadows.  Now, after hearing of our quest…well, the records on Sheikah politics are ambiguous, at best."

   The arrived at the huge double-door entrance to Konai's office.  A masked guard stood at either side, and when Malon and Shrike approached, they swung open the doors.  They opened up into a large, circular room, the walls lined with weapons Malon had never seen before, but automatically assumed were commonplace for the Sheikah warriors.  Standing against the far wall was what looked to be an average-sized altar of worship.  A golden idol carved into the images of three women who Malon took to be the goddesses rested on a velvet cloth over a black wooden stand.  Standing in front of the altar was Konai, hands clasped at the small of his back, facing them.  To his right stood Ashta, the women who had first brought them here.

   Konai nodded at them, and the doors shut behind the two Chosen.  "I am pleased to see you walking, Malon Lon," he addressed.  "You and your friends suffered through quite an ordeal."

   "We might still be suffering if it weren't for you," Malon replied, bowing her head in what she hoped was a sign of respect.  Courtly manners were still a fairly new concept for her.  "Thank-you for rescuing us."

   "You may thank Shrike and the Goron for that.  Had we not called off our raid after discovering them, we most likely would have killed you along with the Horik-tai."

   "What is your quarrel with them?" Shrike asked.

   It was Ashta who answered.  "They have been attacking us ever since our ancestors first arrived in the Sacred Realm.  While it is not the Sheikah way to give in to vengeance, to not do so in this case would mean extinction."

   Shrike now had the perfect opening for his questions.  "But how did your…our…people end up in this realm in the first place?  The legends and histories all state that Necron destroyed the Sheikah culture save one, the Master Prac."

   Konai's face remained expressionless, though Malon was positive she saw a flicker of anger and sorrow cross it.  "We were not destroyed, though perhaps that fate would have been preferable.  During the war with Necron, our ancestors were Hyrule's best line of defense because of their knowledge of magic and infiltration.  Indeed, Necron stole the air-bike design from us to use in his campaign.  The Sheikah and the other races of Hyrule fought long and hard against Necron and his army, and indeed for a time it looked as if we might win.  But Necron would not fall so easily, and the cause of the Sheikah's fall was, like all evils, from within."

   "Someone betrayed you," Malon guessed.  "A Sheikah."

   "Yes," Konai nodded.  "A man—though I am loathe to call him that—named Krishna went to Necron and divulged to him knowledge of the three realms, the Living, Sacred, and Dead, knowledge the Sheikah closely guarded, for at that time the other races did not display the unity and trust that you and your companions suggest to have become the norm.  You see, there was a prophecy written when the worlds were first created, a prophecy concerning Necron.  It told of a Sheikah and the legendary Hero of Time, and how they would bring about his downfall.  Necron feared this prophecy like he feared no other, and he was determined to see to it that this fate would never befall him.

   "With Krishna's help, Necron and his wizard Shumbo sought to open a gateway directly to the Realm of the Dead and transport the Sheikah there, hoping that their loss would spell a quick victory over the remaining races.  During one battle, in which the entire Sheikah army was present, the three of them opened the gateway.  The spell used a sample of Krishna's blood as a symbol of all the Sheikah, and so they were the only race to be sucked in.  The plan would have succeeded, if not for a lone apprentice, who had not yet taken the Sheikah oath.  Prac managed to get close enough to Necron to attack, spilling the warlord's blood and mixing it with Krishna's.  Seeing what had happened, Shumbo altered the spell to transport Necron and through extension the entire army into the Sacred Realm.  But the spell also included the Sheikah and we, along with Necron's evil, disappeared from Hyrule forever."

   "But enough of us," he finished, his face becoming even sterner, if that was possible.  "We have gone out of our way to stage a full-out attack on the Horik-tai, which will almost certainly warrant retaliation.  A Goron and a half-trained warrior who claims to be a Sheikah, both of whom appeared to be friends, though such a thing is unheard of to us, completed the Dance of the Shadows.  And now you say that Prac survived in Hyrule and went about recreating his ancient society.  I think you have some explaining to do."

   And so they did.  Shrike provided a quick history of Hyrule after the Sheikah's disappearance, and then Malon related the details of their quest.  She first told the story Link had related to her about his awakening as the Hero of Time, Ganon's rise to power, and the splitting of the Triforce.  She then moved on to the more recent events, from her joining Link in the Hyrule City Market to Ganon's return to the arrival of the Chosen in the Sacred Realm.  She couldn't force herself to continue after that, memories of what that arrival had lead to refusing to be ignored, so Shrike finished for her.

   After their lengthy tale, Konai and Ashta exchanged glances and a few hushed words in their own language.  Finally, Konai turned to face them.  "You have given us much to think about, young ones.  This turn of events you have described has the potential to disrupt the balance of all the realms."

   "We know," Malon said, plucking up her courage for what she was about to ask.  "That's why we need your help.  We need to find the Triforce before Necron does and before Ganon conquers Hyrule.  Necron and his men are at least a week ahead of us now, and there's no way the five of us will be able to catch them and beat them."

   "What direction were they heading?" Ashta suddenly asked.

   "Before he died, Link's mark was leading us west," Shrike replied.  "Necron was following our trail."

   Ashta nodded once.  "Then you need not worry about Necron's lead.  He is going the wrong way."

   Malon's jaw dropped.  "What do you mean?  Are saying that this entire time…"

   "No," Ashta interrupted.  "You were heading in the proper direction.  But once outside the swamp, the route changes.  Instead of continuing west, you would need to turn east to reach the Triforce."

   Malon's face brightened and she grinned.  "You mean you know where the Triforce is?"

   "Of course," Konai answered.  "The Sheikah are the goddesses chosen protectors.  We were in charge of protecting Hyrule, but when that became impossible, our commitment changed to the Triforce.  It was the first artifact our ancestors sought when they arrived."

   Malon could barely contain her joy.  Shrike too was having the same problem.  "Where is it?" he asked eagerly.  "How can we reach it?"

   "Once you reach the edge of the swamp," Konai explained, "You must turn north.  From there, you must travel until you come upon the ruins of the Triune, three great pyramids built in homage to the goddesses by the sprites.  When the sun sets on the Sabbath day of the second moon, look to peak of the central mound.  There you will find the Sacred Relic."

   "That's wonderful!" Malon exclaimed.  "Then you'll help us?"

   For a long, uncomfortable moment, the room was silent.  Finally, Konai said, "No.  We will not help."

   "What?" Shrike hissed, only to be echoed half a second later by Ashta.  The Sheikah woman spun to face Konai, who merely stared straight ahead, his face expressionless.

   "We cannot become involved in this quest," he explained.  "For that matter, if anything, we should be stopping you.  The Triforce is ours to protect from anyone who would seek its power, no matter their intent.  You have shown great courage and honor on your quest, despite the hardships and loss, and it is for that reason that I do not keep you prisoner.  But we will not aid you."

   "You can't be…this is…" Malon couldn't believe what she was hearing.  "You can't be serious!  We're not doing this for the Triforce's power; we're doing this to keep that power from destroying everything!  For the goddesses' sake, the Hero of Time has already died for this!  Do you care nothing for Hyrule?"

   "Hyrule no longer concerns us," Konai replied.  "Our concern is now on a grander scale."  He turned to stare at Shrike, red eyes meeting red.  "You, Shrike, should know this.  Duty is first in a Sheikah's life.  It is our duty—and by extension yours—to fulfill this commitment."

   Malon stared up into Shrike's face and was horrified when she saw the conflict in his eyes.  "Shrike…" she pleaded, "You can't…"

   "I cannot believe this!" A high, squeaky voice emerged from behind the altar, and it wasn't until Bazillo stepped out from behind it did she recognize the voice as belonging to him.

   "Bazillo?  You're not rhyming…"

   "No, Malon, I'm not."  The sprite turned his fierce gaze on Konai.  "I am far too angry for rhyme.  And far too disappointed in Konai for jest."

   "This does not concern you, Bazillo," Konai growled.  "You should not even be involved with this.  It is forbidden.  You know the consequences."

   "Yes I know the consequences," Bazillo retorted.  "As does the Fairy, who is even now in Hyrule, aiding the Magic's Daughter in her battle.  The outcome of this war is far greater than any rule, Konai.  If we fail, Ganon will destroy the Living Realm, followed the Dead, and finally ours.  Though I may wish it otherwise, I have been forced into this role, and I will see it through to the end.  And if you will not, Konai, chief of the Sheikah, then I call you coward."

   Konai's hand reached for one of his swords but was stopped by Ashta.  "Konai," she hissed.  "Kofa tak tonai.  Wei hushu fakanu!"

   "Mei wokk natta fin voga!" Konai growled in response.  He glared once at Bazillo, then at Ashta, and finally at Malon and Shrike.  "You will go," he ordered.  "And you will not return.  The outcome of your quest is in your hands."

   Malon's face hardened and she turned to leave, Bazillo hot on her heels.  They were at the open doorway before she noticed that Shrike had not moved.  "Shrike?   Come on.  Let's go."

   Shrike remained motionless, and Malon feared what Konai's words had done to him.  "It is your duty, Shrike," Konai repeated.  "You are Sheikah.  You must live Sheikah."  Malon's gaze shifted from Konai to Shrike, her heart silently pleading.  Ashta also seemed to tense as both men glared at each other across the room.

   Shrike's body shifted, as if he were about to move forward, then stopped.  He looked over his shoulder at Malon, her eyes pleading with him.  He turned back to Konai.  Then he lowered his head.  "I am a Sheikah," he said, so softly that it was almost impossible to hear.  Malon's heart plummeted, and Konai fought back a triumphant smile.  But when Shrike raised his head again, his mask was down and his expression defiant.  "I am a Sheikah," he repeated, his voice strong and steady.  "But before that, I was a man.  And I will not stand idle and watched my world fall.  Not while I still live." With that, he turned and stood with Malon and Bazillo and cast one final glance at Konai.   "And if we must do that alone…" He looked into his friends' faces and smiled in determination.

   "…So be it."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

   The reunion on the beach was short lived, as Kafei quickly ushered everyone back into the relative safety of the trees and lead them back to their base.  Link and Scrat were ushered up to the front, the heroes of the day.  Beside them walked Kafei, Anju, their children, Kayla and Jon, Cremia, Romani, Boomer, and Rankish.  It seemed to Link that this was the current hierarchy of the rebels, the heroes and leaders of the rebellion.  Link wasn't so sure he should be a part of that.

   After an hour of marching, the woods opened back up onto a beach, one Link remembered from his own journeys as Great Bay Coast.  The moved quickly across the beach and headed towards the southern outcroppings, where he could hear waves crashing against the rocks.  Kafei steered them towards one of the gigantic rock walls and tapped three times on a circular stone.  The sound was repeated from the other end by two taps, which Kafei responded to with four.  He then stepped back and waited.  A moment later, to the newcomers' astonishment, a section of the rock sunk into the wall, creating a doorway.  Kafei led everyone through the door and down a torch-lit cavern.  In a short while, the tunnel opened up into a beautiful open-air grotto, complete with a waterfall and surrounding trees.  On one side of the waterfall's pond was a makeshift village comprising of hastily-made huts.

   More people streamed from these huts to meet the escapees and the returning heroes.  Scrat was caught up in a wave of thanks and well wishes, but Link managed to subtly move to the side, watching the festivities.  Digging his hands into his coat pockets, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him.  It made him feel good to know that he had helped these people, and managed to chase away his own feelings of loss and failure, if only for a moment.  After several minutes, the crowd began to move back towards the village, and Link followed.

   "HEY!"

   Link turned his head at the voice, only to be struck in the middle of the forward by something round and bright.  Slipping on a wet rock, he fell onto his back, his breath leaving him.  When he opened his eyes, bright spots danced before his eyes.  After a few moments, he realized that the spots, one yellow and one purple, weren't going away.  "I can't believe it…" he gasped.  "Tatl?"

   "See?  See?" the purple spot said enthusiastically.  "I told you it was him!"

   "I know, Tael, now shut up." Tatl's yellow aura shimmered in happiness.  "I can't believe it," she said.  "After all these years, you actually decided to come back.  What'd you do, lose your horse again?" Then, with a little laugh, the fairy flew towards Link's face and rested her small body on his cheek in an embrace.

   Link laughed.  "It's good to see you too, Tatl.  And you, Tael."  Sitting up, he held up his hands for the fairies to stand on.  "I take it you two are also part of the rebellion?"

   "Looks like your body is the only thing that grew up, 'cause you're still dumb as a rock," Tatl chastised.  "Of course we are.  We do all the scouting and stuff to make sure we don't get caught."

   "Yeah," Tael eagerly agreed.  "And we help find food and wood and stuff."

   "Yeah," Tatl continued, "But that's not important now that everyone's back."

   Link's face became puzzled.  "What do you mean?"

   Tatl flew a little ways in the direction of the village, a fairy 'point'.  "See that big building in the middle?  That's 'city hall' as the yokels so affectionately call it.  Right now I figure they're trying to figure out whether to take back the city or stay in hiding."

   "That may take a while," Link said, starting to get up.  "Maybe I should…"

   "No!" Tatl bounced off his head again, pushing him back onto the ground.  "This is up for them to decide.  It's their town.  Although…" she stopped, and her light dimmed just a little.

   "What is it, Tatl?" Link asked, concern creeping into his voice.

  Tael answered, his voice low.  "She hopes they attack.  For what they did."

   Only then did Link notice that Tatl and Tael were alone.  "No…" he gasped, "Not the Skull Kid…"

   "Ganon killed him," Tatl spat, venom dripping from voice.  "He killed him and pinned him to the minute hand of the clock, next to the mask salesman."

   Link couldn't think of anything to say.  All he felt was sorrow, rage, and self-loathing.  More of his friends had suffered because he had set Ganon free.  "I…I'm…no…why?"

   "He wants Majora's Mask," Tael explained.  The Skull Kid and the salesman wouldn't tell him, so he killed them both."

   "But why would he want the mask?" Link asked.  "I destroyed the evil inside of it.  It's useless now."

   "Well, he killed our best friend because of it!" Tatl snapped.  She calmed down a moment later.  "Sorry, Link."

   "That's alright, Tatl.  You have every right to blame me."

   The three of them remained silent, the grief of their friends' death working through them.  Finally, Tael said, "So why did you come back?  I thought you went home for good.  Are you going to stay now?"

   Link started to answer, but the words got stuck in his throat.  What would he tell them?  That it was accident that he was here, that apparently he was just in the right place at the right time?  That he had lost his magic, and that because of his actions, Ganon was loose in their world?

   That he was torn between helping them and leaving to save his own world?
   "I need to go talk to Kafei," he said, more as an excuse than anything else.  He got to his feet and started towards the hut, the fairies hovering over his shoulder.  As he got closer, he could hear the sounds of a heated argument taking place, and when he pushed the curtain over the entrance aside, that's exactly what he saw.  Kafei was standing on a raised platform before the rest of the townspeople, stuck in a heated argument with a man Link recognized as the owner of the old shooting gallery.

   "…Cannot keep running away, Uvan!" Kafei was saying.  "The further we run, the less chance we have of ever reclaiming our home, and the greater chance we will have of being caught in the long run.  Now that we are once again united, the time to fight back is now!"

   Uvan merely shook his head and crossed meaty arms over his chest.  "You want to lead us into a massacre, Kafei!  You would sacrifice all of us, including your own family, just to regain your old position?"

   Kafei flinched as if he had been struck.  "Is that what you think?  That I would trade our lives just to be mayor again?"  There was a quiet murmur throughout the crowd as Uvan's supporters agreed with him.

   "Not purposely, no," Uvan replied, "But you'd have to be blind to see that that is at least one reason.  Why fight, if we can survive out here, away from the mercenaries?  In time, Ganon will lose interest, or find whatever it is he's looking for, and move on.  We need only to wait!"

   Link looked around the crowd, noticing that the two factions seemed to be evenly split, judging by their response.  His eyes found Scrat, standing in a corner.  The old sewer man met his gaze and sadly shook his head.

   "This is our home," Kafei argued.  "Built by the blood, sweat, and tears of our fathers and of ourselves.  Ganon and his men are raping and destroying all that hard work, and when that is done, they will rape and destroy us.  I will not have my family live with that fear when I know that there is even the slightest chance of success.  I will not have any of us live with that fear."

   The room fell silent, as the crowd struggled with whom to follow.  Uvan stood defiantly, unmoving, as did Kafei.  Link struggled in the doorway, the fairies flying above his shoulder, neither offering their opinion.  His home was in trouble, fighting a war that they couldn't possibly win.  His friends and the woman he loved were lost in another realm, facing unknown enemies down an unknown destination.  And here, Ganon was slowly destroying these people just as surely as the moon would have had it been allowed to crash, tearing them up from the inside, setting friend against friend.

   All this, because of Ganon.

   All this, because Link had set him free.

   And with that, Link made his decision.  Stepping through the crowd and up to the platform, he turned to face them.  "There is another way."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

   One month after the prisoners' escape, Ganon returned to Clock Town.

   All the mercenaries present within the city walls gathered at the north gate as he and his entourage made their entrance.  Bones stood at the forefront, fighting hard to muster up the courage for what was about to come.

   Surrounded by his group of Dinoflos, Gibdos, pirates, Garos ninja, and flanked by two Eyegore's and Iron Knuckles, Ganon strode up to Bones, his heavy armor not even slowing him down.  Bones, a fairly tall man himself, was forced to look up into Ganon's fierce yellow eyes.  "Wel-welcome back, my lord," he stammered.

   "Bones," Ganon simply replied.  His eyes roamed the crowd.  "It seems that there are less of you here than there were when I left."  It was more of a statement than an observation.

   "Yes, my lord."

   Ganon strode idly forward, taking his time.  "I have been hearing disturbing rumors from you fellow mercs outside the Wall," he said, again, as if he already knew the answer.  "Rumors of a rebellion striking at supply wagons and ambushing our patrols."

   It was all Bones could do to keep from crumbling under the Dark Lord's gaze.  "They are true, my lord."

   Ganon regarded him for a moment and then nodded, raising his eyebrows as if impressed.  "I have also been told that the prisoners have all escaped, and that they are responsible for this disturbance.  Is this also true?"

   "Yes, my lord."

   "Now, I'm sure I can rule out that foolish mayor…Kafei, I believe…as the orchestrator of this little resistance," Ganon went on, as if lecturing a class.  "He was outside the Wall when it went up, and I do not believe him clever enough to have staged this escape through the sewers.  That means the leader must have been someone inside."

   "Yes, my lord."

   Ganon nodded again.  "I also know that the majority of those prisoners were women and children, or at least simpletons also not clever enough for so daring a plan.  So that must mean that there was someone new here after I left."

   "Yes, my lord."

   "It was the gladiator!" someone yelled from the crowd, panicking.  "The King of the Cage!  He did it!"

   Ganon looked at the man who had spoken and gestured for him to come forward.  The merc stepped up beside Bones.  "A gladiator, you say?  And what was his name?"

   "I can't remember sir," the merc stammered.  "It started with an 'L', I think.  Bones let him in the Cage, and then he escaped on Smitts' watch."

   As soon as the man said that the name started with an 'L', Bones was sure he saw Ganon pale, just a little.  His eyebrows arched and his nostrils flared.  "Smitts," he ordered, and the merc stepped forward.  Ganon reached into his belt and withdrew a piece of paper.  He unfolded it and held it up for Smitts to look at.  Drawn on it was what looked to be a small, circular gem attached to a tail.  Bones automatically recognized it; the same symbol had been fond at all the sites of the rebel attacks.  "Did you get a good look at this prisoner, Smitts?  Did he have a tattoo that looked like this?"

   Smitts swallowed loudly and answered, "Yes, Lord Ganon.  Just like that.  He said his name was Link."

   This time there was no mistaking the anger and fear in Ganon's eyes.  "He's alive…" he murmured.  He crunched the sheet of paper in his hand, grinding his teeth.  "HE'S ALIVE!" he roared, smashing a glowing fist into the nameless mercenary standing beside Bones, killing him instantly.  Bones and Smitts, along with the rest of the mercs, flinched in fear of their lord's rage.

   Ganon bellowed in fury for several more minutes.  Finally, he turned to his small army.  "ALL OF YOU BACK TO WORK!  FIND THESE REBELS AND CRUSH THEM, BUT BRING LINK TO ME!  ALIVE!"

   The mercenaries all scrambled away, back into the city.  For a long while Ganon stood alone at the northern gate, lost in his own thoughts.  He was feeling something he had never felt before, an emotion he had believed to be beyond him.

   For the first time in his life, Ganon felt fear.