Day XVI

The Flame.

Day turned to night, and the keaton and his master feel to sleep in a bored silence. The night was calm and peaceful, no sandstorms for once, so the boy slept with his window – a mere square-shaped hole in the thick wall of the temple – uncovered by the cloth. In the morning, he awoke to a rasp bird's caw. Groggily Ganondorf sat up and looked around the room. First at the sleeping Kaysho, and then to the window, where a bulky, dark raven perched precariously inside the cube opening. The bird cawed at him defensively, but he merely stood up and shook his hand at the bird, and it crooned and flew away. In a mater of moments, Kaysho awoke and stretched his legs, then rose from his oval rug and looked around the room, then up at Ganondorf.

"Good Morning!" Kaysho said automatically, with his usual cheer.

The young man in return just smiled, "Morning."

"Will you study today?" Kaysho asked, inquiring as to whether he should remain in the room and take a nap, leaving Ganondorf to his studies, or if he should follow his friend down the stairs instead.

Ganondorf just took a deep breath and looked out the window, his eyes darting around as if searching for the raven, to see if it still lingered in the air nearby. "I…I think I won't today. Kaysho, come with me, let's go to the fortress."
Kaysho purred and smiled, "Alright, of course I'll go with you."

The ride there was uneventful for the boy, and uncomfortable for the keaton, still treating horse rides with disdain. They stayed silent for the most part, but as the sun rose to it's highest in the mid-day, and their shadows were swallowed up from beneath them, Ganondorf ponderously asked Kaysho another question. "Kaysho?"

"Y-yes?" The keaton replied, shakily but not unkindly.

"You said that your parents…they left you when you were very young. Is...that normal? For you?"

"But of course! Why w-would the parents want to live with their pups after they've g-grown?" Kaysho replied casually.
"…Oh…r-right…" Ganondorf merely nodded in reply, "I see. But then, how do you know your name?"

Kaysho paused, actually considering this, "…I don't know…I just do. It was always there, in my head. I c-c-could hear my name being said, even though I don't remember anyone actually s-saying it, unless I first told it to them." He paused, then smiled, "I suppose my m-mother and father said it…said it to me often, and then left."

Ganondorf pondered this more, then nodded again, slowly.

Kaysho looked a slight bit concerned for his friend, "Your mother…she was taken when you w-were very young, am I right?"

"Y-yes…" Ganondorf replied.

Kaysho paused for a moment, and then smiled kindly, "…But you still know your name."

Ganondorf looked at Kaysho, and then around him, at the sand and the sky. Far-off in the distance the two become one, a hazy blend of blues and browns and oranges and yellows molded together and make a milky tan, but a thin tan, so that if he squinted hard enough, he might be able to make out a pale, dying streak of blue hidden behind the auburn miasma. He turned back to Kaysho and smiled, "Yes. I do."

They reached the fortress a few hours later. The day's heat was relentless all-year round in the desert, but elsewhere in Hyrule it must have been winter, for the sun was already setting and the sky spouting it's bold and fanciful colors. The weather at this time of day was at its nicest, because as the air grew frigid and cold, the sand would continue to hold the day's warmth in it. Girls who were old enough to feel safe in disregarding their chores, yet young enough not to be bound to very many important duties, would lay out thick blankets over the sand and sit across them, the rug absorbing the warmth from the sand without burning the skin. Then when the sun would fall they'd build a large fire to escape the cold for a few more hours. But only a few, for it was futile to stay out late into the night, when the wind was strong and frigid, and the sand would loose it's hold of the sun's last rays, all would become cold as ice and dark as hell, a despairing world completely opposite that during the day.

Ganondorf dismounted his mount and set the very grateful Kaysho on firm ground, then led the horse to a small stable indoors and left it there to eat and laze about among the others. The black steed was unaccustomed to neighbors and did not get along well with the mares, but Ganondorf and Kaysho could think of nothing that could be done to calm the beast, so they left the stallion nonetheless. Ganondorf wandered his way back outside, Kaysho following by his side, and he looked around the area uneasily, but resolutely. Kaysho studied the young man's face, and it became apparent that Ganondorf was looking for someone.

Kaysho grinned and scanned the scenery, and looked across to the teenage women, were a few were watching Ganondorf, and the rest preferred to watch Kaysho. Kaysho smiled, "Are you looking for someone?"
Ganondorf quickly looked back at Kaysho as if to defend himself, but then finding nothing to say, he just turned his head back and looked around some more, "Yes."
Kaysho's grin stayed firm, and he looked around the area. The dog stretched its legs and whisked its tails about, and then he stepped away from the shadow of the fortress and into the sun and the warm sand. The dog's feet were of course barren, and the sand was hot from sun, so he kept moving, by walking around in circles and ovals, or jumping on top of crates and boxes and other various things that were stored outside. Ganondorf just watched the keaton, then started to follow him about. Kaysho eventually made his way over to the group of young women who were sitting, standing, and laying around, talking loudly and throwing various pieces of clothing and coins at each other, all of which most likely stolen from Hyrule. Many eyes watched Kaysho as he passed, and a few more lingered on Ganondorf, following the keaton from a short distance with a blank look on his face. He seemed weary of going near the group, and stopped neat a flag post and leaned against it, then waited for Kaysho there.

The girls watched them both, whispering and muttering amongst themselves. Finally they called out to the both of them, and convinced them to come over. Kaysho came first, happily and without suspicion, and started asking all of their names, then trying to remember them all. Ganondorf made no reply except to occasionally scratch at the back of his neck, and then he finally ventured over and lingered over Kaysho, watching the group. A few of the girls watched him peculiarly, as if he were some sort of strange animal – in the same way that they watched Kaysho. "Prince, you've gotten much taller!" One dared to observe, which caused a small eruption of mutters and giggles from the others.

He was taken aback, and didn't know what to say, "…Um, have I?"

Another chucked, "You have an ancient accent, like old ladies!"

"Not like old ladies." Another said, "It's more handsome!"

He felt a bit of blood rush to his face and looked away from the group.

Still they continued arguing, "But ancient, like the ancestors!"

"It's because the Prince reads too many old books!" another teased, knowing it was safe to do so if her face was hidden in a crowd.

"Yes, yes!" Others agreed.

Kaysho chuffled, "Oh, please don't say such things, master's voice is a very lovely sound!"

"K-Kaysho…." Ganondorf tried to protest.

"Then you should make him talk some more, keaton!" Another jeered. Others laughed.

He sighed, but not out of distress, and gave up trying to prevent Kaysho from speaking about him. Kaysho continued his crusade of learning all of the crowd's names, and he just stood there awkwardly. For the first time, he noticed that he reigned rather high over their sitting figures. '…They're right. I am taller…I never noticed.' The girls all sat close together and loosely intertwined, all good friends and very casual. He was unaccustomed to such behavior, and instead just stayed standing. Some left the tangled group to start building a large bonfire, and they stacked wood as high as Kaysho stood.

"Prince Ganondorf…?" came a voice from behind him. The voice of the other girls instantly fled from his ears and only hers remained, as he turned around to face Nabooru, who was standing behind looking with an unsure look on her face.

He blinked and stared, "...Nabooru," was all he could muster for a reply.

She felt his eyes lingering on her, and her eyes quickly started to waver to and fro. "Prince, I did not know that you would be here today."

Quietly, so that the others wouldn't here – although Kaysho still heard – he told her, "You don't need to call me that."

She blinked and looked back at him, and could think of nothing to say. Her hair was held up in a long pony tale behind her head, as usual, today held in place with cloth, and a long, wooden stick with tassels on either end. Her skin had its usual tan, golden aura, as the last of the sunlight reflected off of her face and paid homage to her bright, savage, beautiful eyes. The cloth she wore was a sunburst orange, lighter than her hair and skin; a bright, foreign color. The top and sleeves covered her arms but left her stomach bare, down to her baggy pants, which covered her legs and feet, and only the points of her wooden shoes ventured out from beneath them. But the sun was setting fast, and for a few moments, if the light were to hit her slender body at the right angle, the shadow of her figure could be seen beneath the fabric, a sight intoxicating to the eye of the young Prince.

Finally he found it in himself to look away from her, and he instead listened to the pounding of his own heart beat, and heard the noises his throat made when he nervously swallowed. "It's…good to see you again. My Dahlia." He said, very softly and respectfully.

She was taken unawares by the comment, and it drew a small grin to her face. Whether or not she realized that he'd been gazing at her, she made no move to stop him. She just smiled a bit and nodded to him, then stepped away to go talk to some friends, and help start the fire. He too left, and this time sat down at last, on the outskirts of their group. Kaysho jumped lightly over to him and curled up beside him.

The group of young women continued to tease each other, sometimes being kind, but at all other times being sly and rude, but then laughing it all away within minutes.

'They're so…rude…' thought Ganondorf, and smirked to himself "…but, they…look happy.' He glanced up at the evening sky, and to the crumbling walls of their fortress, 'Happy to have nothing. No water…no land...this damned generation of ours.' He looked down at Kaysho, then at the flames that started to erupt from their pile of wood stolen from Hylian trees. His eyes picked Nabooru out of the crowd and then they followed her wistfully, 'It'd be nice…if we could have a good home.'

Rise, O Daughter of Zion!

The day has begun,

These spirits search for each other.