Part IV: The Fall of a
Kingdom
A dark cloaked figure bustled down the corridor to the main audience chamber of Hyrule Castle. His fingers were intertwined with one another as he mumbled softly to himself, "Master will not be pleased... I will suffer for this... oh me...." He reached the large doors that lead into the throne room. Two guards stood still as statues on either side of the oak doors, spears in hand, crossed over the center of the door.
"No one may enter without permission." Barked out one of the centuries.
The cloaked man; hunched over, his fingers still twiddling nervously, looked up to the guard. A set of piercing white eyes shot up as the man hissed. Both guards backed away slowly admitting him without question. The doors were pushed open slowly and the man entered the chambers.
Inside were various tapestries from centuries past kings of Hyrule. Many of the different tapestries told stories of great victories and others told tales of peaceful times. As the tradition, when each king stepped down from his throne, a great tapestry was placed in the halls in his honor. At the end of the hall, near the entrance, the most recent tapestry was being measured for its mounting soon. The cloaked man disregarded the tradition and the splendor of the art works here; instead he moved toward the throne.
His hands began shaking violently as he reached the bottom of the throne. He looked up to the darkness where a figure sat vaguely silhouetted by the dim torches near. In a small and serpent-like voice the cloaked man spoke.
"My lord, I am pleased to announce to you that stones are indeed in place in the Temple of Time." He paused and waited for a response from up high, but none was given, he continued, "However, it pains me to report to you that the key to opening the doors is... err... suffice less to say... has gone missing." Immediately the man cringed close to the ground, awaiting a horrible backlash from his lord. There was still no response from the throne. Only a set of gleaming yellow eyes that seemed to be reading his every thought and emotion stared down on him. The man stammered on. "B-b- but... if it pleases his lordship, we have caught one of the handmaidens. She was seen in a nearby village by a scout and was apprehended for questioning. Shall I bring her before you?" The eyes blinked.
The man smiled under his shadowy cloak and ran down the hall, the sound of his slippers echoing throughout the hall. A moment later a tall silver haired woman was drug into the thrown room. Blood trickling down her face from open lacerations. Her body was also badly bruised from the interrogation.
The figure on the throne leaned forward slightly, his heavy armor clanked as he moved. "She insists that she has never sworn fealty to the king... but we have dug up many records that would suggest otherwise." He turned to the woman and smiled, his yellow teeth showing from under his cloak. "But why would she lie to us? Does she have a reason?" He extended a hand and touched her cheek softly. The woman snapped her head back and shot a murderous stare at him. The cloaked man merely chuckled. "She is a bit feisty still. But I think that if..."
"Enough!" A voice boomed like thunder from the throne. It echoed through the great hall, each tone sounding like the roar of a great dragon. The cloaked man hunched close to the ground as a large shadow began to decend from atop the throne. The woman stood, her posture straight and her eyes never flinching from the figure. She watched as it grew closer to her, casting a shadow over herself. A hand emerged from the shadowy figure and touched the womans' face softly. "My dear Impa.. it has been a long time since we met. I am sure that you remember me as I remember you." The throaty voice echoed through the hall, causing the cloaked man to tremble on the ground.
Impa stared like a statue and spoke not a word. The dark figure laughed deep. "And still as stubborn as ever. I should have guessed as much."
"What have you done with our king, you filth?" Impas voice was hard. She chocked back her courage, keeping it inside her body.
"Why my dear Impa... I can assure that no harm has come to your precious king, " he paused and grabbed her by the hair, yanking it hard to look him in the eyes, "Yet. And if something does happen... it would fall upon your head." He snapped her neck forward and began to pet her head. "You see, Impa. Serving a king is two sided. You have the followers that are loyal to the king... and then you have those like myself; who say they are loyal but nothing else. And I am sure you are very loyal to your king. But how loyal I wonder." The figure removed his hood, revealing his deep red hair and dark eyes. The same devious smirk that had laid upon his face from the first day that Impa had laid eyes on him was still there, but growing wider.
"Bring him!" Ganon shouted as the cloaked man scrurried to his feet and darted down the hall. Ganon crossed his legs over the arm of the throne and stared down at Impa who still held her posture. "Oh do relax my dear. Things will only get much worse from this point on, I assure you."
A few moments later a commotion could be heard coming down the hall to the main chamber room. Impa looked over her should to see the king being lead to the throne in shackles. His clothes were tattered and torn and his face was begining to show massive bruising. He smiled when he saw Impa.
Ganon was already marching down the stairs. He flew to the king just as he was about to speak to Impa. With a great hand, Ganon grabbed the kings jaw and squeezed. "There are those that still pledge their lives to you, Highness. Do you consider these people fools considering that your power has been taken from you? Or do you consider them to be blessed for keeping true to the ways of Hyrule?" Ganons eye flared with hatred as he looked at the old man. The king swallowed hard and tried to speak. The next moment, the king was face first on the ground, brought down by a massive back hand from Ganon.
"Your audience is waiting for your answer!" He crossed his arms and looked at Impa. She seemed hesitent to run to his side and aid him. "Go to him, worm. Help the old man up... help him speak."
Impa ran to her king, helping him to his feet. He stood straight up and looked at Ganon. "To answer your question, Gerudo, those who aid the king of Hyrule will become saints for their good deeds."
Ganon stood for a moment in thought. "And do you feel that you have done just to this land of yours?"
"Yes I do, with all my heart."
"Hmmph." Ganon began to walk slowly toward him. "But there is just one thing that bothers me about your little thought. To be saint.... that person would have to die wouldn't they?"
Impas eyes grew large at his last words. She jumped infront of the king to stop the attack from coming... only, there was no attack. Ganon looked down at her and shook his head. "My dear girl.. what ever are you doing? Do you think that I would kill the king?"
She cast a look at him and stood back to her feet, and took her place at the kings side once more. She looked to him and noticed a thing red line falling from his neck. The kings eyes moved to her. He tried to speak, but the motion forced the veins to burst. Blood began to gush from his throat. Impa tried to help, but Ganon held her tight on her shoulder. She watched as the king fell to his knees, blood gurggling out of his mouth. He fell to the floor and his body relaxed. The cloaked man stood with a large grin, holding a bloody dagger.
"Now, Impa... there is only one king that you must swear to. And since this one has expired," Ganon kicked the dead king in the side, lifting his body from the ground a few inches before thudding back down. "That would make me your new king. And as your new king I will ask this one time... and one time only...."He grabbed her hard by the neck." Where is the key to open the Temple of Time?" Impa let out a great laugh as Ganon relaxed his grip. She backed slowly from him.
"The key is in the safest hands in this world. And they are being guarded by powers that even your forces can not hope to defeat."
"That is all well and good, but my patience is running thin, tell me now!" Ganon took a massive step toward her. She darted to the cloaked man and ripped the dagger from his hand. "Come now, please... there is no need for theatrics. I will spare your life and those around you. Just tell me where it is."
"Never!" Impa took the dagger and turned the blade toward her. In one motion she buried the blade deep in her chest. She stood a moment as her hands slowly filled with blood. She looked at Ganon and smiled. "And now... I have kept my word.... Long live Hyrule."
A dark cloaked figure bustled down the corridor to the main audience chamber of Hyrule Castle. His fingers were intertwined with one another as he mumbled softly to himself, "Master will not be pleased... I will suffer for this... oh me...." He reached the large doors that lead into the throne room. Two guards stood still as statues on either side of the oak doors, spears in hand, crossed over the center of the door.
"No one may enter without permission." Barked out one of the centuries.
The cloaked man; hunched over, his fingers still twiddling nervously, looked up to the guard. A set of piercing white eyes shot up as the man hissed. Both guards backed away slowly admitting him without question. The doors were pushed open slowly and the man entered the chambers.
Inside were various tapestries from centuries past kings of Hyrule. Many of the different tapestries told stories of great victories and others told tales of peaceful times. As the tradition, when each king stepped down from his throne, a great tapestry was placed in the halls in his honor. At the end of the hall, near the entrance, the most recent tapestry was being measured for its mounting soon. The cloaked man disregarded the tradition and the splendor of the art works here; instead he moved toward the throne.
His hands began shaking violently as he reached the bottom of the throne. He looked up to the darkness where a figure sat vaguely silhouetted by the dim torches near. In a small and serpent-like voice the cloaked man spoke.
"My lord, I am pleased to announce to you that stones are indeed in place in the Temple of Time." He paused and waited for a response from up high, but none was given, he continued, "However, it pains me to report to you that the key to opening the doors is... err... suffice less to say... has gone missing." Immediately the man cringed close to the ground, awaiting a horrible backlash from his lord. There was still no response from the throne. Only a set of gleaming yellow eyes that seemed to be reading his every thought and emotion stared down on him. The man stammered on. "B-b- but... if it pleases his lordship, we have caught one of the handmaidens. She was seen in a nearby village by a scout and was apprehended for questioning. Shall I bring her before you?" The eyes blinked.
The man smiled under his shadowy cloak and ran down the hall, the sound of his slippers echoing throughout the hall. A moment later a tall silver haired woman was drug into the thrown room. Blood trickling down her face from open lacerations. Her body was also badly bruised from the interrogation.
The figure on the throne leaned forward slightly, his heavy armor clanked as he moved. "She insists that she has never sworn fealty to the king... but we have dug up many records that would suggest otherwise." He turned to the woman and smiled, his yellow teeth showing from under his cloak. "But why would she lie to us? Does she have a reason?" He extended a hand and touched her cheek softly. The woman snapped her head back and shot a murderous stare at him. The cloaked man merely chuckled. "She is a bit feisty still. But I think that if..."
"Enough!" A voice boomed like thunder from the throne. It echoed through the great hall, each tone sounding like the roar of a great dragon. The cloaked man hunched close to the ground as a large shadow began to decend from atop the throne. The woman stood, her posture straight and her eyes never flinching from the figure. She watched as it grew closer to her, casting a shadow over herself. A hand emerged from the shadowy figure and touched the womans' face softly. "My dear Impa.. it has been a long time since we met. I am sure that you remember me as I remember you." The throaty voice echoed through the hall, causing the cloaked man to tremble on the ground.
Impa stared like a statue and spoke not a word. The dark figure laughed deep. "And still as stubborn as ever. I should have guessed as much."
"What have you done with our king, you filth?" Impas voice was hard. She chocked back her courage, keeping it inside her body.
"Why my dear Impa... I can assure that no harm has come to your precious king, " he paused and grabbed her by the hair, yanking it hard to look him in the eyes, "Yet. And if something does happen... it would fall upon your head." He snapped her neck forward and began to pet her head. "You see, Impa. Serving a king is two sided. You have the followers that are loyal to the king... and then you have those like myself; who say they are loyal but nothing else. And I am sure you are very loyal to your king. But how loyal I wonder." The figure removed his hood, revealing his deep red hair and dark eyes. The same devious smirk that had laid upon his face from the first day that Impa had laid eyes on him was still there, but growing wider.
"Bring him!" Ganon shouted as the cloaked man scrurried to his feet and darted down the hall. Ganon crossed his legs over the arm of the throne and stared down at Impa who still held her posture. "Oh do relax my dear. Things will only get much worse from this point on, I assure you."
A few moments later a commotion could be heard coming down the hall to the main chamber room. Impa looked over her should to see the king being lead to the throne in shackles. His clothes were tattered and torn and his face was begining to show massive bruising. He smiled when he saw Impa.
Ganon was already marching down the stairs. He flew to the king just as he was about to speak to Impa. With a great hand, Ganon grabbed the kings jaw and squeezed. "There are those that still pledge their lives to you, Highness. Do you consider these people fools considering that your power has been taken from you? Or do you consider them to be blessed for keeping true to the ways of Hyrule?" Ganons eye flared with hatred as he looked at the old man. The king swallowed hard and tried to speak. The next moment, the king was face first on the ground, brought down by a massive back hand from Ganon.
"Your audience is waiting for your answer!" He crossed his arms and looked at Impa. She seemed hesitent to run to his side and aid him. "Go to him, worm. Help the old man up... help him speak."
Impa ran to her king, helping him to his feet. He stood straight up and looked at Ganon. "To answer your question, Gerudo, those who aid the king of Hyrule will become saints for their good deeds."
Ganon stood for a moment in thought. "And do you feel that you have done just to this land of yours?"
"Yes I do, with all my heart."
"Hmmph." Ganon began to walk slowly toward him. "But there is just one thing that bothers me about your little thought. To be saint.... that person would have to die wouldn't they?"
Impas eyes grew large at his last words. She jumped infront of the king to stop the attack from coming... only, there was no attack. Ganon looked down at her and shook his head. "My dear girl.. what ever are you doing? Do you think that I would kill the king?"
She cast a look at him and stood back to her feet, and took her place at the kings side once more. She looked to him and noticed a thing red line falling from his neck. The kings eyes moved to her. He tried to speak, but the motion forced the veins to burst. Blood began to gush from his throat. Impa tried to help, but Ganon held her tight on her shoulder. She watched as the king fell to his knees, blood gurggling out of his mouth. He fell to the floor and his body relaxed. The cloaked man stood with a large grin, holding a bloody dagger.
"Now, Impa... there is only one king that you must swear to. And since this one has expired," Ganon kicked the dead king in the side, lifting his body from the ground a few inches before thudding back down. "That would make me your new king. And as your new king I will ask this one time... and one time only...."He grabbed her hard by the neck." Where is the key to open the Temple of Time?" Impa let out a great laugh as Ganon relaxed his grip. She backed slowly from him.
"The key is in the safest hands in this world. And they are being guarded by powers that even your forces can not hope to defeat."
"That is all well and good, but my patience is running thin, tell me now!" Ganon took a massive step toward her. She darted to the cloaked man and ripped the dagger from his hand. "Come now, please... there is no need for theatrics. I will spare your life and those around you. Just tell me where it is."
"Never!" Impa took the dagger and turned the blade toward her. In one motion she buried the blade deep in her chest. She stood a moment as her hands slowly filled with blood. She looked at Ganon and smiled. "And now... I have kept my word.... Long live Hyrule."