Lance pushed open his bedchamber door quietly. He looked into the dining room to discover that no one was awake. Except his father, who had already left the castle to prepare for the final battle against Ganondorf.
He snuck forth quietly, making no sound with his boots in his right hand. He exited the house area of the castle and breathed a sigh of relief. He then slipped his brown leather boots on and went down the stairs, headed for the army barracks. All he had to do was cover his face.
Lance did it. He was riding on top of a beautiful brown war horse, clad in silver armor and blue, padded clothing underneath his plate mail, with chain mail beneath it. But it didn't weigh much due to the new technology discovered by the man at the Hylia Laboratory. He found a way to make water into metal and make it weigh less, but still be just as strong.
Link seemed tense. He sat atop his horse, waiting for all his men to file in. He didn't look as if he wanted to give a speech. Maybe he was waiting for the time right before they entered Gerudo Valley. That would probably be smarter anyway.
Once they all entered, Lance's hunch seemed correct. All Link did was raise his sword high in the air and point it to the south, the direction of Gerudo Valley.
The army trotted forth slowly, taking their own sweet time. Their horses would need as much energy as possible for the battle they were about to fight. Ganondorf's forces almost doubled what they had. But the Hylians were much better trained.
The march was not long, since the trip to Lake Hylia was about one hour and Gerudo Valley was another thirty minutes from that. They climbed up the short hill that led to the valley and stopped right before the entrance. Just as Lance had predicted, Link began to speak.
"We are about to enter enemy territory. You must realize that many of you won't come back. If any do not have the courage to continue, you are welcome to leave. I will not count it as an act of treason," he said. This was unexpected. It did not seem in Link's character.
But nobody moved. There weren't even any skeptical looks or fright. They all stared back at their king, determined to continue on and fight the final battle of the Hylian War.
Link looked back proudly. "Very well then," he said. "The battle will be fierce. No doubt, there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers in there. We must be prepared in every way."
Suddenly a look of rage formed on his face, and he uttered one word. "Attack!"
Everyone echoed his call and galloped after him, into the depths of Gerudo Valley, Lance smack dab in the middle, screaming as loud as the man beside him.
Upon entering the valley, Link noticed that there were no life forms whatsoever. It was all dust and rocks. They must have been around the Fortress. But with as many as there were supposed to be, they wouldn't fit in that small space. They must have been cramped in the shooting range and in the Haunted Wasteland.
They stormed across the bridge in double file, careful not to break it with their weight. Without even slowing down, they dashed through the opening by the carpenters' tent and entered the Fortress grounds.
Once they saw the Fortress, Lance knew he was right. The entire fortress was lined with black forms, all raising weapons in the air, making the entire area rumble with the roar of at least five hundred thousand people, including the Hylians. This was going to be intense.
Link didn't stop for the lines of archers in front of him. Before they could even load their bows, he and the frontlines bowled over them and trampled a good majority of them, until the number of soldiers got so dense that he had to cut his way through.
Lance felt bokoblin hands clawing at him, trying to pull him from his horse. He knew that if they did, he was doomed. So he thrashed enough to get them off, but no so much as to look like a little child throwing a tantrum.
Some of the Hylians were forced to climb up the stairway in the large knoll to get any fighting in. The frontlines had caused traffic jam due to the amount of soldiers before them. But the Hylians were at an advantage. There wasn't a single horse on the Gerudo side. Their numbers made up for it, however.
Lance slashed downward, right into the chest of a bokoblin. Blood sprayed on himself and many of the soldiers around him. But he was almost oblivious to his own actions. It was like his mind had taken over and was guiding him through the Fortress to Marin. He knew she was there. In fact, his main reason for leaving his bedroom was that he had just received a letter from Ganondorf, saying that he had Lance's "little pretty." Lance's motivation had never been more sure.
Lance began planning a way to get through the ranks of the bokoblins faster. His mind raced as he involuntarily decapitated a bokoblin next to him.
He had a plan. Instantly, using the technique his father had taught him, Lance stuck his sword out to his right. Lance could see the magic energy gathering in the air in the direction of his blade. It started to get dark. Everyone noticed. Then Lance thought of his father. Only members of the Royal Family knew this. Quickly he spun the sword in a whirlwind at his side. The magic energy went out in a circular shockwave, blowing many of Ganondorf's soldiers away. Luckily, he was so far ahead of his own comrades that none of them were injured.
There was a circle of empty space around him. The soldiers that had previously formed that circle were now on top of several unprepared soldiers. Lance used this time of hesitation to trample his way through the ranks and over to the first entrance of the Gerudo Fortress. He had made it!
Lance jumped off his horse and ran pell-mell for the entrance. He briefly remembered hearing his name being called, but he ignored it and continued on into the blackness of the Gerudo Fortress dungeon.
A/N:
Alright, the next two chapters are the last ones. The next one will depict the showdown between Lance, Link, and Ganondorf. Keep reading, it gets better!