Chapter Twenty Three
The Rise of the Stalfos

"Zelda!" Link cried as he saw the mangled body of his lover crumpled on the black floor. He tried to run to her but the iron grip of the Stal-King held him painfully in place.

"I'm afraid you are dead to her…" He heard the skeleton whisper into his ear. "And she is dead to you, unless you give me the Triforce of Courage!" He snapped his fingers and within seconds, four ominous shapes emerged from the shadows. Giant Stalfos stepped into the dim light, each wielding a blood-red axe. Zelda stirred and looked up wearily at the colossal skeletons that were advancing on her. Feeling no fear of the axes, she simply got to her knees, relieved that the pain would finally go away.

"No!" Link cried, trying to wrench his arm out of the Stal-King's grip. "You need her alive anyway!" The expression on the King's face erased all traces of hope in Link as the skeleton raised his right hand. Slowly, the glow of both Power and Wisdom appeared on the Stalfos's skeletal hand.

"No, I don't need her alive…but you do. Give it to me or I'll kill her." Link watched hopelessly as the colossal skeletons raised their four axes as one, ready to chop her to pieces.

"ZELDA! NO!" Link screamed at her, begging her to dodge out of the way. Behind his yell he poured in all his magic and love, staggering the King's defenses. Zelda's head jerked toward him and though she couldn't see him through the King's magic, she understood the truth in an instant.

"Aaahh!" She dodged out of the way as an axe slammed into the ground where she had been kneeling. After a stunned stare at the new crater, she regained her senses in time to dodge another axe.

Meanwhile, Link was fighting his way out of the Stal-King's grip, though not with much success. The powerful fingers were grasping around his bicep, each movement he made caused them to go tighter. With a sickening crunch, the fingers crushed the bone, causing him to cry out in agony.

"Give me the Triforce or I will break you!" The King hissed in his ear with a feral growl. A skeletal hand grabbed his shoulder and crushed the socket as if it was crumbling clay.

"Aaarrrgggghhhh!" Link fell to the floor, the agony ripping through his body like a million blades. Flat on his back, he stared up at the Stal-King's face, those evil eyes glowing with an infinite hate, the decayed face twisted into a feral scowl of untapped rage.

"No!" The voice of Zelda's slightly strangled cry reached his ears and both opponents turned to look at her. Link stared in horror as the Stal-King's scowl turned to one of evil glee. The giant stalfos had Zelda trapped, one of them held a long knife to her neck, clearly barely containing itself to cut her throat before the King's consent.

"Well, it appears we're back to our offer. This time there will be no pointless bantering and conditionals." He raised his Triforce hand and prepared to snap. "Not another word or move except you giving me the Triforce, or she's dead." With a despairing look at Zelda's terrified face, he hung his head and raising his uninjured right arm, he nodded.

The Stal-King grinned madly as a golden glow appeared around Link's hand, slowly taking the shape of a triangle. Cackling with glee, the skeleton closed his fingers around the hovering triangle, absorbing it into him. His eyes widened as the power had had was suddenly increased a thousand-fold as the Triforce parts, reunited once again, combined their power.

"HAHAHA! YES!" The Stal-King crowed as the power filled him. "GODS! FREE THE STALFOS FROM THIS CURSE AND LET US RULE HYRULE FOREVER!" Acknowledging his wish, the full Triforce on his hand glowed brightly. A golden glow enveloped every stalfos in the room and, Link knew, the world. The glow grew brighter as the skeletons suddenly began growing back their skin and flesh. Link watched the Stal-King, whom was beginning to de-stalficate like Mido had, only in a much faster and painless way.

The decayed skin of the stalfos drew itself taut, the holes regenerating. Muscles slithered down its arms and legs and inflated, the skin crawling over the exposed muscles and tapering itself like fast healing wounds at the fingers and toes. Link could see the other stalfos undergoing the same process, organs growing and their skin stretching. Long gray hair suddenly sprouted from the Stal-King's new scalp, flowing under his crown, making him look rather distinguished. His battle armor became covered by flowing robes of purple and gold. A golden necklace bearing a skull appeared around his now muscular neck.

Malon was glaring at the stalfos general who was watching them when suddenly the skeleton began glowing. Slightly confused, Stalakor looked at his hands and suddenly jerked into a rigid posture as the de-stalfication process began.

The transformation complete, the former stalfos collapsed to the ground, looking at their hands in exultation. Link stared at them, they looked like Hylians, though their ears were oddly shaped, Much more pointed and slightly curled forward, nearly giving them the impression of a ram with small thin fleshy horns. One by one, the regenerated skeletons stood up, raising their arms in salute to their King.

"Long live King Stalfosokor!" Stalfosokor? The Stal-King raised his now skinned arms and let out a cry of triumph, followed by the others. His eyes were still glowing red, Link noted with a dreaded feeling. Using the stalfos's distraction of their regenerated bodies, the hero crawled over the princess, who was sobbing pitifully at their failure. The pain that throbbed in his destroyed shoulder disappeared as Zelda healed him between choking sobs. Taking her into his arms, the reunited lovers felt little joy as the results of their failure roared in triumph.

Stalakor stood up, shaking his head. He brought his hand up to his skull and touched hair. Hair? He looked at his hand and stared at the flesh now covering it. An evil smile crept across his new lips as he flexed the new hand. At last… It was time for his vengeance…

The Stal-King turned to look at Link and Zelda, his red eyes glowing with malice. His un-decayed face twisted into a sneer as he motioned the giants forward. The fleshed giants looked strikingly like trolls, and had about the same intelligence. Nevertheless, the monstrosities stepped forward, anticipation of blood showing up clearly on their stupid faces.

His face set with determination, Link stood to face the brutes. He could feel Zelda stand up as well (though she had to use him for support). The hero turned to the princess who looked at him with understanding as they melted into each others arms. If they were going to die, then they would go in a loving embrace.

"How precious…" The Stal-King sneered. His voice was different. It was no longer the grating voice of a monster but the sickening sultry voice of a deceiver. "Kill them."

Zelda hugged Link tighter as the giants and warriors that had come back from the undead began to advance, their weapons glinting in the dim light….