Well... it's a few days past "tomorrow." As usual, life interfered with writing, so I offer my apologies. One day I'll learn not to make promises. Still, a new chapter only a few days later isn't a bad deal, right? This one's really really exciting too! It took me so long to write, because not only is it my longest chapter so far page-wise, it's also my densest (there's not much dialogue). I love this one, though, so I hope you do too! First, though, reviewer responses:
Sakume: My ever-faithful reviewer. You haven't missed a chapter yet, have you? Hehe, yes, you should be saying that. That's the point of my story. I don't think any of us can wait for Twilight Princess, and I personally can't wait for more stories from you!
Chips Dip: What an awesome reaction! I'm glad you like it so much, and I hope I can look forward to your continued reading. Though, I personally don't think I write enough, I try to get a new chapter every week and a half or so. Sorry this one's a few days late, but I hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing!
Rodariain: You are certainly on the track to becoming a faithful reviewer yourself, yes? I'm glad I can write something you enjoy so much. You know, it's funny, out of all the reactions I get to my story on all three sites I post it, massive hate for Umbar Fait seems to be the most common. Now why would that be? xP
Spacejoe: Thanks so much, I'm truly flattered! I have already promised that this story will never be abandoned or put on hiatus, so you have nothing to worry about there! Just to sate my curiosity, who recommended this story to you? And tell them I said thanks!
Ok, on with the chapter then. Please please please leave a review!
Steel shrieked as two swords met each other again and again. Dorcas' thin rapier could not withstand a full impact with Ganondorf's broadsword, but Dorcas had no intention of it doing so. His rapier was matched to him perfectly. It was quick and precise, tailored to redirect its opponent's excess energy rather than to deflect it. Every strike that Ganondorf's broadsword made saw Dorcas' weapon sliding down the length of the blade, moving it harmlessly out of the way, and making a returning jab almost faster than the Gerudo could defend against.
Ganondorf fought with barely-contained rage. The smug blonde swordsman continued to press his abilities. His mentor, and the man he thought of as a father, sat on his knees by the wall, flanked by guards with his hands shackled behind his back. Nabooru was held on the lap of a ruthless giant of a man, being groped carelessly as he fought. He did not know what feelings he held for the girl, and had been in a state of constant confusion about how to behave toward her since the night before they left Gerudo Valley. What he did know was that nothing enraged him more about his entire situation than to watch her treated like some kind of toy.
Ganondorf swung hard at his opponent, pulling his swipe suddenly downward as the rapier came to meet it. Dorcas followed the feint easily, though, and once again pressed Ganondorf's attack aside. He thrust again, this time quicker than Ganondorf could follow, and his rapier punctured the Gerudo's side. Ganondorf felt blood leak from the tiny wound as the ambassador raised an eyebrow and smiled. He was toying with Ganondorf!
Roaring in anger, the desert warrior became enveloped in the purple glow that had first appeared in his fight with the girl behind the throne. He swung his broadsword with all his might at Dorcas' legs. As the blonde moved to parry, Ganondorf released the hilt of his weapon and brought both fists up to meet Dorcas' chin. The ambassador took the hit and was thrown to the ground. The purple energy surrounding Ganondorf glowed brighter with the connection.
"Use it, Ganondorf!" Kirandorf yelled from his place at the wall. "Control your anger and make it your weapon! Do not let it control you!"
Ganondorf, however, was not listening. He had already rolled to retrieve his blade, and now made a vertical strike toward the prone form of Dorcas. The blonde rolled quickly to the side, barely avoiding the attack, and slashed his rapier across Ganondorf's left hand. The Gerudo pulled back, grasping the wound with his free hand. Dorcas took this moment to thrust out with his legs, sweeping Ganondorf off of his feet, his head impacting the hard stone floor.
Ganondorf found himself momentarily dazed. As his vision cleared, the red blur above him solidified into Dorcas, blood running from his mouth where Ganondorf's punch had landed, and rapier waiting at the Gerudo's neck.
"And so, it is over already," the smaller man said, pulling his sword back for the finishing strike.
Ganondorf reached his arms out in a vain attempt to stop what would be his deathblow. Use it! Make it your weapon! The words suddenly raced through his mind as the rapier descended on him in what seemed like slow-motion. He instantly felt a force all around him—a pulsing energy surrounding and emanating from his body. He coaxed this energy back into himself, slowly at first, then more quickly as he began to understand how to will it forward. It seemed like he struggled with it for an eternity, pressing it up through his arms as it pulsed with a lifeforce all its own, though in reality this all took place in a mere fraction of a second. Just as Dorcas' rapier was about to pierce Ganondorf's throat, the purple energy surrounding his body coalesced at his upraised hands, and then shot out in the form of a black-purple fireball, engulfing Dorcas and hurling him across the throne room.
Umbar Fait's eyes widened in shock, his head turning to follow his ambassador's flight across the room. Nabooru had been waiting for just such an opportunity, and twisted to plant her feet firmly between the king's legs, kicking off into a flying backflip. Fait was doubled over in pain as Nabooru landed next to Ganondorf, who no longer glowed with energy.
Taking equal advantage of the distraction, Kirandorf strained against his shackles, roaring with exertion as his massive arms bulged. With a loud crack the steel bindings shattered. The two armored knights surrounding Kirandorf grasped for their spears, but the desert king had already grabbed their ankles, pulling them off of their feet. As they fell to the ground, Kirandorf thrust his elbows with full force down onto their necks, feeling their armor crumple and their vertebrae snap satisfyingly.
In the sudden chaos, every guard in the throne room rushed toward the three Gerudo. Kirandorf grabbed at the first spear to be thrust at him, pulling it past him and through the sliding armor plates into the abdomen of a knight behind him. Kicking out at the wielder of the spear, Kirandorf caught him in the front of his helmet and heard his head impact against the metal inside. As the knight crumpled to the ground, the King of Thieves relieved him of his spear and made a wide horizontal swing with it, batting aside the three guards in front of him and clearing the way to his and Nabooru's weapons.
During this time, Ganondorf had quickly cut through Nabooru's shackles. Three knights were already descending on them. Ganondorf deflected one spear with his sword and the other with his boot, standing on it to pin it to the ground. His sword extended past the spear it had deflected and pierced the first knight's armor like paper, bringing his blood out of the armor along with it as it was removed. Spinning quickly, he released the second spear from under his foot. Its wielder was set off balance by the sudden release of the weapon he had been tugging on, and could not defend against Ganondorf's strike, which left his armored head rolling across the floor.
The third knight's spear was deflected off of one of Nabooru's bracelets, and she quickly dealt the man three quick kicks to the face. Though she did not have the strength to hurt him through the steel helmet, the force left him dazed long enough for Nabooru to spin around him, yank off his helmet, and snap his neck.
Nabooru heard Kirandorf shout her name, and turned toward him, catching her twin scimitars as they were tossed to her. As she caught them, she was forced to twist again and cross the scimitars in front of her in defense against the thin, single-edged blade that appeared suddenly before her face. The white-haired woman wielding the blade attacked again and again with speed and precision that Nabooru admired as she defended herself. Knocking a horizontal attack aside with one of her scimitars, the Gerudo girl spun so that her back faced her opponent and kicked her heel into the woman's chin. Continuing with her momentum, she allowed herself to flip over and land on her back, swinging her second scimitar upward as she did. The white-haired fighter leaped into the air, clearing the radius of Nabooru's attack before it could connect, and landed several feet away.
"I must say, I am impressed that such a young girl as you can fight like this," she said, as Nabooru jumped to her feet. "One would think you would be too embarrassed at being half naked."
Nabooru turned bright red as if just remembering the fact, and covered herself with her arms. Her attacker used the girl's distraction to rejoin the battle, swinging her blade fiercely.
Meanwhile, Kirandorf had joined Ganondorf in the center of the room, and they fought back to back against Dorcas and the girl who had attacked Ganondorf several weeks ago. Kirandorf had adapted to fighting Dorcas' rapier, and when the blonde tried to slide Kirandorf's broadsword away, the old king slid his weapon upward against him and thrust it toward his neck. Dorcas bent backward under Kirandorf's swing, left hand stopping him against the ground and pushing him back upward to attack.
Ganondorf attacked fiercely against the girl's twin Tek'talla, determined not to let her off of the defensive. She ducked under one of his swings, readying a slice to his abdomen, but he brought his knee up and rammed it into her face. As she staggered back, he kicked her again, causing her to fall to the floor. He then raised his broadsword above his head to deliver the finishing blow.
"Roll!" Kirandorf yelled suddenly.
Instinctively, Ganondorf did as he was warned, Kirandorf doing the same in the opposite direction, as the flat end of a golden warhammer shattered the stone floor where they had been standing an instant earlier. Kirandorf's roll brought him to Dorcas' feet, and he punched him in the stomach as the blonde shielded his face from flying stone shards. The wind was knocked out of him, and the ambassador fell to the ground.
Nabooru had managed to slice her opponent across her unprotected side, and kicked her hard behind the knee, dropping her to the ground with enough force to render her unconscious.
Their opponents momentarily dealt with, all three Gerudo converged on Umbar Fait. The giant king moved more quickly than his girth would suggest, swinging his warhammer in a wide arc that kept the two men at bay. Nabooru's scimitars were on target, connecting with Fait's back, but were easily deflected by concealed chain mail. Fait swung the end of the warhammer's handle at her. It connected with her ribs with a cracking sound, and she was rocketed across the room. Hitting a wall with a loud thud, the girl slumped to the floor and remained there.
"Nabooru!" bellowed Ganondorf, as both remaining Gerudo once again made for Fait. Fait made a vertical strike at Ganondorf with the massive warhammer, which Ganondorf dodged easily. He jumped over the long handle to swing his broadsword at the king's face, but Fait brought the handle up and entangled Ganondorf's legs, causing him to fall to the ground. Kirandorf's thrust was about to connect with Fait's large stomach when the hammer was brought down atop his blade. He instead dealt a kick to the king's stomach with all his might, which staggered Fait slightly, but caused no great harm.
As Ganondorf stood, he found Fait's great warhammer once again careening toward him. He lifted his broadsword in the quickest defense he could muster, but the weight and momentum of the golden hammer wrenched the sword from his grip, forcing him against the wall. Dropping the hammer, Fait shrugged off Kirandorf's attack with a backhand that sent the smaller king to the floor, then grabbed Ganondorf around the neck with his meaty fists. His face was twisted in a victorious grin as he lifted Ganondorf from the ground, crushing him against the wall by his neck. Ganondorf clawed at Fait's hands frantically, but made no leeway. Lifting his feet, he kicked Fait hard in the face. The king grunted, but only squeezed harder. Again, Ganondorf kicked him. Again... again... again. Finally, the hands released his neck, and Ganondorf dropped roughly to the ground, choking for air and coughing blood.
Fait reeled backwards, cursing in pain and grasping at his bloodied face. Lifting his warhammer from the ground, he swung it at Ganondorf, who sat against the wall, unable to make any kind of defense.
As Ganondorf readied himself for death, Kirandorf was suddenly in front of him, being shoved against the wall himself. The King of Thieves held his broadsword against the warhammer, one hand on the hilt, one hand on the flat of the blade, which bent dangerously.
"We cannot fight off the whole castle, Ganondorf. Take Nabooru and run!" Kirandorf ordered him, straining against the warhammer.
"But what about you?" Ganondorf would not leave Kirandorf to fight alone.
"I'll catch up! Just go!"
Ganondorf moved from his position toward Nabooru just as Kirandorf's broadsword gave way, snapping in half and showering the combatants with steel shards. The handle of the warhammer connected with him and tossed him like a rag doll, continuing on to crash entirely through one of the throne room's many pillars.
Nabooru was just becoming conscious when Ganondorf reached her. He helped her to her feet and they made their way to the door. As the reached it, however, it burst open, and a dozen soldiers hurried in, along with one man and three women dressed in blue and white with the red eye symbol emblazoned on their clothing. As the two Gerudo screeched to a halt, a white ball of energy streaked past them. It impacted the ground where the new arrivals stood, incinerating the armored knights in an explosion, though the blue and white clothed warriors managed to leap swiftly out of the way. Turning, Ganondorf and Nabooru saw Kirandorf running toward them, his body glowing white similarly to how Ganondorf's had glowed purple.
"Go!" he shouted, when suddenly the spiked end of a golden warhammer erupted from his chest, spattering Ganondorf and Nabooru with gore. His white glow disappeared instantly.
"Noooooo!" Ganondorf screamed, preparing to strike.
"Stop!" Kirandorf sputtered, the warhammer held by a panting and fuming Umbar Fait the only thing supporting him. "You must... protect... the Valley. Run!" He was cut off suddenly as Dorcas' rapier emerged through his mouth from the back of his head. The ambassador stood from his place on the ground, holding his head.
"One down, two to go," he said, smiling evilly.
Both Fait and Dorcas pulled their weapons from Kirandorf's body and began slowly toward the remaining Gerudo, as did the four new warriors. Choking back tears, Ganondorf glared at them as menacingly as he could.
"One day, you will die by my hands for all that you have done."
Taking Nabooru's hand, he ran out the open door and swiftly through the hallways of Hyrule Castle. Fait's laughter echoed behind him.
"Run, King of Thieves! Run, King of bitches and their mewling pups! You can run all you like, but you will never escape from Umbar Fait!"
Above the castle, two hags circled on their broomsticks.
"Are you ready, sister?" one asked.
"Very much so," the other replied with a smile.
Both witches raised their hands toward the moonless night sky. Glowing yellow lines begin to etch themselves in the air above them, elongating and entwining until they formed an ethereal net over their heads. They waited for some invisible cue, and then quickly lowered their hands, the net closing around itself. As it formed a perfect sphere, it disappeared completely, leaving in its place a small white flame with a piteous mockery of a face in the center. Popping the cork off of a clear glass bottle, the fire-haired witch scooped the flame into the bottle and replaced the cork, burning a small symbol into the stopper. It glowed briefly, magically sealing the bottle.
She brought the bottle up to her face and cackled at the soul inside. "The afterlife won't come to you that easily, I'm afraid. We have use for you."