Chapter 13 - Distraction

They'd reached the point of no return.

Thanks to Impa's ability to utilize the teleportation markers, groups of revolt members arrived at the stone in Hyrule Field one by one. Having just left the plateau above the outpost near River Town, their new position brought them within a grove of withered trees northeast of the palace, and Link was the first to arrive.

Appearing in the grove on Epona's back, Lyonel, Arden, and Tenio materialized upon their own mounts along with him, cautiously examining their new environment for potential threats. Yet all was quiet in the surrounding area, allowing each group Impa sent along to arrive without trouble before the Sheikah herself showed up with the last.

And as they waited, Link couldn't ignore a sense of finality clinging to the situation.

Whatever happened from here on out would shape Hyrule once and for all. The somber thought had been on his mind ever since their victory in the gorge, and the seriousness in his blue eyes served as proof of a single fact to all who saw him.

The Hero of Legend was ready to push on, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

So, once the last of the revolt had arrived and were directed to join the others waiting nearby, Link glanced toward his father in anticipation of his orders.

At the same time, Arden took a deep breath through his nose and related in disgust, "You can smell the stench of Ganondorf's dogs from here."

Lyonel agreed, examining their surroundings before observing, "This grove should keep us hidden long enough to coordinate our numbers, but in the meantime, it would be beneficial to send someone out to learn the lay of the land and perhaps the location of our enemies before we commence."

"I can do that," Link volunteered.

Nodding, Lyonel looked at Tenio and directed, "Go with him in case there's trouble."

Link had no argument to offer his father's suggestion. Tenio was not only a skilled fighter, he was also one of the most stealthy members of the revolt, possibly outmatched only by Impa. So he'd be helpful with reconnaissance, and he wasn't the only one who could provide assistance.

"I'll go with them," Arden qualified. "If there's trouble, I know a few places to lead them that won't draw attention to the rest of you."

Lyonel seemed to like the idea and acknowledged the request with a silent nod of his head. So, with everyone in accord, they departed the grove to assess the dangers of the outlying area.

Thanks to the thick clouds looming overhead, it was dark enough to provide a bit of cover, and as they moved, Link considered their plans for attack. Both the Goron and Zora had answered a calling to arms, the latter group assigned to defense by ensuring none of Ganondorf's forces could utilize the waterways adjacent to the fields to either escape or join the battle.

Meanwhile, Kioson was stationed with his people in the forests west of Hyrule Field near the Temple of Time where he waited for the signal to begin a frontal assault.

So everything was in place, and before they left the outpost near River Town, the revolt's soldiers had given heartfelt goodbyes to their loved ones in case the worst came to pass. Alia hugged her father while begging him to be careful and Kiama did the same with Betarro.

There was one goodbye that had surprised Link as well, being Tenio's departure from Jada.

Just before adjourning to the teleportation stone, he'd spied the shy young lady actually kissing the Hylian and giving him a hug that proved she feared for his safety.

The show of affection was unexpected, but Link was happy for them, hoping their new relationship was the start of many more good things to come. He hoped the coming battle could be won with as few casualties as possible.

And he hoped their victory came soon.

In the effort of ensuring they had the best chance to make it happen, his thoughts settled on the present as Epona carried him up a hillside where the trees thinned out. Coming to a stop at the peak with Tenio to his right and Arden on his left, the three could see across the fields with the palace walls in the distance—and what waited between wasn't promising.

Lined up in numerous rows upon the field was a battalion of Jackals ready to march on Hyrule and destroy everything in their path.

Link's brows narrowed at the sight of Ganondorf's minions. It wouldn't be easy to enter the palace with so many dogs in the way, nor would it be easy to win the fight.

Proving his allies were thinking the same thing, Tenio muttered, "Well this is going to be tedious."

Arden exhaled low, observing, "There's more than we expected. Makes me wonder if Ganondorf's planning to join a kennel club."

Link and Tenio grinned in amusement, finding the humorous comment welcome during a moment of such high tension. So, in the spirit of keeping the tension at bay for a little longer, Link asked, "Since Ganondorf wants my piece of the Triforce so badly, do you think they'll roll out a red carpet and let me pass?"

Arden snorted in amusement, qualifying, "If not, we'll just have to open a path, or maybe Tenio can distract them from you with his radiant beauty."

Pursing his lips, Tenio remarked, "It's about time one of you noticed. I was starting to feel ignored."

Chuckling, Arden parted his lips to respond when the sound of someone approaching captured their attention. Looking back, they saw Impa riding to the top of the hill with Nissa upon her shoulder, the pair stopping nearby to assess the situation for themselves.

Almost immediately, Nissa remarked, "Oh no, there's so many of them!"

Impa remained silent in response to the sight of Ganondorf's battalion, but all it took was a single look at her face to know she wasn't pleased with the situation. Still, she informed the three they'd just joined of Lyonel's activities.

"Link, your father is almost done organizing our forces, and one of them found this before we left the outpost."

Lifting her arm, she tossed over a scroll which Link caught without any trouble, and as he unraveled it, Impa explained, "It's an old map of the palace that may be a bit outdated, but should still provide enough information on its layout to help you navigate."

After examining it, Link rolled the parchment up again and replied, "I'm sure it'll come in handy. Now I just need a way to get inside and use it."

His mention of the palace had everyone looking in its direction again, and as they considered how to handle the challenge ahead, Tenio made a pertinent observation.

"One thing we know is that Ganondorf hasn't assembled these beasts to stand and fight or protect his stronghold. Arden's told us before that he doesn't care for it, and he's not intending to keep Link out. So what they're planning is to march on Hyrule, not stand and fight, meaning we would have an easier time keeping them in one place."

"I was just thinking that," Link admitted, regarding his allies in adding, "and I just had an idea on how to gain the element of surprise."

Curiously, Nissa's wings tinkled with her question, "What's your idea?"

Smiling, Link turned Epona and related, "Let's go back to the marker so I can explain it to everyone."

A chorus of grunts and snarls sounded among the battalion of Jackals standing sentry before the walls of Hyrule Palace. Their vast numbers spanned more than a hundred yards across the fields, and even more soldiers were departing the gates on horseback.

Crossing the drawbridge, some of those riders moved between the lines to take a position at the front of their ranks and lead their assault on the kingdom. Yet, as one Jackal reached his post and drew back on the reins, his ears twitched at a faint, indiscernible sound coming through the moment his mount was no longer moving.

Lifting his head to regard the field with glowing red eyes, he spied nothing that might've caused such noise, but with each passing moment, it began to sound more and more like distant hoof falls.

Confused, he sniffed the air, catching a scent that wasn't their own.

Emitting a low growl, some of his companions nearby took notice of the scent and started scanning the area for the source. But again, there was nothing in sight, and only the sound of galloping hooves were heard growing louder before coming to an abrupt stop.

A silence ensued that was only broken by a horse sporadically snorting air through its nose—and the Jackals had no idea what to think of the inexplicable noises.

From the hilltop where Link, Tenio, and Arden originally spied the battalion, Lyonel watched with the rest of the revolt's soldiers standing at the ready behind him, still safe under the cover of trees and shielded from sight by the hill. For now, he waited patiently, his breath turning to steam in the cold night air as he commanded, "Everyone make ready. It'll be very soon now."

In response, each soldier silently drew their weapons to prepare. At the same time, Dorrel asked, "Sir, are we certain this is such a good idea? What if he's spotted too soon?"

Standing on Lyonel's opposing side, Impa arched a brow, being one of only two people able to see Link as he'd ridden toward the battalion under the shadow spell she'd cast to prevent detection. Arden was the other, able to see Link's figure through his shadow sight.

And the Hero of Legend had just reached their front lines.

"Don't worry, Dorrel, he's already there," Impa announced plainly.

Dorrel exhaled low, offering a nod of understanding as Lyonel stared at the spot where his son likely stood as if to face down Ganondorf's entire army alone. Fatherly concern churned in his gut, a natural response to the thought of his only child in danger. It didn't matter that he'd watched Link overcome these enemies before, or how many times his son might emerge victorious in the future.

He'd always worry for Link's safety.

Thankfully, Nabooru distracted him from his worrisome thoughts by stating confidently, "I've got three red rupees saying he'll make it through and take at least ten of those dogs with him."

Grinning, Arden announced, "I'm good for it, any takers?"

Lyonel smiled at their exchange, though no one had the chance to respond when Impa informed them, "He's appearing."

Out in the field, Epona's body began shimmering into view with Link on her back and Nissa perched upon his shoulder. Finally, the trio was visible to the beasts who'd only heard them before, and the Jackal on horseback who'd first noticed their presence snarled and freed a large battleaxe from his back.

Holding it out, the beast emitted a howl to alert the others, causing a wave of vicious growls to pass through the battalion as Link pulled the Master Sword from his back.

"Steady girl," he whispered to Epona as the Jackals separating him from the drawbridge leading into Hyrule Palace snarled in preparation to attack—and as expected, they didn't waste time commencing.

In a lethal frenzy, the dogs closest to him rushed forward as Link raised his blade to the sky with a loud battle cry echoing out over the fields. The aggressive sound was a signal to the revolt informing them of his charge, and as Epona reared up on her hind legs, the Master Sword began glowing with a pure white aura.

What followed served as proof that Link's weapon was given the moniker the Sword of Evil's Bane for good reason.

With a loud whinny, Epona charged toward the Jackals now converging on their position with fangs bared in eagerness to draw blood. Yet those closest quickly recoiled from the bright aura radiating off of the Master Sword, blinded by the sacred blade. One by one, they drew to a stop, stumbling over each other in their bid to look away.

As a result, Link passed between their lines with relative ease.

Still, his tactic of blinding the Jackals didn't prevent all of them from attempting to attack—and that was where Nissa came in. Holding tight to Link's jerkin, the fairy evoked her powers as a Sage to ignite a wave of electricity around Link and Epona much the way she had for Arden in River Town. But instead of simply igniting his armor, a barrier was formed to ensure the Jackals didn't impede Epona's progress in carrying her rider to the drawbridge.

As a result, several of their enemies were shocked as Link passed, seizing up for several moments. Their immobility made them easy targets, and he took advantage whenever possible, the Master Sword cleaving the heads of at least three Jackals from their bodies.

Still, his aim wasn't to kill in that moment, and instead, he was trying to attract as much attention as possible before accessing the drawbridge.

"Their front lines are turning with him," Lyonel announced, freeing his blade before directing Nabooru, "Give the signal!"

Nodding, Nabooru lifted one of her hands, her palm beginning to glow a golden hue. But instead of exerting herself in an expressive show of her new power, she smirked and simply snapped her fingers.

Instantly, a sound similar to thunder crackled across the sky along with numerous bursts of golden red light that exploded like fireworks. The display was visible for miles around—and those waiting in the forests to the west took immediate notice.

Grinning, Kioson lifted a spiked war hammer while releasing a loud battle cry to signal to his kindred that the time was now.

In response, the massive Gorons accompanying him charged with force, emerging from the tree line as the earth quaked beneath their feet. Several were unarmed as well—the only weapon a Goron needed was his own fists—though some carried blunt weapons and nearly all of them had donned pieces of armor adorned with sharp spikes.

Of course, such equipment was purely for offense considering their rocky bodies were difficult to damage, and they fearlessly rushed toward the distracted battalion from their western position while Lyonel watched with the revolt from the east.

Seeing the charge of powerful Gorons from his vantage point at the top of the hill, Lyonel lifted his weapon and shouted his next command with fervor.

"To arms!"

Driving his heels into his mount's hind flanks, he took off with his friends and comrades following suit, their aggressive cries echoing out into the air.

By then, those Jackals who hadn't been blinded or momentarily incapacitated by Link's charge through their lines had been further distracted by the Gorons attacking from the west. Not only did this provide the revolt better chances of success with their surprise attack from the east, it also took some of the attention away from Link, making it easier to reach the drawbridge.

Still, the gate ahead was closing and the bridge was beginning to rise, parting at its center to bar entry into the palace the moment Epona's hooves hit the surface—but it didn't matter. Having gained speed during her sprint, she met the gap and gracefully leaped through the air to the other side before the drawbridge rose too high to jump.

Coming down to the other half of the bridge, the incline gave her just enough speed to make it through the gates at the last moment.

With the sound of the metal grate shutting behind them, Epona rushed forward until Link drew back on the reins, urging her to stop while taking in his new surroundings in the effort of locating potential danger nearby. But the outer palace grounds were quiet save for the distant cries of the battle now ensuing on the other side of the walls.

Realizing he wasn't in immediate danger, he exhaled a deep breath only to hear Nissa doing the same.

Still clinging to his shoulder, the fairy remarked, "That was intense! I'm glad it's over!"

Smiling, Link sheathed his blade, but didn't get the chance to respond due to a few angry yelps sounding from above. Looking up to the top of the walls encompassing the yard, he snatched his bow and nocked an arrow to send flying at one of the lookouts who'd just spotted him.

Slicing through the air, his arrow pierced the Jackal's skull, sending him toppling off of the wall while his two companions leaped over the edge with the intentions of engaging Link below. Yet they weren't fast enough, one of them falling victim to another well placed shot only moments after hitting the ground.

The last, however, was a bit more evasive. Dodging Link's first shot, the Jackal swiftly leaped through the air, coming down with his battleaxe raised and fangs bared. But his weapon quickly slipped from his hands at the last moment when Link finally hit his mark.

As it fell to the ground and slid to a stop only three feet from Epona's hooves, Link exhaled and told Nissa, "I think you spoke too soon."

"Sheesh!" the fairy exclaimed, flying into the air to hover a few feet away where she asked, "Why do I get the feeling this is old hat for you?"

With a snort of amusement, Link admitted, "Because it is."

Wings chiming in concern, Nissa asked, "Are you sure you wouldn't like for me to go with you then?"

The sound of the battle being waged outside the walls was still going strong, and Link couldn't ignore it, replying, "No, the revolt needs all the help it can get to keep Ganondorf's Jackals from marching on the kingdom."

Nissa let out a tiny sigh that proved she didn't like the thought of allowing him to continue on alone, but she didn't argue. Instead, she flew in close and directed, "Okay, but be careful in there! I met you and Zelda when I was a child, and it breaks my heart to think of anything bad happening to either of you, so I want to see you both again in good shape!"

With that said, the fairy pressed a kiss to his cheek and added, "Good luck, Link!" before taking off high into the air to rejoin the battle waging outside the walls.

And as soon as her purple glow vanished, Link turned his gaze to the sight of the structure awaiting him.

Hyrule Palace.

The imposing building rose up with its towers eclipsed by the turbulent clouds above, lightning flashing as if daring him to enter. The desolate outer palace grounds did nothing to provide a sense of welcome either. The dying trees and yellow grass stood as testament to just how long it'd been since anyone resided in the royal dwelling who actually cared, either about the palace or the kingdom itself.

For that reason alone, Link fearlessly urged Epona toward a second gate leading to the courtyard, though he didn't get far before drawing her to a halt when Frost emerged from the same area.

Proving the sight of Epona had drawn his attention, Zelda's mount came straight over to them and nuzzled his cheek to hers.

Finally, Link found a smile at their horse's familiarity with each other, dismounting Epona to check both for injury, but neither were any worse for the wear. Still, the sight of Frost without his rider served as a stark reminder that Zelda was somewhere within the palace along with Goddesses only knew what kind of evil.

And at last, the time had come to put a stop to it once and for all.

As the thought filled him with determination, Link rubbed Epona's nose and then Frost's, instructing them, "You two stay here and we'll be back for you later."

As if they understood, Epona snorted and Frost nudged his hand, bringing a smile to his face before he turned to approach the courtyard gate. The walls they were set within were nowhere near as tall as those encompassing the outer grounds, but they still blocked Link's view of the courtyard.

Further obscuring his vision was the lack of light due to the roiling clouds overhead, and he moved carefully, making it halfway to the gate before coming to a stop at the sight of a shadow appearing during the brief flashes of lightning.

Moving slowly toward the gate, Link gripped the hilt of his blade, waiting to find an Iron Knuckle entering the area from the courtyard. The lumbering enemy was reminiscent of those he'd faced in the Temple of Spirit with black armor and a helmet sporting a closed visor.

He also recalled how difficult they could be to engage, instantly drawing his blade in preparation to fight.

As if responding to the movement, the knight raised its battleaxe during its approach with the obvious intentions of cleaving him in two. Link lifted his shield in response, and yet he hesitated to make a move in noticing a lever on the opposite side of the gate behind his foe.

Brows narrowing at the sight of it, an idea came to mind, prompting him to wait as the Iron Knuckle drew close enough to bring its weapon down. Once it did, Link reacted by diving left and then sprinting ahead to the courtyard gates.

Passing through the structure, he grabbed the lever and pulled it down, causing the metal grating to close before the Iron Knuckle could even turn around to locate his enemy.

Smirking at the sight of the lumbering suit of armor now trapped on the other side, Link remarked, "Powerful, but too slow."

He would've punctuated the comment by dusting his hands together as well, but didn't think it wise to sheath his sword at that moment. Even still, he couldn't help but take pride in his clever ploy—any strategy that allowed him to reach Zelda more quickly and without risking harm was welcome in his book.

So he prepared to move through the courtyard with a smug smile on his face, a smile that flattened the moment he turned around to find himself engulfed by a large shadow.

Pursing his lips, he looked up, then up again, finding himself staring at the drooling fangs of a seven meter tall Jackal with glowing red eyes leering down at him from behind an executioner's mask. The imposing black garb was fastened around his neck with chains, and just as dauntingly, the oversized Jackal carried an equally large mallet with spikes along the face and claw.

Furthermore, he'd already lifted it into the air to strike—and Link had but one response to give that was suitable.

"Shit."

With barely any time to dodge, he instantly jumped back as the mallet came down onto his position, supposing he'd jumped from the pot and into the fire in the process. Even now, he could hear the Iron Knuckle hacking away at the gate with its axe, and while he knew the metal grate was sturdy, he doubted it'd last forever.

Still, he had bigger problems, rushing toward the Jackal as it stood straight from attempting to crush him. Building momentum, Link used it to run between his enemy's legs, slicing his sword from shin to calf in passing.

Snarling in pain, the Jackal turned to swing his mallet horizontally over the ground with deadly force. After completing his spin, the monster lifted his weapon to search for his foe, but was unable to locate Link anywhere. So he turned his mallet up to check the spikes, but there was no Hylian crushed against them.

Growling in confusion, the Jackal abruptly turned its head at the sensation of a hand tugging his right ear. Doing so revealed his enemy now crouched upon his shoulder—the last thing he saw before Link thrust the Master Sword into his eye.

A jolt passed through the beast's body as a result, the tremor given with enough force to send Link toppling from his shoulder while the Jackal snarled in pain. Thankfully, he landed without harm, rolling to a crouch on the courtyard grounds with the Master Sword still clutched in his hand—not that he intended to use it again. Instead, his enemy's distraction provided the chance to try out his most recently acquired weapon.

"Let's see how well these work," he remarked while drawing his bow around to nock one of the light arrows granted by the Spirit Guardians.

He'd promised to save the projectiles for Ganondorf, and yet it seemed like a good idea to find out what to expect from the arrows if only to ensure there weren't any surprises in the way their magic worked. Still, no matter what happened now, he was limiting himself to a single use, watching as the tip of the weapon began glowing white the moment he took aim.

Finding the development promising, Link loosed the arrow with the executioner's head in his sights. Slicing the air with a shimmering stream of energy trailing in its wake, the projectile slammed into its target with a bright burst of radiant light erupting. The energy consumed the Jackal, his weapon instantly falling to the ground as his knees smacked into the pavement near the courtyard fountain.

Watching as the oversized beast succumbed to his attack, Link exhaled and remarked with a smirk, "Either these arrows are powerful, or you're just a wimp. Here's hoping it's not a case of the latter."

Punctuating his words was the sound of the courtyard gate being knocked off its hinges and slamming into the ground. Spinning around to face the Iron Knuckle who'd just broken through, Link watched as the powerful foe drew its axe back and began lumbering toward him at a slow but menacing pace.

Yet Link didn't move to respond. Instead, he stood there idly as the suit of armor approached only to be crushed beneath the torso of the defeated Jackal falling down upon it. As if to add insult to injury, the Jackal's oversized mallet also fell—right into his back.

Cringing at the thud, Link shook his head and shrugged, turning around to enter the palace without giving the incident a second thought.

A moment later, he arrived at a wide set of stairs, and at the bottom landing was a blackened Myriad stone. Sneering at the sight of it, Link pushed aside his resentment over being unable to update his mother on the situation and turned his gaze up to the top landing instead. There, a nonworking fountain sat between three doorways, one of which was at the top of a second set of stairs.

Of the three, it was the most decorated with intricate carvings and golden ornamentation, not to mention a row of marble columns lining a walkway to the left and right.

The other doors were on the same level as the fountain, and if Link had to guess, he'd say the one he needed to take was the one with the fancy carvings.

Still, he decided to check the map Impa had given him just to make sure of it. Unrolling the scroll after fishing it out of his hammer bag, he found that the door in question led to a corridor connecting with a large chamber—possibly the throne room, and wasn't that where he needed to go?

After all, where else would one find a King of Evil holding a Princess hostage?

Link couldn't think of any place other than the dungeon, and started up the stairs while hoping that wasn't the case. Yet he didn't manage to make it further than the top of the first flight of steps before a series of soft yet menacing chuckles stopped him.

Looking up in the direction the sound was coming from, he spotted Ganondorf standing before the door he'd chosen to enter.

Sneering, Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword's hilt, ready to engage his nemesis at any given moment—though not by blindly rushing into a fight. Instead, he braced himself, carefully watching the King of Evil casually descending the stairs toward the fountain at the center of the courtyard.

Stopping his movements midway, the false king related, "I'm glad you could finally join us. Surprising as it may sound, your presence has been eagerly anticipated."

Ignoring his claim, not to mention the snide quality of his tone, Link demanded in response, "What have you done with Zelda?"

Ganondorf smirked smugly, though the way he stared down at Link spoke volumes of the fact that he didn't feel any particular need to answer, nor did he believe his enemy worth the time it would take to provide one. Yet he gave it anyway, complete with an idle wave of his hand.

"I've put her where she needs to be, just as I'm going to do with you. So if you're worried for her, don't. I fully intend for you to learn her fate so that you'll join us, but only once the time comes."

Brows narrowing in anger, Link sneered, uncertain what he could've meant by the words join us. Still, one thing he did know was that Ganondorf's plans weren't going to be particularly enjoyable to discover no matter what they entailed—and perhaps they didn't matter because he now had a chance to stop him.

Drawing his weapon up in preparation to engage Ganondorf for the second time, Link fearlessly stood his ground—and the false king wasn't oblivious to the meaning behind his stance. Yet it only seemed to humor him, a slow smile curving his lips as he inquired, "Are you truly so eager to relive the torment you experienced in Engleton?"

Link sneered, convinced he could scour the kingdom and find nothing more grating than Ganondorf's arrogance. Still, he had little to say in retort, though what he did say was spoken in words as sharp as the Master Sword clutched in his hand.

"I won't be reliving anything, Ganondorf."

If possible, Ganondorf's expression grew even more sinister as he conceded, "Perhaps not, at least not in the same fashion. Regardless, our time to fight hasn't quite arrived, though I'll happily provide you with a reminder of what you foolishly believe you can overcome."

Drawing his cape up, Ganondorf quickly swiped his arm to the side, sending a number of dark orbs flying in his enemy's direction.

Instinctively, Link moved to counter the attack, lifting his shield to deflect the first orb followed by slicing the second with the Master Sword. As it moved in another direction, he sidestepped the third and then repeated his previous swipe at what he thought was the last of Ganondorf's orbs.

Instantly, the dark energy turned white the moment it came into contact with his blade, gleaming as it sailed away from Link and toward the false king who'd first sent it out. Sadly, Link didn't realize a fifth orb was still coming at him, blindsiding him by ramming into his body from the left. The impact sent him flying into a wall with horrendous pain shooting through his body—but it wasn't for nothing.

The white orb he'd managed to return impacted Ganondorf at nearly the same time, ruthlessly slamming into his body. Erupting in a mass of white tendrils swirling over him, the King of Evil was left sprawled out on the steps, grunting in the pain Link's successful counter was causing.

Things grew quiet in the interim with both attempting to recover from the blows. Finally, Link found enough relief that he managed to sit up and shake his head just as Ganondorf emitted an angered growl.

"That is not the power of your blade," he all but snarled, standing after a moment to glare down at his enemy and assert, "It's altered in a manner that, if I didn't know better, I'd say you'd already released Myriad and took some of her power for yourself."

Exhaling low, Link stood and turned a harsh expression back at the King of Evil, realizing it was the power his mother granted him at birth that he was referring to—not that Link had any intentions of mentioning it.

Instead, he rasped, "I don't know what you're talking about. If it hurt, then it hurt. So you'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm not as weak as you wish I were."

During the silence ensuing his response, it was difficult to tell if Ganondorf believed him. He remained still, yet his glare was intense, as if attempting to measure Link's sincerity, even his mettle with a single glance.

But if he didn't believe the claim, he said nothing of it, sneering with a low scoff before remarking, "If you wouldn't mind, simply continue on your way as I'm certain everyone is eager for you to find the Princess, not least of all is me."

With those words, Ganondorf phased out of sight, and once he disappeared, a barrier of darkness formed over the door leading into the main building.

Sneering at the sight of it, Link realized he'd never be able to break through such powerful dark magic himself. Though he'd done so before, Ganondorf was in possession of the Triforce of Power, meaning his use of the same energies Dragmire employed to seal the Temple of Spirit was much more potent, leaving Link with a choice to make.

Left or right?

Glancing between the two doors in each direction, Link groaned and rolled his eyes. The words here we go again sprang to mind, though he had the feeling it didn't matter which path he took first.

Things weren't going to be easy either way.

Starting toward the left, he said so in muttering a sarcastic response to Ganondorf's parting statement.

"I'm sure you are, and I'm sure you'll make it easy for me to find her."