Author's Note: Hey folks! I'm still working my way through the edits for this arc (work keeps causing delays, but it shouldn't be too much trouble), but I may have to switch updates to Saturdays as my schedule shifts.
The view coming over Kolami Ridge, with Lake Totori spread out beneath them, made Ganondorf want to weep. The afternoon sun shone brightly off the limestone columns upthrust from the dark surface of the lake, glinted off the small whitecaps kicked up by the wind sweeping down from Mount Hebra to the north. The grass rippled under that same breeze, thick and lush and verdant, save for where the pale dirt road cut through it, leading his eye down to the copse of trees near the lake's edge, to the now-familiar horsehead of a Hylian stable peeking out over the canopy.
Ganondorf had seen more water in the last two days, he thought, than he'd seen in his entire life in the Tantari Desert. Not just Lake Totori— the River Regencia, which had kept them company on the road north, until they'd turned to the west and left its banks behind. The thin, shimmering line of Tanagar Creek far beneath them when his horse, Zharu, had balked on the longbridge over Tanagar Canyon and needed to be coaxed across. And countless other pools and streams over the last day alone, as they'd ridden through the Tabantha uplands, their pace finally relaxed after the hard ride from Aquame to Tanagar the day before.
It was a lot, he thought, and shifted uncomfortably in the saddle, wincing as his back and hips protested the movement.
"So what's our plan?" he asked, glancing over at Link and Zelda as the pair came abreast of him.
"We'll board the horses at the stable first," Link replied. "Can't take them across to Rito Village, there's no accommodations for them there."
Zelda snorted. "Rito don't ride , why would they need to?"
Ganondorf winced, disguising it with another shift in his saddle. Typical Hylians, never calling places by their actual names. "...And once we cross to the village?"
Link glanced sideways at Zelda. "...Get accommodations for us settled at the inn, then find the archaeologists?"
"Better that way than the other way around," Zelda said, though her tone spoke of reluctance. "I'd rather not visit the archaeologists and then learn the inn is full."
"Frankly I'm surprised you don't want to go haring off into the mountains on whatever rumor the archaeologists give you, and no sleep whatsoever," Ganondorf huffed.
Zelda rolled her eyes at him, but didn't dignify him with an answer.
That was just as well. Even she , after three days of riding, had to be too tired for her usual barbs, and he didn't feel like fielding them anyway even though he'd initiated.
The ground levelled out beneath them, and Link took the lead as the path narrowed into the copse around the stable. Ganondorf shivered as the shade dropped the temperature and pulled his cloak closer in around him, trying to block out the chill. It didn't help much, even with the trees deadening the wind coming off the lake— the air in Tabantha was much cooler than he was used to, and the damp chill had settled into his bones even after he'd traded his linen sirwal and kurta for the woolens favored by the highland tribes. He'd be retrieving his rubies from their hiding place in his pack when they stopped somewhere private enough, that was for certain. The enchanted gems would keep him at least a little warmer.
The copse opened up again on the stable grounds, and Ganondorf slid gratefully out of the saddle, hissing a breath between his teeth as his thighs throbbed in protest. He tightened his grip on the pommel and let his head rest against Zharu's shoulder, took deep breaths that smelled of horse as he took stock of his physical condition.
Thighs— aching from the long ride, from gripping the barrel of a horse for hours at a time.
Hips— sore, and the muscles stiff when he adjusted his stance to take some of the pressure off.
Lower back— one knotted mass of pain, the muscles tight and aching from holding himself steady in the saddle. He took another deep, tooth-gritted breath, then released his grip on the saddle and dug his thumbs into the muscles, biting his lip to keep from venting his pain verbally.
It didn't help much.
"Apologies, Zharu," he murmured, and the horse whuffled and swung her head around to nose at his shoulder in response. He reached up carefully, running his fingers through the thick, smooth fur of her cheek. "...Let's get you boarded and out of all this gear, shall we?"
Link and Zelda were already at the stable's exterior counter, their horses— Epona and Mutoh, he had learned over the last few days— cropping the grass behind them, and he released Zharu's lead to let the mare graze with them and joined them at the counter, trying to disguise his limp. The stable owner, a tall, thin man with a crop of dark hair, looked him up and down as he approached. His lip curled ever so slightly, half-hidden under his heavy moustache.
"You with them, miss?" he asked.
Ganondorf bit back a wince. "I am, yes."
"Right," the man said, then returned his attention to Link. "That'll be sixty rupees to board the three of 'em, and I'll need a name."
"Mark it down under Hilda Passari ," Zelda said, and dropped her wallet on the counter.
The stable owner's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed, eyeing her suspiciously. "...Ain't often a young woman claims to be the head of a little caravan like this, miss."
Zelda's eyes narrowed in return. "Are you questioning me, sir?"
"Now listen here, missy—" the stable owner started, putting a hand flat on the counter as if he intended to go over it.
"I think you should listen to her," Link said. He reached up, tapping his fingers on the sword belt that crossed him from shoulder to hip. "You don't want this sort of trouble."
His eyes had narrowed uncharacteristically, and he'd drawn himself to his full height— not that it did much, given his slight stature— but the stable owner paused, his grey eyes darting between the two of them.
Ganondorf took a half-step back, and then another, grabbing for Zharu's reins as Zelda paced closer to the counter, her shoulders gone tight. There really wasn't any need for him to stay and watch this— if Zelda wanted to pick a fight with half the stable owners they dealt with, that was her trouble. The gravel crunched frostily underfoot as he made his way around the side of the stable towards the back, where the entrance to the horse stalls lay on every Hylian stable he'd visited so far.
A group of stablehands had congregated around back, perched on hay bales or rough-hewn benches, and all of them looked up at the sound of Zharu's hooves on the gravel. Ganondorf studied them a moment— all young men, and all Hylians, of the same thin, pale-skinned stock as the stable owner— and he grit his teeth to keep his lip from curling at the sight of them. How the Rito tolerated this Hylian incursion on their territory was beyond him. This casual establishment of a Hylian stronghold so close to the heart of their homeland…
His people had sacrificed lives to eliminate such incursions.
"You here to board a horse, ma'am?" one of them said, and Ganondorf assessed him casually. Smaller than the others, close to Zelda in height, with a thick crop of fair hair poking out from under the band of his cap. His pale cheeks were flushed.
"I am," he said, instead of rolling his eyes.
The boy trotted over, and Ganondorf handed over Zharu's reins, then began unloading his pack from behind her saddle.
"Where's the rest of your troop, ma'am?" one of the other boys called.
"Bit early in the season for Gerudo traders, isn't it?" piped up another.
"I'm on pilgrimage," Ganondorf replied dismissively.
He was grateful he'd left his hood up; most vai on a pilgrimage veiled in the presence of Hylians, as an indicator of disinterest in men's advances. Not that they often listened, he thought, eyeing the gang still clustered on the hay bales. Half of them eyed him with considerable interest, the sort he remembered vividly from Hylian merchants at the Ranel Bazaar. The unpleasant sort.
The sort that had resulted in him and Nabooru being banned from the bazaar for a season, after she'd thrown a punch that broke the jaw of a visiting merchant.
Hooves crunched on the ground behind him, and Ganondorf hiked his pack onto his back and turned around, sighing with relief at the sight of Link and Zelda. Link looked slightly ashen, and his left hand gripped his sword belt tightly. Zelda, on the other hand, was flushed angrily, her cheeks and the tips of her ears bright red. She practically flung Mutoh's reins into the face of a second stableboy, jerking roughly at the straps of her pack.
"...I take it you got it handled, then?" Ganondorf asked.
Zelda practically growled at him in response. Her eyes darted over his shoulder towards the stableboys, then back up to his face, and her brows furrowed more deeply.
"She browbeat him down to forty rupees for doubting her," Link said.
"He deserved it," Zelda snapped back.
Ganondorf couldn't help chuckling, moving over to help her unload her gear. Link had already shouldered his own pack, presumably while Zelda had been... negotiating their price, and he simply handed Epona's reins off to a second stablehand.
"Can't say I disagree," Ganondorf said, shrugging, and unfastened the last strap. The pack slipped sideways off Mutoh's back.
Zelda huffed quietly, slinging it up onto her back before it could hit the ground, then passed Mutoh's reins off to a third stablehand. "You shouldn't," she said. "Are we ready, then?"
Ganondorf nodded, then glanced over at Link, who nodded in return, and Zelda hooked her elbow through Link's. She shot another glance back over her shoulder towards the stablehands, green eyes gone sharp and furious, then hooked her arm through Ganondorf's as well and tugged. He yelped, stumbling over his own feet and hardly able to catch himself before their boots hit the gravel in front of the stable. Zelda's hand tightened a little further on his arm.
She changed their course, then, leading them across the clearing to the opening in the trees on the far side of the copse, through which Ganondorf could see the lake. The ground dropped off sharply, plunging hundreds of feet down towards the wind-whipped surface. A slender rope bridge linked the shoreline to the first of the three pillars that rose from Lake Totori's surface. The wind slashed through Ganondorf's cloak like a knife as they emerged from the trees, and the rope bridge swayed gently underfoot, the boards creaking softly with every step.
"So, what's the point of this ?" Ganondorf asked, pulling gently on his arm.
Zelda released her grip, still scowling. "...I didn't like the way anyone in that stable looked at you," she said. "The stable owner made a... comment about young Hylian girls travelling in the company of Gerudo vai, and I—"
"It got ugly," Link said, cutting her off. "Let's leave it at that."
Ganondorf grimaced and looked away, raising his eyes to look out over the lake, towards Totori Village instead.
The village rose along the sides of the outermost— and tallest— pillar in the lake, all dark wood against the pale stone. Buildings sat perched on small outcroppings, colorful curtains waving in the breeze off the lake, all connected by wooden boardwalks and platforms that wound about the face of the pillar, small as a child's plaything yet at that distance. As he watched, a red-feathered Rito launched themself from one of the spars of stone high above, white-and-blue banded wings wide, and climbed quickly away into the air.
Then they reached the first of the three pillars between the shore and the village, and the thin, sparse cedars rose around them to block the view. They blocked the wind, too, which Ganondorf was grateful for as they crossed. The second bridge turned northwards, swaying beneath them, and he bit back a grimace as they crossed. The water below had looked gold where the light touched it, but from above it was a dark, bottomless blue, and the wind-whipped caps on the little waves looked chilly and unpleasant. Ganondorf redirected his gaze upwards, to the end of the bridge and the second pillar.
The next two bridges were mercifully short, and within minutes they'd crossed beneath the wooden archway that marked the entrance to Totori Village. No guards watched the entrance, and Ganondorf cast an uneasy glance back across the lake, to the plumes of smoke marking the stable's place hidden in the trees.
Zelda tugged lightly at his arm, and Ganondorf startled, glancing down at her. She stared back up at him, keen green eyes searching his face.
"...Is something wrong?" he asked.
"I was about to ask you that," Zelda said.
Ganondorf sighed quietly. "I'm alright, just...tired. It's been a very long day already."
"You don't have to come with us to the archaeologists' if you're too tired, y'know," Link said.
"We are stopping at the inn first," Zelda added.
"I said I'm alright," Ganondorf huffed. "You two don't need to coddle me— it shouldn't be any trouble to sit through your meeting, and you may need my insight anyway."
Zelda turned her head away from him, back over to Link, who glanced up at Ganondorf, then turned back to Zelda and shrugged. She shrugged in return, then released their arms, adjusted her pack, and stepped forward.
"Well, then there's no sense in just waiting around ," she said, not even looking back over her shoulder.
Ganondorf met Link's eyes, startled, then hurried after her.
They hit the stairs almost immediately— first one set, then another as they drew closer to the pillar, bringing them up onto the boardwalk— and Ganondorf grit his teeth, ignoring the way it made his thighs burn. He tilted his back, looking up at the walk overhead, just out of his arms' reach, then back down— at the little alcove at the base of the pillar. At the little statue tucked into the alcove.
His lip curled reflexively.
Ganondorf had seen his first statue of Hylia only a few days before— the Aquame Stable had a little one tucked back out of the way, with a shallow bowl before it, full of apples. This one was much the same, if larger, the graven image of a woman with wings folded behind her and arms folded over her chest, her eyes closed and a small, benevolent smile on her thin lips. His first impression, two days before, had been confusion; the Triune were never depicted in mortal form, and depictions of spirits and demi-goddesses shifted from mural to mural, but Hylia always seemed to be a round-faced Hylian woman, long hair falling about her shoulders. Her worshippers often draped her in flowers or left her offerings of fruit at the base of her statues, and this one was the same as every other.
Here, in the stronghold of the Rito, the mere sight of the little statue had him taste bile in the back of his throat.
He shook himself and turned away from the statue, following Link and Zelda up the boardwalk.
The first building they reached was draped in turquoise banners trimmed with yellow, and if the white woven crescent moon hadn't declared it the inn clearly enough, the name of it was embroidered onto them in both Hylian and Gerudo script: Swallow's Roost . A grey Rito with wings banded like a hawk's waited outside, watching them with brilliantly golden eyes as they ducked inside. The air inside was warm , blessedly so, and Ganondorf sighed quietly in relief and pulled his hood down to enjoy it.
A second Rito, this one with warm pink feathers, stood at the counter. She— at least, Ganondorf was fairly sure it was a she— brightened at the sight of them, and flipped quickly through a ledger on her side of it, grasping an ink pen in the furl of a wing.
"Good afternoon," she said brightly. "Welcome to the Swallow's Roost, how can we help you?"
"We'll need accommodations for three, for...two nights, I think?" Zelda said. She glanced back over at Link, dark brows furrowed.
"Maybe just one," Link said hesitantly. "We're not exactly sure at this point— we're supposed to be heading up into the Hebra Mountains sometime in the next couple days."
"Well, I don't envy you that ," the Rito said. The feathers at her neck fluffed, revealing glimpses of yellow down underneath. "The northern passes aren't even fully open yet, and Pondo's Pass only just cleared for the season." She paused, shuffling papers in her ledger. "...Well, fortunately for the three of you, that means we aren't booked up yet and I can let you pay per night."
"Well, it'll be tonight for certain," Zelda said. "Is it alright if we pay up front for tonight, and then settle a second tomorrow as needed?"
"Absolutely," the Rito said. She flipped another page, clicking her beak thoughtfully. "Three guests for a single night...will this be the standard beds, at twenty rupees each, or would you like to upgrade to a down bed? They're lovely after a long day on the road."
"The standard beds will be fine, thank you," Zelda answered, then pulled out her wallet and began to rifle through it. "Three beds at twenty rupees a night comes to sixty rupees, right?"
The Rito nodded, and Zelda reached into her wallet and pulled out three red rupees, which she handed over to the Rito. Pink flight feathers curled around them, and the Rito's wing pulled back out of Ganondorf's sight, though he heard the rupees clatter into a cash box on the other side of the counter.
"Alright," the Rito said, and flipped through her ledger again. "We have three open beds together on the eastern wing— the first three by the outer wall. You can pull back the partitions between them if you'd like to treat them as one room instead of three."
"Thank you," Link said.
They ducked into the eastern wing and located the beds easily enough; one on the east-facing wall, the other two perpendicular to it on the north wall. Curtains hung from the ceiling, dividing up the wing into a half-dozen separate sleeping spaces. Ganondorf helped pull back the two between their beds, then tugged the ones separating them from the main room shut a moment and set his pack down at the foot of the east-facing bed. Link and Zelda had already begun rummaging through their own packs, and he ignored them to open his own and pull out his rubies from a hidden pocket.
The Rova had made certain he'd packed an appropriate mage's kit when he left: his topaz diadem, a pair of sapphire earrings small enough to keep him cool— while they'd hunted for the sapphire diadem Koume had sworn was in the archives, they'd been unable to find it, and while the earrings were too small to effectively channel ice with, they would serve their purpose— a pair of amber bracelets for a quick shield, if he could remember his stone-work in time, and a ruby brooch and earrings for warmth in the mountains. He left the earrings where they were, instead opening the brooch and turning it over to inspect the sigil on the back.
Passive spell-stones often needed attunement to the wearer, and this one was no different, only radiating heat when it had been attuned and activated. He opened the brooch and— ignoring Zelda's startled yelp— pricked his index finger on the pin, then smeared the resulting bead of blood across the glyph on the back. The sigil lit up gold, and within the minute the little wound had closed and the ruby had begun to radiate heat.
"What was that ?" Link asked, and a shadow fell over Ganondorf as he came to look.
"Feel for yourself," Ganondorf replied, and closed the brooch before tossing it to him.
Link yelped and juggled it a moment, as if he couldn't bear to touch it for more than a few seconds at a time. "It's hot !"
"That's the point ," Ganondorf said, and snatched it the next time it went airborne, replacing the pin holding his cloak closed with it. Warmth bloomed in the cloth, and he closed his eyes a moment to enjoy it.
Link pouted at him, and Ganondorf resisted the urge to laugh at the sulky look on his face. Part of him wanted to reach up and kiss it off— or to inspect Link's hands, to make sure he hadn't burnt himself— but he held himself back from it.
"But—" Zelda started.
Ganondorf shot her a look, then held up his finger. "One drop, Zelda. It didn't even hurt."
"It was still startling," Zelda said defensively, then stood and straightened the skirt of her overtunic. She made her way over to his bed and leaned against his shoulder, inspecting the brooch. "So how is this one different from the diadem?"
"Spell-stones are passive, foci are active," Ganondorf said. Her eyes lit up as he said it, and he sighed through his nose and settled back into the mattress. "Once a mage attunes a spell-stone, the magic in the stone continues to do a single task— in this case, providing heat— until it runs out of energy. A focus , on the other hand, is an active conduit that helps focus and shape power in a way the mage wielding it desires."
Zelda hummed thoughtfully. "And...does it always take blood to attune one?"
"Usually," Ganondorf said, shrugging. "But only when it changes hands. As long as I use this one, it'll draw from my power, but the next mage who handles it will need to attune it to herself."
"And what about foci?" Zelda asked.
"They don't need attunement, but the longer a mage uses the same focus the more responsive it is," Ganondorf said. "Now, I'd love to get into this—" he said, cutting off her next question, "—but I thought you wanted to meet with the archaeologists before sunset."
Zelda glanced sideways at the windows, then swore— the sky had begun to redden as the sun sank towards the western horizon. "I thought we had more time —"
Link was on his feet in an instant, swinging the curtains open, and Zelda darted out past him. Ganondorf pushed himself back to his feet, biting back a hiss as his back protested, and hurried after her, letting Link close the curtains behind him as they headed out of the inn.
They travelled up and up around the central pillar, passing more shops on the first few levels, and then past Rito homes, past an ancient Sheikah shrine on one outcrop, glowing blue against the sunset. Past more houses, and then a council-house, until finally , in the highest ring, Zelda brought them to a stop outside of a small building tucked against the pillar. Ganondorf leaned against the stone a moment, wincing as his thighs screamed in protest. His knees trembled a little, and he grit his teeth against the pain.
Zelda rapped at the post beside the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
Silence.
Then the curtain covering the door was pulled back, and an owl-faced Rito peered out at her. His feathers were deep brown and tan, his wide round eyes were deep red, and something about him— about his profile, the flat disc of his face— was incredibly familiar. Ganondorf frowned, and the Rito's head bobbed as he looked over Zelda's head to study him and Link.
"And who are you supposed to be?" he asked. His voice was low and harsh, raptorial.
"Hilda Passari of Hyrule," Zelda said. "I'm a member of the Hyrulean chapter of the Archaeologists' Guild, here on behalf of—"
"Aginah, right," the Rito said. "Medli got Shaima's letter last week. Didn't say you'd have a Gerudo with you, though."
"I...it's complicated," Zelda said. "Listen, is Medli here now? I need to speak with them urgently."
"Yeah," the Rito said. He ducked back into the building— and then a moment later pushed the curtain aside again, scowling at them. "Are you coming, or what?"
"Yes, we're coming," Ganondorf said placatingly.
He put a hand on Zelda's back and pushed her gently forward, ignoring the dirty look she shot him as she ducked through the curtain. Link followed at her heels, and Ganondorf ducked in after him, stooping a little to get under the low eaves.
The inside of the building was larger than it had seemed from the outside— it was built back into the rock a little way, Ganondorf realized— and lit by warm yellow lamplight. The interior walls, against the rock, were lined with shelves, each containing a neatly organized rack of tubes he recognized as scroll storage. A second Rito stood at a table near the middle of the space, a scroll unfurled across their wide right wing. They were smaller than the owl-faced Rito, with a slight, falcon-like build, and pure white plumage cast yellow by the lamp— which, he supposed, meant this one was a woman. Most bright-feathered Rito he'd met were. She glanced up as the curtain fell shut, golden hawk's eyes darting back and forth.
"Let's see," she said, setting down the scroll. "One tall, dark-haired Hylian in pink, and one smaller one in green. Guess that means you're Hilda and Link?"
"Medli?" Zelda asked. The Rito— Medli— nodded, and Zelda inclined her head in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too," Medli said brightly. "I got Shaima's letter a couple of days ago— she was really excited about your find in the Tantari, so I'm looking forward to working with you as well."
"Thank you," Zelda said, nodding her head again. "I appreciate your help, really— I'm not especially familiar with the history of the Hebra mountain range, and we need all the help we can get."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Medli chirped. The owl-faced Rito coughed, and Medli frowned in his direction. "...Well, maybe it's a little trouble. You said you were looking for Sheikah ruins ten millennia or older, right?"
"Closer to twelve, I think," Zelda said. "I'm sorry, do you mind if we sit down? It's been a very long day on the road."
"Yes, of course," Medli said, bounding back in a flurry of pale feathers.
There had been a chair behind her at the table, which Ganondorf hadn't noticed, and which Zelda was quick to occupy. He resisted the urge to glare at her back and sank to the floor instead, wincing at the ache in his thighs as he went. The floorboards beside him creaked as Link settled down as well, the warm bulk of his weight pressed against Ganondorf's left hip, between Ganondorf and the door as if on watch. The owl-faced Rito settled against the opposite wall, his crimson eyes studying the two of them.
"So," he said. "We already knew Hilda had a Link, but Shaima's letter didn't say anything about a Gerudo travelling with them. They pick you up in Parapa?"
"The Rova asked that I accompany them, after what they found in the Desert of Mysteries," Ganondorf replied. He narrowed his eyes, squinting harder at the Rito. "Where do I know you from, anyway?"
The owl-faced Rito shrugged, the feathers over his shoulders rippling. "Went on a trade expedition to the Ranel oasis once, a couple years back," he said. "Name's Komali."
"Dragmire," Ganondorf said, inclining his head in turn.
The name was ash and grit on his tongue. If he'd been home in Parapa, the Rova would have presented him before his people and let his old name burn away like old paper in the desert sun, leaving only him behind. And instead, here he was, pushing against the shell of the girl he'd once been like a chick too weak to break out of the egg.
He inclined his head a little further and broke from Komali's gaze, studying the well-worn wood of the floor instead.
Paper and feathers shuffled, and he glanced sideways in time to watch Medli pull a number of scrolls from their shelves and set them down on the table. She unfurled one, which Ganondorf couldn't see from his angle, but he was willing to bet it was a map.
"So, tell me more about your research project," she said. "Shaima said something about your research being focused on a set of ruins of a particular age, but she wasn't very clear about it."
"Right, the temples," Zelda said, propping an elbow on the table. "My mentor, Aginah, has been working with the women of the royal family for several decades to reconstruct the history of the Daughters of Hylia, their connection to the Calamity, and their association with the Hero who wields the Sword that Seals the Darkness. We've managed to piece together the official records that survived the Great Calamity, enough to have a fairly clear picture dating back to the Hyrulean Civil War three and a half thousand years ago, when the Daughters of Hylia lay claim to the Throne of Hyrule. The records before that are muddy— they seem to point to the Daughters running a priestesshood involved with Hyrulean Triune worship, though we have evidence that they were royalty around the time of the construction of the Divine Beasts— but the only lead we have on where they came from before that seems to tie in to the legend of the First Hero."
Medli cocked her head, golden eyes sharp. "Go on," she said encouragingly.
Ganondorf took a deep, quiet breath, trying not to react too outwardly. The taste of copper bloomed again on his tongue, and he bit the inside of his cheek to ignore it. His heart had increased its pace, without his noticing, but he could feel it now thundering in the hollow of his throat.
"According to this legend, a very long time ago the world was smothered beneath the clouds of Calamity's darkness," Zelda said. "When all hope seemed lost, a youth led by a messenger of the goddess Hylia descended from the sky to bring light to the land. It's said he conquered three trials of flame, and in return was gifted a golden power he used to drive back the darkness. We thought this was only a legend, of course— at least, until an excavation on the Great Plateau uncovered a second temple under the ruins of the Temple of Time, which was filled with murals elaborating on this myth. And in them, this hero is always mentioned in conjunction with a 'spirit maiden', who— if my mentor's theory is correct, may be the first Daughter of Hylia. However, we weren't so certain how true this legend is, so my mentor decided the best course of action would be to search for the sites of the three 'trials of flame' mentioned in it."
"And you think you've found one?" Medli asked. "...I'm sorry if I sound skeptical, this just doesn't sound plausible . Any story that old, without hard evidence…"
"There were partial stanzas of a poem in the main hall of the Temple of Time that seemed to describe a particular location in the Faron jungle, so I secured Link's assistance and requested permission to take an expedition and see if a ruin or ritual site actually existed there," Zelda said. "And there was— an entire ancient Sheikah complex, I believe contemporary in construction to the Divine Beasts, built over what appeared to be an older sanctum dedicated to Farore, complete with a brazier and a flame mural on one of the walls."
Link shifted beside Ganondorf, putting a little more weight against his hip and thigh. "That one had a poem, too, and it led us to a second temple in the desert."
His eyes, when Ganondorf glanced back at him, were bright. Dancing, even, and something about the look, about his tone , made the copper taste in Ganondorf's mouth grow stronger. He turned his gaze to Zelda, who had leaned towards Medli, her face open and excited.
"We believe the third temple in this set, the one dedicated to Nayru, may be somewhere in the Hebra mountains," she said. "Unfortunately, there are virtually no records of Sheikah sites in the region, and I just don't know enough about the history of Hebra to even begin to guess. Which is why I'm here to ask for your help."
Medli shrugged, ruffling the feathers on her shoulders. "It can be hard to tell in Hebra— the snow covers everything almost all year, and there aren't many Hylian or Sheikah structures that are still visible under it, aside from a couple of the glowing shrines and the big tower over Pondo's Pass. I suppose you've got a map of those locations yourself?"
"Of course," Zelda said. "I wouldn't dream of heading up into Hebra without a good map."
"Right," Medli said. "I've got a map here—" she patted one of the still-furled scrolls— "of all the known and recorded Sheikah or Hylian sites in Hebra. Most of the shrines are located on the northern side of the mountain range, but a lot of the recorded building sites are on the southern faces, especially around Lake Kilsie and the Sturnida Basin, so those will probably be your best bet."
"Or Mount Corvash," Komali said. "The Buteo flock came in off the south slopes two days ago, and they're reporting an avalanche on the southwest slope."
Medli frowned. "That's...but Corvash almost never sheds snow cover, especially not this early in the season. We might just have to go check that out."
"Would you?" Zelda asked.
"Absolutely," Medli said. "We were planning on flying out tomorrow morning, so...how does meeting around midday sound?"
"That would be wonderful ," Zelda said.
"Gives us time to look into cold-weather gear, too," Link added. "I don't think cloaks are going to cut it up there."
Medli shook her head. "You'll want to head down to the Brazen Beak and get outfitted. It's pretty cold for Hylians— and Gerudo— up on the slopes, and the passes just opened up last week."
"We'll take that under consideration," Zelda said. "...Though I suppose whether we're headed up to Mount Corvash or over to Lake Kilsie will determine how much and what degree of cold-weather gear we'll need—"
"Why don't we take a look at the map I've got here, so you can make a more educated guess?" Medli asked, unrolling her scroll. "I've got a couple of known sites I think might interest you, if Corvash is a bust."
Ganondorf sighed quietly and stood, wincing as his legs screamed in protest. Link yelped, scrambling to brace himself, and Zelda glanced back at them. He froze a moment, uncertain. His hands fisted in his cloak.
"...I need some air," he said quietly. "And I don't think the four of you really need me for your research, so will it be alright if I step out a moment?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes, that's alright."
"Do you want me to walk you back down to the inn?" Link asked. The floorboards creaked again as he shifted his weight into a crouch, ready to stand.
"I'm alright, but thank you," Ganondorf said.
He slipped out without another word, before any of the others could protest. The night air had chilled further, and it bit when he stepped out from behind the curtain and into the dark, in the way the winds of the desert never did even in the dead of a winter night. Ganondorf pulled his cloak more tightly around him and flipped his hood up, relishing the warmth of the spelled ruby around him, then tilted his head back and gazed skyward. The moon was rising over the hills to the east, round and heavy in the sky— it would be full in the next day or two, he could feel it. Could feel the faint pull of power from it, and from somewhere in the north.
He turned his gaze northwards, to the line of the mountains upthrust against the fading sky, the snow pink and fading to white as the moon rose higher. The scent of ice was in the air, and he reached up to touch the ruby brooch almost unconsciously, then closed his eyes and began to reach.
The curtain flew open behind him, spilling warmth and voices out into the evening, and he jumped, snapped out of his distraction. There was a rustle of feathers immediately behind him, and then Komali sprang up onto the railing beside him. Komali's pupils had gone wide and black, and he cocked his head, studying Ganondorf in a way that suggested he might stoop at any moment and sink claws in.
"What?" Ganondorf asked.
Komali tilted his head the other way. "...You're not just some girl your priestesses asked to go along with, are you," he said. "Like the girl in there is Princess Zelda, not some common archaeologist."
"Why humor her, if you know?" Ganondorf asked. "Because I finally figured out where I know the name Komali from. My mother arranged trade agreements with your father, when he assumed the head of your council, and I recognized your face."
"Dealing with Hylian royalty is a pain in the ass, Lady Dragmire," Komali said.
Ganondorf snorted. "It's King now, actually, but you're absolutely right."
Komali shuffled his wings. "My condolences," he said.
"Thank you," Ganondorf replied. He hesitated a moment, then turned his back to the mountains and leaned against the rail beside Komali, tipped his face up to stare at the night sky.
"So why are you playing entourage to Hylians, anyway?" Komali asked.
Ganondorf sighed quietly. "...Because the Rova said I have a destiny, and somehow it's connected to that girl in there, and the boy who carries the Sword."
Komali's beak clacked, and Ganondorf couldn't help jumping. "So that's why Dinraal's patrolling the Tanagar Canyon again," he said.
Ganondorf nodded. "We sighted Farosh over the highlands starting about a month ago, when the moon was full, and the spirits of the desert are...restless."
"Hylians," Komali said. "Them and their Calamity, always causing trouble for the rest of us."
"Sometimes I wonder how you tolerate them, setting up their stables inside your borders and bringing their goddess into your home," Ganondorf said, glancing sideways at Komali. "My grandmother had the last remaining statue of Hylia thrown out of Parapa in the fifth year of her reign."
"They're not easy to get rid of," Komali said. "And they're decent trade partners, when they aren't trying to scalp our merchants and—"
"And undermine trade deals with other nations, right," Ganondorf said. "I'm a little surprised they haven't tried to move into Totori Village and try and enforce their laws on you yet."
Komali clacked his beak again. "They could try , but I don't think they're interested in us the same way they are you and the Faronese."
Ganondorf grimaced, like he'd chewed a raw kahve bean. "Count yourself lucky, then," he said. "I've met exactly one Hylian man who wasn't an invasive know it all, and—"
The curtain opened again, spilling more light and heat, and Link emerged from the building to shiver in the cool night air. He looked tired, Ganondorf thought, and he stretched and yawned almost as the thought occurred.
"Hey," he said through the yawn, blissfully unaware of the glance Ganondorf shot Komali, of the way the Rito arched a brown-speckled brow. "Zelda's gonna be in there a while yet, do you wanna head back to the inn now and get some sleep at a reasonable hour?"
"Alright," Ganondorf said, and pushed himself back upright, then met Komali's gaze. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow morning?"
"If everything goes well," Komali said.
Ganondorf nodded and made his way back over to Link, letting the Hylian hook his elbow around his arm and lead him back down the stairs. His knees wobbled slightly, legs aching with every step, and Link's grip tightened.
"Are you doing okay?" Link asked. "I saw you were limping earlier."
Ganondorf grimaced. "I'm...a bit sore from the ride, honestly. You two may have to leave me behind, if you're planning to go hiking the slopes of Hebra."
"Or we'll wait until you're up for it," Link said. "Zelda and I've talked about it, and we'll go together or we won't go at all."
"What, afraid you won't be able to make it through without me?" Ganondorf asked.
"Hey, sometimes it's handy to have a second sword around," Link said, grinning.
Ganondorf's cheeks warmed, and he looked away before the blush could rise any higher. Link tightened his grip slightly on his arm, his hand warm through the fabric of Ganondorf's kurta.
"But seriously," Link said, and his voice had gone gentle, "we're not going anywhere without you."
"...I appreciate it," Ganondorf replied, equally quietly.
They'd reached the inn by that point, and Link pushed aside the curtain that had been lowered across the entrance to keep out the night's chill, waving Ganondorf inside ahead of him. The inside of the inn was warm and quiet, lit with the same warm yellow glow as elsewhere in the village. The pink-feathered Rito was still at the counter, and he studiously avoided her gaze as he and Link made their way back into the east wing. Link pulled back the curtains to let them in, and Ganondorf noted that someone had placed a lamp on the table beside the middle bed while they were out, lighting the space with a soft yellow glow and giving off a gentle warmth against the cool air of the inn.
Ganondorf all but collapsed onto his bed when he reached it, his legs finally giving out. He grimaced, kneading at the muscles of his thighs and ignoring the ache he was trying to soothe. And the way Link watched him, his expression gentle. His lips were slightly parted, but it took him a moment to speak.
"...I think the tea shop a couple levels up was still open," Link said quietly. "If I go up and get something to eat or drink, do you want me to bring anything back for you?"
"Yes, please," he said quietly. "Just something light, and maybe an herbal tea if you can get one. Something that won't keep me awake." He sighed and let his shoulders slump, then met Link's eyes fully. "I really am tired tonight."
"I'll see if they have chamomile," Link said. "My mom always swore by it for helping sleep."
"I would appreciate it," Ganondorf said.
Link paused, and Ganondorf saw him tense, his eyes flicking down before he met Ganondorf's gaze again. Saw his hands tighten momentarily, as if he wanted to reach out.
He leaned in instead, pressing a kiss to Ganondorf's forehead, where his circlet would usually sit. Ganondorf stifled a gasp and gripped the fabric of his sirwal. His skin tingled where Link's lips touched it— and kept tingling even after he pulled away. His blue eyes had gone soft.
"I'll be right back, I promise," he said.
And then he turned on his heel and ran for it, yanking the curtains closed behind him.
Ganondorf stared at the place he'd been in shock, watching the fabric sway. He reached up carefully and touched his brow. The skin still felt strange, where Link had kissed him, but his fingers found nothing on inspection and he pulled them away, studying his fingertips. His heart was pounding.
"Nayru preserve me," he breathed, and rolled over, pressing his face into the sheets. His cheeks had gone hot— when had he started blushing? Goddesses, please let it have been after Link had left.
No man, he thought, should ever have such power over him.
When his embarrassment subsided, he rolled over onto his side and turned to face the wall, away from the little oil lamp lighting the space. He let his hand slip into his pocket, running his fingers over the cool, smooth surface of the orb from the Colossus.
The Rova had taken precisely one look at it and known it immediately for a mage's focus. A focus for what , they weren't sure— the stone was unfamiliar to both of them, and not mentioned in any of the records they recalled. It wasn't luminous stone, or any of the elemental ores; none of them shone blue and violet with every little shift of the light. At certain angles the surface seemed chased with writing, at others it was nearly transparent, at others endless blue and violet and falling ever inwards. Kotake had wanted to keep it in the Temple. Koume had insisted he take it with him, after he told them how he'd acquired it.
After all, if such a focus had fallen into his hands in such a manner, it must have been his by right.
His eyelids slipped closed.
He stood in the entry hall of the Desert Colossus. The space was filled with red and gold light, washed and rippling, but the space burned . Black and magenta smoke boiled up through the pavers. A pulse underfoot. His boots on stone as he hurried down the stairs into the innermost sanctum. The air shuddered as he laid a palm on the cool-burning door to the Chamber of the Flame, as the light spilled out around him.
Stone walls, burning. Stone floor. The dark shadow of a cape against the bright, and fiery hair. An opening in the flames, through which blackness burned.
The King stood before the brazier, his back to him.
"Why did you come here?" he asked, and Ganondorf had no answers.
The King turned and stared at Ganondorf with his own eyes. Held open his own hands— in greeting? In supplication? Warning?
"You should not have come, Son of Din," said the King. "This is no place for the likes of us."
Ganondorf opened his mouth to speak, and the burning blackness behind the King began to uncurl. Dark, iridescent scales on scales on scales, pressing the rent in the flames ever wider. White claws hooking over the edge of it, and white teeth, a maw boiling with liquid Malice. The King spread his arms and closed his eyes, those eyes which were also Ganondorf's and he began to fall—
"Ah," said a voice behind him, cool and shivering steel, and a hand landed gently on his shoulder. " There you are, young master."