Chapter 19 - Nemesis
As soon as Link left Misty Falls for Engleton, the Triforce symbol on the back of his hand faded from sight.
It was the first time he'd been unable to see the mark since the morning he'd discovered it in Kakariko. The thought brought to mind the fact that he'd been within Zelda's reach since their journey began, making their recent separation feel unsettling.
Still, she was now heading to safety with the revolt, and he'd much rather part ways for a short time to keep her safe than drag her into danger. So he had no regrets, and commenced with his search for survivors on the way to Engleton.
Or what was left of it.
Instead of taking the direct path to town, he spent some time combing the outskirts while making sure to remain out of sight of enemy eyes—not that there seemed to be anyone watching. At every turn, he found nothing but trees and the tracks of a few random animals, but nothing to suggest anyone was around, or had ever been there at all.
And the closer he got to town, the stronger the scent of smoke became.
It was the same scent he'd detected when visiting Engleton for the first time with Zelda, making it seem as if the town had been built under an ill fated star. Yet, for as foreboding as the scent was, the sight awaiting him was a hundred times worse.
Keeping to the foliage surrounding the settlement with his cloak's hood covering his head to help blend into the trees, his expression grew grim to spy the state of the distant structures comprising Engleton. Smoke was still rising from several buildings while others were completely demolished. If that wasn't bad enough, the remains of the victims caught in the chaos were still lying about, their bodies abandoned without choice by the townspeople who'd been forced to flee their homes.
Link's fists tightened on Epona's reins. Myriad said loss of life was inevitable, and he tried to remind himself of that now, tried to remember the survivors making their way to the revolt with Zelda. With any luck, they'd already reached the Zora River, and instead of blaming himself for not being there when the town was attacked, he kept their lives in mind and those of any survivors he might locate.
And he silently swore to find them no matter what it took.
With the determination in mind, he exhaled a breath that showed up as steam in the cold air. With a gloomy sky above blocking the sun and the fog of smoke clouding his view, it wasn't going to be easy to conduct his search. Survivors could be hiding just about anywhere, and yet, the thought reminded him of the gift he and Zelda received from the Temple of Water.
If it showed hidden areas, perhaps it would help here, and he wasted no time invoking the spell, his blue eyes beginning to glow as he gazed about the area.
Thankfully, the magic did indeed allow him to see into the rubble of the homes, though it was somewhat difficult to make out what he was seeing. The rooms looked jumbled, layers of walls appearing all at once, their outlines meshing together in his sight.
Yet he knew for certain there wasn't anyone hiding inside if only because he could make out more bodies within the charred structures. Some were ashen from the fires, others torn apart, the sight of each feeding his ire in ways he couldn't explain.
Truly, Ganondorf couldn't have been human as Link refused to believe anyone with a soul was capable of such atrocities. No, the King of Evil was precisely that—a monster plaguing the land with darkness and despair.
With the thoughts in mind, Link rode Epona toward the town ruins, wishing there was time to pile the bodies to burn in a proper send off. But his search took precedence, and as Epona carried him down a deserted roadway through town, he knew that no matter how desolate and quiet things were, someone would show up eventually.
The only question was whether they'd be friend or foe.
Regardless, there was but one silver lining to the situation, and it was Zelda's absence. This proverbial graveyard wasn't something she needed to see as it would've shattered her gentle heart into a million pieces—even he wished he could erase the images from his mind.
Yet his surroundings also fed his determination to make things right again, and that yearning was rooted deep within his soul. No matter what came, he'd face it, or fight to protect anyone fortunate enough to have survived the attack.
No sooner than the thought struck did the sound of shuffling hit his ears as he came to a stop near the rubble of a home.
Looking up, he gripped Epona's reins in one hand and the hilt of his sword in the other, waiting for the source to round the corner. Yet the soft shuffling continued for another few moments with nothing emerging, and Link almost made the decision to take a risk and ask who was there when a rabbit hopped out onto the roadway.
Seeing the tiny creature, he exhaled low, muscles relaxing as the rabbit scratched the side of its head with its foot before standing on hind legs to sniff the air.
"Well … at least you're not a cucco," he remarked while releasing his sword, adding, "otherwise I would've been doomed."
Smirking, he shook his head and glanced around once more, deciding this side of town was a lost cause. Not only had he searched for several hours now only to find a rabbit, the animal itself was a good sign that no one was about, friendly or otherwise.
Perhaps survivors had all taken shelter somewhere far away from this place, and he could only hope that was true as he continued onto the other side of town, eventually reaching the wagon trail where he and Zelda had arrived during their first visit. It was there, amid a short wall of shrubs and trees lining both sides of the road, that he came to a brief stop at the notice of tracks left in the muddy path.
They resembled canine paw prints, but there were only two paws instead of four. They were also too large to belong to a normal dog, suggesting the types of beasts he'd seen in his nightmare.
Sadly, the tracks were old and leading into town, which told him nothing he didn't already know. Yet he had no time to react to the thought when a branch nearby snapped, the sound drawing his attention to the left side of the road where he spotted someone moving swiftly through the trees.
They zipped away so swiftly he could barely see them, and yet the shape was distinctly human.
At the thought, Link kicked his heels into Epona's sides, taking off toward the trees while attempting to use his gift of sight to track their movements. Doing so, he could make out only a few features, enough to tell that he was following a woman, but she disappeared over the top of a short hill before he could catch up.
"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"
There was no response—unless one counted the sound of hooves hitting the ground in the near distance.
The noise seemed to come out of nowhere, and Link instantly drew Epona to a stop, listening as the galloping seemed to grow louder. Whether that was an indication of someone getting closer, or that there was more than one rider nearby, it was hard to say. But the woman he'd seen was running in the opposite direction, suggesting danger lurked nearby and she knew it.
At the thought, he turned Epona and goaded her toward the sounds, moving along a path shrouded by a dense grouping of shrubs which slowly thinned out toward the end of the trail. There, he could see through them just well enough to make out the source of the sounds, and abruptly drew Epona to a stop at the sight before him.
Jackal Knights.
Just as Zelda described and he'd seen in his nightmare, a group of the monsters had gathered in a grove of trees. Three of them had just rode up on horses where two of their companions were settled in the grass eating raw meat—and Link had no intentions of guessing what type it might've been.
He merely watched in disgust as their drooling fangs sank into flesh, tearing it from bone with inhuman snarls until the other three came over and shoved their companions aside, stealing their food with garbled sounds he couldn't begin to describe.
Yet, for as stomach turning as their eating habits were, their preoccupation with the activity proved they were unaware of his presence. So he silently slipped off of Epona's back and removed his cloak for ease of movement before grabbing his bow.
As the Jackals continued making the disgusting sounds, Link nocked an arrow, using the magic skills Zelda taught him to ignite the tip in flame. Taking aim, he got one of the creatures in his sights and prepared to send the projectile flying—just as a snarl sounded from behind.
Spinning around to find a sixth Jackal had just spotted him, the creature glared at him with blood red eyes while opening its mouth as if to warn the others. But, with an arrow already nocked, Link let it fly right into the monster's throat, effectively silencing the dog while bringing it down to a single knee.
Sadly, it didn't matter, and though the sixth hadn't been able to alert his friends, several gasped growls sounded in the grove.
Perhaps they had sensitive hearing, or like any dog, they'd caught his scent. Whatever the case, Link put his bow away and immediately rushed the Jackal he'd just shot.
Letting a yell of force, he drew the Master Sword around at an arc to cut through the monster's throat, making quick work of it.
By then, the others had come running, converging on Link's position with an alarming amount of speed. But their target was no slug, the Hylian rolling aside to dodge a blade before turning to meet his sword against the weapon of another Jackal, sneering up at the beast as it emitted a drooling snarl.
The sound was punctuated by the clash of metal as Link engaged the beasts with the memory of the corpses he'd seen in Engleton fueling his determination to put a stop to their evil for good. So, after exchanging several blows, he blocked an attack to his side with his shield followed by slashing his blade through the Jackal's breastplate.
There was no doubting Ganondorf had equipped his beasts with armor that could withstand quite a few blows. Yet the Master Sword tore through it as if they wore nothing more than cloth, blood spurting from the dog's new wound.
Following his successful strike, Link was forced to leap backwards when another mutt flanked his side with a vicious attack. Flipping backwards before landing in a crouch nearby, he lifted his blade back with his shield held protectively before his body, waiting as the beasts rushed toward his new position—and the Master Sword began glowing white with energy.
All he needed was the right moment to strike.
Just as the three were about to converge on his position, Link released the stored energy in his blade with a swift spin, drawing the Master Sword around in a circle. The movement sent out a wave of light that slammed into his attackers all at once with a force that knocked two of them back, leaving them howling in pain.
As for the third, being the one he'd already injured, the blow took the Jackal down for good.
At that point, one of the monsters turned to run toward their horses, either to flee, or attempt to get help. Regardless, Link had no intentions of letting him go, and took off on foot, ducking a swung blade before removing the hookshot from his belt with his shield arm.
As the Jackal moved around a tree to reach a black steed nearby, Link aimed at the branches above and pulled the trigger. With two of the beasts following behind him, the chain shot through the air to latch onto a tree branch above, and he released the lever just as one of his enemies leaped toward him.
Pulled from the ground mere seconds before he could be tackled, Link swung through the air with a good deal of speed thanks to the hookshot's retracting chain. Using his momentum, he lifted his boots, swinging around to slam his legs into the retreating Jackal's back.
The force knocked him over moments before he could reach his horse. Tumbling onto his stomach, the beast instantly pushed himself back up to try again—just as the tip of the Master Sword emerged from the center of his chest.
Jerking his blade out again, Link looked toward the remainder of his enemies to find them still moving toward him. Sneering at the sight, he wasted no time turning to slap the hind flanks of the black steed next to him, causing the animal to lift its front legs with a loud whinny before taking off—right into one of the Jackals.
Knocked over and trampled beneath the stallion's hooves, the beast struggled on the ground with his new injuries, giving Link time to focus on a single enemy instead of two at once, and the last beast was now moving in with his battle axe at the ready.
Bringing it down against the Hylian's sword, the two exchanged several blows with loud pings and scrapes of metal. Yet their engagement was brief, ending when Link blocked a blow with his shield followed by turning to stab the Master Sword into his opponent's chest before the beast could recover and attempt to dodge.
Successfully landing the blow, he jerked his weapon back and faced the last of his enemies in the area. Doing so revealed the mutt pushing himself up with one of his arms clutched close to his chest as if it were broken. Yet Link showed no mercy, giving these Jackals the same treatment they'd given the villagers.
His only regret was in knowing there was no other way to stop their chaos from spreading than to defeat them.
Finishing off the last one as a low rumble of thunder sounded overhead, he regarded the defeated Jackal quietly, noticing something unexpected. Once killed, the dark powers that had fueled these beasts faded away, leaving their true forms behind—men who had blindly served Ganondorf for years.
Furthermore, the one before him seemed familiar, and as he tried to place where he'd seen the man's face before, the memory emerged. The day he and Zelda were chased from Roshala Village by Arden and his men, one of the soldiers had almost fallen to his death, but Link saved his life with a ladder made of arrows.
This was the same young man.
Link's eyes closed at the thought, his lips parting with a low sigh as the rains began to fall. So much for good intentions, he supposed, finding himself regretting the situation more than ever.
Yet he had no time to dwell on the matter before a sound in the distance drew his attention—horses, and plenty of them.
Realizing more Jackals were now heading his way, Link immediately abandoned the grove to find Epona and leave before they could arrive and swarm him. Besides, it was a better idea to find a place to fight that offered more freedom of movement, not to mention structures that might serve as protection.
With the thought in mind, he gripped Epona's reins and goaded her in the direction of town, looking back to see several Jackals emerging from the trees on horseback.
Freeing the Master Sword once more, he prepared for a second round as two of the riders caught up, flanking both of his sides—and he made his move.
Pulling a leg up to press his boot into the saddle, he smacked Epona's hind flanks to push her into a sprint. Instantly, she darted ahead, and at the same time, he leaped from her back and onto the horse of the Jackal riding next to him while avoiding the swing of a sword behind him.
Naturally, the rider of the horse he'd just switched to didn't agree with his tactics and threw an elbow back in an attempt to knock the Hylian off of his mount. The blow caught Link in the gut, knocking the wind from his lungs. Yet he forced himself to focus through the pain and thrust the Master Sword into the Jackal's back before shoving him out of the saddle.
Gasping for breath while reaching for the reins, Link looked up to see the other Jackals ignoring Epona to follow him—just like he wanted. Whatever happened next, he not only needed his trusted steed to carry him from place to place, he also couldn't stand the thought of her being injured.
So he continued on without her, finding the horse he'd stolen was suitable for the situation as his fight against the Jackals continued.
Using various tactics, he overcame them one by one. Some were subdued with flaming arrows while others were defeated with the Master Sword. Link even had the chance to make use of the silver gauntlets by knocking the wall of a destroyed tavern over on three of his enemies at once.
Yet his successful battle tactics didn't come without cost.
The Jackals were no pushovers, each putting up a fight he would've been foolish to ignore. The result saw Link suffering a few injuries that, though minor, would eventually take their toll if he didn't take care to pace himself and watch his steps.
Still, he held his own against the beasts without falter, their fight eventually leading through Engleton and to a set of roadways just beyond the edge of town. There, it finally ended in the rain with Link standing near the center of a junction between a few homes and shops that had been ruined the previous night.
Breathing heavily, he held the Master Sword at his side, the tip pointed down as rain tapped against the blade to mix with the black blood streaking across it. The same blood was now painting the streets with the bodies of those he'd overcome scattered about. Gazing across the junction, Link used his left hand to swipe some of his own blood from his nostril, getting the feeling that though he'd won this round, his fight was far from over.
The thought had him scanning the terrain in search of … something. Whatever it was, he knew there was more to come, could feel it in his bones. Something was waiting for him—he simply didn't know what, or where it might be hiding.
The sensation made it impossible to relax, though he knew it would be a good idea to take this moment of downtime to recover and prepare for the next wave of his battle. Yet, as his vision drifted downward, his considerations were interrupted when his gaze was snagged by the back of his left hand.
The mark of the Triforce had just lit up.
Eyes locking on the golden triangles, Link's sense of foreboding redoubled. The only reason his mark would present itself now was if one of two people were close by—and considering the situation, he knew it wasn't Zelda.
The answer lay behind him.
Soft chuckling emanated from a point beyond two homes nearby, the tone possessing a deep, masculine timbre as muddy hooves trotted along toward the junction where the Hylian stood with his sword and shield still drawn. Hearing it, Link spun around, though looking wasn't necessary to know who he'd find.
"I'd always wondered how the Hero of Legend might fight, and I can see you're light on your feet."
Settled atop a black stallion with eyes glowing red as if fueled by his master's dark power, Ganondorf drew his mount to a stop ten feet away and regarded Link with a type of quiet interest the Hylian didn't appreciate. Yet he said nothing, and only watched the King of Evil carefully, their breath taking the form of steam in the cold evening air.
During the silence, he couldn't help thinking Ganondorf didn't look as monstrous as expected after witnessing the condition of Engleton. Still, there was a foreboding quality to his features that gave his presence an intimidating air, his yellow eyes glinting with a type of quiet malice that could likely bring a lesser man to his knees with a single glare.
Yet Link's attention centered on the color of his hair and beard—a vibrant red that was identical to Nabooru's.
A wave of remorseful derision overwhelmed Link at the thought. The notion that this King of Evil who'd destroyed towns and slaughtered innocent people was her lost son sickened him. Yet he hardly had the time to consider it before Ganondorf smirked and casually turned to dismount his horse.
Setting his boots onto the muddy ground, the false king leisurely approached the Hylian with no weapon in hand. For that matter, he didn't appear to be armed, though Link didn't relax his stance, nor did he put his blade away.
No matter how things appeared, Link didn't trust him, maintaining his wary glare as Ganondorf remarked, "So, we meet at last … Link, isn't it?"
Remaining silent, he watched as Ganondorf crossed his arms over his chest, the back of his left hand lit with his own Triforce symbol that saw the top triangle glowing the brightest.
After a moment of silence passed between them, the false king observed with some mild amusement, "I see you have nothing to say."
He was right. There was nothing Link could think to say to this monster that would make any bit of difference. They were both on a path to destiny neither could control to change the story—as much as Ganondorf might want to argue the fact—and as the rains grew heavier around them, so too did the tension.
And it didn't feel exactly the way he'd imagined it might.
Instead, there was something almost familiar in facing his nemesis, as if destiny had them playing a part, one where they'd stood on similar battlefields numerous times before and fought countless, bloody fights. They were age old enemies with nothing to say, and the only sounds to ever pass between them was the violent clash of swords.
Yet Link did finally ask, "What could I say to someone who kills for no reason? What could I ever say to someone who doesn't care to hear?"
Surprisingly, the words didn't fall on deaf ears, but they only drew a cruel smirk to his lips.
"Well, if there's nothing to be said," Ganondorf started, lifting a hand to reach behind his back in adding, "then all that remains is action."
As Link lifted his weapon and shield, the false king drew his own blade from beneath his dark cape, a broadsword of the finest craftsmanship which he slowly pointed at his enemy.
Yet he didn't move, and instead, remarked, "Then again, there may just be something worth saying after all. You must realize I know things that could be of interest."
Holding his defensive stance in case this was merely a ploy to get his guard to drop, Link returned, "There's nothing you know that I care to hear."
"Don't be brash," Ganondorf retorted with a scoff, asking, "What about the parents of your dearly beloved friend? Hadinaru and Nissandra? Wouldn't you like to know their true fate?"
Of all the things Ganondorf could've said, mentioning Zelda's parents was at the bottom of Link's list of expectations, and uncertain confusion lit in his blue eyes.
Seeing it, the King of Evil continued, "You see? You're being brash when I do indeed have something of import to relate. I'd told Myriad of this as well, but she's evidently said nothing to you, likely because she knows as I do that once Zelda learns the truth, she'll come running to the palace like a moth flies to flame."
"What are you talking about?" Link asked impatiently, tired of the way he was dancing around whatever he wanted to say.
With sword in hand, the false king turned and took a few casual steps, explaining, "As everyone was told, Hadinaru and Nissandra are dead. Yet the truth is that my father, after learning of Princess Zelda's survival, put them into a deep slumber, meaning they only appeared to have perished."
Coming to a stop, Ganondorf met Link's gaze once again, his lips curved in half a smirk as he related, "Naturally, Dragmire did this to have leverage, to draw her out, for he knew the moment he learned of her survival that she had to be one of the two chosen to gain a piece of the Triforce."
Though Link continued to sneer at his enemy, his eyes had widened, fingers tightening their grip on the hilt of his blade. The King and Queen are alive? Somehow, he couldn't wrap his head around that, knowing fully well Ganondorf could've been lying. Yet it didn't feel like a lie, particularly when Link recalled the dreams Zelda told Myriad about.
In them, she'd heard her parents calling for her to save them, but couldn't be sure of the reason why. So was this it? Were her dreams trying to tell her the truth?
It was the only explanation that made any sense, and as Link considered it, Ganondorf continued.
"As for you, I'm sure Myriad told you this attack on my own kingdom was done as a means of drawing out two Hylians who'd eluded me for a decade now. So it disappoints me to find that you've abandoned Zelda to come here alone as I would've loved to have seen the look on her face when she learned of her sires' survival, but I'll settle for what I can get."
Despite his continued glare, Link couldn't ignore the sense of triumph he felt over leaving Zelda with Lyonel and the others. Yet he didn't comment on it, asking instead, "So what now? Are you planning to kill me and take the Triforce of Courage? That's all you want, isn't it?"
As if he'd said something vastly amusing, Ganondorf laughed and threw a twisted smirk in his direction.
"What I want?" Shaking his head, the false king mocked, "That is something your puny mind couldn't begin to fathom. But no, not precisely. As Myriad's stubborn refusal to cooperate has left me with little choice, I'm going to let you live long enough to tell Zelda the truth of her parents' survival in the hopes that your bonds of friendship will keep her tethered to you instead of sending her running off in the middle of the night to save them."
Conversely, he added, "Or you can keep that information a secret and risk breaking those bonds once she discovers you'd known the truth all along. Either way, she will come to the palace to save them, and all I have to do is wait."
Raising his sword to point in the Hylian's direction, he concluded, "Until then, I'll settle for cutting you down to size."
Link's sneer was filled with loathing. If he'd only supposed Ganondorf wasn't human before, now there wasn't any room for doubt—and he was ready to be done with his evil once and for all.
So he drew the Master Sword up with but one thing to say.
"If waiting is all you need to do, then you'd better kill me now. Otherwise, you won't live to see later."
A grin split Ganondorf's lips, his laughter echoing through the rains beating down around them, and both knew the truth of the situation. Once again, age old enemies stood face to face upon a battlefield, and just as in countless conflicts waged before, neither were willing to wait.
Simultaneously, they closed the gap, moving toward one another as blade rose against blade in a loud clash of fury with teeth bared in anger and eyes locked in hate.
It was only the beginning.