Chapter 5: Enter Gannondorf!
The sound faded slowly as they journeyed far into the conifer filled woodland and the now melancholy looking Kokiri child left them at the end of the path and walked in to the forest. When Carrie turned away and looked back again she had vanished. She figured this was one of the special abilities of the Kokiri as nobody could disappear like that without magical means.
May ran up to Carrie and Link and hugged them as though they were old friends she had not seen in years. She had been crying.
"Oh you're alive!" she cried happily. "When everybody woke up and you were gone they thought you'd been taken and I was so worried." Carrie smiled an patted her on the back to comfort her. May's face changed quickly as she remembered something. "Professor Keapora said that if you came back he would want to see you." She said.
They were led to the professor's tent. It's canvas walls were lined with copies of ancient tapestries depicting Hyrulian history and ancient looking artefacts, some quite well known and sacred looking.
He motioned for Carrie to sit (he only had one extra chair) and he reached into a draw in his desk and pulled out a blue ceramic object.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked her.
"It looks like the Ocarina of Time." she replied
"Well it isn't. It's only a copy replica with 1/8th of the power. But you can still play the sacred melodies properly on it. Everything from the Ballad of the Wind Fish to Earth God's Aria has simular magical properties if played correctly… I assume you were taught in Primary School like most children? There is a reason why we do. You never know who the next hero will be."
Carrie looked quite puzzled to hear such a thing coming from the old professor, although it was the second time that day such a thing had been mentioned.
"I'm somewhat of a Thaumaturgist. I possess some limited magical apitude. When I first found this site I knew the hero would arrive soon. The village knows the hero. The hero lives here… or at least did. So I used my powers to find the highest 'Aetheric Potentiality', -the energy that determines the potential each person has to be the avatar of good to wield the Blade of Legend- in the region. The first person I found was clearly the hero. From my findings the hero was always called Link, and many had long blond hair… However there was no other time in history where fate had chosen two!
I think the gods want you to have this Carrie. They may not have blessed you with link's strength, but you have a powerful mind and the Hero's Courage."
He handed her the ocarina, which Carrie wrapped in a handkerchief and placed in her jacket pocket.
"The soldiers will be here soon. The one who is leading them will kill us if they find you. I will take you to path that leads out of the forest towards Death Mountain. Once you are out of the forest keep walking until you reach New Kakariko." He handed them an envelope. "When you arrive search for Angu Stockpot, the Cucco Farmer and give her this letter. She will find you passage into the mountains."
As he took them out of the tent Carrie could notice that they were packing up hers and Link's tent. The man who had greeted them when they first arrived was grumbling to himself that he'd just set it up.
May returned with three large packs with bedrolls and a shovel strapped to each. They weren't heavy but at least they could walk this way.
The trio were taken through the muddy archaeologist's camp to the edge of the clearing. There they suddenly noticed a path, hidden amongst the ferns and trees.
"Quickly, walk as far as you can, then hide. Once they are gone get as far as you can before dark. Don't travel in the forest at night and don't light a fire, climb a tree and huddle, it's too dangerous."
He smiled at them then shooed them off as a small group of soldiers in red jackets, white breeches and helmets marched alongside a man in arcane black and gold armour on a black horse, whose right arm was a monstrous mechanical claw. Link knew this man. He whispered to Carrie. "That's Gannondorf Dragmire. He's a wealthy Thaumaturgist, inventor and industrialist. He owns Dragmire Industries, the company that makes most of the weapons for Hyrule's army. Everything from Warships and Airships to Rifles and Artillery. His guns aren't very trustworthy. Nobody I know would use them unless they had too. His weapons are evil. He lost his arm in a sword duel as a boy he claims, and he built one out of machinery."
Keapora approached Gannondorf and he got down from his horse and removed his helmet, exposing his balding red hair, beard and pointy dark nose. Clanking with the slight burr of his arm he walked over to Keapora and with his left hand he shook hands with the wizened old gentleman.
"Mr. Gabora" he said politely. "My men and I are wondering if you have recently come in possession of a certain item. A green gemstone I believe."
Keapora flashed him an angry look. "I know why you're here. I know who you are."
Gannodorf's eyes suddenly glowed red with flames and with his claw like mechanical appendage he gripped the old man in the air.
"I know who are too Old Owl so let's not play games and you give me what I want and nobody gets hurt."
"You know as well as I do that it's too early for you to risk you reputation. I know this plan, It's all in circles isn't it, but this time you're in a world that's too quick for you. Trains, telegraph, newspapers… once they know you're coming there's no way to stop it and you're not ready… you're still wounded from last time."
Gannondorf smiled the laughed manically.
"Do you think I don't know my own plans? I've known the hero is re-born for a long time, and I've been watching out for him. I've been beaten by him enough times to know what I'm looking for… I bet he'd have the stone… and knowing the will of the goddesses I bet he's watching me right now from the bushes, like in Hyrule castle the first time, in Outset Village and the Fortress, and once more in Hyrule Castle." His tone shouted to a shout and he turned and looked around as if looking for the party. "Hey Link. You don't know me but I've met you, many times. Come out and fight me now or I'll kill this pathetic old man!"
He waited for several moments as if waiting for Link to challenge but none came.
"Damn I was hoping he was stupid enough to think he could take me on before he was ready… must be one of the older ones… Oh well, I was going to kill you anyway."
With a flash of dark energy the old man a charred corpse.
He called for one of his soldiers.
"Go into the woods and look for a young man in green. He'll proberbly have blond or light brown hair. Bring him and whatever he's carrying to me."
Link, Carrie and May took that as their sign to flee.