Chapter III – The Master
Ganondorf strolled along the corridor, lost in thought while rubbing the bandage. Unusual that his master wanted to speak with him, else he just passed down his messages to the respective trainers. He could count up on one hand how often he had visited him in his office. Otherwise he had only seen his master when this one decided to watch one of the, as he called it, 'gladiator's games' himself.
The guards on patrol eyed Ganondorf when he passed by, but since he belonged to the veteran fighters, he had earned the privilege to move in specific areas without restrictions. Since they wore heavy armor and some of them were even versed in the magic arts of stunning the opponent, attacking them was meaningless. Combined with their numbers, they would overpower him soon if he tried anything funny. Regarding the consequences, he did not even want to consider them. He must be in a desperate state if he even began to think about trying.
Two men with their faces hidden under a helmet guarded the oversized door of the master's office. Each one held a halberd crossed before it. Only on the movement of the head, Ganondorf assumed they observed him, before one nodded and the other said to him, "Master Azett is already awaiting you."
Both took their weapons up when they stepped to the side in order to make the way free. Ganondorf pushed the door open and walked into the office without knocking or any other sign for coming in.
The office had not changed from the last time he saw its interior, yet it was overwhelming time and time again. A red carpet, decorated with golden signs. Portraits cluttered the wall, showing treasures and other golden glowing riches like the picture with three connected triangles. The furnishings were either covered with a gold laver or even made solely of the pure metal. Jewelry even overspread the chandelier and windows.
Even the most foolish understood that Azett was a rich man who loved prosperity and splendor over anything else. It was common knowledge within the arena that widening his riches was the most important if not only interest in his life. How he earned it and how many had to give their lives for it was none of his concerns. This man did not care how many corpses pilled up as long as it paid off for him.
At least, Ganondorf assumed Azett was a man or at least a human. He had never seen his face, he always hid in the shadows for he engulfed his body in a silky cloak of a dark-violet color, ornamented with golden embroideries. He only left free were his hands cluttered with rings. The finger nails though, shaped like claws connected on the rough skin.
Since Ganondorf had entered the room, Azett had not said one word. He sat behind his desk, absorbed in a document in front of him. Even though he had his head tended down, Ganondorf could not deny that Azett had an intimidating aura around him. Cold and unpredictable. However, it did not prevent him from moving towards Azett and sitting down on the chair.
Slowly Azett put his hands away from the document while he lifted his head and said in a monotonous voice, "You're aware that I haven't given you the permission to take a seat, Garland?"
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "It's Ganondorf."
A cold silence filled the room. "Instead of apologizing, you dare to correct me. Very courageous. Or maybe foolish?" Azett opened his hand, stretching his fingers upright. "Despite all those years, the rebel inside you is still strong. It should not be this way."
Ganondorf wondered why he made the finger exercise. It was always impossible to tell what was truly going on in his mind as neither his tone of voice nor his body language gave away any useful indications. Well, they did not give away anything at all.
He felt a cold air on his neck, turning into a sharp pain. Reflexively he grabbed after it, but within moments, his fingers froze to the ice block which had formed itself around his left shoulder. It spread further and soon covered his mouth and nose. Though he could endure a short time without fresh air, it soon became an intense struggle.
Ganondorf crumbled on the chair. No air. No breath! Shortly before he thought he would suffocate, Azett clenched his hand together and the ice turned into water again. Ganondorf barely held himself on the chair when he braced his upper body with his arm on the desk, his whole body trembling.
While he still gasped for air, Azett said in his emotionless voice, "I disapprove of your behavior, but I will let it slip. For now. I assume you have seen the difference between your and my power. I can be certain you have understood that next time you behave inappropriately, the cold equals your eternal grave?"
Ganondorf only nodded. The shock still gnawed on him. Azett was one of the few, if not the only one, he truly dreaded. Especially after he had shown him personally why he did not need any guards in his office. He would pay a lot of attention to not upset Azett again as it was obvious he would make his menace a reality with one more wrong statement or action. This man did not make jokes. Never.
"Now that this is clarified, let us come to the reason I ordered you here before you reach the end of my patience and that of your own life." Azett spoke in his usual cold manner when he laid his hands over each other. "The battle you've presented us five days ago was, as you might have guessed if your mind is sharp, a special one. With that victory, you've proved to belong to my most powerful tools and that even despite your relatively young age. As you might know as well, the time for the Great Tournament has arrived yet again, but I'm still missing an eighth participant for the flagship of my arena."
Ganondorf stared baffled at him. He did not date to trust his ears. The tournament Azett spoke about was well known amongst the gladiators because it was the dream of every last one to attend it one day. He should not lose any more time to think about it, he had to answer. Not anger Azett further. He lacked the right words.
"To put it in more simple words for even you to understand, I want you to take part in the tournament," said Azett without changing his intonation. "I can assume you will enter without complaints?"
"I… yes," stumbled Ganondorf, still overwhelmed.
"Yes, of course you will." Ganondorf assumed he had seen a smugly smile beyond the shadow of Azett's robe. "It's not that any other answer would have been accepted. Because remember, you are mine and you do whatever I order, whenever I order, even if it includes your own death." Azett waved his hand before he commanded, "Go now. Your trainer already knows the introduction for your next month training schedule. I want you to fight on your highest level with the best skills. And I will not tolerate anything beneath that in the tournament." He balled his hands to fists when he added, "Do not disappoint me."
"I won't!" In no way would he forfeit this unique chance without doing everything possible. This Great Tournament, it could indeed be the change in his life he always dreamed about. The dream of becoming his own and only master.
Outside again, Ganondorf felt how tension left his body. Once he reached the end of the corridor, he turned around, watching back at the great door. He just realized how much influence Azett's presence alone had on him. Combined with the sorcerer skills he had witnessed on his own body, it made him even more terrifying.
Such a powerful man. Enviable. Just alone the thought of gaining power on the level of this man left a deep impression. A very deep one.
Ganondorf sighed. If he just could possess such powers as well one day, then no one would ever command him again. He would be forever his own and only master.
Back at the infirmary, Dina removed the bandages of his arm. Only small scratches remained, mostly a result thanks to the red potion. To his pleasure, the arm did not even hurt anymore. The moving itself was still uncoordinated and the fingers felt a little numb when he tried to fold them but he was confident he could soon use them to their full potential again.
Dina left him to heal up another gladiator. She told him to stay since his trainer intended to come here later on. Ganondorf remained on the seat where he recovered the feeling for his arm, when he was addressed from behind in a defiant way, "Well, well. Who would've guessed you're still with us. I thought the beast would have gotten rid of you. Seems like it was a weak one and I unfortunately have to endure your presence for longer."
Ganondorf did not need to turn around to get to know who was speaking to him. Surprising though he had not noticed him once he entered the hospital ward. Risaad, another fighter who had a small build for being a gladiator and who always wore his brown hair long. He knew that one since his childhood as the man was sent to the arena only two or three years after him.
With the difference that Risaad was already a grown-up back then yet right from the start, the man held an aversion against him. He never knew why. Not that it mattered, it soon became mutual and though they both desired to finally get assigned to fight and smash each other's skull in the arena, it never happened.
Ganondorf remained undeterred. "And I thought it was already clarified that one day I will personally feed your pathetic remains to the beasts to make them hungry for human flesh." Only afterwards he turned around. Risaad laid on one of the beds. "I'm even willing to take my free time to sign up for this task. You should feel honored I'm wasting my precious time on a lowlife like you, even after your rightful death."
"I'll engrave those words on your tombstone so that everybody remembers your pathetic arrogance," responded Risaad spitefully. "Though I'm afraid they're not giving those to such insignificant scum like you."
Ganondorf grinned but he could see that it bugged Risaad. It was a pleasure. "Insignificant, you say?" His grin got even more disdainful. "Well, as opposed to you, I am part of the next month's Great Tournament."
Disbelief ranged all over Risaad's face when he lifted his upper body and eyed Ganondorf suspiciously. "That was a good joke. You should apply yourself as a court jester. This fits you very well."
"No problem. After I've won, I'll come back whenever you're fighting and pray that your opponent slices through your stomach." Ganondorf ignored Risaad's false proposal though he did not hide his satisfying smile.
"You're serious?" yelled Risaad in surprise and horror alike. "By the Goddesses, they must have really run out of good gladiators if they've assigned someone like you." Forlorn he stroked over his forehead before he said after a while, "The secret to how you persuaded them lies in your nose, doesn't it? This beak was always suspicious to me, it's not said for nothing that liars grow a long one. Say, how can you actually hold the balance with such a thing in your mug?"
"Are you searching for trouble?" grumbled Ganondorf. The teasing between them was one thing but it was a red tag for him once his outer appearance was blemished. Or his name.
"No." Risaad remained unimpressed by the menace. "But I can imagine you can use it as a wonderful weapon to hack your enemies to death. Which makes me wonder… Why do you still carry a sword if you have such a weapon on your body all along?"
"Just keep your trap shut up!" Ganondorf drilled his hands into the chair to keep himself under control. Though he felt he was on the edge of losing it.
Risaad did not give in at that point when he asked in a false-pitying manner, "Oh, are we having problems with our temper again, Ganondork?"
Ganondorf could not hold it anymore. Energetically, he jumped from his chair that crashed on the floor. He burst out, "You will regret it, you bastard!"
He rushed towards Risaad. He would strangle him to death! Despite his foe prepared for the attack, Ganondorf was unable to even reach him. He was held back. Before he could react, one of his feet was already swept away and he landed on Risaad's bed. Although he tried to get free again, the intruder had pressed his knees on Ganondorf's back and twisted his arm in a way that increased the pain with every struggle he made. No chance of getting free.
No denying, this one knew how to handle him despite his high build and strength without the use of any weapons or spells. And he could only think of one person that was able to do so. That one was Karlos, the one who trained him since he was a child and knew all his weaknesses by heart.
After the first shock had vanished from Risaad, he began to laugh in mischievousness. In the meanwhile, other guards had gotten alarmed and entered the room.
"What's the noise about?" asked one of them harshly.
"Everything is alright," responded Karlos in a neutral way. "You can leave."
The guards looked confused at Karlos and afterwards at Ganondorf who was still under the control of him. "You're certain that everything is alright? Is he making problems?"
"Like I said before, everything is alright. You can leave!" This time, Karlos voice had a more demanding sound in it. The guards looked at each other but left without saying another word. "And you stop laughing, it's annoying," commanded Karlos sharply to Risaad. "And you calm down again. I can't believe that you're still this quick-tempered. Have you even spent one second to think on the consequences, you fool?"'
Ganondorf grumbled but did not say anything. "I take that as a 'no'." Karlos still restricted Ganondorf from any movements. He took some time to think. "One thing, Ganon. Normally I should punish you for this behavior. It's nothing I tolerate at all. But only because you have such an important tournament in only a month and we have to keep up with the five days we've lost, I won't. Write this behind your ears though. It's the one and only exception. Do it again and you get the sentence for this here as a bonus on top of the next one. Got it?"
Ganondorf did not give him an answer and only grumbled while he tried to get into a more relaxing position. Karlos twisted his arm further when he said harshly, "I've asked you if you've gotten it, Ganondorf!"
"Yes!" he groaned in a mixture of annoyance and pain.
"Good." Karlos knocked on his head. "But next time, you answer in a different manner. Now come on, we've things to do." He released his grasp and gave him a sign to follow him. Ganondorf did, without paying more attention to Risaad because he felt how his pleasant smile would make him lose his control once again and get himself into even more trouble.