Chapter XVIII – Things Better Left Unsaid
Sitting in Link's office, Ganondorf looked around while his superior walked past him to take a seat on the other side of the desk. A few books were stored in the shelves in which otherwise figures and masks watched him. It seemed as if Link found a true passion in collection them as well as putting extraordinary plants on the windowsill, probably a token of the forest in which he was raised. In short, sentiments he himself never understood since he had to be insane if he felt to keep souvenirs of the place he spent a lot of his childhood and adolescence.
Ganondorf's view returned to Link, whose expression was still severe. "So, Ganondorf. Any clues why I've ordered you here?"
"No," he answered roughly with his arms crossed in front of his chest, while trying to remain calm. He prepared himself to endure yet another lecturing because of ridiculous reasons that would push him over the limits of his temper if he could not manage to control it.
Link sighed in a mixture of annoyance and desperation. "You could have at least pretended to have spent some seconds on thinking instead of answering immediately." He leaned back and his arms hit the armrests when he looked at him with a hopeful view. "Do you want to try again?"
"No," he responded bluntly without changing his posture or his intonation.
Link took a deep breath. "You know, Ganondorf, sometimes you indeed present a personality hard to endure without throwing a tantrum myself." His intonation left it up for interpretation if it was meant serious or as a joke, but Ganondorf cared little for it when he only returned Link's gaze. "But before your next common quirk called impatience hits the surface, let me ask you: Do you still know for which reason we prepare to set off in three days?"
Ganondorf grinned when he got himself into a more relaxed position. "Of course I do. Some lunatics started to abuse the Shadow Temple for their cult and now it's time to beat sense into their pathetic minds." He truly looked forward to it as he hoped to find some distraction when he could wreak his wrath on them. Everything was better than staying in these castle walls and getting fed up by frustration. Out there, on the battlefields with a sword in his hand, it was his territory and he would not allow anybody or anything to take that away from him.
"Good to hear your memory is still working and that you haven't lost your fighting spirit. But do you truly intend on coming along?" At first Ganondorf believed Link made a joke, a very bad one that is, yet his suspicious expression showed otherwise.
"What's that for an idiotic question?" Upset, Ganondorf hit the desk with his palms when he leaned forward. "Of course I'm coming!"
Link did not even move a single muscle. "You're certain that this is a good idea?"
"Yes, no doubts. Not even a small one!" He gazed at Link, but that one did not back down. And this bothered him. A lot.
"Well, if this is the case, I'm afraid I have to tell you that you're alone with that belief," declared Link resolutely. "Because your behavior shows me otherwise and that one says more than a million words will ever be able to."
The determination in his voice, the confidence in his eyes, Ganondorf felt how they both heated up his blood and he had a hard time in keeping a sober intonation. "What do you mean?"
"I don't think it's necessary to explain myself as you certainly know what I mean." Link remained calm, not showing any impression towards Ganondorf's tensed body language. "Listen. That you're boastful and like to overestimate yourself and your power is one thing, just like you tend to throw a tantrum here and there. I've gotten used to it, though we still have to work on your impulses."
Link made a pause in which he observed Ganondorf, whose expression darkened, before he continued, "However, in recent times it got out of hand. Entirely. You even get enraged by minor issues where everybody else would just carry on and not even lose a single word about it. And at that point I haven't even spoken about your suffering swordsmanship and general inattentiveness while training."
Ganondorf had a hard time to keep his seat and to not rush forward to strangle Link. His degradation alone annoyed him to no end, but hearing another one talking about it worsened it even more. Link did not hold himself back. "See, someone who can't control himself is not only a danger for himself but also for everybody else. With that said, can you explain me how I can afford a man in my line that might be a threat not only for the mission, but all the others as well? Even one to their lives?"
This statement crossed his borders. "I'm not a danger to anyone or their cursed lives! But I might become one if you decide to take me out of that damned mission!" roared Ganondorf at Link, not being able to hold any of his anger back. His fist rushed down on the table when he jumped on his feet, the chair crashing on the floor. It was impossible that the last reason why he stayed within the army would be taken away by Link. He would not allow that to happen. Not under any circumstances.
Link shifted with his chair backwards to get out of Ganondorf's reach, but he showed no further intimidation when he shook his head in incomprehension. "Do you even listen to yourself?" From one moment to the next, Link hit his own fists on the desk, leaping on his feet and standing face to face with him. "What, Ganon, just what happened in the last week at the stables that you've become the man you're now? Just what?!"
Ganondorf, prepared for another scolding, was caught entirely off-guard. He expected Link to either get enraged and threw another unpleasant task at him or remain calm and threw one at him nonetheless. Yet, Link did not only called him by his short name, which he never did before, his eyes lacked any anger as well. There was nothing of it, nothing, only this weird touch of despair.
"Ever since then you've become such a different man. Before that, it was impossible that I could bring you down with such easy maneuvers like I've used yesterday. Not to mention how easily, even for your short-temper, you get heated up by minor provocations." Link backed to his calmer mood again, yet he sounded urgently, "Therefore, I'll ask you again: Just what happened there?"
Ganondorf, still perplexed from Link's reaction, needed a good amount of time to reverse to his old ways. "There was nothing."
"Nothing," repeated Link apathetically, turning his view down and tapping with his fingers on the desk. "Nothing." He took his seat again and scratched thoughtfully on his chin. "And I thought you believed fairy-tales to be a waste of time, yet you seem very eager to retell them over and over again."
Ganondorf, still standing, looked down at Link, who had this hope in his eyes that he would finally tell what nagged on his mind for weeks. But he would not tell. He did not want to. There was no need that Link would get aware about his encounter with Zelda and especially her refusal. That one could not do a thing anyway and his pride was shattered enough by now to involve a third person.
"Why do you keep on bothering me with that since there is indeed nothing?" Ganondorf hid his frustration in a disguise of annoyance.
A desperate smile appeared on Links face. "Ganondorf, you're a bad liar. Though I have to admit, you have that trait in common with her. And since the both of you started to act this strange almost at the same time, one could assume the source is the same." Link stopped and it seemed as if he regretted his saying. "Never mind. I shouldn't stress you with those matters as you have already enough trouble with yourself."
His sayings caught Ganondorf's attention. Albeit he could not tell for certain whom Link was referring to, he believed it to be Zelda. He never met her after the night and neither got an explanation for her behavior, but it was interesting to hear she seemed to still be concerned about the event, even though she demanded it to be forgotten.
Link disrupted him in his thoughts. "Ganondorf. I don't ask you about this event as your superior." Link looked expecting at him. "But as your comrade. It's hard to stand aside and just watch how you throw all your progress away after you've come so far. You know yourself that almost no one here had any belief that a former lifetime gladiator can make it in the duty of a knight. Yet, albeit there is still a long road for you to go, you proved it to be possible."
He braced his elbows on his desk once Ganondorf had sat down again and said in an urgent manner, "And you're risking it all because of a thing you don't want to speak about and that eats you up from the inside. Little by little, but continuously until there's nothing left of your achievements and you probably end up in prison or even with your head under an axe, depending on your doings once you will go berserk due to it." His hands hit desperately the desk when he concluded, "Yet I fail to think of any reason which can affect you in such a degree and therefore lack any idea how to solve this problem."
Albeit Ganondorf remained quiet, he was impressed. Deeply impressed as he never believed that anyone would actually care for him or his concerns and was not solely interested that he just fought well and fulfilled his duty, no matter what. No one ever asked for the reasons when he showed an insufficient performance and was threatened with punishment or even death if he failed to achieve the set standards. The last menace became especially true inside the arena where death lingered everywhere.
The only one who showed at least some concerns from time to time was Karlos, but he had to fulfill his duty himself and this had the highest priority for any trainer. They were not allowed to ever set any sort of sentiments above it, though Ganondorf had to acknowledge that in rare occasions, Karlos scratched these borders very closely or even overstepped it to try to prevent serious harm from him.
Yet with Link, he took it to a whole new level. That one could not be bothered less about one man in his division because he had a good relationship to both, Zelda and Aldar. Probably he only needed to talk with one of them to get him replaced with another man to spare himself the struggle. But he did not. And not only that, he even put himself into more trouble in figuring out the reason and searching for a solution. Only for one man he often had a dispute with because of their different morals and who ignored his orders here and there again.
Ganondorf was not used to that. Certainly not. Nor could he understand as he would never endure anything of it if he were in Link's position. Impressive. Just impressive. And he would have never believed that one day he would feel that way. That he not only found some liking on him and respected Link as a superior and a knight, but as a human, as a person worthy to let get closer to him.
Ganondorf thought about telling him, but at the same moment, he refrained from doing so. Despite every impression he held for that man, he never had confessed any matters concerning him. Even as a child, he never told Karlos of that one nightmare that scared him to the bones, which left him crying in the young age after his awakening and even sent spills down his spine as of today.
No matter how likable Link might be, he did not want to change it. Letting anybody else know about his concerns meant also to admit a weakness to another one, who might exploit that at a later time. Even more importantly, this would scratch his pride. Always did. And ever would.
Ganondorf remained quiet when he reversed to his resolute manner, staring haughty at Link. He observed his changing face, from a hopeful to a disappointed expression, before that one requested forlorn, "Guess you still won't talk. However, if you don't want to tell, can you at least admit that there is something bothering you?"
Even though Ganondorf released an annoyed grumble, he held himself back from any other verbal outburst. To bring the conversation finally to an end, he responded, "If you're that eager to hear it, then you can have a 'Yes, there is something'. So, are you satisfied now?" His voice became more demanding. "And will you now finally stop pestering me about it? This is just getting plain ridiculous! And repetitive!"
Link sighed desperately again, albeit he seemed to have lost his hope to get anything out of Ganondorf. "Well, at least a small step closer to the cause of your strange behavior. Yet, since you probably won't go into details, let's leave it at that." The determination shining in his eyes told Ganondorf that the case was not finished with that and he would get back to it later. "For today, you can go. I'll meet you in the training hall and hopefully, you'll show me some better swordsmanship. I guess you still want to be a part of the mission in the next days, so you better use the remaining ones to convince me that I can take you along. Without being afraid you're going on a rampage or committing any other unreasonable actions. So, your attendance depends entirely on your behavior, not on anyone else's. Got it?"
Ganondorf grinned in self-confidence. "You can bet I'll be on that mission."
The three days passed by faster than expected and soon Ganondorf found himself in the middle of the mission. In these dark vaults of the temple, the time seemed to stand still. Just like the air which filled the countless corridors, yet he felt how his hackles rose as if a cold shiver remorselessly blew on his neck. Eerie. This place was just eerie. Even creepy. Cold walls with grotesque grimaces, monuments portraying the embodiments of the afterlife and abysses leading directly into it, waiting for those who did not watch their steps carefully. The Shadow Temple offered indeed the darkest of the kingdom.
It did not await travelers passively. Traps lingered everywhere, catching those who blindly forced their way through in order to find its treasures. In the end, the temple was a final resting place with endless chambers which often contained riches meant for the dead. A perfect opportunity for a tomb raider, but most who tried merely joined the deceased.
Ganondorf followed Link closely, accompanied by a handful of other men of the division when they entered a great hall. The differences compared to the rooms he had seen before were slim, yet a great memorial plaque reached from one corner to the other. Upper bodies of skeletons build in stone held the torches to spend the light to make the inscription visible for everybody entering this ancient building. Though he could not tell why, the words caused a twisted feeling inside his stomach: "Within these walls is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred …"
Not the words itself caused the sickness. The arena showed him how bloody it could get, Azett how much greed and Risaad how much hate a person could carry along. With this temple, it was different. Maybe because Link had told him that this place also used to be a mass grave for the victims of the Great War, independent of their races. In regard to the instruments of torture installed in some of the rooms, not only the dead were carried here to find their eternal rest, but also the prisoners of war, the ones branded as the enemies of Hyrule.
And ever since then, ever since he knew the nemesis of the Hylian, the Gerudo, were deep buried inside at the lowest grounds to become forgotten by all, it let a shiver run down his back. From that moment on, there was something constantly nagging on his mind, remorselessly as if there was a connection between them and himself.
Esbern must have noticed his inner struggles as he addressed it with a contemptuous comment. Ganondorf, interrupted in his thoughts, did not back down and picked up a quarrel with that man. Both their bloods heated up further until a point at which even Link was unable to keep them silent and apart.
Only a moment later, Ganondorf rushed ahead to get the duty done and finally leave this place. Esbern, probably annoyed to be ignored, followed him despite any orders and even warnings of their lieutenant. And they both ran into a trapdoor which separated them from the rest of the group.
A few levels deeper and after the ungraceful landing in the dust, Ganondorf threw Esbern off of him. He was lucky that the inclined plane lessened the impact in comparison to a free fall which neither he nor Esbern would have survived.
Ganondorf stood up and noticed he got away with just some scratches, though the fall had cooled down his temper. He inspected his environment. Just as dark and eerie as the rest of the temple, sparely lit by torches and looking like a large sepulcher. To both sides, coffins were shelved on different platforms, up to the ceiling which was at least twice as high as his own size. He noticed that the corridor divided itself into even more.
"Wonderfully done. Really. You're a true genius, savage," groaned Esbern from behind once he had recovered from the fall. "Why couldn't you just have stayed within the arena and annoy the people there until they would stuff your remains in such a thing?" He pushed against one of the many coffins laying within the passageways. Some of them even had to be stapled as there was not enough room to store them properly. "If you would have done it, you would have spared all of us a lot of trouble. You hear me?!"
"I can't remember I've ever asked for your pathetic opinion," responded Ganondorf undisturbed without even looking back to Esbern. The grit crunched under his feet when he walked towards the fork.
Out of all people, it had to be the most obnoxious one he had around his neck now. Even though it was thanks to his provocation he reserved to his old boastful nature, he thought about just getting rid of him. He discarded the thought as fast as it came. Albeit he had no doubt he was superior and probably the others would never find out who would be the one responsible for his decease, he wanted at least try to stray away from his old ways where he solved his problems with raw violence.
Once Ganondorf had reached the fork he had no time to further think about the topic. He heard a crackling sound. Without thinking twice, he jumped backwards. Not a second too late as a blade crushed into the stone pillar next to him.
"What a nice welcome," remarked Ganondorf with a grin before he drew his sword and charged forwards. With a clashing sound, he parried the second slaughter attempt of the attacker.
His grin vanished when he stood face to face with his opponent while the two swords bit into each other. With no words left, he just stared baffled at that one. Neither a monster, nor a human. It was not even a living being, but a skeleton wielding sword and shield alike, protected by armor pieces.
Ganondorf still needed some seconds before he got rid of his bafflement. Certainly, he neither fought something similar ever before nor had any clue what that thing was actually meant to be. On the other hand, he neither cared whom or even what his enemy was when that one dared to threaten his head. And he had only one answer in return: Claim its life before it claimed his.
Though he could not deny that the skeleton left an uncomfortable feeling, it did not look like it possessed great skills. Ganondorf stepped backwards to recover his sword. Yet the skeleton warrior jumped after him, releasing a deep growl. Only barely could he parry the unexpected attack. He felt the point of the sword scratching his chin, causing a bleeding wound.
Ganondorf did not hesitate and used the chance to counter, now that the skeleton was that near. He took advantage of his size and kicked it in its shin. It lost its balance and Ganondorf aimed for the spine. Cut it into two pieces. Not the most gallant method of bringing an opponent down, but he could not care less about it. With a crackling noise, the skeleton crumbled down on the point it stood as if it had lost its life source in an instant.
Still questioning what this creature was, Ganondorf's view fell on Esbern. The overconfident smile ranging in his face vanished for a frightened expression. Apathetically, he stared down at the bones laying on the floor when he stumbled, "It's over… It's all over…"
Ganondorf sheathed his sword as he looked at the trembling man and said dismissively, "Who would have thought you wet your pants just because of some moving bones. Guess you can get in line with those who have a big mouth, but cry for their lives when something's coming in."
Esbern looked up to him, yet his face still lacked any colors. "What? Do you have even the slightest clue what that was, savage?" Before Ganondorf had even a chance to answer, Esbern rushed towards him. Though he tried to grab him on his shoulders, he barely reached his chest and instead grabbed his arms. "That was Stalfos! A Stalfos! An undead warrior!"
"Don't touch me!" Ganondorf snatched Esbern's arm and kept him away. "Next time you do it, I'll feed you with my steel! And now stop wetting your pants because of some old bones, you wimp. This is pathetic. Just as you are!"
Though Esbern's face was distorted by pain because of Ganondorf's forceful grasp, he did not back down. "You don't understand even a single thing! There is only one way how this is possible! Our enemies, they're not just some cultists, they're sorcerers who use black magic! Black! Magic!" The fear in his eyes grew stronger when he spoke out the last two words as if they were poison. "Do you even have a clue how doomed we are when they find us? Just the two of us don't stand a chance against these incantations!" His voice became thin when he added, "I don't even want to think about what they're going to do with our dead bodies."
"I never thought you were this pathetic, but apparently I was wrong." Ganondorf let go of him when he pushed Esbern away that he stumbled backwards. "Fine then. If you're too busy to lose your head over this bad joke of a warrior, I'm going alone. I don't need weaklings nearby, they're worthless and only stand in my way."
Without waiting for an answer, he turned around to follow the path further. Truth to be told, he could not deny that the Stalfos, albeit he was a bad warrior, left a frightening impression. It would not help him if he stayed and especially wailed or cried for help. In the arena, this behavior would have equaled his instant death and this mindset was deeply rooted inside him, even though his last day in there was about seven months ago.