Chapter XXXVII - Heart of the Forest
Four days had passed. Four days Ganondorf had spent on horseback, only taking the nights to rest. Ever since he had escaped the arena, he had not set one foot into town. Too dangerous. First his encounter with Link, then the massacre at the arena, the Hylians must know their declared archenemy roamed again in their kingdom.
The documents he had slipped from Azett had guided him to his destination: A forest to the east of Hyrule. Though he failed to see what he should expect there, the writings left no doubts that the entrance to the Sacred Realm should be there. Somewhere, to which the jewel Ganondorf had claimed from Garland would guide him.
A grin formed on his lips when treetops emerged on the horizon. Ganondorf pulled the reign of his stallion. He had arrived, finally. With a wave of his hand, his stallion vanished. No need to waste his magical powers.
Ganondorf picked up the jewel from his pocket. Nothing happened. He held it towards the trees. No reaction. He scratched his chin. Unfortunate he lacked any insight just how this jewel was meant to guide him, yet he had followed Garland's and Azett's notes closely. No doubts he had arrived at the right place. Seems he had to ventures inside and see where it would take him.
Merely a few steps inside, the whistling of birds fell silent. Not even rustling of leaves reached his ears anymore. His sight, in moments the forest had turned as dark as the night. Ganondorf felt his breath taken a faster tact. Unease claimed his mind.
These woods, silence, pure silence and darkness.
He could not tell why he wanted to get out, even less he cared. He just wanted to get out. The sooner, the better. Gather a plan in the light of day how to conquer this forest.
Ganondorf turned around, back to the field. He stared at trees. His heart missed a beat. The field, once in his back, was no more. He shook his head, closing his eyes, opening them again. Nothing but trees. This could not be. This just could not!
One step. Ten steps. Hundred steps. A thousand. Still, surrounded by silence. Engulfed by darkness. No field. No sun. No life. Unease nagged deeper into his mind. He breathed in. Calm down. Nothing of harm was here, just a mere forest, trying to play tricks on his mind. He laughed. How could he allow stiff woods to make a fool out of him?
"You are not welcomed here!"
Ganondorf's hand slid to his sword. A searing pain in his injured shoulder. He suppressed the moan. Reflexes proved to be unpleasant at times. Though the spell formed within his other hand would slay down the fool approaching him. He turned around, ready to unleash it.
No one was there.
Startled, he looked around, pricked up his ears. He could swear he had heard someone speaking. Maybe that coward was hiding in the bushes.
Time passed. His incantation still glowed in his hand. Silence. Ganondorf's spell vanished. Odd, truly odd, but maybe his imagination ran wild due to the strenuous days. He picked up Azett's notes. Maybe he could find a hint there about the mystery of the woods.
"Turn back!"
This voice… cold. Emotionless. Eerie. He unsheathed his sword with his uninjured arm. Azett's writings slipped through his fingers but he did not care. He would pick them up later once he had beheaded this fool.
"Where the hell are you?" Ganondorf cut through the bushes nearby to no avail. "If you want something from me show your face, coward!"
Branches covered the ground when he rampaged through the undergrowth, always paying attention to sounds that would reveal the coward. Nothing. Just nothing. He grunted. Annoying. He neither had the mood nor the time to search for some phantom.
Ganondorf walked back to the spot he had let his documents fallen. Easy, he just had to follow the trace of cut bushes. However, as he reached the place, he could not find them anymore.
A startled moan left his mouth. What was this place? He turned back, feeling how his features slipped from him. He looked at bushes without the slightest of harm. He stepped towards them, taking a closer look. No, those were not the ones he had cut, yet they stood at the same spot. Disturbing, truly disturbing. The woods seemed to change its shape at will, like it wanted to trap all those that entered in a giant maze.
Ganondorf breathed in, denying dread to take over his mind. He had come too far to lose his head over an enchanted forest. His time was far better spent to reveal its secret, especially if that secret was worth even the greatest of trouble. A grin formed on his lips. A year ago he might have lost his head over such witchcraft but now that had become a part of him. No need to fear it, he would just beat it with his own.
"This is your last warning. Turn back! You are not welcomed here!"
Ganondorf let his hands clap against his legs. That coward, how he could have forgotten him. "Listen, you fool for I'll only tell you once. Whoever you are and wherever you are, I don't care. I go where I want and when I want." He smirked. "And let me assure you: cowards don't hurt me. Never have."
"Then the forest shall consume you for your ignorance."
Silence again, yet something else claimed the forest. Ganondorf's grin vanished. His hackles raised. He tightened the grasp around his sword. Something was coming. No, something was here.
Howling. Sinister howling pierced the silence. Near, very near. Ganondorf noticed motion in the bushes. He slashed his sword. He hit. A howl of pain. He only saw a shade jumping back, before he gained a glimpse on his opponent. The creature left him in disbelief.
He had seen many beasts in the arena and in his service as a knight but such a thing, never. A wolf. White fur and sharp claws yet it stood on two feet, using its forelegs like arms as if it was a human. Fangs lurked out from its jaws. Those eyes though, they glowed yellow, dispelling the darkness around.
The beast gaped, showing its teeth rowed next to each other like daggers. A howl. It jumped at Ganondorf, ready to drill its claws into his flesh. Still troubled by its appearance, he needed to remain calm. He had fought enough beasts to not let fear overcome his mind. It would go down like all the other creatures foolish enough to engage him.
The claws had come near, scratching at his armor when Ganondorf parried the onslaught and sliced his sword through the beast's chest. It stumbled back, landing on all four. Not once did it lose sight of its prey. A strong instinct indeed but also its bad luck he had no intentions on becoming food for such a foul creature.
The beast leaped on its feet again. Ganondorf rushed towards it. He noticed how it raised its claws to drill them through his armor yet he rammed his steel through its chest. Its howl faded into a cry of agony, slowly leaping into silence. The glowing in its eye, it faded away.
Ganondorf pushed the beast from his sword. He shook his head when he looked dismissively down at his slaughtered foe. What a weakling. If such creatures where meant to protect the forest, there could as well be none at all. "Fool to think that could stop me," he spit out even though he still could not see that self-proclaimed guardian.
His grin vanished as he took a view on the corpse. Once covered in a white fur, only naked skin remained. Bewildered, he took one foot under the corpse to turn it around to see for its face.
Ganondorf wished he never had. He looked down at a man's face, a human one. Nothing of the beast he had fought remained.
He stumbled backwards. Cold sweat building on his back. Now that was disturbing. What ill witch power was that even? First that forest keeping changing its places, then this bodiless voice and now that enchanted man.
A deep breath. No need to lose his head, it would make things only worse. Though the longer he thought about it, he remembered something. Zelda and Link, they had told him about such a place. The Lost Woods where they had first meet. The woods that were also said to keep everyone inside who entered it. For some reason or another though, the spirit preferred him dead instead of making him follow his call. Somehow he must have truly upset him.
A howl pierced the air, pulling Ganondorf out of his thoughts. He grasped his sword tighter, turning around. Between the bushes he saw a glowing pair of eyes. As he got ready to smash in another skull, an eerie howling reached his ear from the side. Two other pairs of eyes watched him.
Ganondorf sighed. Seems he had work at hand before he could focus on his journey again. Not that it mattered, they would only join their fallen comrade.
Blood. Of his foes. Of his own. His armor, torn by those hundreds of claws and teeth. Weak on his own, but strong in number, that was the beasts' true strength. One defeated meant only three more to appear to hunt him down. Relentless. Merciless. Endless. If it continued like this, it would only be a matter of time till they succeeded to kill him.
At least for now Ganondorf had time to catch his breath. Lying against a tree, he tried to lessen the aches of his shoulder. Though he wielded his sword with his unharmed one, the release of his spells had to be done with the injured. Gruesome, just gruesome. And he knew he could not go on like this much longer, his body was still a mortal one.
"There is no escape for you!"
A silent moan left his mouth. This coward again. He let his head fall back against the tree. He had no choice but to get on his feet again if he did not wish to get mauled.
Howling. Eerie. Sinister. Louder than before yet still in a distance. Ganondorf gulped. Those were not only three or four. Must be a whole pack.
Ganondorf balled his fist. He loathed running away from a fight but in this condition his pride would get him killed. There was no end them, none at all.
Ganondorf got back up on his feet to flee his hunters. He stopped as he watched the trees. He shook his head. No meaning to blindfolded run further. Sooner or later they would get him. He had to find some kind of a pattern in this maze, else he was doomed. A characteristic, maybe a mark. Or leave behind some himself.
Ganondorf took a look around, catching sight of a tree sturdier than the others around. A good beginning. He had difficulties to see a cut with his sword in the darkness but a magical mark would do the work fine. He lifted up his hand and pushed it against the bark to infuse it with his magic.
It never came to be.
An uncomfortable prickling. Bewildered, Ganondorf let his hand rest on the bark until it grew painful. Like lightning that whizzed through his muscles. He pulled off his hand, shaking it as he watched the bark starting to glow. Small sparkles spread from it. As he turned his head around, he saw the same sparkling on other trees as if they showed a path.
"That bastard of a Hylian," Ganondorf mumbled as he watched the lights. Aldar's handwriting, no doubt. It felt so familiar even though the memories of his magic were painful beyond words. Yes, that Hylian had been here. Zelda and Link had talked about it, how they meet and how it was Aldar who searched the forest for her. How he marked the path to find his way in the maze.
Ganondorf grinned. Now that was something coming in handy. His good mood vanished as soon as it had come. The howling drew nearer. Ganondorf turned around, imagining he saw movement in the bushes. No time to think about it. He had to move. The secret of the woods were his goal and his archnemesis' legacy would bring him there.
Run. Fast. And faster. Haunted by the howls in his back. No stopping. He must not. Something jumped upon him. In his fall, Ganondorf rushed down the sword on the foe. Just in time. The beast intended to drill its teeth through his armor. He had hit its throat, cutting through to rob its breath.
Strenuous to get up on his feet again. That fall has not done his shoulder a favor. Worse, the other beast had caught up with him. Ganondorf lost count just how many yellow eyes watched. Bad, very bad.
Howling. Deafening howling. Ganondorf had to suppress the urge to shield his ears against it was he in dire need of his hands. The first ones jumped out from their cover, laying eyes upon his flesh. He stepped backwards while he wielded his sword in front of him. They were many, maybe too many but giving up without a fight was never an option. He stepped back fruther. He tightened his grasp around his sword. He waited longer. Stepping back. The beast still did not assault him.
Ganondorf believed they played a trick and waited for the moment he would turn around to see what irritated them. They still lingered there, though they made not even an attempt to attack him. As the distance proved great enough, he turned his head around to see what discouraged them.
The darkness began to lift behind the trees which grew thinner. Sunlight found its way through the leaves. Out of the corners of his eyes, he observed the beasts as he walked towards the sunlight. He was not keen about a surprise attack. Even though they gathered, none followed him.
Even as Ganondorf had walked towards the glade, those beasts remained within the woods. Looking back, he only saw small glowing lights and a fading howling reached his ear. No idea what kept them back. Maybe they feared the sun?
Not that he cared. Relief. Only relief filled his heart. Sliding down on a tree, the sun shining down on him, his tension left his limbs. Rest. Just rest. His body was just as torn as his armor. Debatable why he even kept it on, it did offer slim protection an anymore.
His view wandered over the glade, getting stuck on the strange looking trunks. Big ones, bigger than any he had seen before. From the gaping holes they appeared to be hollow inside. Interesting indeed but even if he wanted to, his body denied to go back to work. Ganondorf closed his eyes. No hurry. He would take his time. Who knew which other surprises the Lost Woods held for him? Better be rested before facing the next challenge.
Dawn called as Ganondorf walked towards those dead trees, driven by upcoming hunger and thirst. As he passed by, he noticed something scurrying around. His hand slipped towards his sword. How foolish to think he would be in peace here.
Ganondorf took a glimpse at a trunk. Someone lurked at him, though the moment their eyes met, the one retrieved inside again. A small one with green clothing. Ganondorf let it pass, no meaning to go after that one. No threat at all. However, that one was not the only one of small stature.
Ganondorf wondered why children lived in such a hostile forest. He remembered. Link had told him about this on occasion. The village deep within the woods, the place he had been raised. The inhabitants that never grew out of their childhood. He grinned, had he never believed he meant it that literally. However, then it was time to find that guardian Link had spoken about as well.
Whispers filled the air. "It is the evil man from the desert." Ganondorf wondered if he should take that for an amusement or an insult. He had not even spoken with any of the inhabitants yet got already called names. Once he had settled his score with that self-proclaimed guardian though that title would be more than fitting.
A crag garnered his attention, seeing that only a narrow path had carved its way through it. Some bushes grew in front of it though as he drew nearer he noticed that two of them were those children, wearing jacket and hat in the same color. Not that it mattered, they were just as unimpressive as this green stuff.
As Ganondorf neared, one of them raised up his dagger, encompassing it with both hands. "You… you can't go there!" The child's voice trembled.
"Otherwise you're going to prick me with this needle, eh?" Ganondorf laughed. How pathetic, that child did not even reach his hip. "Now, that's enough, child. Go play elsewhere if you don't want to get hurt."
Both boys trembled, yet neither stepped aside. "No… no, we can't. You are not allowed to enter. We can't let you in."
Ganondorf's laughter fell silent. He could not tell if he should find it amusing or just plain stupid how these pipsqueaks even thought about defying him. "You're courageous, I give you that." Ganondorf lifted his hand. "But courage can be painful. Very painful." His incantation crashed into the one holding the dagger. A scream echoed over the glade, falling silent as the boy bashed into the wall behind.
Horrified, the other looked up to Ganondorf before he ran to his friend. Ganondorf passed by without giving them another view. His fault if he thought that defying him would gain him anything but pain. He would recover though, no need to waste his powers to kill such a weakling. That way, he learnt why he should fear him.
He followed the narrow path until he arrived at its ends, making way to a glade. In the twilight, glowing particles floated midair though they seemed to avoid him when he stepped over the plain. Ganondorf snatched one of them. A silent squeaking. Surprised, Ganondorf opened his hand again. It flew away with great speed. In insect maybe though he could not remember any that glowed like this.
The tree though, high and sturdy growing amidst the glade with its branches reaching far, offered the most impressive view. Ganondorf walked closer. Must be an old one, seeing how rough its bark appeared. Funnily, his textures looked like face.
Ganondorf troubled to understand why the children had been that eager to keep him away from this place. Here was nothing. Just the tree and the weird insects.
A deep grumble resonated over the glade. "Why art thou invading this place?"
"What?!" The bark, it was moving. Moving! Ganondorf stumbled backwards, barely keeping himself on his feet. He grabbed his chest, calming down his breath. Sure, by now he should have expected strange things within this forest but this was going too far. A speaking tree! That was stuff for fairy-tales!
Overcoming his astonishment, he recollected his thoughts. Ganondorf observed the tree. He felt it. Even though their voices differed that tree had a connection to the forest's guardian. He must. "Listen, old woodpile. I don't know what you are and I don't care either." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "But you have something that I want. The secret that will lead me to the Sacred Realm. I know it's here, so tell me." He paused, watching carefully if he saw any movement on the wood. Nothing. "You shouldn't act like you're ignorant, it can become unpleasant. For you, that is."
"I do no support thine evil that is settling down in thine heart."
Ganondorf sighed annoyed. Where did this 'evil' stuff even come from? "Well, just too bad that we have a different understanding of 'good' and 'evil'. Maybe you should watch your own forest more carefully, because your inhabitants are one of the most disturbing creatures I've ever come across. Men turned into wolfbeasts? What's with that children never growing up? And don't even get me started on that maze." He lowered his voice, getting demanding. "Now answer my question!"
A grumble. A deep one. Silence. Ganondorf let his hands slap against his legs. Those forest inhabitants were nuisances. True nuisances. Now he only looked at stiff wood. Not even unsheathing his sword and scratching its bark provoked any reaction.
Ganondorf lowered his sword. No use. He let his view wander around. Seems he needed to be rougher. Easier said than done. He had never come across a foe that was a tree. Turning him ablaze did not seem like it would get him anywhere. He lacked a way to kill the flames once the tree would bow down to him. It would just burn to ashes.
With his hand he stroke over leaves of a bush, trying to figure out a solution. A small spider used its chance and crawled onto his hand. Ganondorf wanted to shake it off though he realized just in time that this might be his solution. He grinned and stunned the spider roaming with magic.
"If you want it the hard way, be my guest." Ganondorf kneed down and with his finger, he carved runes in the ground. Rather scratchy ones. Amidst a battle, such magic was useless, seeing it needed time to prepare. Now though he had as much as he wanted. The runes began to glow once he put the dazed spider in the middle of the circle. "Well, woodpile, I'll be generous. If you tell me now about the Sacred Realm, I'll spare your life. Otherwise, you'll feel my wrath for opposing me."
The tree remained silent. Its fault. Light emitted from the runes, he even had to protect his eyes. As the light faded, one gigantic eye watched him. The spider, it reached up to his belly and its legs had grown fangs. Satisfied, Ganondorf looked at his conjuration. "Still a bit small, eh? You don't mind to help it grow, old woodpile, do you?" He laughed as he pointed the spider monster towards the tree. If that tree would not give away its knowledge voluntary, then he would squeeze it out with force.