Chapter 5: Ganondorf Dragmire, King of Evil

 

Nathan cried out in pain as he was slammed back down onto the dark, cold stone floor.

“Changed your mind yet?” Ganon questioned, glaring his red eyes down at him, his hands still sparking from the magic he had just used on his captive. Nathan groaned.

“No…” he said weakly, “I won’t betray them…” Ganon roared and blasted him with electricity again, using it to raise him in the air, twirling him around. Nathan screamed again, the bolts running through every part of his body, the magic keeping his heart from stopping. Ganon used the Triforce of Power to strengthen his spell.

“You will tell me!” he ordered. “Where are they!? Where are the Hylians!? You can’t have all just disappeared! Tell me!” He slammed Nathan back against the wall, canceling his spell. Nathan fell back to the ground. He glared up at Ganon, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Ganon, having further abused the Triforce, cried out in pain as tiny spikes shot out of both hands. After a few moments of holding his bleeding hands, he looked down on Nathan again.

“If you think that there’s still hope for you; that your friends will come and save you, then forget it,” he said. Nathan didn’t reply. “I’m taking measures to make sure that they believe you’re dead.” Nathan glared at his enemy. An evil atmosphere emanated from him. Its cold, dark hand clutched at his heart. He despised it.

“It doesn’t matter,” he responded quietly, “it doesn’t matter whether I live or die. I will not betray them, Dragmire. You will not rule this kingdom.”

“It is mine to take back, peasant. My family ruled this land long ago. But we were driven out. Our power was usurped by vermin. We-”

“You’re a liar,” Nathan interrupted angrily. “The Dragmires nearly destroyed Hyrule. They made it a kingdom filled with monsters. The entire country was a slave camp. They-” Ganondorf cut him off with his dark magic. But this time, a shadow enveloped Nathan. He could still see, however. Except, he saw something other than his cell. He saw the beginning of his worst memory. The day his father died.

“No…” Nathan whimpered.

“Perhaps this will break you. I’ve seen that it is futile to extract information from you. I will just have to be patient. I’ll wait for Ophelius to give me the knowledge that I need. And then, I’ll make you my loyal servant. Sadly, you won’t remember who you are, so I still wouldn’t be able to find out what you know. But as I said, I’ll have to be patient.” He grinned maliciously.

 

Link quickly cut down the Goriya opposing him.

“Keep running!” he shouted at Zelda. As they had continued their travels that day, they had been found again. And once again, there were too many. Both of their mounts had been slain. Zelda and Link continued running, narrowly dodging the arrows flying at them. Suddenly, they stopped. In front of them was nothing but an ivy-covered rock wall. There was nowhere else to go, and the monsters closed in on them. Their snarls were almost like mocking laughter directed at the two youths. Link held his sword in an offensive position, stepping in front of Zelda. A Moblin, presumably the leader, judging by its size and more ornate armor, revealed something it had behind its back. Zelda gasped. Link’s mouth dropped open in shock. The beast was holding what looked to be the bloodied head of Nathan. It had been created by powerful magic, but Link and Zelda didn’t know that. The Moblin smirked at them. Link cried out in anger, beginning a raging charge towards it. The rest of the group was about to attack when suddenly shouts were heard. The shouts of Hylian soldiers. Spears and arrows cut through the air into the monsters. Cries of “There she is!” and “Defend the Princess!” were heard. Link rammed his blade into his foe’s stomach. He ripped it out, twirled around and knocked off its head. Zelda fired magic into the crowd of monsters.

As quickly as it had begun, the fight ended. The leader of their saviors rode up to the two, removing his helmet to reveal long black hair, a well-trimmed beard, and various battle scars.

“Ammon?” Zelda said.

“My lady, we have to get you to your father,” he responded. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll… I’ll be fine.”

“Good.” He looked at Link. “And who are you, sir?”

“My name’s Link,” he answered uneasily. His rage with the Moblin hadn’t quite gone away. Ammon looked to Zelda.

“Your escort?” Zelda nodded. Ammon looked to Link, smiling. “I think that his Highness will be pleased to meet you.” He looked behind him and whistled. A soldier walked his horse up, guiding another.

“I am sorry, but we only have one,” Ammon apologized. “Master Link, so that the Princess can have her own horse, would you mind shar-”

“No, he can ride with me,” Zelda said. Ammon bowed his head.

“As you wish, my lady.”

Zelda climbed onto the horse, Link getting on in back of her. Minutes later, the company was off, riding back to Miniras. Zelda, completely exhausted, fell asleep against Link.

A few soldiers stayed behind to burn the bodies, including the fake head of Nathan.

 

“Zelda!” Harkinian cried. He and his daughter ran toward each other, ending in a tight embrace. The King had tears in his eyes. “Thank the gods,” he whispered.

Ammon was overjoyed himself. He loved the three members of the Royal Family and was always happy to serve them. Their joy was his. He smiled as Talius ran and hugged his sister. He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing another person they had found.

“My lord,” he started. Harkinian looked over at him. “We found someone else that I think you’d be happy to see.” Orgis, the King’s advisor, stepped forward, bowing. Harkinian laughed.

“Orgis,” he said.

“It’s good to be back, your lordship,” the old man responded. He had long gray hair and wore a royal blue robe, the crest of Hyrule, the Triforce with a red phoenix below it, embroidered onto the chest. Harkinian looked to Ammon.

“Ammon,” he said, “thank you.”

“My liege, thank the gods that we were able to find them. In fact, if it weren’t for this young man here… well, the Princess would probably be in the hands of Ganon right now.” Link had been standing off to the side, still dwelling over Nathan’s fate. Zelda piped in.

“Father, this is Link, son of Arn,” she said. Link looked up, hearing his name. He noticed Zelda and the King looking at him. He quickly took a few steps closer and kneeled. “He and… another saved me from Ganon’s minions,” Zelda finished.

“Arise,” the King ordered. Link obeyed, looking up to Harkinian. The King took the youth’s right hand in both of his, shaking it firmly.

“Thank you,” he said quietly and graciously.

“It… it was an honor… your Majesty.” Harkinian let Link’s hand go.

“You said that there was another that helped save you, Zelda,” he said. “Where is he?” Both Zelda and Link remained silent, looking to the ground. The King had been in enough battles to understand what had happened.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. He looked to Link. “Please, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to tell me or one of my servants. We will see that it is done.” Link thought for a moment.

“Can I… can I have my own room, my lord?” he asked timidly. It was a foolish request, but right then, Link needed his privacy, and he wouldn’t get it if he roomed with all the other villagers. The King smiled.

“Of course. You have given me my daughter back. This is the least I can do.”

 

“Go, Nathan! Get out of here!” Tannis ordered. He shoved his son, a burning beam falling where the teenager had just stood. Tannis was trapped. There was no way out other than a fiery death.

“Father!” Nathan cried.

“Get out of here!” Nathan jumped back as the roof caved in. There was no way that Tannis could have survived.

“No!” the young man cried out in agony.

“No!” Nathan cried out in agony. “Father…” he sobbed. Ganon smirked at his captive.

“Pitiful coward. You could have saved him, you know. You could have jumped in there and helped him get out. Then he’d still be alive. But no, you were weak. You failed him,” he said coldly. Nathan continued sobbing, the painful memory too great to bear. With a wave of Ganon’s hand, the memory started again. The King of Evil was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“I will break you one way or another, and so far, this seems to be the best way.”

 

Link was sitting on his bed. He looked at one of his brown leather gauntlets. It covered the majority of his forearm, and left the tips of his fingers exposed, making it easier to work with his fingers. The pad that covered the back of his hand had the image of the Triforce etched into it. On the bracer part of the gauntlet was a phoenix, an upside-down triangle below it. The crest of Hyrule. He and Nathan, who had gauntlets like these except black, had etched these symbols into them soon after they lost their parents. Nathan’s mother had died giving birth, and Link’s father had died as a soldier in service to King Harkinian. This was during the tragic Moblin raids, a terrible period of time in which the Moblins seemed to rise up and started to brutally attack villages. This included Kakariko Village, where Link and Nathan had grown up. Link’s mother and Nathan’s father had both died there. Soon afterward, the two of them decided to be adventurers, helping those in need and doing their best to ensure that no one had met the same fate as the two of them. They were about fifteen then. They seemed to believe that they were invincible. Now, four years later, Link realized just how wrong they were. He hugged his pillow, mourning for the loss of his best friend and greatest ally.

Link didn’t realize that at that moment, Princess Zelda was doing the exact same thing.

 

 

 

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