As he rolled over he heard the satin of his pillow tearing behind him. Springing up he saw Nicodemus knife in hand tearing through the satin of the pillow causing duck feathers to leap from their prison and scatter through the room. He barely more than whispered, "your death the lady demands is." Then lept forward again stabbing into Ganondorfts left arm that he rose to defend his faith.
Pain. Never had a blade separated his skin nor caused him to bleed. Rangers, and mages and even Nicodemus had protected him from such things all his life. Pain was not a sensation he was use to but the deeper pain was that of his longest friend now vowing to kill him for the sake of the lady. Tatyana will you leave nothing beyond your corruption.
He was not much of a fighter but he was quick. Rolling to duck another swipe of the blade be bounced up and dove behind his waredrobe. Engraven to resemble the holy yellow stem bushes of the southern shore it offered only a moment of hiding before Nicodemus threw his dagger with precision into the shadow striking Ganondorf low in the chest. Falling to his knees the pain and shock gripped him as he saw his own blood spread out in a pool before him. He screamed out for help in panic. Nicodemus charged him and kneed him in the mouth breaking several teeth and causing him to fall back.
Nicodemus pulled the knife from his chest, which to Ganondorfs surprise hurt even more than going in and it bleed worse too. He was dizzy from blood loss of the knee to the face he did not know but he did not dare stand up. His vision cleared just in time to see the blade charging for his face. But it stopped. Nicodemus was hurt. He sat back and Ganondorf saw two rangers loading their bows in the archway. Nicodemus looked stunned as hs touched his back and found his fingers covered in blood. He tried to dash for the window but two more arrows struck him as he lept for it. One struck his right hand causing him to loose grip on the curtain and fall from the tower to the courtyard.
The rangers rushed out to the courtyard to catch him but Ganondorf knew there was no need. He was not moving his longest friend besides his brother was now dead. Dead because of her. All because his brother was too foolish to see the truth, he was willing to take everything from the people, everything from him in order to keep her. If Nicodemus could fall under her spell anyone could. He could not wait for Mervic to return.
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He looked it over and thought surely this would do it. Surely this would bring her back to me. The Crimson Prince had noticed Tatyana was slipping. She seemed less and less interested in him. From the beginning she had doubted that she was worth loving, though he could not possibly see or understand why. She had the skin of fine porcelien, rich deep eyes and a long list of other traits that sang in harmony of beauty. Virtue begat beauty so she must be more pure and valiant than anyone else he had ever met. Even Nymphs paled in comparison and they had been known to kill men with their looks.
He had decided to show her how much he loved her. He brought everyone who had died for her in this war to one spot and had the mages construct monuments to all the dead. Each stone read, "I will always Love Tatyana." He knew that if he could lay out all the death and carnage all the price that he had paid for her in one place she could not argue that he loved her, and finally see she was worth loving. Perhaps even lay with him again, she had not done so in weeks.
"It looks marvelous Arithos." He complemented his head mage who responded, "The study with golemns teaches us how to meld stone quit easily. It is a very impressive feet my lord. Not the magic, but how many people love her and will sacrifice for her. It proves your brother is wrong."
"Indeed it does." He looked over it again. For as far as his elven eyes could see in every direction was gravestones. A grey death lay over the ground laced with the early morning fog that no longer seemed eager to leave. Though the overcast sky prevented the sun from chasing the fog away. Another addition he had made so the cold ones would be more comfortable here. It was quit perfectly quit. A silent praise that inspired awe as so much death and destruction. He was happy so many had died, for it proved his love, and Love was the greatest of all the virtues.
"She is here my Lord." The news lifted the Crimson's prince's eyes and spirits. She was ascending with her protector Lord Tyros not more than one step behind. Her and her cold one servants glided across the difficult terrain as is floating is was marvelous to watch. The war with his brother, the reports and thousands of creatures giants and monsters coming through the check points and barely guarded bases in the north all of it faded away as he looked on her.
He raised his arms and spun as if trying to point to all of it at once. "See my tribute to you my Lady Velvet. All the men women and children dead for you. Nearly the whole of Hyrule here because I love you. Gaze upon my love and see for yourself." The words nearly ran out of his mouth as he hoped it pleased her.
She gasp and panned around slowly. They stood on top of a tower of white stone built in the very center. From here she could see it all. He knew her eyes were even more keen then his but had not doubt the sacrifices lined up far beyond even here eyesight. Then she spoke honey dipped words, "It's beautiful. Your love flatters me." Casting her eyes to the ground she began to cry. The tears fell from her eyes to the ground crashing like gem stones on the stone spreading ice wherever they fell. "You know me too well, you have done all of this because of me. I have made this."
He was confused, was she sad? "Yes for you. Only you, deserve this. Nothing, no one and not virtue matters to me like you do." She went from crying to sobbing and threw her arms around him.
"Oh Derick that means more to me than you will ever know." She breathed in deep and he tightened his grip on her hoping to never let her go. But she easily broke his embrace and through his affection to the side. "But what does it prove to be loved by a monster like you?"
The words shattered his heart. He fell to his knees shaking, trembling barely aware of the tears that now fell from his face. She turned to Tyros discarding the Crimson Prince as if he were nothing more than a toy a child had played with so long it had worn out. "Release all the hounds on Ganondorf, let them shred Hyrule to the ground if there is anyone left I will be displeased. A lot of memories here to erase it will please me if there is nothing left to remember. And for our escape there is a pass to the north west, is it still open?"
He responded in the same manner, completely ignoring the insignificant Crimson Prince on the ground. "The mountains are now infested with all sorts of creature and giants. Fire and stone both. Reports from them indicate they are all fleeing an expanding human settlement on the other side of the mountains. One holy knight leads them and promises to make the human's land safe. It is from him that all these creatures flee."
"Yes, a holy and strong man. Perhaps he will have what we seek. Be about your mission Tyros, I will be here in my new tower until you have made safe the way and it is time to depart."
She turns to leave gliding as she walked through the archway leading down the stairs to the tower. He realized that was only standing still while the scenery moved behind him. Looking around he could not believe what happened. Did she love him like he loved her? Did she need him like he needed her? Was he worthy of being loved? Was it possible to love him after what he had done?
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They had traveled a little further south that what would have been the quickest route but it avoided the Lightning sworn and their desert. That was an unstable element he wished not to bring into the fray just yet. Though it was an advantage they were there. What small land they did control lay between the southern green and where the river began. So cold ones and wolfmen who tried to come in from the north had to attack them first. With the Crimson Prince occupied only with attacking Ganondorf he ignored that path of attack all together and focussed on the southern end of the river that, virtue be praised, they were able to hold.
Ganondorf thought this over as he hoped it would all be done soon. The ship had docked and his men were stepping off onto the ancient pier. "No stay here. I will go into the ice temple alone. None of you should be asked to do such a thing."
"Not even I." Came a familiar voice to Ganondorf's ear. Mervic was waiting on the pier for him.
"Of course you may come old friend, I thought you would never make it."
"I arrived just after you left. Finished the enchantment we discussed and his the letters. Then I rushed as fast as I could to get here. Luckily you took the long way around." His smile fell short, " I heard about Nicodemus, my sympathies. I still can not believe it."
"She is a bewitching temptress. We could all have fallen to her. Thank Virtue we have been spared."
"So, no turning back now."
"Nope. May mercy forgive us. What we do we do for Hyrule."
The both side by side walked onto the plains of ice that surrounded the temple of white stone. Ice covered mountains make a near perfect wall around the temple constructed by the Dragon Lords thousands of years earlier. The Grey Haven Elves worshiped the Dragons but the Dragons had a criminal among them. One that they hated and ordered imprisoned. And they were going to open this prison and wake him up. It was he who he who first allowed the elves of to know of this land that Hyrule founded and now he just may be its last hope to save it.
The door way was massive. Large enough for a dragon to cross the thresh hold. Mervic began his chanting. The altar next to the doorway made not mention of how to open the doors only spoke of how to close and seal the prison. An elaborate ritual that involved the tears of an angel. They bond would be strong and nearly impossible to open. But nearly impossible was what Mervic seemed best at. The doors opened his chanting.
They walked into a temple seemingly made of crystal and ice. Frozen half beast mean filled the corridor. "The Demon King's followers." Mervic said his voice laced with excitement. He engaged the virtue of wisdom with out remorse or reservation. Wisdom, needed truth and he would find all the truth the world would show him.
He turned his attention from Mervic to the frozen man the elf was studying. It was not a man or an elf but had the horns of a goat and wings of a wyvern. Hoofed feet stood frozen to the floor despite the obvious strength of the muscle fibers. Ganondorf continued on, "We are not here for his followers. We stick to the plan, my apologies to wisdom and truth." Mervic followed close behind.
They stood now looking upon him. The area immediately around his body as not frozen ice as was everything else. It seemed a raging fire just under the ice trying to melt it as the ice tried to keep it frozen. The creature was larger than anything he had ever seen. Resembling a snake but with long fleshy wings and easily 1000 meters in length. The demon king lay coiled, eyes closed and unmoving, not even breathing.
The sheer power was captivating he could feel his heart beat in rhythmic time with some unheard music. It almost controlled him and moved him. It drew his eyes to a crown that lay upon an altar in front of the beast. The inscription read, Whosoever shall wear this crown can command the Demon King. Ganondorf reached for it before Mervic grabbed his hand.
"No, that crown does not give power over the demon king but give him power of you. If you so much as touch it he'll awaken. Let me talk to it first." Then Mervic, without waiting for a response, sat on the floor and began chanting and mixing humming and breathing than he spoke but is was not his voice. IT was a voice with in his voice.
"RELEASE ME."
"I've come hoping to bring a peace to our people."
"PEACE, NO PEACE, RELEASE ME."
"I can do that. I come because the elves now risk losing our kingdom. An immortal woman of cold skin enchants all she sees. Everyone falls under her spell and Hyrule falls to ruin. We no longer have the power to keep her at bay, she must be destroyed. If you help us do this I will release you."
"Then it is not PEACE you look for but war. I can bring you WAR!! And for being the one to open my prison I reward you. I bestow gifts upon you. Cut your hand and lay it upon the altar."
The desperate ruler of Hyrule recoiled for fear but remembered this was the path he had chosen. To be Noble is to be brave. He cut his hand and laid it on the altar blood rushing from it.
"GOOD, VERY GOOD. MY BLOOD IS YOUR BLOOD MY SOUL IS YOURS OUR POWER IS ONE. NOW TAKE THE CROWN AND AWAKEN MY BODY. I AND MY ARMY WILL DESTROY THIS COLD ONE AND TAKE OUR VENGENCE UPON THE ELVES AND ALL DRAGON KIND."
Ganondorf pulled back taking his hand from the altar. Power, strange and sickening power ran through his veins. Thoughts that were not his began to form in the back of his his mind. He chased them away before he knew what they were. His body began to change to. Springing from his jaw ripped two large tusks. Green scales cracked and tore their way to the surface replacing his once fair elven skin. Bones snapped and broke realigning, claws extending from his right hand. The claws dripped with a black liquid. RELEASE ME. The voice came in his own head now.
Ganondorf did not want to bring vengeance upon all the elves. He only wanted to bring order to what was rightfully his kingdom. His enemies needed destroyed. He could save Hyrule, what it needed was order. And while compulsion pushed him to take the crown he resisted. I will be lord of Hyrule and share that with no one, DEMON OR MEN OR WHATEVER THEY BE.
He turned to leave and saw Mervic out cold on the floor. He leaned down and grabbed the wizard by the arm. He was talented and loyal to Ganondorf he could yet serve useful no need to leave him here to die. Not when there were so many others that needed to.
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