Chapter 4: Fight for Hyrule Castle

King Ignacio remained silent as Ruhne dragged him by the arm towards the west tower of Hyrule Castle. The contingency of soldiers that had followed to protect their king fought bravely as Gerudo warriors stood forth to bar their path. Ruhne was soon the only defender left standing, the less-skilled castle soldiers having fallen to injury or fatality. After all, every Gerudo born to the tribe of the desert was bred for war, for fighting, and for savagery.

Ignacio chanced a look behind and saw Ganondorf storming down the hall after them, his dark armor aglow with black magic that swirled about his frame. The look in the Gerudo's eyes was a wild one, the dark man's plans having been swiftly crushed by the sudden appearance of the boy in green. The opposition he faced as a result all seemed to add up to his current mad fervor.

The king was suddenly and keenly aware of his fault in this mess. The green-clad boy from the forest was real, which meant Zelda's dreams—no—her visions had been quite authentic. Ganondorf's plot was revealed, and the king stood as a fool amongst it all. He could barely believe he had allowed his goal for peace to cloud his better judgment concerning the Gerudo people.

His deceased wife Zelda—all the eldest daughters born into the royal family were named thus—had been prone to strong visions as well, such as the ones their daughter had been having. How could he not have seen it? How could he have simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand, so nonchalantly, as if its mere mention were the buzzing of a fly in his ear?

Ruhne continued to trudge forward, the king in tow. As soon as the Gerudo women had made their appearance in the Grand Audience Chamber, Ganondorf began ordering his warriors to kill any who opposed them and to take the rest as prisoners. The boy in green and Impa had put up a fierce offensive, as had Ruhne's son Triyu, while the castle soldiers did their best to rally about them and aid in the fighting. Ruhne had taken it upon himself to personally protect the king, for the fiercest of the Gerudo offensive made a line straight for Hyrule's ruler. They had fled down an open corridor that led to the west tower, but Ganondorf had seen their escape and followed them.

Ignacio worried for the safety of his daughter, but the defense that Impa, Rauru, Triyu, and the mysterious child in green had put up to protect her reminded him that she was in capable hands.

They reached the stairwell that led up the western tower, and Ruhne lifted the king and draped him across his own, broad shoulders. "I apologize, your majesty," he said as he ran full-stride up the winding steps, the king's added weight of no concern to his stamina. "This indignity will make it easier to outrun Ganondorf."

The King said in reply, "Surely, Ruhne, this will tire you out before we reach the top. I am not as thin as I once was: years separate my present state from the youthful warrior you remember from the battlefield."

"Not so, my liege," he replied. Ruhne's quick pace didn't slacken in the slightest. "Truthfully, I am empowered beyond my normal strength. I cannot explain such an occurrence, but I believe it has something to do with this golden mark on my right hand, which has the appearance of the crest of the royal family. It appeared earlier today. I meant to tell you of it, but I did not wish to disturb the proceedings."

"My friend, it appears that you have somehow been granted a gift by the Goddesses to aid us in this dark hour."

Ruhne grunted in reply. "If that is the case, then I hope it will be enough to make our stand against the likes of Ganondorf. He is well-versed in the Dark Arts."

The king shifted uneasily atop Ruhne's shoulders. "The Dark Arts, you say?"

"You knew of Ganondorf's powers, did you not?"

"I…surely, I must have known. He said that his magic training had been for the defense of his people."

They were about halfway up the stairs now. Ruhne spoke with ease despite the work he accomplished. "He became a student of forbidden magic during the years that followed the war. It is said that two witches of his own tribe approached him, and he accepted their offer."

Ignacio was silent for a couple steps, then asked, "And what of your son? How do you think he will fare against Ganondorf's warriors?"

"I am very confident that he will be able to hold his own," he strongly affirmed. "Triyu is a well-trained swordsman, even for his age. He is quick and agile, very nearly besting me in our sparring matches. He may even rival Impa's skills."

"All the best swordsmen are Hylians, are they not?"

Ruhne managed a chuckle, despite the direness of the situation. "Without a doubt, my king."

Grimness fell about them as they realized they were nearing the last of the winding stairs. A showdown with the Gerudo King was inevitable, and Ruhne still did not know the full potential of his divine gift. Ignacio only hoped that it would lend them the aid they needed to win this fight.

The Grand Audience Chamber was still in an uproar. Most of the spectators fled through the main double doors that served as an entrance from the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, but many were being dragged off by Gerudo women, held at sword point to keep them from escaping.

Link fought one Gerudo warrior after another. He swore his kill count had to be at least twenty by now. Link had long since sheathed his Kokiri sword and was using one of the downed women's scimitars, for it was more powerful and had a deadly-sharp edge. Having returned to the body of a ten-year-old caused the blade's weight to put him a bit off-balance, but it was the deadlier weapon of choice for the moment.

Never had he been in a battle such as this. Throughout his many travels he had mainly fought monsters, yet he had rarely, if ever, been tasked to take another person's life. He was aware of the blood on his tunic and his face, most of which was not his own.

He spied a Gerudo picking up a small girl that looked to be his age, about to carry her off as a hostage. At first he thought the girl might be Zelda, but the princess was blond, whereas this particular one had light brown shoulder-length hair.

Link bounded over a few bodies—two castle soldiers and one Gerudo warrior—to reach his target. He didn't shout a warning; holding his weapon in both hands he cut across the back of the woman's legs through her thick desert pants, which caused her to immediately drop the girl. The Gerudo hit the ground with a wail, and the girl dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Link helped her to her feet and pulled her by the hand away from the wounded desert warrior.

The girl had been crying, but she smiled at Link when she noticed her savior. Her eyes were a vibrant green, and though she had pointed ears, she wasn't dressed like a Hylian.

"What's your name?" he asked her, trying to make his voice heard over the shouts of fighting around them.

"Cytha," she replied as she rubbed a dainty hand over her eyes. "Are you going to save me and my dad?"

Link gave her a firm nod. "Yes, but you need to stay close by me. Where's your father?"

She looked around for a moment, trying to spot him among the chaos within the Grand Audience Chamber. "I...I don't see him."

Two Gerudos appeared in front of Link and Cytha. He readied his scimitar, but as they approached, two identical silver darts were suddenly lodged in their throats. The women collapsed in a heap.

Impa strode right up next to Link, recovering the projectiles from her two victims. Zelda followed close behind her. Amazingly, there wasn't a single scratch on the Sheikah, despite the intensity of the battle. Zelda was also unscathed, kept under Impa's impenetrable defense.

"Thanks," breathed Link. The battle was finally subsiding. The last of the Gerudos were being subdued and kept under close watch by the remaining castle soldiers. Link couldn't help but think that had he not been here, and had Impa, Rauru or even Triyu, not been present, the battle would have been in Ganondorf's favor.

Ganondorf… "Where did Ganondorf go?" Link asked.

"He went after the king," replied Rauru. The older man strode up to the group, a gash with dried blood on his forehead.

"Rauru, your head," Link said with concern.

"It will heal," he said, waving off the comment. "I saw Ganondorf slip out after the king and his bodyguard Ruhne."

"Ruhne," muttered Zelda. "He is quite possibly the best swordsman in the kingdom." The tall Sheikah nudged the princess. "Next to Impa, of course," Zelda corrected with a sly smile. "Ganondorf will be hard-pressed to defeat him."

Link shook his head. "We can't be certain of that. You don't know Ganondorf like I do."

"How do you mean?" queried Impa.

"I…look, the details aren't important, but you need to understand the gravity of the situation. He's imbued himself with knowledge of the Dark Arts. The king could still be in danger."

"If it is as you say, then I will go," offered Impa.

"I'm coming too," seconded Link.

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated, but what more could one as young as you hope to accomplish?"

Rauru rubbed his mustache thoughtfully. "Lady Impa, would be surprised at the prowess this young one possesses. I have watched him fight, and he has done quite well for himself. Even young Triyu would be hard-pressed to match skills with him."

Link looked around. "Speaking of which, where did Triyu go?"

The king saw the approaching door from his position on Ruhne's shoulders. It was made of a dark wood reinforced with iron. The sounds of footsteps behind them were getting louder, and heavy breathing echoed through the narrow stairwell.

Ruhne pulled on the door with such tremendous force that it tore from its hinges and flew down the stairwell behind them. A cry of outrage issued from below, and a flash of violet light illuminated the darkness around the bend, followed by a loud crash.

Ruhne frowned. "Apologies, my king. I had hoped to barricade the door from within to buy us some time, but my strength appears to be growing by the minute. I'm not certain I can compensate."

The bodyguard set the king back on his feet, and they both hurried into the room. "Do not fret," Ignacio told him, "for it seems that Ganondorf would have made short work of the door anyway." They found themselves in a sizable, round chamber that had been converted into an armory. Perfect for a last stand, the king thought, wistfully. Swords and shields with the crest of the royal family adorned the walls, and there were racks with a variety of weapons: swords of varying length and weight, bludgeoning weapons such as morning stars and maces, and there were bows with plenty of arrows lying point-down in knee-high vases. There were also pieces of armor scattered throughout the room on tables and shelves, most of which were also adorned with the royal family's seal.

Ignacio—old, but not helpless—took up a medium-sized mace and a Hylian shield then took his place next to Ruhne in the center of the chamber. Ganondorf stopped just short of the gaping doorway. The Gerudo king was taken by a visible wild fury that drained the blood from the king's face. Ignacio glanced at Ruhne; the scar-faced warrior's right hand was aglow, and that, in turn, seemed to be feeding golden energy into the sword he was wielding, which illumined the space around them.

A bold sneer crossed the Gerudo's face. "You...how did you get…?!"

"Whatever it is that I possess, I will use it to strike you down where you stand," Ruhne promised.

"Do you even realize your own power?"

When Ruhne spoke again, it was as two voices that reverberated from deep within. "Is this the power you have sought, all this time? Ten years ago, you were the cause of civil war. It was because of this," Ruhne held up his sword arm, the symbol shining even through the thick leather of his gauntlet, lighting up his foe's wrathful features, "that this land suffered dearly. My scars bear witness to your crimes!"

"You accuse me of your nation's civil war?" Ganondorf pounded a heavy fist against the stone door frame. "The people of this land—the Hylians, the Gorons, the Zora…especially the Sheikah—are just as much responsible for war as are the Gerudo. They pursued the Triforce as well…do you not realize this?"

"Hold your tongue, and prepare to be dealt your fate!" Ignacio bellowed.

Ganondorf just smiled. "Any reformist or idealist would see the benefits of having an artifact that would grant the wishes of whoever holds it. My dear king, a piece of that artifact resides within your lapdog now." He gestured to Ruhne. "Don't you feel the power swelling within you? Realize what you could accomplish! You will soon realize that your place by the king's side is not enough; you can become king!"

Ruhne pointed his gleaming sword in Ganondorf's direction. "That is what makes us different. You seek power to bend others to your will. I, however, will use my power to protect my nation, my way of life, and those I love. Is there nothing in this life that you cherish beyond your own thirst for blood?"

Ganondorf raised his own, thick blade, matching Ruhne's posture. "Perhaps if you submit to me now and give me the Triforce, you will one day find out."

"Submit? Submit?! You will submit to me!"

Ruhne's altered voice was met with a laugh. "Oh? You are beginning to realize your power. Fascinating!" With that, Ganondorf lunged forward faster than humanly possible.

Ignacio, geared as he was for battle, couldn't help but stand back and watch as the two before him clashed weapons. Ruhne wasn't quite as tall as Ganondorf, but despite his shortcomings in stature, the elite guard matched the Gerudo's attacks with a beautiful array of his own. They both appeared to fuel their strikes with their respective powers: Ruhne with the Triforce, and Ganondorf with his dark aura. The Gerudo's blade glowed with a hazy, purplish hue while the Hylian's sword shone with the brilliance of the sun.

Ganondorf's defense was almost perfect, his skill level seemingly much higher than Ruhne's, but, at the same time, the latter didn't appear to tire, and was able to endlessly maintain his barrage of thrusts and slashes. Ganondorf gritted his teeth, but held his ground. He surged forward with a sudden burst of dark power that seemed to blot out Ruhne's light from the king's view for a moment. He saw his bodyguard's frame slam against a wooden rack of bows. The Gerudo took this opportunity and rushed forward to skewer his opponent. Ruhne was quick to recover and spun off the rack, away from the deadly maneuver.

Ignacio silently watched in amazement at Ruhne's speed and power. The king saw his friend move swiftly in place behind Ganodnorf's back, and as the Gerudo attempted to turn and face him he was met with the flash of Ruhne's weapon. The sword caught its target in the abdomen, cutting through leather, iron, and flesh. Ganondorf managed to step backwards just in time to avoid serious injury and only a small gash remained where innards might have spilled.

Though only a flesh wound, the Gerudo king was offered no time to compensate, and Ruhne prepared for the final blow…or he would have, had a certain distraction not occurred next.

A familiar voice rang out through the high tower's chamber. "Father, I'm here!" Ignacio and Ruhne both turned to see Triyu standing in the doorway, blood splattered intermittently across his tunic and face, though not his own, and his sword was drawn, ready for more fighting.

"Triyu!" Ruhne shouted urgently. "Leave now!"

"Father…your voice…" Triyu started.

But Ruhne's attention was effectively removed from his opponent. Ganondorf stepped forward and quickly knocked the elite guard's glowing blade aside, and he finished with another downward stroke that severed flesh and bone.

A series of what sounded like thunder claps drowned out Ruhne's scream. All present shielded their eyes from the bright light that broke forth, streaming from the Hylian warrior's severed hand.

To be continued…