Chapter Twenty – Choice

I threw myself forwards into the light, seizing hold of the boy and the sword. He shouted out in fear, and I only laughed out loud with malice. "This is my choice!!" This was my destiny. I looked down at the boy, and spoke to him. "I knew if I followed you here you would open the gateway to the Sacred Realm for me. Young fool…"

Everything turned to silver glass.

……

But when Aragorn arose all that beheld him gazed in silence, for it seemed to them that he was revealed to them now for the first time. Tall as the sea-kings of old, he stood above all that were near, ancient of days he seemed and yet in the flower of manhood; and wisdom sat upon his brow, and strength and healing were in his hands, and a light was about him.

The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkein

……

…in a realm beyond sight…the shy shines gold, not blue…

…there, the Triforce' might…makes mortal dreams come true…

……

An eternity later…

I awoke upon a seashore, stirring slowly as the tide lapped gently against my face. I opened my eyes slowly and looked out across the ocean, towards the golden sunlight beyond the horizon. So peaceful. I could lay here forever. So calm… I took in a deep breath, and the fresh salty sea air filled my lungs, I exhaled slowly, running my fingers through my hair. I had a vague memory of a pain in the past, of light and wind and a burning flame, but I could not place it. All I felt was serenity and contentedness.

"Ganondorf, awaken."

I looked up above me, at the figure peering over me. He offered me a hand, and I took it, and he helped me as I clambered up onto my feet. "Who are you?" I said, looking him up and down. He was short, short against my height leastways, and Hylian of origin. He was elderly, with white hair and a white beard, and deep lines of age set in his round face. He wore a golden robe around his large belly, tied with a golden sash, which was decorated with the markings of the ancients.

"My name is Rauru," he said, in a commanding tone. "I am the Sage of Light, ancient guardian of the Temple of Light and the Sacred Realm of Hyrule." He frowned at me. "You have come to my domain through the Temple of Time, this I know, but you did not open the gateway which brought you here, did you?"

I studied him carefully. A Sage… the Sage of Light no less. I decided that I must handle myself carefully, I could not tell yet if he was friend of foe. Well, he was a foe, I knew that much, but how did he consider me? "I came here through the ancient gateway, by the only way I could. It matters not how I came here though…so long as this is indeed the Sacred Realm?"

"Take a look around," said Rauru, "but do not become too acquainted with this place. No mortals may linger here for very long, it is the way of things." He turned and wandered away slowly, not looking back towards me. As he walked, he faded as mist into the air.

Beyond where he had been, and past the sand dunes, the land rose into grassy slopes, though I could not see over the first hill. Looking sideways up and down the beach, it appeared that maybe this was an island, the grassy fields surrounded by the shore on all sides.

So this was the Sacred Realm? Not quite what I had expected. Not at all in fact. Sure enough, the sky was gold, but other than this could have been an island in Hyrule. I looked around some more, and it was only after a few minutes that I realised that the endless ocean which stretched to the horizon actually shined silver. I looked more carefully, and observed that the entire sea of liquid glass and silver, smooth as water.

I shook my head, and began walking towards the sand dunes, and soon I was walking up the grassy slopes onto the centre of the island. The grass was thick and lush, and swayed gently as though in a breeze… despite the absence of wind. My footfalls did not even bend the grass stalks, behind me looked as though nobody had walked through here.

The ground I trod, it was sacred, holy. I could feel my taint burning through it.

At the centre of the island, atop the highest hill, I could now see a tall building. An immense building, a palace by appearance, though like none I had ever seen before. It spired high into the golden sky, disappearing into the air above almost beyond my own sight. I quickened my pace, bounding over the plains, up and down smoothly rising and falling slopes. My cape fluttering behind me on a wind I could not feel. I felt quite carefree, almost light of heart. Impossible, I knew. My heart was darkness.

…only the darkness…

…only ever the darkness…

I drew neared to the great palace and the tower that stretched high above it. This was undoubtedly the Temple of Light. The dwelling place of the sages, and the resting place of the essence of the gods…

The walls of the temple were brilliant white, made of marble, and great pillars of gold and silver supported the walls, and the high levels which stretched up hundreds of feet into the air, easily four or five times higher than Hyrule Castle, and then there was that spire that scraped the sky…

There were domes of pearl and gates of diamond. Archways of adamantine, balconies crafted from firestone and coral. Higher up, one of the tiers of the temple was ringed by a recurring pattern of six bright shining gemstones. Thousands of them, encircling the palace, glowing with the light of the six temples…

……

I entered through the great front archways, sculpted of amethyst, and followed the long wide corridor deeper into the Temple of Light.

A deep booming voice rocked through the temple, and it cast fear into me. Fear. Into me? Dark, what have I become? "Mandrag Ganon, you dare bring the taint of evil upon this holy place?"

I spoke out to the voice of Rauru, which resonated through the halls with deep clarity, sound echoing from everywhere around me. "You know that which I desire. And you know of the prophecy. You cannot protect it from me."

" You will do what you have to do. I shall not try to stop you now."

"That is a wise decision indeed." I called back, rocking my head back in laughter, and channelling power through the earth to shake the temple to its foundations.

"But hear this. Your victory shall only be a half victory." He tone almost mocked me. "The glory you seek shall not be yours. The flames of the seven sages will flow from the arms of the Hero, and he shall blind you and burn you by the fire of the Blade of the Ancients…this is your warning."

I laughed as I walked. I could see a staircase up ahead of me in the distance. "Hero? No-one can stand against the power of the gods, and I shall harness their might and bend it to my will. I fear no-one."

"May your soul find the light, Ganondorf." He fell silent.

"May your soul find the dark, Sage." I muttered as I walked. "For any who stand against me shall be crushed." Dragmire ail'Dracani hung at my waist, and I realised I was gripping it tightly. "I am not Ganondorf…" I said slowly. "I am not a Dragmire…" This weapon is a bind to a forgotten life. I cannot wear it any more, it was a shackle to a life long lost. I unbuckled it and let the sword fall to the floor, and I heard it clatter on the stone floor behind me.

……

Time stood still as I climbed. Higher, higher, higher, always higher. The wide stairs had narrowed spiralled up into the tower, which now I climbed with ever decreasing patience. It was so high. Surely I was climbing the stairs into the heavens. Onwards, upwards, higher…higher…

……

O glorious light…

O glorious dark…

……

From the top of the tower I looked out upon the Temple of Light, stretching downwards thousands of feet below me. I could see the silver sea all around the island, and the golden sky, and the shining green grass…So beautiful…beauty matched by nothing else in all the world…not even by her…

But even the majesty of all of the Sacred Realm was as nothing next to what was before me now…. Here at the highest peak of this tower, where the Gods left it millennia ago when they left this word…

…the hour of destiny is at hand…

…the great beast will rule the world for seven years…

The Triforce of the Sacred Realm. The Essence of the Gods. The three golden triangles…Nayru of Wisdom. Din of Power. Farore of Courage. The power to make mortal dreams come true. It shined gold, and flooded my eyes with radiance and light. So strong…so bright…so much light…

I was shaking, trembling deep within my soul. But I was Mandrag Ganon, I was strong. The world would know my name and fear.

I called out loud into the skies. And ancient power filled my voice. "Gods of the Heavens! Hear that which I desire!!" My voice rocked the Earth and Heavens, and the world was pulled with the flow of my divine blood. "Give me the power to rule the world! Give me the power of the gods! Let me rule upon a throne of fire and scourge the world with my flame. Let lighting be my sceptre, that I may strike down upon all nations, and torture the unfaithful. Let the wind be my steed, that I would ride with the four winds and burn the sky with eagles. Let time be my crown, that I may rewrite the world in my image, and bring rebirth to the darkness!!" The skies broke, the earth was rent open, and the seas roared. "Give Hyrule to me!!"

I laid my hands upon the Triforce.

The world became fire.

My blood turned to ice.

The fabric of existence was torn.

The light increased, ever brighter, burning my eyes. The Triforce became ever stronger in its radiance. I held onto it with all my strength. Pain surged through my body, shredding at my soul. I screamed out loud in pain. It was burning me, torturing me. O, such glorious power! Such power!! "Give Hyrule to me!!" I cried, and again, louder, "Give the world to me!!"

My mind split. The world cracked. The weave of the world bent, struggling against the flow of power. It was mine! All mine!! All I have suffered for. All I have sacrificed, it came to this. Victory was mine. The world would know my name and fear. I would rule the world for all time!!

…Nabooru…we were meant for so much more…

Power filled me, saturating my soul. Taking control.

The world would kneel before me.

I laughed out loud, screaming with joy and wonder…

…and prophecy was fulfilled.

"I am Ganondorf Dragmire!!" I cried out, echoing across the winds of time. "I am Mandrag Ganon!!"

The End
of Book One of Dragmire