The Reawakening Pt. 3

AS THE SPIRES of Hyrule Castle eventually cleared the horizon, Ganondorf had begun to feel a strange ache in his chest, one he hadn't felt for years. It was a similar sensation to that of his sleepless nights in his younger years, but it was no longer accompanied by a sharp agony. The ache felt more like something inside him was trying to break free, but not destroy its host in the process. And even when the young prince closed his eyes, the strange entity Ganon was nowhere to be found.

Ganondorf barely had time to consider this ache before his thoughts were overcome by what was happening as they neared the drawbridge. His parents had often made such a fuss over presentation, over Ganondorf recognizing himself as higher than the other Gerudo. But the obvious lack of reception for the visitors was abundantly clear as the various guards sent distasteful looks their way. The one who was tasked with the burden of checking visitors before opening the drawbridge seemed to be completely unaware of the group's royal status amongst the Gerudo, rooting through their belongings for weapons and patting down the Gerudo guards with crude sneers on their faces. Never before had Ganondorf even considered getting anything but respect from others, for even if the Gerudo citizens looked at him in fear, it was founded in respect. Eventually the Hylian guard cleared them for entry, and the drawbridge slowly lowered.

"Head on through," he said, a smirk about his lips. Then, as they made their way past, Ganondorf heard him mutter under his breath, "Gerudo thieves."

The stereotype had been assigned to the Gerudo ever since the first group was officially invited to a viewing with the King many, many years ago. Bemused by the high concentration of men and interesting delicacies, the women stole not only money and items, unaware of the town's trading policies, but husbands and wives as well. Ever since then, they were coined as thieves and rarely invited to return.
Ganondorf had never before heard this stereotype and was thoroughly confused by the guard's comment. But Mother Koume told him to pay no mind continue onward.

But the feeling of pure strangeness was impossible to shake. Ganondorf wanted to look upon this new place in wonder and curiosity, but he felt like some sort of spectacle being paraded through the city. Many citizens cast them harsh or condescending looks, and a few whispered to each other at the prince's passing. Ganondorf watched them closely, confused by their strange clothing and incredibly pale features. There were, of course, a few Hylians living within Gerudo territory, but they had clearly adopted the ways of their surroundings and presented no sense of superiority. But Ganondorf could only feel a confused anger as he guided his horse through the city streets.

They were led to a rickety stable in what seemed to be the back-end alleys of the town's main plaza. There, they unsaddled their horses and Ganondorf helped his parents out of the carriage, since no one else would be bothered to do so. The prince put a hand on the stable boy's shoulder, noticing him gazing in wonder at Wrana's unnatural and vibrant coloration.

"You look after her," he said. He winked kindly at the boy before stepping toward the open streets.
"We have a little time before our meeting with the King," said Mother Koume. Ganondorf was pleased at the prospect of wandering the streets, but also hesitant. He caught the looks of a few Hylians watching them through the throng of people in the marketplace. "I understand that this is a bit shocking," Koume continued.

"It's not worth getting upset over," said Kotake.

"I'm not upset," Ganondorf said. He flashed a meaningless smile at his aunt before stalking out into the sunlight.

The city, despite its cool inhabitants, was truly a sight for desert eyes. The cobbled streets of the market were buzzing with vendors and gossip, mostly about the Gerudo visitors, and all kinds of fascinating treasures lined the stalls. Ganondorf was able to ignore the ache within his chest as he perused the various objects, especially when the vendors were kind as opposed to silent in their judgments.

Ganondorf stopped at a stall after purchasing a bottle of milk from one Talon, who owned a dairy farm and ranch not far from the city walls. But this particular stall housed its own forge and a whole array of interesting weapons Ganondorf had never seen before. The Gerudo almost exclusively used curved scimitars and spears, and the long straight edges of these swords were unusual and appealing.

"You a swordsman, young man?" someone said before emerging from behind the forge. He was a light-haired Hylian of about thirty, and wore the clothing of a blacksmith.

"You could say that," said Ganondorf. He ran his hand along the smooth steel of a long blade.

"You've certainly got a good eye," said the man. He eyed the Gerudo prince behind guarded eyes. "You're definitely not from around here."

Ganondorf smirked. "I'm from the Gerudo Valley."

"Gerudo?" said the smith. "I thought they were all women."

"They are," said Ganondorf. He grinned up at the man. "I guess I'm just a legend."

The blacksmith chuckled after a brief moment. "The name's Cedric. I'm the Royal blacksmith."

"Ganondorf," said the Gerudo. "I guess that means you're pretty good."

"I would hope so," said Cedric.

When Ganondorf picked up the longsword, he could feel the blacksmith tense. "Don't worry," he said. "If anything breaks, I can compensate."

"Why don't you come around back?" said Cedric. "There's a miniature sparring hall. And people who can defend themselves if you accidentally swing a sword at them."

Ganondorf followed Cedric behind the shop's counter and through a doorway. Behind it was a small courtyard, which made the Gerudo suspect that this Cedric was of higher importance than he let on. The courtyard had a single guard in it, standing in front of a building that arched into the sky, big wooden doors leading inside.

Cedric seemed to pick up on Ganondorf's awe. "Some of the younger knights-to-be begin their training here," he said. "Yours truly is the mentor."

They stepped inside the sparring hall, which had several logs with painted targets on them scattered about the large room. Several weapons were mounted on the walls, including a Gerudo spear. There were a few young boys tagging the logs with practice swords. Ganondorf gripped the longsword in his hand and spun in place, making contact with an upright log. It rocked slightly, held in place by a metal brace on the floor.

"Interesting," said Cedric. He lifted a sword from a rack, walking toward the Gerudo. "Is that a technique taught in your land?"

"It's one of the most basic," said Ganondorf. "You must teach things rather differently."

After a few more moments of sparring, Ganondorf declared that he would like the purchase the sword to add to his collection.

"It's rather expensive, young man," said Cedric.

Ganondorf pulled out his wallet, rather slim in appearance. But when he started withdrawing three golden rupees at a time, Cedric held out a hand to stop him.

"All right, all right," he said, laughing a little incredulously. "Slow down there. Clearly money is not an issue for you. Why are you so eager to get your hands on a simple longsword?" It wasn't necessarily a sales tactic; he wanted this strange young man to get the best quality sword for his money.

"It's not simple," said Ganondorf. "I've never seen a sword like this."

"You should see the Royal Armory," said Cedric. "It's more of a gallery than a place for knights to equip themselves. A few of my most prized pieces are held there."

"Could I?" Ganondorf said. He placed the longsword on a rack beside them. "I am meeting with your King later, but I might have some time to take a look around."

Cedric raised his eyebrows. After a moment he said, "You're a lot more than just a Desert boy, aren't you?"

Ganondorf grinned. "I am the Gerudo Prince."

Cedric smiled, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Come with me."

The two left the sparring hall, Cedric leaving his shop in the hands of an apprentice. They wove throughout the market, and Ganondorf found it easier to ignore the strange looks from other Hylians. At the end of the marketplace was a large fountain with a winged woman in the center, most likely Hylia herself. Ganondorf felt a pang in his chest, but he shoved the feeling aside even as it grew stronger the more they neared what could only have been Hyrule Castle.

Passing through the bazaar, they made their way through what must have been the lower class residency of the town. Ganondorf noticed many looks of wonderment, but not condescension. He also saw that these people were round-eared, or of another species entirely. They huddled in their doorways, faces somewhat dirtied and bewildered. Ganondorf was aware of the sections of Gerudo Valley that housed the lower class citizens, but never saw their faces quite like this. It added a weight to the ache in his chest that he'd have rather avoided.

Slipping past the residency, a door with the symbol of the Triforce on it appeared in front of them. Cedric turned to Ganondorf as they stopped. "How about we skirt some of the formalities?" He opened the door to a narrow passage, a few candles lighting the way. As they passed through, Cedric informed the Gerudo that they were taking a somewhat secretive passage into the Castle, avoiding the high-quality search that is warranted by the knights of Hyrule. The passage eventually opened up to a larger room, and Cedric pressed against the wall at the end of it. It opened gradually, and he waved Ganondorf inside. Once the door was closed behind them, it seemingly vanished into the ornate wall. They were standing at the end of an expansive corridor, royal blue carpeting beneath their feet. The walls were decorated with highly-detailed paintings of the former kings and queens, and a larger painting of the last Queen Zelda hung above their heads. Her hair was a dark blonde, and her crystal-like blue eyes mirrored those of the goddess Hylia's in traditional artwork. Ganondorf found her beautiful, but in a hollow and uninteresting way. The strange sensation in his chest tightened as he gazed up at the painting.

"The armory is just down here," said Cedric, breaking his train of thought. They walked down the hallway, the blacksmith occasionally nodding at the odd guard who didn't seem to ask what Ganondorf was doing there. They made it to a pair of doors shaped in an arch, and Cedric unlocked them with a key he pulled from his pocket. "Welcome to the Hyrule Castle Armory."

The room was incredibly large, extending many lengths in every direction. As if it were mimicking a library set-up, the hall was lined with racks and racks of weapons, categorized into different types. Ganondorf had never seen such a selection, considering the minimalistic weapons of the Gerudo armories. He wandered up and down the aisles, smiling at the various swords and bows with arrows. He'd never used a bow and arrow before, but had seen some hanging on the wall of the Fortress back in the Desert. The weapons were behind glass however, so he couldn't lift them from their pedestals.

"Take a look at this," said Cedric from the end of an aisle. Ganondorf made his way over to where the blacksmith was standing, looking up at pair of swords mounted in the shape of an X on the wall.

"What's this?" said Ganondorf.

"Your name," Cedric said in response. "You were named after the great warrior of the Gerudo, Ganon, right?"

Ganondorf felt his chest clench as the name was said. He bit his tongue however, determined to ignore it. "That is correct."

"Well one of Castle Town's most renowned scholars has become rather interested in the Gerudo," said Cedric. "He requested a piece to honor the legend. These swords are called Ganon's Swords, and are supposed to be the ones he used to conquer the sands."

Ganondorf looked at Cedric. "Why would a Hylian from Castle Town be so interested in the legend of the Desert People?"

"It's a good question," said Cedric. "He is getting rather old of course, and probably losing some of his previously astounding mental capacity. Some say he's been going a little crazy with this new obsession with the legend of Ganon and the Beast."

Ganondorf couldn't ignore the feeling anymore. He clutched a hand to his chest, staggering backward.

"Are you all right?" said Cedric, worry coating his voice as he reached a hand out toward the prince.

"I'm fine," said the Gerudo through clenched teeth. "Just a little light-headed I suppose. It's been quite the journey."

"I imagine so. Why don't we get you back to the marketplace so you can get ready for your meeting with the King?"

As Cedric led the way back, Ganondorf cast a final glance at the swords on the wall. A flurry of whispered flooded his thoughts, seeming to call him toward the swords. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to rid his mind of the strange voices. But he wanted to wield those swords. They were made for his namesake after all. Eventually he turned away, following the blacksmith back out of the Castle.