05-23-2015, 06:33 AM
The great Gerudo King couldn’t help himself. At Link’s acceptance of their truce, and his ridiculous show of bravado in threatening Ganondorf, the larger man’s face split into a self-satisfied grin. It truly WAS easy to manipulate the boy. Oh, Ganondorf would stay true to his word. The Gerudo had his pride, after all. Still, the fact that Link, his long-time nemesis, would be allied with him for this event spoke volumes to just how susceptible to the Dark King’s mind games he truly was. It may have taken some time to get the lad to this point, but Ganondorf felt certain that, in time, he could place Link more firmly under his sway.
Link’s eyes narrowed further at Ganondorf’s smirk, bring the Gerudo’s mind back to the task. The boy didn’t YET trust him, so it would be best to play the game carefully for now. His hand rose towards the blond Hylian, who backed away instinctively, eliciting amusement within the Dark Lord. Ganon’s brow rose, bushy red hair quirked in amusement as he held out his hand.
“To bind our agreement,” he explained, and with a bit of trepidation, Link, somewhat surprisingly, shook his nemesis’ hand. Likewise surprising was the boy’s firm grip and steady arm. Link was little more than a boy, and while tall enough to stare at Ganondorf’s chest, he was still about half the Gerudo’s size. In spite of himself, he felt a bit of respect for the kid, and he thought back on their past encounters. Link was a fair warrior, and not a slouch for strategy either. A bit hot-headed at times. Impetuous. But so was Ganondorf at his age… Well, maybe not JUST at his age. Again, the Demon King chuckled and released the Hylian’s hand. “And so it is bound,” he recited, as though it were an ancient oath… and maybe it was. “To each we shall remain true, until the final hour is struck and all bonds are broken.”
After a brief look of confusion, Link nodded in acceptance. As the two concluded their unusual joining, an interruption broke their focus on one another. A young lady, remarkably similar to the petite thing Ganondorf has registered with in the Dunes, walked up to them with clipboard in hand.
“Mr. Ganondorf, Mr. Link,” she said in a lilting voice. “Syntex, and Karl Jak, are pleased to announce that you both have been officially put onto the Dante’s Abyss Roster. Congratulations!”
The young brunette tilted her head to the side as she said this, an obviously fake smile adorning her lips. Ganondorf scowled down at her for the interruption... and because she reminded him of something his meeting with Link had pushed to the back of his mind: Firani. The woman noticed his displeasure and quickly continued.
“If you would please make your way to the elevator in the back of the hall, a space has been set aside for you in the Barracks.”
Caught up in his misery, Ganondorf didn’t quite register what she had said, though fortunately Link had.
“Elevator?” he asked, obviously confused. His voice broke Ganondorf from his thoughts, and so too did the Gerudo find this word strange.
“Oh right… Mr. Jak DID say that some of the combatants wouldn’t be familiar with modern technology.”
She pointed to the other end of the hallway, at a large, unusual, metal door. Link nodded his thanks and moved for it, followed by Ganondorf. And, as the Gerudo passed by the girl, he heard her mutter under her breath and a rage swelled within his bosom.
“Primitives…”
The word stopped Ganondorf in his tracks and he glared imperiously down at the brunette secretary. His hand drew back and the woman cowered in fear at what would happen next. Yet, as his gauntleted hand swept forward, an image flashed across his vision and he immediately halted. It was her again. The Gerudo snarled, his rage not diminished by the sadness he felt within. Yet, impotently, he turned from her and continued towards the ‘elevator’, as she had called it. Link had stopped shortly after Ganon had, and the Demon King noticed the boy’s hand lowering from his hilt before he likewise went to the metal doors. The two stared at the knobless entryway for a short time before another of Jak’s servants pushed a glowing light and the doors opened. Stepping inside, with more than a bit of nervousness between them (and both trying very hard to hide it), the doors closed and they felt a strange moving sensation.
Maybe it was to break the tension, or simply to distract him from the strangeness of their confines, but Link looked to his large companion and began speaking.
“So… new look?” he asked a bit awkwardly. “What happened to cause this change?”
The wolf-eyed King returned Link’s gaze and paused before speaking. He had considered hiding this from the boy, concerned that his mortal enemy would see it as weakness and strike at him. Yet, in the end, Ganondorf had resolved to tell the boy of what had happened. Or, at least, most of it. At the worst the boy WOULD see him as weak enough to strike down. Yet, the Gerudo had spent a long time observing Link in Hyrule. The Hylian had a strange tendency to see weakness as strength, and to want to help those who were beaten. And so, Ganondorf replied with the truth.
“After the battle with those dragons, myself and Eighteen had stumbled across a man in what they call The Nexus. It was obvious from the start that he was unstable and violent, yet I thought I could use him all the same. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bite my ego for long and eventually our differences brought us to blows.”
A pause for dramatic effect, and the Gerudo continued, “He killed me, though I gave as well as I could. Fortunately, it seems Omni is no liar and I revived a short time later. When I did, I was like this.”
The man shook his head and looked down at his gauntleted hands. “Perhaps this form was created from my subconscious desire to enact my revenge on that man. It DOES look much more combat-ready. But it could just as easily just be some whim of our benefactor, Omni. The strange creature seems the type for flights of fancy and imagination.”
With a shrug, Ganondorf finished, “I suppose it’s no matter WHAT I look like, boy. I am who I am. A death rattler by any other name would be just as deadly.”
And on that Gerudo turn of phrase, the doors to the elevator reopened. Both men were stunned by what they saw. The room which they had exited was no longer there. In its place, a new scene greeted their eyes. “Strange magic,” Ganondorf remarked as he stepped from his metal confines, Link in tow. The two took a moment to survey their new surroundings. It seemed this area was designated for only those who would go to the island they spoke of, as the crowds were far less dense. As before, however, there were no familiar faces to be seen. That is, until Ganondorf spied a tall blond man not far away, speaking to some young girl. Strange that they would allow one so young to enter such a dangerous contest, if the information Ganondorf had gleaned could be believed. But it was her he had recognized. It was the man. The Gerudo grinned wickedly as he moved to approach them. Noticing this look, Link moved along with Ganondorf, likely to keep him out of trouble. Slowing a bit, Ganondorf explained to the boy what was going on.
“After I had revived, I returned to the Dunes and met with the Sheriff of a local town. He told me of a man who had made a name for himself in Carrefore. Called Gilgamesh, he’s much like I was when I ruled Hyrule; a tyrant. I’ve heard he’s killed many troops in the area, and that he regularly abuses the townsfolk.”
Link scowled at the thought of another like Ganondorf around and the large Gerudo continued, “Obviously, this will not do.” It wouldn’t do because those people were rightfully Ganondorf’s subjects, of course, but he decided to allow the boy to think what he wished. He just wished to use this opportunity to confront the man. To see if he could be reasoned with and brought to bay under the Demon King’s command, or if he would need to be disposed of like the trash he was. And besides, Ganondorf had noticed something which would certainly give him the advantage here. The man had a collar on. That collar had been explained to the Gerudo at length. What it could do for him… and what it took away. The hero and the tyrant strode up to the even stranger pair, and the red-haired giant broke into their conversation.
“Mind if I join in?” he asked with a wry smirk. The girl and Gilgamesh, startled from their back and forth looked up at him in surprise. Of course, it might have been surprise at his sheer height advantage on them, particularly the young one. A flash of irritation crossed the blond man’s face and he glared at the Gerudo.
“No, you may not. Dogs don’t speak unless commanded to.”
The man’s likeness to Enel was extraordinary, and Ganondorf felt a heat rise in his chest. Returning the man’s hateful glare, Ganondorf fired off a rebuttal.
“It’s not I who is collared like some animal, whelp.”
Gilgamesh sputtered at the comeback, the redness in his cheeks equal parts humiliation and anger.
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?!” he shouted, taking a step closer to Ganondorf, “I AM GILGAMESH, THE KING OF HE-“
The boisterous man was cut off as Ganondorf spoke firmly, yet calmly, “I know who you are. And I know what you’re trying to do. You seek to carve yourself a kingdom from the Dunes, heedless of who may have already laid claim to the area. The Dunes are mine, boy, as the desert has always been mine. And I’ll not suffer another to take what is mine by right.”
This Gilgamesh sought to speak again, but was brought short as the Gerudo stepped closer to him, driving the smaller man back by sheer presence.
“But, if you will but kneel before me, I could overlook this transgression. Recognize that it is I, and not you, who will rule. Pledge yourself to me, and all will be forgiven.”
At the Dark King’s side, Link shifted awkwardly, obviously uneasy about Ganondorf’s claims of kingship in the Dunes. It was no surprise, considering what the Demon King had done the last time he had ruled. But he had no time to pay attention to the boy.
“Kneel to you?” Gilgamesh replied incredulously, “I am a God, mongrel. I kneel for no mere mortal.”
“Huh… Are you now? You know, I recently entertained a man who called himself a God,” Ganondorf retorted, almost casually, “I suppose you two are very much alike; he too had delusions of grandeur and a penchant for…”
The Gerudo smirked as he looked Gilgamesh over, “Flamboyant dress. A little ostentatious, isn’t it? Or perhaps you thought this to be a beauty contest? I hate to tell you this, princess,” and he chuckled at the stress he put on that word. “But blood is going to clash with that outfit.”
At the Gerudo’s words, Gilgamesh’s eyes flashed with indignant rage. His fists tightened, his bones creaking with his strength of his fury. Ganondorf grinned.
“Go ahead. Strike me,” he said, his own hands becoming enveloped by a reddish-black glow. “I know what it is you wear, false king. And while your abilities are hampered, you can rest assured that my own have not been, and that I will not hesitate to use my full power to bring you to your knees. Besides, I hear that the proprietor of this establishment takes a dim view of those who use violence before the spectacle.”
Both Gilgamesh’s and the Gerudo’s eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of the camera crew and Mr. Jak watching their conversation. Ganondorf’s grinned grew wider. “And I think neither of us would like what may happen should we break the rules.”
For a moment, it seemed like the King of Heroes might yet attack Ganondorf. Yet, all he did was turn away from the Lord of the Dark in a huff and start walking away.
“I’ve no time for this now,” Gilgamesh said as he strode away. “But I WILL remember this, mongrel. Dante’s Abyss will not end until your blood stains that island.”
Gilgamesh had only moved a few steps away before Ganondorf called out to him.
“Wait!”
The man turned back towards them, a curious look on his face as Ganondorf bowed to him with a hand upon his stomach and a grin upon his lips. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ganondorf. But you may call me Master.”
From just behind Ganondorf, a high-pitched voice said, “I am SO tweeting this!” Caught off guard by the strange words, the Gerudo exited his bow and turned to the little girl he had seen before. “You’re going to do what now?”
Link’s eyes narrowed further at Ganondorf’s smirk, bring the Gerudo’s mind back to the task. The boy didn’t YET trust him, so it would be best to play the game carefully for now. His hand rose towards the blond Hylian, who backed away instinctively, eliciting amusement within the Dark Lord. Ganon’s brow rose, bushy red hair quirked in amusement as he held out his hand.
“To bind our agreement,” he explained, and with a bit of trepidation, Link, somewhat surprisingly, shook his nemesis’ hand. Likewise surprising was the boy’s firm grip and steady arm. Link was little more than a boy, and while tall enough to stare at Ganondorf’s chest, he was still about half the Gerudo’s size. In spite of himself, he felt a bit of respect for the kid, and he thought back on their past encounters. Link was a fair warrior, and not a slouch for strategy either. A bit hot-headed at times. Impetuous. But so was Ganondorf at his age… Well, maybe not JUST at his age. Again, the Demon King chuckled and released the Hylian’s hand. “And so it is bound,” he recited, as though it were an ancient oath… and maybe it was. “To each we shall remain true, until the final hour is struck and all bonds are broken.”
After a brief look of confusion, Link nodded in acceptance. As the two concluded their unusual joining, an interruption broke their focus on one another. A young lady, remarkably similar to the petite thing Ganondorf has registered with in the Dunes, walked up to them with clipboard in hand.
“Mr. Ganondorf, Mr. Link,” she said in a lilting voice. “Syntex, and Karl Jak, are pleased to announce that you both have been officially put onto the Dante’s Abyss Roster. Congratulations!”
The young brunette tilted her head to the side as she said this, an obviously fake smile adorning her lips. Ganondorf scowled down at her for the interruption... and because she reminded him of something his meeting with Link had pushed to the back of his mind: Firani. The woman noticed his displeasure and quickly continued.
“If you would please make your way to the elevator in the back of the hall, a space has been set aside for you in the Barracks.”
Caught up in his misery, Ganondorf didn’t quite register what she had said, though fortunately Link had.
“Elevator?” he asked, obviously confused. His voice broke Ganondorf from his thoughts, and so too did the Gerudo find this word strange.
“Oh right… Mr. Jak DID say that some of the combatants wouldn’t be familiar with modern technology.”
She pointed to the other end of the hallway, at a large, unusual, metal door. Link nodded his thanks and moved for it, followed by Ganondorf. And, as the Gerudo passed by the girl, he heard her mutter under her breath and a rage swelled within his bosom.
“Primitives…”
The word stopped Ganondorf in his tracks and he glared imperiously down at the brunette secretary. His hand drew back and the woman cowered in fear at what would happen next. Yet, as his gauntleted hand swept forward, an image flashed across his vision and he immediately halted. It was her again. The Gerudo snarled, his rage not diminished by the sadness he felt within. Yet, impotently, he turned from her and continued towards the ‘elevator’, as she had called it. Link had stopped shortly after Ganon had, and the Demon King noticed the boy’s hand lowering from his hilt before he likewise went to the metal doors. The two stared at the knobless entryway for a short time before another of Jak’s servants pushed a glowing light and the doors opened. Stepping inside, with more than a bit of nervousness between them (and both trying very hard to hide it), the doors closed and they felt a strange moving sensation.
Maybe it was to break the tension, or simply to distract him from the strangeness of their confines, but Link looked to his large companion and began speaking.
“So… new look?” he asked a bit awkwardly. “What happened to cause this change?”
The wolf-eyed King returned Link’s gaze and paused before speaking. He had considered hiding this from the boy, concerned that his mortal enemy would see it as weakness and strike at him. Yet, in the end, Ganondorf had resolved to tell the boy of what had happened. Or, at least, most of it. At the worst the boy WOULD see him as weak enough to strike down. Yet, the Gerudo had spent a long time observing Link in Hyrule. The Hylian had a strange tendency to see weakness as strength, and to want to help those who were beaten. And so, Ganondorf replied with the truth.
“After the battle with those dragons, myself and Eighteen had stumbled across a man in what they call The Nexus. It was obvious from the start that he was unstable and violent, yet I thought I could use him all the same. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bite my ego for long and eventually our differences brought us to blows.”
A pause for dramatic effect, and the Gerudo continued, “He killed me, though I gave as well as I could. Fortunately, it seems Omni is no liar and I revived a short time later. When I did, I was like this.”
The man shook his head and looked down at his gauntleted hands. “Perhaps this form was created from my subconscious desire to enact my revenge on that man. It DOES look much more combat-ready. But it could just as easily just be some whim of our benefactor, Omni. The strange creature seems the type for flights of fancy and imagination.”
With a shrug, Ganondorf finished, “I suppose it’s no matter WHAT I look like, boy. I am who I am. A death rattler by any other name would be just as deadly.”
And on that Gerudo turn of phrase, the doors to the elevator reopened. Both men were stunned by what they saw. The room which they had exited was no longer there. In its place, a new scene greeted their eyes. “Strange magic,” Ganondorf remarked as he stepped from his metal confines, Link in tow. The two took a moment to survey their new surroundings. It seemed this area was designated for only those who would go to the island they spoke of, as the crowds were far less dense. As before, however, there were no familiar faces to be seen. That is, until Ganondorf spied a tall blond man not far away, speaking to some young girl. Strange that they would allow one so young to enter such a dangerous contest, if the information Ganondorf had gleaned could be believed. But it was her he had recognized. It was the man. The Gerudo grinned wickedly as he moved to approach them. Noticing this look, Link moved along with Ganondorf, likely to keep him out of trouble. Slowing a bit, Ganondorf explained to the boy what was going on.
“After I had revived, I returned to the Dunes and met with the Sheriff of a local town. He told me of a man who had made a name for himself in Carrefore. Called Gilgamesh, he’s much like I was when I ruled Hyrule; a tyrant. I’ve heard he’s killed many troops in the area, and that he regularly abuses the townsfolk.”
Link scowled at the thought of another like Ganondorf around and the large Gerudo continued, “Obviously, this will not do.” It wouldn’t do because those people were rightfully Ganondorf’s subjects, of course, but he decided to allow the boy to think what he wished. He just wished to use this opportunity to confront the man. To see if he could be reasoned with and brought to bay under the Demon King’s command, or if he would need to be disposed of like the trash he was. And besides, Ganondorf had noticed something which would certainly give him the advantage here. The man had a collar on. That collar had been explained to the Gerudo at length. What it could do for him… and what it took away. The hero and the tyrant strode up to the even stranger pair, and the red-haired giant broke into their conversation.
“Mind if I join in?” he asked with a wry smirk. The girl and Gilgamesh, startled from their back and forth looked up at him in surprise. Of course, it might have been surprise at his sheer height advantage on them, particularly the young one. A flash of irritation crossed the blond man’s face and he glared at the Gerudo.
“No, you may not. Dogs don’t speak unless commanded to.”
The man’s likeness to Enel was extraordinary, and Ganondorf felt a heat rise in his chest. Returning the man’s hateful glare, Ganondorf fired off a rebuttal.
“It’s not I who is collared like some animal, whelp.”
Gilgamesh sputtered at the comeback, the redness in his cheeks equal parts humiliation and anger.
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?!” he shouted, taking a step closer to Ganondorf, “I AM GILGAMESH, THE KING OF HE-“
The boisterous man was cut off as Ganondorf spoke firmly, yet calmly, “I know who you are. And I know what you’re trying to do. You seek to carve yourself a kingdom from the Dunes, heedless of who may have already laid claim to the area. The Dunes are mine, boy, as the desert has always been mine. And I’ll not suffer another to take what is mine by right.”
This Gilgamesh sought to speak again, but was brought short as the Gerudo stepped closer to him, driving the smaller man back by sheer presence.
“But, if you will but kneel before me, I could overlook this transgression. Recognize that it is I, and not you, who will rule. Pledge yourself to me, and all will be forgiven.”
At the Dark King’s side, Link shifted awkwardly, obviously uneasy about Ganondorf’s claims of kingship in the Dunes. It was no surprise, considering what the Demon King had done the last time he had ruled. But he had no time to pay attention to the boy.
“Kneel to you?” Gilgamesh replied incredulously, “I am a God, mongrel. I kneel for no mere mortal.”
“Huh… Are you now? You know, I recently entertained a man who called himself a God,” Ganondorf retorted, almost casually, “I suppose you two are very much alike; he too had delusions of grandeur and a penchant for…”
The Gerudo smirked as he looked Gilgamesh over, “Flamboyant dress. A little ostentatious, isn’t it? Or perhaps you thought this to be a beauty contest? I hate to tell you this, princess,” and he chuckled at the stress he put on that word. “But blood is going to clash with that outfit.”
At the Gerudo’s words, Gilgamesh’s eyes flashed with indignant rage. His fists tightened, his bones creaking with his strength of his fury. Ganondorf grinned.
“Go ahead. Strike me,” he said, his own hands becoming enveloped by a reddish-black glow. “I know what it is you wear, false king. And while your abilities are hampered, you can rest assured that my own have not been, and that I will not hesitate to use my full power to bring you to your knees. Besides, I hear that the proprietor of this establishment takes a dim view of those who use violence before the spectacle.”
Both Gilgamesh’s and the Gerudo’s eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of the camera crew and Mr. Jak watching their conversation. Ganondorf’s grinned grew wider. “And I think neither of us would like what may happen should we break the rules.”
For a moment, it seemed like the King of Heroes might yet attack Ganondorf. Yet, all he did was turn away from the Lord of the Dark in a huff and start walking away.
“I’ve no time for this now,” Gilgamesh said as he strode away. “But I WILL remember this, mongrel. Dante’s Abyss will not end until your blood stains that island.”
Gilgamesh had only moved a few steps away before Ganondorf called out to him.
“Wait!”
The man turned back towards them, a curious look on his face as Ganondorf bowed to him with a hand upon his stomach and a grin upon his lips. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ganondorf. But you may call me Master.”
From just behind Ganondorf, a high-pitched voice said, “I am SO tweeting this!” Caught off guard by the strange words, the Gerudo exited his bow and turned to the little girl he had seen before. “You’re going to do what now?”