03-11-2014, 01:17 AM
The unblemished white landscape of the Nexus seemed at a standstill as Eighteen and her Gerudo companion flew over them. Of course, this was impossible as the massive fountain at the center of this Verse was growing larger as they closed the distance to it. Likely, the stark landscape was playing tricks on the eye.
Ganondorf paid barely any mind to this, however. His attention was focused purely on staunching the flow of blood from his midsection. In the end, his gambit had paid off… but there was a price to pay regardless. If Link had managed to avoid his desperate maneuver, or had it not been enough to put the Hylian out of the fight, this near-mortal wound would have been the final nail in Ganondorf’s coffin.
Still, Eighteen had proven herself in the end. She had snagged their team an odd prize; this silver dragon on which they rode. The dragon on which they had made their escape may be more accurate. Ganondorf cursed himself that the strange warrior who had joined them had made off with the other egg. He’d have much preferred to have taken both prizes, but the fact he’d gotten away with his life intact was a fine consolation prize.
The flight away from the other dragon-slayers had been mostly uneventful. The green fields and emerald forests had zipped by, intermittently dotted with the dull browns and grays of civilization. It was during this flight that Ganondorf thanked Eighteen for her assistance. The moment the words left his mouth, the blonde woman jerked as if stabbed and the Rathalos dipped hazardously before righting itself.
“E-excuse me?”
Ganondorf winced as he thoughtlessly chuckled at her surprised tone, “I said, thank you. Were it not for your quick thinking, we would have been left without our new friend here. I may not even have left that cavern alive. Because of you, Eighteen, we may have come out with new scars, but we came out ahead of all the others there.”
They flew on in silence for several long moments after that, before Eighteen replied, her voice just barely audible over the noise of the passing wind, “You’re welcome.”
The rest of their trip was quiet, Eighteen focusing on her flying and Ganondorf on his wound. Setting down just outside the gate, the two made their way through it on foot, allowing the Rathalos some rest in its egg-like form. Once across the threshold, the beast was brought forth again and they mounted it. As with the first time, Ganondorf marveled at the summoning process. In his world, artifacts were all but unknown, and yet now he possessed an item which could bring such a mighty creature to bear. As always, thinking of Hyrule brought thoughts of his imprisonment and of Link. His blood boiled at the thought of what the boy had done to him then… and the trouble he continued to cause.
By the time the Rathalos had reached the fountain, Ganondorf’s rage had died down, mostly because he hadn’t the energy to continue to be mad at the woman. His life blood was still seeping around his fingers, despite his attempts to heal himself via Omnilium. It wasn’t that the technique was not working. Rather, the wound seemed to be resisting his attempts. Probably some effect of that accursed Master Sword Link has skewered him with. Still, the wound WAS closing, if slowly, and the steady stream of blood which had painted the silver scales of his mount red was dwindling to a trickle. Even so, for any who chose to follow him from the gate, the dark ruby splattered trail would be clear against the pure white landscape.
As Eighteen made to turn their Rathalos to the Dunes, Ganondorf spotted something from the corner of his eye. It was a man… perhaps. Whoever it was appeared tiny, both because of height and because of distance. And this person was hurrying towards the gate on the other side of the gate which, he assumed, led to the Verse that eye-patched man and his white soldiers had come from. Normally, Ganondorf would have left this being to its own devices and focused on his recovery. However… the way it moved showed haste. Not a haste to be somewhere, but a haste to be away from somewhere. Curious…
Tapping Eighteen on the shoulder, the Gerudo pointed to the ant-size silhouette darting across the landscape. The android glanced back at him, raising a silken brow in question, and Ganondorf merely nodded. Neither felt like trying to speak over the rush of the air around them, and his meaning was evident in any case. The Rathalos turned and the flight to intercept this strange person had begun.
Ganondorf paid barely any mind to this, however. His attention was focused purely on staunching the flow of blood from his midsection. In the end, his gambit had paid off… but there was a price to pay regardless. If Link had managed to avoid his desperate maneuver, or had it not been enough to put the Hylian out of the fight, this near-mortal wound would have been the final nail in Ganondorf’s coffin.
Still, Eighteen had proven herself in the end. She had snagged their team an odd prize; this silver dragon on which they rode. The dragon on which they had made their escape may be more accurate. Ganondorf cursed himself that the strange warrior who had joined them had made off with the other egg. He’d have much preferred to have taken both prizes, but the fact he’d gotten away with his life intact was a fine consolation prize.
The flight away from the other dragon-slayers had been mostly uneventful. The green fields and emerald forests had zipped by, intermittently dotted with the dull browns and grays of civilization. It was during this flight that Ganondorf thanked Eighteen for her assistance. The moment the words left his mouth, the blonde woman jerked as if stabbed and the Rathalos dipped hazardously before righting itself.
“E-excuse me?”
Ganondorf winced as he thoughtlessly chuckled at her surprised tone, “I said, thank you. Were it not for your quick thinking, we would have been left without our new friend here. I may not even have left that cavern alive. Because of you, Eighteen, we may have come out with new scars, but we came out ahead of all the others there.”
They flew on in silence for several long moments after that, before Eighteen replied, her voice just barely audible over the noise of the passing wind, “You’re welcome.”
The rest of their trip was quiet, Eighteen focusing on her flying and Ganondorf on his wound. Setting down just outside the gate, the two made their way through it on foot, allowing the Rathalos some rest in its egg-like form. Once across the threshold, the beast was brought forth again and they mounted it. As with the first time, Ganondorf marveled at the summoning process. In his world, artifacts were all but unknown, and yet now he possessed an item which could bring such a mighty creature to bear. As always, thinking of Hyrule brought thoughts of his imprisonment and of Link. His blood boiled at the thought of what the boy had done to him then… and the trouble he continued to cause.
By the time the Rathalos had reached the fountain, Ganondorf’s rage had died down, mostly because he hadn’t the energy to continue to be mad at the woman. His life blood was still seeping around his fingers, despite his attempts to heal himself via Omnilium. It wasn’t that the technique was not working. Rather, the wound seemed to be resisting his attempts. Probably some effect of that accursed Master Sword Link has skewered him with. Still, the wound WAS closing, if slowly, and the steady stream of blood which had painted the silver scales of his mount red was dwindling to a trickle. Even so, for any who chose to follow him from the gate, the dark ruby splattered trail would be clear against the pure white landscape.
As Eighteen made to turn their Rathalos to the Dunes, Ganondorf spotted something from the corner of his eye. It was a man… perhaps. Whoever it was appeared tiny, both because of height and because of distance. And this person was hurrying towards the gate on the other side of the gate which, he assumed, led to the Verse that eye-patched man and his white soldiers had come from. Normally, Ganondorf would have left this being to its own devices and focused on his recovery. However… the way it moved showed haste. Not a haste to be somewhere, but a haste to be away from somewhere. Curious…
Tapping Eighteen on the shoulder, the Gerudo pointed to the ant-size silhouette darting across the landscape. The android glanced back at him, raising a silken brow in question, and Ganondorf merely nodded. Neither felt like trying to speak over the rush of the air around them, and his meaning was evident in any case. The Rathalos turned and the flight to intercept this strange person had begun.