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"Ganon's Game", chapters 1-4Ganon's GameBy: Spirit of HaloChapter One -Scotland, 1376 A.D. In a small fishing village on the shore of Loch Etive in the shadow of Cruachan in the western highlands of Scotland, a man is coming ashore from his raft with the day's paltry haul, his bare feet sinking slightly into the soft sand. "Ach, 'tis getten worse everyday," he said as he looked dejectedly at his nets. As a horse rides up he looks up from the ground. "Sage, the MacInnes are comin'!!" As Sage arrived at the battlefield, he saw the rest of his clan and the MacInnes on the hill across the field. "This donna look good, Sage..." stammered Sage's brother Angus. "Heh heh, what's the matter little brother, startin' tae get a bit scared?" taunted Sage as he looked at his brother, the dirt and tangled hair gave Sage a haggard look. "Hm!, If I was sae scared, then why would I be doin' this?" Angus said as a ran down the hill shouting, "McIntire!!!!" As Angus charged down the hill the rest of the clan followed. The next thing he knew, Sage was surrounded on all sides by clan and foe, fighting for their dear lives. As Sage blocked and returned a blow from a bearded MacInnes, he noticed something twisting over his shoulder. As he continued to watch it, the object started
to come closer and closer and before Sage could move, everything went black.
Thongngngng "Nice shot, Perrin," Link said to his shoulder length haired student, holding his longbow. Even though the boy had yet to shave, Perrin's skills were nearly that of Link's himself. "Any more practice Perrin, and you'll be even better than Link." Both Link and Perrin turned around to see Zelda smiling as she walked toward the two of them. With a smirk on his face and a grunt of humor Link answered, "Of course." He put his hand on the young Perrin's shoulder. "He has the best teacher in Hyrule." "Ha, ha funny man, laugh it up," Zelda said as she wrapped her arms around Link's waist and smiled mischieviously. Just as Zelda was about to plant a kiss on her husband Link's lips, a soldier came running into the courtyard. "Excuse me your Highness," his face blushing upon seeing the couple in their embrace, he continued. "Um, yes well a man was just brought into the castle. He's beat up pretty bad. And he has rounded ears. But he is not Gerudo!" "Not a Gerudo?" Zelda wondered aloud. "Well, just don't stand there, take us to him!" Perrin demanded. "Perrin," Link began, "patience is a virtue of heroes as well, you know. Matrim, take him to us, please." "Yes, Sire right away." As the four walked down the castle corridors to where the injured man was, a graying man with close cropped hair and a silver beard stopped them. "Your Majesty, I must speak to you about Ganon now, the movements of his forces shows that they have gathered en masse and-" "Gaul'ramm, even though your are the general of Hyrule's army, you can't just demand that Zelda listen to your insane babbling!" Link said as he sneered at the knight. "Link, please let me handle this." Zelda reassured Link by placing her hand on his arm. "Gaul'ramm. I am busy right now, I'll speak with you later," then adding with a hint of ice in her voice, "When I see fit." As Gaul'ramm was receiving the brow beating from Zelda, a flash of anger showed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "As my majesty wishes," Gaul'ramm said making an over done bow and making a wave with his cape as he skulked down the hall. Watching the general storm off silently, Link caught "....like a bagged cat in a river." Shaking his head, Link commented to Zelda. "Zel, what is his problem, anyway?" With a sigh Zelda answered. "He's so full of himself and the position my father gave him before the Imprisoning War, I don't even know why I keep him on in my council. It's gone to his head." Giving Zelda a toothy grin, Link added, "It wouldn't be because you shot down his advances either, would it?" Giving Link a jab in his side with her elbow, she
said, "That's not even funny, you know. Its like he only has two
things on his mind; me, and Gannon."
"Ung..." "Zel, he's coming to!" As Sage opened his eyes he did not see what he expected. Instead of being on the field of battle with his clan, he found himself on a bed in a small, stone room. Sitting up startled and confused he sputtered out something that the three couldn't understand until Zelda cast a spell to make his speech the same as Hylian. "Wh-where am I, why am I nae on the field? Where is me clan, me brother?" "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there man, what are you talking about?" The man who filled Sage's eyes was about twenty five, his age. He had on a green hat that matched his tunic, light blue eyes, blonde hair that fell around his forehead, and pointy ears. Turning his head to the left, Sage noticed another person. She had the same pointy ears as the man did, her long beautiful blonde hair reaching down to the middle of her back, with a jeweled tiara on her forehead. She had on a very fitting powder pink dress on that made her baby blue eyes even more hypnotizing. On her dress was a very strange symbol of three triangles. The same symbol that appeared in her tiara and her earrings. Turning back to the man he answered, "I-I was fightin'-th-there was a bright, swirling purple light, it just kept gettin' closer an' closer. I blacked out an'," he took another look around the room he finished, "noo I'm here, but I donna hae a clue where 'here' is." Just as the man in the hat was about to answer the Scotsman's question, Matrim rushed through the door. "Queen Zelda, King Link." He took a few gasps of air. "Ganon's forces are about to attack!" The couple looked at each other, turning his head to where Sage lay, Link asked, "Can you handle that thing?" He asked pointing to Sage's claymore that was laying on the floor beside him. "Um, just what is your name anyway?" "Sage McIntire, and yeah, I'm pretty handy with me blade," Sage said cockily picking up his claymore. "Okay then, Sage, I am Queen Zelda and this is my husmband, Link," Zelda said with a nervous smile. "Consider yourself the newest soldier in Hyrule's army. As Link, Zelda, and Perrin left the room hurriedly Sage thought to himself, Hyrule?, Gannon,? ach wha' hae I gotten meself intae? "Come on, Sage let's go!" Link said as he popped his head back through the door way. "Huh, oh yeah, comin.'" Wha' hae I gotten meself
intae? he asked himself once again as he left the room for the
oncoming conflict.
Chapter Two As Sage was heading down the castle halls with Zelda and Link, it was in a state of upheaval. The smell of fear and hate tainted the air as servants, nobles, soldiers, and knights rushed around in preparation for the oncoming melee. The sound of metal armor clanking on the cobblestone floor made the corridors sound like a thunderstorm. The tapestries hanging of past battles on the walls didn't seem to be helping anyone's mood either, he thought as he rushed toward the front gate. Link cocked his eyebrow at Sage asking, "Are you sure you can handle this Sage, I mean you've never faced these, for lack of a better word, things before." Staring straight forward, it seemed to Link that Sage was off in another world, then as he was about to ask again, Sage's lips curled into a rather disturbing smile. "Open this thing and ye'll find out," Sage said pointing to the drawbridge. His answer was a little too calm for Link's taste, however. "Ha!, just don't let that confidence be the death of you, you will see that Ganon is not to be dealt with lightly, boy." The two of them turned around to see Gaul'ramm on his dun mare smiling at them down his crooked nose that reminded Sage of an eagle's beak. "Gaul'ramm," Link said with an exasperated sigh, "just give the order to open the gates!" "As you command, Link" Gaul'ramm smiled oily as he turned his mare around and rode of with a small contingent of soldiers. "An' just who was that?" Sage asked nodding his head at the departing general. "No one important," Link said with a sneer. At least, not to me. The two fell silent as the caged gates came up and
the drawbridge hit the ground with a thunderous thud that flew up dirt
as it hit the ground.
Chapter Three As soon as the soldiers of Hyrule castle's city gates, a horrible sound like nails against a chalkboard came from the south. As Sage turned to the sound, he had never seen such a terrifying sight in all his life. The shaggy Wolfos with their gray fur coats, razor sharp teeth and claws, and golden hollow eyes were the first wave to come into Sage's vision. Following them, the stinking, rotting stench from the long dead skeleton soldiers of Ganon's forces: the Stalfos. Their voices sounded like hissing vipers. The swords they held were waved like a snake's body, their armor dull and rusted. Then the dog-like Moblins came into his view, their mouths foaming for the chance to feast upon the flesh of their enemies once again. The smell from their fat and slovenly bodies reminded Sage of the hogs he had found on the farm that was in his village, five full days after they were butchered. Then, as Sage continued looking, he found the heavily armored Ironknuckles. Their armor gleamed almost to the point of blinding, decorated finely with curves, lines, and swirls. In their hands they held huge double sided battle axes, polished as brightly as their armor with jewels on the hilts and caps of the axes. "By God!" Sage said as he signed the cross on his chest. "I've ne'er seen anythin' sae-" "Horrible?" Gaul'ramm interrupted with his oily smile on his face again. "Heh, not so confident anymore, eh boy?" A grunt was Sage's reply as he stared at the oncoming horde of beasts drawing nearer. "Very well," Gaul'ramm said snidely. Then turning he yelled, "Pikemen, UP!!" The pikemen barely got to their positions before the bodies of wolfos began to slam into the long, sharpened wooden poles. Any wolfos that was smart enough to jump over the pikers, which were not all that many, were met with swords slashing away at their flesh, splattering the ground with their blood. A gurgled cry came from beside Sage. He turned around to see a soldier getting his throat torn from his body; the wolfos's teeth were stained and drippping with his blood. Seeing Sage, the wolfos started for him. It would have gotten him too, if not for a sword striking through its hide. "Just don't stand there boy, fight!!" Gaul'ramm said from his steed, his sword red from the blood of the wolfos. Sage was really starting to hate him as he watched Gaul'ramm riding into the frey. "Hey man, don't let him get to ya," Perrin said. "He's like that to everyone, now come on, we got work to do!" The battle raged on, and, at the begging, it seemed as though the soldiers of Hyrule were winning. However, the constant barrage of wolfos kept the pikers occupied and already half of them had fallen from the stampede of wolfos. Sage, nearly ready to fall to his knees from exhaustion, fought on. Soon he was surrounded on all sides by a pack of moblins. "Hahahahaha!, look at the man with the dress on!" one said gutturally. "Ha ha! Did your mommy make that for you hun?" another joked. Sage held his ground, his eyes taking in the sight of the pug nosed warriors, his nose was filled with the stench coming form their slovenly bodies, barely able to hold his blood soaked claymore any longer. "Ye know," he began, "I'd appreciate it if ye widnae talk about me mither, or me kilt like that, ye might na like what happens." "Oohh, no!" the first moblin said in a false terror, "I'm soooo scarred I think tha-" The moblin never got to finish his sentence. With Sage's sword through his chest, he fell to the ground. With a scream, two other moblins one from his right another from his left, came rushing at him with spears pointed strait at Sage's heart. "Now you die, Dress-man!!" the one on the left yelled. "Dress-man?" Sage said, insutled. Then as the moblins were about to run him through, Sage leaped into the air, letting the moblins kill each other, then landing on the spears, still in the molbins hands, he jumped again and ran his claymore down into the top of another moblin in front of him. Then Sage started to spin, the moblin's limp body flew off and hit three other moblins, knocking them out cold. Then, he ran as fast as he could toward another moblin. The moblin didn't expect the attack and hastily brought up his spear. Then, as Sage was about to run into him, he slid in between the moblin's legs, and, before the dog warrior could even start to turn around, Sage sliced him in two from the crotch up. Looking up from the stalfos he had just killed, Link saw what Sage had done. Seeing Sage's face, he called to Perrin over his shoulder. "Hey Perrin, come here!" "Yeah Link?" The tired boy said rushing over to his mentor. "What's wrong?" "Take a look at our new friend, he's smiling!" Link said amazed. "It looks like he's actually enjoying this!" "Everyone enjoys slaying the minions of Ganon, Link," Perrin said thoughtfully. "But it seems to me like he's having fun doing it! Like its just a game that he knows that he's going to win." Link's stomach sank at the thought that had just crossed his mind. Why hadn't the ironknuckels attacked? Surely they would wipe us out, even though there are only about thirty of them, it doesn't make any sense! Then, strangely the brutish armored beings turned around and slowly disappeared behind the hill from which they came. Link was amazed at this as he saw the remaining creatures of Ganon start to turn and run. From her perch Zelda signaled the royal archers to fire. A rain of arrows flew through the skies striking the backs of more of the fleeing monsters. If they were going to run they'd have to pay a price. Sage staggered over to where Link was, bent down and wiped the blood off his claymore from a fallen moblin's shirt. "I think we won," he said tiredly, pointing with his blade to the fleeing hoards in the distance. Watching the sight of the monsters fleeing as well,
Link's eyebrows furrowed, But for how long? he thought. Then,
he heard a thump, turning back to his Scottish friend he saw that Sage
had fallen to the ground unconscious.
Chapter Four "How is he Deeana?" Zelda asked the old nursemaid worriedly, with Link and Zelda at her side. "Is he going to recover?" It had been two full days since the skirmish that had took place. "Yes, child, he will," Deeana said with a warm smile. "Whatever it was that sent him here seemed to take more out of him then the battle itself." "Well," Perrin asked, impatiently. "Can we see him yet?" "No young one, not yet," the wise woman said. "But he should be all right for the feast tonight." "But he's been in there for two days!" Perrin said, getting hot headed as usual. "What's taking so long!" Link cleared his throat and shot a glance at Perrin, shutting him up. "Please make sure that he is, we've had to push it back twice already, I don't think that people will want to come if we postpone it again." "Have I ever been wrong before, Link?" Deeana asked. "Well, no..." Link stammered. "All right Deeana," Zelda said, "Make sure that he is cleaned up, he fought very nobly and needs some embellishment for his troubles." "Yes, Dear" Deeana said walking back into the room where Sage had been recovering. "Hey!" Link whined, "I fought hard too!" Crossing his arms and pouting at Zelda he asked, "What do I get?" Rolling her eyes and sighing, Zelda kissed Link. "There, better now?" "Much," Link smiled as he wrapped his arms around Zelda's waist. "Much better." "Gag me with a bombchu," Perrin mumbled, loudly than he had intended to. The couple shot looks at Perrin that could have
melted ice. All Perrin could do was laugh nervously and hang his
head while his face reddened.
The hall was filled with noise from the massive amount of people present and the playing of the small band in one of the corners. Servants here and there taking away plates of appetizers and putting down others. A huge crystalline chandelier hung above the hall illuminating the whole room. Nobles and knights bragging about the way they had fought in the battle two days ago was the main source of the noise, however. Of course, that all stopped as soon as Sage walked into the room. Sage then started toward the chair reserved for him beside Perrin. It was a whole new Sage that the guests and servants saw. His brown hair was tied back almost reaching past his shoulders, instead of the tangled mess that he wore when he first arrived. His face was now clean shaven, save for a goatee. His hazel eyes reflected the shinning of the chandelier hanging above him. He wore a pure white pullover shirt with laces from the middle of his chest to his neck, although the first few holes were not laced up along with the cuffs of his sleeves, revealing the strength that he held in his arms. His kilt, dull from the dirt that had once covered it had been washed and mended by the finest tailors in Hyrule, even the sporran had been cleaned to give the leather pouch a look of newness to it. All eyes were trained on him, especially the ladies of the room. Even Link had to clear his throat and nudge Zelda to snap out of the trance everyone seemed to be in while gazing at the handsome Scot. When Sage sat down, the murmur of voices started to rise again. "So, Sage, how are you feeling now?" Zelda asked a little too friendly in Link's opinion. "Very well, thank ye," Sage said gratefully "I'd like tae thank ye two for all yer hospitality these past couple o' days. I hadnae felt this guid in a long time. Deeana certainly kens how tae treat wounds." "You're very welcome, I'll pass on your thanks to Dee-" "So, Sage," Link cut in. Zelda gave him a look that would have turned Volvagia to ice. "What was it you were trying to say before this little episode took place?" Link seemed to have ignored to look that Zelda had given to him. "Well," as Sage began the eyes of the guests turned to him again to hear the origins of the strange man. "Ironically," he smiled, "I was fightin' another battle, against me clan's enemies," His smile faded and his voice grew serious. "Then, I got separated from the fighting by chasing after someone. I caught up tae him but before I could do anything a purple swirling light came at me. The coward that I was holding onto escaped me grasp and ran off. The thing hypnotized me, in a way. It kept gettin' closer, then I went blank and woke up here." "Wow, that's some story!" Perrin remarked, everyone in earshot nodded their heads in agreement. Sage nodded his head as well and began to eat, but more questions came from the nobles. Much to their consternation, he ignored them and continued eating until he felt as though his stomach would burst. As the feast was winding down, the servants started to take away the plates. "Take your plate, sir?" A feminine voice from behind Sage said. Sage turned his head and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her long, dark hair was braided and reached down to the small of her back. Her skin was as pure as polished ivory, her green eyes sparkled with a permanent look of suprise in them. Her dress seemed to be painted on her well defined body. It's neckline was nowhere near her neck, revealing some of her well endowed chest. Sage's heart nearly leaped from his chest. "Ummm, uh..." Sage stammered, trying to find words. "Yes, please do," Zelda said with a knowing smile looking at Sage's reaction to the woman. "Yes, your majesty," she said, taking away a very tongue tied Sage's plate. Sage watched her silently, mouth open and eyes wide as she walked away. Perrin playfully nudged Sage's side and laughed. "I think someone found something they like." Zelda could barely kept her amusement behind her royal serenity and Link out right snickered as Sage's face turned red as the stripes on his kilt. Sage coughed uncomfortably and fussed with the laces on his sleeves. "Go on ahead Sage, we'll catch you up later," Link said smiling. "Yeah Sage, go and work your magic on her, I wanna see if you're as good with the ladies as you are on the field of battle," Perrin said, teasing Sage. "Perrin!" Zelda and Link yelled at the same time. Perrin's smile immediately faded and he looked down at his empty plate. "Perrin always knows when to stick his foot in his mouth," Zelda said shooting a look at Perrin that was similar to the one she gave Link earlier in the evening. Perrin could not have felt any smaller if he tried. "Please, go ahead." Rising, Sage thanked Zelda and walked away catching Perrin getting his ears boxed by Zelda, Link and Deeana. Sage couldn't help but letting a smirk cross his lips. Asking a few of the servant girls where he could find the girl, he was directed to a hallway to the left of where the girls were standing. Thanking the girls, he turned and headed for the hallway, just catching the giggles coming from the servant girls. As soon as he turned the corner he saw her. Sage's heart did another leap inside his chest again as he walked toward the maiden. Shyly, Sage introduced himself. "Um, hi..." What the hell was that? Sage thought angrily at the pathetic way he was stammering around this woman. She smiled back politely at him. "Hello m'Lord, is there something that I can help you with?" "I was, um, wondering if we could, that is if ye wanted tae..." Pull yourself tegither man! Smoothing his out voice he continued, "Gae somewhere an' talk?" Her eyes shown even more suprise than before. "I, uh," Glancing down at her feet she continued. "I have many thing to do tonight, I don't think I could." "Oh nonsense! You go have a good time." An old woman's voice came from behind them. The old woman was short and her silver hair was tied into a bun on the top of her head. Her brown eyes showed the loving touch of a grandmother. She was a somewhat plump old gal, but it didn't seem to slow down one bit. She came gliding up to the two with the grace of a swan. "You have my permission. I'll have those giggling little gossipers do your chores. Babbling on about this fine young man here, how unlady-like!" The old woman, who appeared to be the head of the servants walked off, shouting orders at the ladies peering around the corner. "Thank you, Neeti!" She called after the head maid. "Think nothing of it, dear!" Neeti called back. She then started shouting at the girls again to get back to work, startling Sage. Wow, I'm glad that I'm nae one o' them at this particular moment, he thought. "So, shall we?" Sage said a little more confidently, holding out his hand. After Emily took Sage's hand, both of them strolled
out into the courtyard.
The sky was clear and the moon shone brightly in the sky, accompanied brightly with thousands of stars. The fountain, shooting up water, reflected the moon's rays. The couple, holding each other's hands were the only ones present in the courtyard. "So," Sage asked, looking down at her. He was taller than her by a head. "What's your name?" "Emily, Emily al'Miere, but most everyone calls me Em." Sage thought her voice matched her face with it's beauty. "Mine is Sage, Sage McIntire, an' I am most honored tae meet ye," Sage said, stopping and kissing her hand. It was then that Sage heard evil laughter behind him. "Mwahahaha, has our dress-man found a pretty?" Turning, Sage saw ten moblins and a huge example of a man. He stood at least seven feet tall, by Sage's guess. With tan, nearly copper skin and blood red hair that matched his cape hanging from his shoulders. His yellow, evil eyes matched his evil laugh and his shoulders were as wide as an axe handle's length. His legs were that of treetrunks and his arms seemed hard as stone. As Sage shielded Emily behind his right arm, he scowled at the man. "An' just wha the hell are ye?" With a smile that could be only described as pure evil, the man answered. "My name is Ganon, and soon I will be ruling over you." "Fat chance!" Sage shot back. With molbins drooling for the possibility of violence, Ganon continued, ignoring Sage's remark. "I have seen your...prowress on the battlefield, and I think you would make an excellent addition to my army. What do you say?" Sage's sneer answered Ganon's question. "Hmmm, very well, if you are not with me, then then you are against me." The moblins started getting even more excited, they knew what was coming next. Sage darted his eyes at each of the moblins, waiting. He then flung his boot knife and struck an ugly moblin right in-between the eyes with it. Before the molbin hit the ground Sage had kicked the teeth in of another one, spattering it's blood on his boot. Then, as a molbin was about to strike Sage with his club, he heard a feminine voice call out "Balefire!" and the charred corpse of the moblin fell to the ground beside Sage. Sage turned his head, and saw Emily looking at her hands, steam rising from them, with a look of disbelief. "E-Emily?" Sage asked amazed. "How?" She started to answer, but never got the chance. Her eyes slammed shut and her body fell in a heap to the gound. A moblin smiling and looking down with a club in his hand, stood behind her unconscious body. Before he could get to his new found love, Sage felt a pressure to the back of his head and blackness fell upon him. The last thing he heard was a hideous laughing. |