Chapter Four: A Melee Of Fire
“Ganon, we don’t have time for this!” Jet yelled, shifting his gaze from the King of Evil to the Knight of Darkness, then to the bubbling lava and back again.
“Haha, indeed. Neither do I have time for it, foolish king. I will kill every living creature in this crater, then I will return to my chamber,” Ganon said in an annoyed tone, as if the army of Gruid-noms were vermin.
“Funny, that’s how we feel!” Kafei yelled. Shinota and Zelda rushed into the crater behind Jet and Kafei, seeing the situation they were involved in.
“I wish to eliminate the fools in this mountain, and return to my kingdom!” Ganon yelled.
“Wait…are you telling me you plan on destroyin’ the Gruid-noms?” Jet asked. All sound faded. The only audible noise was the chanting of the Dark Knight and the Gruid-noms. Time seemed to slow down and everything seemed to move in slow motion to Jet.
He suddenly envisioned something in his head. A thought. No; a memory. There was a strong light. He remembered a warm feeling. He was outside at this time. That had to be it. With a yell from Kafei he snapped back to reality. He hadn’t paid attention to what Kafei yelled, but by the looks of it it was something along the lines of watch out. Jet ducked quickly as chunks of molten magma flew out of the crater and onto the land in which they all stood. The Dark Knight laughed menacingly atop the spire of stone, then continued to chant the dark words.
“Yes…..your highness. I intend whole heartedly to kill these Gruid-noms….and the knight of shadow….but make no mistake. This is all too fortunate for me. To have my very next target appear right on my doorstep!!!” Ganon yelled, charging dark matter into his hands and forming two blades out of the black ebbing mass.
“Dammit, be careful you guys. Shinota remembers. We almost got killed by one of those things last time,” Jet whispered, looking back at the team. They nodded in agreement, readying their weapons. Ganon stepped forward, swinging his blade at Jet. He backed off quickly, but to his shock, the blade extended farther, piercing him through the shoulder. He fell to the ground, dropping the Royal Family’s blade.
“Jet! Are you alright?” Zelda asked, staring at her bleeding husband.
“Haha, much better than you are about to be my queen! I missed my chance to kill you a decade ago, but fret not, the Royal Family will fall!” Ganon yelled, pointing both of his black blades forward with a grim smile. Zelda fell to her knees, the blades just barely missing her and flying into the wall.
“Looks like even your new tricks aren’t above us, Mandrag,” Zelda said, panting.
“You really do take me for a war mongering fool don’t you your highness? I know a bit more than simply how to wield a blade,” Ganon said with a scowl. With sudden unexpected force he jolted both blades backward out of the rock wall. The force caused the wall to collapse, Zelda caught under the pile of rubble.
“Shinota….let’s take him together….but let’s be quick, and let’s be careful,” Kafei suggested, reaching slowly behind his black cape and unsheathing his long dagger.
“Right…” Shinota agreed, Twin Diamond sword in hand. They ran at Ganon, Kafei punching him in the face then stabbing him with his dagger in the back. Ganon spun around angrily, taking the dark matter from his right blade and exploding it in Kafei’s face. He flew to the ground just inches away from the burning lava. Ganon faced him, and began walking slowly towards him. Shinota blasted the King of Evil in the back with a ki blast, trying to give Kafei time to recover.
Ganon grinned. He turned to Shinota, slicing the remaining black blade in his direction. The blade extended far, and Shinota barely sidestepped in time. Ganon drew the blade back into his hand, the sword morphing into a black ball. The King of Evil formed the ball into a long handled scythe with a blade near to three feet in height and four feet in diameter. He swung the large weapon at Shinota, the handle extending very far. The Zedusrian warrior leapt over the scythe easily enough, landing back on the ground. He let out a sigh of relief momentarily, but then leapt up again as Ganon brought the blade back.
Shinota, deciding to switch to the offensive, blasted several Ki blasts at the King of Evil. Ganon dissolved the handle, morphing the large black scythe blade into a shield. The Ki blasts bounced off harmlessly, three of the four careening into walls, the last hitting Shinota in the chest. Ganon laughed and held the shield out toward Shinota, then extended it into a long blade. It flew at the Zedusrian with a speed unmatched by any other Ganon had made thus far. It hit him square in the chest, breaking his skin and carrying him with it toward the wall. Shinota gathered the last of his energy and pulled his body away from the blade, doing several flips then landing on top of the dark matter. He launched many Ki blasts at Ganon, each one making contact.
“You need to stay….away from him,” Kafei said angrily, hitting Ganon in the back of the neck. He turned, angered.
“Isn’t one time enough of a lesson for you?!” Ganon yelled, bringing the dark matter into his hand. He made the second one explode much like the first, and Kafei flew to the ground again, this time against a wall.
“Now…to finish the royal bodyguard who just wouldn’t die,” Ganon said with a smile, in regard to Shinota. “You’ve been quite the pest, but trust me, I can generate many more than two blades,” Ganon said with a smile, raising his fist. Ganon suddenly fell to his knees. Out of the rubble was Zelda, bleeding but alive. She had used the Mystic Light, and Ganon sat on his knees, panting and bleeding.
“Now…you will leave us and let us go about our business Mandrag,” Zelda declared, not a single syllable of doubt in her voice.
“I….am shadow…..the amount of light you wield…..is small….in comparison…..to the fear, and darkness…..that is…..that is at my beckoned call…to fight me….here, in my own kingdom….is a damnation….beyond the likes of all…..holy judgment…..because…up here….there are no clouds….with….with silver linings….they are as red as the blood….that has been spilled on the ground…there…there are no angels either….there are winged demons….who deliver the news of death…..to…those…living….but not with paper….or ink and quill…..but with blade….and….magic….and blood…so…wield your light….dear queen…wield it well, and hold up your hope….for…all energy….in this land….is darkness….and all hope…in this land…is a pessimistic view of the minutes you have left….every tear is a….a drop of blood….and every shadow of a doubt….becomes a psychical embodiment, waiting….to feast….upon what little….life you possess in your….weakened bones. So go on, my queen, and show me….hope. show me…light,” Ganon said, standing.
“Very well,” Zelda said, not phased by Ganon’s speech. She slowly picked up the Royal Family’s sword, replacing the crimson jewel set inside the blade with the core of her Mystic Light. The blade shimmered with an intense light. Ganon drew from his Black magic a blade of shadow also. Before either could begin the duel, a voice spoke loud.
“It is done!!!! Now we wait!!! And then your savior will return!!!” The Dark Knight yelled. The Gruid-noms cheered triumphantly in their dark, raspy voices. The Dark Knight drew his blade, and leapt from the spire at this, landing in front of Kafei and Shinota.
“Not you….” Shinota mumbled.
“I have been tasked indefinitely to kill you. I must stay here, until all of you are dead. But first, I believe I will make a trade with you, Shinota. Give me the core of the Mystic Fire, and I will make your death quick and painless,” the Dark Knight offered.
“No….I can’t help if you’re weak,” Shinota said.
“Fool. Khmer was a smart man when he made the Mystic Circle. But I have learned to harness the power. The Mystic Fire is still mine, but I simply wish to have the jewel,” the Dark Knight said with a laugh.
“Never….gonna happen,” Shinota argued.
“Very well. I’ll extract it from your dead corpse,” the Dark Knight said grimly. The battle had just gotten worse.