The Legend of Zelda: The Desert Heroes

IX

Two days later...

Link and Ganondorf traversed through the Gerudo Canyon into Hyrule Field. They reached Outskirt Stable that day and stayed the night. Then, they continued on to the Hyrule Exchange just outside Castle Town. It was likely that they wouldn't be accepted into the castle just yet, so they decided to rest in the exchange.

"Link, Hyrule Castle is right there and the king did say he wanted us to attend an audience with him." Ganon pointed out with impatience.

"It is currently noon and getting there will take an hour, getting through Hyrule Castle will take another hour, and simply being allowed into the Sanctum will take forever. And we have to eat at some point." Link responded with immense calm.

The taller boy rolled his eyes. He went over to the window of the inn and sighed. Link knew that his friend was frustrated and just wanted to get this over with. Ganon just wanted to go back home and his job at the Noble Canteen.

Link felt the same way. Honestly, he was a little bored. This whole trip to the castle was kind of tedious over some marking.

"It's not just some marking, Link. It is a symbol of great courage." the Hyrule Warrior reminded him.

Of course. Triforce. Link responded.

"Ganon, I know you are tired of this entire situation. I am, too. But once we visit the castle, we will be back in Gerudo Town living normal lives in a few days." the younger man promised hopefully.

"That's what you think." the hero chimed in.

It isn't. It was an attempt to make Ganondorf feel a little better about this entire thing. Link argued back.

"Fine. But you owe me one for this, Link." Ganon answered sternly.

"Of course." he agreed politely.

So what exactly is the Triforce? Link asked his vocal companion.

"It's a golden relic, made of the combined power of the three golden goddesses. Din, her power creating the top triangle. Nayru, her wisdom creating the bottom left triangle. And Farore, her courage creating the bottom right triangle. It is said that whoever manages to grasp the full power of the Triforce can make any desire true. I wished for the sealing of Valoria long ago, when I was the hero." the hero explained patiently.

So I could wish that no evil could threaten Hyrule again? Link tried.

"No, because any person could become evil. And if one is taken, then their family will threatem vengeance and become evil. Then their family and friends will become evil. Thus, you may as well just turn Hyrule into the last vestiges of a settlement. Chaos, if you will." he answered knowledgeably.

Oh. So stick to wishing for the sealing of evil. Got it. Link realized.

He stood beside Ganon in front of the window and looked out at the towers of Hyrule Castle off in the distance. That was where his awaiting destiny was. And not just his. Ganon's destiny was there, too.

It wasn't comforting, Link finally admitted to himself. It made Link feel like everything depended on him. And he thought himself to be pretty unreliable.

He sighed. Perhaps there was an upside to this. He just had yet to find it.

"That's the neat part. There isn't." the Hyrule Warrior interjected.

That's not helping, you ancient buffoon. Already stressed enough about this whole hero thing. Link answered pointedly.

The hero subsided in a few mutters and eventually silence.

Link eventually went downstairs and out into the central square of Castle Town.

The next day...

Link and Ganon were being escorted to the sanctum of Hyrule Castle by four guards. He honestly felt kind of awkward around these guards, seeing as Link was qualified to be a guard himself.

They had passed the dining hall a while back so they were about halfway there. They still had yet to get to the first gatehouse, though.

Then, a decent-sized building appeared up ahead of them. It wasn't the sanctum, so Link assumed it was a gatehouse. The guard at the front if their group gave a signal to the other guards at the entrance of the gate and they opened the gatehouse.

"Follow. This is the first gatehouse. We are almost to His Majesty's sanctum." the first guard said.

The four guards were arranged in a diamond shape surrounding Link and Ganondorf. This was to reduce their threat if they were impostors or traitors, if his training served correctly.

They followed the guards further down the path to the second gatehouse, which looked exactly the same as the first one.

As with the first, their guards gave a signal to the gatehouse guards and it opened up. They walked through and on to the final path up to the sanctum.

After much more walking, the entrance to the sanctum stood before them and so did the main tower of Hyrule Castle. The main tower was were the king resided. His throne was on the first floor and his bedroom was on the second floor.

King Lindor's bedroom was also known as the Champion Room, which was a room dedicated to the memory of the Champions who defeated the Calamity 2,000 years ago.

Link had always wondered what it was like in Hyrule all those centuries ago. All he knew is that clocks would not have been a thing and the Gerudo Desert wouldn't have a river or Dayfah Lake in it.

"The Gerudo Desert was pretty barren when I lived there. You are right that there was no lake or river in it, nor would there have been any clocks. I was the only one who could tell the exact time with the Sheikah Slate. But over time, the kingdom found the technology to create the clock function in the Sheikah Slate and replicated it to be used by the public." the Hyrule Warrior informed Link helpfully.

Oh. So exactly as Link thought. They walked forward into the sanctum and Link and Ganon's future.

As Link's eyes adjusted to the bright interior of the room, he could see the red carpet that circled the Triforce emblem on the center of the floor.

Up in front of the windows that lit up the entire room, the Ballad of Hyrule circled the Triforce.

King Lindor looked down on Link and Ganon from the balcony. Link finally realized that the rulers of each race was present in the room as well. King Nayfrin of the Zora, Boss Dinra of the Gorons, Lavian of the Rito, Lady Moriah of the Gerudo, Lady Impa of the Sheikah, and County Farosa of the Hylians.

"Well, well. It's about time you have arrived. I bid you welcome to Hyrule Castle. We have much to discuss, Link and Ganondorf." King Lindor announced from his throne.