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[H3]The Under ~ Holograd Castle[/h3]

[b]Word Count:[/b] 1,006
[b]Level 5 Ganondorf:[/b] 25/50
[b]Exp:[/b] 2
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 27/50[/center]

A Kingdom of... Termites? Of course, why not? A basement made of flesh, a city of monsters in constant rainfall, why [i]not[/i] a Termite Kingdom on top of that? The Seekers almost immediately split up to explore the place more thoroughly and cover more ground and the Gerudo was no exception. The thing that first caught his eye was the castle in the distance and so Ganondorf decided that would be where he would explore first. There didn't seem to be much in the way of sights along the way. Even the castle itself was clearly in ruin when it came closer in view. So most likely nobody was actually inhabiting it. Ganondorf entered its doors without fear. If there was anything waiting inside he was confident it was no match for him.

But he found the Castle in equal ruin on the inside as he had the outside. Not a soul appeared to be inside, living or otherwise. But the one thing Ganondorf did notice was evidence of fighting, a battle that was fought long ago. The evidence of a former battle was even stronger when the Gerudo entered the throne room. The walls and floors were covered in furrows as if from great sword cleaves. Mighty arrows were lodged in places to tightly to be pulled out. Any looters that came through here were apparently unable to free them without breaking the shafts off. Whatever battle took place here, it was not between armies, that much was certain. It had to have been between two monstrously strong individuals in some great and epic duel.

But it was the throne itself that managed to surprise even Ganondorf. It was severed in two and just in front of it was a pair of peculiar [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1002704440857477152/1131778471765475388/1024.jpeg]Great Swords[/url], crossed and buried blade-first in the ground like some kind of memorial wrapped in ropes with talismans dangling all over. This was enforced by the presence of an epitaph carved in stone nearby. Ganondorf approached and knelt down in order to read the writing carved into the epitaph:

[i]Here lie the ashes of the evil king who brought doom to this once-great city. May the dead rest well knowing that their vengeance came swift and without clemency, may this tyrant's flames give life to my people, may his like never again walk this earth. Let these blades stand as a reminder that those who walk the path of evil will always be brought to justice.[/i]

Ganondorf said nothing. Something about that epitaph gave him an odd feeling. Like there was something important staring him right in the face but that he was unable to recognize it. And then there was the swords. Even at a glance he could tell there was something oddly... familiar about them. He knew Gerudo craftsmanship when he saw it, and that was unmistakable in these blades. In a way it almost gave the King of Evil a certain... nostalgic feeling, reminding him of home in the Gerudo Desert. But rather than do anything with the swords, Ganondorf's eyes caught climpse of another curiosity.

It was fixed on the wall in the back of the throne room. Was it a clock? If it was it wasn't like any Ganondorf had ever seen. It's gray and metallic hand appeared to be counting with a trail of blue flame circling behind it. It looked to be the only thing in this castle that was still functioning in any way. Was it important? He had no idea, maybe one of the others could shed some more light. Besides, Ganondorf found himself distracted by looking back at the twin Great Swords yet again. What was it about these weapons? Why did it almost feel like they were calling to him?

Without thinking Ganondorf reached out a hand to grasp one of the weapons. He felt a crackling sting from the talismans, which he now surmised were there to ward off evil. But the ward they provided was weak compared to himself. He pushed through and was able to break the talismans' ward by his own sheer force of strength and will. That left the weapons open to be taken. He grasped them in his hands and pulled. They were embedded tightly, but the strength granted to Ganondorf by the Triforce of Power allowed him to free the weapons with relative ease. He held the weapons in his hands, turned them over and examined them. He even gave them a few swift swings. They lacked the heavy infusion of his other weapons had, and yet... Somehow these just felt more comfortable. He couldn't explain it. Perhaps their Gerudo craftsmanship lent themselves for being dual-wielded better than the other swords. Or perhaps there was just some deeper connection that Ganondorf was unaware of. Either way, just holding these swords gave the King of Evil the distinct feeling that he was just a bit more... whole... than he was previously.

[color=797979]"...Interesting."[/color] He finally said to himself. But just as he felt compelled to take the weapons, something also made him feel compelled to leave something behind in their place. He put away the twin swords and instead drew his first sword from its scabbard. It was the one he previously wielded against Galeem before his imprisonment. He turned it upside down and buried it blade first the same spot he had retrieved the twin swords from. He didn't know why he felt compelled to leave it. Maybe he just felt like he didn't need it anymore. He wasn't sure. But now he had a new objective. He needed to go head and regroup with the Seekers and tell them about that clock thing. Maybe Rubick or Kamek would able to properly identify it, being as knowledgeable in magic and enchantments as they were.