[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 10 - Crossing To the Forge

...on further into the city. Two chu worms, like the ones he had fought in the Vault, dropped from the ceiling, bounced once, before they began rolling towards the two of them. Link tightened his grip on his sword, moving around to the side of one of the beasts.

Link rolled a bomb across the room, the explosion breaking apart the chu worms' defenses. With the gel barrier worn down, Link found it easier to get to the worm this time. With two of them working together, the monsters fell in half the time it took Link when he faced his first one.

As Link searched the surrounding pots, Faru asked, "Could you...not use the bombs?"

Turning to the Zora, Link saw a raw, red mark on her arm. The way she held it said that it was recent. "Did I hurt you?"

Faru nodded with a smile. "I know you didn't mean to, but fire and water don't mix. That explosive powder is very damaging to my scales."

Pulling a few rupees out of a pot, Link said, "I'll try to find a way around using them, and I'll warn you if I have no other choice." Faru's cheery expression returned at his comment, and she hurried on through the next door.

Much like the other side of the city, this room was tiered, and connected by wooden bridges, most had been broken by the water coming in through the broken barrier though. Long aqueducts carried water across the room, and on through the wall further into the building.

Jumping up on a bench, Faru said, "That's the way to the forge. This water would be used for cooling the smith's works before they were taken to these stores."

"So, it's just across this room?" Link asked.

"Technically, yes," Faru replied, a bit hesitant. "But to get across we're probably going to have to go through some other hallways and buildings. Unlike the houses, these are connected to each other, on account that wares needed to come in through back doors, not the front."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Yore landed above them, and looked down at them.

"Things are pressing here. There has been an attack on the castle again."

Link's stomach lurked, his thoughts going to Zelda immediate. He asked, tone growing more urgent, "What happened?"

"The Princess is fine. There was an attack beneath the city, a series of explosions and earthquakes."

"They attacked on the river?" Link asked, thinking about the city's location.

"In the sewers! And what runs under the river towards the Temple of Time."

"Oh," Link muttered, feeling a bit foolish. "Where is the Princess?"

"Daniel is escorting her to the Academy. He felt she would be safer there, since Farore's power over the area has been restored."

"I am riding right next to you, Endeavor. Or do you have to act like I'm not here?"

"Hurry, Link. There is no time. If the Demon Lord tries another attempt to take Zelda—we are running out of places to hide her."

An idea came to mind. A little awkwardly, Link suggested, "Why don't you take her to my house? It's up against the Lost Woods, and the Lost Woods aren't kind to anyone."

"That's true. You go into the Lost Woods, you don't come back out for any side."

There was silence for a while. Faru hopped off her bench, and walked off to try and find their way through this labyrinth of buildings. Yore took off, no more news to bring, so Link followed at a slow pace.

"Very well."

Feeling better that Zelda was headed somewhere a little safer, Link hurried up after Faru. The Zora was handling herself nicely, but Link saw a sign of relief as he came back around the corner to help her.

It was mainly hallways and stairs as they crossed, filled with more chus, tektites and lizalfos, and occasionally water. Other than that, it was no harder to cross than any other part of the city had been, only tedious as the path continued to wind. There were a few gates that Link had to raise to open the path onward, but there was nothing difficult or challenging about pulling a bar.

As they climbed back up on the other side, lizalfos became far more common. A few chu worms crawled out of abandoned homes, halting their progression as Link had to defeat them without using his bombs.

Link pulled himself up a vine-covered wall at the end of one of the streets. Looking up, he saw the aqueducts disappear overhead. The entrance to the forge must be a floor above them.

Opening up the chest there, Link found a small key and then dropped back down to Faru. She asked, "Well? Find anything?"

"Two levels up from here. It ends there," Link replied.

Faru looked around, a pout developing, "We've explored every pathway here. Which is just great. Tt means that the entrance is cut off. Wonderful."

As Faru crossed her arms in frustration, Link looked back up the wall above. A beam of light lay on it, dust filtering towards the wall, before passing through. Curious, Link pulled himself back up to the platform. Faru shouted up, "What are you doing?"

Link tapped his sword against the wall. There was a hollow echo on the other side, like it was empty. Sheathing his sword, Link called down, "Stay back." He pulled out a bomb and lit it, before setting it down in front of the wall. He backed up to the edge of the level, and put his shield between him and the bomb.

There was a blast, followed by dust, dirt, and rubble coming towards Link. He coughed, trying to get the debris out of his system quickly. A few pebbles bounced off his shield. Then there was a trickling noise. Link looked down and saw water rushing across the floor beneath him. He lowered his shield and saw the water coming down through the tunnel.

Faru climbed up beside him. Leaned forward to look through the new opening. "It's some kind of drain, by the looks of it." Splashing the water, she walked up to the hole, and looked around the inside. The tunnel echoing her voice, she went on, "I don't know where it leads, but it's heading towards the West Egg, so let's try it."

Cautiously, Link pulled the mask for his armor up over his nose as he went down the tunnel. If this was a drain, then the water would be a lot deeper the further they went in.

Soon, the water rose to Link's waist, and then his chest, until finally they were back underwater. A few chus had located themselves inside the tunnel. Link dealt with them as Faru looked around from some kind of exit from the pipe. She waved at him after a while, and Link swam up towards the gap she had found.

It was a small tunnel, and a difficult squeeze for Link, but it led them back to the surface. Faru held her hand out for him, and tried to help him out of the tunnel. He didn't need it, but he let her help.

They had come up from a fountain by the forge. The entrance was a pair of tall, marble doors with the Zora symbol carved out and filled with gold. It was an impressive sight.

"This is it!" Faru exclaimed. "The forge. Whatever is in here is going to be tough, but it's going to be great practice for the ugly who's guarding the Central Generator. You ready?"

Link pulled his sword back out, and smiled at her. "Are you?"

Faru smiled back, nodding as all previous hesitation faded. "Yup!"

Yore circled down and hovered over them.

"Then on with it!"

Not wanting to make Endeavor wait any longer, Link pushed the right door open. It groaned as the stone slab moved back on its hinges. A puff of steam came out from the gap. Link waved it off, and glanced down at Faru. She clenched her hands. "Let's get 'em!"

Faru close behind, Link walked down the tunnel into thesteaming forge...