[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 18 - Temple of Secrets

...into the Temple of Secrets. The lack of light would take some getting used to, though Link's eyes were slowly adjusting as he caught up with his companions.

The entrance hall to the temple was a long, straight passage, lined with columns. On each column, a torch with a purple blaze was bolted. In the center of the room, a large pyre sat with this same color of blaze. The color cast an eerie shade across the room.

"That's a creepy color," Zelda muttered.

"It is the Goddess's color," Endeavor commented, though with no offense. Their mind remained in part elsewhere as the three continued on. "These fires burn in Her honor."

"Then what have the monsters done?" Zelda asked, looking around for other signs of disturbance. Link did the same, the point worth investigating.

Endeavor continued on down the hall. "Nothing here it would seem. But this is not the only chamber. This way."

Endeavor led them through an archway with ease, navigating the space easily, if with great weight. The walls expanded beyond it to form a circular room, revealing even more pyres and pillars. Above them, the sky was revealed through a glass dome, starlight filtering in.

Link continued on through the door, until Endeavor grabbed him by his shoulder. He looked back at them as he was pulled back. They pointed to the center of the floor. "Look again."

Looking back at the floor, Link studied it for a while. Suddenly it dawned on him. It was hollow. The sides of the pit were designed to look like the floor around it. It was a brilliant trap. Link took a cautious step back. "So, where do we go?"

"Down there," Endeavor answered. "But slowly. I doubt you want to fall down in that trap." They pointed up at the ceiling. "There. Those levers should make the lift appear, unless the creatures have tampered with it somehow." They called Yore, and sent the bird after one of the levers. Link pulled out his slingshot and hit the other.

Once both levers were hit, the floor began to rumble. From the side of the pit, two slabs of stone slid out into the center. A purple crease of light sealed the two pieces together. It hovered in the middle of the pit.

Hopping onto the slab, the three made their way down into the heart of the dungeon. It was a slow ride down, and it gave Link time to study the runes carved on the walls inside the pit. He was sure there was some kind of story to it, but he couldn't read the runes. There was some faint understanding in the back of his mind, but not enough to make it out.

As soon as they had stepped off at the bottom, the slab began to go back up. Zelda pointed and shouted after their exit, "Where is it going?"

"Hush," Endeavor hissed, silence following quickly after. Silence crept over them. Link looked across the room. Odd piles of stone sat around the room. Link gripped his hilt, having a bad feeling about those rocks. Endeavor whispered, "It goes up and down on its own. Now, be quiet. This is a quiet place. The slightest noise will alert everything in here of our presence."

"You want us to tiptoe around everything in here?" Zelda asked, her volume dropping.

"As best we can," Endeavor answered. "Right now, the best way to fight these creatures will be with bombs, of which will create attention that we cannot afford. But the gift the Goddess Reechka has left you, Link, will help avoid that noise. Or perhaps reduce it enough that we do not bring the horde on us at once."

"Is there something we're trying to not wake up?" Link questioned.

Endeavor glanced at the odd piles of rocks. "I do not know what has gotten in here, but if it is anything like what had managed to find it is way when I last visited, then I would not want to fight it before we had the Goddess's gift."

Journey growled, and began stalking forward. Link watched the wolf. As she approached the rocks, silent as the stones herself, the rocks began to stir. There was a flash of lightening. The stray pieces of rock whirled around. Each pile began to take its own shape. Though no two were the same, each had a four-legged structure, with the pulsing, bright energy suspending their rocks into their full shape.

Without listening to Endeavor's commands, Journey leapt into battle with one of the rock creatures to defend her owner. In response, Endeavor joined the fight to try pulling the wolf back. They called to Link, "Blast them, we have no other option now."

Link pulled out his bombs, and lobed one at the nearest creature. The yellow-red explosion splintered the creature, and the sound echoed off the walls. Link ignored it, and tossed another bomb at another pile.

Using their long sword, Endeavor stabbed the blade between the rocks into the center of the energy. With the stream broken, the creatures could no longer hold their shape, and collapsed. Between the three of them, soon the monsters fell, one by one, until the room was clear.

Zelda came up to them after the fight was over. She said, "Sorry, my bow's not much use here."

"Then use that sword," Endeavor corrected, before lowering their shoulders. They shook their head. "We should have rested, I did not think the Queen's words would disquiet me like this, I apologize. In any case. It seems silence is not a luxury we have. These rocks know we are here just as well as anything else. If you need to, destroy them."

The change was a good one. Link was uncertain about sneaking from the start. As Endeavor led them across the room, Link only hoped that there would be a supply of bombs ready for him to restock. They would run out soon enough if all the rooms were populated like this one had been.

Endeavor stopped. There were paths to follow: one straight ahead and one off to their right. Endeavor raised a hand. "Wait here."

With that comment, they went up the path to their right. Link and Zelda glanced at each other. Moments later, Endeavor returned down to them. They stated, "As I thought. This path leads on further into the dungeon, towards the shrine, but the way is locked. We need to find a key."

"So, that way?" Link asked, pointing down the other hall. Endeavor nodded as they rejoined the group. Link went on down the hallway into the next room. It was a large room, with two more of the purple pyres. A pool of water sat in the middle, with a glistening emblem in it. The water rippled, and the slimy form of a chu made its way out of the pool. The purple firelight made it appear purple for a moment, but then a shadow cast over it, changing the chu's color to black.

"It's mimicking the color it's in," Zelda said.

"Then keep it out of the firelight, or we will never defeat it," Endeavor replied. "I would rather deal with a shadow chu than a purple chu."

Zelda loosed an arrow at it. The light stunned it, giving Link a chance to get in close to it. On his third hit, he knocked it back into the firelight. Link swung again, only to watch the chu dodge his sword entirely. It split apart into hundreds of little pieces, before merging back together after his stroke.

Link took a few steps back, baiting the creature back out. Once its color changed back to black, Link swung again. The chu wrapped itself around his sword, and began to pull it in. Zelda fired again, giving Link the chance he needed to finish the creature.

As the chu dissolved, Link walked up to the pool to make sure no more chus were coming up. He looked at the bottom of the pool at the emblem in it. He said, "This is the Drex's symbol."

Endeavor joined him, "That is partially correct. This is Reechka's symbol, Her emblem in Her temple."

"Right..." Link muttered. Endeavor stepped down from thepool. "We need to find a key still." With that, they led them on out of theroom...