The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Mini Boss 9 - Frozen Serpent Ophion

...and stepped into the mansion's greenhouse. The air hung around them, packed with humidity and nowhere to go. Plants were lined up on tables, weighed down by ice and snow. The windows have been frozen over, and there was very little light left to see by.

Something moved around the edge of the room. The door closed, a bolt latching it shut as the last of them entered. Link drew his sword, looking around to find what was hiding in the low light. Freya squeaked as the door locked behind them before pressing her hands over her mouth. Link glanced back, making sure she was alright. As he turned, a shadow began to rise over him, visible on the ground. Backing up a step, Link turned back around and looked up.

A huge serpent rose above him, scales made of ice blue. The snake's tongue slipped out from its pale blue lips, its dead eyes starring Link down. Link gripped his sword and the serpent barred its fangs at him. Its scales rippled down its body, a diamond crossing along its back.

It dawned on Link that he didn't know much about snakes, real serpents. Ropes could often be found in the Lost Woods, but they never came near Eveningale, and Link hadn't spent much time in the Lost Woods. His experience was limited at best, with no real guessed on how to deal with this monster as they were crowded into the chamber.

"Behind the head."

He started to look up at Yore, but the serpent sprang at him. Link leapt out of the way of the giant head as it lunged forward. He came back to his feet and watched the snake coil around itself, searching for prey once again.

"Hit it behind its head! If you cut it anywhere else, it can restore itself."

Link dodged as the snake struck again. While the snake went sailing passed him, Link drove his sword into the snake's neck behind its head as Endeavor had instructed. The Master Sword ripped down through the scales, until it hit something. He wasn't sure way, monsters seemed to be made of little more than magic. Link struggled to pull his sword back as the serpent pulled free, shedding a layer of ice scales as the blade finally pulled loose.

The beast left behind a long skin of ice where it had once been. Looking slightly darker, the snake snuck into the shadows of the room. How it vanished like that, with its size, Link didn't know. It could still be heard, but with how the room sat, that wasn't much help in finding it. For now, its rattled echoed through the space as he and his companions crowded together.

Ice began to coat the floor. Link held his ground, trying not to move too much. Eventually, the monster reappeared, its huge head towering above them. Its tongue darted out as it looked between Link's party. Link saw a wound in the snake's neck, a remaining tear from where he'd split its skin before. He needed to get up close to that again, but doubted the serpent would be so careless after his attack had driven it off.

After a moment of watching them, the snake began to lean back to strike as it decided on a target: Link. Not interested in being a snack, Link looked around for a split second, moving until he had the wall near to him. When the massive snake attacked again, its head would meet the wall. Or that was Link's plan. The snake was too far away from Link for it to work now that he'd dodged away.

Bruce caught on to the idea, and began to move towards the wall as the snake coiled back up to find new prey, Frostbar and Freya following suit in case. Link readjusted himself as the monster targeted Bruce. The snake struck out at the knight, but it wasn't close enough to hit him or the wall.

Again, the ice snake turned its head to Link. Link waited patiently for the attack to come. The snake lunged at him, moving faster than it had before. Link jumped out of the way just in time as the serpent hit its head against the wall. The room trembled a bit as Link charged the creature. He drove his sword into the serpent's neck again.