[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Overworld Chapter 36 - Midna's Marsh

            …only to have to step back as the orb took shape. The Zol snorted and tossed its newly formed mane. Mirum grabbed Link’s hand, and looked it up and down. Link gently pulled his hand away, saying, “If something happens, I’ll tell you.”

            Dominus loomed over Mirum, saying, “He will be fine. Panicking doesn’t help us though. Keep your nerve about you, or something may happen.”

            Mirum nodded, replying, “I’ll try.”

            “Very well,” Dominus said, before walking up to the horse. He brought a second Zol up to him, before placing his hand on the Zol. The Zol transformed itself into a larger horse, closer to the size of Epona. Link felt like Dominus knew more about this that he was admitting to.

            Endeavor rode around the side of the building, guiding Epona. The mare was discontent about being tacked up again in her muddy gear, but there was no way Link could get it any cleaner. He pat the horse, before swinging into the saddle.

            As Dominus helped Mirum onto her horse, Endeavor rode up next to Link. She threw a dark black wrist guard into his saddle. She said, “Best to not frighten the twili anymore than she already is about the matter.”

            Link picked up the wrist guard, confused at what Endeavor meant, only to find the beginnings of the twili markings on his left arm. There wasn’t any pain, but he didn’t think that was a good sign. They didn't reach his hand, or anywhere near his Triforce. He pulled on the brace, asking quietly, “Why is she so panicked?”

            The Drex raised a brow. “Have you honestly not…” She stopped, and looked over at the twili. Endeavor said, “That twili may have saved your life already.”

            “What?” Link asked, but the Drex rode over beside Dominus as the man climbed onto his twili horse. Link sighed and asked Epona to trot forward. He was getting tired of all these half answers.

            Dominus inquired, “Are you ready?” Link nodded. “Then follow me,” the twili said, before asking Zol out into the marsh.

            Link glanced at Endeavor. She nodded at him, before riding after Dominus. Epona hesitated for a moment. Link said, “We’re going to be alright.” He pat the horse on her neck.

            Epona snorted. “If you say so.”

            With Dominus in the lead, and Mirum in behind, they made their way through the marsh. The path Dominus followed was mostly solid, but a few portions they had to take through the thick, swamp water. Link looked ahead, not wanting to see anything beneath him as they rode. Epona shared the same sentiment when they were riding through water, trusting Dominus's horse to guide her.

            The landscape began to change. The orange tint to the brackish water began to turn green. The further they went, the more drastic this change became. It wasn’t a lush green though. It was a festering green, something that just made you think of an infestation. The whole landscape made you think of some unnatural illness consuming the land.

            A few kargarocs circled the plain. Link kept his sword out, wishing that they had Zelda’s bow with them, or that he had a bow of his own. Other than his slingshot, and the Sage’s Rod he supposed, Link was short on ranged weapons.

            When the kargarocs did come close to them, Link had to wait for them to charge him before he could slice them out of the air. Epona trampled most of them that got too close to them though.

            Yore circled the air, challenging the massive bird-creatures himself. The hawk was successful so long as he kept them from forming groups. Journey was hanging over the back of Quicksilver’s quarters. The wolf wasn’t going to have much luck keeping up with them in this landscape.

            Dominus came to a halt at the edge of a hill. He pointed down. “There is the Mire, our destination.”

            Link stopped beside the twili. The land below them was a soggy excuse for a swamp. Huge spires of rock came up out of the deep pools, creating a labyrinth in the middle of the narrow, water covered paths. Link said, “We can’t navigate that on foot.”

            “We never planned to,” Dominus replied. “Walking into the Mire would be ridiculous. It is why we rode here in the first place.”

            “You mean we’re going to be fighting on horseback?” Link inquired.

            The twili nodded. “You can fight on horseback, can’t you?”

            Link answered, “Of course, just…I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t think Epona has ever been into a dungeon with me before.”

            “She has not,” Endeavor added. “Not until now, though this is no dungeon. This is a mere triffle to what the Shadow Temple will be.”

            “What is in there, anyway?” Link asked, not able to see far into the mesh of stone.

            “Something from your past,” Dominus answered. “It is a wonder we found it. It doesn’t even come from the era that we do. But it has the same effect on twilight that it does on darkness and all other forms of shadows.”

            There was a pulse in Link’s left hand. He asked, “Anything other than that?” He had a bad feeling about this place.

            Dominus glanced at Link. He asked, “You mean do I know what evil lurks within the Mire?” Link looked out at the Mire, before back at Dominus and nodding. Dominus shook his head. “I do not know the nature of these creatures. They are beyond me, but I presume that they would like you to be consumed by the marshes rather than reach your goal at the end of the Mirror Hall.”

            Mirum shuddered, before saying, “But we’re not going to let that happen.”

            “Of course not,” Dominus replied. “Why would we let something so terrible occur? We have already allowed such things to pass, or have even done them ourselves. Now the twili must prove that we are part of this country, and that we will defend it.”

            The twili asked his horse on down the hill. Mirum trailed after her leader. Endeavor held Link back for a moment. Endeavor said, “This place had another name a long time ago, Link, a name that even the Drex don't speak of. This place will test you mentally to your edge. Particularly with the developments occurring due to the marshes, you will find this place pushing you to the full length of your morals. And where Dominus does not understand what rests here, I do. Remember, young hero, this is a deceitful place, and it means to drown you in it. But that does not mean that it plans to drown you in the waters alone.”

            With that, Endeavor rode down the hill. Journey jumped off the back of Quicksilver, and trotted closely beside her master. Yore flew low overhead.

            Epona tossed her head. “I do not like this place.”

            “Neither do I, but we have to go through it,” Link said.

            “Then we go to the beaches,” Epona whinnied. She pulled on her bridle, eager to get this over with.

            Link snapped the reins lightly, saying, “Then the beaches.” Epona trotted after the others, and they walked into the mangled maze…