The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Mini Dungeon 4 - The Mire

...that was the Mire. Epona trotted cautiously around the corners, head craned to watch for them both. Her tail flicked angrily behind, swatting flies that came too close. Link kept his sword out, sitting upright in his saddle as best he could. The lack of sleep was starting to catch up to him. The others had vanished from his sight. In the damp air, he couldn't even hear their hoofsteps. Voices whispered in the mists. Link couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sent chills down his spine.

Not long after carrying on in the only direction Link thought seemed safe, the two came out in a large opening. Endeavor stood in the center, carrying a lantern. Link asked, "Where did you find that?"

"Oh, laying around," Endeavor answered. "What's it to you?"

The cadence gave it away immediately. "Who are you?" Link demanded, holding his sword out.

The person sighed, before shifting back into a vague figure. She was a ghost of a person, with long white hair that faded into mist. She looked like the foam off of waves, but with a face. "Oh, I should have picked a better face, shouldn't I? Though, I suppose no one could fool you, could they? The Hero, after all. Now, what would you possibly want with a place like this?"

"You didn't answer my question," Link replied, not lowering his blade.

She smiled. "Ah, you are a smart one. Clever, clever boy. I'm a spirit of the swamp. I have no interest in the world outside, that is...unless it means to harm my home. I'd like to be around a little longer." She twirled her lantern around her finger. "I used to live in a forest, but you're always confused for Poes in those places."

Link kept his blade up. "What are you saying?"

Mounting a shaggy looking mist pony, the spirit said, "Well, if you can keep up, I just might be able to lead you through this maze. You're already terribly lost, and as much as I'd like your company, I'm afraid having it would mean that we wouldn't be around for that much longer."

Epona snorted at the ghost pony. The short horse snapped at Epona, before trotting off into the fog. Sitting backwards and leaning on the pony's neck, the spirit waved. Her eyes remained in sight for a while longer, before disappearing as well. "Keep up."

"Come on," Link urged Epona.

"I don't like this," Epona whinnied. "This place in unnatural."

Link replied, "I don't like it either, but we don't have much of a choice." He looked around, not seeing much of another way forward. He figured that if they knew the way that they wouldn't need this spirit's help, but they didn't and their friends were nowhere in sight to help. There would be no exploring inside the Mire today. He urged Epona on, hoping this was the right choice.

Most of the time, Link only caught the tail of the spirit's pony as it turned around a corner. Epona kept up a canter to keep up with the pony's trot, the ghost horse unbothered by the heft of the water. The mare was discontent with the pony's faster pace than hers, pushing harder than she should have to give chase.

Eventually, the voices started again. Link kept his sword out, waiting for something to appear. The spirit's voice called back, "Ignore them."

"I was told that there were unfriendly creatures hiding here," Link said.

"You're as likely to find them as you are to find your way out of here," the spirit answered for ahead of him. "Don't listen and they won't bother you."

There was a shriek from deeper in the swamp. The spirit suddenly appeared ahead of Link again, staring off into the heart of the swamp. Even for a ghost, she looked pale after the noise. She said, "Then again..."

Link demanded, "What is that?"

"Nothing," the spirit insisted.

"Link!"

Link looked up as Endeavor came cantering into the opening. Another spirit came trotting up in front of them, shouting, "Meg! Meg!"

The spirit that had been guiding Link stopped. "What do you want, Amy? What are you doing here?"

"She doesn't like this," Amy murmured.

Meg demanded, "Where are the others? Who is guiding the Sage?"

"Is this some kind of game to you?" Endeavor demanded. "What are you doing?"

Amy was panicking, looking at Meg for help. "What do we do? She's going to kill everyone here."

Meg growled, before shouting, "Beth! Joelle! Bring them here."

Two more spirits appeared with Mirum and Dominus from another trail. Meg said, "We can't pull this off. She's found out. She's going to let them out."

"Who is she?" Link asked.

"She runs this swamp, no matter what the Twili say," Meg answered. "And it seems she's been persuaded to help your enemy. We don't know how, but she has."

Amy murmured, "She's going to make us bring them to her, or she's going to kill us all."

Meg grumbled. "We're going to have to take them to her then. It's the only way we all get out of this."

The voices began to take forms in the mist of the swamp. The four spirits looked around. Meg said, "We are going to have to." Meg turned her little pony around. "Follow if you can."

With that, the four sister spirits dove into the mist. Endeavor shouted after Yore, "Follow them!"

Huge red figures pulled themselves out of the water. Their long spears were covered in brine and moss, Moblins he thought he heard Endeavor call. Bulblins pulled themselves out of the beneath their huge companions.

Link twirled his sword in his hand. Endeavor drew their blades, holding their rapier out and their knife close to their reins. Mirum held on to her Zol, who was thrashing his hooves to defend himself. She extended her hand out towards Dominus, magic stabilizing his Zol.

Dominus extended his hands out from beneath his cape. Two small orbs appeared in his hands. The blue light turned red, and huge black creatures landed beside Dominus's horse. The creatures were bent over, silver plates covering their face. Dominus said something in an ancient language and the two creatures began to attack the huge red monsters.

"Ride, now," the Twili ordered.

Endeavor turned Quicksilver, and chased after Yore before the hawk was out of sight. They slashed at the closest creatures to them before diving into the fog after Yore and the spirits.

Mirum came up beside Link. "We have to get out of here. Dominus will be fine." She urged her Zol on, following after Endeavor.

Link glanced back at Dominus. The Twili started to turn his horse. Link asked Epona on, cutting down anything that got close to him. Dominus's minions bound over him, taking out the monsters down as soon as he damaged them.

Stone flew out beneath them as Link and Epona changed down the narrowing path. He heard Dominus behind him, and saw Mirum ahead. The shrieking cries grew closer. Monsters chased them from behind and leapt from the sides of the path. Link tried to cut back on them as best he could. He wished he could drop a bomb, but he knew Dominus would be caught in the explosion.

Suddenly, Epona skid to a halt. Link grabbed the horn of his saddle, leaning out over a deep ravine. Water began to bubble and rise from the bottom. Link held his sword out as the water began to rise. "What is it?"

Mirum asked her Zol a few steps back from the edge. Endeavor shook her head. The four spirits hung over the hole. They cackled, "Here she comes."

Link gripped his sword as the water splashed up to the top of the basin. The water came up and consumed the four sisters. Link heard their screams as the water began to sink again to the top of the rock bowl. Link watched the last lantern sink and a form began to rise in its place...