The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 28 - Mirror Hall

...into the Mirror Hall, home of the Shadow Tempel. Epona snorted and tossed her head. "I don't like this."

In front of them stood a long hallway. It seemed to go straight back without any deviation. The black walls rose up, the Twili markings on them glowing cyan beside them, but those marking far away from them had already turned red.

Link said, "It looks like a hallway more than a dungeon."

"Protection doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be a complex design," Dominus replied as he stopped in front of them. When Link joined the man, he went on, "Even so, this place is not as simple as it appears."

"How so?" Link inquired.

"Look down," Dominus answered. Link looked beneath them. The floor faded out for a moment, revealing a set of stairs they could not reach. Dominus explained, "We will find the key that opens that door at the far end of this hall, but returning with it will not be simple."

Endeavor trotted Quicksilver ahead a few steps as they examined further. "These walls move."

"Indeed," Dominus replied. "Once the key at the far end of this hall is removed, then the walls will move, and that guards will awaken, along with whatever the Demon Lord's minions have hidden here."

"Guards?" Link asked. "What guards?"

"You think a mere puzzle would stop thieves?" Dominus asked. "No, the Mirror Hall is designed to protect itself, and that means protecting what is beneath our feet. Something has already gotten there, though I have no idea how. Or what. We should be on our guards."

Dominus asked his horse on, and the Twili creature started walking forward. Epona glanced back at Link. To comfort her, Link said, "I guess we listen to him."

Epona followed behind Dominus, looking back and forth at the walls nervously. She would go faster when she felt uncomfortable about her surroundings, a small burst before steadying again. Link kept his sword out as they went. He wished he had a longer reaching weapon or a ranged one. Then again, he wasn't sure how much fighting he was going to be able to do on horseback once these walls came up.

The building was actually very large. The roof was high enough to allow for two, if not three stories. The corridor itself was at least a mile long, but the walls that would be appearing, Link wasn't sure how long it would take them to get back.

A few creatures came down the walls to attack them as they road, distorted creatures that were vaguely shaped like rats. Link bat the vermin away as they tried to climb Epona, having to reach quite a bit to hit them. He didn't want to have to keep switching from horseback to on foot to fight though, so he held onto the reins and kept riding along through the passage before they could gain.

Finally, they reached the end of the hall. A wall raised behind them. Epona reared. "What is happening?"

Link leaned forward and tried to calm her. "It's alright, it's fine."

Epona snorted, displeased about this development but settled down at his request. Link looked around, trying to see if anything else was going to move.

Ahead of him, Dominus swung off his horse. He walked up the last few steps to where a large orb was located. Link dropped down and followed the Twili as Endeavor and Mirum stood guard behind them.

Link walked up next to the orb. Mostly, the glowing white sphere was covered in the familiar Twili patterns, but in the center was the symbol of the Shadow Sage. Link started to reach out to take the orb. Dominus grabbed Link by his wrist. Link jerked around, pulling his arm free in surprise as he faced the man. Dominus held a finger to his mouth and pointed above them.

Hanging on the ceiling was a group of creatures that looked like Dominus's summons. As Link studied them, he asked quietly, "That's not what you meant by guards, is it?"

"Not at all," Dominus answered. "But I would rather not worry about them when the guards do appear and are after us as well. Just a moment, I'll make them drop."

The Twili vanished, before he reappeared above them. Startled, the twilight beasts lost their perch and came tumbled down to the platform with Link. Dominus floated back down towards them as Link started slashing at the nearby creatures. Epona reared, smacking one with her hoof. It rolled over and vanished.

Link hacked at two more, while Dominus launched a few basic twilight spells at the monsters. With short work, the twilight creatures died. Dominus pulled his cape back around him as he looked at one of the creatures before it vanished. He said, "This woman you call Zeal must not be skilled at mimicking other magic. In the legends, these beasts can bring back their fallen comrades so long as one still stands."

Endeavor replied, "I am not sure that you would want her to be able to do that. That would only make this task all the more difficult."

"You make a fair point," Dominus stated. He walked back up the steps to the orb.

As Link followed the Twili, he asked, "But if those weren't the guards, then what is?"

Dominus pointed at the wall in front of them. The statue of a Twili woman was carved into the wall. Her hair fell beneath her hands, where another set of hands extended from the wall. Link stepped up to the wall, before looking back at Dominus. "Do I...do I know her?"

"You did," Dominus replied. "But that was in another life. Now, you'd only recognize her name, but not because it belonged to her."

Link paused as he tried to think on what this meant. Endeavor stated, "That is a carving of the Twili ruler, Midna, who broke the Mirror of Twilight and all ties to this land and hers. She aided you as I have when you knew each other."

Looking back at the statue, Link tried to recognize the figure, but he couldn't place it. He simply nodded at the familiar history, taking Endeavor's word. He looked up at the two hands extending from the wall. "I'm guessing that those are the guards."

"That is correct," Dominus answered. "Once the orb is taken beyond that wall, they will come alive and attempt to bring it back here, at whatever cost. That means removing you, or, well, us. Whether or not they try to kill you depends on how deeply this place has been corrupted by the Demon Lord's minions. They should only try to protect the key."

Link walked back over to the orb. "So, what do we do with it?"

Dominus turned back towards the entrance. "We carry this back to the entrance, to the seal in front of the door, with those two guards coming after us. If they get it, they will bring it back here, and we will have to try again."

"Could you not stop them from coming after us?" Endeavor inquired. "As a leader of the Twili yourself." There was something else in their comment, something Link didn't know. And didn't ask on as Dominus scowled for a moment.

"I could, but it may mean destroying what magic is keeping this place together, and then the way would be shut," Dominus answered.

The Drex turned back around. Link asked, "How long will we have until those come after us?"

"Once we are beyond that door, the guards will begin chasing us," Dominus stated.

Mirum asked, "Can any of us carry it?" Dominus nodded. "Which means we could switch back and forth, right?"

Link looked at the orb. If he had to carry this thing, he wouldn't be able to fight. It would also mean he was the target of the guards once they started coming after them. Then again, the puzzles would most likely be the easiest for him to get through since he had the largest arsenal of weapons. But Mirum's point allowed them some options, the opportunity for strategy.

Epona whinnied from behind Link. "We can outrun them."

He smiled for a moment at his horse's confidence. He pulled the orb free of its stand. A pulse ran beneath it. He heard the temple moving, shifting, changing. The gauntlet had been created.

Link climbed back into his saddle and turned Epona about. The mare started to trot towards the door, the two riding through...