[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 33 - The Final Stretch

            …into the last stretch of the dungeon. Link twisted his staff around as they rode through the room. The twilight beasts launched themselves at the caravan. Mirum dodged the attacks, still clutching the orb in her arms. Dominus’s minions appeared, keeping at least two minions back at a time.

            Endeavor and Journey launched themselves into the fray. Link swung his staff, knocking a wave of the creatures back, though not doing too much damage overall, other than just from sheer numbers. Mirum shouted over the fighting, “Where’s the next door?”

            Link looked around, trying to locate the exit. He looked up and saw a series of ledges. He said, “I think it’s up there.”

            The twili turned her Zol around. “Link, watch my back.” She started riding up the slope. Link swat his way through another wave, before chasing after Mirum up the ramp. He heard something coming after them, but then there was a cry as the pursuers were caught between Endeavor’s sword and Dominus’s magic.

            When Mirum rode through the sharp paths, the gaps between the ramps were filled in with twili magic bridges. When it came time for Link to cross the gaps, he and Epona had to jump them, then turn hard in order to keep from slamming into a wall.

            Epona raced up the hill, throwing rocks back as they climbed. Link’s staff could reach far enough out across the gaps that he could defeat the monsters before they jumped. And slowly, but surely, they approached the top of the room. It came very close to the ceiling of the entire dungeon.

            Below them, the guards appeared through the doorway. They were moving quickly. Endeavor shouted, “Go! We will catch up!”

            Link and Mirum went on into the next room. It was a rapid drop down with a series of moving parts. The orb would slow down the platforms for Mirum, but Link and Epona were stuck having to time it right. Still, Link’s staff was effective at clearing the monsters before they reached them. Mirum reached the bottom of the room with her Zol, and turned back to look at Link.

            Link and Epona raced down the last ramp. The guards came barreling through the walls. At the top of the room, Dominus and Endeavor came charging in, rushing to get down to the bottom. Both of their horses were more agile than Epona, and their trip was much easier.

            The two twilit assassins dropped from several feet up, pushing the guards to the ground. The stone hands shook the ground, and began wrestling with the twilight beasts, trying to get free.

            Taking the chance, Mirum dashed through the next door. Link raced after her into the next room. The light of day shown from across the room through a set of bars. This was the last room before they reached the end. Link dismounted and looked around. There wasn’t anything waiting for them.

            “What are we supposed to do with this?” Mirum asked, looking at the ground.

            Link looked around. He was standing the middle of a triangular depression. Three circular depressions surrounded the triangle. Link took a step out of the massive etching. “Mirum…this is the lock.”

            Mirum sighed. “Explain.”

            “Every temple I’ve been to before had a key and a decorative lock, with the symbol of that Goddess or Sage that that temple was built for on it,” Link answered. “That’s key, with the Shadow Sage’s symbol on it. And this floor has the same markings on it. This is the lock.”

            Endeavor rode in, looking over her shoulder. When she turned around, she demanded, “What are you standing around for? There is work to be done! Dominus can not hold them off forever.”

            “Right,” Mirum replied. She dropped the orb into one of the round depressions. The section began to glow with the bright cyan of the twili magic. Link picked the orb up as a swarm of twilit keeses came streaming down. Mirum said, “Get that into another portion, we’ll handle these guys.”

            Link ducked out of the way of one of the flying fiends. He set the orb down into another depression and watched the floor begin to light about the bright glow. He noticed against the walls where shadows were being casted by the glow. The shadows blocked out certain portions of the runes on the walls, not that Link could read what it said.

            As Link set the orb down a second time, Dominus came flying through the doorway with his two minions. The guards came floating in behind him, rushing towards Link.

            Without thinking, Link grabbed the orb and flung it into the middle and final groove in the floor. The whole ground began to erupt with light. Mirum leaned over and picked up the orb, even though the guards had been stunned for a moment by the brilliant light. Behind them, Link heard the door slide open. Mirum rushed through the door, not waiting for her companions.

            When the light began to fade, Link looked up at the temple. The challenges were gone, the obstacle course cleared. He could see all the way back to the other end of the dungeon. Long orange bands of magic stretched out from the wall and to the two guards. As the streams of magic began to move, the hands began to get up once more. From across the great distance, Link could see the eyes opening on the statue of the twili ruler.

            Dominus urged, “This is the temple’s last defense. I suggest we enter the core of the temple quickly.” Most of his skin was the unnatural white at the moment, and Link was worried that the twili wouldn't be strong enough for the fight ahead of them.

            The horses bolted towards the entrance. Mirum dropped the orb in surprise. The floor vanished beneath their feet. It was a short fall, mostly jolting the horses more than harming them. Link looked up as the partially see-through floor resealed above them. The guards banged against the magical surface, trying to get the orb back still.

            Everyone let out a sigh of relief. It was a little ironic that they did, Link thought. While the chase was done, now they had to face whatever was down here beneath the dungeon, causing all this trouble for them in the first place. They'd most likely be seeing Zeal again.

            Endeavor asked, out of breath, “Why would the twili plan a temple like that?”

            “To keep things in,” Dominus answered, still catching his breath. “And to draw things in.”

            The Drex shook her head. Journey collapsed beside Quicksilver. The black stallion quivered, and let out a short breath. Endeavor nodded, saying, “I am ready when you are.”

            Mirum composed herself. “Set.”

            There were glances between Link and Dominus. Link commented first, “I’m ready.”

            The twili leader said, “Then I suppose we should get going.” He turned his Zol around and rode it down the dark path. Mirum kept up with her leader. Link could tell she was ready to get home. He supposed that they all were.

            Endeavor glanced at Link, before starting down. Link called, “Wait, Endeavor.” The Drex turned back to Link. “What is it that Dominus still has to do before he can become a Sage?”

            Again, the Drex glanced down the path, and then back at Link. “You are about to find out, I believe.” She turned Quicksilver and rode down the path. Link looked back up at the ceiling above them where the guards continued to pound the floor. He turned back and asked Epona on…