Spirit Reborn
The rim to Algidus Convallis was just about in sight as the two Hylians, a Zola and a Gerudo made their way to the edge to bid Shamariah farewell on her journey to retrieve the Silver Arrows on her initiation day.
"You'll do fine Shamariah, we will be with you the whole way," Mali reassured as she tied a small pouch onto Shamariah's belt.
"When in doubt open this pouch, you may find the very thing you need to succeed." Mali said softly, "This pouch was one of the magic talismans that Nabooru left Arya who entrusted it to my grandmother I'd like it back. According to legend it belonged to Kariah herself."
Shamariah touched the pouch for courage and then with a nod of farewell to the two Hylians, and a handshake to Mali, Shamariah wordlessly descended into the ravine.
Trees lined the way into the valley but the bottom of it was bare and sandy. The spirits restlessly floated in the valley but soon noticed the Gerudo as she placed a foot off the rock that lined the valley and onto the sand that was scattered along the base of the valley.
Link, Mali and Tetra finished righting a small tent that they set up along the rim of the valley. They could see Shamariah as she carefully made her way down the ravine. Her red hair and pink Gerudo outfit gave her away. It was a good thing she wasn't trying to hide from anything.
"I wish we could see her a little closer," Mali said quietly.
"We can, I sent my magic stone with her," Tetra smirked. Link frowned in annoyance.
"You mean my magic stone, you gave it to me a long time ago," Link said putting emphasis on me. Tetra's smirk widened and she grinned coyly. Link muttered something incoherently.
"I'm sorry Link, I didn't catch that," Tetra said sweetly.
"I said bloody pirate!" Link said loudly, causing Tetra to smirk and Mali to giggle. Link grumbled to himself and Tetra brought out a small bowl.
"This will work for what we need to see. Usually I use my mother's little mirror to watch but I left it on the Golden Spirit so this bowl with water in it will have to work. Mali you're a creature of the water, could you?" Tetra asked gesturing to the bowl.
"I…ok," Mali hesitated but then she chanted in the old language, "Spirits of the water, I call thee to aid us in our adventure, please fill this bowl with thy holy water."
The bowl slowly filled with cool clear water much to Link's surprise. Tetra called the power of the stone to her bowl and Shamariah shimmered into view on the water.
As soon as Shamariah set a foot on the sand in the bottom of the valley all the wandering lost souls were alerted and they slowly came to her. One particular Gerudo spirit appeared and formed in front of Shamariah. Unbelievably it was Shamariah's ancestor Sage, Nabooru. Shamariah fought the shock that made it onto her facial features.
"Shamariah Lania, welcome to Algidus Convallis, you know your task is to find the Silver Arrows for the fight against Koume Rova and Kotake Rova as your right of passage as a Sage of Spirit," the spirit of Nabooru said quietly. Shamariah's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You are not Nabooru Dragmire. She earned her right of passage many years ago and she is now sitting with the other sages in the heavens. Be gone spirit, I know my task and it is to dispel deceivers like you," Shamariah said forcefully. The spirit gave an angry hiss as it vanished.
What did she say Mali?" Link asked as he looked at the bowl in confusion.
"She said that the spirit wasn't Nabooru Dragmire and that she knows her task," Mali answered as she continued to watch the Gerudo make her way through the traps and illusions that the spirits had made for her.
"Why did it call her Shamariah Lania? Is that her full name?" Tetra asked curiously.
"Not completely, her full name would be Shamariah Lania Nabooru Dragmire, but most would know her as just Shamariah Lania. The Gerudo took their last names from their mother's first names. If my name went by that naming sysem I would have two because of my flow of bloodlines. Mali Misu Shasa Ruto or in my other case Mali Arya Kariah," Mali said quietly.
"What if we went by those naming systems?" Tetra asked, completely intrigued.
"Well, your true name would be Zelda Rhianna Destiny Zelda, and Link would be…" Mali hesitated before wondering if she should reveal to Link what she was going to reveal. She looked at Link and Tetra's eager faces before turning away flushing.
"I cannot tell you your name Link. I don't think you and Tetra are ready to hear it," Mali whispered. Link looked at her confused and angry.
"What's my name got to do with her?" Link asked angrily. Mali merely ignored the angry blond and continued watching Shamariah.
Shamariah rested for a small moment after her encounter with the impostor spirit of Nabooru. She could see that the spirit left behind sand traps and illusions for her to fall into. She could also see her destination on the far side of the valley.
She cautiously made her way forward and found herself face to face with a huge lizard! It drew its short sword and attacked Shamariah. Shamariah however had her twin Gerudo blades out in a flash and the lizard already had a slash on its tiny forearm. They circled each other but suddenly Shamariah's foot fell deep into a sand pit causing her to sit down at the mercy of the beast.
She struggled but her foot was caught tight and the lizard's eyes lightened at the opportunity for a kill.
"When in doubt open this pouch, you may find the very thing you need to succeed," Mali's voice echoed through Shamariah's mind and her hand grabbed at the small pouch that was attached to her hip. She pulled out a dark little nut and that was all that was in the bag.
'What the hell am I supposed to do with this!' Shamariah thought furiously. Suddenly the little nut began to glow softly.
'Throw me Shamariah,' a tiny little voice said in Shamariah's mind. Shamariah decided not to question the little thing and threw it at the advancing lizard. It flashed bright white light on impact of hitting the sand blinding the lizard and nearly blinding Shamariah.
She grumbled slightly as she reached into the sand trap with her hand and pulled the knife out from her shoe. With deadly accuracy she threw the knife and struck true as it pierced the lizard's heart.
Next she carefully reached into the sand trap and coaxed her foot out. As soon as she was free she found the Gerudo swords that she had accidentally dropped and she retrieved her knife from the slain beast's body.
She slowly continued on and carefully found her way through the loose sand traps and quicksand's. She encountered spirits here and there and found more horrific lizards.
She soon reached the halfway point. It was a small oasis. She drank gratefully from the small pool and let the fairies heal her wounds.
Link and Tetra had fallen into a shallow sleep as they watched the bowl and Mali was keeping a lazy watch on it.
They had all watched tensely when Shamariah had fallen into that sand trap with a Lizalfos ready to attack. Mali was the one who knew what the small little nut was and grew excited when Shamariah had pulled it from the pouch. It had been a Deku Nut and so they all breathed a sigh of relief after the near death encounter on Shamariah's part. She did well the rest of the way to the oasis.
Mali was thinking about what would happen when they returned to the Tower of Gods with the whole silver Triforce and thesix medallions. Kariah had told her to ring the bell on the tower but what would that do? What did the Goddess of Time really have planned for them? Was she leading her best friends into serious danger?
Mali shook Link and Tetra awake as Shamariah started out again on her journey.
After her rest Shamariah filled up one water flask and then she made sure that Mali's pouch was on her hip and her twin swords were on her back. Her knife was in her boot and her water satchel was across her shoulder. She could see the spirit cave where she knew the Iron Knuckle still waited patiently for her to come, even the past one hundred years.
She made her way in a zigzag pattern towards the cave and found that the spirits were leaving her alone. The leevers that roamed the desert sands were the only things that stood in her way of getting to the cave.
She quickly made her way across this part of the desert and soon found herself in front of the cave. Her hazel eyes steeled in determination and she entered the cave…
Mali's eyes widened in disbelief as the bowl actually shattered as soon as Shamariah disappeared into the cave.
"Hey! That was a good bowl!" Tetra cried in protest, as Link quietly chuckled at her outburst.
"I think this is where our challenge is issued," Link said quietly grabbing Mali and Tetra's attentions. Mali sent him a questioning look.
"We said that we would be with Shamariah in spirit as she went on this journey. I believe she can do it, we all do. But we've been watching her through a stone. After what I've seen I know she can do her task and that that old Iron Knuckle in there will give her a fair fight I believe that she will be successful. I also believe that when she comes out she will know that we have already passed her challenge and that was to believe in her," Link said thoughtfully.
"We are her family now, the only ties she has to her past is me really. But we are cheering her silently on as she completes her right of passage into being both a woman and a sage. She too has slept dormant and she wasn't able to complete her rite of passage into either. Her Gerudo sisters and her mother would have been cheering her on the whole way if they would have survived the attack from Ganondorf. I believe also that she can do it," Mali said equally quiet.
Tetra nodded and they all silently sent their prayers to the goddesses knowing and believing strongly that Shamariah would come out alive and well.
Shamariah eyes slowly adjusted to the dim torchlight as she took in her surroundings. The cave was the home of the solitary Iron Knuckle. She swallowed nervously before steeling herself to awaken the metal tin head.
Shamariah cautiously approached the sleeping Knuckle and drew her scimitars before awaking the Knuckle with a slash across its helmet. Immediately the Knuckle stood and began swinging its axe furiously. Shamariah sidestepped the swings and then did a quick roll behind the Knuckle.
She slashed quickly at his exposed back and found him swing around so fast that had she not ducked her head would have been rolling. She danced away from him again as she eyed him up and quickly contemplated the best moves to keep her head on her shoulders. He swung again and Shamariah dodged to her right.
'It's almost as though he is getting smarter,' Shamariah mused as she danced away from the axe yet again and issued another attack on its back before rolling away from the enemies defensive attack.
'This is way tougher than it should be. But I must retrieve those arrows to defeat Twinrova!' Shamariah thought desperately. She was starting to tire as she danced away again and attacked.
Suddenly something occurred to her. Kariah's pouch must have something in it to aid her. She moved as far away from the Knuckle who slowly followed her. She dug around in the pouch and pulled out something smooth and crystal like. A voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
This is a magic spell given to the Hero of Time by one of the Great Fairies in Hyrule long ago. It dispels any attack on your persona for a short period of time. Be forewarned however. Nayru's love will take away your magical strength slowly and it must be used with care…
Letting instinct guide her, Shamariah cast Nayru's Love and found herself encased in a flexible blue crystal. She could sense her magical being beginning to waver a bit. She dodged around the Knuckle again and sprinted to the other side of the room. She rummaged in the pack again and found that a sprite in a bottle. She quickly let the fairy out and immediately felt better.
She charged at the Iron Knuckle that wasn't expecting such a brutal assault. She leapt over its head and hit home as she finally cut the leather straps that were holding its armour to its body. She found her way right into the path of the Knuckle's axe but because of the spell she was only thrown back without any physical damage.
She quickly got to her feet because a Knuckle without its heavy armour on can move very quickly when angered enough. It came back at her in a hurry and she rolled away from its falling axe and was able to successfully slash its legs however she tripped and went sprawling onto her back. She suddenly noticed that the effects of the Nayru's spell had worn off and she was facing another attack from the Iron Knuckle.
The axe came down as Shamariah watched it coming at her as though it were in slow motion. She sensed that she would be dead in another couple of seconds he had her pinned with no where to escape and because she was flat on her back she was completely wide open until something came to her mind. He was close enough to her body she could cause the axe to swing to the side.
When faced with a man that has you pinned down on all sides and you are on your back. Kick him where it hurts to send a message to their slow brains.
Shamariah issued a kick to where a regular man would have his family jewels. It didn't do much but completely surprise the knuckle and the axe missed her as it hit the ground beside her.
Whether or not Iron Knuckles reproduced, it angered the thing beyond belief but in its momentary surprise it cost him. Shamariah was on her feet the instant she had kicked and her swords swiftly severed its head from its shoulders and the look of shock was forever etched in its clouded eyes. Shamariah moved away as the last remaining being of Ganondorf's original army fell to ground in a fiery heap as it slowly burned away.
A chest had magically appeared in the room and Shamariah found her way to it and she slowly opened it. Inside lay a single arrow that was tipped in silver. Taking it solemnly she turned around to find the spirits of the Rova twins.
"So the little Gerudo Sage has passed her initiation," cackled Koume. Shamariah didn't even answer as she pulled a bow from Kariah's pouch and swiftly shot two arrows at the sisters. Their screams vibrated off the cavern walls as they surrendered the power of the sage spirit. The orange tendrils slowly approached the Spirit Sage.
Welcome young sage. You have temporarily defeated Twinrova's spirit. Well done. Now your friends are still waiting for you.
Shamariah's hazel eyes widened as her peripheral was enhanced and she could see her three friends concentrating on being there in the final battle with her.
'I suppose they have earned their prize,' Shamariah thought wryly. She took a final look around and then she exited the cavern. Many spirits who gazed at her scornfully confronted her on her way out.
'So the Sage of Spirit has returned to us. Are we free to move on?' one young spirit asked. Shamariah looked into the eyes of one of her sisters.
'Judgement is passed by the three goddesses and Kariah. You have my leave to confront them on your journey to the golden land where new adventures await thee,'
The spirits quickly disappeared leaving Shamariah to walk back to her friends by herself.
Link, Tetra and Mali greeted her halfway down into the valley.
"We knew you could do it! Well done!" Tetra said enthusiastically. Shamariah smiled she could understand them perfectly now and decided to take a stab at the new language that was now a part of her.
"Thank you my friends. I was informed by my powers that you have rightfully earned the Spirit Medallion," Shamariah said softly.
"You're welcome Shamariah, we grew worried when we could no longer watch you through Tetra's crystal," Link said softly. Throughout the exchange Mali had stayed silent as she waited for Shamariah to address her.
"You have earned the Spirit Medallion and I give it to you now so we can solve Kariah's riddle," Shamariah said, performing the sage ritual to call upon her power in the form of the medallion. Mali received it thankfully and she placed it in its place upon the chest.
"We have one sage left to talk to and that is the Sage of the Forest. Isn't it odd that this whole adventure truly started after we spoke with the Deku Tree?" Mali asked softly as they made their way back to the ship. Link and Tetra nodded in agreement.
"We must head to the Forest Haven before we return to the others that are waiting for us at the Tower of Gods. They rushed back to the ship and with a warning to Shamariah from Mali, Link played the Ballad of Gales and they found themselves just off the island of the Koroks. Forest Haven.
Once there Mali and Link made their way up to see the Deku Tree to show him the almost complete riddle chest.
"Great Deku Tree, we come back to thee searching for the sixth sage and the one that should reside in your realm. The Forest Sage," Link said as they came up to the tree. The Deku Tree merely looked at them before another voice was heard, belonging to one of the Koroks.
"I am the Forest Sage and I know what you come seeking Hero of Winds and Time's descendant," It was Makar who spoke and approached them.
"I found out through the spirits of the forest how I am the sage, however my test for you, Mali is to tell me how I inherited the power of the forest as a well as the wind.
Mali went silent for a moment before she slowly answered.
"You were given both powers because you are a descendant of two sages. Saria the original Sage of Forest and Fado the Sage of Wind. Saria married a Kokiri boy known as Mido and had one child. Fado was both the Forest and Wind sage after Saria moved onto the golden land on new adventures. It is natural that when Fado made you his heir as the Wind Sage that you would also inherit the power of the Forest Sage," Mali said quietly.
"You have done well Times descendant, I give you the final medallion. The Forest Medallion," Mali received the medallion and she immediately placed it in its place on the top of the riddle chest.
They all glowed softly as well as the completed silver Triforce and a small compartment on the front of the chest revealed to them another piece of parchment.
Time's descendant, ring the bell upon the tower to speak with my kin and complete your quest for knowledge.
"Well, that's pretty straightforward. It is time to go to the Tower of Gods," Link said as he said good-bye to the Deku Tree and the Hero of Winds and Time's Descendant along with the new Forest Sage returned to the Golden Eagle where Shamariah and Tetra awaited their return…
Imagine that I finally got the chapter up! I'm sorry to those who have waited for soo long. I suffered serious writers block and a lack of inspiration along with a busy life that doesn't seem to slow down long enough for me to catch up.
I promise to have the next chapter up soon though because the next chapters are the ones that I have been waiting to write since the beginning of the story. I just can't wait to get started. Anyway drop off a review and I will definitely be sure to update much quicker.
Kariah
