Chapter Eleven

Lake Hylia

After another week of traveling that's long, boring, and completely uneventful – I'm suspicious of the ease that we've experienced so far, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, because I know it has to, though Tall Link disagrees; he believes the goddesses have blessed our journey – we arrive at the edge of the great cliffs that surround Lake Hylia.

Sheik steps right up to the precipice, and I join him. Tall Link hangs back, looking a little green at the dizzying drop. Lake Hylia is completely coated with ice, the stiff peaks slicing into the air like daggers, an opaque white that darkens into nearly black the deeper the water gets. On the far cliff from us is a massive waterfall that climbs up the side of a mountain into what I think must be the Zora's Domain, but right now it looks like a staircase made for frost giants, ragged blocks of ice climbing up the rock. In the middle of the lake, I see an island carrying the perfectly preserved carcass of a small, colorful building, frozen in ice and in time. To our left stretches a massive stone bridge that once upon a time was made of gleaming white stone and arched elegantly to the opposite cliff side, but now, it's crumbled in the middle, and black marks mar the stone.

"How do we get down?" I ask.

Sheik laughs just a little. "People say that back before all this, the trip down to Lake Hylia was not for the faint of heart. I think it involved a parachute or some kind of hang glider."

"We don't have either of those," Tall Link says, still well away from the edge. "So what do we do?"

"I have a really bad idea," I say, looking up at the sky. Tall Link and Sheik turn their attention to me. "Have you guys seen those flying creatures that come out at night?"

Sheik nods. "The Kargaroks."

"What if we lassoed a couple?"

Tall Link's mouth drops open. "Are you mad? They'll tear us pieces!"

"Do you have any other ideas?" I demand. Only a few months ago, I would've backed down if he or anyone like him had talked to me like that, but I guess things are starting to change. I'm starting to change. It's an odd feeling. "We don't have enough rope to scale the cliff, but we might just have enough to capture a few of those beasts."

"It's still insane," Tall Link insists. "While we're trying to lasso the Kargaroks, the Stalfos will be coming at us, too."

"Aren't you supposed to be the great hero?" I ask, my mouth running away from me and picking up a bit of a mean edge as it goes. "Great heroes do whatever it takes. They don't quail in the face of a little danger."

Tall Link's face grows thunderous, and his fists clench together. "Of course I'll do whatever it takes," he spits. He takes a few steps towards me, and I have to clench my teeth to hold myself in place. He stalks right up to me and looms over me, a good head taller.

I tilt my chin up so I can stare him straight in the eye. "Then prove it."

He looks like he wants to deck me in the face; I can see it in the quiver of his lip and the angry set of his shoulders. I watch him, waiting, but he takes a deep, shuddering breath and grabs hold of his anger again, stepping back.

"Let's wrangle up some giant, flesh-eating birds then," he says.

I give him a nod that's a thank-you and an apology all in one.

Now that we've sorted that out between ourselves, Sheik jumps back in, riffling through his saddlebags. He comes up with two of our food sacks, dumping out their contents. Hard biscuits and bits of cheese tumble into the larger packs. "Get out your rope."

Tall Link and I hurry to find all the rope we can as up above, the sky sinks towards the flaming reds and oranges of sunset. We dump everything into a pile before Sheik who takes one of his knives and cuts a series of slits around the rims of the bags. Then he threads the pieces of rope through, creating a sort of makeshift muzzle and reins. He tosses one to me.

While we wait for darkness to finish falling, we build a fire and cook dinner, then put the horses inside the triangle made by the goddess stones. "Tall Link, you hold off any Stalfos that come for us while Sleepy Link and I go for the Kargaroks," Sheik says. Tall Link nods and draws his weapon.

Then the nighttime coats us completely. I glance at the goddess stones, wanting to step inside and be safe, but I don't move from my spot beside Sheik. I shiver; the temperature fell with the night. It's not long before the first two Stalfos claw their way up out of the frozen earth. Their bony, white fingers appear first, ripping the dirt away in clods, and then the heads and the shoulders, and they tear themselves free. The two moss-covered skeletons turn to face us as soon as they gain their feet.

"You're up," Sheik says to Tall Link, as I turn my eyes towards the sky.

My ears pick up the sound of beating wings just as the swords clash together. I squint into the blackness of the night until I see two shadows pass over the full moon. I point them out to Sheik, and we ready the lassoes. An unearthly, bone-rattling screech rips the air as the shadows dive towards us, taking shape in the flickering light of our campfire.

The Kargaroks are fearsome looking beasts. Their black and grey patterned wings are tattered around the edges, and where the head is supposed to be, there's just a glowing red circle, lined with black tentacles. They only have two toes on their feet, and an aura of fear radiates off them that makes my knees shake. This suddenly seems like a really bad idea.

But it's too late to back down. The two Kargaroks are upon us. One shrieks and lunges at me, neck lashing out. I leap back, away from those weird tentacles, the wind off its wings buffeting me. "Now!" Sheik yells. I shut off my brain and jump into action.

I dance to the side as the Kargarok snaps at me again, bringing the bag up and over its red snout-head-thing. The mouth of the bag barely fits. I yank on the rope to tighten the noose, then throw one leg over the beast's sinewy, scaly neck. With a shriek, the Kargarok launches itself into the sky, bucking and twisting, and doing everything it can to throw me off. I clamp down with my legs and yank on the rope, struggling for control. I don't have time to look down and see how the others are doing; I could be thrown from my perch at any moment.

"I've got Tall Link! Let's go!" I hear Sheik yell.

I wrap the ends of the ropes around my hands and give them a sharp tug. The Kargarok fights me, so I pull harder, digging my heels into its sides. "Go down," I snarl, and the beast finally tips the way I want it to. I streak pass Tall Link and Sheik on their Kargarok, and my beast flies off the edge of the cliff, hurtling towards the frozen lake far below.

The bitter wind rips at my face, bringing tears to my eyes and whipping through my hair. My thighs ache, clenched tightly around the monster's sides, and my fingers burn from the cold and strain. In the darkness of the night, I can't tell how close the ground is getting, so I just grit my teeth and pray to whichever of the three goddesses will listen.

There's a dark mass fast approaching, and the Kargarok shows no sign of slowing; it will kill itself if that means it has a chance to take me out, too. So I jump. I let go of the ropes, sling my leg over the side, and push off. I plummet through the air, suddenly realizing that I've made a serious mistake. I jumped too soon, and now I'm going to die, or at least shatter my legs against the ice.

I slam into the ground, and my feet slip, spilling me out across the frozen lake. My face smacks into the ice, blood filling my mouth. Something creaks ominously beneath me. I scramble upright, and the ice is covered in a thick enough layer of snow that I'm able to keep my balance, at least until the Kargarok lands heavily on the lake.

The ice shatters, spreading out from it's two-toed feet towards me, and I jump away before I plunge into the frigid water. I slip, the snow thinning enough that my boots skid on the ice, and I fall again, bashing my elbows. I can feel the lake cracking and shifting under me. I find my feet again. I don't know where Sheik and Tall Link are. At any moment, the ice could give way beneath me.

The Kargarok struggles to keep from sliding into the frigid waters, cawing and shrieking, flapping its wings desperately, its red head tipped towards the sky. Then it loses the battle, and with one last scream, it disappears through the ice. I can't even let out a sigh of relief, because now the lake is after me. I spin and start to run, feet slipping and sliding in the snow and ice even as it gives away under me, but I keep flailing forward. I jump as I see cracks spread out in front of me, because I can see the skeleton of the house just ahead, and I simply have to hope I hit the island it's built on. I land on something solid and roll a couple of times before coming to a stop.

Splayed out on the snow, I wait for everything to start moving and shifting again, but the ground beneath me stays still. I let out a long breath and realize that I'm shaking. Slowly, I push myself to my knees and look around. Down here, the lake is coated in a thick, white mist, and the bones of the house rise out of the snow like brightly colored teeth. There's a gaping, black hole where all the ice broke, spider web cracks spreading out across the lake. "Sheik? Tall Link?" I call, stumbling to my feet.

The sound of cursing comes back to me, and a moment later, a dark Kargarok appears out of the mist, Sheik and Tall Link perched precariously on its back. Sheik fights with the reins, and the beast does a barrel roll. Tall Link yells, slipping out of his seat, and he falls through the air, straight into the gaping black hole in the ice.

"Tall Link!" As I run towards the hole, I strip off my cloak, tunic, knife belt, and boots, and then I dive into the water. The cold hits me like a raging Bulbo, and my vision blackens for a moment, though the water is so dark that when my sight comes back, I can't really tell that it has, but for the faintest of light trickling in from above.

I search the murky waters for Tall Link. I thought I saw him hit his head on the way down, and I kick deeper into the lake. Finally, I see his dark shadow, and I swim towards him as fast as I can. I stretch out a hand and grab the back of his tunic, but his weight drags me down even as I kick and strain for the surface. My lungs begin to burn.

I flail desperately, but I only lose ground as Tall Link's unconscious body pulls me down, down, down. My limbs grow weaker as my lungs ache more, spots flickering before my eyes. I stop struggling, trying to think of some solution. Then I see a light far below us, little and orange like an impossible waterproof flame. I don't know what it is, but I push towards it anyways, using Tall Link's downward drift to swim faster.

I don't think I can make it. my head thuds, and my lungs heave, trying to force my mouth open, but I clamp my teeth shut, and I kick my legs together as hard as I can. Each motion makes black sparks fly across my eyes. Then, suddenly, the light is right in front of me. it breaks into glowing orbs that flank a black tunnel. I roll over so Tall Link is behind me rather than in front, and I kick us into the tunnel. I grit my teeth together. Everything hurts. I can feel myself sinking, losing control of my limbs.

Then my head bumps into a rocky wall. No. No. The tunnel can't be a dead end. I drift towards the bottom, my fingers loosening on Tall Link's collar, my eyes sinking shut.

Up above me, I see something glimmer.

A light.

I dig my feet into the tunnel floor and push off, shooting towards the glimmer in a last-ditch effort. I stretch out the hand that's not holding onto Tall Link, and my fingers break through the water and into cold air. My head pops through next, and I take a huge, gasping breath, the air burning on the way down. I wrap my arm around Tall Link's chest to keep him afloat, my tired legs treading sluggishly as his sword and shield try to pull us under again.

I look around. I'm in another tunnel, and the glimmer I saw comes from some kind of glowing moss on the walls. The pool of water is only a few feet across, and I swim towards the edge, slapping one hand down on the cold, damp rock. I heave Tall Link out first, though I'm not really sure how I manage it. He lies there lifelessly, hand flopped out to the side. I pull myself up and out with trembling limbs, butt here's no time to pause or rest. Tall Link isn't breathing, and there's blood leaking from a cut on his head.

I crawl to my knees and lean over him, lacing my fingers together as I pound on his chest. I tip his head back, pinch his nose, and breathe into his mouth, his lips cold on mine. It doesn't work, and I go back to chest compressions, beginning to panic when it doesn't seem to be working. But I persist, bowing my head to give him another breath. When I pull back, Tall Link convulses and coughs, water spraying from his mouth. I drop into a sitting position and heave a sigh of relief.

Tall Link's eyes are wild as he looks around, and they finally settle on me. "What happened? Where are we?"

"You fell into the lake," I say. Every muscle in my body is trembling, my teeth chattering. I rub my arms; thick goose bumps run up and down them. "I tried to get you out, but you were too heavy. I don't know where we are. Some kind of tunnel."

"And Sheik?"

"Still up above."

"We have to go back." Tall Link crawls towards the pool of water, wincing in pain, but I grab his arm.

"We're too deep. I'm exhausted, and you banged your head on the ice. We'll never make it."

Tall Link touches his forehead and looks surprised when his fingers come away bloody. "Then we're stuck here."

"Not necessarily. I bet this tunnel leads somewhere."

"Let's get going then," Tall Link says. He draws his sword and uses it as support to lever himself into a standing position. He holds a hand out to me and pulls me up, holding on as my legs give out. "Where's your shirt?"

"Up on the ice."

"And your knives?"

"The same. As with my boots and cloak."

Tall Link groans. "Well, that's just great."

"I had to take them off to come save you!" I protest.

"And I wouldn't have fallen into the lake if it hadn't been for your dumb idea." Tall Link lets go of me, and I sway but don't fall.

"So you'd rather still be up on the cliff side?" I demand.

"At least then we wouldn't be trapped in some underwater cave!"

"Well, excuse me!" I yell, stabbing an angry finger at me. "I was just trying to help our quest! And I didn't have to jump in after you! Next time, I'll just let you die!"

"Fine!" Tall Link shoves me, and I stumble back, my shoulder blades striking the rocky tunnel wall. "Don't expect me to save your sorry life either."

"I'm glad I know where we stand then," I snarl, straightening and brushing some of the water from my stomach. I don't get it. One night, he's acting all buddy-buddy, telling me about his plans to propose to Ilia, and now we're at each other's throats. "I'm going to see where this tunnel goes. You can come with me, or you can stay here and pout." I turn around and rip some of the glowing mushrooms from the wall, forming it into a ball in my hands.

"How far do you expect to get with no shoes and no weapons? What will you do if you encounter any monsters?" Tall Link asks, his mouth turned up slightly into a sneer.

I storm off down the tunnel. "I'll figure something out."

"Damnit," he mutters, and a few moments later, I hear him stomp after me.

The tunnel marches out in front of us, straight but bumpy underfoot, and I have to step carefully to avoid any sharp rocks. The glowing fungus doesn't provide much light, but it's enough to see where I'm walking. The tunnel tips upwards after a bit and gets steeper the higher it climbs. Soon, I have to lean into it to keep moving forward, and my cold, numb feet slip on the rocks. Despite the physical activity, I'm shaking. It's as cold in the tunnel as it is outside, and my soaked pants are leeching all the heat out of my body.

Then, finally, the tunnel levels out, and the rocky floor becomes smooth. I resist the urge to glance back at Tall Link. The passage ends at a low, white marble door. Naryu's sigil – three circles set in a triangle with half moons cupping each of them – is carved into it in a darker stone, and there's a grate at the bottom as if to let water pass through. Tall Link steps up beside me, and together, we stare at the door.

"What do you think is on the other side?" I ask.

"Isn't there supposed to be a temple under the lake?" Tall Link says.

"One way to find out."

Tall Link sheathes his sword and moves up to the door, bracing his hands against it. With a grunt, he pushes it open, and it grinds upwards slowly until something inside catches and it reaches the top of its frame. Tall Link and I walk through and find ourselves in a vast circular room, lit by more of the glowing mushrooms and the orbs like I saw outside the tunnel. The temperature jumps up, and it feels like I'm standing by a lake on a warm summer day, though a frigid breeze still brushes across my back from the tunnel behind me.

The tiled floors are slick and wet, and they lead to a deep basin filled with clear water that takes up most of the room's center, a pillar rising out of it to the ceiling far above. I crane my neck to look up. It seems like there are three or four floors above us, each ringed with a disc of stone like the one we're standing on, and various walkways lead from the pillar to the floors at various intervals. The tiles and stones are all muted reds, blues, and whites, and the big room and pathways look like they were carved right out of the stone. Water drips quietly over everything.

"I'm guessing we have to go up," I say, pointing at the long staircase that climbs from our level up to the ceiling.

Tall Link takes the lead, practically pushing me out of the way, but I let him since he's the one with the weapons. I scan the ground as I follow, searching for a rod or even a nice rock, but the temple is free of debris. Tall Link places his foot on the first step, and I feel a whisper of wind on my bare back. I spin; part of the wall behind us has fallen open, and out of the square walks a massive, armored lizard. "Uh, Tall Link?" I say, reaching back a hand to catch his tunic.

"What now?" His voice trails off. "Oh shit."

The lizard brandishes its small, square shield and its curved sword. Its green and brown scales shimmer in the glowing light as it comes towards us, and its lips pull back from its long snout, revealing yellowed teeth.

"Get behind me," Tall Link orders. I have no way to fight, so I obey.

The creature, two feet taller than Tall Link at least, bounds forward, covering the ground between them in a second, and their swords clash. I pull my attention away from the fight; I need to make sure there's nothing else sneaking up on us, maybe find a weapon. But the temple is quiet, perhaps eerily so.

A rough shriek startles me just as I'm leaning over the edge to peer down at the pool of water below, and I nearly fall in. Flailing, I catch my balance and spin around. Tall Link's sword sticks out of the lizard's chest, a black ichor dripping from the wound. He slides the blade free, and the beast crumples to the ground. Immediately, the corpse dissolves into an oily, black smoke that sinks through the temple floor, leaving nothing behind.

"What in Din's name?" Tall Link breathes.

I shrug. I've never seen anything like that before. There's not a shred of the lizard creature left.

"Champion."

The word fills the entire chamber, spoken by a melodic, lilting voice that's delicate and regal yet rumbles within my chest. I turn, searching for the source, and find myself blinded by a white light. But it's a soft light, and after a moment, I squint through it, and a beautiful form takes shape, floating over the pool of water, wreathed in a white mist.

A gorgeous, female Zora stares benevolently down at us, her hands spread out in welcome. She looks different from how I imagined a Zora, tinged red instead of blue, and a mane of wavy, coral hair cascades over her shoulders. Her scaled tail disappears into the mist, and two fins are attached to her back, floating gently in the air.

"My name is Rutela, and I welcome you to Lakebed Temple. Long have I waited for a hero of your caliber to come here, and when you defeated my Lizalfos, I knew that you were the champion who would be able to help me."

"You sent that beast after us?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes. It was a test. I apologize if it harmed you, but I needed to make sure that you were the true champion." The Zora, Rutela, smiles down at us, and something about it makes me shiver even in the warm temple air.

"Why do you need a champion?" Tall Link sheathes his sword and slings his shield across his back, and walks up to the edge of the pool.

Rutela floats closer, coming down to our level, and I can see deep lines in her face which had looked so young from afar, and her eyes are black as night. "A darkness infests this temple. It has been here for many years, and I cannot expunge it. I need a mortal champion to do so. Can you kill it for me, Champion?"

"Of course," Tall Link says. "Do you know where it is?"

"What is this darkness?" I interrupt before Rutela can answer. "How did it get here? What does it want with the temple?"

Rutela turns those black eyes to look at me, and I take a step back, but I don't look away. "I do not know the Hylian word for it," she says finally. "In Zora, it is called," she makes a strange gurgling sound, "and it is a most fearsome beast. It slithered up from the Shadow Realm and planted itself in the basement of this temple. As for what it wants, I do not know. Power, I suppose."

Tall Link looks at me. "It's searching for Link's body. It wants the Triforce."

"In all likelihood," I agree. I turn my attention back to Rutela. "And who are you? Why are you here?"

"My name is Rutela. I was once Queen of the Zoras, but I died during the Twilight Years. I met the Hero Chosen by the Gods and gifted him with the mighty Zora Armor so that he might save us all. Once the war was over, my bones were brought here to rest so that my spirit might protect this temple."

I nod. Her story makes sense, but I shiver again. As she talks, her voice buzzes every so often, and her form flickers, the change almost too fast to catch.

"Is Link's body here?" Tall Link asks. "He came here when he was dying."

"He did." Rutela inclines her head once. "Though I do not know where he was finally laid to rest."

"We have a friend up above. Is there a way to get to him? He'll be able to help us fight this beast," I say. And he'll be able to tell whether or not there's something strange going on here. A suspicion nibbles at the back of my mind, but I can't put a pin on what it is exactly.

Rutela shakes her head. She looks apologetic. "The temple is sealed until the beast is defeated."

Convenient.

"Point us in the right direction," Tall Link says. He gives me an odd look, telling me to be quiet.

"There is a passage beneath the water. It will take you down to the beast's chamber."

"Yeah, we can't breathe underwater," I point out.

"Of course, how silly of me to forget." Rutela laughs slightly, a beautiful, bell-like sound. Her form flickers again. "The Zora Armor is lost to us, but I can grant you these masks which will allow you to breathe beneath the water." She folds her arms towards her chest and brings them back down again, and two wooden masks, carved like mini shields, meant to cover the chin and nose, appear in her palms. They float over to us and drop into our palms, weighing nothing. I turn mine over and over, wondering how it works, but my best guess is magic.

"We will not fail you," Tall Link promises.

"This I know. Thank you, Champion." Rutela's ghost fades, taking the glowing white mist with.

"Let's go," Tall Link says.

"Hang on, let's talk about this," I say before he can slide the mask on his face. "You don't think anything seems off about this?"

Tall Link stares at me as if I've turned into a Zora or grown another head. "What's weird about this? The spirit of this temple needs our help. There's darkness here, and we need to kill it. That's what we do."

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling," I say, though I'm suddenly uncertain that it's all not in my head. "Wouldn't we see evidence of the darkness like we did in the Lost Woods temple? And Rutela knows exactly where the beast is but can't do anything about it?"

"She's a ghost," Tall Link points out. "What's she supposed to be able to do?"

I hesitate. He has a point. Maybe I'm just overreacting, seeing threats everywhere, even in something perfectly innocent. "Well, I, I don't have a weapon." It's lame, and I don't know why I say it.

"Maybe you should stay here," Tall Link suggests. He says it a little coldly.

I puff up, offended. "Like hell. I'm coming with."

Tall Link shuffles his feet and looks away from me. "Sleepy Link, no offense, but you're not that great of a fighter."

I stagger back, hurt, tears filling my eyes though I will them not to. "W-what?" I say.

"Don't look at me like that," Tall Link says, his brow furrowing. "You know it's true."

I do, but I'd almost put that behind me, almost convinced myself that I could handle myself and be of service to the group, but just a few short sentences ripped all that away. "I—I killed that white wolfos." Maybe if I can convince him, I can convince myself, too.

"You stabbed it from behind while Sheik and I distracted it," he reminds me.

"I–" I run out of words and fall silent. What he says is true. The breath goes out of me, and with it, the strength in my legs, and I drop to my knees.

"Just wait here," Tall Link says. "I'll be back before you know it."

He slaps the mask on his face, and it molds onto him, the pointed end covering his nose and the curved bottom wrapping around his chin. Then he spins on his heel and dives into the water, his body arching through the motions perfectly. With a splash, he's gone, and I'm alone on the damp floor.

I rub at my eyes, and my hands come away wet. I wipe them off on my pants as if there's someone around to see it. I sigh, dropping my head to rest on my knees. That feeling that it would be best if I just stayed here is back again. Let the real hero handle it. No, stop. Stop. You were over this, past this. I pound my fists against my legs. I can't keep letting a couple of comments shatter all the confidence that I've built up.

Slowly, I stand, wiping my eyes again, and pick up the mask from where I dropped it when I collapsed. I slide it up over my face, and the wood melds to my bone structure. I was worried it would feel claustrophobic or suffocating, but it just feels like I'm wearing a cloth over my mouth and nose. I take a running start and dive into the pool. The water is cool but not cold when it hits my body, and I slice down into the clear blue depths. The pool is deeper than I expected, stretching down, the bottom hidden in shadow. The pillar in the center is covered in green algae that waves slightly in the softly drifting currents.

I kick towards the bottom, the water growing colder the deeper I go. The pool floor is covered with different kinds of plants, some with broad green leaves and others with round, narrow stalks that would probably be colorful except that the blue water washes out all the other hues. I float amongst them and look around. There's a patch of wall in front of me that's darker than all the rest, and when I swim over to it, it stretches out into a dark tunnel a lot like the one I found at the bottom of the lake.

I take a deep breath. Like an idiot, I left my glowing moss up above, and I look over my shoulder, considering whether or not I should go back and get it. But there's a bad feeling wiggling in the pit of my stomach, though I still can't figure out what it is. It has something to do with that Zora's ghost, and I know Tall Link is in danger. So I swim into the dark tunnel and am soon swallowed by the shadows.