Legend of Zelda: Spirits of Alana

Chapter Thirteen: The Mountain Temple of Hyrule

Epona cantered across the field quickly. It was high noon and has been two days since Link left the Sacred Forest Temple that was in Faron. Since he left the temple, things seemed to be going back to normal to the regions near Faron and Ordon. Animals and merchants were returning to those parts after the disappearance of Brogan and his bat children. But that didn't mean that the other regions of Hyrule were safe or peaceful.

Rumors of disappearing children were beginning to appear. Stories said that the children were playing in the fields and they would see a ferret with scarred and battered ears. The children would run after the ferret, try to catch so they could bring it home to treat it's wounds, but the ferret would run towards the mountains. The ferret would run into the temple that was located inside the mountain and, naturally, the children followed. What happened next, no one would know of.

After hearing these odd stories and since he was on his way to the very same temple already, Link decided that he would look for the children during the voyage through the temple. Hopefully, he will even find a new weapon to add for his arsenal.

Link smiled lightly and looked at Epona, patting her neck as she ran. "We're almost there. I can see the mountains getting closer."

He passed a sign not long ago that said that the temple entrance was only about two miles away, so he knew he was on the right path. But he was curious to see what he would find inside of the mountain temple. A weapon? A piece of the mask that Hana needs to give to Keita? A new foe? Certain death?

Link shuddered at the thought. There was no way he wanted to die now. He made a promise, several promises at that, that he'd come back to Alana alive and with the mask fully intact. But he remembered what the spirit of the Alanian warrior, Aisliegh said about the mask. That it had great and devasting power or something like that. Maybe he could find out more about before he could give to Hana as well.

Epona nickered and slowed to a walk, stopping Link's train of thought. He looked onward and saw the entrance to the mountain temple. It was just a simple, square opening that you could see in a cave, but two torches were lit in front of the entrance. Epona quickened to a trot as she climbed up the rocky inclination to the entrance. Once they got to the flat surface where the entrance was, Link swung his leg over and jumped off of Epona. Epona shook her head, to get the dirt off of her. Link patted her gently on the neck.

"I'll be as quick as I can, okay girl?" Link said to his faithful horse.

Epona responded by stomping on the ground and licking Link's hand. Link chuckled and patted her on the neck once more before having to go into the mountain's sacred temple. He walked away from Epona and took out his sword and placed the wooden shield onto his right arm. He walked cautiously into the cave.

Thankfully, unlike the Faron temple, there were lit torches in the entryway that led up to the main chamber of the temple. Link thought this was good; at least he didn't have to use any of his lantern fuel here.

Link followed tunnel till he came out into a huge opening, a shrine-like area. Link looked around. There were fancy looking rugs hanging on the stone walls and expensive looking lanterns hung from the ceiling. Thankfully, those were lit too. But as Link looked around he noticed something a normal person couldn't handle. The walls were stained with blood and bones riddled the floor of the room. Some of the rugs were ripped apart and a few of the lanterns were lying on the ground, the glass inside of it shattered and littered the floor. Link had to be careful of where he stepped, not wanted to get glass stuck on his boots. He looked around the room and gulped.

"This is…scary," He muttered under his breath. Then, something caught the corner of his eyes.

It was a little ferret or weasel. The creature had scars on its face and one of its ears appeared to be bitten off. Its brown fur was matted and dirty. It looked at him with dreary brown eyes and squealed, as if it was injured.

This is the little creature that led the children to this place. Link realized it because of the scars on its tiny face. It did look like something that could wrench the hearts of someone young. Maybe if he followed the little thing, it could lead him to where the children were.

Link walked cautiously up to the weasel. But when the weasel saw him, it scurried a crossed the room and stood in front of the door. It stood up on its hind legs and looked at Link. Link laughed at the little creature.

"You think you can outrun me and fool me?" Link asked the weasel. He walked over to the other side the room. "Think again, furry one!"

But as Link got close to the weasel, the weasel scurried down the hallway it stood in front of. Link narrowed his eyes. Now he was beginning to get annoyed of the little thing. The weasel was at the end of the hall, near the light at the end. Link ran down the hallway.

"Alright you little monster…I'm going to get you now!"

But as Link ran into the new room, he noticed that the weasel disappeared and wasn't in this room. He looked around his new surroundings. The walls were still rock, but these one were more jagged, unlike the ones in the entrance room. However, like the other room, blood was smeared on the walls and shattered, yet still working, lanterns hung from the ceiling. Link looked around the room cautiously, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the injured weasel. It was standing on a rock, looking at Link with now red glowing eyes. Then, he heard a voice echo around him.

"HAHAHA!" The voice laughed. It seemed to belong to a male and was high and screechy. "Human foolish and come. Here to steal treasure. You no steal treasure! I eat you. Like mother eat the human kids."

"Mother?" Link repeated. He pulled out his sword and placed his shield out. "Show yourself!"

"I here!" That was when the little weasel began to glow a dark purple color. Link eyes widened in shock and awe as the weasel began to grow. It was now larger than him, a long body and all. It gained two sets of red glowing eyes, an extra pair of front legs and an added row of sharp teeth. The monstrosity looked at Link and licked its lips with a forked-tongue.

"Me kill you. You die and me eat. Mother be most happy then!"

"I am not going to die today," Link said definitely as he gazed at hideous creature.

The monster roared a screechy, terrible roar and charged toward Link with amazing speed. Link was amazed at the speed of the creature and was about as good as dead when the creature was close to him. The monster tried to smash Link into the ground with one of it's clawed paws, but Link jumped out the way in the nick of time. A claw grazed past Link's arm and even that felt very painful.

Link placed a hand on the scrap that felt like it was on fire.

"Note to self; don't let that thing touch you," Link muttered to himself.

He looked up from the scrap and saw the monster running towards him once again. Link jumped out of the way before the beast could hit him. He knew that the monster was too fast for him to hit with the sword. Then, he looked up at the ceiling. The lanterns could probably do the trick, especially since he had the Boomerang of Gales as an ally. He took out the boomerang as the creature charged towards him once again. He back up quickly to the jagged wall of the room as the monster advanced. Then, before the monster could strike, he moved out of the way and the monster ran into the wall.

As the monster fell unconscious temporarily, Link charged up the Boomerang and looked up at the lantern that was above the monster. The monster was now beginning to stir. Link quickly hurled the Boomerang at the lantern. The weapon, wrapped around by a mini tornado, crashed into the lantern and the glass and metal instrument fell hard and fast onto the monster. The creature squealed in pain and the heavy lantern that was as big as it's head fell onto it. The glass shattered and stabbed into the creature's neck and the back of its head. The monster began to struggle but the more it struggled, the deeper the glass dug. Link watched in terror and in awe as the monster tried to prolong it's life, even though death was certain. The creature was now in a pool of it's own blood. It tossed its head and blood splattered onto Link. Shortly, the creature began to settle, it's red eyes ceasing their glowing and beginning to dull. It lowered itself onto the ground and twitched violently before lying motionless and breathless. The creature was dead now.

Link took a deep breath and placed the boomerang back into his saddlebag he looked at the dead monster and recalled it saying something about a 'treasure'.

He looked around the room and a chest caught his eye. It was in between two pointed rocks but it could be reached. Link walked up to the chest and opened it. Inside of it, Link saw something that shocked him. It was a bow and quiver. The bow was craved of fine wood and the quiver was made of leather. He knew how to arch and he was fairly good at it. He reached into the chest and pulled out both. A smile came across his lips and he wanted to scream for joy.

He placed the quiver around his body and placed the bow under his shield. Suddenly, he felt as if the ground shook.

"My son!" A voice shouted. "Where is my son?!"

The voice was harsh and seemed to belong to a female's. This must be the "mother" of the monster Link just killed. Link saw a staircase that could possibly lead up to where this mother dwelled. She might even know what has happened to the children. But she was probably as hostile as the son. But she might even be holding a part of the mask that Link needed to complete. Link looked at the staircase and walked towards it, ready to face whatever creature was at the top.