Legends 19
The trio awoke early, before the forest could be lit by the morning sun. They worked quickly and silently, disassembling camp and disposing of the campfire's ashes. It wasn't long before they were geared up and facing the temple's large wooden doors. Now that Link was closer, he noticed the ruined etchings carved into the door. Saria made a comment on broken seals.
"You're positive the Master Sword is in there?" Link asked for reassurance's sake. What could make his death have at least an inkling of meaning could be beyond these doors. With the sword he could at least take down Shade, the one who had cursed him with death in the first place.
Beside him, Sheik answered in low tones. "Yes, I'm sure its in there. You've searched almost anywhere else it would be. We should be ready though. Like I said, Saria wasn't here to give her blessings to this temple. It isn't entirely sacred, hence the broken seals on the door. I hear the strongest of the monsters in there guard the sword."
"Where did you hear-"
"Sources." Came the typical response. It's not as if Link expected a different answer. It was always the same thing when either he or Saria questioned the origin of Sheik's knowledge. "Are you prepared? Both of you?"
"Yes. More than ready."
"Of course." Saria chimed in.
With great effort Sheik forced the double doors inward. Light spilled across the marble floor inside, gleaming. The walls, where they could be seen, were bare but clean. Shadows clung to the farthest wall and corners.
"It's… Pristine. Like it hasn't changed, like it's always been that way." Saria stated in a hushed voice. Sheik too kept quiet as he spoke.
"They must have had some strong sages. It takes a lot to create a spell like this. It's amazing that it even lasted this long." Cautiously Sheik took a step forward. The sound, though light, echoed through the empty room. It was greeted by a deep growl. "So we aren't alone."
Large forms shifted in the shadows. The hunched shapes were the size of men, bulky and moving in slinking movements. They bordered the shadows, staying just out of sight. Link tried to force his eyes to focus, to adjust, but it was no use. However, he did manage to count five of them.
"There's five." He warned. "Saria, I think you should stay back." Though he knew she hated to admit it, Saria wasn't very much of a fighter. She never had the heart for it, and even so, she was way out of practice.
"Alright. I won't get in your way." The sage took a single step backward and that was it. The black shadows launched from their places toward them, barrelling at impressive speeds.
Snarling and snapping the white wolf-like creatures attacked on their hind legs, nearly knocking Sheik down. He was only saved from being torn into by the three Wolfos by teleporting to the middle of the room. The other two ignored their brethren's growls of frustration and headed straight for the Hero. Link readied his shield just in time to block the first one, while dodging the razor sharp claws of the second.
Calmly he awaited an opening, remaining on the defensive. They were larger than he, and capable of brutal force. It'd be unwise to brazenly attack them. Just as strategic, the two Wolfos circled him slowly, as if sizing up their pray. Finally one of them got impatient, probably because they hadn't seen a meal as fresh as the adventurers in a while. As it pulled back to attack Link quickly jabbed the beast in the chest, twisting the blade as he retracted it. It bayed pitifully, pain distorting it's growl. When it came to meet the ground it fell silent and still.
The other howled at him in anger and Link took advantage of it's lack of attentiveness swiftly. He dispatched the second with relative ease. He then looked to Sheik, who was dealing with the final Wolfos. Two white humps of fur laid limp nearby. It seemed the last one of being stubborn, and that Sheik was moving more sluggishly than usual.
Link reached for his bow, notched an arrow and fired. Sadly he missed, the Wolfos moved at the last second, separating away from Sheik. Not one to appreciate being shot at, the Wolfos barrelled toward Link. Link didn't even have time to drop his bow or notch an arrow. The Wolfos fell short, crumpling a few feet away from Link's feet. Five small daggers protruded from the back of the creature's head.
"Damn Wolfos. Never liked them." Link commented, putting away his weapons as Sheik approached.
"By the looks of it they didn't like you much either. Saria? You good?" A small yes was the reply as the sage re-entered the room. On her way back Saria snatched a torch off the wall, lighting the plain entryway as she went. "Alright then. Which door?" The light from the single torch was enough to reveal the two doors. One north, the other east. As Sheik waited for an answer he crouched over a piece of paper.
"What are you doing?" Link crouched beside the shorter boy, curious. Sheik was sketching with a piece of charcoal.
"Making a map as we go. Temples are typically complex, and this one, meant to house the Master Sword, is no exception. Getting lost in here is not on my list of things to do. Now pick a door."
They settled on going forward, and after a short hall, came to an empty room. There were delicate engravings on the wall that spoke of worship and time, the Triforce and of the Goddess. Link's attention wasn't held for long, he knew plenty about the lore, and now he was living it.
"Someone had been here. Could still be." Sheik held up a backpack by a chair in the far corner. A small fire pit had been made. As Sheik handled the empty bag it began to fall apart at the seams. "But I doubt it. There hasn't been any recent fires, the ashes are old. Two more doors." He gestured toward the east and the west. Again, Sheik went about mapping.
"The one west is closer to the south. It might loop back. Let's go east." As Link took the lead, and stepped into the eastern room, he regretted his decision.
Vaulting forward he narrowly dodged a fast moving blade. Saria backed away with a small shriek, and Sheik surged forward into the room, past their new enemy. By far taller than both males the Stalfos clicked it's rotting teeth at them, a challenge. It readied it's sword and shield, prepared to fight the two.
Wordlessly the two set to work. As Link distracted the enormous enemy Sheik jumped it from behind, latching onto it's back and severing it's head. The bones collapsed to the floor, it's sword and shield clattering loudly.
Behind the two victors Saria whistled, catching their attention. "I don't see why you two fight so much. You make an impressive team." Sheik remained silent, retreating to his map. Link grumbled nonsense beneath his breath and promptly walked away. Not waiting for the other he decided to go north.
Another battle ensued as two more of the skeletal behemoths attacked, only to be dispatched with just as much ease. As the bones fell Sheik slapped Link upside the head, not even bothering to yell. Instead he examined the room, being sure to step over the bones of the dead Stalfos. Link muttered an apology and followed Saria closely as they came to stand beside Sheik.
The walls were scorched near a fire pit built in a shallow, crudely formed hole. Beside it laid a tin mug, a pot and a bundle of rags. Another five feet away was a pile of bloody glass, but the temple had no windows.
"You don't think those Stalfos used to be adventurers, do you?" Saria asked as Sheik bent to examine the contents of a sack.
"Possibly. It's either that or they were killed by them. Eaten by the Wolfos even." Sheik pulled out a golden crown, shaped like floral vines, but it held no jewels. "How much would you say something like this is worth?"
"Sheik! Those-"
"Are no longer owned, Saria. You should keep your voice down. Besides, it's not like you people are paying me. My help is free, remember?" Saria huffed, but Link interjected before she could retort.
"He's right. In all my past lives I used to take whatever I could find too. What's the harm?"
"Alright!" She conceded. "You guys win. Can we just go?" Sheik pulled a necklace from the sack as well. A fire opal pendant on an old gold chain. It caught Saria's eyes almost immediately with it's beauty.
Sheik smirked at her. "Now, now. Don't become a dirty grave robber like me." He placed the necklace in his own Kokiri pouch, teasingly. "Wouldn't want to soil those hands of yours."
"Oh, you're so-" She didn't finish her sentence, but instead headed to a door. "Come on, let's try this one." They travelled through a western door after Saria, into another fairly bare room. Empty except for three human skeletons.
"Found them." Sheik proclaimed. "I told you they wouldn't need their things." Saria glared at him as Link stifled a laugh. He really shouldn't laugh, considering there were three dead people laid out on the middle of the floor. Long dead, mind you.
"Really, Sheik?" The boy in question shrugged at her before Saria continued straight through to the opposing western door. She could hear Sheik sketching away on the map behind her.
As she opened the door and stepped into the next room Saria was violently thrown sideways. Her head struck the marble floor first, and she skidded into the far wall. She barely had time to yell out in pain. Link reacted first.
"Saria!" He slashed down the Skulltula that struck her with the drawing of his sword, killing it quickly. The commotion sent two Keese and another Skulltula into a frenzy. Sheik picked off the Keese with two skilful dagger throws, while Link dispatched the Skulltula in haste. He rushed to Saria's side immediately. "Saria, are you alright?"
The girl barely managed to sit up, but spoke clearly and evenly. "Yes, I'm fine, but my head is spinning something awful. I think my ankle is twisted too."
Sheik kneeled beside them, sketching. "We need to leave her here. She might have a concussion, and even so she'd slow us down. Even if one of us carried her."
"No, are you insane? I am not leaving her unprotected."
"Do you think I'm daft? I can put up a barrier around her. If something actually managed to break it, I'd know." Link debated the option. Honestly, he was still questioning Sheik and trusting him. He turned to Saria with a concerned expression. The decision came down to her, he couldn't tell her what to do. She answered his unspoken question.
"I'll be fine here, I understand. We're close to the Master Sword, I'm sure. I can wait. I will stay vigilant, I promise."
Sheik stood and dragged the Hero from beside Saria. A blue, semi-transparent dome formed around her. "We'll be back soon." Sheik eyed the door to the south and tried it, only to find it locked. It had been the only one barred from them this whole time. "Huh." He tried the one to the west. Just as Link went to follow, Sheik re-emerged. "It's a dead end. Somebody besides me please pick a door." Link debated teasing him but decided time was too precious and opened the door to the north.
The room held only a small chest that sat on a table. Link opened it before Sheik could fully enter. A key and a couple of rupees sat inside. Link tossed the key to Sheik. "Try it." Was all he said. As instructed Sheik spooked off, but returned shortly.
"Not it. Which means there's another locked door somewhere." Link continued on through the next door: Empty. Then to the next, which only housed a dry fountain. The one afterward had only three skeletons.
"We've already been here." Link commented sourly, discouraged.
"Indeed. Wasn't there another door in the room with the scorch marks?" Knowing he was right, the two travelled hastily. Not wasting time Sheik tried the key on the untried door. The lock clicked open.
The large room was empty of enemies, but littered with claw marks and sand from a broken hourglass. Broken furniture, such as chars and tables, had been thrown about. Sheik bent over to pick up rupees here and there. Whatever had been through here had no use for currency. In the far corner a staircase led upward.
"Ready for whatever made this mess?" Link nodded and the two ventured up.
They navigated the second floor with relative ease, stopping only to mark up the backside of the map with this floor's schematics. The only trouble they found was two Stalfos, which proved to be no trouble at all. They had been guarding a key, which sat on a small dais at the back of the final room.
Link eyed the key, sheathing his sword. "Do you think this is the one for downstairs?"
"Most likely. There weren't any locked doors up here." That was all it took to bring them back downstairs to where Saria sat patiently. She remained silent as the two unlocked the door that revealed a staircase that led underground.
Link turned to the sage as Sheik began the decent, a smile of reassurance on his face. "We won't be gone long, I promise. You won't be left alone again, alright?" She nodded to him, smiling.
The basement was just as dark as above and Sheik was grateful as Link handed him the torch. Their shadows danced along the walls, the flickering flames causing them to distort in the narrow staircase. The steps seemed to go on forever.
"Do you really think something would be guarding the sword?" It seemed odd that some monster would protect the sword that was meant to destroy evil. What could they possibly do with it?
"Makes sense to me. If there was something the could kill me, I'd want to keep it as far from the person that could use it as possible. What better way to keep the Hero weaker than to keep the Master Sword from him?"
"But all these creatures in here; Stalfos, Wolfos, Keese. They aren't exactly intelligent… Which means someone's pulling the string. You don't think Shade-"
"I do. I believe it was the Interloper that is very much in love with the idea of killing you. The problem is figuring out what he may have put down here." Sheik opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, bringing them into an expansive empty room. The torches along the walls barely lit the edges of the room. A single door occupied the opposing wall.
"Sheik." Link's voice demanded attention and Sheik turned to him with a questioning glance. Lit by the torch alone the Hero's eyes appeared more green than blue. "I can't say I trust you. Here we are in a temple, in the middle of nowhere. Saria is injured upstairs. How do I know this isn't some sort of trap?"
"You'll just have to take a chance and trust me." Came the sullen reply.
"Give me a reason to. You were told to help me by Hiver, the same one who sent Mio and that wasn't exactly a very solid situation. Whose to say you're not the same? Whose to say you won't abandon Hyrule as well?"
Sheik remained silent a moment, choosing his words carefully. "You want me to give you a reason to trust me, but I've done all I can. I have been training you, gave you my bow, fought alongside you. I am currently protecting your only friend. I have brought you to the sword. What else would you ask of me?"
"I guess you have a point. But you never really answered me last night., you avoided any real answer. Who are you?"
"I am Sheik."
"That's barely an answer and you know it." Link frowned, but Sheik remained stoic.
"Then who are you? Why should I trust you? I do not know you any more than you know me. Yet I trust that you do not kill me in my sleep. That you will not turn against me in paranoia. How do I know you will not abuse the sword?" Link's eyes widened at Sheik's questions.
"Alright, Good enough points." What did he want from Sheik? What could he do to make Link trust him? "Saria wants us to get along, right? Because she's right. You're my new mentor, and I should accept that. So, we might as well be truthful if we're going to be fighting together. Biggest fear."
Sheik's head cocked to the side a little. "Really? Now of all times?" Link nodded, determined. "Fine, if you'll stop trying to get me killed. The dark."
Link paused a moment. "Really?"
"Shut up and answer it yourself."
"Failure. Biggest weakness."
"Archery."
"Defense. Greatest Strength."
"Stealth and throwing."
"Archery and the long sword. We should be cautious then. I'll go first and cover anything close range then. You try to stick to the shadows. Seem fair?"
"So you have been learning, I'm surprised. Quite fair, lets go." Carefully Link opened the door to the next room. Figuring from what little light the torch Link had been handed provided, this room was larger than the last. As Link stepped in Sheik slunk inside, searching for any signs of life. He only had a second's warning before a shadowy shape came crashing toward him.
"Sheik!" Link tossed the torch in, letting it light the majority of the room. Sheik danced around another swing from the creature. A soft glow emerged from the enemy and brightened until it took form. A ghost of sorts, Sheik discerned from her white eyes and hair. The thing glowed ethereally. Sheik barely heard Link mutter 'Shadow Hag', but knew not what he meant. Just as Sheik regained his bearings the hag burst into four copies of itself, surrounding him. Grossly out numbered, Sheik had little choice but to go on the defensive.
Link notched an arrow and waited. His memory of the Shadow Hag was faint, but something told him to wait until the creature was whole once more. As predicted the hag reformed, just in time to be struck by an arrow. She screeched loudly, giving Sheik the chance to retreat closer to Link. He didn't miss the limp in his mentor's steps. Saria had told him that Sheik had sprained his left knee. Honestly, Link had hoped Sheik would have walked it off by now.
"So much for that plan." Sheik stated dryly.
The Shadow Hag recovered quickly and wailed angrily. A cloud of projectiles shot out from within the monster, cutting sharply at where it managed to strike the two. Sheik quickly retreated in a puff of smoke and Link rapidly switched out for his sword and shield. As the shards ceased Link made to attack the hag.
It vanished as his blade swung, and not long after he heard his partner cry out in pain.
"Sheik?" No response. "Dammit." Link retrieved his bow and prepared to fir once more. The hag reappeared blood, dripping from it's hands. Link shot. The arrow pinned her in her left eye, drawing blood. She flailed and screamed, her dark robes rusting with the movement. Then she split herself again.
Link dodged and weaved, but the copies were trying to lure him into the dark. He attempted to shoot one, but as predicted it sailed through it harmlessly. One managed to get too close and slashed up his left leg. Already he could feel his injured right arm acting up. Link ignored the pain for now, and picked up Sheik's torch with his free hand as he passed by it.
The hag, repulsed by the light, regrouped behind him. Link dropped the torch to reload his bow. He took and deep breath and forced himself to forget the pain in his leg, and all his new injuries he had gathered. He turned on a dime and fired. The arrow struck home, between the hag's eyes. She did not make a sound as she collapsed in on herself. Purple fires lit themselves high along the walls, illuminating the expansive room.
Sheik lay near an opening in the wall. He was curled on his side shaking ever so slightly. Link rushed to him, pocketing his bow.
"Sheik are you awake?" Blood was pooled by his chest and dripped from his lips. But he steadily made eye contact with the Hero, red and sharp.
"I'm not easy to kill." Link reached to help him but Sheik batted his hand away. "No, go get the Master Sword so we can leave. I'll get up on my own."
Link figured standing and arguing wouldn't help much. Briskly he walked through the archway behind Sheik. As he did the room lit up, the torches suddenly blazing brightly. And at it's circular center the sword sat at it's pedestal. The Triforce was engraved into the marble around it. How many lives had he come to retrieve this sword? Yet it felt just as new as any moment. He was beside it before he knew it, hand around the indigo hilt. Sheik was bleeding out in the other room, why was he taking his time?
The sword slid willingly from it's place, and it felt all too familiar in his grasp. Like he was greeting a familiar friend. He pulled the old sword from it's sheath. It had been an old gift from Mio, if you could call it a gift. He left it beside the pedestal, and sheathed the Master Sword. Hesitantly he returned to Sheik.
The poor thing had managed stand, more so lean against the wall. His blue clothes were soaked with blood, but it seemed to be drying. Link reached out and caught him with one hand when Sheik pitched forward.
"We need to get you to Saria. Can you walk?" Absently Link was reminded of how much shorter Sheik was than him. He often forgot about it. If it came down to it, carrying him wouldn't be very difficult.
"With a little help yes." Sheik sounded out of breath, like each word pained him.
"Even up all those steps?"
"Yes." Link doubted it, but he humoured him regardless. It was a long, agonizing trip, as half up the stairs Link's leg began to act up, but they made it back to Saria all the same. Just as they arrived on the first floor Sheik barrier crumbled and Saria rushed forward, a look of horror on her face.
"What happened? Bring him outside, there was a lake near the camp."
She rushed them out and Link laid Sheik down as Saria fled to fetch water. The moment she returned Saria set to work and removed anything that was in the way of Sheik's injury. The bruises had somehow managed to get worse, and a bone jutted from his flesh, a lower rib on the right side, which had caused all the bleeding. The fact that he was still awake with all the pain was improbable.
"You poor thing. What happened?" Link did the honours of explaining, and finished by saying she shouldn't push herself either. "I'm fine, don't worry." She had finished cleaning the blood. "Now Sheik, I have to fix the rib. I know some healing magic so it won't take long to heal, but don't expect to be running around for the next few days. Link, can you please make camp? We won't be leaving until tomorrow." Link left to do as he was told. He was going to question Saria right now. "Ready?" She addressed Sheik.
"As ready as I'm gonna be." There was a cracking sound as Saria repositioned the bone and Sheik hollered out in pain. Fresh blood spilled from the wound. It was going to be a long evening, but Sheik would live.