Chapter 21:

The trip back to their ship was uneventful and when they arrived, they quickly boarded it and prepared to depart Faron Province. Link made his way into the command cockpit while Midna stood behind him, ready to assist him when he called. He placed his new map over the old one that he had been using. The new map was wondrous, for it had the locations of multiple supply depots and fuel depots for merchant vessels. It also had standard patrol routes for Hyrulean warships marked, as well as locations for naval stations and bases. He could see some dots moving on the map, indicating that the map was magical and that it gave him real time information regarding ship movements. With this, he would be able to avoid roving patrols. He also made a mental note to stay well away from the naval stations so that they would not be searched or worse, discovered.

Once they were ready, Link powered up the engine and proceeded to direct the ship away from the docks. Making his way out of the small harbor and out into the open sea, he carefully studied the map and plotted a course for Lake Hylia. Using the arrow on the map that represented his ship, he turned the ship to the northwest and proceeded to set the throttle to full. The ship lurched forward slightly as it began its trek towards the area that had once been Lake Hylia.

Along the way, Link carefully studied the map to avoid any patrols or any stray warships or pirate vessels that may have spotted his own. While the map was able to spot and identify normal ships easily enough, even the metallic ships, the map had more difficulty spotting submarines at long distances. Oftentimes, a submarine would only pop up on the map once the ship was almost directly on top of it, often forcing Link to perform evasive maneuvers so as to avoid either being spotted or avoid colliding with said submarine. For once in his life, Link had hoped that the submarines belonged to pirates or to other forces that were not allied with Hyrule, for the last thing he wanted was to be drawn into an engagement against a Hyrulean naval vessel that could risk identifying his ship as a potential threat. Fortunately, the submarines had other things on their minds and did not engage his small ship in battle or decide that his ship was a tempting target.

Not too far away from the initial group of submarines, though, another submarine came up to greet Link's ship. This one, however, had far more malevolent intentions. It began by surfacing just enough for it to deploy a cannon and open fire on Link's ship. Link immediately performed evasive maneuvers, the ship turning sharply to its port and the cannonball that issued forth from the enemy submarine's barrel missed the small ship by mere inches, landing right in front of the ship. Both Link and Midna grimaced. This submarine was either a bad pirate or it was military, for it was obvious that it was aiming for the ship's waterline.

Link and Midna wasted no time in returning fire. The former Twilight Queen rushed down to the gun deck and opened the starboard gun ports. Using her magical telekinesis, she loaded the cannons and pushed them out so that the barrels were jutting just outside the ports. She then lit the fuses and the cannons fired on the submarines, hurling explosive cannonballs at the mostly submerged vessel. The cannonballs scored direct hits on the submarine, the first ball piercing the hull of the submarine close to the waterline but not right on it, creating a relatively small hole, though both Link and Midna strongly suspected that the cannonball may still have been lit and was waiting to explode. The second cannonball, however, struck the waterline and exploded on impact, blowing a massive hole into the side of the vessel. Water did not even have a chance to flood into the hole, for the detonation of the first cannonball must have ignited the powder in the second cannonball, for there was a massive secondary explosion from inside the vessel. The submarine was instantly blown apart, wood being ejected in all directions, large splinters and other pieces of wood pelting the metal hull of Link's ship. What was left of the submarine quickly submerged beneath the waves never to rise again. With the submarine having been dealt with, Link and Midna continued towards Lake Hylia.

A couple of hours later, the ship neared the coordinates that the map indicated was the location of Lake Hylia. At the bottom of the lake was the entrance to the Water Temple. The first thing Link did was finger the Ocarina of Time, for he knew that he would need the Song of Time to reach the Water Temple without being frozen in stasis. He took one last look at the map before getting ready to make the dive beneath the waves. It was fortunate that he did, for the map showed two dots inside the area that had been marked as Lake Hylia. Even more, the dots did not seem to move that much, indicating that their patrol route was very small. Link grimaced. They must have been Hyrulean warships. Judging by their sizes, they must have been warships that he had heard termed as Man-of-Wars. He quickly went below deck to check his arsenal and make sure that the ship's primary cannon was loaded with heavy anti-ship rockets that he had taken from the supply depot on his way to Ordona Province. Once he was certain that everything was ready in case the worst-case scenario occurred, he made his way back up to the bridge.

Once there, he guided his ship towards Lake Hylia, keeping an eye on the map as he did so. When he felt that he was getting close, he looked over to Midna and said, "Take the wheel. I'm going above deck to find those two warships near the lake."

Midna nodded as Link rose to let her take the station. He then went up the stairs in the back of the bridge and went to the top of the second level. Once he was above deck, he put on his Hawkeye so he could scan the horizon for any signs of ships or other enemy activity. He swept his gaze out across the ocean, finding little in the form of pirate activity or even merchant activity. Pirates must have known about the two ships and there was nowhere and no one for merchants to sell their supplies out in the middle of the Great Sea. In addition, Lake Hylia was off the normal trade routes.

Soon, Link spotted the two ships that he had seen on the map. Even with the aid of the Hawkeye, at this distance, they were nothing more than little dots on the horizon. He continued to focus on the ships as his own ship began to approach theirs. After a couple minutes, Link managed to get a better picture of the ships. They were clearly man-of-wars. They looked large enough to have four gun decks, each. The only good thing about these ships was that they were made of wood so the anti-ship rockets that Link's ship carried would likely be able to take them down in single hits. Raising his gaze, he could clearly see the flag of the Hyrulean Navy billowing in the wind on top of the mast. Looking back onto the deck, he saw a Hylian man dressed in a naval uniform standing near the wheel. It was clear that this man was a noble. Link gazed at the other ship and saw that the captain looked to simply be a normal captain, though his uniform was still decorated with numerous medals. He then swept his gaze downward towards the rest of the lake area and spotted two small patrol boats and several small submarines, their tops poking out of the water and their wakes giving away their presence. The patrol boats and submarines were made out of metal, but that was of no concern of Link's. His rockets were more than strong enough to sink small ships with single hits, even if they were made of metal. Still, this told Link all that the needed to know. The area he was approaching was surely Lake Hylia, and Hyrule almost certainly had a presence in the temple.

He quickly took off his Hawkeye and returned to the control station on the bridge's first level. Hearing him coming down the stairs, Midna looked over at him and asked, "What are we facing once we get to Lake Hylia?"

"A small fleet," Link answered. "Hyrule has two capital ships I've heard referred to as man-of-wars, two metallic patrol boats, and four submarines."

"Can this ship deal with them?" the Twili asked.

"We should if the patrol boats don't have anti-ship rockets," the hero answered. "We'll be going through our missile arsenal pretty quickly, though."

That did not concern Midna too greatly, though. Link, on the other hand, quickly took his seat and made certain to check the locations for any supply depots between Lake Hylia and Kakariko Island. His main concern was the fact that with the sinking of Hyrule Castle Island, that Kakariko Island would be the new capital of Hyrule at least for the nobility while Link and Zelda hid inside the flooded Hyrule Castle. That would mean that there would be a strong military presence near the island, and of Link and Midna wanted to reach it, they may have to fight their way in, something that would be difficult at best.

As they approached the lake, Link went back out onto the bridge's deck to check the positions of the Hyrulean ships patrolling the area. When he put on his Hawkeye, he could already see them turning to come towards him, the patrol boats and submarines quickly making their way towards his small ship. Not only that, but he clearly saw the ships already deploying their cannons, with the man-of-wars already turning so as to present their broadside guns to Link's ship. Link grimaced. Either they were taking no chances whatsoever, or they had already identified his ship as an enemy vessel.

He took off his Hawkeye and returned to the bridge's command station. Looking out the window, he saw a puff of smoke rise from one of the patrol boats. A few seconds later, there was a large splash a few dozen yards off the starboard bow. Their hostile intentions were now obvious. Link felt not guilt with what he was about to do. He quickly deployed his ship's main cannon, not wanting to waste time with these ships and submarines. Midna also stood up and prepared to raise a shield around the ship if necessary. Once the cannon was deployed, Link targeted the closest ship first and pushed the red button that would launch the missile. Flames erupted from the rear of the cannon and the missile leapt out of the launch tube. It streaked over the ocean until it found its mark, the nearest patrol boat that fired another shot at Link's ship. Midna cast a spell that diverted the projectile off course, causing it to splash fifty yards away from the ship. Nothing fooled Link's projectile, though. The missile crashed into the deck of the patrol boat and detonated, blowing the ship apart. Metal and wood fragments were sent flying all around the ocean. Marines on the other patrol boat had to duck for cover to avoid being skewered by the shrapnel.

The autoloaders then loaded another missile to Link's cannon and the hero fired off another missile at the approaching task force. This time, it was a submarine that was obliterated. The missile had struck the submarine on the top part of the vessel before it had fully surfaced in order to expose its guns or fire any torpedoes. The two remaining small ships met the same fate. Two rockets were enough to sink the remaining boats. Once the smaller ships had been dealt with, Link focused his attention on the two man-of-wars.

Puffs of smoke rose from the sides of the hulls of the two large ships of the line, prompting Midna to use her magic to cast aside the cannonballs. Several of the balls splashed into the water in front of the ship, while others were forced to the side and splashed harmlessly a dozen yards away. Midna's expression, however, indicated that she had not managed to send all of the balls off course and that they had gotten lucky with a few of them. Those misses were too close for Link's comfort. If the ship opened fire again and Midna was unable to divert all of the cannonballs, his ship would take significant damage from a hit. He quickly focused on sinking the nearest of the man-of-wars. Adjusting the cannon's aim, he waited to get a positive bead on the large warship before sending an anti-ship rocket its way. The rocket streaked from the cannon and crossed the distance between ships in a couple of seconds. The rocket slammed into the side of the man-of-war and detonated. The explosion tore the ship in half, the two halves quickly sinking beneath the waves. The crewmembers that were not killed in the initial explosion attempted to escape the sinking halves of the ship, most of them being unsuccessful and going down with said ship. Others managed to make it to water, but would be unable to swim due to their armor. Link then zeroed in on the other man-of-war and let loose with another rocket. The second warship soon met the same fate as the first one. The rocket slammed into its hull and initially split it in half. However, the fire from the explosion must have set off the powder magazine, for both halves quickly exploded, shattering the remains of the ship. With the warships out of the way, Link's ship made its way towards the center of the Lake Hylia area.

When his ship arrived, Link went to a back room to change into his Zora Armor, knowing that he would need the armor in order to explore the Water Temple. Midna extended her magical senses to search for any survivors of the destruction of the large warships. She magically directed the few survivors to swim far away from Link's ship, not wanting them to be able to pilot it so they could get back to Hyrule, or sink it out of spite. Casting an illusion of a large ship in the distance, the survivors swam away in the opposite direction. She hoped that it would be enough that by the time they realized that they were merely seeing an illusion, that they would be too tired to swim back and search for their small ship. She frowned as she cast the illusion, though. Despite the blood shed during her last adventure with Link and the soldiers that she had killed when she had appeared ten years ago just before the flooding of Hyrule, she did not relish the taking of life. She also strongly suspected that not all of the soldiers that died were as evil as the evil Link, Zelda, and King Nohansen. In fact, she knew that some of them were not actually evil at all, merely serving an evil regime. She then hardened her being at the last sentiment. There was always a choice as to serve a regime that was good or evil. They were not being mind controlled. In the end, that was what made it more bearable for her, and likely for Link as well. The rebellion was no secret, nor was the evil of the current Hyrule's rulers. There was no excuse for them. They had every opportunity to rebel or simply walk away.

Once Midna was finished her musing, she turned and saw Link emerge from the back room in his full Zora Armor. Once he emerged, he also took out the Ocarina of Time and asked her, "Can you sense if the stasis field is active beneath Lake Hylia?"

Midna's eyes flashed with surprise for an instant. She had been so focused on the mission and dealing with the ships that she had not even considered the fact that the stasis field may have extended out to Lake Hylia. She now began to wonder if the Gorons of Death Mountain might have been trapped in stasis as well. She shook off the thought and closed her eyes. She then magically scanned the area beneath the water to see if she could sense anything out of the ordinary. It was fortunate that Link had asked the question in the first place, for she did, indeed, sense the presence of the stasis barrier. She looked over at Link and nodded. "It's there."

Link gave a sigh and told her, "You should hide in my shadow. That way we can be sure the Song of Time will protect both of us."

Midna nodded and faded into the hero's shadow. Link then put the ocarina to his lips and played the Song of Time. Once he was finished, he waited to see if he could feel any magical sensations come over him. He felt nothing but that did not surprise him. He had felt no different after Tetra had played the Song of Time to allow him to reach the flooded Temple of Time. Once he was ready, he went over to the ship's ignition and turned it off, not wanting anyone to be able to steal the ship while he and Midna were away. He then pulled the key out of the ignition and put it in his pocket. Once he was ready, he made his way to the edge of the ship and jumped into the water.

When he jumped into the water, he promptly let himself sink to the bottom, scanning his surroundings as he descended into the depths of both the Great Sea and Lake Hylia. Surprisingly, the first thing he encountered on his descent was a school of fish, not the Skullfish that had plagued the Great Sea above the Temple of Time and Hyrule Castle Town. The fish parted as he descended into their midst. As he continued his descent, he scanned his surroundings. He recognized several of the landmarks of Lake Hylia from his previous visits, such as the Great Bridge of Hylia, but others were completely alien to him. This was likely both due to the fact that there was no Zora's River feeding into the lake as well as the fact that there had been new structures built in the intervening years between his last visit.

As he continued his descent, he began to search for any signs of enemy activity, as well as the potential location of the Water Temple's entrance. A few other concerns also entered his mind as he began to wonder that if the temple was trapped inside the stasis field, that if the entrance was closed, whether it could be opened or not. He sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he would find out fairly quickly as to whether or not he would be able to enter the temple.

He soon felt himself pass through the stasis field and the scene froze before him as he continued his descent. After a bit, he managed landed on the lake floor and glanced around to get his bearings. He swam around and searched for the location of the temple, scanning for any caverns or metallic walls or grates that would indicate an entrance. Sure enough, he found one near the center of what had once been Lake Hylia. He saw a metal sheet lying on the ground with a blue symbol on it, likely the symbol for the Water Medallion. Above the symbol was a grate and a diamond-shaped metal target that looked like it could be moved by a weapon of some sort. Feeling that the Clawshot would do the trick, Link pulled out the grappling claw and fired it at the target. When the claw struck the metal target, a metallic chime rang out around the lake and Link saw the target float up from its initial position. Bubbles issued forth from the bottom of the gate and the metallic gate began to rise, allowing water to flow into the temple. Link smiled as it seemed as if he was still able to affect things in the stasis field in real time. He chalked it up as being an ability of the Ocarina of Time. With the entrance to the temple open, Link walked on in.

The hero came to the end of the walkway and immediately swam up the small passage and emerged near a stone ledge. Pulling himself up onto the ledge, he then walked forward and entered the temple, proper. Stepping out onto the stone ledge, he gazed out over the temple. There was a stone tower in the center of a large pool of water. Gazing at the stone tower, he found several platforms on each side, some stone targets on the walls of the tower, as well as several Blue Tektites standing on the stone ledge that surrounded the tower. Stepping to the edge of the ledge, Link looked into the pool and spotted several spiked balls that seemed to be floating on the bottom of the deep pool.

Midna emerged from Link's shadow and gazed at the scenery. Scanning the area, Midna suggested, "Remain here for a bit. I'll scout the temple to see if there is easy access to the boss chamber."

Link nodded and remained on the ledge, drawing out his bow in case the Tektites got the bright idea to try to cross the water and attack. As for Midna, she floated over to a passage on her right and found a water-filled hole. Extending her senses, she detected a stone block beneath the water, blocking a passageway. Taking a deep breath, she jumped into the water and swam down the hole and to the block. She then returned the way she came and returned to ledge Link was standing on.

Once she returned, she made her report to Link. "A passage on the third floor has opened up. As I was returning, I also scanned the rest of the temple as well. There is a treasure chest in the room below as well as another one in another room not too far away. I could not sense what was inside them, though. I also sensed that the room with the Dark Sage and a creature, likely a slave beast or guardian, was locked and we would need a key in order to get in."

"Any sign of any magical arrows in the dungeon?" Link asked. "I remember Rauru saying that the Water Temple had them."

"There is a lot of magic flowing in this temple," Midna answered. "If this temple has magical weapons, they could be hidden in one of the tunnels or rooms beyond."

Link nodded and then went to work. Midna returned to the hero's shadow as Link swam to the passage that Midna had floated to. The Tektite tried to follow, jumping off of the ledge and into the water, but Link was too quick not having much to do on the surface, he descended a few feet, safe from the Tektite. As he descended, he saw a passage below the other one. This must have been the passage that Midna had mentioned earlier. Swimming through, Link encountered several small, black manta ray-like monsters called Stingers. Drawing out his Clawshots, he landed on the floor and picked them off as they swam towards him, one hit being more than enough to destroy the monsters. With the Stingers having been dealt with, Link continued through the corridor.

Coming to the end of the corridor, the hero looked up and found more of those stone targets that he had seen on the central tower. Seeing that one of them looked to be over a ledge, Link fired his Clawshot up at it, the claw digging into the stone and the chain pulling him up. When he arrived on the ledge, he looked around the room and saw a crystal switch standing right next to him, along with a wall of water that encapsulated a treasure chest. Knowing that switch controlled the water, Link drew out the Master Sword and struck the switch with it. The moment he did so, there was a clear ringing sound along with a click. The water immediately receded, granting the hero access to the treasure chest. However, there was also a quick ticking sound and as he headed over to the chest the switch clicked once more and the water returned before Link could reach the chest.

Knowing that he would have to strike the switch from a distance, Link approached the chest and drew out his Clawshot once more. Taking aim at the switch, he pulled the Clawshot's trigger and let the claw shoot from the launcher. The claw struck the switch and the water level receded once more, granting Link access to the treasure. This time, since Link was right next to the chest, he managed to open it before the switch deactivated. The moment the chest opened, the switch was water was locked into its off position and Link was free to grab the chest's contents. Reaching inside, he found two chain extensions for his Clawshots. He was surprised at the find but did not ask questions as he worked them into his existing Clawshots. Once he was ready, he retreated the way he came, going back down the hole in the floor and swimming back to the central chamber.

After returning to the central chamber, he floated down to the temple's bottom floor, landing softly on the sandy floor. As he landed, he spotted two Spiked Balls floating towards him. Drawing out his Clawshots, he targeted the two Spiked Balls and fired. The claws leapt from their launchers and struck the spikes of the balls, forcing the spikes to retract and the balls to sink to the bottom. The hero was not finished, though, as he quickly drew his sword and finished off the balls with two swift slashes.

With the Spiked Balls having been dealt with, Link scanned the area and found an open door lined with yellow arrows, flanked by two torches. The hero entered the passage and followed it until it opened up into a small room with two pots and a door with silver bars over it. At first, it appeared to be a dead end until he looked up and saw a hole in the ceiling. Having no other ideas, he floated on up through the ceiling, letting himself ascend through the passage. As he floated up, he scanned his surroundings, trying to make sure that he took in everything that was important. As he floated up, he found a cracked wall on a ledge that he figured would be important. He considered stepping onto the ledge in order to break the wall with a Water Bomb, but he figured that it was best to see where the passage he was in took him first before doing any extra exploration.

Eventually, Link reached the top of the passage, surfacing in a room with a ledge and a door not far away. Pulling himself up onto the ledge he then went through the door. In the next room, he encountered two Knights of Hyrule waiting for him. The moment they saw him, they looked at him questioningly, cocking their heads. They obviously recognized his hood but they did not recognize the armor that he was wearing. Despite that it looked to be ornate, they must have known that he did not have such armor for traveling through water. He suspected that they were expecting him to wear a Zora Tunic. Eventually, though, the snapped to attention and said, "Greetings Lord Link. We were not expecting you."

"You seem to have upgraded your armor," another noted.

Link nodded, not daring to say anything on the off chance that they knew what the evil Link sounded like. When he did not say anything, they looked at him questioningly again and asked, "May I ask what you are doing here?"

Again, Link did not respond, not wanting to potentially expose his true identity. Still, he knew that speaking may be unavoidable so he eventually did respond. "I am here to make sure that everything is running smoothly."

"As far as I know, it is," the first Knight answered. "Why would it not be?"

"I'm just here to make sure that everything is okay. With Daphnes dead, I wanted to make sure that the Dark Sages know who is in charge so they don't get any bright ideas by siding with any nobles that may be trying to carve out any fiefdoms while King Nohansen is in the Mushroom Kingdom."

The Knights then tensed up and asked, "How would you know that, sire?"

"He told me," Link answered sternly.

The answer took the Knights aback but they still seemed a little suspicious. "Draw your sword, sire," the second Knight commanded. "If we are wrong, you may slay us."

Now Link knew that battle was likely unavoidable. He studied their armor and tried to ascertain whether or not the Master Sword would be able to but through their armor. He suspected that it could but that it would be difficult. The Megaton Hammer would be a better weapon for dealing with them. Still, he did his best to avoid the fight. He decided to draw the Master Sword and hope that they did not recognize the blade. He reached back and drew his sword, showing it to them.

When they saw the sword, they stepped back and drew their own halberds, crying, "It's the Master Sword! He's the Hero! Kill him!"

With that, the two Knights went on the offensive and thrust their halberds towards the hero. Link was faster, though, and managed to evade their thrusts. He retaliated by performing a Spin Attack. Since he was fully healthy, the sword released a fiery red wave of energy. The energy wave sliced through the Knights' armor and bisected them. Link then finished off the Knights with a stab to the heart, just to make sure that they were dead.

With the Knights having been dealt with, a sparkle of energy formed in the room and began an orbit around an invisible object. The object soon became visible, revealed to be a large treasure chest. Link grinned. Large treasure chests usually meant important treasures were held inside. He went over to the chest and opened it. Reaching inside, he pulled out a scroll and what looked to be a compass. Unrolling the scroll, he discovered that it was the map of the Water Temple. Checking the map, he saw the locations of several important treasures marked and he also saw the location of the Boss Chamber. Rolling the map back up, he put it away and exited the room.

When he exited the room, he saw a Triforce symbol on the wall. Remembering what Impa said about Zelda's Lullaby, he figured that this was the spot where he would have to use the song, likely to control the temple's water level. He drew out his ocarina but before he played it, Midna appeared next to him and said, "Wait!"

He turned to her and asked, "What is it?"

"Take out that map once more," she directed.

He did so and opened it. She came over to Link and studied the map from over his shoulder. She quickly noticed that the west wing of Floor Three led to an important treasure, something that she was quick to point out to Link.

"Link, I think we found the Ice Arrows," she told him, pointing to the treasure chest mark on the map.

Link studied the map and nodded in agreement. "I do think you're right."

They then took another look at the map and spotted the treasure chest marking the Boss Key that led to the Boss Chamber.

"And that's the Boss chamber," Midna added.

Link gazed at the map and was quick to notice that it would take some time for them to get both the Ice Arrows and the Boss Key, for he doubted that either would be left unguarded. "It will take some time for us to get both of the items," Link noted.

"Time that would allow either the Hyrulean Navy to spot our ship or give the Dark Sage extra time to prepare," Midna added, agreeing with Link.

"We could split up," the hero suggested. "I could get the Ice Arrows while you go and get the Boss Key."

"From what I've gathered from the map, though, it'll take some adjusting of the temple's water levels for us to get the Boss Key," Midna stated.

Link then took out his ocarina and handed it to her. "You know Zelda's Lullaby, right?" the hero asked.

Midna nodded.

"Good, use this to lower the water level so you can get that Boss Key. I'll head on over to the temple's west wing right now."

"I won't play the song until you are in the wing," Midna assured him.

"One more thing, though," Link added. "We should activate a Farore's Wind warp point here so we can warp back here so we can reach the Boss Chamber in a non-complicated fashion."

"That shouldn't be necessary," Midna answered. "I've been studying the map and using my magic to try to ascertain the best route I can in order to reach the Boss Key. As it turns out, I should be able to do so without too much difficulty. I will need that Shadow Crystal, though. I never guessed that my imp form could actually be useful for anything."

Link smiled. He knew how much Midna had not liked her imp form while she had been cursed by Zant. He had had no problem with it but he did not dare say such to her. Before leaving, though, he handed her the map, saying, "Here, you'll probably need this more than I will. The path to the Boss Key is more complicated than the path to the Ice Arrows."

Midna nodded in agreement and accepted the map. Link then turned and jumped back into the water and sank down to the bottom so he could swim up to the third floor and make his way to the Ice Arrows. Midna kept her senses open to him so she would know when it was time to lower the water level.

Link descended back down the shaft until he reached the bottom. Then, swimming through the same passage that he had entered through, Link returned to the central chamber. Once there, he quickly swam up to the third floor, taking out his Clawshot to deal with the Tektite that was hovering above him, waiting for him to surface. Once he surfaced, he swam over to a red platform that floated just before the door that led to the temple's west wing. Pulling himself onto the platform, he went over to the door, opened it, and proceeded to make his way through.