Chapter 35: The Pendant of Wisdom - Part 1
Descending into the darkness, Link heard a flame light up and soon the dark tunnel was illuminated in blue light. Tetra had created a blue flame in her hand, she turned and nodded at him. He nodded back with a smile. The two then continued down the stairs until they reached a large, open room. Torches hung around the walls, keeping the room dimly lit.
The room itself was complex. There was a large set of stairs on the left, leading to a large dais high above the floor level. Two pillars stood on either side of the staircase, they were tall, and had spikes jutting out the sides of the tops.
Tetra extinguished her flame and pointed to the center of the room. Link could see three moblins with dark skin patrolling the area. "Soul-lesses," he muttered. He looked over at Tetra, who glanced back at him.
"Yep," she said softly, her eyes moved over to the moblins. "We should be able to take 'em if we sneak up on them."
Link nodded in response. "Got'cha," he said with a voice as quiet as hers.
Together, the two crouched down, bending their knees, and moved silently over to the moblins. Weapons drawn, Link and Tetra pressed their bodies against a nearby pillar. Peering over the side, Link could see that their prey had bright lanterns; approach would be difficult, but not impossible.
He looked at Tetra, who glanced back at him with a smirk. The two nodded at each other. Here we go, Link thought, brandishing his sword. With a swift jump, he swung in with his sword and cleaved the back of one of moblins in half. No blood as usual, and the moblin survived the attack. The Soul-less spun around, brandishing its spear and roared to let the others know of the enemy.
It wasn't enough to stop Tetra, though. Link saw her make a potent rolling stab through the spine of another Soul-less adjacent to his. The creature, although appeared to be paralyzed due to the fact that it did not turn around, was alerted to her presence with a loud grunt. The lanterns dropped and they broke, bursting into flames.
"Ignore that one, it's helpless," Tetra said, pointing out the paralyzed moblin. "Let's get these two—!" She rolled to the side as the third Soul-less brought down its spear upon her. The spear chinked against the ground.
Link turned his attention on the wounded, and still moving, Soul-less moblin, which brought its spear back in an attempt for a wide horizontal swing. It's open! Link charged in with fury and spun around in a circle with the Master Sword, slicing the moblin across the chest. The attack failed to knock the Soul-less back, but it still dropped its weapon in surprise.
The Soul-less brought its fat fist in for a fast swing. Link tried to dodge, but felt his face connect with the punch. The strength was astounding, both physically and mentally to him, as it sent him back into the pillar. Sharp pain shot through his back as he slammed into the pillar.
"Link!"
"Urgh... Tetra, focus!" He opened his eye to see her dodge a spear thrust in the nick of time by back-flipping.
Link got up, and glared at moblin, despite the wet blood streaming down his face. He didn't charge the Soul-less, but instead dropped his sword and took out his bow. Nocking an arrow, he fired without thinking or aiming. The arrow would have struck its mark had the creature not brought up its spear in time to deflect it.
He nocked another arrow and shot it as the Soul-less swung at Link. The arrow struck this time, hitting the moblin between the eyes. The Soul-less let out a loud roar of pain, and dropped its spear, dancing around in a circle and covering its eyes.
Link dropped his bow and picked up the Master Sword. While his foe was dancing in agony, he jumped into the air and stabbed the moblin through the chest, ending its 'life.' With a puff of black smoke, a steaming Soul Orb rolled onto the ground.
He looked over to see how Tetra was dealing with the third Soul-less. To his dismay, Link saw her left arm wounded and she was holding the creature at bay with her sword. He charged in with the Master Sword, but Tetra activated her Triforce and blasted the moblin with a small fiery blue orb, knocking the creature on its back. Tetra proceeded to finish it by stabbing it through the stomach. Another puff of black smoke and another orb rolled onto the floor.
Link gasped, and clutched his forehead. "Ugh... are you okay, Tetra? How's your—?"
"Forget it," Tetra said, her voice a little sharp. "Link, you got the worse end of the stick. Here, come close to me. I think... I can heal you."
"Using the Triforce of Wisdom? But you—"
"I know, I know," she said, waving his warning away. "I have to watch myself. Don't worry, rest helps me manage my magic. Now then, come here."
Link obeyed, and walked over to her—wincing with each step. Tetra touched his head with her right hand. Immediately, the pain surged out of his head and out of his back. He smiled, closing his eyes and taking in the soothing feeling. "Thanks, Tetra..." he said with a sigh. He picked up his bow, and stowed it away. "That battle was more difficult than usual."
"Ganon must be strengthening his troops," Tetra said, looking grim. She touched her left arm, and it appeared to recover. "Let's rest a little. Healing's good and all, but we've got to recover our strength."
"But... what about the princess?"
"I'm sure she'll be fine if she's lasted this long," Tetra said, her voice betraying her own worry. "If we just rush into things without thinking, we'll get crushed by these monsters."
Link nodded and sat down. He looked at the large door, it seemed to be barred by massive iron bars, and above it, he could see three large skulls. "Um... Tetra... are you sure this is a temple? A sacred place?"
"What do you mean?" Tetra asked. She couldn't see the skulls because she sat right across from Link. He pointed them out to her. "... well, the king did say they kept their dead here."
"It's kinda creepy."
"What? Is the great hero getting scared?" Tetra asked with a devious smirk. "I didn't think that was in you."
"Hey!" Link glared at her. "I just said it was creepy! I'm not scared!" Tetra rolled her eyes. "... you're being annoying again," he added, his voice blunt.
She laughed. "I was teasing you, Link. After all, why wouldn't I?" she added with a suggestive wink. He could feel his face grow warm, and he smiled a little. "Come on, let's find a way to open that door."
"Right," Link said with a nod. "I don't see a switch anywhere here, maybe we should try those pillars?" He pointed to the two pillars in the room, and then looked at the stairs. There was no connection between the pillars and the stairs; of course, why would there be?
After resting for another moment, Link and Tetra headed up the stairs. They were stopped at the dais. Link looked across to the top of the closest pillar and there was a cube-shaped switch on top of it. It looked like it could be stepped on.
"Look!" he said, pointing to the switch. Tetra nodded.
"I see it."
Link peered around; there was no place to use his grappling hook to swing across, and he bit his lip in frustration. "How do we get across?"
"Magic, duh," Tetra said with a smirk. She lit up with blue light and floated across the gap to the top of the pillar. With a small jump, she landed on the switch, and Link heard something move. He looked over to the door and saw that the bars had moved.
"It worked!" he exclaimed with a grin.
"Just as I thought," Tetra said. She channeled her magic again and floated back over to her companion. She beckoned to Link, who followed her down the stairs to the door.
Again, Link noticed that this door had no handle like in Death Mountain cavern. Yet, there were cracks that went down the middle of the door—cracks that appeared to be intentionally made, as if part of the door.
There was dark skull emblazoned on the stone door, which, again, made Link wonder how this temple was sacred. He placed his fingers between the cracks and pulled. The door slid open with surprising ease.
He turned to Tetra. "Ladies first," he said with a mischievous grin. He beckoned to her with his hands.
"I thought you didn't consider me a lady, Link," she said with a devious smirk; her hands on her hips. "Isn't that what you said at Death Mountain?"
"I'm recalling my words," he said, still grinning. "Come on. I know you can fight, so you won't get into trouble." He waved his hands again toward the open door.
Tetra rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Well, whatever," she said, passing through the door. "You better not leave me behind," she added with a warning voice.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do that," Link said. He followed her through the door, which shut immediately as he passed through. "What the?!" He looked back at the door in surprise.
"Looks like this temple wants to trap us," Tetra remarked. She shrugged. "Oh well, at least it didn't bar itself again."
"I'm grateful for that."
"You two chat too much," said a voice. Tetra and Link peered around. Then, Link saw a young zora girl—about his and Tetra's age. She was blue in color with small fins and frowning at them. "Do you know how dangerous this place is? You haven't even seen a redead yet."
"You must be Princess Ruto," Tetra said to the zora.
"Yes, I am. And what business do you have here?" Ruto asked with a scowl.
"Whoa, there's no need to get angry," Link said, holding up his hands halfway. "We're here on request of your father, Ralis to help you out and get the Pendant of Wisdom."
Ruto laughed. "The Pendant of Wisdom? Please, don't play games with me."
"Hey, show some respect, kid," Tetra said. Ruto glared at her. "Look, we were sent here by your fath—"
"I know that, you idiot," Ruto snapped. "And don't call me 'kid' again," she added with a growl. "I don't need my father's help. I am a princess after all, and I know how to handle myself. Let alone requiring any help from you two."
There was a tense pause, and Link could tell it was between Tetra and Ruto.
"Well... we need the pendant," he said, trying to break the tight atmosphere. "We already have the Pendants of Courage and Power. Without Wisdom, we cannot defeat Ganon."
"You're jumping ahead of yourself," Ruto said, not looking at either of them. "Besides, why do you really need the pendant? Hmm?"
Link held Tetra's hand to keep her from exploding. "Calm down," he whispered. "I've got an idea." He let go of her hand and drew the Master Sword slowly. "Ruto, do you recognize this sword?"
Finally, the zora princess turned to look at them, and her scowl turned into a wide-eyed and gaping mouth of wonderment. "Is that... the blade of evil's bane? How did you get that?" she asked.
"That's not important right now," Link said with a gentle voice. "Look at it. The gem is empty, and its power is sleeping. A wizard named Rashu told us we need the three Pendants of Virtue to awaken its power."
"Rashu? You mean that moblin wizard?" Ruto asked, her voice considerably softer. "... I apologize, I didn't you two were the ones Rashu sent. I'm guessing you're the ones to defeat Ganondorf?" Her question echoed her father's.
Link nodded, sheathing the Master Sword. "That's why we need the pendant," he said.
Ruto looked thoughtful. "Hmm... well, there's a monster who has taken the pendant. It's a large poe, which, like all the other poes in this temple, cannot be hurt by normal weapons unless exposed to natural light."
"Great, so how are we supposed to kill it?" Tetra asked.
"Obviously, by exposing them to that light," Ruto said, her hands on her hips. "But they are smarter than you think. You can't lure them into the light; it's said there's a treasure here that will reflect light. I'm trying to find it."
"Then, we're going to have to help you find that artifact," Tetra said, her voice less aggravated than before.
"Yes," Ruto said. She paused. "I didn't catch your names."
"I'm Link."
"And I'm Tetra."
"So, the hero and the pirate captain..." Ruto said thoughtfully. "Well, I guess we work together then." Her voice was still filled with pride—one that Link was sure to clash with Tetra's personalty.
He licked his lips. "Let's move, then." He started to walk forward, but Ruto stopped him. "Huh? What?"
"You just rush into things, not thinking about the consequences, do you?" she said with a raised brow. Tetra laughed.
"He often does," she agreed. "Though, Link does know how to think on his feet. He adapts to situations pretty well."
"Well, why did you stop me?" Link asked.
Ruto turned and pointed. "Look." Link had not noticed them before, but he saw two stone coffins laying against either side of the corridor ahead. "Those coffins most likely contain Redeads. The most horrifying type of undead. Have you ever dealt with one, Link?" He shook his head. "You're in for a terror then."
Link frowned. "Does it matter? We've got to get that pendant! What's a couple of horrors compared to the destruction Ganondorf's going to unleash?"
"Or that he's already unleashed," Tetra added, walking up to Link's side. "For example, the curse on zora's Domain, and the burning of Hyrule Castle."
Ruto's eyes widened. "Wait, he's attacked the castle already?!"
Tetra nodded. "Link and I saw smoke coming from Hyrule Castle on our way here. If we don't hurry—"
"Very well," Ruto said. "Just be careful with redeads. Allow yourself to be shaken for too long and they'll feast on you."
"Is there any way to catch them off guard?" Tetra asked, folding her arms.
"Not that I know of," Ruto said with a frown. "They are very alert, and tend to look in the direction of any living thing."
Tetra smirked. "Heh. What if two living things are flanking it? Which way does it look?" she asked.
Ruto smiled. "I suppose this explains why the Triforce of Wisdom chose you. I never thought of that." She put her hands behind her head and looked away. "Of course, if I had time to think, I probably would have."
Link exhaled, feeling the tension rising again. Tetra doesn't like belittlement, he reminded himself. "W-well, let's get moving!" he said a little loudly. "We can't sit here all—!"
Smash! Smash! The coffins opened. Ruto spun around and gasped in terror. Link could see two blue-skinned undead, gaunt humanoids. They were tall, and had empty eyes; their pointed ears set with large golden rings. Both of them were looking at the group.
"So much for a surprise attack," Ruto said, irritated. "Thanks a lot, mister hero."
Link drew his sword and waited, gritting his teeth. But the redeads didn't move. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he muttered, "why are they just standing there?"
Ruto slipped behind Tetra and Link. "Because they are waiting for us," she answered in a quiet voice. "They only attack when their prey is close."
"I thought you were a princess," Tetra said with a smirk. "I thought you said you could handle these undead."
Ruto scowled, glaring daggers at her. "Shut up, pirate," she said with a vicious tone of voice. "I can handle myself. But, you're the heroes, so you take care of this."
Link rolled his eyes, and approached the closest redead; how scary could they be? As soon as he got close, the redead let a shrill shriek, its eyes turning blood red. He couldn't help himself; he began to shake in terror, unable to move.
"Link!" he thought he heard Tetra, but his eyes were wholly focused on the redead. It lumbered over to him, beginning to extend its hands—clawed hands—toward him.
His heart was beating faster than a drum, and he couldn't even lick his lips. Yet, soon, Link could feel strength return to his limbs. The redead reached out to grab him; he heard Tetra and Ruto screaming at him, and he swung.
No, he didn't swing, he flailed the Master Sword at the redead rapidly. Fortunately, the blade struck with every motion, and the creature let out a groan and fell to the ground. No puff of smoke, though.
"Is... is it dead?" Link stammered, backing away. Sweat drenched his face and his body, and he exhaled at an unearthly pace.
"Y-yes," Ruto said, sounding shaken herself. "I-it'll vanish in a moment." Finally, the monstrosity vanished into a puff of black smoke.
Link felt himself relax a little, despite the fact there was one more redead staring at him with empty eyes; its body not moving, but waiting. He didn't dare turn his head to look at the others.
Tetra spoke up. "Wh-what are these th-things?" she asked with a frightened voice. "Don't tell me this temple is... is filled with them!"
"K-keep your voice down!" Ruto warned.
"L-like it'll do any good," Tetra snapped, her voice still shaky. "It's already alerted t-to our presence."
"Link, k-kill the next one..." Ruto said.
"What?! Wh-why me?" Link asked, stammering and staring at the redead in horror. "Look, j-just because I killed the l-last one—"
"Just do it! We're ladies!" Ruto growled. "You want us to be eaten?"
"Sh-shut up and leave him alone," Tetra growled back at Ruto. "L-look, I'll do it." She walked up to Link's side and whispered to him: "She's a cowardly wench."
Link frowned. He didn't like insulting others, but he had to admit, for someone who had claimed to be able to handle herself, Ruto was a coward. He watched Tetra approach the redead, and as soon as she got close, the monster let out a piercing shriek like its dead ally.
He shook, shivered, and felt paralyzed. He could see, barely, that Tetra was suffering the same fate. The redead reached out to her. Then, a sudden surge of courage filled Link, and he took the Master Sword in both hands and jumped at the redead, swinging his sword down onto its flesh with a "yah!"
The redead was caught off-guard and stumbled back. Tetra hurled a throwing dagger at the redead and then spun around with a lethal strike using Ghashar's Sword, cleaving the head of the monster off.
She turned to him. "Thanks," she said. "That... was more frightening up close than away. I don't think I would have attacked in time. ... what made you attack, though?"
Link licked his lips. "I think... I was just concerned about you," he said.
Tetra, exhaling fast, smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I appreciate it."
Ruto let out a groan. "Are you lovebirds finished yet?"
Link spun and frowned at her. "We've heard that plenty of times before," he said with a growl. Tetra also shot the zora an angry glance.
"Fine." Ruto folded her arms and walked ahead of Link and Tetra, and past the open coffins as if there hadn't been anything there.
"What a jerk of a princess," Tetra hissed next to Link. "What kinda father would put up with her?"
"Hey, I know she's not the nicest person around, but—" Link started. She glared at him.
"So, you're siding with her?" she asked.
"No, no, no!" Link exclaimed, and then Tetra placed her hand on his mouth. Ruto had turned around and spotted them.
"Talking behind my back will do you no good," Ruto said with a warning voice. "Afterall, I have the power to banish people from my kingdom. Now, get over here."
Tetra shot an angry glare at the zora princess, but said nothing. Link swallowed nervously. He wondered if the two girls were going to be at each others' throats before they even reached the giant monster that awaited them in the depths of the temple.
"Hey, you two, calm down," Link said to them as he advanced toward Tetra and Ruto. The pirate shot another angry glare at him. "Look, if we don't work together, this temple will eat us alive. We gotta stop bickering."
Tetra sighed, her face softening. "Yes, you're right, Link." She looked at Ruto, and the zora nodded in agreement. "Fine. Let's get going."
They gathered together in silence, and then walked down the hallway. Link led the two down the corridor, which ended in a T. The three glanced about, and Link noticed two doors at either end of the T, one was blocked by two statues each with a sun symbol on their foreheads. While the other door was completely unbarred.
"Looks like there's only one way to go," Link noted. He noticed a wary glance from Tetra. "What?"
"You're not going in alone if that's what you're thinking," she said, eyes narrowed.
Link frowned. "No, I wasn't—"
"Oh, please!" Ruto interrupted. "I'm sure the 'hero' can handle himself." She rolled her eyes. "Just go."
"Shut up, you," Tetra retorted with a scowl at Ruto. "I'm going with him whether he wants it or not."
"I never said I didn't want you to come," Link said to her. "It's all right, just calm down you two," he added, gesturing gently with his hands. He sighed, and led them to the unbarred door. "What gave you the idea that I wanted to go alone, Tetra?"
"Because..." Tetra started, and then she stopped. "Nevermind." Link saw her shake her head.
"She was just being... nevermind!" Ruto said quickly. "Look, I'm coming, too. You can't leave me behind!"
"Fine," Tetra said with a snort.
The three approached the door and faced it. There was the same skull engraving on it as the previous door that made Link, again, question the 'sacredness' of the temple. He placed his fingers between the cracks and the door slid open to either side.
As soon as he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him. He heard Tetra and Ruto cry out in surprise, but fortunately, it seemed like the door had not crushed them. Unfortunately, metal bars slammed into the ground, blocking Link's access to the door.
Looks like I am alone on this one, he thought. Frowning, he drew his sword and shield and then turned to face the room. A single coffin laid on the floor ahead of him, and beyond it was a chest on a high dais.
Link knew this room was a trap of some kind, but what? He was wary of the coffin, and wondered if there was yet another redead in it.
Drawing his sword, Link approached the coffin with care. The treasure chest beyond tempted him, but he knew how foolish it was to rush over to it. As he crept toward the chest, a sudden set of bars smashed into the dais, blocking Link's way.
Crap, I knew it. Frowning, he stepped back and then jumped when the coffin opened up. A monster crawled out of it—a massive skeleton with a spiked club—and stared at Link with its empty eyes.
Link readied himself, but he didn't know how a sword would fare against a monster made of bone. The skull seemed thick enough, but how would he damage it—the creature was so tall.
The skeleton lumbered over to Link, and he prepared himself for battle.