PART TWENTY - A BLADE OF HONOR
"We're lost, aren't we?"
"No, we're not. Just give me a second."
He could feel her glowering at him from behind and right about now he couldn't blame her. They've been wandering through these halls for the past thirty minutes, and came up against more slime creatures. No sign of red ones yet. There were, however, chests with rupees and sometimes bombs. No keys yet.
Dealing with those slimy bastards was tolerable now that he had a quiver full of colorful arrows. Ruto was horrified when he started smashing pots, snapping that none of them were his and what would the Guardian think if they saw him ruining their décor?
Link dryly replied that if they cared so much about their temple then they should've done a better job at being Guardians. Not only that but they made all these stupid rules in the first place so he'll do whatever he pleased even shitting on their sacred ground. Ruto couldn't find a proper repartee to that and watched him pursue for supplies with disapproval.
The temple seemed to make time crawl. He had no idea how much time has passed, whether they've been here for hours or days. How long until they finish this place?
It was frustrating every time they came across doors that were either locked with a lock or had a set of bars in front of it. He nearly tore the map apart for how useless it was proving to be. He grew pique when no meaning seemed to spark from the map.
Something caught his eyes and he suddenly stopped, with Ruto nearly bumping into him. "What is it?" She whispered, already clutching her spear.
"There's something on the wall," he said, squinting over at the drawing. His eyes slowly grew wide. "Hey, this is part of the map."
And so it was. Drawn on the wall were several rooms, and after comparing it with their map, it corresponded perfectly well. There were markings on the wall, three glowing X's—yellow, red, and blue. Two were on this floor and one was up on FLOOR 1. On FLOOR 2 there was another X much darker and glowed ominously than the rest.
Link swallowed when his eyes glanced over the illegible writing on the wall. It was unlike anything Katie had ever taught him. Dammit, he wished he took his reading lessons seriously.
Ruto hummed. "Ancient Hylian graphics," she mused, running a finger along the carved words. "I suppose it is only fitting for a temple as old as time."
"You…can read it?"
She was drawn into the words that she missed his tone. "You'll find a few dedicated scholars and priests who know the language fluently. It takes years to intercept them. My mother dedicated most of her life to the language and indulged me in a few lessons. Now let's see if I can remember them."
Link felt it easier to breath. "What's it say?"
"Hush." She squinted closer. "'The Hero Chosen…Goddesses' Grace…'" She tusked frustratingly. "It's difficult to read." Her hand swept up some of the dirt to clear the writing.
He wondered how well was Katie's knowledge about the old language. She seemed to have a good acumen when it came to things like these. As much as he hated to admit, she could be pretty useful, even if her constant nagging made him want to cut his ears off sometimes.
"I think I understand," Ruto said, sounding confident.
"Spill it."
She pointed at the wall right at FLOOR 2. "See this X? The Boss Key."
"Hey, that was quick," he said with a grin and her frown damped it.
"Not quite. You see those other marks?" She was referring to the three glowing X's. "We need those keys to get to the boss key."
He blinked. "We need three glowing keys to get to the boss key to get to the boss?"
"It seems so."
"Who the hell made this shit? A nine year old?"
"Not important. Mark these on the map."
At least two of the glowing keys, the red and yellow key, were on their floor. His eyebrows furrowed when he remembered something. "We still don't have a way to get up to floor two."
Ruto went over his shoulder. "You said that there could be hidden paths."
"It should at least hint it out on the map." He blew sharply from his nose, tapping his hand roughly on the paper. "This gives us nothing. They can't be serious about this."
"So it's those pipes that can help us." She gasped, clapping her hands together. "And that compass came from those pipes!"
"So?"
"So who else can travel through pipes?"
He frowned. "You can't mean Katie." His frown deepened when she brought out the compass. "Come on—"
A smile came to her face. She rocked the golden device in her hand just to show off its glitters that sparkled out. They were both speechless as they exchanged looks. How did a tiny, ritzy fairy manage to get her hands—or wings on a goddamn compass? Not like he was complaining.
"Not too bad, spirit," he muttered.
Ruto smiled. "I'm glad she's okay but why hasn't she come down here yet?"
"I don't know but let's say that she's up on the top floor. That could save us the hassle of getting the boss key." Good. This was starting to come together. "Let's get going."
"We should destroy this first." She looked at the map on the wall. "Mathilda could see this."
"She doesn't have the map."
"Perhaps but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"
He picked a rock he found nearby and got to smashing. Once he was done, they went on their way with spirits held up high. Now that they had a compass, a map and all the location of the keys, including the boss key, this could go smoothly for them. What does Mathilda have?
Ruto sighed and Link asked her what is it. "I'm just worried for Katie. I mean, what if she's in trouble?"
As if on cue, a voice rumbled from a nearby pipe. "Die, die!" Someone screamed, the voice traveling down from the pipe making the Hylian and the Zora jump.
They exchanged looks and glanced over at the pipe that trembled and rattled with each tempestuous cry. "Is that…?" He walked over to the pipe and went down on one knee, cursing at how cold the water was here.
The pipe was too small for a fairy to squeeze through. From the pipe, it sounded hollow and distant, echoing into the hall they were in. He feared that Mathilda might hear.
Looking at the pipe, he could only see darkness. "Hello?!" He shouted. "Is anyone there?"
From the other side, he could hear a gasp as well as a gurgling shriek, probably from a monster. What the hell was happening over there?
"Link?"
Link could feel a smirk coming on him. "That's my name."
"Oh, Link…" Katie sobbed. "I didn't think I'd find you. Where's Ruto?"
"Eh, probably dead somewhere."
Ruto slapped him. "I'm right here. Don't mind him." She held onto the end of the pipe, as if she was holding the fairy. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay."
The pipe trembled slightly at a sob. "I thought I was all alone," she sniffed. "I couldn't find you guys anywhere."
Ruto looked commiserated. "Don't worry, Katie. Everything's going to be fine."
Link just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, save the tears. Where're you at?" He already had the map out.
"I don't know which floor…" The fairy muttered.
Ruto seemed agog when her finger traced at the pipe on the map. Her finger followed the line all the way to FLOOR 2 and she looked at Link with her mouth hanging down.
"Are you in a hallway by any chance?" Link asked her.
"Yeah, how do you know?" Katie gasped. "You have the map?"
"Yup." Link rubbed his hands. "Alright, listen up. This temple has three floors. We're at the ground, you're on top, and the boss is smacked in the middle. The ground you're on and the ground we're at are connected through the pipes so I think we'll be working together."
"Oh you think?" Ruto asked him.
He ignored her, looking at the pipe. "We've been passing by a lot of these things actually. You didn't bother coming down here?"
Katie hesitated. "Umm…it's really dark."
Link frowned. "Come again?"
"I don't like the dark," Katie muttered. "It's scary."
This can't be real. "So you've been up there because you were too scared? Are you being serious right now?" He said sharply.
"Link, stop that," Ruto chided. "It's okay, Katie."
"No it's not okay! What do you mean it's scary? Are you going to turn white every time you see something you don't like?"
Katie sounded unsure. "I…well…"
Ruto glared at him sharply. "Link, stop that."
"But she's—"
"She's been on her own all this time." Ruto paused. "Wait, Katie, weren't you with the Guardian?"
"No, I wasn't." The fairy sighed. "I wished I was."
Link scoffed. "I bet you were. Anyways there's a lot of locked doors and we're kind of walking in circles."
"I saw lots of levers on my way." Excitement squeaked from her voice. "Yeah, this could work!"
Ruto chuckled. "Yes, by the way, thank you for the compass. You've saved us quite a lot of trouble."
Katie gasped. "You found it? I thought I lost it for good!"
"It came from the ceiling with bits of sparkles. I knew it was you."
"You're welcome," Katie giggled. "I'm glad I could help you guys."
Link forgot to tell her on crucial thing. "By the way, don't freak out or anything but Mathilda's here."
"WHAT?!"
He couldn't help but chuckle much to Ruto's chagrin. She ended up having to explain to Katie rather than give Link an opportunity to poke fun at the fairy. General Charles actually upgraded the Pirate Charm and came from Link's pocket. Now she was after the boss for some reason and they had to stop her.
"We found another map drawn on the wall," Ruto was saying. "It had the location of the boss key and three glowing keys."
"Wait, are you guys talking about keys that glow red, blue and yellow?" Her voice sounded distorted and Link hammered his hand on the pipe to hear her properly. "I found a door with three locks of those colors."
"The map had three X's with those colors." Ruto stood up. "So the boss key is with Katie and the rest would be up to us." She looked over at Link. Some of the valor came back to her now and she was more determined than ever. "We need to get those keys and somehow bring them over to Katie. Only she could get the boss key from her end."
"I could try to make my way down to you guys…" Katie sounded unsure.
"No," Ruto said. "Stay there. If something happens to us, you need to get to the Guardian and warn them."
"But—"
"It's okay," she assured. "We don't let you get away with this but be careful. If she's truly looking for the boss key, you might find yourself against her pesky snake."
"O-okay, I'll be careful. What do you want me to do now?"
Link thought for a minute. "You could try pulling down on levers if you find any. That might make things easier on our side."
"Okay. Oh, I forgot to tell you guys something: be careful of Green ThuThus. They're these acidic type of slobs and they're really bad news."
"Uh huh. Anything else I already know about?"
"I'm guessing you've already met them." She sounded amused. "Did you like them?"
"Shut up. I can handle it," he gritted. "What else does this place got for me?"
She hummed. "You should watch out for Floormasters. They're these big hands—"
"Yeah, I know them," he snapped, seriously getting irritated.
Ruto giggled. "Oh, you should've seen him, Kate. He was squealing like a little boy."
Katie continued to laugh only agitating him. "Shut up!" He snapped.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Katie took a moment to calm down. "I can just imagine you losing your mind right now. Ruto, I'm sorry you have to deal with him."
The princess sighed exaggerating. "I feel sorry too."
Katie sounded cheerful as if hearing Link's quarrel with monsters was funny. "Well, there's nothing else I can tell you. Just make sure you stay away from the others as well."
Link frowned. "The others? We only saw green and red." His tongue clicked as he rubbed his eyes. "Aw damn, don't tell me there's more."
"Yup. There's an orange one, which is fire. You'll need ice arrows since regular arrows won't work. Blue ones are harmless but they could slam into you like a brick wall. Yellow ones are electricity so watch out for them, especially you, Ruto."
This didn't sit well with Ruto. "Anything else?"
"There's purple and I can't say this enough when I say don't take anything from them. They're harmless but they can still be dangerous."
"Get to the point," Link said.
"A bottle of purple ThuThus could heal you completely, partially or would make you feel worse. Link, I'm going to say this again: don't think about it, dummy."
What did she take him for, an idiot?
"You don't have to tell me twice."
She sounded annoyed. "I'm telling you twice because I know how stupid you can be. Ruto, I know this is a lot to ask but please keep an eye on him."
"I'll do my best," Ruto grumbled, eyeing him.
The princess glanced over at the map and told them that they should be careful speaking through the pipes. The pipes were rooted all over the temple, and it was possible that a certain commander was listening to them.
"Sake is still better," Link couldn't help but say and the smack he got later was totally worth it.
They've been here long enough. Katie wished them luck, telling them to be careful. The conversation assuaged them both since things were clicking together. They had more than enough working with them and if they kept this pace up then this work should be easy.
There were skeletons hanging from the walls in chains, along with skulls that stared at them with sockless eyes, giving Link a pleasant chill. He wanted to take one as a souvenir until Ruto chided him to put it back to its place. It wasn't his and how would he like it if someone touched his skull? He retorted that she wasn't his mother and she snapped that they needed the Guardian's help and it wouldn't be in their best interest to touch their things.
At least she didn't complain when Link started getting his supplies via jars. It must've finally dawned to her that these jars were here for a reason. Speaking of supplies, he still can't believe that Hank's detonator was ruined. It wasn't like he could ask his old friend to fix it.
After going through the twist and turns of the temple, running into more colorful ThuThus, and coming across locked doors, Link admitted to himself that they were indeed lost. But he still didn't want to hand the map over.
"We're lost, aren't we?"
"We're not lost," he said lightly, his eyebrows fixed into concentration. "Just give me a minute."
"We're lost," she said simply. "And your head is too big to admit that."
Link snorted. "Not as big as yours, fish bait." He stopped when Ruto came in front of him suddenly.
She glared at Link. "Stop calling me that," she said angrily. "I don't call you any names."
He snorted. "You used to call me Hylian."
"I don't say that anymore and it's not even insulting. That's what you are."
Link had to laugh. "Oh really? The way you said it might have been the worst insult you could come up with." He passed by her with the map in his face. "Now if you're done, your kingdom is in danger, and I think we need to get moving."
"Don't pretend that you care about my kingdom," she snapped.
Link sighed. "Well, from the way you're stalling us, I should be saying that to you," he replied calmly. He tilted the map sideways, hoping that would get him to understand, and webbed hand roughly grabbed the parchment. "What?"
Shit, she looked pissed. "Never—never say I don't care about my people," she told him slowly.
This was a forbidden territory he was on. She'd throw herself in a river of fire before she allowed anything to harm her people. "Okay, I was just saying—"
"No, you were not just saying. You were mocking me." She was furious, pointing a finger at him. "You've always treated me like this throughout the entire relationship. I tried to be patient with you because I respect you as a fighter even when I don't agree with some of your techniques but you continue to be so aggravating." She looked ready to rip him into two. "You take every opportunity to degrade and belittle me. Is it too much to ask that, for just one second, you treat me with some ounce of respect?"
He didn't understand her anger. "I do—"
She shoved him back, and her strength had him staggering and he nearly lost his footing. "No, you don't! From the moment you grabbed me back at the Zoras' River, you never treated me with some respect. During training, fine, I could tolerate that to a point, but I would've liked to think that I could be treated like a friend rather than an enemy."
"If you were an enemy you'd be dead," Link told her deadpan.
She laughed humorlessly. "Truly? Then explain to me why Mathilda continues to live or perhaps Father was right and you are working with her."
The map was crushed in his fist. What the hell was wrong with these Zoras?
"Shut your damn mouth about that. I was never working with her. I saved your damn life from her how many times?" Now her anger did falter and she looked apologetic until he added, "I don't get what's your deal with me. You think you're special because you're a princess? I'm a jerk to everyone, okay? You're no different and neither is Katie."
"Katie," Ruto gritted, "has spent her years in that horrible tower, the poor thing never got to experience what life was outside the her fate."
"I never told her to stay in a damn tower," he replied flatly. "That was her own fault."
Her amber eyes sharpened. "I know you're not the hero but how could you be so cruel to her? She's done nothing but try to help you and you just slap it in her face! The least you could do is sympathize with her."
He hated how everyone seemed to be against him, like it was his fault somehow. "That spirit didn't have to—"
"Don't call her that," she hissed.
"She wants me to be a hero!" He snapped. At the mention of it, his hand itched and he rubbed it harshly on his damped tunic.
Ruto crossed her arms. "Has she said that so far?"
"No, but I know that she's hoping for it and you know what? I don't care, wanna know why? Because it doesn't matter to me, it never mattered. I don't care about your precious snowflake feelings or hers or your people. Why, just why, is that hard to understand?"
Her jaw clenched. "My people—"
"Treated me like shit." He stood close to her face. "I don't care about them, yeah? Only reason why I'm bothering is because you wouldn't stop whining about them. The only thing I care about it my dog."
She just stared at him with an expression he didn't recognized. What he got was an unpleasant feeling in his stomach and he hated how she seemed to be doing this to him. They froze when they heard clapping from behind.
Mathilda stood there with delight. "Oh, this is so much better than books! Will Ruto reveal her heart to the hero? Is Link truly the heartless beast everyone makes him out to be? Tune in next chapter to find out!" She laughed, and her snake seemed to join her. It was hooked around her neck, hissing with its fangs out.
Link, without a second thought, threw a bomb at her, took Ruto by the hand and made a run for it. Her laughter bellowed from behind, making them run faster. If a bomb can't slow her down, if wolves didn't faze her, if a dagger to the goddammit heart can't stop her, then what the hell can they do against her?
"Give me the map!" Ruto shouted.
Link just handed it to her without complaint.
"You were holding it upside down!" She yelled. "You idiot! You moron! How did I get stuck with you?! I can't believe this!"
"Okay, okay! Figure something out!" He yelled back.
Mathilda's laughter sent a chill up his spine. Shit, how can he hope to beat her? He didn't have anything against her.
As if taunting him, a weight grew on his back. Just what do you want from me? Link wanted to shout.
"This way!" Ruto was in the lead with the map clenched in her hand.
They splashed through the corridor that had water seeping in from pipes. Mathilda was catching up to them and he glanced over his shoulder to see her snake stretching out to bite them.
He looked over at the princess. "Tell me we're almost there!"
"Second door to our right!" Ruto was panting, the map flapping in her grip. "That has to be it."
"Are you sure?"
She seethed through her sharp teeth. "Can you just trust me for once in your life?!"
He decided to flip the coin and go on her instincts. Not like they had much of a choice. They can't outrun Mathilda and even if they could, monsters might get out and slow them down or they could come across another dead end.
Link stopped when he realized the princess wasn't by his side. His eyes widened when he saw her on the ground, groaning a bit. She must've tripped. Gilly loomed over her, her forked tongue flickering.
"The trouble you two are giving me." Mathilda whipped her hair from her face. "Honestly, it's getting tiresome having to chase you two down."
Link fired an ice arrow and Mathilda dodged it. He wasn't aiming for her but for the water at her feet. At the arrows touch, the water turned to a sheet of ice, trapping the stunned commander into place. Her snake tried to go for Ruto but she kicked it back. The commander broke out of her ice, looking mildly irritated, and went for the princess and Link intervened with his dagger.
Mathilda barely noticed the cut on her arm and had him by the throat. She smiled teasingly as his feet left the floor and he squirmed around. Ruto couldn't reach him since the snake also had her by the neck.
Link tried to claw her hand from his throat, he tried kicking, and wiggling but nothing worked. His breath was cut off and he was now fighting for air. Mathilda stopped when her snake hissed out in pain. Ruto surprised them both when she brought up her leg and round-housed the commander to the wall.
Link fell on his ass, looking the fierce princess with awe. He didn't remember teaching her that. The snake looked dizzy, its tail bled heavily.
"You really think I won't have a say in you killing off everyone in my domain?" Ruto asked her fumingly.
Mathilda smiled tightly, a smile familiar to Link since it was one he would use when he wanted to torment his victims. "You both will beg me for mercy. I'll kill every fish and every bug on the surface and I'll make you watch, princess. I'll make you watch your people scream and cry for your help." She giggled and that giggle crackled into mad laughter.
It made the princess pale and Link's hookshot brought her back to him. She tittered a bit until he grabbed her hand and ran. Mathilda raged from behind, yelling that they were going to be so sorry for crossing her. Link knew they only have a few seconds of head start.
The hallways seem to go on endlessly, several pipes dripping with water. His lungs were on fire and his throat felt raw. As they tried to circumvent the commander, the water level rose high above their ankles, forcing them to kick through.
The second door to the right was coming up.
"I hope this works," Link said under his fast breath.
They both stopped in front of the unlocked door that bore the symbol of Nayru. He only had to nudge it to lift and it would open on it's own.
"Link, watch out!" Ruto screamed.
Gilly nearly had his face if Ruto didn't pull him back. He tripped, toppling over the princess, and they both spilled into the room. The snake rebounded, glaring at them and green bits of venom dripped from its fangs. It looked ready to lunge at them until the door went down with metallic bars. It was satisfying to hear Mathilda growling in frustration.
So much as he wanted to rodomontade how they eluded her yet again, they didn't have the chance. Ruto clenched her spear, and Link brought out his bow and arrows. In front of them were hordes monsters. From flaming bats that roamed in the ceiling, Yellow and Blue ThuThus, Bokoblins, and Moblins, they weren't given the chance to rest or even taunt their pursuing commander.
His legs wanted to collapse after the spring he put them through. Ruto showed such gumption, standing her ground, reading to impale any monsters that dared to come their way. Link had no other choice but to follow her suite.
Katie nearly fluttered out of the air when she heard Link and Ruto's voice. She was beginning to lose hope after wandering on her own for so long. The only thing that worried her now was the news about Mathilda. Ruto had explained to her what the commander hoped to do and it mortified Katie. Mathilda was planning to use the same poison that killed Ruto's mother on the whole domain. She had to be stopped.
There were several drawings painted on the wall. Since it would be too risky to call out for Link and Ruto, she decided to have them memorized. There was one drawing that caught her interest—an oval room with a white circle mark on it. Looked important.
Even with the threat of Mathilda hanging over her head, she felt jaunty by the thought of being useful to her companions. At least she'll do something useful. With her excitement though, she also felt nervous. They would be depending on her with their lives, one mistake could cost them. Now that Mathilda was here, they needed to be careful and quick if they hope to stay one step ahead. With the map and the compass, along with all locations of the keys, Katie knew that they had everything they need.
She spent most of her time floating through the hallways, fustigating any monsters leering her way. She noticed that there was a room that wasn't there before. Sapphires embedded into the walls, cool water rushed out from a pipe, trickling down the sapphires. As she entered the room, she was up face to face against a certain green and black reptile. Both creatures of nature yelped in surprise.
At once, all possible exits were immediately sealed off. The doors with iron bars, the pipes with hatchets.
Mathilda's snake sneered at her, green venom gushing out from its fangs. Its black eyes gleaned in the bluish light provided by a nearby torch.
It slithered after and Katie fluttered away. "Go away, you worthless reptile!" She yelled.
Gilly tried to leap for her using its body as a spring. The ceiling was low here, keeping her under duress and she now spent the next several minutes eluding the reptile. Its mouth kept snapping the air, always missing her by the inch. Was it possible for her to get poisoned? She never bothered to think of that.
"Leave me alone!" She cried. "I taste terrible you know!"
It hissed at her and it sounded like a giggle. She could feel the heat of the noisome liquid coming in closer. It was only them in the room with no other monster interfering—Link's fairy versus Mathilda's snake. It felt like a bad joke.
Katie decided to end this cat and mouse game. She turned around and was met with a view of a dark gullet. Squealing, she brought up her hammer and ramped it down.
"Leave—" Wham. "—Me—" Wham. "—Alone!"
Gilly shrank back, its head took a funny shape and in its stupor her forked tongue hanged down and she looked ready to faint. When Katie stopped, out of energy, Gilly's head moved in dizziness until she snapped out of it and her eyes turned to a darker shade of red, her fangs grew longer, sharper, snarling at the fairy. Its tail went up, missing her but not her hammer. Her little weapon flew across the room splashing on the ground.
"Uh oh."
Gilly's rage enhanced her speed. Even when Katie was much lighter than before, she found herself frantically dodging a tail that often tried to whip her out from the air.
Then she noticed the torches hanging on the walls, all were cold except for one. On the ground, corresponding to each torch were words, the water rippling around them. This was a puzzle. Of course! All she had to do was figure out the order to light the torches and a chest should appear. Classic move.
She could use the hammer. The weapon lay there on the ground just near the torch that had blue light. The snake pursuing her was persistent, snapping at her. It was making it impossible to go anywhere but straight. Wait, that's it!
Katie quickened her pace, going straight ahead. She made sure not to go too far from Gilly, it had to be a close call. Being so close to the vile thing made her sick. Gilly stretched out, her upper fang almost had Katie by the wing. It was a close shave. Katie moved to the side and Gilly's fangs sunk into the wall.
The fairy went on over to fetch her little weapon. Looking at the numbers down at each torch, it was just another silly riddle. It was suppose to be misleading, one riddle claiming the second torch was the first but that other riddle declared the last to be false.
Pff, this was way too easy. She read enough about riddles to know this puzzle without thinking. The fire turned orange on her hammer and she began to light the torches quickly. Just before she could get the last one, Gilly came out of nowhere and almost had her if she didn't move. It rebounded, glaring at her. The unlit torch was just behind it and if she didn't light it up then the other torches with go out and she'll have to start all over again.
"Go away! No one likes you!" She spat. Gilly hissed, startling her. It lunged out and she had to push herself out of the way. Her wings fluttered vigorously as she forced herself forward and finally lit all five torches correctly.
The bars on the door slid down and the hatchets were opened on the pipes. Gilly paid no mind to that as she hissed at the fairy angrily. Katie had enough of this vicious thing. Summoning all her strength, she gave the snake one hit on the head. The redness in its eyes melted back to black and it swayed a bit.
"You think you can take on the Goddesses' fairy, huh? Take this!"
The tables were now turned. She had enough of being treated like a pest. Her body burned red as she chased down that vermin. "Come back here! You think I'm scared?! You think you can pick me up and gobble me without a fight?!"
There was a pipe on the ground and Gilly wasted no time absconding through it.
"Hey, get back here! I'm not finished with you!"
The pipe was too small for her. Growling, the fairy yelled, "And if you ever come near me again, I'll make sure you never wake up!
She couldn't believe it. She actually held her own! Oh, she can't wait to tell Ruto and Link. Since she stood a chance against Gilly then there might be some hope for Link and Ruto against Mathilda.
A chest had appeared at the center of the room. Excitedly, the fairy went on to open it and found a silver key.
The bars were lifted up from the door, and the black flakes of the fallen monsters withered in the air. Link, slowly and logy, sat on the ground, enervated and panting. The club, which he had taken from a Moblin, had broken, leaving him on his own once more.
Ruto was still on her feet, not nearly at battered as he was. Well, she didn't spend the past thirty minutes trying to get away from swinging clubs and fire arrows. He couldn't use his shield and bow at the same time.
So much as he was frustrated that he didn't contribute much to the fight, he was somewhat impressed by how she stood her ground. He thought he'd had to pull her weight along with his but she carried her own, cutting down any monsters that stood in her way.
"We should get the red key from here," he muttered once he caught his breath and fixed his cuts. Bringing out the map, there was a chest just a couple of feet away. He couldn't really see it though and assumed that they'd have to look for a trigger. "Guess we better start looking. Ruto?" He frowned when she wasn't looking at him. "Hey, are you listening?"
He figured she didn't hear him until she sent a glare his way and averted her gaze.
"Are you ignoring me?" He got up and she merely walked past him and went up the steps. "Hey, what gives?"
At the top of the stairs, the ground went from stony to metal. It was a hatchet with no handle on it, about ten meters wide. "Princess, come on, work with me here. What are we suppose to do?"
"I don't know. Aren't you the temple expert?"
He glared. "That would be Katie and no offense but you're being a little bitch right now."
Her eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon."
He decided to change what he said. "What I mean is, how about we work together instead of arguing like kids?" He gestured at the ground. "You really want Mathilda to come through here?"
She crossed her arms and looked away. Good words, she couldn't be mad for earlier? Seriously, this was not the best time to get butthurt. They barely got away with the skin of their teeth.
He noticed a button on the ground and stood on it. It didn't go all the way down though and the metal hatchet on the ground only moved a little. "A little help here?" Irritated when she didn't reply, he then said, "Or do you want to be the princess of bones?"
She stormed over to his side, shoulder roughly bumping into his. Irritation flared up to his chest as he gritted his teeth. What was wrong with her?
The button sank all the way down and stayed that way. The hatchet twisted around and opened up to reveal a body of water. Peering down, he could only see his reflection.
"The chest must be down there," he said.
"You're quite the observant fellow, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I've been told that. Now if you want to stop acting like a little shit, how about you make yourself useful?"
There, much better. He's not changing anything.
He waited for her to lecture him about deference and how he should hold his tongue against royalty. Instead she dived into the water without warning, sending a wave as reprisal. He coughed, blinking hard and shuddered. Damn her.
After a few minutes, she came back up again. "Well?"
"It's there," she told him, and she didn't seem happy about it.
"But?"
"There's a gate blocking it and there was this message carved on the wall." She sighed, sitting on the edge. Water slid down from her red head and she looked more energetic. Guess she's been away from water for too long. "It says something about twisting a turn."
"Another damn puzzle," he muttered, messing his hair. "We need to look around and find whatever the hell we have to twist."
"And if we run into Mathilda?"
"Then we're dead."
They didn't dwell on it as they went ahead to go through every room. Naturally, it was Ruto doing all the heavy work by keeping the monsters at bay. Link may be reckless but he wasn't stupid when it came to fighting. He knew he had to swallow his pride and stay by the sidelines with his bow and arrows. Ruto did seem to take his lessons to heart. She stood by his every rule and made sure she always had the upper hand.
Well, she did have a damn good teacher.
The princess scrutinized the map for a few minutes while Link stood on watch. So far it was only the monsters in the temple that tantalized them. No sign of Mathilda or her snake anywhere.
Ruto told him the best thing they can do is look around for anything useful. Link had a better idea. "Why don't we ask Katie?"
"And how exactly?" He hated her tone but loved how she tried to play it off as casual. It always amused him to no end seeing how she tried to act like she wasn't still mad at him for reasons he didn't understand and couldn't care any less.
He adopted a more patronizing tone. "Uh the pipes maybe?" He pointed. "There's one right there."
"And what happens if a certain someone decides to join the conversation?" She shook her head. "It's not worth the risk."
"Its worth the time. I'm not going to walk around and wait for you to get me killed." Before she could protest, he went on ahead to yell through the pipe, "Oi, Katie!" He chuckled when she slapped his arm. She could've done worse if a rumbling voice didn't reply to him.
"Link, what is wrong with you?! Be more careful!" Katie snapped.
"Whatever."
"Don't whatever me! Mathilda's snake just came at me just a few minutes ago."
Link's eyes widen. "What?"
Ruto went next to him. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"
The fairy giggled and Link couldn't help but feel uncomfortable by how sinister it sounded. Maybe he's rubbing a bit too much on her. "Oh don't worry. It's not going to be bothering me for a while. But it did get away so you two better be careful."
This was bad. "It could be listening to us right now."
Ruto glared at him and Katie spoke her mind. "Well, obviously! That's why I'm telling you to be more careful, dummy! Anyways, are you stuck in a puzzle or something?"
"Just so." Ruto explained the situation as best as she could without revealing too much. There was a chest but a gate sealed it off with a riddle on it. "Something that had to do about turning an object."
Link hated how he felt on edge. Mathilda could be listening to every word; she wasn't exactly stupid. He wondered if she was sitting down with that irritating smirk of hers as she hears their every move.
Katie giggled. "Well, just so you know I saw a map on the wall before that pesky thing tried to get me. It had a mark of a circle on it and I'm pretty sure it's a valve you guys need to turn."
"And where is it?"
"It's an oval shaped room."
Ruto and Link looked at the map together and sure enough there was an oval shape room just around the corner. His smile damped. "It's locked," he said, showing Ruto the small lock symbol on the door. Air blew out his nose. "Dammit."
The sound of metal clanging and rumbling in the pipe made them both jump. Something grey and silver splashed in the shallow water and he hardly believed it.
"Who's the best fairy ever?" Katie teased.
He had to answer that. "That would be you, my dear fairy."
Katie giggled from the other side.
"Don't get a big head over it," he warned, sliding the key into his pocket. The last thing he needed was a fairy with a head too big for her wings to carry.
"Good job, Katie," Ruto complimented. "I daresay you are making this easier for us."
"Temples are my specialty," she said pleasantly. "I would never leave you to deal with Link alone." Then her voice went serious. "Just be careful though and don't talk too close to the pipes. It might come at you."
Link had the image of a snake coming right at his face. He moved away from the pipe and Ruto, following the same thought pattern, did the same. "Duly noted. Anything else?"
"I want to be in touch with you guys in case you need anything. Tell me how to get to a pipe that would link us."
"Link us," Link chuckled.
"Shut up.
Link giggled. "You said—"
"Shut up, Link. Just shut up."
Ruto was also not amused by his quip. Sheesh, he figured they might lighten up a little. Yeah, sure they have a crazy commander after them but it wouldn't hurt if they'd loosen up.
The princess gave out the directions to Katie. They bid each other goodbye and good luck.
"Link, you better not give her a hard time," Katie's voice rumble through the pipes.
Link rolled his eyes. What about him? Everyone's always giving him a hard time and no one seems to care about that.
"At least we have something to work with now," Ruto was telling him as they were making their way to the room.
"Yeah. Let's hope it doesn't blow up in our faces."
Yelling at Link did make feel somewhat better. It was easy to just be blunt with him, especially when he was being a stubborn goat. They arrived at the room and it was no surprise when the bars sealed them inside.
It was another puzzle much to Link's dismay. They were in a square room with high walls. There was another door that had a small window with bars on it. At the corner was a button on the ground, and when Link stepped on it, the door opened to show the inside of what looked to be a maze. The walls inside were much higher with decorative walls and some bats flying afar.
However, the second he stepped off it, the door slammed shut. Next to the bottom was a map of a maze and Ruto understood the puzzle. One of them had to stand over the button and guide the other using the map on the wall. Link's as good with a map as a blind man was on steppingstones, and putting him at the button would normally be a horrible idea but the fool didn't have a weapon.
"If you think I'm letting you do that then, princess, you need to have your head screwed on right."
Dealing with his insufferable attitude made her forget herself. "As if you could do any better with that measly dagger of yours." She snorted. "What are you planning to do with that? Give them a haircut?" She never knew how good it felt to let her tongue go loose.
Link's eyes sharpened. "At least I know how to use it."
"Oh really? Then why am I doing all the work?" Seeing him hesitate just made her smile. "Admit that you need my help."
Whether he liked it or not, he needed her to fight for him. She thought it would be a good chance to finally show how much she came so far. He had no choice but to be dependent on her and being the prideful arrogant jerk he was, no doubt he hated that. This could be her chance to make her ancestor proud, to show that she wasn't just a competent girl.
Link snorted. "Just because you got a few hits doesn't make you a warrior," he told her. "You'll just get yourself killed and that would kill me with you."
"Oh right," she said bitterly. "How could I forget? You're just looking out for yourself."
"I made a vow."
"Yes, see, for a moment there, I was worried you might actually have a conscience."
The anger flared in his eyes. "Watch it, fish bait."
"Now fish bait. You always seem to call me names when you know you're wrong," she challenged. She wasn't fazed that he was in her face, just breathing through his teeth. She couldn't believe how she saved his life back then, pressing her lips against his. He never thanked her for that. She saved him back with all the monsters and yet he still thinks that acting like a brute was acceptable.
"Fish bait, don't." It sounded like a warning.
"Don't what?" She placed her hands on her hips. "You think I'm scared of you, Hylian?"
A disembodied voice entered the room. "What's going on over there?" Katie asked. "Are you two fighting?"
Link crossed his arms and said nothing. Ruto only sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's nothing. Just a disagreement is all." She ignored his scoff. "Anyways, we need your help."
"With what?"
Ruto told her about the puzzle and the fairy didn't hesitate to say, "Ruto should go."
Link could hardly believe it. He looked so irritated that Ruto didn't think it would be wise to taunt him. "What? You want me to die?"
"She can handle her own," Katie complained. "I don't see the problem."
"She's going to get me killed," Link replied flatly. "How can you not see the problem?"
"Link, don't be dramatic."
"Okay, fine then, why don't you come down here and help us out?" He challenged. There was silence from her end.
"Link, don't do that to her," Ruto hissed, looking at the pipe. "Katie, it's fine. You don't need to force yourself. It's better if you stay up there."
Katie sounded unsure. "Yeah, the snake would get me." She sighed. "Is the maze narrow?"
Link frowned. "Why's that important?
"Just tell me."
"A little bit but—"
"Then you don't stand a chance," she cut him off annoyingly. "You're a fighter. You should know that there's no way you can use a bow and arrows in narrow walls. Enemies could be too close and using a dagger in close combat could get you killed. Besides, I believe in Ruto. I know she can do it."
A lump came in the princess' throat. It felt so long since someone ever encouraged her to take part in a fight. Link always tried to peg her her and let him do everything on his own. It was the same with Sheeva, her father, and everyone else at the palace. The only one who seemed to actually care was Katie. Now the princess was more determined than ever to take this role.
She was ready to hold her ground in this. No matter what Link said, how bad he said it, she won't let him have his way. This puzzle was for her.
Link let out a long breath, hanging his head down. "I can't believe this," he gritted, storming to the button. "If I die today, it's both your faults."
Ruto hoped that she didn't look too excited. "We're not going to die today. You would do well to be a little optimistic."
"I prefer to be realistic. You should try it sometimes."
That stung. Already she wanted snap something back until he cut her off, "You want to do this or are you going to lecture me?"
"Link…" Katie sounded like she was fuming.
Ruto walked past him with her spear at hand. She looked at the opened doorway, the air dryer than before, and the ground was warm. With a deep breath, the princess stirred herself for one of her biggest challenges yet.
Damn this chapter took forever! I know this chapter isn't all great but there's a lot of good ones coming I promise! And the ending will be worth it!
Don't forget to leave a review on what you think of the story so far! It always motivates me to write more~!
