Chapter 154 - Hyrule Invasion - Part 2

Summary: The attack on Hyrule intensifies as monsters emerge from additional shrines. Link's recollection of shrines he completed long ago provides a possible insight into which shrines are corrupted.

It was a typical cold, clear evening as two Gerudo guards sat huddled on either side of a lit fire pot beneath the awning of the small platform atop the Northern Icehouse. Usually, only one guard would be stationed here. But Queen Zelda had spoken to Chief Baleria a week ago about her unease, and so the Captain had doubled the guards in some locations.

"Sarqso! That was tasty, Sarge, spicy and sweet at the same time," said Lana as she swallowed the last bite of a spicy steak they had shared and followed it with a gulp of water. "It really warmed me up! What did you use to give it that flavor?"

"Just two pinches of Goron Spice," said Salana. "Don't overdo it, or your mouth will burn like Death Mountain."

Lana laughed.

The fire pot provided warmth during the cold desert night, as well as the ability to cook a light meal. Alongside each of them lay a Gerudo Spear and a Golden Bow along with an assortment of arrows that could be replenished by Tab if necessary. Aside from their voices, the only other sound was the whistle of the brisk north wind that blew down from the Gerudo Highlands. To the south, you could make out the tall rocky spires of Gerudo Town in the distance.

The Northern Icehouse was something of an anachronism in modern-day Hyrule. Like horses, it was a throwback to an older and simpler time, and most people in Hyrule were entirely satisfied with their own ice. But Gerudo purists, including many who frequented the Noble Canteen, claimed that the ice from the Northern Icehouse made for better-tasting drinks. And so, the icehouse remained staffed with an attendant and supplied Gerudo Town with ice on a regular basis.

"Nothing like doing night duty at the Icehouse," laughed Lana as she picked up her Tab again. "But I shouldn't complain. I was guarding the Chief's residence last week, and that was a nice soft duty in town."

"I was stationed at Kara Kara Bazaar last week," said Salana. "It gave me a chance to check out the Voe who passed through. So far, though, all I can say is, ugh."

"I hear you," laughed Lana, not looking up from her Tab.

"But, at least there's a beautiful view from here," said Salana. "The stars are so bright, and the whole desert lays before us. You should put your Tab down for a few minutes, Lana, and enjoy it."

"You do get a nice view from here," said Lana, putting her Tab aside for the moment and looking to the south. "But I'd still rather be sitting in the canteen right now, sipping a Noble Pursuit and laughing it up with friends."

They sat quietly for a few more minutes, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Finally, Lana spoke up as she noticed the time on her Tab.

"I guess it's my turn to check on the area," said Lana.

Lana stood up and made her way down the small ladder at the rear of the platform, then climbed to the top of the rocky structure above the icehouse and behind them. She couldn't help a small shiver after leaving the warmth of the fire pot, and steam from her breath was visible in the cold night air. The moon shone over the uppermost rim of the Highlands, and it helped illuminate their surroundings.

Lana didn't see anything unusual, and that's what she expected. The cliffs were empty of movement, and the desert sand remained still. Though, as she looked back at the sand to the west along the base of the cliffs, it did seem lumpier than she remembered from her last inspection. She squinted, then used the long-range lens feature to look through her Tab for a better view. Yes, her eyes had not deceived her. There were some odd shapes in the sand now, quite a few of them, in fact. It was an unusual arrangement of the sand. Had the wind done this?

And then she nearly fell off the top of the crag as she lost her footing and jumped back in shock. Red eyes had suddenly appeared in her Tab view of the strange shapes lying in the sand.

"Holy Nabooru!" she exclaimed as she scrambled back to her feet.

"What's wrong?" Salana shouted from the platform below and stood up.

This better be important, Salana thought, or they would both get an earful in the morning if they woke the icehouse attendant below for no reason.

"Look to the west!" said Lana as she made her way back down to the lookout platform.

It was still hard to make out, but now they could see dozens of lizards rising from the sand. They must have managed to sneak there and hide, camouflaged. Almost all of them began making their way south. At the same time, there was a thud as an arrow embedded itself in the underside of the platform they were standing on.

"Get down!" Salana hissed as she squatted down and pulled Lana down alongside her, kicking the firepot off the platform onto the sand below in the process. They positioned their shields over themselves for protection.

"I'll call this in, but they won't believe me, so be ready to confirm it," said Lana.

Salana nodded and kept looking about as Lana contacted headquarters.

"There are dozens of monsters heading toward town!" cried Lana.

"That you, Lana, at the Northern Icehouse?" said the guard who answered. "I hope you're not drinking on duty. Could you repeat that?"

Lana had something of a reputation as a party-loving person who enjoyed a good drink or three. The last thing the guard in town wanted to do was sound a false alarm based on her hallucinations.

"This is Sergeant Salana," said Salana as an arrow made a clanging sound bouncing off her shield. "Sound the alarm at once! Dozens of enemies are heading toward town from the north, and we're under attack here as well."

"Understood," said the guard. "And they're monsters, you say?"

"Yes, lizard shaped creatures that walk on two legs and shoot arrows," said Salana.

Lana ended the call, and then they began considering how best to defend themselves. Luckily, the icehouse attendant locked the thick door at night, so she should be safe. And access to their position was quite restricted. They should be able to pick off any enemy one by one if they attacked. They both threaded arrows into their bows and waited. But the army of Lizalfos was not much interested in the icehouse. Their objective was Gerudo Town.

When the alarm sounded in Gerudo Town, Chief Baleria jumped out of bed and quickly dressed. A moment later, her Chief of staff, Galena, appeared.

"Chief, monsters are reported approaching in force from the north," exclaimed Galena.

"What? Monsters? How many? And have we sealed off the town?" said Baleria.

"Yes, the town is being sealed, and guards are rushing into position," said Galena. "The report came from the Northern Icehouse, and the word used was 'dozens.'"

"Dozens? I'll be right along," said Baleria. "Alert Hyrule Castle Command and see what they can do. 'Dozens' sounds ominous."

So, Zelda had been right, thought Baleria. She wondered if Naboris would be needed.

Meanwhile, at the Hyrule Castle command center, battlefield information was coming in rapidly. General Haston occupied himself with commanding the army and coordinating the defense of central Hyrule and the Castle itself. Alerts had also gone out to all the villages to be prepared for possible attacks. Zelda was busy reviewing what was taking place throughout Hyrule.

"We have a report Gerudo Town is under possibly massive attack and is looking for help," announced one of the officers monitoring communication.

"We don't have any troops stationed nearby," said Haston, looking up.

"Let's ask the Rito if they can assist," said Zelda. "Revali will be overjoyed that we need their help again. I'll be hearing 'told you so' for a while if we come through this. I'll speak to their leader personally. Speaking of the Rito and Gorons, has there been any word of attacks from either of them?"

"No, Your Majesty," said the communications officer.

Zelda called the Rito Elder, and, as usual, when the call involved matters of combat, he asked Revali to join him.

"Two things, and I'll come straight to the point as time is of the essence," said Zelda. "Can you send some archers to help the Gerudo? They are under large scale attack from north of their city. Secondly, can you scout throughout Hyrule and report any monster activity you see and where it is originating from? Our understanding is monsters are emerging from Sheikah shrines, and I fear we have detected only some of them."

"I wonder if this isn't a job for Medoh?" Revali asked, always eager to pilot it in battle.

"Maybe, if it comes to the defense of your village, perhaps," said Zelda. "But it will take too long to fly Medoh all around Hyrule. We need scouts sent in every direction at once to locate the origins of these attacks."

"I was also thinking of using Medoh to repel the siege of Gerudo Town," said Revali. "I believe Medoh is vastly superior to Naboris."

"If the combat is at close quarters, we don't want Medoh demolishing Gerudo Town in the process of repelling an attack," said Zelda. "I still think it's better to send archers for now. And please, let's all work together on this and not try to prove superiority. Naboris is quite capable as well."

"Very well, Your Majesty," said Revali. "Leave it to me, Elder. I'll work out the details and mission assignments. And I'll prepare Medoh, just in case."

"Please hurry with the archers to Gerudo Town," said Zelda. "Their message sounded desperate!"

They ended the call, and Zelda shook her head. Revali was an amazing Champion, though she thought he had semi-retired. But he seemed unwilling to give up his role, and his ego sometimes got in the way. She knew she could count on his support in the end, though. He loved Hyrule as much as anyone though he liked to hide his true feelings. And besides, she thought, he could never resist an opportunity to earn some bragging rights.

She sent a message to Baleria that Rito archers should arrive soon to assist, then returned to learn what else was new. But as she neared the communication area, she suddenly felt faint and had to stop and grasp the wall for support.

"Your Majesty? Are you all right?" said a nearby guard who rushed over to assist her to a seat.

She hadn't been sleeping well all week and hadn't eaten anything lately either.

"Would you mind getting me something to eat?" Zelda asked as she sat and held her head. "Whatever you eat while on duty here is fine."

The guard rushed off to get Zelda some rations.

Meanwhile, in Gerudo Town, the Lizalfos force had arrived at the town.

"Here they come!" shouted the Gerudo Captain. "Keep your positions on the walls! Shields up and spears ready!"

Gerudo guards had taken up positions all around the walls. Gerudo archers with Golden Bows were positioned higher up and were already starting to pick off individual Lizalfos. They primarily targeted any Lizalfos who stopped to fire an arrow their way. Even so, some Lizalfos reached the walls and attempted to scale them and enter the town. Guards used their spears to repel them, but that left them vulnerable to arrows, some of which hit the Lizalfos instead of them. Apparently, monsters did not worry about killing their own kind in battle. The Gerudo were experiencing some losses, too, though.

Baleria stood by the Captain.

"How does it look," Baleria asked.

"Not good," said the Captain. "We're barely holding our own for now and destroying scores of them. It's a ridiculous way to attack us and wasteful of their lives. But there are simply too many of them. Their number seems limitless."

"Hang on," said Baleria. "Rito archers are on the way. I'm going to activate Naboris and try to eliminate more of them before they get too close to town. I'll teleport there now."

The Captain nodded, then ran off to assist with the defense.

Baleria activated her Tab rune, and an instant later materialized at the travel gate on Naboris. As was her custom whenever she entered Naboris, she bowed her head and said a silent prayer to Urbosa. Then she made her way to the main control unit and activated it. Naboris hummed with electric energy, and Baleria climbed to the head of the Divine Beast. She could control it from there, and it afforded a perfect view.

"Come, Naboris," said Baleria. "Time to defend our home."

Naboris cried out, and then the ground shook as it began walking toward a position that could reach where Lizalfos were rushing toward Gerudo Town. As Baleria looked from her high vantage point, she could see Lizalfos climbing down the cliffside of the Gerudo Highlands. Whenever they were coming from, it was somewhere in the Gerudo Highlands. Perhaps when the town was safe, they could investigate that further. But for now, they had work to do.

Naboris took aim, and then Baleria activated its beam. A massive pulse of ancient blue energy streamed from Naboris, destroying any Lizalfos in its path. Baleria aimed the beam to sweep back and forth, killing many of them. It was helping, of course. But as many as were destroyed, more followed without any concern for their lives. Ganon was not a merciful leader, she thought.

And then she saw a squad of Rito warriors flying in and letting loose a flurry of Bomb Arrows. She breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like Gerudo Town was safe, at least for now. She turned back to using Naboris, careful to keep its beam well away from the conflict closer to town. They couldn't win this battle, but it looked like they wouldn't lose it yet either.

Meanwhile, in Zora's Domain, another pair of guards had arrived at Inogo Bridge, and matters were under control. So, Mipha and Link returned to the Domain and went home to meet with their family.

"Thank Nayru! You're both safe!" Mila exclaimed as she rushed to hug them both upon their arrival.

"Can you tell us what's happening?" Midon asked.

"Dr. Purah messaged me that she, Robbie, and some staff are confined to the Royal Ancient Lab under soldier protection," said Lapha.

"We believe Ganon is spawning monsters from some shrines and using them to attack," said Link. "Central Hyrule is under a major attack with monsters from several locations. So far, we have only had monsters attack our Domain from the Inogo Bridge area. It seems we have that location under control."

"Can't we help in any way?" Midon asked. "We're not small children anymore."

"Perhaps if necessary," said Mipha. "But right now, staying safe here lets your father and I concentrate on what we need to do without worrying about you at the same time."

"Linky wanted to return from North Hyrule to help," said Lapha. "We all urged him not to."

"Yes, he should stay safe there as well," said Link. "And I'm sure ferry service is canceled anyway. Now, we need to see your Uncle Sidon, who is coordinating our Domain's defense. Promise us that all of you will stay safe here?"

Everyone nodded, then Mipha and Link left. As they made their way toward the throne room, both their Tabs went off. It was Sidon.

"I just had a report that a large group of Lizalfos is approaching us by the waterfall just north of Tal Tal peak," said Sidon. "They're using Sky Octoroks to ascend the cliff there. There are already four guards there by now."

"Link and I are on our way to investigate," said Mipha, and she ended the call.

"Coming up the waterfall north of Tal Tal Peak?" Link said. "The closest shrine to there is in Ulria Grotto, the Ke'nai Shakah Shrine if I remember. At least we have the high ground. What's the best way to get there from here?"

"By way of the northeast pier at East Reservoir Lake," said Mipha. "Let's go!"

They made their way down to the familiar northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake with its canopy covered bed, then dove into the calm waters and swam across to the northeast pier. The sky was a bright blue, and a steady wind from the Lanayru Sea blew white clouds across the sky. They raced up the grassy slope and then swam up the waterfall that lay southwest of Tal Tal Peak.

"We should be on our guard now," said Link after they emerged from the water. "Some Lizalfos may have already reached here."

But they did not come across any enemies as they ran up another grassy slope until they met up with four Zora guards near the top of the waterfall. The guards did not have time to greet them because they were all busy using their bows to shoot down Lizalfos ascending from the ground below on triangular-shaped platforms lofted by three Sky Octoroks. The guards were holding their own for the moment.

But looking beyond the waterfall, you could see dozens of Lizalfos approaching on platforms, floating over the ground and toward the waterfall.

"It looks like they are coming from the direction of the shrine in Ulria Grotto as I thought," said Link. "There are some thermal air vents in the grotto there which would be perfect for ascending on platforms attached to Sky Octoroks. I think we could use a couple more guards here to be safe. And it might be wise to have guards at Toto Lake as well, in case monsters from the Dah Hesho Shrine start heading our way instead of toward Tarrey Town."

"I'll let Sidon know," said Mipha pulling out her Tab and relaying the message.

"The question is, what can we do now?" Link said, shaking his head. "I'd love to investigate the shrine there. But getting to it is a problem with all those Lizalfos in the way."

"Why would you expect it to be any different inside than the one at Inogo Bridge?" Mipha asked.

"You're right, it probably isn't," said Link. "I would just be confirming it. But getting to the shrine would allow us to bottle up their reserves and limit their attack to one enemy at a time, as is the case at Inogo Bridge. Right now, Ganon can send an endless supply of enemies our way. We can hold our own for now, but what if a hundred of them ascend the waterfall at once?"

"I'm beginning to think we need Ruta's help in this battle," said Mipha. "If not to attack Ganon himself yet, then to help destroy his minions."

"I think you're right," said Link. "But in the end, we will need to turn off Ganon's monster spawning process somehow."

Just then, two more Zora guards arrived and took up positions, firing arrows and destroying the platforms before the Lizalfos could ascend.

"You need to rest," said Mipha looking at Link and seeing how tired he was. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. "I'll maneuver Ruta into position to attack the shrine and fire on the enemies that attempt to emerge from it. That will limit the number our guards have to deal with. You can rest in Ruta with me for a while."

"I feel so frustrated right now!" said Link, shaking his head. "But I guess you're right. It makes sense to rest until we're truly needed."

"I'm going to teleport to Ruta now," said Mipha taking out her Tab. "When she is in position on top of Tal Tal Peak, you can join me there. Promise me you will be careful until then?"

"I promise, sweetheart," said Link. "I'll just help out here a bit until I see Ruta in position. I love you."

"I love you, too," said Mipha as she activated the rune and dematerialized.

When Mipha arrived at the travel gate on Ruta, she immediately went to the central terminal, checked everything was ready, then activated it.

"Time to help save our home again," said Mipha and Ruta bellowed.

It was an easy climb for Ruta from East Reservoir Lake to the top of nearby Tal Tal Peak, and she looked majestic as she traveled there, water spilling from her, and her trunk raised high. Ruta was too large to fit completely on the top of the peak, but its head could, and the rest of its body could rest on the slope below. From there, Ruta commanded an excellent view, including the shrine in Ulria Grotto.

Link had been helping the Zora guards shoot down some Lizalfos while he waited, then turned to see Ruta. The guards, too, briefly turned and let out a cheer. All their life Ruta was known as their Domain's protector, and only Link remembered the one time it wasn't. He joined their cheer, then began the climb up the peak to meet Mipha.

Mipha wasted no time and made her way to the top of Ruta's head. After first taking aim, she activated Ruta's energy beam at moderate power and swept it back and forth across a swath of enemies, destroying them instantly. Then she trained the beam onto the shrine itself. The power was low enough to not damage the structure if indeed it could be damaged. But it was strong enough to prevent any more Lizalfos from emerging, and the Zora guards could eliminate the rest. She saw movement below, and it was Link waving to her. She waved back, then went to the entrance, lowered it for Link to enter, then sealed it up again after he did.

"Come, let's rest," said Mipha. "The Domain is safe for now. You look exhausted."

"You look tired too," said Link taking her hand. "We haven't rested inside Ruta together for a long time. Was it at Lake Hylia?"

"Shh," said Mipha as she touched her fingers to his lips. "Relax and rest."

They both lay down in the water of the large room containing the main control unit, kissed once, then fell asleep in each other's arms as Ruta continued to hold back the enemies in the Ke'nai Shakah Shrine.

Meanwhile, at the Hyrule Castle command center, Zelda had eaten a light meal of rations, then sat down and closed her eyes for a moment. Her head still hurt, and she rubbed her temples. She could hear the urgent voices of army staff in the background, reports coming in, and General Haston conferring with them and issuing orders. Finally, she stood up and approached the General.

"What is our situation nearby, General?" said Zelda.

"We've largely contained the enemies coming from the dock and the two shrines west of the castle," said Haston. "But we are sustaining heavy casualties battling the enemies from Crenel Hills. The enemy had more time to build their forces there, and it's a difficult struggle to reach the shrine. We are sending reinforcements there now."

Meanwhile, at Hateno Village, upon receiving the alarm, lookouts had been posted at the tops of several grain mills, and Hyrule Guards on duty by the ancient energy furnace kept a lookout as well.

"I see movement in the water!" shouted one of the lookouts to alert those nearby. "Whatever is coming is headed for Hateno Beach."

Then he reached for his Tab to report his findings, per instructions.

At about the same time, a lookout from Lurelin Village posted on one of the hills noticed activity on Cape Cales. Two-legged brutish looking creatures were making their way down the hill. Per instructions, he reported what he saw and described the creatures, then beat a hasty retreat back to the village.

At the Hyrule Command center, their reports were received. The announcement by one of the officers that followed only added to the flood of bad news.

"We're getting reports of Lizalfos approaching the shore at Hateno Beach and likely heading for Hateno Village," the officer announced. "Also, there are what sounds from their description as Moblins and Bokoblins streaming from the shrine on Cape Cales and likely heading for Lurelin Village. And the Tabantha Tower remote camera reveals there are monsters emerging from the shrine by the Ancient Columns and heading north."

Zelda's heart went out to all the innocent people who lived in those two villages.

"Do we have any forces near either village, General?" Zelda asked.

"We have a limited number of troops in Hateno Village to guard the ancient energy furnace and the village itself," said Haston. "We don't have any troops stationed near Lurelin Village."

Zelda paced the floor, thinking.

"The monsters approaching Lurelin Village are Moblins and Bokoblins?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, that is what we believe from the report," said Haston.

"Have the Lurelin Villagers evacuate to the sea for now," said Zelda. "They should be safe from Bokoblins and Moblins on the water. It will buy us some time."

Haston signaled for the communication officer to relay the order to the village leader.

"Now for Hateno Village," Zelda continued, speaking to herself as much as to anyone. "The Lizalfos are approaching from across the water. The only nearby shrine I know of is on Tenoko Island. If the enemy is coming from the sea, then we could use Zora help. But Prince Sidon messaged me earlier that they have their hands full. Perhaps North Hyrule can help. I'll call Queen Faray."

Zelda placed the call.

"Tila and I were wondering how we could help, Zelda," said Faray when she answered.

"I have a report that Lizalfos are heading for Hateno Village, most likely originating from the Sheikah shrine on Tenoko Island," said Zelda. "Can you send some forces to bottle them up?"

"Yes, of course," said Faray. "We have some high-speed watercraft that can get them there quickly. I will send guards there at once, and they can also deal with any Lizalfos outside the shrine."

Zelda thanked her and ended the call. Faray notified her Captain of the Guards to dispatch a squadron of soldiers to Tenoko Island at once and deal with any Lizalfos there.

"I'm glad we're finally doing something, at least," said Tila. "As I've been saying, I think we should be doing more."

"I gladly would, Tila, but what?" said Faray. "You know our Divine Beasts were designed for the defense of our land and were intended to be used only for such purpose or to attack Ganon itself. We are not under attack, and there is no sign of Ganon yet. Also, we need to preserve some forces here in case we are attacked later."

"I suppose you're right," said Tila, shaking her head. "I know my husband is anxious to help, of course, and so am I. Hyrule has been our home."

"I know, but for now, we are doing what we can," said Faray. "Go back and stay with your family, Tila. I'll call you if you're needed."

They hugged, and Tila returned to where Linky was with Tara. She found them both asleep in each other's arms.

As Zelda ended the call with Faray, she wondered when she would hear from the Rito. And for some reason, the Gorons hadn't reported any activity.

Meanwhile, in the residence section of Hyrule Castle, Astra was feeding Horwell while Princess Zelda paced the floor.

"Why won't Mother let me help?" said Princess Zelda. "She couldn't wait for me to grow up, and we both clearly demonstrated our ability to do what was needed. Yet she treats me as a child now!"

"Calm down, Zel, you're scaring Horwell," said Astra as she held Horwell in her arms and fed him another spoonful. "She's just worried about us, of course. If we're needed, we will be ready. We may yet play a role. Is Randall all right?"

"Yes, the dock area is under our control, he said, as long as we keep soldiers there," said Princess Zelda. "This is very frustrating, though!"

"If Horwell starts crying because of you, you're taking over his feeding," said Astra. "Calm. Down."

Princess Zelda took a deep breath, then came over and gave Horwell a kiss.

"That's better," said Astra. "I feel like I'm the big sister here now."

It was two hours later when the report from the Rito finally arrived, and Zelda anxiously read it. The Rito had provided a full list, including the shrines she already knew of. She was right! There were five more shrines producing monsters than they were aware of. And seeing the long list only added to her stress. She jotted down where the monsters from each shrine were attacking or likely to attack.

First, she listed the ten shrines they were already aware of:

Saas Ko'sah Shrine inside Hyrule Castle by the docks - Central Hyrule.

Noya Neha Shrine not far from the Royal Ancient Lab - Central Hyrule.

Kata Chuki Shrine near the quarry - Central Hyrule.

Namika Ozz Shrine on Crenel Hills - Central Hyrule.

Soh Kofi Shrine near Inogo Bridge - Zora's Domain.

Ke'nai Shakah Shrine in Ulria Grotto - Zora's Domain.

Dah Hesho Shrine near the Kaepora Pass - Tarrey Town.

Chaas Qeta Shrine at Tenoko Island - Hateno Village.

Muwo Jeem Shrine on Cape Cales - Lurelin Village.

Tena Ko'sah Shrine by the Ancient Columns - Rito Village?

But then there were the five new shrines on the list they had not been aware of, including several that might bode ill for the Rito. The enemies from these shrines had more than enough time to build their forces. And where they would attack was uncertain at the moment, though the geography allowed her to make an educated guess.

Dah Kass Shrine under the Dig Dogg Suspension Bridge - Gerudo Town?

Kema Kosassa Shrine on the Risoka Snowfield - Gerudo Town?

Mozo Shenno Shrine on the Biron Snowfield - Rito Village?

Hia Miu Shrine in the Icefall Foothills - Rito Village?

Goma Asaagh Shrine on Hebra Peak - Rito Village?

Fifteen shrines in all, Zelda thought. But there were over a hundred. Why only these? And was this only the first wave of the attack? Would they need to guard other shrines as well? The only one who might know something about this was Link, for he was the only one who had ever ventured inside these shrines. She called him now.

Link's Tab buzzed while he lay asleep inside Ruta, and he groped for it, then looked at who was calling. He sat up at once, rubbing his eyes.

"Zelda?" said Link quietly as he stood and moved further away from Mipha to let her sleep.

"Are you okay? Did you just wake up?" Zelda asked.

"Sorry, I was exhausted," said Link quietly. "You must be too."

"I am, but thank Hylia, I'm younger now," said Zelda. "I don't want to cause you extra stress, but we need to tap into your old memories, ones from your original timeline."

"All right, I'll do my best," said Link. "Go ahead."

"We've assembled a list of the shrines that are spawning monsters," said Zelda. "I'm messaging you the list as we speak. Perhaps you can recall something about them, what they have in common if anything. It might limit the number of shrines we need to worry about. You're the only one who knows what is inside them."

"Okay, Zelda, let me read over the list and think about it," said Link as he looked down at the newly arrived message. "I'll call you back."

They ended the call, and Link studied the list.

He remembered the shrines from his first timeline, of course, but he had opened so many of them back then. And that was forty years ago now in actual years that he had lived, though he was younger physically thanks to Purah's rune and some time spent as a Zora. He honestly couldn't recall which trial went with which shrine in most cases. The problem was, he only entered shrines once, afterward confining himself to using their travel gate feature. But some shrines he might remember because of their location or because of a unique incident there.

The Soh Komi Shrine by the Inogo Bridge was a test of strength, as he recalled. And yes, of course, it was because when he just recently entered the shrine, he noticed there was no task that needed completion. There was only an empty room. Well, empty save for a crowd of Lizalfos.

He remembered the Dah Hesho Shrine because he used to travel there often when he was helping build or visit Tarrey Town. But what trial did it hold? He shook his head. No, he couldn't remember that shrine's trial.

He wished now he had jotted the trials down in his journal back then, but he hadn't thought of it at the time. He only recorded the names of the shrines and had shared that information with Zelda and Purah for reference. He moved on down the list, hoping something else would jump out at him. He was drawing a blank on all of them until he reached one that he did remember.

It was the Tena Ko'sah Shrine by the Ancient Columns. He smiled because he remembered that shrine very well, indeed. For one thing, that was where Zelda's temper erupted like Death Mountain as he followed her around per her father's command, and she took out her frustration at being unable to enter the shrine on him. That had probably been the low point of his relationship with Zelda. But he also remembered how relieved he felt later when he entered that shrine on his own. He was very thankful then that Zelda had been unable to enter it. It was a Major Test of Strength and had Zelda entered it as she had hoped to do way back then, he wasn't sure what would have happened to her. So, that shrine, too, was a test of strength.

Was that what they all had in common? Were those the only kinds of shrines Ganon could use to create monsters?

There was another shrine he recalled that was a test of strength but was not on the list: the Tutsuwa Nima Shrine at the Spring of Power. But then again, he had not offered Din's scale in the current timeline, so that shrine was still sealed away and unreachable. Perhaps a shrine at a holy spring was incorruptible by Ganon anyway. In any case, the fact it was not on the list did not invalidate what might be their common feature. It would be good to have more than two samples to confirm this idea, though.

Link yawned as he could use some more rest. He messaged Zelda his suspicions, then returned to where Mipha still slept and closed his eyes. Perhaps a clearer mind would help.