Chapter Twenty-Six
Link, Lance, and Miyako continued west, the Massharte Ruins in sight.
"If you two had been able to go a little bit farther, we might have gotten there before full night yesterday and slept under a solid roof," Link had remarked. That statement had earned him a couple dirty looks.
"What's done is done," Lance replied hastily, before Miyako could begin an argument. "Water under the bridge, so to speak, aye."
"So, what's at the Massharte Ruins, anyway?" The Hero of Time asked. The red-haired girl did not say anything for several moments, and he was about to repeat himself when she finally answered,
"The Massharte Ruins aren't really ruins, it's more like a temple or cathedral. You might call it a house of worship, I suppose. The Holy Order of Farore reside there; they take care of the temple and live in praise of the Goddess of Courage."
'Farore, eh?' Link thought, looking down at his hands, which swung at his sides. Inside him, he held the Triforce of Courage. The mark was on his hand, but it would only show in times of danger or when he, Zelda, and Ganondorf were together. Which, he thought with a wry smile, would be a time of danger.
"The reason why I wanted to go there was..." Miyako hesitated, turning her head to face the ground. "Well... I was going to go there and pray for courage, obviously. I've already told you two that I'm going to the Temple of Life, but that doesn't mean I really, honestly want to. It's like... taking medicine that tastes terrible but it will make you feel better, you understand?"
"You believe that by going to the Temple of Life, your dreams will stop," Lance said, his voice plain without the accent he affected.
"Exactly."
"Have you had any dreams lately?" Link inquired.
"No... and that's what worries me. It used to be every night for the past seven years, but then they suddenly stopped when I came to Selinta. It can't be a good sign."
"I remember, when I was ten, I used to have dreams about seeing Ganondorf chase Zelda into the dark of the storm," the Hero of Time uttered, recalling that hideous nightmare. "It went on for several months, and that was the start of my adventure, you could say. The dreams stopped after I left the Kokiri Forest, but the adventure didn't."
"Avast, mateys, we're here," Lance whistled. The temple stood before them in its entire, quiet splendor. Link thought that Farore must be pleased to have such a Gothic beauty erected in her honor.
"It looks more like a monastery than a temple," Link commented, cocking his head to one side as though to get a different angle of it. Miyako snorted in a most unladylike fashion.
"Well, I've not seen it before this day, so I'll thank you to not trod upon my guesses. I just know it's not really a ruin of anything."
"So why call it the Massharte Ruins, then? Seems right silly to me," the sailor intoned, lounging on the stone steps.
"We'll have to be careful. The general wrote that Tophetians might be here," Link stated, climbing the stairs to the massive mahogany doors. The wood was robust, fragrant as though new. 'Magic, no doubt.' He felt like hesitating when he reached for the great metal handle. 'If this is truly a temple of Farore, then there's no question I'll know if something's wrong. After all, I've got the Triforce of Courage within me, but...' Sometimes even courage wasn't enough to overcome all. Lance got up from his seat and clambered up the stairs, Miyako trailing behind.
"I wouldn't put it past them to desecrate a holy place. Tophetians are cursed, so it goes, because of Scianei," remarked the red-haired Kreyan. Link's hand stopped, and he turned to face Miyako.
"Scianei? The name sounds... familiar." Lance grinned ruefully and leaned against the stone parapet.
"If you know your Tophetian history, he was a rogue lord. Killed a lot of his people and kept their blood in silver tureens. He tried to decipher the legends of the ancient Kreyans, so he did, by using blood and sacrifice to call upon the Dark Figures, but it didn't work. So he went to the Temple of Life and tried to destroy it, thinkin' he'd rule the world with evil. Called him the Lord of Death. Shadeius, the Night Dragon, decided he'd had enough and cursed their land. It's a wasteland, so 'tis, but they've managed to survive. No wonder they want Selinta; it's a land of gold to them."
"Are we going to stand here all day and jaw, or are we going in?" Miyako asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Besides, you two need to get a move on if you want to get to Tyulia before full night."
"So impatient," Link chided, but hers was a true logic, so he reached for the handle again and forcefully tugged the door open.
The interior was cool, a change from the already warm weather outside. The stone floors were deeply worn by the many feet that had trod on it in bygone ages. The Hero of Time could feel the weight of the ages pressing in around him, how many centuries this temple had seen. Torches burned away, flickeringly strongly on either side of them.
" 'Tis so quiet," whispered Lance, looking around with fearful reverence. "A loud noise would break a place like this, so it would."
"Welcome, travelers," a soft voice greeted. A robed figure walked in front of them. "I am Cleric Ambrose, caretaker of all guests and travelers that come here, seeking courage. Do you plan to stay the night?"
"Well, no... My friend and I must go to Tyulia, but Miyako will stay," Link replied.
"The war with the Tophetians is most unfortunate. Many soldiers have not stopped to pray for courage, so we must pray for them. It is good that women seek shelter in times of danger." The Hero of Time could have sworn he heard Miyako snort, but it might have been his imagination. "You must stay for breakfast. You have a hungry look in your eyes."
"Now that you mention it, we could do with a tuck and sup," Lance responded, still looking around the hallway. On both ends the hallways tapered into darkness; for all the temple's holiness, it certainly was dark. In front of them stood another large wooden door, but it remained closed.
"Please, follow me," Ambrose stated, tucking his hands into his sleeves and gliding down the left hallway. The sailor glanced at Link, who looked back somewhat dubiously. Apparently the nineteen-year-old didn't really trust Ambrose too much, either. Miyako, who did not see them exchange looks, followed the cleric easily.
"I don't know if I should trust him. This whole... greeting, it seemed a little contrived," Link murmured to Lance as they followed the other two. The dark-blue-haired Kreyan nodded his head.
"Aye, I trust that 'un about as far as I can sling me father's ship. I think something's wrong, Link. If the Tophetians were at Phoenix Pass, then it's likely they could have come this far west."
"Maybe we /should/ take Miyako with us to Tyulia. This place is pretty large, a lot of places to hide a good-sized Tophetian horde, especially if you split them up."
"I think some Dark magic is at work, I can feel it in my bones, like summat's eating away at them," Lance muttered as the two of them turned a narrow corner. "You must be right, matey; I think there are Tophetian hordes here." Before Link could reply, they were standing in a magnificent stone dining room. Heavy wooden benches and tables were lined up neatly, and several monks were sitting at them, eating quietly.
"We are a peaceful order, and we do not think much of idleness. All of the food here is grown in our gardens. You may seem them if you decide to stay with us longer," Ambrose said regally. The cleric bowed and indicated that they should sit down. "Some of my brothers will be here to attend you shortly; think nothing of it." After Ambrose left, the three of them sat down at one of the heavy benches.
"What a strange place; a house of worship, but they all seem so... relaxed," Miyako observed, nodding her head in the direction of the dining monks. "I spent a month or so at a temple like this one, for Din, and by now the holy people would be in the gardens working, or transcribing ancient Kreyan in the library. These people... even if they have a garden, it seems like a long way out of the way of other towns."
"Aye, same as what I was thinking," Lance agreed. "Link and I think there might be some Tophetian scum 'round these parts. A goodly place to hide a horde, don't you think, under threat of desecration." As soon as the sailor had uttered those words, Link felt a slight tingling sensation in his left hand. Instinctively he hid his hand under the table, knowing full well what would be on it.
"We have to get out of here, now," he urged as quietly as possible as several robed figures brought them bread, cheese, and milk. When they departed, he continued, "This place is full of Tophetian soldiers."
"Do you think they poisoned the food?" Miyako whispered, looking at the bread longingly. "We haven't eaten since yesterday morning, before we left Phoenix Pass." The two men looked at her with some surprise. "What? If they didn't, then it'd just be a waste to let good food slip past us like this."
"I don't know if they poisoned it or not, but you can found out," Lance replied cheerfully. "Perhaps they don't know who we are, just some travelers."
"No doubt that plan would work if my shield didn't bear Hyrule's crest on it," Link pointed out dryly. The sailor looked abashed, then flushed slightly. Miyako had already started eating, testing the food with a look of concentration of her face.
"Well, it /tastes/ like normal bread," she offered, shrugging her narrow shoulders.
"We'll leave after we've eaten," Lance compromised, taking some of the cheese.
"Looks like I'll get to go to Tyulia after all." The redheaded Kreyan smiled as she said this. Link glared at her. "What?"
"My King," Ambrose uttered weakly, then fell to his knees, the deep wound on his chest spurting crimson. The dark frame sitting on the High Priest's cathedra laughed cruelly. "How have I failed you?"
"You have not failed me in the least, Ambrose," rumbled the king.
"Then why...?" Already his eyes had glazed; death was near.
"Because I could, that's why." He laughed again, a bloodcurdling sound. "My dear, come here." Cheyanna stepped away from the wall and into his embrace. "You have done well, dearest one. Intol," the squire stepped forward, "prepare the troops. The Hero of Time is within these walls, and he shall not leave them."
"Yes, sire," intoned the Tophetian official, bowing deeply.
Link allowed him to eat a little bit of the food, keeping his eyes on the monks still dining, and occasionally glancing at the broad doorway.
"Well, that was certainly good," Lance stated, putting a hand to his stomach. "Food always tastes best after a long walk, I say."
"We should leave now," Link said abruptly, rising to his feet. "The longer we stay, the less comfortable I feel."
"To Tyulia, then," Miyako agreed, standing up as well.
"No, you're going back to Ontharn," reprimanded the Hero of Time, knowing this would bring on a heated argument. If it could save her pain and possible death, then he would endure it.
"I'm not going back to Ontharn," she replied, calmly, as though they were discussing the weather. "I'm going to Tyulia."
"Why don't we talk about this... outside, mateys, when we're good and well away from this place," Lance suggested nervously. " 'Twould be better."
"Why do you have to be so difficult about this?" Link demanded as the trio exited the dining hall. "There's going to fighting in close quarters; there won't be room for using magic, especially not fire!"
"What does it matter? Who says I can't fight in close quarters?"
"I don't have anything you'd be able to carry and use in fighting; I can't let you use the Master Sword, and the Biggoron's Sword is nearly as tall as you are."
"I can fight with my hands and feet, there's no shame in that," she retorted, all but stamping her foot in frustration. Link felt like shaking her; could she not see that it was too dangerous?
"But the Tophetians will have swords," he pointed out as they arrived at the main entrance. "You won't. You'll be chopped before you can even strike a blow."
"Let me worry about that," she growled, her teeth clenched. How could they have gone from being so flirtatious last night to being bitter enemies? If he would just get his damned notions of chivalry out of the way...
"Where are you going?" A voice called. The three of them stopped several yards short of the main entrance. They turned around to face the voice. The door that had been closed was now open, but it was unlit and none of them could see into the room beyond.
"We've decided not to leave our friend here," Link replied, the tingling sensation in his hand growing stronger. "We'll be on our way now."
"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," a familiar voice giggled. The Hero of Time tried to put a face to the voice, but it was Lance who uttered,
" 'Tis Cheyanna!"
"How good of you to come straight into my arms, so to speak, Hero of Time," another, deeper voice rumbled. "Most fortunate that I may be able to kill Hyrule's shining knight here and now."
"Head for the door," muttered the blonde to his companions. "We'll have to run for it."
"I think not," the voice interjected. The great mahogany door swung open behind them and a small troop of Tophetians poured in. Lance uttered several swearwords in Kreyan as he looked over his shoulder.
"We'd not stand a chance," he uttered.
"Then we'll have to run for it," Link replied, suddenly darting down the right hallway. "Come on!" Before the Tophetians could take action, the other two were following him down the dim corridor.
Link, Lance, and Miyako continued west, the Massharte Ruins in sight.
"If you two had been able to go a little bit farther, we might have gotten there before full night yesterday and slept under a solid roof," Link had remarked. That statement had earned him a couple dirty looks.
"What's done is done," Lance replied hastily, before Miyako could begin an argument. "Water under the bridge, so to speak, aye."
"So, what's at the Massharte Ruins, anyway?" The Hero of Time asked. The red-haired girl did not say anything for several moments, and he was about to repeat himself when she finally answered,
"The Massharte Ruins aren't really ruins, it's more like a temple or cathedral. You might call it a house of worship, I suppose. The Holy Order of Farore reside there; they take care of the temple and live in praise of the Goddess of Courage."
'Farore, eh?' Link thought, looking down at his hands, which swung at his sides. Inside him, he held the Triforce of Courage. The mark was on his hand, but it would only show in times of danger or when he, Zelda, and Ganondorf were together. Which, he thought with a wry smile, would be a time of danger.
"The reason why I wanted to go there was..." Miyako hesitated, turning her head to face the ground. "Well... I was going to go there and pray for courage, obviously. I've already told you two that I'm going to the Temple of Life, but that doesn't mean I really, honestly want to. It's like... taking medicine that tastes terrible but it will make you feel better, you understand?"
"You believe that by going to the Temple of Life, your dreams will stop," Lance said, his voice plain without the accent he affected.
"Exactly."
"Have you had any dreams lately?" Link inquired.
"No... and that's what worries me. It used to be every night for the past seven years, but then they suddenly stopped when I came to Selinta. It can't be a good sign."
"I remember, when I was ten, I used to have dreams about seeing Ganondorf chase Zelda into the dark of the storm," the Hero of Time uttered, recalling that hideous nightmare. "It went on for several months, and that was the start of my adventure, you could say. The dreams stopped after I left the Kokiri Forest, but the adventure didn't."
"Avast, mateys, we're here," Lance whistled. The temple stood before them in its entire, quiet splendor. Link thought that Farore must be pleased to have such a Gothic beauty erected in her honor.
"It looks more like a monastery than a temple," Link commented, cocking his head to one side as though to get a different angle of it. Miyako snorted in a most unladylike fashion.
"Well, I've not seen it before this day, so I'll thank you to not trod upon my guesses. I just know it's not really a ruin of anything."
"So why call it the Massharte Ruins, then? Seems right silly to me," the sailor intoned, lounging on the stone steps.
"We'll have to be careful. The general wrote that Tophetians might be here," Link stated, climbing the stairs to the massive mahogany doors. The wood was robust, fragrant as though new. 'Magic, no doubt.' He felt like hesitating when he reached for the great metal handle. 'If this is truly a temple of Farore, then there's no question I'll know if something's wrong. After all, I've got the Triforce of Courage within me, but...' Sometimes even courage wasn't enough to overcome all. Lance got up from his seat and clambered up the stairs, Miyako trailing behind.
"I wouldn't put it past them to desecrate a holy place. Tophetians are cursed, so it goes, because of Scianei," remarked the red-haired Kreyan. Link's hand stopped, and he turned to face Miyako.
"Scianei? The name sounds... familiar." Lance grinned ruefully and leaned against the stone parapet.
"If you know your Tophetian history, he was a rogue lord. Killed a lot of his people and kept their blood in silver tureens. He tried to decipher the legends of the ancient Kreyans, so he did, by using blood and sacrifice to call upon the Dark Figures, but it didn't work. So he went to the Temple of Life and tried to destroy it, thinkin' he'd rule the world with evil. Called him the Lord of Death. Shadeius, the Night Dragon, decided he'd had enough and cursed their land. It's a wasteland, so 'tis, but they've managed to survive. No wonder they want Selinta; it's a land of gold to them."
"Are we going to stand here all day and jaw, or are we going in?" Miyako asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Besides, you two need to get a move on if you want to get to Tyulia before full night."
"So impatient," Link chided, but hers was a true logic, so he reached for the handle again and forcefully tugged the door open.
The interior was cool, a change from the already warm weather outside. The stone floors were deeply worn by the many feet that had trod on it in bygone ages. The Hero of Time could feel the weight of the ages pressing in around him, how many centuries this temple had seen. Torches burned away, flickeringly strongly on either side of them.
" 'Tis so quiet," whispered Lance, looking around with fearful reverence. "A loud noise would break a place like this, so it would."
"Welcome, travelers," a soft voice greeted. A robed figure walked in front of them. "I am Cleric Ambrose, caretaker of all guests and travelers that come here, seeking courage. Do you plan to stay the night?"
"Well, no... My friend and I must go to Tyulia, but Miyako will stay," Link replied.
"The war with the Tophetians is most unfortunate. Many soldiers have not stopped to pray for courage, so we must pray for them. It is good that women seek shelter in times of danger." The Hero of Time could have sworn he heard Miyako snort, but it might have been his imagination. "You must stay for breakfast. You have a hungry look in your eyes."
"Now that you mention it, we could do with a tuck and sup," Lance responded, still looking around the hallway. On both ends the hallways tapered into darkness; for all the temple's holiness, it certainly was dark. In front of them stood another large wooden door, but it remained closed.
"Please, follow me," Ambrose stated, tucking his hands into his sleeves and gliding down the left hallway. The sailor glanced at Link, who looked back somewhat dubiously. Apparently the nineteen-year-old didn't really trust Ambrose too much, either. Miyako, who did not see them exchange looks, followed the cleric easily.
"I don't know if I should trust him. This whole... greeting, it seemed a little contrived," Link murmured to Lance as they followed the other two. The dark-blue-haired Kreyan nodded his head.
"Aye, I trust that 'un about as far as I can sling me father's ship. I think something's wrong, Link. If the Tophetians were at Phoenix Pass, then it's likely they could have come this far west."
"Maybe we /should/ take Miyako with us to Tyulia. This place is pretty large, a lot of places to hide a good-sized Tophetian horde, especially if you split them up."
"I think some Dark magic is at work, I can feel it in my bones, like summat's eating away at them," Lance muttered as the two of them turned a narrow corner. "You must be right, matey; I think there are Tophetian hordes here." Before Link could reply, they were standing in a magnificent stone dining room. Heavy wooden benches and tables were lined up neatly, and several monks were sitting at them, eating quietly.
"We are a peaceful order, and we do not think much of idleness. All of the food here is grown in our gardens. You may seem them if you decide to stay with us longer," Ambrose said regally. The cleric bowed and indicated that they should sit down. "Some of my brothers will be here to attend you shortly; think nothing of it." After Ambrose left, the three of them sat down at one of the heavy benches.
"What a strange place; a house of worship, but they all seem so... relaxed," Miyako observed, nodding her head in the direction of the dining monks. "I spent a month or so at a temple like this one, for Din, and by now the holy people would be in the gardens working, or transcribing ancient Kreyan in the library. These people... even if they have a garden, it seems like a long way out of the way of other towns."
"Aye, same as what I was thinking," Lance agreed. "Link and I think there might be some Tophetian scum 'round these parts. A goodly place to hide a horde, don't you think, under threat of desecration." As soon as the sailor had uttered those words, Link felt a slight tingling sensation in his left hand. Instinctively he hid his hand under the table, knowing full well what would be on it.
"We have to get out of here, now," he urged as quietly as possible as several robed figures brought them bread, cheese, and milk. When they departed, he continued, "This place is full of Tophetian soldiers."
"Do you think they poisoned the food?" Miyako whispered, looking at the bread longingly. "We haven't eaten since yesterday morning, before we left Phoenix Pass." The two men looked at her with some surprise. "What? If they didn't, then it'd just be a waste to let good food slip past us like this."
"I don't know if they poisoned it or not, but you can found out," Lance replied cheerfully. "Perhaps they don't know who we are, just some travelers."
"No doubt that plan would work if my shield didn't bear Hyrule's crest on it," Link pointed out dryly. The sailor looked abashed, then flushed slightly. Miyako had already started eating, testing the food with a look of concentration of her face.
"Well, it /tastes/ like normal bread," she offered, shrugging her narrow shoulders.
"We'll leave after we've eaten," Lance compromised, taking some of the cheese.
"Looks like I'll get to go to Tyulia after all." The redheaded Kreyan smiled as she said this. Link glared at her. "What?"
"My King," Ambrose uttered weakly, then fell to his knees, the deep wound on his chest spurting crimson. The dark frame sitting on the High Priest's cathedra laughed cruelly. "How have I failed you?"
"You have not failed me in the least, Ambrose," rumbled the king.
"Then why...?" Already his eyes had glazed; death was near.
"Because I could, that's why." He laughed again, a bloodcurdling sound. "My dear, come here." Cheyanna stepped away from the wall and into his embrace. "You have done well, dearest one. Intol," the squire stepped forward, "prepare the troops. The Hero of Time is within these walls, and he shall not leave them."
"Yes, sire," intoned the Tophetian official, bowing deeply.
Link allowed him to eat a little bit of the food, keeping his eyes on the monks still dining, and occasionally glancing at the broad doorway.
"Well, that was certainly good," Lance stated, putting a hand to his stomach. "Food always tastes best after a long walk, I say."
"We should leave now," Link said abruptly, rising to his feet. "The longer we stay, the less comfortable I feel."
"To Tyulia, then," Miyako agreed, standing up as well.
"No, you're going back to Ontharn," reprimanded the Hero of Time, knowing this would bring on a heated argument. If it could save her pain and possible death, then he would endure it.
"I'm not going back to Ontharn," she replied, calmly, as though they were discussing the weather. "I'm going to Tyulia."
"Why don't we talk about this... outside, mateys, when we're good and well away from this place," Lance suggested nervously. " 'Twould be better."
"Why do you have to be so difficult about this?" Link demanded as the trio exited the dining hall. "There's going to fighting in close quarters; there won't be room for using magic, especially not fire!"
"What does it matter? Who says I can't fight in close quarters?"
"I don't have anything you'd be able to carry and use in fighting; I can't let you use the Master Sword, and the Biggoron's Sword is nearly as tall as you are."
"I can fight with my hands and feet, there's no shame in that," she retorted, all but stamping her foot in frustration. Link felt like shaking her; could she not see that it was too dangerous?
"But the Tophetians will have swords," he pointed out as they arrived at the main entrance. "You won't. You'll be chopped before you can even strike a blow."
"Let me worry about that," she growled, her teeth clenched. How could they have gone from being so flirtatious last night to being bitter enemies? If he would just get his damned notions of chivalry out of the way...
"Where are you going?" A voice called. The three of them stopped several yards short of the main entrance. They turned around to face the voice. The door that had been closed was now open, but it was unlit and none of them could see into the room beyond.
"We've decided not to leave our friend here," Link replied, the tingling sensation in his hand growing stronger. "We'll be on our way now."
"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," a familiar voice giggled. The Hero of Time tried to put a face to the voice, but it was Lance who uttered,
" 'Tis Cheyanna!"
"How good of you to come straight into my arms, so to speak, Hero of Time," another, deeper voice rumbled. "Most fortunate that I may be able to kill Hyrule's shining knight here and now."
"Head for the door," muttered the blonde to his companions. "We'll have to run for it."
"I think not," the voice interjected. The great mahogany door swung open behind them and a small troop of Tophetians poured in. Lance uttered several swearwords in Kreyan as he looked over his shoulder.
"We'd not stand a chance," he uttered.
"Then we'll have to run for it," Link replied, suddenly darting down the right hallway. "Come on!" Before the Tophetians could take action, the other two were following him down the dim corridor.