Author's Note: I've noticed that I've been slacking off on these later
chapters so I haven't been getting all the detail I've wanted so I'm
buckling down on this and getting back to the way it was in the beginning,
so here it is:
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The Fire Shrine
After a few hours of journeying, the volcano could be seen on the horizon. A ring of smoke drifted above the high crater, and ash and dried lava was piled around the base of the mountain.
"Is that it?" Derek asked.
"I think so." Jacob replied. He squinted his eyes as he placed his hand around the hilt of the Master Sword. "I think I see a cave." Jacob sprinted towards it.
Derek dashed after Jacob, his hand fast on the pommel of the axe.
* * *
"I can't believe this. I knew they'd leave us." Sarah was putting the quiver of arrows on her book. "But to not wake us up to tell us..."
"Don't worry about it, Sarah." Anastriana said.
It was then a cry was heard outside, Anastriana, closest to the door, looked out. She instantly saw a group of Hylian and Sheikah warriors intercept a larger group of red0-headed women welding scimitars.
"C'mon, sister, we're under attack," Anastriana said, "We're needed."
"All right, I'm ready," Sarah said as she took up her bow. Anastriana and Sarah both went out into the building heat of the battle.
* * *
"God almighty." Derek looked down the flight of stairs he and Jacob was about to transverse.
"Oh, this is nothing, you should see the guardian." Jacob said softly.
"The stairs alone should be the guardian." Derek said, laughing.
"Yeah," Jacob said as they both walked down the stairs.
The stairs seemed endless. As they walked further, the atmosphere became smokier, and Jacob could see a soft red glow in the distance.
Jacob pointed, " I think we're almost there." The temperature around them increased, sweat beaded on Derek and Jacob's brow.
"Damn, it's hot." Derek wiped the sweat away from his forehead. They neared the bottom of the stairs and stopped. "Oh no." Derek said. The stairs lead off onto a rope and plank bridge. The bridge was suspended over the crater filled with molten rock. It led into a cave on the other side of the crater.
"Derek, you go first, I'll follow." Jacob said.
"No, I saw this movie, the black dude dies first." Derek retorted, "You go first." Jacob rolled his eyes and walked ahead. He cautiously stepped on the bridge; it swayed slightly. Jacob gripped to rope and held on as he walked. Derek followed closely behind, holding on as well.
"They didn't want anyone getting to this, did they?" Derek said. He followed closely to Jacob. They reached the middle of the bridge. It began to sway slightly; both men grabbed the hand support.
"Heh," Jacob smiled nervously, "that was fun." Jacob looked back to Derek, who shot him an evil glare. "What?"
They crept across the bridge. "We're almost there." Jacob said. Jacob sprinted the last five feet of bridge, followed by Derek. The cave went straight ahead into the rock. Jacob unsheathed the Master Sword's broken blade and stepped forward. The cave was dark and had a musty smell, more like decay.
Jacob took a couple of steps forward, and as soon as he set his foot against the stone ground, two torches lit, one on either side of him. The fire burned an unnatural blue color. Derek looked at the fire, then stepped in place behind Jacob and stayed in step with him.
Another couple of steps, another set of braziers. It continued until ten sets of torches burned behind them.
Jacob walked forward; he motioned for Derek to remain where he was. After Jacob walked forward, he noticed no sets of torches lit themselves around him. He looked around and suddenly, from the tenth set of flames, a large ring of torches lit around Jacob. He was in the center of a ring of blue fire. Beyond the ring, a pool of lava was illuminated. Derek ran forward and stood with Jacob, his axe fast in his hand.
In the lava before them, a pair of leathery wings rose from the pool of molten magma. Followed by a long spiked tail that glowed as brightly as the lava. The body attached to the wings followed, snake-like, with no visible limbs. It also glowed. The head rose, it was similar to a snake's head. The eyes were yellow with vertical slits as pupils. A forked tongue flicked out towards the pair. Derek's mouth dropped open.
"Told you you'd like the guardian," Jacob said. Derek let out a deep breath he had been holding. "Don't' worry."
"Easy for you to say."
The dragon flapped its monstrous wings and lifted itself from the lava. It flew forward and placed itself before Jacob and Derek. As it landed, it coiled itself around.
"Welcome, humans." The dragon spoke. "I am Daloch, Guardian of Fire."
"I am Jacob Swanson, and I've come for the shard of the Master Sword." Jacob stepped forward, then motioned to Derek, "this is Derek Noble."
"Very well then," Daloch said, "Prepare yourself. The dragon flapped its gargantuan wings and lifted it self from its coils and rose into the air. Jacob held the Master Sword tightly in his hands as h ran forward to engage Daloch. Derek stepped back; fear paralyzed his muscles. The dragon inhaled, his snake-like eyes locked on Derek. Jacob saw this and turned around and ran for Derek. The dragon shot a stream of boiling magma from his mouth, Jacob tackled Derek and knocked both him and Derek out of the stream of lava.
Derek looked up at Jacob, "Sorry." Jacob did not respond, he helped Derek up and walked back over to Daloch. He readied the Master Sword. Derek readied his axe and was ready to fight.
Daloch swung his tail around and contacted with Jacob, sending him sprawling to the ground. Daloch pounced from the air and coiled himself around Jacob, his hand loosened its grip on the Master Sword, which plummeted from his grip and clattered on the stone ground.
Derek ran forward and began hacking at the dragon's coils. The axe bit at the dragon's fiery scales, but to no avail. The dragon ignored it.
"The Master Sword!" Jacob yelled, the breath being squeezed from him. "Use the Master Sword!"
Derek threw down his axe and grabbed the Master Sword's hilt. He brought his whole body around and swung the broken blade in full force. The Master Sword's broken blade slid through the dragon's scales. Lava-like blood spurted forth from the wound. Daloch roared in fury, he uncoiled from Jacob and using his tail, threw him aside.
Daloch used his head as a battering ram and knocked Derek away. The Master Sword escaped his clutch and skidded across the floor, right to Jacob's feet.
"Rain falls..." The words of the water elemental echoed in Jacob's thoughts. If only he could understand what it meant. He opened his eyes and watched as Daloch came up to Derek, then it dawned on him, the Master Sword can channel energy.
Jacob stood uneasily, the Master Sword swept into his hand. "Daloch!" Jacob yelled. Daloch turned around and looked at Jacob, and began to chuckle.
"Give it up, human." Daloch said. "You can't beat me." Jacob pointed the blade of the Master Sword at him. "That's where you're wrong," Jacob retorted.
"Rain falls!" Jacob cried, the Master Sword lit up with a blue energy, and before him, a ghostly form of the Water Elemental appeared. The apparition raised one hand out to Daloch and from it shot an icy blast. Daloch attempted to shield himself from the blast, but it was to no protection. The dragon was frozen, the Elemental vanished and Jacob stood there, the sword still pointed at Dalcoh's frozen shape.
Derek rose to his feet and limped over Jacob. "That was close."
Both jumped as the creature burst into flames. In an instant, a block of ice was a pile of smoldering ashes.
"Whoa." Jacob said. Both boys eased forward. Out of the ashes rose a human form, it was a woman.
"Stay here." Jacob said to Derek as he walked forward.
The woman was nude, but her entire body was covered in red and black mosaic designs. Her hair was a bright red, highlighted with black.
"Welcome, Jacob." She said, her voice was soft, yet confident. "And Derek." Jacob motioned for Derek, who limped over.
"I am the Elemental of Fire." She said. "By giving this to you, I add my power to yours." A shard appeared before Jacob suspended in a red light. Jacob reached out and took it. The shard vanished from his hand and appeared affixed to the blade of the Master Sword. "I will ease your pains."
""Thank you." Jacob said. He sheathed the Master Sword. His aching body eased, and Derek's leg was lame no more.
"The fire burns." The girl said, and then she vanished.
"Let's get back to the girls." Derek said. Jacob only nodded, he stared at the ashes that were once Daloch. Derek picked up his axe and walked out. Jacob hesitated for a moment, then followed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The Fire Shrine
After a few hours of journeying, the volcano could be seen on the horizon. A ring of smoke drifted above the high crater, and ash and dried lava was piled around the base of the mountain.
"Is that it?" Derek asked.
"I think so." Jacob replied. He squinted his eyes as he placed his hand around the hilt of the Master Sword. "I think I see a cave." Jacob sprinted towards it.
Derek dashed after Jacob, his hand fast on the pommel of the axe.
* * *
"I can't believe this. I knew they'd leave us." Sarah was putting the quiver of arrows on her book. "But to not wake us up to tell us..."
"Don't worry about it, Sarah." Anastriana said.
It was then a cry was heard outside, Anastriana, closest to the door, looked out. She instantly saw a group of Hylian and Sheikah warriors intercept a larger group of red0-headed women welding scimitars.
"C'mon, sister, we're under attack," Anastriana said, "We're needed."
"All right, I'm ready," Sarah said as she took up her bow. Anastriana and Sarah both went out into the building heat of the battle.
* * *
"God almighty." Derek looked down the flight of stairs he and Jacob was about to transverse.
"Oh, this is nothing, you should see the guardian." Jacob said softly.
"The stairs alone should be the guardian." Derek said, laughing.
"Yeah," Jacob said as they both walked down the stairs.
The stairs seemed endless. As they walked further, the atmosphere became smokier, and Jacob could see a soft red glow in the distance.
Jacob pointed, " I think we're almost there." The temperature around them increased, sweat beaded on Derek and Jacob's brow.
"Damn, it's hot." Derek wiped the sweat away from his forehead. They neared the bottom of the stairs and stopped. "Oh no." Derek said. The stairs lead off onto a rope and plank bridge. The bridge was suspended over the crater filled with molten rock. It led into a cave on the other side of the crater.
"Derek, you go first, I'll follow." Jacob said.
"No, I saw this movie, the black dude dies first." Derek retorted, "You go first." Jacob rolled his eyes and walked ahead. He cautiously stepped on the bridge; it swayed slightly. Jacob gripped to rope and held on as he walked. Derek followed closely behind, holding on as well.
"They didn't want anyone getting to this, did they?" Derek said. He followed closely to Jacob. They reached the middle of the bridge. It began to sway slightly; both men grabbed the hand support.
"Heh," Jacob smiled nervously, "that was fun." Jacob looked back to Derek, who shot him an evil glare. "What?"
They crept across the bridge. "We're almost there." Jacob said. Jacob sprinted the last five feet of bridge, followed by Derek. The cave went straight ahead into the rock. Jacob unsheathed the Master Sword's broken blade and stepped forward. The cave was dark and had a musty smell, more like decay.
Jacob took a couple of steps forward, and as soon as he set his foot against the stone ground, two torches lit, one on either side of him. The fire burned an unnatural blue color. Derek looked at the fire, then stepped in place behind Jacob and stayed in step with him.
Another couple of steps, another set of braziers. It continued until ten sets of torches burned behind them.
Jacob walked forward; he motioned for Derek to remain where he was. After Jacob walked forward, he noticed no sets of torches lit themselves around him. He looked around and suddenly, from the tenth set of flames, a large ring of torches lit around Jacob. He was in the center of a ring of blue fire. Beyond the ring, a pool of lava was illuminated. Derek ran forward and stood with Jacob, his axe fast in his hand.
In the lava before them, a pair of leathery wings rose from the pool of molten magma. Followed by a long spiked tail that glowed as brightly as the lava. The body attached to the wings followed, snake-like, with no visible limbs. It also glowed. The head rose, it was similar to a snake's head. The eyes were yellow with vertical slits as pupils. A forked tongue flicked out towards the pair. Derek's mouth dropped open.
"Told you you'd like the guardian," Jacob said. Derek let out a deep breath he had been holding. "Don't' worry."
"Easy for you to say."
The dragon flapped its monstrous wings and lifted itself from the lava. It flew forward and placed itself before Jacob and Derek. As it landed, it coiled itself around.
"Welcome, humans." The dragon spoke. "I am Daloch, Guardian of Fire."
"I am Jacob Swanson, and I've come for the shard of the Master Sword." Jacob stepped forward, then motioned to Derek, "this is Derek Noble."
"Very well then," Daloch said, "Prepare yourself. The dragon flapped its gargantuan wings and lifted it self from its coils and rose into the air. Jacob held the Master Sword tightly in his hands as h ran forward to engage Daloch. Derek stepped back; fear paralyzed his muscles. The dragon inhaled, his snake-like eyes locked on Derek. Jacob saw this and turned around and ran for Derek. The dragon shot a stream of boiling magma from his mouth, Jacob tackled Derek and knocked both him and Derek out of the stream of lava.
Derek looked up at Jacob, "Sorry." Jacob did not respond, he helped Derek up and walked back over to Daloch. He readied the Master Sword. Derek readied his axe and was ready to fight.
Daloch swung his tail around and contacted with Jacob, sending him sprawling to the ground. Daloch pounced from the air and coiled himself around Jacob, his hand loosened its grip on the Master Sword, which plummeted from his grip and clattered on the stone ground.
Derek ran forward and began hacking at the dragon's coils. The axe bit at the dragon's fiery scales, but to no avail. The dragon ignored it.
"The Master Sword!" Jacob yelled, the breath being squeezed from him. "Use the Master Sword!"
Derek threw down his axe and grabbed the Master Sword's hilt. He brought his whole body around and swung the broken blade in full force. The Master Sword's broken blade slid through the dragon's scales. Lava-like blood spurted forth from the wound. Daloch roared in fury, he uncoiled from Jacob and using his tail, threw him aside.
Daloch used his head as a battering ram and knocked Derek away. The Master Sword escaped his clutch and skidded across the floor, right to Jacob's feet.
"Rain falls..." The words of the water elemental echoed in Jacob's thoughts. If only he could understand what it meant. He opened his eyes and watched as Daloch came up to Derek, then it dawned on him, the Master Sword can channel energy.
Jacob stood uneasily, the Master Sword swept into his hand. "Daloch!" Jacob yelled. Daloch turned around and looked at Jacob, and began to chuckle.
"Give it up, human." Daloch said. "You can't beat me." Jacob pointed the blade of the Master Sword at him. "That's where you're wrong," Jacob retorted.
"Rain falls!" Jacob cried, the Master Sword lit up with a blue energy, and before him, a ghostly form of the Water Elemental appeared. The apparition raised one hand out to Daloch and from it shot an icy blast. Daloch attempted to shield himself from the blast, but it was to no protection. The dragon was frozen, the Elemental vanished and Jacob stood there, the sword still pointed at Dalcoh's frozen shape.
Derek rose to his feet and limped over Jacob. "That was close."
Both jumped as the creature burst into flames. In an instant, a block of ice was a pile of smoldering ashes.
"Whoa." Jacob said. Both boys eased forward. Out of the ashes rose a human form, it was a woman.
"Stay here." Jacob said to Derek as he walked forward.
The woman was nude, but her entire body was covered in red and black mosaic designs. Her hair was a bright red, highlighted with black.
"Welcome, Jacob." She said, her voice was soft, yet confident. "And Derek." Jacob motioned for Derek, who limped over.
"I am the Elemental of Fire." She said. "By giving this to you, I add my power to yours." A shard appeared before Jacob suspended in a red light. Jacob reached out and took it. The shard vanished from his hand and appeared affixed to the blade of the Master Sword. "I will ease your pains."
""Thank you." Jacob said. He sheathed the Master Sword. His aching body eased, and Derek's leg was lame no more.
"The fire burns." The girl said, and then she vanished.
"Let's get back to the girls." Derek said. Jacob only nodded, he stared at the ashes that were once Daloch. Derek picked up his axe and walked out. Jacob hesitated for a moment, then followed.