Chapter 13: The Temple in the Desert
Link waited for the sun. And waited. With each passing moment he grew more anxious. His heartbeat grew louder and louder, with each beat a new thought came to behind. THUMP, Is the Sage alright? THUMP how much damage could Ganondorf do in the coming hours? THUMP I wonder how Zelda is doing THUMP She's so pretty THUMP No...get in the mindset for going to save the sage THUMP I can't take this anymore. Link stood up suddenly and moved towards the cave entrance.
"Where are you going?" asked Denpolent.
"I can't take this waiting anymore", replied Link. "Ganondorf could be destroying the temple and the sage as we speak. I have to try and stop him here and now before he goes on to do anymore damage."
"But you won't be able to find the temple, it's impossible without the high sun", cautioned Denpolent.
"I don't care. Too much is at risk. Impossible is nothing more than a perception of the mind not wanting to overcome something. I've done a lot these past couple of weeks, Denpolent. I've fought a dragon on broken ankles, hell, they still hurt. But I am going out there to find the Temple, and nothing is going to stop me".
"Good luck to you then. You'll need it"
Link walked out of the cave and looked around. Link walked quickly to his right, figuring he would have seen the Temple on the way in to the desert. The rising sun beat down on the back of Link. Link's pace slowed down to a slow walk as he became fatigued. A sandstorm began to kick up ahead of Link. Link covered his mouth and nose with his left arm, and continued on. The sandstorm was now blowing directly at Link, but Link, more determined than ever, pushed through. Link saw a signpost in the distance and ran to it. He got to it and read it, panting for breath.
"Temple: West - "
Link went to lean against the signpost to catch his breath for a moment. Link fell onto to the sand, and realized it was a mirage. Angered but not spurned, he continued further into the desert. The sun was almost at noon now. Link took no notice, and continued in vain to find the temple. Finally, the sun reached noon. The Temple appeared out of the haze of the desert, and Link ran towards it. Link ran up the steps and entered the temple. Link looked up and saw that the temple had no roof, but high walls. It had two additional stories to it, and a giant pillar in the center of the main room.
Link wandered around in the main room, and entered the first door he saw. He found some keesee in the room. Link took out his shield and guarded his body as he unsheathed his sword, remembering what had happened to him before. The keesee flew at Link, and bounced off of Link's shield. Link took this opportunity to slice each keesee on the ground. Link noticed something odd in this room. This room had a ceiling, unlike the main room. Link exited the room and continued circling the perimeter of the room. Link came upon a doorway and entered into a dimly lit room. Link looked up and saw that it, too, had a ceiling, and that the pillar from the main room was blocking any light entering the doorway. Link reached the back wall of the room and heard the door shut. It was now pitch black. Link unsheathed his sword and readied himself for battle. He heard footsteps moving to his left. Link slowly and silently moved towards the sound, drawing his sword back. The sound stopped and he reached his sword all the way back. He moved it downward as a torch was lit. He saw a bearded man, who saw the blade coming towards his head. The man ducked at the last moment, causing the Master Sword to hit the wall and send sparks everywhere. The bearded man backed up, looking worried.
"Woah, woah, woah. I'm not your enemy here, Link." said the old man.
"And you are?" asked Link.
"My name is Norclas. I am the Sage of this Temple."
"Ok. Oh. Ummm... sorry about trying to kill you."
"You were scared. Being in a dark room and on a quest like you are, anyone would have done that. I can tell that you are in a hurry so I'll be brief. I came in here to hide from that thing that Ganondorf unleashed. The great beast of this temple, to answer what you're question would be. But before you continue on in this temple, there is something that you will need to pass. Take this" Norclas presented Link with a mirror shield. "You will need it to continue on in the temple.
"Thank you. You'll be safe in here?"
"Don't worry about me. Go on, and defeat the beast that is now on the pillar".
Link opened the door, and walked around the main room to the remaining doorway. It had a weird symbol on it; similar to the one Link had seen when Norclas presented the mirror shield to him. Link took the shield off of his back and looked for a sunbeam. He found one, and as he was about to reflect it, a shadow and reflected it back onto the door. The doorway pushed back and slid to the left. Link looked in and saw a stairway. Link climbed the stairs and found himself on the second floor of the Temple. There was a wide walkway around the perimeter, and the large pillar still stood in the center, with a gap between the walkway and the pillar. Link walked around the walkway and entered the first door he found. He found that this room also had a ceiling, and came to the conclusion that each side room had a ceiling. Link found nothing in this room. He went to leave when the door slammed shut. He heard a noise, but thought less of it when he noticed that there was a small gap between the door and the wall, which let sun fall into the room. Link used his mirror shield to look around to find the source of the noise and find that it was the walls, which had spikes protruding from them. They were moving closer and closer together. Link panicked, knowing his time was running short. He decided his only chance was to break down the door. He rammed it repeatedly with his shoulder, but to no avail. The walls were closer, and his only thought didn't work. He came up with a new plan, and stuck the Master Sword in the gap. He moved it in between the door and the wall, hoping to open the door. He jiggled it back and forth, slowly but surely moving the door. He heard the spikes getting closer. He felt one against his left leg, and moved it back behind his body. The door was almost open enough for him to fit through.
"Just a little more" he thought.
He felt a spike against his arm right below his shoulder. It pierced his skin and caused blood to poor down his left arm. He finally opened the door. He dived through it, just as the spikes closed against each other. Link grabbed his right shoulder, now feeling the pain. He ripped off his left sleeve, and tied it around the wound. He continued on, moving around the second floor. He found another doorway with a symbol on it, and he reflected a sunbeam at it. The door opened, and Link entered to find an empty room. He went back, and found another door with a symbol on it. He opened it using his shield, and found nothing. Link came to the last door on the second floor, which also had a symbol on it. Link opened it with the shield, and it revealed a staircase. Link went up, and found himself on the third floor. There was a walkway surrounding the perimeter, and the walls ended ten feet above Link's head. Link saw that there were designs on the pillar, and found that it was an altar. He looked at the flat surface of the altar and saw the great beast of the temple. Link's jaw dropped in awe at the sight of the giant scorpion. The scorpion saw Link, and moved to the edge of the altar, trying in vain to reach Link with its claws. Link moved along the walkway, and the scorpion mimicked his movements. Link knew he couldn't jump across; the scorpion would get him immediately. He took off his bow and fired an arrow at it, but it bounced off of its skin. Link then took off his shield and reflected a sunbeam at the scorpion. Link caught it right in the eyes, blinding it temporarily. Link took this opportunity to jump the gap, and get face to face with the scorpion.
Link attempted to slice the scorpion, but his sword bounced off the skin. The scorpion then swung his giant tail at Link, knocking Link off of the altar and crashing against the wall. Link got up, and blinded the scorpion again. He jumped the gap, now knowing to avoid the tail. He tried again to pierce the skin of the scorpion, but with no luck. The tail swung at Link, who attempted to jump the tail. His feet were caught by the tail, causing him to flip sideways in mid air. Link landed against the altar, and slammed his head against the altar. Link became dazed, and his vision blurred. The scorpion inched closer and closer to Link. It raised its tail preparing to kill Link. The tail came down, Link unaware of where he was. The tail was a mere foot away from Link when it was deflected by an arrow, launched by Norclas.
"Get up Link!"
The scorpion re-raised its tail, attempting to kill Link again. Link now became fully aware of what was going on. He could not get to his shield so he grabbed his sword. He held it in his left hand and the tip in his right hand, holding it above his body. The tail bounced off of the Master Sword, which gave Link the opportunity to roll under the scorpion. Link stabbed its underbelly, and blood poured from the wound. Link rolled out from under the scorpion. The scorpion was still standing strong. Link dodged a tail swipe, and managed to roll under the scorpion again, and stab it. The scorpion stumbled a little, and Link rolled under. As he got up the scorpion grabbed him in his giant claw. Link felt pain in his injured left shoulder as the claw was wrapped right on the wound. Link found it harder and harder to breath as the life was being squeezed out of him. The scorpion raised its tail, trying again to kill Link. Link managed to free his right arm. He grabbed his sword. Link was a lefty, and he had never fought righty, but he was desperate. The tail swooped down, and Link deflected it with the sword. The scorpion tried again to kill Link, only to have its tail deflected by the Master Sword. Link saw that the scorpion was weakening from the stab wounds earlier. He only had to keep deflecting the blows, and stay conscious. The scorpion tightened its grip, and now Link could not breathe. The scorpion raised its tail, and Link blocked it with the sword. The scorpion slipped on the blood soaked altar, and was near the edge of the altar. The scorpion was now on the edge of the altar, losing balance as Link was losing consciousness. Link lost consciousness. The scorpion raised its tail once more preparing to deliver the final blow. But it had finally succumbed to the blood loss induced by Link earlier. It collapsed at the edge of the altar. Its claw fell down from its raised position, and released the unconscious Link. Link's unconscious body plummeted towards the earth, gaining speed with each passing millisecond.
