Chapter 15: The Underground Dungeon

The moonlight poured into the room. Link looked around and spotted a door with the symbol on his mirror shield on it. Taking his shield off of his back, Link reflected the moonlight onto the door, causing it to open. Link entered the doorway and followed a passage into a large room. The large room was lit by the moonlight pouring in from grates at the top of each wall. Link saw a large pillar in the center of the room, attached to it were wall chains used to chain prisoners. Link walked left and saw another doorway with the symbol on it. Using his shield, he opened the door. Walking in along the passage, Link came into a small room that had a skeleton chained to the wall, wearing chain mail armor. Link took the chain mail armor and put it on under his tunic, figuring it would offer some protection later on.

Link re-entered the main room and walked the perimeter of it, passing a few torture devices that were once used to gain information from prisoners. Link came to a door locked by four wooden beams. Link vainly tried to move them. Giving up, he continued his walk and found a door that led to a staircase going up. Following it, he found himself on one of the four turrets. Link saw a turnstile in the center of the turret, being protected by a skeleton holding a sword and shield. Link went to move the turnstile, when suddenly, the skeleton moved towards him! It swung its blade at Link, which Link blocked at the last minute with his shield. Spinning around, Link swung the Master Sword at the legs of the skeleton, cutting them clean off, causing the skeleton to fall backwards. The skeleton pulled itself on the ground, trying to get back up. Link picked it up and booted it out of the turret, and watched it fall to the ground, and shatter. Link pushed the turnstile, and heard a loud thud, indicating that one beam had been removed.

Link descended the stairway, and continued moving along the wall. Finding another doorway, he climbed the staircase behind it to another turret with a turnstile. Seeing a skeleton, Link quickly decapitated it, not wanting to give it a chance to fight. Unfortunately for him, the skeleton still fought, but not well. Link dodged aimless swipes at him made by the headless skeleton, and cut of his arms when he got the chance. Link then booted it off the turret, and watched it shatter on the ground. Link pushed the turnstile, and heard another loud thud: another beam had moved. Two more, thought Link. Link descended the turret and entered the main room. Finishing his walk around the perimeter with no more doors along the wall, he looked at the center pillar. He found something odd about the center pillar, but couldn't put his finger on it. He pulled at one of the wall chains, and a stone slab moved from the opposite side of the pillar, revealing a staircase.

Link slowly walked down the winding staircase, with his hand along the wall to help him down, since there wasn't any moonlight on the staircase. Link entered a dark room, lit only by a few lit torches along the wall. Link walked with his hand against the wall, and found a doorway. Entering it, he climbed a winding staircase to find himself at the top of another turret. Link saw the skeleton guarding the turnstile, and in one swift move cut off its arm and the larger part of his torso. Link booted the pieces off the turret, and watched them shatter upon impact. Link pushed the turnstile, unlocking the third beam from the door. Link went back down to the room, and walked around the perimeter to find another doorway that led to another turret. Link found this one with an unguarded turnstile. Link pushed the turnstile and heard the thud of the last beam moving to the unlocked position. Link began to walk back towards there, when without warning; he was ambushed by ten skeleton soldiers hiding. Link tried to fight back, but the numbers were overwhelming. The soldiers captured Link and tied him up, forcing him downstairs. They were in the darkened room when one of the stone soldiers opened a door that led down another floor to a large jail. The skeleton soldiers tossed Link in, and locked the door. Link tried to knock down the door, but to no avail. Giving up, he sat in the center of the room, when he was greeted by a man with graying hair and a beard.

"Hello, Link", said the man.

"Hello. What's your name?" asked Link.

"I am Rinoma, the Sage of this Underground Dungeon. When Ganondorf invaded, he threw me in here to rot. He left an army of undead soldiers here to guard it from anyone trying to save me."

"So Ganondorf has indeed been here as I had suspected."

"Yes he has. And I can see that you found the Chain mail of Kamarrian, as it was foretold that the warrior would."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure"

"Can you untie me?"

The door suddenly opened and twenty skeleton soldiers came in. They moved straight for Link, getting to him before he could be untied. The picked him up and forced him up the two staircases back into the main room. They moved him towards the once barred door and forced him in. The room was lit by moonlight from grates at the peak of the walls. Inside, Link saw an iron maiden. On the opposite side of it was pale-faced man, commanding the soldiers to put Link in it. They stripped him of his sword and shield, and forced him into the device. Link, now tied up and in the iron maiden, had only a few seconds to live before they impaled him. Link panicked, knowing that an escape would be impossible against twenty armed soldiers. The iron maiden closed on Link, but Link felt nothing. The chain mail had protected him from harm. Knowing that the soldiers didn't know this, Link eagerly waited for them to open it. It would be his once chance at escaping with his life.

The soldiers opened it under orders of their commander, and found Link still alive. Link came out and roundhoused two skeletons, causing them to crumble. A skeleton dashed at Link. Link side stepped him and tripped him, causing him to go flying into another skeleton. Another skeleton came at Link with his sword, and Link moved his hands, causing the skeleton to cut them free. Link used his newly freed hands to snap the skeletons head off, and chucked it at another skeleton, causing his head to come off. Link ran to his equipment, and armed himself. The fourteen remaining skeletons stood by their commander, glaring at him. The commander ordered his soldiers to attack Link, and they charged in unison. Link took out his boomerang and threw it at the skeletons, taking four out with it before it came back. The ten remaining skeletons were now closing in on Link, making it impossible for him to get another boomerang throw off. Link backflipped and readied himself. With the skeletons still closing in, Link did a spin attack taking out half of the skeletons. Two of the remaining skeletons grabbed Link's arms when he finished, and two his legs, immobilizing him. The other skeleton raised its sword, preparing to decapitate Link. Link looked at the blade coming at him. Timing it perfectly, he ducked his head at the last minute, causing the skeleton to miss and decapitate his fellow skeleton instead. With his shield arm free, Link bashed his shield against the skeleton, causing it to crumble. With only three skeletons left, they let go of Link and prepared to triple team him. Link dodged three blade swipes while taking out one skeleton, leaving only two left. One charged at Link, and Link ducked, tossing him into a wall. The remaining skeleton attempted to stab Link, but the Chain mail of Kamarrian prevented it. The skeleton was confused, and Link took this opportunity to kill it. Now only the commander remained.

"You have some skill", commented the commander

"And you are?" asked Link, while the commander was descending from his chair.

"I have no name," replied the commander smugly. "However I cannot let you live."

The commander drew his broadsword and charged at Link. Link leapt to the left, landed with a hand and two feet on the ground keeping his balance. The commander charged again, and Link leapt to the right. Now, Link set himself for an attack. The commander swung wildly at Link, and Link blocked each blow with his shield, causing sparks to fall to the ground. Link was backed against the wall with the commander right near him. Link stabbed the commanded in the chest, but the commander only grabbed Link and tossed him against a wall, causing some stones to come out and fall on Link.

"Fool. I cannot be killed like a human can"

Link was dazed and his vision blurred as the commander came closer. The commander removed the stones with his sword, and prepared to deliver the final blow. With the blade rushing towards his neck, Link moved his sword at the last minute to block it. His neck was safe, but the force caused the Master Sword to move and cut Link's cheek. Bleeding from the face and staining his tunic as it rolled down his cheek bone, Link forced himself up. In the process, the commander delivered a blow to Link's back. Link fell forward, hurt, but not pierced as the chain mail had protected him. Link yelled out in pain, and dropped his shield to clutch his back with his right hand. The commander slowly closed in on Link, enjoying every minute of Link's suffering. Link crawled towards a wall, and slowly pulled himself up, favoring his back

"You've come far, Link. But all those you faced before were nothing compared to me."

The commander raised his sword high, and Link saw the blade at its peak height. Link took this momentary window and sliced off the head of the commander, causing the head to turn to ashes when it hit the ground. The body fell backwards and Link looked at it triumphantly. Link limped towards the door when he heard a noise. He looked back and saw that the body was moving without a head. Link could not dodge any blows with his back the way it was. With the body closing in, Link sliced off the sword arm of it. Like the head, it turned to ashes when it hit the ground. The remaining arm grabbed Link at the throat and lifted him up. Link dropped his sword, and clutched the wrist of the arm, attempting to cause it to let go, but to no luck. It pressed Link against a wall and began tightening its grip, squeezing the air out of Link. Link's vision blurred as he was fighting a losing battle.

Then, Rinoma appeared in the doorway. He picked up the Master Sword and moved towards the body. He sliced off its legs, causing the legs to turn to ashes. Link fell to the ground, but the arm still had its grip. Rinoma saw Link's face turning blue and without hesitation sliced the remaining arm, causing it to turn to ashes, along with the torso. Link stood up while grabbing his throat, attempting to ease the pain caused by the body of the commander.

"Thanks, Rinoma" Link said in a raspy voice.

"It was my pleasure", replied Rinoma, handing Link the Master Sword.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to stop Ganondorf".

"I know"

Link limped towards the door, and collapsed half way there, lying flat on his stomach.