RCM- I have nothing new to report this time, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. I don't own Zelda or any other copyrighted material. Enjoy your trip through the catacombs.
Chapter 25
Into the Catacombs
Like the mine before, crystal was devoid of hostile creatures. The surroundings inside were unreal, with gem formations saturating the tunnel on all sides, some shining a supernatural light. Blues, reds, yellows and greens, all moving along the path as if leading the way. Various large insects scurried across the walls as well, reflecting the glow off of their own crystalline carapaces. Tikal looked around in awe. "So beautiful…"
"That it is, lass. That it is. This mine is, by far, the most wondrous. If people took the time to make their way down here, I'd bet our people would make a damn mint off o' tourism." Rand smirked, a sly glint in his eye. "Could you imagine me as a tour guide?"
Everyone laughed at the thought, spending the remainder of the long trip exchanging small talk. Link told his stories, Rand pointed out some of the more extraordinary gem deposits, Hugh and Lance playfully argued which of them had seen a larger crystalline beetle, and Elric joked about the absurdity of the two with Tikal. Shadow was the only one remaining silent, though he bore what could have passed as a small, content smile. 'It must be the glow… some magic perhaps…' He thought.
Upon entering the Crystal Station, Rand wasted no time in finding his contact. The only problem was that he left the others behind to do so. "Well, this works…"
Link leaned against a building, wondering how long the dwarf would take. Looking around, he spotted a table nearby. Turning to Hugh and Lance, he asked, "Either of you have a deck of cards?"
Several poker games later, Rand returned. He looked exhausted, but also satisfied, as in his hand lay a thick, metal key. "Those officials were more uptight than I anticipated. Sorry for the wait." Noticing the remnants of the card game, he raised an eyebrow. "Who won?"
Both humans, the Hylian, and the archer each grudgingly gestured to Shadow, who was pocketing a rather large pile of coins. "He did…"
Tikal sighed, still not understanding why they chose to bet money in the first place. She was even more disappointed in Elric, whom she knew was smarter than that. The Darkman just shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault your bluffs don't fool me. Are we set?" Nodding agreement, they all followed the dwarf to the locked mithril gate.
"The catacombs are forbidden to most, so the creatures within aren't as harmless as the ones we saw in the two mines. Keep those new weapons o' yours handy." With those words, he flipped the switch on the wall. Like before, torches lit up, but they were spread much further apart. Large pockets of shadow lingered in numerous places as a result, perfect for an ambush. "Stay alert."
The first three passages were uneventful, but half a dozen tall, blue zombies occupied the fourth. Alarmed recognition flashed in Link's eyes. "Oh no… ReDeads!"
Tikal clutched her staff tightly, feeling a chill run down her spine. "What… what are… ReDeads?
"Zombie monsters that can paralyze you with their glare." An idea struck him. "But they hate light!" Firing off three Light Arrows, he eliminated half of the threat.
The flash also illuminated a bigger one. "No way… tell me that wasn't…" The monster's roar confirmed Lance's fear. "Damn!"
"Another one?!" Hugh paled as another Spiked Lizard emerged from the shadows. Unlike the first, it boasted an earthy orange in its scales, it had three horns on its head, and the spikes along its back were coated with what looked like dried blood. "Oh, this sucks!"
"Friend of yours?" Elric asked as he readied an arrow.
"We killed one back home, when we first started our adventure… that one was green, and I think about five feet shorter."
Hugh gathered red energy into his improved blade, making the rubies in its hilt shine brilliantly. "But we didn't have Chaos powers then!"
As he spiraled forward in a Pyro Dance, one of the three remaining ReDeads caught sight of him. The paralyzing crimson glow filled its eyes, the zombie emitting a terrifying screech. To everyone's horror, Hugh's attack was frozen in place, the sword losing its fiery glow. The armored reptile noticed as well, charging forward. "Hugh!"
A blast of wind energy cut through the screaming creature, freeing the immobilized warrior. With another slash of his axe, the dwarf unleashed a slew of fireballs at the remaining two, which left only the saurian threat. "Who's hungry for some Reptile Soup?" Earning a couple confused glances from the others, Rand created a Tidal Wave in the hopes of washing away the creature.
No such luck. With another roar, its array of spikes pulsed on its back before launching at the warriors. Unprepared for the attack, all they could do was take the hits. After healing the injuries with Shielding Mist, Tikal sent a blast of intense flame into the Spiked Lizard's face. Another roar sounded, but this one was clearly laced with excruciating pain. "I found the weakness! Fire away!"
The barrage of flame attacks rapidly weakened the beast, causing it to turn and flee. "Oh no you don't! Agility!" Even with the aid of Shadow's spell, they couldn't close the gap between them and the escaping reptile. Pushing himself harder, Shadow cast the spell again, this time on himself alone, doubling his already enhanced speed. With a final soaring leap, the ebon warrior overtook the creature, his Berserker shifting to an axe. Similar to the way Lance had to the first, Shadow crushed the creature's skull with the power of the Quake Blaze.
Panting, the group looked around in confusion. In their heated pursuit, they had blindly passed a number of crossroads, leaving them completely lost. "Uh… Rand? Where are we?"
Before the dwarf could answer, the room began to tremble. Looking around frantically, the group noticed that the impact of Shadow's final attack had caused several cracks to spread across the floor. Those cracks converged on a single section of the room, which they were currently standing on. "Brace yourselves!" The weakened section then collapsed, sending all seven tumbling into the abyss.
After a long, bumpy ride, the fall ended with a heavy crash, each member of the team entangled with another. At the bottom of the pile, Hugh groaned loudly. "Ow… that just sucked…"
"Tikal, could you heal us please?"
"Sure…" Painfully rising to her feet, she prepared to cast the healing spell again. However, the floor jerked, bending under their weight. "No… not again…"
Rand's face paled. "By the Great Mines… these catacombs are a network of naturally formed chambers, with structural weaknesses from the underground waterways… If we keep impacting this hard when we land, the chambers will continue to collapse, and the cycle will go on and on, until…" The floor jerked again, almost ready to give way. "We have to stop this fast!"
Before anyone could do anything, the weakened ground caved in, and the party fell even deeper into the catacombs. As Lance collided with and rolled down the sloped rock wall, he prayed that Rand would be wrong, and that the cycle would end with only two runs. By some miracle, his wish was granted. After their second long and painful drop, he and the others landed on a small yet sturdy stone platform, overlooking an open cavern. A few feet away was a door, beyond which hung a ladder leading to the floor below. "Where are we now?"
The dwarf rose stiffly, cracking his neck before looking at their surroundings. "Well, I'll be damned…"
Tikal looked over the edge of the platform and asked, "What's that in the center of the big room down there?"
Waving his arm over the building below, the dwarf smiled. "That stone tower'd be the Temple of Mines. Four floors of secrecy, seen only by those of the highest regard in the mining world. I've only seen it once, but ne'er was I allowed inside…"
"There's a first time for everything." Shadow called from the ladder. He had begun his decent, and was motioning for them to follow. "The seal isn't getting any stronger, you know. You coming?" The others quickly joined him, completely unaware of the three pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows below.
End Chapter 25
RCM- (sighs) well, it might've been a hellish day, but at least I could post a chapter… Anri, Sol, come here please.
Anri and Sol- (fly in together) You called?
RCM- You will be making another appearance in Chapter 26. (hands a card to each of them) Here are your assignments there.
Anri- Wow, that ought to get their blood pumping.
Sol- This should be fun!
RCM- Alright, now go. Return once they reach the shrine.
Anri and Sol- Yes sir. (both vanish)
RCM- My strength is fading… I need rest. Farewell, my readers. When next we meet, I shall be feeling more like myself. Until then. (vanishes in a burst of flame)
