The door alone was magnificent.
Every ounce of anxiety seeped away for just a moment as she gazed at the work of art; A jeweled bird bordered in gold and bronze, with green silver as its backdrop. Leaves were intricately carved, outlined in curls of bronze. It was weathered as so much else there had been, but, same as those things, that added to the beauty of it in Tya's eyes.
Upon ascending the stairs, she'd been completely taken by the sight. Eagerness swelled in her chest, churning her stomach as she wondered what else she could find beyond these doors, in the depths of the temple. What else, aside from Zelda. If even Zelda. She was too distracted by the concept of works of art and the magic, and the texts to find herself wondering if this was even the correct way Zelda had gone.
Her fingers traced the part between either door and as they moved to acknowledge that there was no handle that she might pull, she tried to push. A fruitless effort which left her looking back toward Link.
The key to entry wasn't truly a mystery. To her, it had just appeared to be an unlit chandelier, but to Link, it looked like something else. He was clearly far more cut for this given how often his assumptions proved correct and hers, wrong.
He motioned for her to come back as he pulled the new tool from his belt and examined it closely. It was a slingshot, even she knew. It didn't seem as if it would be all that effective in actual combat, nor did it seem like it would do a whole lot in general. Really, just an inconvenient way to throw rocks at people's windows, but Link loaded it up regardless and flung a pellet at the purple (really pink) light above the doorway.
She hadn't expected it to work. She expected that to have been a dumb idea, and the door itself to just be stuck shut given its age. But as the mechanism began to click, pulling the entry open, she narrowed her eyes.
"How is it you so easily think of these things?" She huffed, to which Link patted her shoulder.
"Luck!" he answered, voice light and tinted with victory. To her surprise, she found herself chuckling at him, a sound drowned out by the heavy grinding of the doors falling open.
Dirt and dust were broken from the place it had been cemented for so long, leaving a cloud as a wave of cold must billowed from the dark depths beyond the door. The touch of its chill left her shuddering, but she only pulled tighter the sailcloth around her shoulders and began to follow Link inward.
It was a descent into those dark depths that left Tya wary, as it would anyone. For her, it wasn't just the inability to see- in all honesty, she could probably see more than Link since the faint hues of temperature still lingered even in the darkness, all blue in an indication that heat had not reached this far. It also wasn't the fact that they were on stairs, having to feel their way around to be sure she didn't fall all the way down to wherever the bottom was. Both were relevant, and there, yes, but it was also in part due to the fact that she hadn't anticipated Link's reaction to what she could do to defend herself. The very same ability that would, in this moment, be very useful as it would allow them to see.
"Link," she called, one hand reaching out to find him. As she found his tunic, she pulled at him, hand roaming to find his arm and then his hand. He had his shield on the other, she knew. She could hear the scrape of it against the walls as he tried to see his own way.
He hummed to acknowledge her, aiding in her attempt to find his hand. It was likely a bad idea to keep a hold of his sword hand, but it would be far better than losing him while their eyes adjusted.
"I am going to guess you didn't bring anything with us that may light the way?"
"No," he said.
It probably would have been to their benefit if they'd gone back to Skyloft to better prepare for this. All she had on her was a bottle of water and a little bit of questionable food she had honestly not thought about since she made it the day prior. But going back seemed like it would be a waste of time when Zelda was so close. She was unsure of whether or not she should suggest either of the ideas she had; to retreat and prepare or to ignite and show the way. She didn't want to retreat, nor did she want Link to abandon her upon having her monstrousness revealed. But she supposed it was better to have him do so now when she could find the way back on her own, than him doing so deeper in.
She opened her mouth with the intent of suggesting she may guide him, but before she could, the old stairway was lit through another source; through the burst of light magic that indicated the appearance of that metallic blue spirit. Her very presence gave off the faintest light- Not enough to see by should they move, but enough that they could vaguely make out the roots penetrating gray brick behind her.
"Master," the spirit said earning a hum of acknowledgment from the boy. "The auras of numerous hostile entities inside this enclosed space is making it difficult for me to isolate that of your Zelda. It would be more productive for you to seek her out yourself than to rely on me to guide you."
Link let out a small puff of air as he cast a glance down the stairway again. He muttered a small 'okay' followed a second later by "thank you", as he contemplated what to do exactly. It would have been easier, Tya thought, if Fi would at least give a direction, but she supposed that that may be difficult for her given what she said. That, and this hallway literally just led forward and down, so perhaps Tya was actually just a useless idiot.
Regardless, Link soon turned to continue down the stairs, giving Tya a small tug so he didn't end up yanking her down unexpectedly. She followed, squinting into the darkness that was growing the farther they descended from the doorway that lay behind them. She was pleasantly surprised to find level ground soon, but what was even more pleasant, was the fact that they were not, in fact, left in pitch blackness as she thought they might have been.
The walls were coated in the hue of cold bioluminescent blue, emitted from fungi that had broken down the lower trim and taken up residence. The spores glittered in the air and clung to roots and vines that flowed down from a chipped and broken ceiling. It was dim, but it was enough, and she was, in some aspects, relieved.
She couldn't tell if she should be, in truth. Again, it would be better to get it over with sooner rather than later so she wasn't abandoned here in the depths of this place. But the thought of telling him something she'd never told anyone was so sickeningly terrifying. What had she expected? What would happen should she need to defend herself? Was she just intending to be the pathetic damsel in distress this whole time? Putting Link in far more danger because instead of just having to protect himself, he would have to protect her dumbass too?
He had asked for this, but did he think it through? Was he an idiot? She had no idea, but she was beginning to think this was a terrible idea. She understood anxiety- no fucking shit- and she understood that it made people do stupid things to run from that fear. Maybe that was why he'd requested her presence.
Tya drew in a deep breath and held it, even going as far as to puff out her cheeks with exasperation at herself. She really needed to stop this shit. Hopefully, soon they would be able to get Zelda and she would be able to shut herself up.
Well.
On this subject.
Requesting her mind fully shut up was way too much to ask.
The blue glow of the fungi and spores climbed the stone as it curved and ended shortly after. Crumbling and decrepit, the walls on one side seemed to have fallen in, but for the most part, the way was clear until the hall ended, all with nothing of real interest in it. Which was a disappointment for multiple reasons.
She didn't, at first, notice the door at the end, too distracted by the ledge that seemed entirely needless. Even if it was there for aesthetic, it wasn't even serving too much of that. What was actually intriguing though was that, through the thin branches of a crooked sapling with white-blue leaves, Tya could see hints of grooved pink-purple. The same color and design of the switch that had gotten them into this temple in the first place.
Link had been trying to open the door to no avail, and as he stepped back with yet another huff, Tya's judgments over interior design halted as the correlation between the two things dawned on her.
She tugged at his arm, motioning up to the ledge. From his point of view, the switch couldn't be seen, so she took a step back intending to guide him to a point where it could be. She said "Perhaps the switch?" as Link followed and turned his head to see what she was talking about.
The right idea, more than likely. It was a switch, further inspection proved, but how were they to get up there?
There was a curtain of vines spilling over, but Tya had little faith that that might hold an actual person. There was also the fact that said curtain of vines was messily tangled on the twisted white sapling, meaning even if it did manage to hold them up, they'd have to fend off branches prodding at them as they climbed.
Link had reached a conclusion far faster than Tya had. While she weighed whether the sapling may impede them or give a better foothold, Link had taken a few steps back. He unlatched the slingshot from his hip, holding it out and measuring his aim. Whatever plan Tya had begun to put together in her head was something she assumed could be a backup should he fail.
His actions were cemented with a nod after he noted the fact that it was a decently high ledge, and with that, he turned to her and plopped the slingshot in her hands. He then crouched in front of her and patted his shoulders.
Her head still cocked to the side, Tya simply exchanged one confusion for the next as she asked "Climb on?"
"Yup," he answered. "You can shoot it."
She hesitated, looking at the slingshot. That… Was simple enough, and would work well. But somewhere along the line, she was just presented with astonishment over the fact that she hadn't even managed to think of something so easy. Though that was overshadowed by another more pressing concern.
Rather than climbing on as suggested, she brushed off her thoughts then leaned and found the pouch at his hip containing the pellets and rocks he had collected as ammo. He propped on one arm to get out of the way so she could have access, and after allowing her to grab a few, he straightened again.
Awkward.
But it worked.
She climbed upon his shoulders and he steadied her with hands on her calves as he stood. A slight struggle with double his weight, but he managed and she braced herself so she didn't topple.
This seemed horribly unstable.
He had her. His hands moved to press at her thighs for a better anchor. She had to force herself to loosen up so she could comfortably try this.
One eye closed, she raised the slingshot and pulled the string back, one piece of the ammo loaded up. And then came the second of her concerns. She shot.
Annnnnnd she hit the ledge.
And then the saplings. Twice.
Oh, no, that was a third.
And then she hit the target.
The switch shifted and dimmed, and the mechanism built into the door broke free of its static unused state to reel the weight of it up.
Link dropped to his knees again, and Tya hurriedly climbed off his shoulders. Even despite the hint of embarrassment over both the foreignness of that interaction and the few failures in her aim, she was kind of thrilled that it had worked.
He took the slingshot out of her hand, smiling at her as he could see hints of her enthusiasm. After he latched it back to his belt, he made a somewhat dramatized motion outward for her to lead the way. Though she preferred he did it, she couldn't argue with his silliness, so she proceeded into the now opened room.
Wariness of what could lurk inside prompted caution that kept her from just barging in. She first peeked in to be sure the room was empty, but that decision wound up being more based on sound than anything else. There was a large platform in the middle of the room that she could tell the path circled, but she couldn't see the other side and what may be on it.
Disgruntled as she was by that, Tya moved inward and Link followed behind her, looking around the room with more wonder than caution, and she really couldn't blame him in the least. She wanted to sit and stare at every damn thing. The walls were etched with meaningless decor, vines and roots were spilling in through time-warped stone, mushrooms bled soft blue on the bricks, and Tya wasn't sure what had caused it- the dim light, the nutrients that fed the plants, the infection of fungal spores?- but something had caused similar luminescence in grass that was growing on the temple floor. It had weakened it to near translucence, and while she was far from a biologist, it was so, so interesting to look at. She wanted to know what had caused it but had no idea how she might find out.
As Link ascended the stairs in the middle of the room to mount the platform, Tya circled slowly along the path, wondering if there was anyone in Skyloft to whom she could bring a sample. A noted idea that was stored away as her attention was drawn to a plaque on the edges of the path. It wasn't interesting. Not on the surface, anyway.
It was clear enough that the room was empty aside from them. The silence had left her calm, meaning it was all the more jarring when there was the loud slick sound of sliding metal echoing off the high ceilings.
"It's alright," Link called down to her upon seeing her flinch in his peripherals. He pointed with the end of his ghost sword, to a switch centered among the weathered design of the door frame Tya stood just a few steps from.
It was, in fact, not alright.
- No, that was just dramatic.
But it was undeniably uncomfortable to see a building with an eye that was tracking Link's movements. Was he brave or stupid, to allow himself to be watched by whatever it was? A question she still had no answer for, and all she could do was be thankful that she wasn't the one being noticed by that. Though she did wonder if it was sentient, or simply mechanical?
Again, a question she had no answer for.
"I assume that is the means of opening the door?" She asked from below, motioning toward the bars that blocked off what she assumed to be the way forward.
Though she wasn't looking up at him, Link responded with a nod. Had it not been for the movement of clothing, Tya would have assumed she was ignored- even with having heard it, his response was merely based on assumption.
"Ideas?" She glanced back at the plaque, arching a brow at the fancily written phrase that essentially just said "ask Fi" She wasn't entirely sure what help that would be, and that wasn't meant out of any sort of condescension either. She didn't know what all Fi knew and whether or not that blade would be capable of guiding Link through with complete ease.
She narrowed her eyes.
"...Link," she said. "I think I am overthinking everything."
"Just noticed?" He asked in response. She whipped to look up at him, glaring heavily though she couldn't bring herself to really be mad. He was right, and she could tell that he was only teasing with the way he smiled back.
"My immediate thought was that this is some sort of puzzle to solve," she told him, dismissing his jab and instead pointing out toward the plaque. "It says to ask Fi. Perhaps it is looking for her, and once you confirm that she is present, it will open the way?"
Link glanced to the side, to the indicated stone. The low light meant seeing it in detail was difficult, but he seemed to accept that Tya's summary of its words was enough. It made sense as well, given the fact that the eye seemed to be tracking the end of the blade in his hand.
So upon being spoken of, the spirit of the sword sprung free to gracefully flutter down to Link's side and say "yes, Master?"
Neither Link nor Tya seemed to know what to do from there, so the pair were left to look from Fi toward the door in silence without answering the question she'd asked.
Nothing happened.
Tya puffed out her cheeks with dismay.
Link tilted his head to the side, his visage a clear window into the way the cogs in his head were turning.
Then his new mantra prompted him to unlatch the slingshot from his hip. Of course.
When in doubt, shoot it.
Fi still stood aside as she hadn't been dismissed. Link took aim, pulled a pellet back, and shot. The only satisfying thing that came from this attempt was the pleasant metallic clink that sounded with the contact.
She began to wonder if he missed until there was a second little clink that indicated he'd shot again. When he huffed and dropped his hands back to his sides in defeat, Tya assumed that neither of their suggestions had been the answer. That, or he was as awful a shot as she was.
"Any other ideas?" Tya fell until her back hit the wall of the stage behind her. She crossed her arms as she rested there, listening to the sounds of Link's movement above her. He had put the slingshot back- there was a button that held it and she heard it when he snapped it shut. Then the familiar sound of the sword leaving his sheath again. Fi had still not been dismissed, so Tya wasn't entirely sure what the benefit of the sword itself would be. Her theory of brandishing it to the eye as proof of his identity was clearly wrong. Or perhaps it just wasn't enough? Again, she tilted her head. "Perhaps trying that" she made a needless motion with her hand, unsure of what exactly to call that interesting thing his blade did. "Light thing?" Eloquent.
Link flicked the sword at her as if it were an extension of his hand- wasn't that a common way to refer to it among knights? - The motion he made suggested she was on to something,
With the eye still tracking the blade, Link raised it, tip skyward, as skyward swords are meant to be. How exactly it knew to still fill with light when they were inside and presumably underground, Tya truly didn't know. But it was devoured by holy light, sparkling under the weight of magic in its metal. In a fluid motion, Link released the light, careful not to let it hit Tya as she was below him.
And the eye continued to stare at the tip of the blade, unfazed by the divinity that had touched it.
"I-" Tya started, but she had no idea where she was even going with it. The disappointment was obvious even in that single syllable, and Link himself didn't even need to say anything. His dismay was evident by the slump in his shoulders.
The blade fell again, the eye still locked on it, and the trio stood there unsure of how to proceed. Well. At least for Link and Tya. Fi was neutral. As Fis do.
"...I don't know what else to try." Tya turned to look up at Link and watched as he puckered his lips in thought. As he tried to think of their next move, Link idly played with the sword and the fact that the eye seemed to have interest in it. It followed each small movement he made, from one side to the next. And just as both of them were about to admit defeat, Link noticed the way the eye had begun to redden like it would had it been hyperfocused and unblinking for too long. His back straightened, eyes narrowing with confusion, and he gave a bit more of his focus over to the absent actions he'd been making.
The thud that came after forced Tya to shuffle away though there truly was no risk of getting hit by the mechanism detaching and falling to the floor.
"That's seriously the answer?!" She complained as she flung both hands out in dismay. "That was terrible!"
The sounds of her bitching were mixed with that of Link's laughter as the barred door finally reeled open.
He hopped down when he finally caught his breath, flashing a bright smile to the pouting girl that was awaiting his lead. She kept up her show as she spun to continue through the door, thus guiding him into the next room rather than the other way around.
Her petulance was quick to fade out as she emerged slowly into the narrow hall into which the room opened. There was light on the other end, filling in, and while it was a short way, it was just jarring to have deep shadows in the unfamiliar corners of a space she was in. Another netting of vines knotted beneath her feet, the leaves of which seemed untouched. There was a wonder of another sort beginning to churn beneath the awe of this old, old place. One which she hadn't quite placed. Link joined her again, and without thought, she rested a hand on his arm to keep close and not lose him.
He accepted in the first second but ripped away in the next as the sounds of movement echoed in the tight quarters they stood in. Fortunately, she held his sword arm, meaning he was able to brandish his shield unburdened and block a snake-like strike from a plant that curved from the vegetation overhead.
With a squeak, Tya fell back a step, the sparks in her palms flattening against the door that had fallen closed again behind them. It stung to have them silenced by the cold metal, but Link had the surprise attack handled before any need of her magic would have arisen.
He flicked streaks of a toxic green off the edge of his blade as the severed plant fell to the ground in front of them, dead.
"Are you okay?" he asked back to her, eyes remaining locked on the ceiling, studying the root he'd just cut the beast down from. The other end of the detached stem dangled from a bed of leaves.
"Yes," she answered, letting out a breath and pushing herself up again. Her hesitance in stepping forward was soon abandoned so she could peer around him at the corpse. It had acted on them so quickly, a perfect ambush. A perfect ambush beyond a locked door.
Green streamed from what looked to be an open mouth, complete with teeth and tongue. Gross. But incredibly interesting. Stepping past him, she crouched to look at it a little more closely- something made difficult by the low light of this short hall.
In the name of science and stupidity, she reached a hand out and poked the purple bulb that served as a head, taking note of the cold she could already see through the thermal film in her vision. It felt like rock?
Since apparently, this was fucking leapfrog, Link was then forced to slip past her, and he kept an eye on the ceiling just in case. Which happened to be a good call as again, another slithered from the vegetation overhead, whipping its green saliva as it shook its head and bared its teeth.
This time, Tya didn't flinch, and Link was prepared to thrust his blade through its mouth. It was left to dangle from the ceiling, pouring green spit and what could possibly be blood from its mouth. It was unmoving, and while that was relieving because they weren't about to get mauled by either of them, she felt a bit bad that they'd murdered something simply living its own life in its own home. As she dusted off her hands on her pants, she watched the swaying, dangling corpse. It was almost in the dead center of the hall, leaving little room to get around it. Had it been alive to try and strike at them, it would have been difficult to evade, which left her curious as to how Zelda would have gotten past it without any harm befalling it.
The same dim blue light filled in from the end of the short hall where the room opened into something far wider. Two paths formed a crossroads at the end of a flight of stairs that they now stood atop of. Columns lined the walls half crumbled by massive roots that had broken through the brick to reach for the waters around the pathways. Waters which were milky and opaque with the bleeding blue of the fungi feeding on the roots and dark, wet dirt.
A high growl turned Tya's attention downward again, to something Link had already noted; to one of those creatures. The ones that had been terrorizing everyone as it was, and just as her mind began to wonder two things- one, how was it down here, and two, why was the color different than the others- Link leapt the remaining three stairs with his shield at his front and ready to take a blow for him.
The beast let out their much too familiar screech only to be cut off by Link thrusting forward said shield and knocking it back a step. Before it could regain balance, the tip of his sword was thrust upward through its jaw, burying itself into whatever brain it may have.
Tya grimaced and held a hand to her head to quell the beginnings of a headache that always threatened to come when it came to that goddess forsaken sound. She dropped it again upon hearing the thud of its body against the crumbling paths.
As the creature's fresh corpse melted away into a thick black mist that disappeared on a nonexistent breeze, Tya descended the last few stairs so she may stand on the crossroad as well. Link had already taken it upon himself to trigger another pretty self-explanatory switch, the design to which was already becoming familiar. But Tya's interest was not in the one he'd just opened, but in that which lay across a broken path. A lock lay against the identical carvings of a door's face, unopened and still chained to keep it from opening.
"Maybe this way," Link said, having waved a dismissive hand toward the door. The way he spoke let her know that she wasn't the only one on this train of thought; on the wonder as to how Zelda would have managed to get through here without disturbing anything.
She nodded her head in agreement. The door on the remaining end of the crossroads was barred still, but this one was easy to open. Perhaps it led to wherever Zel was?
This path led them to a much less self-explanatory switch, but before they reached that, Tya had to be horribly disturbed by the sheer size of a spider that was intent on making Link a meal. Perhaps both of them.
Disgusting.
Utterly disgusting.
The only animal she didn't like.
She shuddered at the thought as Link read over the plaque the absolute mutant of a beast had been needlessly guarding. More like it had conveniently strung up its web around it, but it wasn't like Tya was about to step any closer with that thing dangling in front of it.
Not that she needed to, whatever hint that plaque held was irrelevant to her. She was just the emotional support damsel in distress.
"Up and Down," Link said. He paused, taking a wary step back from the surprisingly docile (but still gross) spider. He looked back toward the main room they'd just left, then looked down to the floor of the current room. Down. The last had been up. That made sense.
Tya joined him in leaning to look over the edge, and it was only a matter of moments before Link pointed out what appeared to be a crawlspace along the wall.
"That, maybe?" he asked, earning a shrug from the girl at his side. "Do yo-you wa-want to go down and look?"
"Me?" Tya tilted her head. When he nodded, she continued to say "why?"
Pointing to a broken piece of railing on the side of the walkway, he answered "Bec-because I can he-help you back up."
That made sense. She nodded once again.
"Just look," he continued. "See if you can- if you can go in."
"And if it's the right way," she finished absently as she let out a sigh. "Very well, that, I can do."
Smiling at her, he added "be careful" as she moved to sit down on the edge for better leverage dropping down. The ground was softened by the same foggy water that lined the path in the crossroad, though this was far shallower given that it barely reached her ankles. It still splashed up with her impact, and while she sank in a little bit, she was ultimately fine in landing- a surprise, in all honesty.
What was less surprising though was the displeasure that came about through realizing she'd have to kneel in this muddy water and then crawl through it. That was okay though because she was just full of surprises! She actually didn't bitch about it, only needlessly swept back stray strands of her tightly bound blonde hair and lowered to begin that short trek through the low tunnel.
She hesitated on the exit, keeping quiet so she could try and hear any signs of an enemy on the other side. Much of her clothing had gotten wet, but fortunately, there were enough dry spots that she could manage to clean her hands off to protect herself if needed. With Link possibly unable to see it, she felt a little more confident in doing so…
But there were no sounds aside from soft drips of water, leaving her confident in at least peaking out to judge the surroundings and whether or not she should be more wary. When nothing immediately came for her head, she looked around at what was a basic small room with only a staircase to a large decaying statue topped with the familiar sight of the switches they'd been hitting thus far. The thought occurred to her, that they could be set on a timer, and perhaps that was why they were all closed when Zelda had supposedly come through there in the first place. It was worrisome to know that if they possibly mucked about too long they could be forever locked in this place.
Tya crawled out, peering up at it as she searched out a dry part of her pants to run her hands down. Wound up being her hips, which were still dotted with splashes of water, but it was good enough to do the job so it was nothing more than a kind of rough pinch when she lit her flames. She cringed but only minimally, watching to be sure she kept the flames at her fingertips so they didn't catch the now ruined bandages on her palms. Then, guiding it, she tried to circle it into a tight ball that she could cast up toward the switch.
With her fire, it was a lot easier to aim, but not nearly as easy to contain. The first of her attempts were too weak, doing nothing more than to drench the crystal in a flame that dissipated on contact. She had to hold the second longer, carefully mold it to stay in its form and add in more. The focus was a little bit exhausting, but it was at the very least successful.
Her triumph was short-lived, and the possible ticking of time that could make this place their tomb was an anxiety that took a back seat to the sound of rushing water.
There was no door opening or gate moving. By the time she realized that it was filling the room, it was already up to her thighs, which seemed as if it would have taken minutes- and no one would fault someone for that assumption, given the fact that she's an idiot- but it actually only took a matter of seconds.
Shit.
That wasn't good.
Panic hitched her breath as she hurried back to the crawlspace she'd entered through. Just in that very short time, the water had risen to her chest, and she was quick to realize she didn't have the time to contemplate whether or not she wanted to do this before she was forced to duck beneath the water and swim through the tunnel again.
It wasn't a long one, but that didn't mean she wasn't utterly terrified of the consequences of her actions. The thought of drowning was horrible enough, and even if she was to survive, she hated the idea of being wet in a place that had proven itself to be dangerous already.
Tya pulled her way through, dragging easily along the stones and the ground, and when she was free of the confinement, she pushed off the ground to rush her ascent to the surface again. Contact with the air immediately prompted her to draw in a deep breath though she wasn't truly so deprived of it that she was at risk. As she raised her arms to again sweep back some of her completely disheveled and sopping hair, she accidentally dunked herself below again and grimaced as she resurfaced.
She couldn't tell, but it seemed as if it had stopped rising then. There was no more sound of it flowing, only that of her treading to keep afloat, and when she looked around, it didn't look like it was filling further. What she could see though, was Link standing at the broken edge which the water had pretty much made her level with.
As she started to swim over toward him, he hurriedly knelt and held his hands out to grab her when she got near enough for him to do so.
She wasn't in dire need of his help, but she was grateful for it at first anyway. A gratefulness that was soon replaced by a drop in her stomach as she looked up at him to see the worry in his expression. He'd drawn her up to set her on the edge, legs still dangling into the water. As much as she would have liked to be away from it entirely, there was really no point because she was already soaked.
"I said be careful," his voice sounded almost like he was trying to scold her, but it came out more like a whimper than anything else.
"I was," she argued. "I came out alive, did I not? Besides, did you not just admit to wanting to climb over a very steep gorge not even three hours ago?"
He shoved her shoulder in a playful gesture that almost sent her back into the water. Which might have been deserved since he'd been concerned for her well-being. It was flattering until she realized that it wasn't personal, just part of his inherent kindness. He was a good knight, there was no doubt about that, and even if she was disappointed by not being important to someone, she could admire that.
Sliding back, Tya pulled her legs back up onto the ledge so she could get to her feet. She was already shivering, already cold, and, unsurprisingly, already angry about it. "Thank you for your concern," she said, her voice surprisingly genuine though such a statement was usually made without it. "I am alright. And glad to be of use to you. I am a bit wet though."
"Just a bit," Link laughed. "So th-that was…" he motioned to the wall, the other side of which was the room she had been in, now flooded. And to her, who was also now flooded.
"Yes," she answered. "Is that of use to us?"
Link's lips pressed into a line as he looked out across the room. The ledge on the far side held more for them, yet it was too high to reach even with the water level raised. Studying the room only really served to let them know that there were indeed more spiders doing what spiders do on the ceiling.
Gross.
Link shook his head, then took a step back toward the main room. "Keep going?"
Tya motioned for him to lead on, and with that confirmation, he did so.
Back in the main room, Tya rubbed her arms like friction might help in warming her up. It very well might have, had her clothing not been wet, cold, and sticking to her. Whatever she gained would just be lost again.
Still, it was more an idle motion than an intentional one, because her mind was left wondering what the hell the point in what she'd just done was. Cool. The water level rose.
Fancy.
Why the fuck did that matter?
Now they were left at a dead end, and she was even grumpier than normal, which was something approximately no one needed.
"Link," Tya said while peering over the edge of the pathway they walked, to see the water level beneath them. He followed her gaze with the impression she'd intentionally called him to look at something, and he was left trying to find it as she continued to ask "We need only to figure out how to open that door, yes?"
Well, having found nothing of interest in the water, he looked to the chained-up door and shrugged his shoulder.
"Why in the Goddess' name are all these doors locked if Zelda went through here?"
He looked as if he might speak, but was interrupted just before doing so. He managed to get a little sound out this time, at least, but that was about it, since Fi drifted from the blade in her sparkling magic light. "Master," she said, causing the boy to turn back toward her.
On this walkway, Tya couldn't help but be a little displeased by her presence, since she didn't have anywhere to run away from the ghostly presence. And on top of that, she was still cold and wet- not that fire would have really done a whole lot against a ghost.
"As I said when we first entered," Fi faced Tya momentarily. "I can detect your Zelda's aura on these grounds."
Clever tricks for a ghost.
"Then what way did she take, so we might get to her faster?" Tya asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a very mature and totally adult huff.
"I am unsure," Fi answered.
"So you can detect that she's here, but you can't tell us if there are any open hallways laying around?"
"My analysis of the grounds has shown that this is the most accessible route," Fi said. "Allow me to further my search."
As Fi went quiet, Tya turned her attention to Link once more. "If Zelda got through, there must be a separate way that is already open. Were there any other doors in there?" She motioned back toward the room they'd just left, and Link thought for a minute about the layout of it. His eyes trailed the wall, and he leaned just enough to place the door at the top of a crumbled stairway. After he pointed it out, he shook his head.
If the only remaining door in that room let into this room, and both of the doors on the crossroads here remained sealed, then that meant Zelda did not go this way.
"I am able to detect approximately seven possible entries into the sanctuary. Five appear to have blockages or have been made inaccessible."
"So there is one other?" Tya asked, tilting her head.
"Maybe that's the- the one?" Link guessed.
While Tya nodded in agreement, Fi continued to say "the remaining entry has a seal of undetermined strength. If you attempt to diffuse the seal, there is a 47% chance of success."
"And the percentage of our success down this route?" Tya questioned the spirit.
"86%." Fi replied. "This percentage is reduced to 74% when your physical illiteracy is factored in."
Well, that sure shut Tya up.
Link was too occupied in the possibilities to notice what Tya perceived as an insult. It was, in fact, far too brutal a truth; a truth which Tya knew but didn't want to hear.
"So this one is…" Again, he motioned his hands outward, clearly pausing to think over his question. "Harder but easier?"
"This path is more difficult, but there is more of a chance you will achieve the desired result," Fi explained, giving a slow nod of her head. "The other is easier, but there is less of a chance that you will achieve the desired result."
Link gave a slow nod, again, his features etched in thought. He was silent, brows knitted, for a moment or two before he looked to Tya.
"Try the other one?" He asked, a decision that had more to do with a possible time constraint than anything else. But a decision that weighed on her nonetheless. A decision which her mind immediately said was made because of her weakness. Because she shouldn't be there.
"We can do that, yes," Tya said, taking in a deep breath that she hoped would weigh enough to collapse her thoughts. It didn't. She was fragile, but her thoughts had built themselves upon enough years of anxiety, that they were not. "If it is the path she took, then it may be significantly easier to come across her on it."
Link agreed. He glanced back toward the locked door, then abandoned whatever considerations he may have had toward breaking it open and started instead toward the stairs that led to the door they'd entered through.