Chapter Twenty-one: Lakebed Temple
Link decided to sit back down on the ground for a while before attempting to walk again. Not that he would be able to vomit up anything else if his body reacted that way again, but he wasn't keen on the thought of dry heaves either. Midna was probably right and his body was the problem, not the magic. Between his strange sickness and the portal spell song that only he heard while Midna could not, he was beginning to really hate teleporting. As convenient as it was, he decided he would only use it when necessary.
He knelt by the spring and washed his face, hoping that what he had done hadn't offended Eldin. The Light Spirit probably would have said something if he did. Eldin was not shy about speaking its mind. He had a small drink of water from the waterskin that he was carrying and tentatively stood up.
He felt fine, or at least as fine one can feel after throwing up. He had sat in the shade of the Sanctuary for about ten minutes, not speaking to Midna and simply resting his body. Either the rest of the time was what did the trick. Now that his head was done spinning he needed to go talk to Ralis.
Link found the young prince seated in the same spot he was yesterday, in the same manner. Ralis was sitting cross-legged near his father's grave, staring at the decorative pool that was at the center of the Zora grave site. This time there were no ducks but Ralis stared all the same, lost in thought. The sun had dipped below the rim of the canyon wall, putting the prince and his father's grave in shadow.
The prince looked up at him when he approached, and then away. He looked guilty, having the sense to realize that he had screamed at someone who had came to console him. "Link." the Zora said.
"Ralis." This time, he didn't sit down. He was passive in the conversation last time, and he didn't plan on being so this time. "I need to talk to you."
"You needed to talk to me yesterday, and I was a fool." The prince got to his feet and looked up at Link. "I apologize for shouting at you."
"It's fine. I understand how you feel." He shook his head. "You were upset, and I can't blame you. Both losing a parent and having a role you don't want pushed onto you are difficult."
"Do you understand?" Ralis frowned at him. "I know that you do not want to be the hero, but-"
"My family is dead, Ralis." Link cut him off. "They were killed five years ago, when I was a boy like you. I don't know how Zoras age, but I was twelve years old at the time." Usually it was hard to say, but this time he knew he needed to talk about it and it was far easier. "I hid away by Ordona's Spring in the town there, and the Light Spirit watched me as I grew. It knew who and what I would grow into." He tapped at his chest with his fingertips. "I'm the hero, but I don't want to be. How I feel about it doesn't change anything. Whether my parents are alive or not doesn't change anything. There is something that only I can do, because it's what I was born for. It's why I exist."
Ralis lowered his eyes, looking ashamed. He had obviously assumed that his troubles were unique, and that Link wouldn't understand. The young Zora was quiet, so Link continued.
"I hated the gods for making me what I am. I'm still not thrilled about it." He looked at his left hand, where he knew Courage was. "Still, I know why I'm here. There are lives that would have been lost if it wasn't for me. Your people would be dead, and so would you. The Gorons would have lost their patriarch, and the round-eared humans left in this town would have been killed." He made a fist, and every briefly saw Courage light up. How did he do that? Ralis didn't seem to notice, his eyes still on the ground. "I'm telling you these things because I not only want you to know that I understand how you feel, but also so you know why I'm coming to you for help."
"You need my help?" The Zora Prince raised his eyes to meet Link's. "Why? What can a young Zora like myself do for you, the Hero of Hyrule?"
"I'm fighting a war, Ralis. It's me against an entire invading army and the man who leads them. He's the man who froze your people and executed your mother. He had sent invaders to Goron lands to do the same, and sent them down to where my home in Ordon was. He even killed King Adelbert and imprisoned Princess Zelda. I don't know what Zant's goal is, only that he must be stopped." That was a lot of information to unload on the poor prince, but he needed to be told. Ralis was intelligent, and his mind would be able to keep up. Link put a hand to his chest. "Midna. It's time to come out."
The little shadowy imp darted out from Link's body and Ralis made a startled sound, his formality forgotten. "My name is Midna, and I come from a far-away land." She introduced herself with a bow, as she had done before. "Zant killed the king of my homeland and named himself leader. When I tried to stand up to him, he cursed me with this body. Once he had conquered my people, he came to Hyrule to do the same. Link and I are working together and combining our powers to defeat him. He has the powers of light, and I have the powers of shadow."
Ralis seemed to absorb this information, and then furrowed his brow quizzically. "What would you have me do, then?"
She waved a hand and the two other fragments of the Fused Shadows orbited around her, suddenly formed out of dark squares. "Your people know what this relic is. It's what they've been asked to guard for a long time, just like the Gorons and Kokiri were. I grew up in a land of shadow, and I can use the Fused Shadows without being influenced by them. Zant has found a source of power that is not like the shadow magic my people use; instead it's a dark, twisted magic. It transforms people into black beasts, and coats the land in a magical field that only those with the gift of magic can see."
"We've removed that field from Hyrule." Link said. "With the Twilight gone, Zant's magic is weakened. This would be the time to attack him, but the Fused Shadows isn't complete. Midna needs the last fragment that is in your temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia." He turned to her and nodded. "Bring out what we found earlier."
The pieces of the Fused Shadows vanished, and the two bladed tonfa appeared in the air instead in a quick flash of black squares. Link carefully took them in his hands and extended them handle-first towards Ralis. "That is why I need your help. I want you to guide us, Ralis. Please, take us to Lake Hylia and let us finish what we've started. For Hyrule."
The prince looked down at the blades in Link's hands, and then the Zora raised his cat-like eyes to meet the Hylian's. He looked at him critically, and then nodded. "All that you have said to me is true. I can see it in your eyes: the determination despite your frustrations, and the hope you have that we can save our home." He reached out and took his weapons, grasping them in his clawed hands. "I cannot refuse you, no matter how I feel. I cannot refuse my people either. Both you and I must step into the roles we were made for in order to protect our home."
"So then existential crisis averted?" Link asked.
To his surprise, Ralis laughed. "Crisis averted. No one said we had to be happy with our lot in life, only that we must keep living it." It was almost exactly what Renado had said a week ago. His smile faded. "I should have known you would have had these words for me. I dreamt of my mother while I was delirious in Castle Town, and she told me to trust the young Hylian man with deep blue eyes. I did not understand at the time, but once I was able to look at you with a clear head, I knew that I must go with you. All became clear last night, when she visited my dreams again." Ralis' eyes became distant. "It was odd...I knew that I was asleep, yet I was dreaming. There was this white plain that I stood upon, and the sky above was full of stars. My mother spoke to me in that place, as clear as it was when she spoke to me every day in our Domain. She said that you and I must rely on one another, and as the next king I must guide you on your quest."
It was the same dream that Link had when he met the knight's spirit. The place with the white fog and the stars was not just a dream, but an actual place that linked the worlds of the living and the dead. The knight had said that he may return to that place if he concentrated. Could he go there if he chose to?
"You will need special armor to reach the bottom of Lake Hylia." Ralis interrupted his thoughts. "It is far too deep for a human to swim to."
"We already have that." Midna said, reclining in the air with her arms behind her large head. "Rutela gave it to Link once she knew you were healed and going to survive. All that's left is for us to go to the lake."
"You have the armor my father made?" The prince smiled. "Why should I ask that? Of course you do. What you need to do, you must. The stars align so the Hero of Hyrule may achieve his goal and save us all."
"I wouldn't say that everything goes my way, but there have been a bunch of coincidences for sure." And then there were some things he didn't see coming, like the undead in Kasuto or Ilia losing her memories. It wasn't all smooth sailing.
"When do we leave?" Ralis kept the blades in his hands. While he did have a thin silver belt on, it didn't have any kind of holster or sheath for his weapon. He probably grabbed the weapons in a hurry and left the sheaths behind.
"Now, if you're ready. The sooner we can do this, the better." Although that would mean one more teleportation, and he dreaded doing that. He motioned to Ralis to follow him and began walking to the entrance of the graveyard.
"Let us at least tell Renado that we are leaving. I am sure he will want to know that we are entering South Eldin." The prince trailed him, weapons in hand.
"We won't be going that way." Midna floated along the two of them while they were still in the shade of the canyon wall. "I have a spell that can send us to Lake Hylia straight from Eldin's Spring."
"You can use shadow magic to do that?" Ralis seemed surprised. "Fascinating! And you were able to use it to bring my blades to me from wherever you had kept them. I do not know who you are, but I can tell that your magic is far beyond that of anyone I know."
Midna grinned and put her little hands to her cheeks. "Stop, you'll make me blush!" She looked at the approaching patch of sun in the western half of the graveyard. "Whoops, this is where I disappear. The sun hurts me, so I hide in the shadows on Link." She turned into a blob of shadow and merged with him.
"I had no idea you had such a companion, Link." The prince seemed impressed by Midna. "She has considerable power even though she has been cursed."
"If the three of us are going to the temple together, you'll see other things she can do." Hopefully there would be no fighting this time. He doubted that Bulbins were able to get into the temple, even with Lake Hylia's water level being low.
Renado was not hard to find, although they happened upon him by chance. Link had just happened to turn his head to look into the Sanctuary as they walked past, and he could see the tall outline of the shaman reading near the library, backlit by the window across the way.
The tall man was still in the sleeveless shirt, and he looked up when they entered the Sanctuary.
"Ralis?" Renado closed his book and tucked it under his arm. "Are you feeling better now?"
"I am. Link gave me a good talking to, and I came to see reason." He smiled, showing his sharp teeth. "I did not expect it, but he seemed to know the right things to say to get my attention."
"Renado." Midna said from somewhere on Link's body. "The three of us are going to Lake Hylia now. We wanted to tell you and no one else, since you know how we're really traveling."
"Of course. I don't suppose I can watch you teleport? Your magic is fascinating." He looked Link up and down, not exactly sure where to look when speaking to her. "Where are you right now, anyway?"
"Between his tunic and his armor. You can watch, but Link needs to get changed first." She materialized. "And that means I have to stop being lazy and riding on him. Oh well."
"What, you think I need to put the armor on now?" He realized it was a stupid thing to ask as soon as he said it. "Oh, that's right. If the lake level went up at all, the portal is probably right over the water."
"And you don't exactly have a spot to change in Lakeside at this hour. Maybe if it was the middle of the night, sure." She waved a hand and the wrapped parcel that contained the Zora Armor appeared. "At least here you have some privacy."
"I suppose you're right." He unpinned his cloak and took it off. It was plenty dry by now. "Will you be able to stow my clothing away? I don't know how much space you have."
"I have enough as long as there are shadows somewhere. I should take your bow and arrows too. I don't think you'll be using those underwater." She patiently waited while Link began to remove his gear and clothing.
"I know that you and Midna are friends, but do you really intend to change in front of a lady?" Renado asked.
"We worked our way past that and it doesn't offend me anymore. Me seeing his bare butt on accident might have had something to do with that." She laughed when Link turned a bit red at that. "Sure, you worry about that now. You didn't seem to worry about it at the time."
"I was injured, exhausted and I just wanted to sit in the hot spring. It wasn't my fault you didn't turn around in time." He held up his cloak to her and it vanished in shadowy shapes. "Even so, she gives me privacy for certain things. I don't want her coming along when I take a bath."
"Believe me when I say that neither one of us wants that." She waved her hand at his quiver and bow, and they vanished too. "Hmm, I wonder if I could make your clothes disappear off your body? It probably would be faster."
Link pointed a finger at her. "No. Absolutely not."
It didn't take that much longer to do it the proper way instead of Midna's shortcut. He knew that the Zora Armor fit well, but putting it on he was still amazed that it really seemed like it was made for him. Ralis waited patiently nearby while Renado watched out the front window of the Sanctuary to make sure none of the girls were coming.
Ralis stepped forward and touched the Zora scales on the armor. "Some of these are my father's scales, the white ones." He smiled a bit. "He made this when I was small, well over twenty years ago. It's strange, but even though he made it before you were born, it seems like it was made for you."
"I thought that too." He put on the last part of the armor, the sapphire necklace that clipped around his neck and onto the back of the armor's collar. "What is this necklace for?"
"It allows you to see underwater like my people do. A human's eyes are only suited for seeing in air, and they cannot see very well in the dark." He touched one of his father's scales again. "The chest is both to allow you to withstand water pressure and to protect you in a fight. It's supposed to be as strong as regular scale mail despite being made of Zora scales. The mask lets you breathe underwater, and the boots are what allows you to swim as we do."
"You certainly know a lot." Midna said, hovering nearby.
"One of the things the royal family must do is know about the magic relics that we keep. Since my people are long-lived, we will always have a few that will remember how particular magical items will work if they are ever needed." He frowned up at her. "Although I am still concerned about the Fused Shadows. You say that you cannot be corrupted by them, but the Interlopers used the same shadow magic and fell to the power of the relic."
"You can trust me. I have a personal beef with Zant, and I'm not going to screw it up just because some old dusty relic suggests that I destroy things." That confirmed it. The Fused Shadows were talking to her, and they were trying to convince her to use their power. Link had fallen under their spell too easily in Lanayru's vision, and to the addicting feeling of satisfaction when he gave in. He had no idea if that's how they were in reality, or if it was due to him seeing through another man's eyes. He needed to have faith in her. "I've been wearing this piece of the Fused Shadows on my head for well over a month now, and all it's done is complain a little bit about me not listening. It still lets me use its power. Trust me Ralis, if there was anybody suited to use this thing, it's me."
"You never told me it was talking to you." Link hadn't realized that it had been speaking to her from the very beginning, even though he had realized it was doing so lately. It was about time to broach the subject with her.
"Of course I didn't. You'd just worry about it. I wouldn't get out of hand with you and the Light Spirits around, even if I was dumb and actually listened to it." She moved in front of his face and put a hand under his chin. "Don't make sad eyes at me thinking about what you'd need to do if that happened. We're fine. This is not any different than that incredible power you have when you fight. You could lose yourself to that rage and become dangerous, but you don't let it."
"I don't see how that's a good comparison. My problem is I do lose myself to anger and fight that way because of it." He sighed. "Look, let's not talk about this right now. If you say that you're capable of controlling the relic, then I'm going to trust you."
"Good boy." She patted his chin. "Let's go out to the spring and be on our way."
After she hid in the shadow beneath his feet, Link left the Sanctuary with the others and stood in the shade on the side of the building. He intentionally did not bring them near where he was sick, because that would bring up awkward questions.
Midna appeared in the nearby shade. "All right, Ralis. This might feel a bit weird, but what's going to happen is we're going through that portal up there, and we'll pop out of a different one on the other side of Hyrule over Lake Hylia. We're going to drop into the water, so be prepared."
Ralis looked down at the weapons in his hands, and then nodded. He hadn't set them down yet, but then again he had nowhere to put them.
Link shut his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. This was the last time for now. Yes, for now. He would have to do it again later, but that was hours away. This was the last one for the time being. He could handle it.
"Are you all right?" Renado asked him, his voice nearby. It sounded like he was a few steps away, likely keeping his distance for the spell.
"He gets sick from the teleportation spell. We're not sure why." Midna's voice was still coming from the same place.
He refused to open his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Can we go?"
"Thank you once again, Renado." Ralis' voice said to the right of him. "The Zora people owe you for what you have done, and Ilia as well. Please tell her that I shall think of her often, and she is always welcome to visit Zora's Domain."
"You hear that, Link? I think the prince is muscling in on your girl." Her tone was amused.
He opened his eyes to angrily glare at her. "I told you, she's not my girl." The words had barely left his mouth when everything around him fragmented into pieces and shot up into the sky accompanied with the strange staccato tune. There was no point in trying to close his eyes now, and he felt a surge of anger at Midna for teleporting them at that exact second. She probably thought she was being funny. He was most definitely not amused.
Since his eyes were open he was able to see the lake form beneath them, the water dark gray beneath a gloomy sky. Once the scene had assembled and the odd song ended he felt himself drop into the water. He bobbed to the surface and began to tread water as the dizziness hit him, making a dramatic groan that sounded like fake sobbing. "I hate this. I haaaate this…"
"Maybe we can ask Renado for some medicine? He might have something that can help." Her voice came from within the helmet of his armor, but it carried across the open water. Hearing her speak brought his temper back.
"I don't want medicine, I want you to not be an asshole! You did that on purpose! You made that crack about Ilia just so I would open my eyes, didn't you?!" He was genuinely angry.
"Oh, come on. You're not going to get over it if you shut your eyes all the time." She sounded like it was no big deal. "You don't have to get so mad about it."
"Midna, I am angry because you did something yet again without talking to me first. You did it again, like some kind of vindictive bitch that wants to get me back for something I did earlier! What the hell did I do this time? Or was it just to be funny?!" He continued to tread water while ranting. He hadn't felt angry enough to shout in a while, not since Death Mountain.
Unlike Death Mountain, Midna did not take offense this time. She understood why Link had a temper. "Wow, you're really pissed off."
"I am absolutely pissed off. And also sick to my stomach. But mostly pissed off!" His angry voice echoed across the open water of Lake Hylia. The dark clouds above reflected his mood.
"You might want to stop shouting and swearing in front of Ralis." She didn't sound like she was talking down at him, but his angry brain took it that way. "He's looking at you like you suddenly burst into flames."
Link stopped with his mouth open, about to say something else, and then turned in the water to look at where Ralis' head floated above the surface. The Zora Prince was looking at him with a wary expression, not quite sure what to make of the angrily shouting hero he was supposed to accompany to the temple. "Oh. Uh." What could he say?
"It's all right, Ralis. Link has problems with his temper." Midna said from within the shadows of his helmet. "It's usually when he's feeling lousy, like right now."
Ralis' green eyes darted away. "Here I thought I had problems…" There was a rumble of thunder from above.
"Say hello to the Hero of Hyrule, a walking pile of complexes." she said cheerily.
"If you want me to not be angry, then you'd better stop talking." Link grated through his teeth.
"Is this anger tied in to the anger you have while fighting?" Ralis asked, still looking cautious. "Will I suddenly have my hands full with a furious Hylian attacking everything in sight?"
He sighed. "Yes. And no. Some things happened to me that really messed with my mind, and now I have problems controlling my anger. The rage you saw was something else, but I think it's also related. I don't want to go into details about it. I promise that I'm only angry at Midna, and not you."
"I will take your word for it. A storm is moving in so we should go beneath the surface. One of the worst places to be in a thunderstorm is out in an open lake." Fat drops of rain began to fall as Ralis spoke. "Put the mask over your nose and mouth. You will be able to speak underwater as well as breathe."
"Uh, right." He pulled the wet mask that was around his neck up over his face, and once he did so he found that the inside of it only felt mildly damp. It fit even more snugly on his face now that he had it in the water.
"Good." The prince nodded in approval. "Now follow me." His head slid beneath the water, leaving Link alone at the surface while a thunderstorm moved in. He felt a bit anxious about using the mask to breathe and hesitated.
"It's fine, Link." Midna told him. "I won't let you drown, and I doubt Ralis would either."
"Yeah, okay." He stopped treading water and slipped beneath the surface. The water of Lake Hylia was dark but his eyes immediately adjusted. He found that nothing looked blurry, and he could see as clearly as he could when on dry land.
"Are you holding your breath?" the purple Zora asked him once Link had dropped down to his level in the water. Ralis' mouth moved, but the way he moved it seemed different than how he would normally pronounce the words. No bubbles came from his mouth, so he was using a different method to speak underwater.
He nodded, slowly kicking his legs to keep his position in the water. Drawing a breath before going underwater was habit, and he did it without thinking of the magical armor he was wearing.
"Let it out." Ralis instructed. He smiled, able to see Link's worried expression just by looking at his eyes, the only thing that was visible of his face. "It's all right. The magic will protect you, and I would not let you drown."
He had to do it sooner or later, so he let his breath out and watched as the bubbles rose to the surface a dozen feet above. That left him no choice but to take a tentative breath. It felt normal. What entered his lungs was not water, but air. He blinked in surprise and laughed, the bubbles flowing from his mask. Link touched at the mask in front of his nose and mouth. "Can I speak all right…?" When he found that he could he laughed again, this time a bit giddily.
"That mask will remain in place unless you remove it. I do not recommend that." Ralis was still giving him a kind, reassuring smile. He seemed to understand how the experience could be frightening to a human. "Would you like to learn how my people swim? Your armor will give your body the strength to do so."
"Please, show me." He had noticed that despite treading water for a while, he didn't feel tired in the least. Not that he was a bad swimmer, but even good swimmers tire out eventually.
The young Zora swam around him in a big loop in the swift, undulating manner that all Zoras swam in. He propelled himself with his strong webbed feet and steered with the fins on his arms. The bladed weapons he still carried did not seem to effect his swimming ability. "You do not kick your legs, you move them together as one."
"Right…" He saw the prince do it, but still wasn't sure. "One more time, if you don't mind?"
Ralis went around him a few more times, moving more slowly so Link could watch the full-body movement and learn. It took a bit of practice, but he found that he didn't need to use his arms much at all. Most of the movement was from his torso, his legs following the same fluid line of movement as he shot through the water. Soon he was able to keep up with Ralis, having a feel for the style of swimming. Every once in a while a flash of lightning would illuminate the surface of the water above them.
"Excellent." The prince said. "Before long, you will be swimming up waterfalls."
"Can I really do that?" He knew that Zoras could swim up waterfalls, but he didn't think it was possible for a human, magical assistance or not.
"Certainly, with practice. The armor was made to allow you access all of our Domain, including the parts only reachable by waterfall. That is not our goal right now, however." The Prince looked around, getting his bearings. Link had no idea how he could tell where they were; the shale drop-offs that staggered their way down from the shore all looked the same to him. "I believe you can keep up with me. We will be heading down this way." He pointed down at an angle into the gloom of the deeper water. "Please, follow me."
Link discovered a new, unfamiliar kind of fear as he followed Ralis down into the blue-black emptiness that was at the bottom of Lake Hylia. Green-blue was all around him and there was no sign of the bottom or the shore, or even the surface above. He felt like he was lost despite following the prince, and vulnerable in the open water. With no landmarks it felt like he was making no progress as he swam, like he was stuck in one spot and unable to escape it, time losing meaning as he continued to swim after the prince. He did his best not to panic, but it was a battle that he gradually began to lose.
"Are you all right?" Midna asked after a while. "You're shaking."
She probably would have picked up on it earlier if he hadn't been swimming hard for a while. His heart was probably beating fast, and his pulse was usually her indicator for how he was feeling. "I'll be fine." he said tersely, panting a bit from the effort of swimming the Zora way. Even with the armor, the long swim was taxing.
"You're scared." she said, stating it instead of asking. When he didn't answer, she spoke in a kind, reassuring tone. "It's all right. I'm with you, so I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She had saved his life a few times by now, the last being the jump off the Great Bridge of Hylia when she broke the surface tension of the water, or perhaps when she pulled him out of the path of the giant water beetle.
She had done so before, but it didn't help him feel any better right now. He was trying to focus on the rhythm of swimming as they descended into blue darkness, but the fear kept gnawing away at his concentration. "Keep talking to me. Please." Maybe she could distract him.
"Sure. I'll tell you about that races of Hyrule book I was reading. How is that for a subject?" It wasn't the most interesting thing for her to talk about, but it was something.
"Fine." Was Ralis getting farther ahead? He heard his own voice go up in pitch as cold fear settled into his stomach. "Just talk to me about anything."
"There are far more races in your light world than we've encountered. Sure, there are lots of monsters, but they're considered as such because they're not as advanced. A Moblin isn't going to make magical arrows like Bulbins can, right?" She was asking him a question. Good. If she engaged him in conversation, it would distract him better.
"Right." Ralis was getting farther ahead, but he was also leading him towards a brighter spot in the water ahead. It was hard to see what it was, and his fear wasn't slacking much. He felt like crying.
"There are two races that used to live here that don't anymore. One are Keatons, the fox people. They use a lot of shadow magic for subterfuge just like Sheikah do, but they also have elemental magic. Have you ever heard of Keatons?"
"There's a character that children like with that name. He's yellow with a fox face." There was a collection of Keaton books, the stories having been written centuries ago. His copies from when he was younger were probably still buried underneath the rubble of his home in Kasuto.
"Interesting, so that's the legacy they left behind in Hyrule. How are we doing?" It probably would be better if she didn't ask him questions about his fear, but a question was a question.
"Still scared. Keep at it." The brighter spot was something on the lake bottom, lit by something bioluminescent. The darkness below proved to be the rocky bottom of the lake. Even though Ralis was getting farther ahead with time, there was somewhere to swim to. It was at the bottom of a very deep lake, but it was still a destination.
"The other one is a race of bird people, called the Rito. They can fly, and are known to be good hunters. They like to use bows in most of their hunting and combat. Kind of how Zoras prefer spears." She paused. "Is that it up ahead?"
The light grew brighter and he could see that it lit two rows of pale stone pillars that were set into a carved depression on the lake bottom. Next to the pillars was a looming cliff of dark stone that wasn't made of crumbling layers like the shale was. A large double-door of the same stone was set into the side of the cliff, dully lit by orb lanterns of some glowing substance. There were a group of Zoras patrolling near the temple, far more than the four he had seen the other day. Other soldiers had been able to make it down the river to Lake Hylia.
Link felt a wave of relief at seeing the temple and the Zoras. There were people other than him and Ralis now, and that in itself was a comfort. "Yeah, that looks like it's it. I'm all right now." He was feeling a bit winded from the swim, so he paused to take a few more deep breaths, bubbles streaming from his mask. "Thanks for helping me."
"No problem. You're a really brave guy and other than spiders, you're not afraid of much." Midna said. "Seeing you scared like that bothers me. I feel like I need to help you somehow, even though I don't know what I could do." Her voice became quieter. "After Kasuto, I don't want you to feel that way again."
He felt a warmth in his chest for this unlikely friend that would worry about him like that. They hadn't known each other for long, but by now he felt close to her. They had been through so much together. No, it wasn't that they had been both through much; he had been through much, and Midna had been there supporting him. Link thought that he should say something about it, but he didn't know how to put it into words. The only other person he felt close to was Ilia, and Midna knew how he felt about her. He didn't want to cause a misunderstanding.
"I appreciate it." was all he said. Maybe they would talk about their odd friendship another time, but for now Ralis was slowing as he neared the temple.
Three Zoras swam out to meet their prince, and even though it was dim near the lake bottom, Link could still see the faint red of Captain Jorvan's scales. The tall, muscular Zora appeared even larger now that he was swimming. He carried his silvery spear across his back, and he gave a graceful bow. The other two with him bowed as well, and Link recognized them as the dark blue and green Zoras that had been with Jorvan when the water level of Lake Hylia was low, although their scales looked black this far down.
"My prince!" Captain Jorvan said, sounding excited at finding their missing liege. "I had gotten word from the Domain that you had gone missing. My heart was heavy not knowing what had become of you. I'm glad that you are safe."
"Thank you, Captain Jorvan." Ralis said. "If you have gotten word from the Domain, then you know what has happened there?"
Jorvan averted his yellow eyes. "Yes. My prince, I must bear this harsh news to you-"
"My mother has been killed." Ralis interrupted him, sparing him the pain of telling the prince about the loss of his mother. "I know. I appreciate your willingness to tell me such sad news."
Jorvan bowed again. "Thank you, Prince Ralis." He looked up at Link, as if noticing him for the first time. "A human? Wait...is he wearing the armor…?"
"Yes. He is not only human, but he is Hylian. We have all seen what has happened to Hyrule of late, so this young man's presence at the bottom of the lake is no coincidence. He is the next Hero of Hyrule, and like previous ones he is named Link." It wasn't surprising that Ralis knew about previous heroes, being part of the royal family. It wasn't any different than how the Goron elders knew.
Jorvan looked over Link's shoulder. "Yet that is not the hero's blade he carries, but an ordinary sword. Is he truly the hero?" There was a specific sword for the hero? Link did remember hearing something about that, but the child hero never used it.
"He has been chosen by the gods. The Light Spirit Eldin even said so, I heard it speak to him. A weapon alone is not what makes a hero, and he has proven himself many times." The purple-scaled Zora gestured at Link, weapons still in his hands. "He saved my life, and it was he who melted the ice in our home to free our people."
Link was hung up on the sword. "What sword are you talking about? Is there a specific sword I should be using?"
"Do not worry yourself with that detail." Ralis said. "If you are meant to carry it, that means you simply have not happened upon it yet. It certainly is not needed for what we are doing here." He turned back to the captain. "Captain Jorvan, how is the state of our Temple?"
"It has come to no harm, and the shadow beasts likely had no idea it was here." Jorvan turned and gestured to the large doors set into the rock face. "We sealed it anyway, as a precaution."
The prince nodded in approval. "A wise decision. Forgive me, but I must ask you to open it again. Link requires one of the relics hidden in the temple, and I will accompany him to retrieve it."
"My prince, I would advise against that. There is a large beast inside the Temple that didn't used to be there, and it is far too powerful for our warriors to fight. We had to abandon the Temple, and I fear that monsters may have occupied it in our absence. Hero or not, I cannot trust your safety to him." Jorvan fixed his yellow eyes on Link. "No offense."
"None taken. I understand doubting me, since you've only known me for five minutes." He felt that he had finally caught his breath despite treading water next to Ralis and the three other Zoras. The swim had been tiring, but as always his stamina was quick to return. "That beast you mentioned? That's the relic itself. It has the power to curse animals and people and turn them into dark monsters. I've already seen it happen in the Faron Woods, and up on Death Mountain."
Captain Jorvan wasn't pleased to hear this information. "Is it truly necessary for you to use such a thing, hero? Forgive my doubts, but as a guardian of our Temple I must be cautious."
"Unfortunately, yes. I have an ally that can use the relic safely, and she's going to use it to help me defeat the King of Shadows and his army. That's the man who froze Zora's Domain and killed Queen Rutela. He's also the man that has been capturing Hylians and turning them into Shadow Beasts." He smirked beneath his mask, and then realized that the Zora couldn't see it. "I've been playing catch up to try to undo the damage. If we get the last bit of the Fused Shadows, then it put a stop to everything."
"I must go into the temple in any case." Ralis held up his two weapons. "I left the sheathes for these behind in my haste to escape the Domain, and I know that I can find a replacement in the Temple." He sighed and slumped a bit. The underwater sigh was odd, the gills on his abdomen flaring instead of the usual exhalation of air. "I am so very tired of carrying the wretched things."
The red-scaled Zora gave a faint smile, not as gruff as he originally seemed. "Then I have no choice but to admit the two of you. My prince, would you like an escort? Any of us guardians would be honored to accompany you."
"Should they come, Link? I understand you need my help, but perhaps a few of the Temple's guardians will make the process of retrieving the Fused Shadows easier." Prince Ralis was deferring to the hero, and the three guardians who had swam up to meet them seemed a bit surprised at this.
"No. Jorvan said that they can't beat the beast in there, so I don't want to put any more lives at risk than necessary. The Fused Shadows is dangerous, and the fewer people that are exposed to it, the better." He met the eyes of each of the three guardians as he spoke to seem more confident. "I know you're worried about Ralis, but I know I can keep him safe. If anything seems too dangerous, I'll have him hang back until I take care of it."
"Forgive me…" said the green-scaled Zora. "But you are only one Hylian, and a young one at that. I accept that you are the hero, but I don't see how you can be strong enough to defeat something that we can't. We guardians have been serving for decades, and Captain Jorvan for over a century."
"You have not seen him fight; I have." The Zora Prince was more than willing to defend him. "I do not doubt the prowess of our warriors, but Link is something else entirely. I watched him defeat twenty Bulbins in only a few minutes."
"To be fair it was only eighteen." Link said with a shrug. "I tried to blow up their king, but he was able to chuck the bomb away before it went off. He doesn't count." He wasn't going to mention that he was only be able to do it because he was under the influence of the beast. He certainly wasn't going to mention that the same rage let him kill about thirty only a few days before, either. They probably wouldn't believe him.
"Ah, was that what the explosion was? I was unable to tell. I thought that they were 'chucking' bombs at you." Hearing the formal young Zora use the word "chucking" was funny, but Link didn't dare chuckle. Ralis nodded once at the green-scaled Zora. "I understand your reservations, but our hero is more than capable of taking care of whatever is inside our Temple."
"If you have faith in him, then I will as well." said Jorvan, who was well over one hundred years old, by what the green Zora was saying. "Come with us. We will open the temple, and then you may proceed." The red Zora turned and swam back to the temple entrance, the other two guardians in tow.
Link was sick of the up-and-down undulating swimming, and thankfully the Zoras swam in a straight line simply by kicking their webbed feet. He was able to do the same, and the short distance to the pillars was a far easier swim. As they swam between the carved stone pillars, the globes of light hanging from chains proved to be glass balls that contained some variety of algae, or perhaps moss. They cast a blue-green light, and due to the presence of dozens of them the front of the Zora's temple was well-lit. There were square chambers carved into the rock walls, rooms for some purpose or another.
Captain Jorvan ordered the remaining guardians to open the doors, and then he aided them by grabbing a length of rope from one of the rooms. The other seven did as well, and the group swam up to the massive black-stoned doors that were set into the bottom of the tall cliff face. Each door had a large metal ring set into its center, and four Zoras looped four ropes around each ring. Then the eight Zora held their ropes and swam, slowly pulling the twin doors open with an overly-loud grating sound. Everything underwater seemed to be a bit louder than it was on land.
"Wow. Color me impressed." Link said, watching the guardians pull the door open with their swimming strength alone. "I guess if your people are strong enough to swim up a waterfall, they can do things like that."
Jorvan returned to them once the door was open, his crimson scales sickly-looking in the green light. "Hero, please be cautious. We had to leave our post when the lake level was low in order to protect Lakeside from the Shadow Beasts. The Temple had not been closed at that time, so something may have entered while we were away. Be prepared for anything."
"Thanks. We should only be in there a few hours. If we don't come out by dawn, then come looking for us. I don't know how big your temple is, but that should give us plenty of time to get what we came for." He turned to Ralis. "Lead the way."
The hero and the prince swam through a natural entryway, a cavern in the rock face that slowly snaked upwards. The Hylian and the Zora did not swim in the up-and-down motion, but propelled themselves forward with only their legs. The glowing moss was here and there in the crevices of the cave, and pale pink coral grew in the near-darkness, providing shelter for eels that had long whiskers almost like catfish. The natural stone began to have lighter gray stone intermixed with it, the blocks carefully cut to fill in spots of the long cavern to render the walls concave and smooth.
The cave turned almost straight upwards, and it led them to a light that shone above the rippling surface of the water, the cavern ending somewhere with a pocket of air. Ralis knew exactly where he was going, and stepped on a set of partially-submerged stairs as he exited the water. When Link popped his head above the surface, he could see that he was in a large round room that had a natural stone ceiling. Stalactites of pale limestone hung from the ceiling, and the walls were carved with patterns of fish and underwater plants.
"Is your thalassophobia feeling better?" The purple Zora asked Link as he climbed the stairs out of the water.
"Yeah, thanks." Sound did carry better underwater, so Ralis probably heard his panic. He had been speaking to Midna, but he doubted that Ralis could hear her part of the conversation as she was trying to distract him. Considering there was absolutely nothing to see, it probably was easy to deduce why he was panicking. "There's an actual phobia for that?"
"Yes, it's the fear of open water. Technically it's the fear of the ocean, but it can apply to a lake as large as Lake Hylia." The prince gave him a reassuring smile. It was strange to be comforted by a child that had the patience of an adult. "I assumed that is what was frightening you. There was very little else to see at the time. I should have warned you that we would swim some miles without any landmarks."
"Miles? We swam for miles?" He had no idea they had gone that far. Lake Hylia surely wasn't that deep, was it? No, they had gone down at an angle, according to how Ralis had pointed before he lead the way. "No wonder I'm tired."
Midna glided out of his helmet and briefly obscured his vision with shadow as she did so, and he had the odd sight of Ralis looking as if he was seen through smoked glass. "I think I had a better gauge of time since I wasn't afraid, so I'd say you were swimming for well over an hour." she informed him.
Link huffed a sigh and put a hand to his stomach. "That would explain why my muscles ache. Swimming like a Zora uses a lot of stomach and back muscles. No wonder most Zoras have defined abdominal muscles."
"You do too, you know." Midna said, patting at his belly. "Not as much as a Zora, but you certainly have the body of somebody who uses his muscles a lot. What the heck did you do in Ordon, bench-press those goats?"
He gave an annoyed snort. "Really, you're going to pick on me about that too?"
The imp gave a light shrug with the smallest of smiles touching the corners of her mouth. "I have to. It's how cranky girls like me express affection. I only do it from a place of love."
He shook his head at her and sharply exhaled out his nose instead of making a comment. Usually he would have thought of some comeback, but his brain was still fried from the adrenaline of his strange new phobia. Instead he turned to Ralis. "Do you know where we're going?"
"Yes. The piece of the Fused Shadows is not stored with any other relics due to the corrupting nature of its magic. It's at the very bottom of the temple." Ralis looked at the bladed tonfa in his hands. "However before we do that, I would like to visit the armory on the first floor. I would prefer to not carry these any longer."
"I could have always stored them away, you know." Midna said, floating over to the prince.
The Zora's mouth dropped open in chagrin. "I did not realize that was an option." He shrugged. "Oh well. Please, follow me." The boy prince made his way to a long sweeping double staircase that flanked a waterfall on either side. The waterfall fell into a knee-deep pool, which had two channels that ran to the pool of water they had just emerged from. Ralis stepped into the pool at the base of the waterfall, flexed his legs and shot up into it, weaving his way in and out of the swiftly falling water as he somehow swam against the current and rose upwards.
Link stepped into the pool and looked up, watching the purple-scaled Zora as he arced in and out of the waterfall in small jumps. He stood there for a moment and continued to watch Ralis, hands on his hips, and came to a decision. "Nope." he said, and then he exited the pool to use the left flight of stairs.
Ralis waited for him up top, the young Zora looking at the carved blue stone of the temple with a faint smile. "I have not been in here in over twenty years. Nothing has changed."
"You mentioned before that you were at least twenty years old. If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?" Midna asked him, hovering next to the prince. She did not need to use the stairs and had floated her way straight up.
"Thirty-seven." The prince did not seem offended at the question.
"Don't I feel like a baby in comparison." Link said, finally at the top of the stairs.
"Me too." The floating imp agreed, although she had never mentioned her age. Younger than thirty-seven was all he had to go off of. Perhaps she was closer to Link's age than he thought.
"I am at the end of adolescence and nearly an adult, but my people do not reach physical maturity as quickly as we reach mental maturity." Ralis looked down at his small, clawed hands as they clutched his weapons. "That is why I still look like a boy, even though I am the equivalent of Link's age. And...I am something of a late bloomer. Most other Zoras would be nearly adult height by thirty-five." He lowered his weapons again and nodded his head to the hall ahead. "We should continue on."
Ralis led them through a series of carved pillars that were spaced at regular intervals along the hall, no purpose to them other than ornamentation. Each pillar had a curved sconce with a strange white light source set into it that did not look as if it burned like a torch, the surface of them smooth like glass, or perhaps crystal. Whatever it was, it was another instance of the other races of Hyrule being more advanced than the Hylians. About halfway down the hall were two open doorways, and the prince led them into the left one.
"No…" he said in dismay, taking in the room as he entered. Once Link followed him through the doorway, he could see why: the room was in a state of disarray. Weapon racks that should have been full of silvery spears and swords were nearly empty or even knocked over, and the contents of chests were spilled on the floor, revealing assorted pieces of armor. There were a few crude bedrolls set up along the one side of the room, and not too far away a pile of fish bones and heads.
"Jorvan was right; something came in here." Link nudged at one of the tattered leather bedrolls.
"Lizalfos." Ralis confirmed, crossing the room to examine the chests. "They do not eat the bones or the heads of fish, and my people certainly would not leave a mess like this."
"If each of these beds is for one Lizalfos, then there's only five." He didn't have much experience with Lizalfos, and only knew what he had read. All he knew was that they were the smaller cousins of Dinolfos and that they were far brighter than Bokoblins and Moblins.
"They're Lizalfos; there is never only five." The Zora found what he was looking for in one of the undisturbed chests, and pulled out a pair of leather sheaths that were attached to a metal belt. "I am fortunate I am not the only one who uses this type of weapon."
Midna watched the prince set aside his blades and began to buckle the belt around his small waist. "You're going to put those away only to use them again in a minute. You know those Lizalfos can't be far."
"So? It will be a minute I am not carrying them." the prince replied to her comment, placing the two blades into their new sheathes. "Let us continue on."
The hallway extended not too much farther, and opened up into a large circular room made of the same blue and pink stone with accents of silver. The floor was covered in wave-patterned mosaics, set in with square tiles of blue and white stone. It circled around a large opening in the center of the room, with two archways leading to the left and the right. A shallow channel ran down the middle of each archway and to the edge of the circular floor. A chandelier of the blue stone hung above the center of the room, covered in the odd white light sources that appeared to be some kind of crystal. It lit the room far better than any candles or torches ever could.
The opening at center descended down multiple floors, four from what Link could see. There was water far below, and standing near the edge of it on a circular walkway was a group of three Lizalfos. Two more walked on the floor above, and the floor above that had a group of five. They were talking among themselves, sorting through piles of weapons and other odds and ends, some holding Zora spears, others holding their own unique weaponry. Some wore armor, some did not.
"They would dare invade this holy place…" Ralis hissed angrily, speaking quietly so the lizard monsters wouldn't hear. "They must have taken advantage of the low lake levels and the missing guards in order to swim in."
"Why would they want to be here?" Link asked just as quietly. "Were they after the weapons?"
The prince shook his head, glaring down at the oblivious Lizalfos that had pilfered the temple. "While this is a sacred place to us Zoras, there are many secrets here that we have hidden for centuries: weapons, magical relics, even ancient technology. Lizalfos are crafty, intelligent monsters. They know the kinds of things my people have hidden here and want them to arm their soldiers." Ralis bared his pointed teeth in a feral, angry snarl. "They likely plan on waging war against us Zoras again."
There was a growling shout from the right archway and a group of seven Lizalfos stood there, surprised to see three non-Lizalfos in the room they had just entered. Both groups drew their weapons at the same time but the Lizalfos struck first, running at Link's group with incredible speed. One of them closing in on Ralis said something in its hissing, snarling language. Much to Link's surprise, Ralis angrily responded in the same tongue. The prince's anger had increased to a rage, and he engaged the armored lizard monster with his bladed weapons.
"Go help him!" Link told Midna as two Lizalfos closed in on him. The remaining five went for Ralis, their hatred of Zoras leading them to focus on him. Midna shot forward in a shadowy streak and slammed into two Lizalfos near Ralis with the large fist on the end of her hair, sending them sprawling onto the wave-patterned floor.
That left Link with two heavily-armored Lizalfos with curved swords to face. The one on the right side of him was also left-handed and had a metal buckler on its right arm, so he decided to take on the left Lizalfos. It was not wearing as much armor, and after he disarmed it with a wide sweep, he was able to run it through in a gap between its breastplate and the loosely-attached scale mail that covered its abdomen. He had to quickly withdraw his blade from the dying monster and leap to the left to avoid a swing from the second one.
He heard a slam to his right but didn't look, assuming that it was Midna crushing one of the lizard monsters. The one in front of him was wearing banded mail and a half helmet, and had on a heavy banded skirt of leather and steel to protect its legs and tail. Its long neck was exposed enough that he might be able to decapitate it, but he was unsure of how strong their scales were. The monster was keeping up with him, about as fast as he was. That made it difficult for him to do much other than exchange blows with it that were either deflected by shield or sword. Between the armor and its fast speed, he was having a difficult time finding a weak point.
There was a gurgling scream to his right, and with a quick glance he saw that Ralis had managed to slit the throat of one of the Lizalfos, and it was falling to its knees while helplessly clutching at its ruined neck. Another Lizalfos weakly moved on the ground, likely slammed there by Midna, and the imp was now ignoring it and using her hair to bat away the weapons and attacks of the other lizard folk near Ralis. There were only four, but after seeing how quickly Ralis moved, he knew that he too was only about as fast as the Lizalfos.
A blur moved in his peripheral vision, and he instinctively raised his right arm to catch it. The sword scraped against his blue knight's shield, and he moved his eyes back to the armored monster as he deflected the blow. It chuckled in a gravelly, hissing sound.
"You're fast, but your little sword can't find a weakness." it said. Lizalfos could speak Hylian? The Lizalfos curled its three-fingered hand into a fist and pounded it on its armored chest. "My armor is solid, while you're not wearing much armor at all. I think I know what the outcome of this will be." The Lizalfos opened its toothy mouth wide in a louder, hissing laugh, mocking him.
He innately reacted to that red open mouth and the pink and purple tongue that harshly laughed at him. His arm moved swiftly and he impaled it through the roof of the mouth and up into its brain, just as he had the dodongo in the mines. Unlike the dodongo, the Lizalfos did not try to bite down on his arm, and instead gave such a violent shudder of pain that its armor rattled. "Shut up." Link muttered, planting his webbed boot on the dying monster's chest and kicking it off his blade. He had used the hero's strength to drive his sword through solid bone, but no longer wondered at it.
Ralis was frantically dancing between the four Lizalfos that surrounded him, dodging jagged and curved swords swung with almost equal speed. He managed to land a hit on a monster's side where there was a gap in its armor, but all his blade managed to do was nick the skin and then the prince had to jump out of the way again. Midna was unable to help; the last Lizalfos had stood up again and was jabbing furiously at her with its Zora spear. Its reach was long and her attempts to grab it were proving fruitless.
The bellies were the weak spot, just like they were on any two-legged creature. He had seen that there was far more armor on their fronts than their backs, and the brown and red scales that ran up their spines looked thick. However...if he could be strong enough to run his blade through a skull, he could be strong enough to run it through the scales. Maybe. It was entirely possible that it would get stuck, and he currently had no other weapon. It was also possible that fighting that way would dull the fine blade that Rusl had made. He opted to do something else in a split-second decision, and took a running start before launching himself with a spinning leap.
He tucked in his shield and rotated diagonally in mid-air, using both his momentum and his strength to bring his blade down on the neck of the Lizalfos that had its back to him. The sword sheared through scales, flesh and bone as it moved in a backhanded sweep from his spinning momentum, separating the monster's head from its neck at an angle. He caught a brief glimpse of Ralis' surprised eyes as the body of the Lizalfos dropped, and then Link's feet were on the ground again.
He didn't stop; he didn't slow. The momentum was there, so he tucked in his limbs and rolled to the side of the surprised Lizalfos that was directly in front of Ralis. The Hylian gathered his legs beneath him and shot up with his sword arm extended, cutting through the straps of the monster's banded mail. Link hopped backwards and out of range of the Lizalfos' weapon, but its attention was not on either Link or Ralis. It blinked its large round eyes and glanced down at the armor hanging free from its left side, alarmed that its underbelly was exposed.
Ralis did not hesitate. The prince swung his right blade low and across the Lizalfos' solar plexus. It sliced a large rent in the monster's skin, and its guts started to tumble out. The Lizalfos shrieked in pain and dismay and dropped its weapon in order to put its clawed hands to its belly in a futile attempt to hold in the loops of intestine, and it did not notice that Ralis was still crouched low. The Zora brought his left blade back across the throat of the doomed Lizalfos, able to reach its neck despite it looking down at its wound. It fell while still trying to hold in its guts.
Link was already moving once Ralis' blade had sliced through the Lizalfos' neck, and he sprinted at the next one to the Zora's right, bringing his sword up to parry its weapon while swinging his shield into its face. The backhanded motion caught the side of the Lizalfos' head, and there was the cracking sound of breaking bone. Its head snapped back once the wide sweep of the shield was finished, but it looked dazed, its broken jaw hanging slack. It didn't take much for Link to bring his sword back through its throat.
That left one armored Lizalfos, this one without a shield. Its round yellow eyes darted back and forth between the Hylian and the Zora, unsure of how it could escape the situation alive. It never came to that decision because a large orange hand clamped down on its head and twisted it around with a snap. When it fell over, Midna looked past where it had been standing to make eye contact with Link. She gave a single nod, and behind her was the one Lizalfos she had faced originally. It lay slumped on the ground with its spear sticking out of its head. Link wasn't the only one with the strength to push a blade through a skull.
"What is that?" Ralis asked, and Link turned his head to the prince, expecting him to be pointing at more Lizalfos. The prince was gesturing at him with his right tonfa, more specifically at his left hand.
Link raised his sword arm and saw Courage glowing through his glove. "I-" he began, but stopped when the golden light went out. How could he explain it to Ralis? Should he tell him what it is?
"You used it in a fight again." Midna said, coming to hover at his side. "I couldn't see how much this time. Last time it was flickering on and off, like a firebug."
"I noticed it when he brought his sword up to cut away the armor of the one Lizalfos. It was glowing the entire time I could see Link's hand." Ralis said. "Is it something he has used before? Some kind of magic?"
If there was anyone he could trust, it was the next King of the Zoras. "It's the Triforce of Courage. It's in my body." He lowered his sword, figuring that the triangles were not going to light up again. "I don't understand why yet, but Ordona told me earlier that it's most definitely Courage."
"Fascinating. I had heard that the Triforce was broken into its three basic parts, but never learned what became of it after the Gerudo War." He motioned to the arch across the way with his bloodied weapon. "Shall we move on?"
And that was that. Ralis did not have any other questions, completely unruffled by the fact that the current Hero of Hyrule was toting around a fragment of the gods' power in his body. Just as Ilia had accepted his fighting with the power of the beast, Ralis accepted him having Courage. It was simply part of who he was, and he was grateful the prince did not make a big deal of it.
Link followed him, still holding on to his sword and shield. A quick glance down the circular opening showed him that the Lizalfos on the lower levels had gone somewhere else, possibly up a different way to fight them. There was no way they hadn't heard the fight. "They can speak Hylian." He noted that Ralis had not put away his blades. Then again either one of them had anything to clean them on, and putting a bloodied weapon into a sheath is unwise.
"Some can, yes." The Zora Prince was leading them down a long hallway that had more of the white crystal lights along the walls, and patterns of waves carved out of layers of blue and pink stone. "They are considered monsters due to their crude behavior, but they are as intelligent as we are."
"Just like Bulbins. Except harder to fight than Bulbins. At least those don't have armored scales." They were walking in the low channel and approaching something blocking the path ahead, something large and blue.
"It certainly did not slow you down. I had only saw a bit of you fighting the Bulbins the other day, and I was not certain if I was seeing things or not. After fighting with you, I now know that you every bit as strong as I thought you were. Not to mention fast." He smiled over his shoulder. "We Zoras rely on our agility to fight both in and out of the water, but it is not common for a Hylian to fight in such a way. It is refreshing to see a human move as swiftly as a Zora."
He returned the Zora Prince's smile. "That's certainly a compliment. Thanks." He stopped, a few steps behind Ralis and Midna and looked up at the new obstacle in their way. In the middle of the hall was a large metal structure, a water wheel by the look of it. It was not moving since no water was flowing through the channel they stood in, and thick metal grating on either side of it blocked off the rest of the hall. The long metal spokes of the wheel were at such an angle that nothing was getting past it as it was. "I don't suppose you have a way to get past this? I can see there's more hall on the other side of the grates."
"Normally, three adult Zora are strong enough to move it when the water is not moving. However…" Ralis turned to Link. "We are an adolescent Zora, a young adult Hylian, and...whatever Midna happens to be. A shadow creature?"
"I'm normally human like Link, but I have an advantage right now." She lifted up her helmet ever so slightly so she could look at Ralis with both her eyes. "The more pieces of the Fused Shadows I've gotten, the stronger my abilities with it have become. I was able to levitate large lava rocks to melt the ice and free your people because I now have three fragments." She smiled and set the helmet back on her head properly. "If I can do that, I can move a little old water wheel."
"Excellent. It seems as if the Lizalfos have turned off the water mechanisms in order to prevent us from reaching them below. There are no other paths to the lower levels, but I know of something here that can aid us in reaching them. But for now…" The Zora gestured to the large metal wheel. "...if you would, please."
Midna reached out with her magical orange hair and formed the large hand on it to grasp at one of the lower blades of the wheel. There was a groan from the axle of the wheel as she lifted it, and she positioned the blades in such a way that a child and a slim Hylian could easily slip through.
"Hold it there, Midna." Ralis instructed. "When you let go, it will fall into its previous position. It is designed to keep unwanted visitors out."
Link was wondering how the three Zoras would be able to get through if that was the case, but once he passed to the other side he saw a lever connected to a mechanism that likely locked the wheel in position. It would require four Zora to pass, not three. That made sense considering the Zora guardians were grouped into fours.
Midna let go of the wheel and it slid back to where it was a moment ago with a steely clunk. She dissolved into orbs and passed through the grate in a manner much like she had passed through the cell bars when Link first met her. He had hated her at the time, but now he had grown fond of the woman-become-creature, despite not knowing too much about her.
"My people are historians of sorts, because of our long life spans. Due to this and our ability to keep dangerous relics safe at the bottom of Lake Hylia, our Temple has become a storage vault for them." Ralis explained once they began walking again. He led them up a set of stairs that went from the channel bottom to the right side of the hallway. "This particular thing I am searching for is a mechanical device, one of many."
There were doorways set at regular intervals along the long hall, and Ralis began to look into them one by one, crossing over flat stone bridges that spanned the channel that ran down the entirety of the hall. Link curiously followed and saw rows of chests, glass cases, pedestals and alcoves that held various weapons, books and other important items. Each object had a silver plaque beneath it, but he was unable to read the Zora's written language at all. Hylian and Goron writing were based off runes, but the Zora writing used characters that were round shapes connected to straight lines, some even having dots.
"Forgive me if I do not remember where it is." Ralis apologized after they had come to the third room. "I know of it, but I have never needed it before."
They splashed their way into another room, this one having a layer of water on the floor with a natural cave ceiling that slowly dripped. The next one across the hall was the same, although the relics were safely sealed away so they would not become wet. This one not only had water dripping from the ceiling but running down the walls in rivulets as well. The water was deep enough for the two warriors to clean their weapons and finally sheathe them. Link used this opportunity to retrieve his quiver and bow from Midna so he would be ready for any other Lizalfos.
"We must be close to the lake bottom if everything here is leaking." Midna observed as Link buckled on the quiver, looking at the dripping water as this room proved to be yet another bust. There had been so many different items in glass cases that Link was unable to remember them all.
"Yes, that is exactly what is happening." the Zora said, intentionally skipping over a room. It was the second one he hadn't bothered checking, so he likely knew what was in those rooms. Link glanced into the dimly-lit room and saw something moving in it that was not a Lizalfos.
"Are there other monsters here?" he asked. They had only put away their weapons a moment before, and he didn't exactly want to pull his sword and shield out again so soon. Maybe he'd use arrows instead, although he wanted to save them for Lizalfos.
"Not monsters, but animals. These wetter areas are home to frogs, fish, clams, salamanders and water beetles. They pose no threat to Zoras, so we leave them alone." Ralis said, peering into the next room.
Link turned to look into the dark room across the hall and saw a squat shape about the size of a large dog hop out of sight. A frog, and a big one at that. It seemed more interested in hiding from them, so it was likely as harmless as Ralis said.
The fruitless search continued as they came to a T-junction that had a larger room at the end of the hall on the left, and more storage rooms on the right. "How many rooms are in here, anyway?" Midna asked, starting to sound a bit irritated.
"Hundreds. Do not worry, we keep all the mechanical items on this floor so I know that it is here. We will not be searching hundreds of rooms." The prince stepped into the first room in the next section of hallway, and then smiled after reading the plaques. "Ah! Finally. This is the place." He led them into the dim room, which was only lit up by two crystal lights at opposite ends of what seemed to be a natural cave. Many of the rooms were pockets in a limestone cave, or perhaps they originally carved stone and through the centuries the dripping water had coated them with rock. It would not surprise Link if the temple was thousands of years old.
Ralis approached one of the pedestals situated along the back wall of the room. It had a sealed chest made of the same silver metal that the Zoras used for so many things. There was no proper lock, only a latch mechanism that he opened with his clawed hands, and inside was a metal device that almost looked like a metal hand. "Good, it seems to be in excellent shape." he said, lifting the device.
Now that it was out of its chest, Link could see that it was mechanical claw that was the end of a sturdy chain, the chain wound around a vertical winch. A squeeze-trigger was in the handle, behind a piece of curved metal that protected the hand of its wearer. "This is a clawshot. It is similar to hookshots or other harpoons, but it has the ability to grab onto things more securely instead of embedding a blade in them." He hefted it in his small hands, and although he could hold it easily enough, it seemed to be made for someone larger. "It is a Gerudo device. Their civilization used to rely far more on devices like this one."
There was a wet plop behind them, and the three turned to see a fat green-gray tadpole wriggling in the shallow water on the floor, using its half-formed legs to move away from them in a hurry. The group looked up to see where it had come from and saw a large dark shape clinging to the stalactites of the ceiling above the center of the room. It was then Link realized that this particular room was one of the larger ones they had come across, as was the doorway into it. Something big had made it its home.
"What is that thing?" he asked, putting his hand on his sword hilt. "Is it a threat?"
Ralis seemed to recognize what it was, but didn't say. "They normally leave my people alone, so if we make a quiet exit everything should be fine. It is a wild animal, so if we do not frighten it we will be safe."
"Frighten it? That thing's huge." Midna floated up a bit to peer into the darkness near the ceiling, able to see in it far better than the others. "It looks like one of those frogs, but it's big and fat." Suddenly she flinched in surprise as a thick pink tongue shot down from above and attached its sticky end to her, and then the imp was yanked up with a startled cry into a large mouth that swallowed her whole.
Author's note: It always felt to me like Link was supposed to have other companions than Midna along with him when going through dungeons. Ralis felt like a completely useless character and dumb plot monkey in the game, there to do nothing but whine about his self-doubt and later give Link an earring so he could go fishing with it (thanks, silly game progression). It's a lot more interesting for him to go along with Link and Midna and help them as an equal, and be able to pull his own weight.
I also wanted to make a parallel between Twilight Princess' water temple and Ocarina of Time's water temple, where Ruto was supposed to be there along with Link.
