Chapter 13 - Temple of Water I

The Zora took little time to fix the mast and the sails of Cody and Lana's boat, allowing an instant return to the lake with no troubles whatsoever.

The weather was still overcast, but the snow had stopped falling, making it easier for Link to steer the tiller while Zelda sat near the bow, going through the tools Esair provided to allow entry into the Temple of Water. Among them was a pair of enchanted amulets that would grant the abilities of the Zora when worn, including water breathing, enhanced sight, and increased mobility underwater.

Another gift they'd been given was a bottle containing the same blue flame they'd seen throughout Zora's Domain, and Esair finally explained their purpose—the blue flames were enchanted to stay lit once doused.

Such a tool would certainly come in handy with illuminating the dark depths they were about to journey through, and Zelda found herself intrigued by the way the flame remained lit within the bottle. It seemed to cling to the surface of the glass, burning with no source of oxygen, which proved its sole source of energy was magic.

Link smirked as she turned the bottle over in her hands to inspect the contents, though he was more focused on his efforts of returning to the area where he'd originally fallen overboard. Thankfully, the lack of snow made it easier, and once he felt they were at about the right spot, he stood and lowered the sails to slow their speed.

Noticing his movements, Zelda put the bottle down and pushed herself to the edge of the boat to have a look around at the scenery, but it was hard to tell if the location was right. The wave generated by the guardian had jostled the boat so much she couldn't be sure where they were when Link went in as opposed to where they'd ended up after teleporting back onboard.

Yet Link didn't seem concerned, requesting one of the amulets which she handed over with the question, "Taking it for a test swim?"

"Seems like the best time," he answered with a smile. "It's also the easiest way to know where we are for sure. So don't let any pirates board us and plunder our booty while I'm gone."

"Oh, I'll try, but I'm not making any promises," she returned, grinning as he chuckled and pushed one boot onto the edge of the boat to lift up and dive into the water.

After plunging in, the first thing he noticed was that the amulet around his neck began glowing dark blue the instant he was submerged. The second was his ability to see it so clearly coupled with the realization that he had no urge to hold his breath. Instead, each inhale was just like being above the surface, and he stared at the amulet in surprise as it drifted before his face, letting an amused snort that sent a group of bubbles upward.

Without wasting anymore time, he stuffed the amulet into the neck of his tunic and turned his gaze to the distance, briefly scanning the area before finally swimming back to the boat with ease.

Just above, Zelda stared down at the water, waiting patiently for Link to emerge with an answer over whether they were in the right position. In the process, she donned her amulet to prepare in case he delivered a positive confirmation, then gazed down at her current attire and frowned.

The one time she decided to wear a dress that showed off her amulet, she was going wading into an oversized lake to visit an underwater temple. The notion prompted her to remove it for safekeeping in her belt pouch, though she sadly couldn't do the same for the Zora amulet.

And if that was lost, it could cause an endless number of problems, most of which would be lethal.

She'd simply have to exercise caution, and as she had the thought, Link surfaced behind her. Turning her head at the sound of water splashing, she spied him about teen feet out to port.

Gripping the edge of the hull, she leaned over and asked, "What did you see?"

As he swam to the boat, she noticed he moved more quickly because of the amulet, and once he was close enough to grip the edge, he did so and pointed in the proper direction with his free hand, relating, "It's over there."

Turning his gaze back to her, he directed, "Hand me the rope."

Scanning the deck, Zelda spotted the item in question sitting nearby, grabbing it to give him the end.

Taking it, Link pulled a generous length down into the water for leverage and qualified, "Thanks. Now do me a favor and tie the other end to the tiller because I'm going to drag the boat and tether it."

"Tether it?" Confused, she inquired, "To what?"

"There's an incline underwater here that turns into a drop off, and there are some heavy rocks that should be enough to hold the boat in place until we come back."

Nodding, she did as requested, letting Link know the moment the rope was secure, then watched as he dove under the surface again. In turn, the rope started unraveling, trailing further and further into the water until it drew taut and the boat jerked.

The tremor was so abrupt she gasped and nearly lost her grip on the edge to tumble down onto the deck. But the motions soon steadied, and she pushed herself up in preparation to dive while muttering, "Go easy there, Link."

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath out of habit, then jumped from the boat, plunging into the water a moment later. Just as Link had learned, her amulet lit up the moment she was submerged, and despite the overcast sky above, it was incredibly easy to see her friend several meters below, securing the rope to a sizable rock with a concave bottom that formed a natural hook shape.

Using his boot to push into the top of the rock, he pulled the knot as tight as he could and released it before turning around with the intentions of getting Zelda. Yet she was already swimming toward him with ease, and he smirked at the look of enlightened enjoyment on her face.

Indeed, swimming with the pendants in place was fun despite the tremendous task awaiting them, and he wanted to enjoy it while he could. So he motioned at Zelda to follow, leading her over the underwater ledge that dropped off into the deep.

The Hylians swam downward with a great deal of speed, finding freedom in their ease of movements as their depth increased—and it was a long way down. Moving over another ledge in their descent before finally passing a wall that was unnaturally vertical, the moss covered carving of the Triforce three times their size came into view.

It was the same carving Zelda saw after Link's fall overboard, and a closer inspection revealed that the rock wall actually consisted of mortar—the sunken Temple of Water.

Continuing further down, they reached the door to find it barred by a thick metal grate, reminding them of Majalyn's story. She said the Zora had barred the temple to keep the evils inside from spreading for as long as possible, but that wasn't a problem for the silver gauntlets.

Esair had offered to have some people open the path for them, but as soon as Link learned they hadn't used magic to seal the temple, he denied the Zora, unwilling to put anyone in danger when he could accomplish the task himself.

Now, he wasted no time swimming up to the grate and took it in both hands.

Watching from a safe distance, Zelda waited as Link pulled on the bars, pressing his boots into the ground as air bubbles rose from his lips with the strain.

Eventually, a loud ping sounded, soon followed by two more pings in quick succession. It was muffled by the water, but clear enough to know what it signaled as the bars came free. As a result of the force he'd exerted, Link flipped backwards with the newly broken grate in hand, turning over before letting the heavy metal frame fall to the floor of the lake with a shake of his head.

Zelda smiled at his reaction, glad to see they had a clear path inside. Yet her smile faded when something softly glowing among the drifting weeds of the lakebed a few meters from the door caught her eye.

Glancing over, he narrowed his brows curiously when she swam by—not that an explanation was possible. So he simply watched as she moved toward a spot where he realized something seemed to be glowing beneath the cover of weeds.

Following her over, she started pulling the plant life away, startling a few small fish moments before she uncovered a toppled pedestal with a Myriad Stone atop it.

Glancing up at Link in surprise, she briefly wondered if they should use it—Myriad would likely be able to communicate with them, but they couldn't speak to her at present. Still, Link seemed to think it was a good idea because he moved over and reached down to make contact.

Instantly, the area around them grew dark, and Myriad's voice sounded as clearly as if they stood above water.

"Link? I'd no idea the stone at the Temple of Water was still intact, though I suppose Dragmire believed sinking the temple would also destroy it. Regardless, I realize you and Zelda are submerged now and unable to respond, so allow me to relate how pleased I am to know you've managed to access Zora's Domain and make this possible.

"If you could, please take this stone with you and deliver it to Queen Majalyn once your tasks in the temple are completed. This way, she can remain apprised on the progress of Hyrule's restoration, and as an added benefit, I may be able to assist you within the temple itself."

That was certainly a good idea, and Link didn't hesitate to pry the stone from the pedestal with little trouble and push it into one of his belt pouches for safekeeping. Once done, they exchanged a smile before pushing away from the lakebed to access the temple door, and only stopped when a large shadow passed overhead.

Turning their gazes upward, they saw the belly of the guardian about thirty feet above, the patterns marking his body in spotted lines giving him a unique beauty they'd never seen before—and may never see again. So they couldn't help but take in the sight of the aquatic giant sailing off into the distance with languid waves of its tail.

The Hylians smiled in response, watching until he disappeared before each resigned themselves to the difficult tasks ahead.

Finally, they accessed the entryway to find a long corridor which was dark, too dark to see clearly even with the Zora amulets. The notion of it reminded Zelda of the blue flame, and she immediately retrieved the bottle from her pouch to lift up, illuminating the path as they moved.

At the end of the corridor, Link set his feet on the floor as a small school of minnows swam by and gazed into the adjoining chamber to check for danger. Yet the room was presently devoid of activity, so he waved Zelda forward.

Setting her own feet on the floor at his signal, she walked over, finding it strange that the Zora amulet allowed them to both swim and walk at the same time. Yet she was moving as if still above the water—except for her floating hair and clothes of course.

Thankfully, the drifting skirt didn't hinder her movement, yet her hair ran the risk of blocking her sight. So she reached for the band securing the upper half and untied it, followed by winding up the blonde mass to twist into a bun.

With the lengthy locks in place, she tied the band around it again and looked up to regard the chamber. For as dark as it was, the blue flame gave off a great deal of light, as did a few torches mounted on the walls above the surface of the water—as it turned out, the entry chamber wasn't completely flooded.

Square in shape, it was a small room containing four doors with two on each side, one on the far wall, and the last?

That door served as the ceiling.

It seemed strange to look straight up and see a door that was perpendicular to the floor, and unlike the others, it stood above the waterline. Yet the most interesting thing about it was the fact that it was sealed with magic.

Just like the atrium door in the Temple of Fire.

There, they'd found Dragmire's dark orb, but it certainly wasn't the first room they'd come across. The atrium was also located behind a door standing on the floor, and not completely out of reach several feet above a waterline.

There were no stairs or ladders to climb, nor were there any ledges Zelda could teleport to in order to reach it.

A cavalry of bubbles escaped Link's lips as he sighed in frustration. Their final destination was right before them, and yet they couldn't access it. Still, there was no sense standing around lamenting missed opportunities, so he turned to Zelda and waved his hands between the three doors they could enter.

Knowing he was asking which way first, she glanced back and forth, then to the door residing at the front of the antechamber. Holding out her hand, she made an arbitrary decision and pointed at it to silently suggest this way.

Giving a nod of agreement, he pushed himself from the floor and swam to the door she'd chosen. Entering it, he set his feet on the ground again as not to rush headfirst into danger, and that aside, the corridor ahead was just as dark as the rest of the temple thus far, which was going to make things even more difficult when they only had one bottle of blue flame.

Yet he heard a tap and looked back to see Zelda taking one of the doused torches from the wall. With it in hand, she opened the bottle of blue flame and pressed the tip of the torch to the opening. A moment passed, but the fire finally spread to the torch, igniting it in a blaze that made things much easier to see.

After closing the bottle, Zelda lifted the torch high to light the area more clearly, grinning when Link gave her a playful thumbs up, then used the added illumination to glance about. The corridor before them was long and lacked décor, but it wasn't devoid of life. Near the opposing end were a few moderately sized fish idly drifting as if laying in wait, and Link freed the Master Sword as soon as he noticed their sharp teeth like piranha.

Like clockwork, the moment he approached, they moved to attack, swimming toward him so swiftly he almost couldn't keep track. Bringing his shield up just in time, he bashed the first while swinging his blade low at another that had attempted to take a bite out of his side.

Cleaving it in two with ease, he turned his arm, his blade coming around at an arc to spear the first piranha through the middle.

Using his shield to push the newly impaled fish off of his sword, both began to float upwards—or what was left of them anyway. Regarding their remains with a shake of his head, Link looked over at Zelda as she moved past with a smile on her face suggesting she was amused by how easily he'd taken them out.

Had he the ability to talk, he would've asked if she wanted fish filet for dinner. But as it stood, he simply straightened his shoulders and pushed his blonde bangs from his face with a smug smirk, walking down the hall behind her.

Still, because they were underwater and even basic attacks could come from any angle, it seemed like a good idea to invoke the shielding provided by the Fairy Maiden of Lake Hylia. At least then, he'd have a little extra defense if something tried to sneak up on him, and his body briefly glowed a golden color as he cast the spell, making a low hum that faded away as they came to the end of the corridor.

Yet things weren't entirely silent—something like a loud gurgling buzz was coming from the chamber ahead.

And as they approached the end of the corridor cautiously, a bright light zipped by it.

Coming to a stop with sword and shield still drawn, he looked in to see what appeared to be a vestibule of some type. With four tall columns surrounding its center square, bubbles were rising from two separate vents in the floor and into two shafts on the ceiling. Additionally, there was a lever near the door, though Link hesitated to pull it if only because some levers in the Temple of Fire had triggered traps.

So he refrained for now, and instead, attempted to identify the source of the light they'd seen earlier, which turned out to be a large, electric eel. Moving swiftly, its body was constantly igniting and leaving sparks of electricity trailing behind it.

Swimming toward the entryway where they stood, Link and Zelda both backed away. Yet the eel wasn't content to live and let live, turning to lash its tail in their direction. As a result, the creature unleashed a fork of electricity that Link drew up his shield to block.

Sadly, despite the barrier's success at preventing harm, the current knocked the shield off of his arm.

As it clattered to the floor, Link looked up to see the eel instantly turning and taking off toward them in a swift charge, leaving him no time to recover his missing barrier. So he drew up his sword in both hands, hoping the magical shielding he'd invoked would do the trick—but it was never put to the test.

Instead, several shards of ice with sharp points flew toward the eel in a wide arc—Zelda's doing. With her hands glowing blue, she'd drawn them back and pushed forward, sending a chill into the water that formed several icicles flying toward their enemy, and three of them impaled it seconds before it could reach them.

Knocked away by the impact, the eel turned over with the electricity that once ignited its body giving out in a few final bursts.

Reaching for his lost shield, Link lifted the item and returned it to his arm before regarding her handiwork, then arched a single brow in her direction.

Seeing his impressed expression, she shrugged and waved her hands as if to relate what he always told her. It was nothing.

Grinning, he nodded in understanding, then turned his attention back to the center of the room where the air bubbles were rising into the square shafts in the ceiling. Now that they had a moment, he reached for the lever and pulled it—but nothing happened.

Rolling his eyes as Zelda pursed her lips, they approached the vents, able to feel the pull of the water growing stronger the closer they got. The suction was so powerful Zelda soon saw her Zora amulet lifting from her chest despite being so many meters away.

Reaching up, she clutched it in her fist to prevent it from being pulled off and watched as Link moved to one of the columns and looked up into the closest shaft.

At the top, he saw a metal grate blocking the path to the room connected above it, barring access. Unsurprised to learn they'd found another dead end, he sighed and looked at Zelda while pointing up with a shake of his head to inform her that they couldn't go that way.

As she nodded and prepared to find another way around—or at least figure out some way to get to the upper floor—a loud whoosh sounded without warning.

Instantly, Link looked behind Zelda to see another piranha moving directly for her. But unlike the others, this one was much bigger—and seemed to move more swiftly.

Unable to tell her to duck, Link did the next best thing, which was to reach out and grab her before the piranha could do her any harm. Pulling her toward himself near the column, he used the momentum to turn a full circle, bringing his blade around to slash through the creature's head.

Thankfully, his attack was successful, though his sudden intervention had startled Zelda. She was so busy trying to figure out the source of the strange sound that Link's unexpected tug caused her to lose her grip on the Zora amulet. Making matters worse, he'd tugged her toward the vent, and like clockwork, it sucked the amulet upwards so swiftly the chain lifted from her neck and over her head.

Spying it at the last moment, she reached out to grab it, but her fingers only barely touched the chain before it darted upwards into the vent and through the metal grate above.

Almost immediately, the need for breath set in, and Link turned to look at her when she urgently tugged on his shirt, then patted her chest and pointed up the shoot to show him she could no longer breath underwater.

Swiftly, Link looked up, then back at her, and reached for his own amulet to give to her without hesitation.

Though Zelda could no longer see him as clearly, she could make out the motions, and stopped him before pointing down the hallway they'd come from. The movement reminded him of the air trapped in the antechamber, and he wasted no time, grabbing her arm to sling it over his shoulders before pushing himself away from the floor with haste.

Swimming through the corridor, he dragged her along as swiftly as his own amulet would allow, and Zelda clung tight, trying to focus on holding her breath as the urge to inhale grew stronger. Thankfully, he reached the chamber just as her remaining breath was escaping her nostrils and carried her upwards until their heads breached the surface.

Instantly, Zelda gasped in a deep breath and started coughing while rubbing her eyes.

Wading next to her, Link asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she nodded, still trying to catch her breath. "That vent just pulled the amulet off too quickly for me to catch it."

Nodding, Link patted her back when she let one last cough and asked, "So now what? I doubt there are too many places in this temple that have breathable air."

"No, so our only option is for you to find the necklace and bring it back to me."

Link pursed his lips, disliking the idea of leaving her alone in the temple, and yet, she was right—there was no other choice. Maybe he could swim quickly enough to take her back to the surface of the lake, but even then, she was the only one who could open the door above them, not to mention the only one who could break Dragmire's orb.

That aside, the antechamber seemed safe enough, and he looked up at the thought to inspect the sealed door. Now that he was above the surface, he noticed what appeared to be a few decorative hooks lining the walls that seemed sturdy enough to support the weight of at least one person, if not two—and they weren't as high up as the door.

Curious, he moved toward one and reached for it, but though the hooks were a bit lower to the surface, they were still out of range.

Giving up with a grumble, he turned around to face Zelda and conceded, "Alright, I'll go look for your amulet, but I'll be back to check on you soon whether I find it or not."

With that said, he reached into his pouch and retrieved the Myriad Stone, handing it to her while relating, "Keep this so I can free a pouch in case I find something useful, and maybe you can ask Myriad about this door while I'm gone."

Nodding, Zelda placed the stone into her belt pouch and mentioned, "By the way, I dropped the torch near the vent, so it's there if you need some extra light."

"Good, because I probably will," he replied, making sure he was prepared before turning his gaze up to see a worried expression on her face.

"Link, be careful."

Obviously, she didn't like the thought of him having to go alone, and he smiled, not at all bothered by the prospect as he moved in closer and promised, "I will."

With that said, he leaned in to kiss her despite their agreement to keep things on a friendly level. She simply looked like she could use the distraction, and he wanted to make sure she knew he meant what he said.

Not that Zelda was capable of much thought in that moment.

It was a short kiss, but meaningful nevertheless, his mouth firm upon hers for a blissful moment before he pulled back with a smug smile and dove underwater again. Dazed, Zelda stared at the water's rippling surface before snapping out of it with a shake of her head.

Realizing where she was, she broke the silence with a low sigh and looked around her temporary living space.

"Well this is exciting," she muttered, splashing the water with pursed lips.

As Link searched for Zelda's amulet, he seriously considered whether he'd look good bald because the Temple of Water had him ready to pull his hair out.

The entire structure was nothing but a maze of rooms filled with traps, puzzles, and obstacles that almost made him glad Zelda was waiting in the antechamber. Without the ability to communicate underwater, it would've taken them quite a while to coordinate, making it seem as if he were moving faster without her, at least in a physical sense.

But where it concerned solving puzzles, her assistance was sorely missed.

The Temple of Fire wasn't a place he longed for, but he wanted to burn this one down once they were done. Some levers opened grates, others reversed or shut off vents, and still others temporarily opened doors before slipping back into place, making entering the next room nearly impossible before it shut again.

Furthermore, each room harbored a number of enemies, from piranha to jellyfish, and of course, more electric eels.

Link quickly realized that attacking them with his sword while they were electrified was a bad idea, and nearly any attempt to block saw his shield knocked to the floor. So he had to employ more colorful evasive maneuvers until he got a clear chance to strike.

Still, for as frustrating as navigating the temple was, not everything he found was malicious. In a circular chamber featuring a few suits of armor stationed around a vent rising through a grate at the center of the floor, he found an actual treasure chest settled near another lever.

After using his torch to light the sconces posted on the walls, he opened the container to find several rupees and a message in a bottle with an airtight seal, making it impossible to open without ruining the letter inside. So he stuck it in his pouch to take with him just in case it contained important information, then turned his attention to the vent.

If he was right, the room where Zelda had lost her amulet was below him now, and he took the bars on the floor into his hands to get a better look. Despite the plethora of bubbles blocking his sight, he could just make out the columns and the second vent below, proving his assumption correct.

A smile curved his lips as he glanced back over at the lever near the chest. The chances seemed good that was what he needed to pull to activate the lever on the first floor—and it would likely open the grate of the vent Zelda's amulet was sucked into.

The fact that he needed to pull a lever in order to activate another was just one of the numerous examples of complicated frustration this temple exuded. But he didn't focus on it, too eager to get this over with not to immediately stand and approach the device.

Yet, as his fingers grasped it to tug down, a shadow cast by the recently lit scones passed over him.

Leaving nothing to chance, he dove out of the way and drew his sword—just as an axe came down on the spot where he once stood. Spinning around to face his new foe, Link found a suit of the teal blue armor that once stood idly in the corner had decided to start moving of its own accord.

Proving it, the being lifted its axe from the floor to attack the Hylian once again.

Pushing himself away from the floor as the aqua knight swung a second time, Link allowed himself to float instead of taking a position on the ground again and turned so his boots hit the ceiling. Using the leverage it provided, he pushed himself toward the knight with his sword at the ready, waiting for the right moment before drawing his blade around in an attempt to sever his enemy's helmet from the rest of its body.

Sadly, the aqua knight moved at the last moment, causing the Master Sword to merely cut through the top half of the helmet instead.

As he moved toward the floor behind the knight, Link reached out with his free hand to stop himself against it, leaving him standing upside down—and he barely had time to right himself. Instead, the knight was unfazed by his most recent attack, and immediately lifted the axe before spinning it around twice, each circle it turned bringing it closer to Link's position.

Thankfully, the first spin was too far away to cause any damage, providing him the chance to right himself, but the second turn wasn't as harmless. As Link stood straight, he tried to duck back, but the blade caught his right cheek.

Cringing against the pain as the water turned a murky red, the sting was outmatched only by the boot he took to the gut next. The knight slammed the bottom of its boot into Link, sending him sliding—or rather, drifting—backwards, and immediately followed him while lifting its axe.

Looking up just in time to spy the aqua knight bringing its weapon down, Link rolled out of the way and floated off of the ground, settling his boots on the floor in a crouch nearby. Having missed its target, the aqua knight stood straight again—and the movement left it vulnerable, providing the perfect chance.

With a stream of bubbles rising from Link's mouth, he pushed himself forward, baring his teeth as the tip of the Master Sword scraped against the floor.

Simultaneously, the knight tried to turn and locate its enemy just as Link rose through the water in its direction, turning in a circle to draw his blade around. Instantly, it cleaved the helmet from the rest of the armor, which fell apart and drifted to the floor in pieces while Link landed on his feet.

Exhaling a group of bubbles, he regarded the pile of metal with a smirk and lifted his blade to push into its sheath again before approaching the lever to finally pull it down. Upon doing so, the sound of metal grinding followed by a click coming from the chamber below could be heard.

As he'd thought, something had just kicked into place, and now it was time to return to the first floor room where Zelda had lost her amulet to see if he could finally pass through the vent and access the adjacent area.

Swimming back to the antechamber, Link shut the underwater door and glanced up to see Zelda still wading safely at the surface. He'd been back once or twice to both check on her and let her know how much he hated this temple, and learned she was bored to tears.

The thought made him smirk. For as much as he appreciated having her help, he'd rather she be bored because she was safe than in danger. Still, he knew she'd appreciate having her amulet back so she could help, and for that reason, he declined to go up and see her again in favor of moving on to the chamber with the two vents.

Once there, he pulled the lever near the door, and surely enough, the grate at the top of the vent opened, allowing passage. Wasting no time, Link swam into the bubbles, allowing them to lift him up into the shaft above.

Rising more and more swiftly, he eventually shot out of the vent and into a water-less chamber, flying through the air to come down on the floor and roll to an abrupt stop.

Dripping wet, he glanced up to see several blue torches lining the walls of a small room housing another chest contained behind a wall of bars.

Next to them was yet another lever.

Grumbling, he rubbed his eyes while muttering, "This is getting ridiculous. Who builds these temples anyway?"

Standing from his crouch, he took another look around, this time at the floor, and quickly noticed Zelda's Zora amulet resting near the shaft he'd just risen through. Walking over, he picked it up to store in his pouch, then went to the lever with the sneaking suspicion he already knew what it did.

Instead of opening the bars to the caged chest, it would stop the flow of water—and like clockwork, after he tugged the lever down, the bubbling water in the shaft laid flat.

"Figures," he remarked blandly. "Guess I'll have to get Zelda so she can teleport into the cage."

At that, he dove back into the shaft to return to Zelda so she could help him finish their current quest.