Chapter 45

Teamwork of the Fokka

I closed the silent door calmly behind me and looked at the two doors in front of me. I was back at the beginning, back where the golden door stood. The room was exactly the way I left it and I was trying to decide where I should go next. I chose the door closer to the elevator but was surprised when I pulled on the handle, for the door was locked. Hopefully, the next door was not locked as well, I thought as my hand reached for the door's handle, but it turned easily and I walked into the next room.

The first thing I saw was yet another carved plaque, but this time it blocked further entry to the room behind it. "Place the silver rupee here and tread carefully to the key." I noticed the rupee shaped indention in the plaque above the ancient script. I shuffled for the money in my bag before pressing the gem in the wall, and it gave a faint glow and an obscure smell of unique oil reached my nose when the plaque slid into the side and disappeared in the wall, and my surprise only heightened when I saw the whole room filled to the brim with some sort of goo. The air around my skin felt stagnant like the room was sealed with unknown stuff for many years.

The floor ahead of me seemed to drop and was like a pool of this blue, thick slime. I was busy studying this strange phenomenon that I almost didn't notice the door at the other end. You have to be kidding me, I have to cross over this stuff? I cautiously took a step closer and prodded at the goo. It jiggled in response, but nothing happened.

It might be able to hold my weight, I thought, but was that a good idea? I looked around me for a different plan, but besides the slime and the chest, the room was empty. Would "fairy" be a good idea? Even if I flew over to the other side, I won't be able to open it until I returned to my size, and by then, I'll be stepping in the goo anyway.

Maybe it's safer to start from here. Finally, I stepped lightly on the pool. The jiggling slime responded with more force than last time, and I flailed my arms trying to keep my balance. Luckily, I found my balance and stood straight up on the deep pool. I then took my time as I slowly lifted my foot and placed it a step ahead. The slime was slippery, but, curiously, it stayed stuck to the pool, like it was some sort of skin. Again, I was busy struggling just trying to stand that I was barely moving forward. The goo, once more, would not keep still, and I decided to focus on staying on my feet until it settled down.

But it didn't settle this time, it only became worse.

I couldn't stop my foot from slipping before I fell back and slid until my back met with rising goo. The entire pool of tough slime separated and rose up in almost perfect spheres! The living slime monsters, what I recognize now to be like giant bots, opened their eyes and stared back.

Before I could react, I was tossed to and fro as all of the giant bots began to move at once. I was stunned and was being supported by the bots on either side of me, but when they began their bounce, I found myself slipping in between them. I would be crushed down there, I needed to retreat to somewhere safer! I found myself reaching for my sword, but there was too much of a ruckus for me to do so! Every second, I was being pulled under!

I stretched my arms up and tried all I could to take hold of the slimy monster before me, and when that wasn't enough, I pressed my feet into the same bot and tried to pull myself up. I felt overjoyed when I could once again see the surface, but that soon ended when I slid back down.

Though now I was high enough that when the giant bot jumped, I was sent up in the air. I was suddenly thrown free of the smuggling slime. My stomach was startled unpleasantly and I was too shocked to even reach for my sword. But despite that, as time was seemingly slowing down, I was aware and frightened by the realization of the angry bots around me like a living pit of goo.

It felt like my flight took several minutes, and I hoped to land on safe and solid ground, but that was not the case. Instead, I landed not far from the first bot, and yet again, I found myself unable to control my stumble, but then instinct kicked in.

I knew I couldn't find my balance on the spherical monster, but I was prepared for a fall, so I rolled with my landing and took out my sword in the process. I was about to slide right back in between two giant bots, but I found myself reacting quickly. If the giant bot had a voice, I'm sure it would have used it when I stabbed the blade deeply into the slime to stop from sliding.

But again, things turned for the worse again.

My sword didn't stop and find a hold, no, I was surprised for the second time in this room when my sword plunged right for the bot's center, and the beast began to flatten until it could flatten no more. The slime monster exploded with a splattering sound! But instead of it being defeated, the slime chunks came alive as miniature, normal bots. Yet again, the explosion sent me in the air, but this time wasn't so high, and I was ready for the landing. Once more I rolled on the monsters, but because I landed on the small group, I stood up and even ran atop them.

The small creatures were weaker but were still thick enough to hold up my weight, and I ran over them, trying to reach the door. However, the bots, tiny and giant alike, didn't want to give that chance to me easily. Then, the whole pool came to life and jumped!

I was so close, but not close enough I guess, for a large body of slime flung into me and knocked me violently forward into the door.

Immediately after recovering, I opened the door and shut it quickly behind me. This wasn't a room at all, it was about the size of a closet and had a single box in the center of the floor. I took the key from it and turned back around. There were so many bots… And I knew I could never kill them all, so I just had to focus on trying to make it back to the start. Getting back should be easier this time, I could fly over them now.

I came out the door running, over a few small bots, and then bounced on a larger one. Just as I cast the spell in the air, they were leaping for me at every angle. I neatly dodged each one, though if one were to hit me, I would be crushed for sure. These bots were giant before, but now they were the size of Hyrule Castle!

Luckily, I've grown quite accustomed to these wings, and I zipped safely to the was now just one last door to explore, and the key I just found slid in perfectly. As I pushed the door open, I was shocked yet again what I saw, or what lack of. The room beyond was thick with darkness. I didn't know what was in it, or how big this room was. Though I could feel the murky air seeping into my skin from here. What should I do now? Should I use my candle so I could see, or would I be safer going in the dark?

A chill raced through my spine. I could feel the danger from here, but I also couldn't go in like this, I needed to know what was at the door. I brought my candle up, and it lit on its own, lighting up some of the room in front of me. Nothing, just a wide corridor that continued forward until the darkness swallowed my light. I stepped forward.

The halls were eerily quiet… The only thing I could hear was my heart beating out of my chest and the roaring blood running in my ears. There were no windows to pour in light to defeat the gloom, and the walls were pressing tighter. The bricks making both the walls and the floors felt much textured with moistness like the room was this unhealthy for a long time...

I continued my slow trek forward and held my breath when I thought I heard something ahead of me. I immediately hushed my candle and I crept even lower to the floor and tightened the black cowl around, becoming one with the darkness.

"…At every hallway." Said a deep and grunted voice, like that of a moblin. "Well, soldier? What's your reply?" It then asked someone I couldn't see. "A nod? Do you guys ever speak?"

Then I heard another voice speak up, this one more intelligent than the last. "Of course, but that doesn't mean I have to speak aloud to give my point."

I then heard a grumble from the first voice as he waved the "soldier" away, and I heard clamping of feet on the moist brick floor as they departed. I did not relax at the sound of the departure however, because one of them was coming straight to my location.

I fell back to the wall behind me, sinking there as much as I could. I didn't even dare to look at whoever it was, fearing he would see me, but as he passed, I did notice his feet, or talons rather, even in the middle of this murky dark.

Once he was by, I dared lift my head, but then the fokka stopped and remained still for a moment. It knew it was being watched! I realized with terror rising in me from the inside out. I quickly ducked my head back down just in time for the fokka to turn around. I held my breath and prayed to the goddesses not to be discovered. But after a few seconds have passed, I heard the bird soldier continue on his way. After a few short seconds to make sure I was alone, I released a long sigh of relief and felt the fear ebb as I stood and brushed the murkiness from my clothes. Looks like I have to continue on in the dark after all.

I turned around back to where I was heading but stopped when I neared the end of the wall I was using as cover. There is a split in the path here, I thought. I couldn't see much, but I saw the hallway widened here to accommodate the multiple paths. I couldn't even see how many paths there were, for the darkness clouded the air in front of me. But I knew the wall next to me was rounding into one of these roads. I shrank down the wall and peered around the corner. Deciding not to risk my cover by strolling across the floor to explore the other passages, I followed the corner and remained by the wall as I stood straight and trailed the hall down.

Once more, I felt the silence creep back in, and once more was my heartbeat loud enough to deafen me. But I still refused to bring out the candle. And so, I crept forward in the darkness that altogether almost blocked my vision. I have thought that I would have come across more of the moblins and fokkas at least, for whatever the moblin was explaining about every hallway, I figured that I was bound to see more troops. But I saw and heard none.

One foot slowly after the other and I hoped with every step that no one could hear an echoed footstep. Well, that was my worry at first, but that quickly disappeared when, with my next step, the floor beneath my boot pressed down with a click…

I held my breath and felt it mingle with the rising worry when the passage began to shake and fall apart. I turned and started back for safety, but the floor there as well broke apart and revealed some cavern looking place below. I panicked and quickly turned around again. And just like that, in a matter of seconds, what was once an empty and dark hallway was now a few crumbling platforms above a long dropdown.

That was my way out, I decided, and I cast "jump" before rushing as close as I possibly could to the edge. Then, I brought back the candle, as it was too late to go unnoticed anyway. I leaped to the first chunk of floor hanging on the wall. I have made a quick decision to use "jump" instead of "fairy" because there were still rocks from the ceiling falling down, and one rock could very be the end of me if I were that small.

But that didn't mean that jumping to the platforms was any safer.

The floors were already crumbling before I leaped forward, but when I landed on the first platform, it crumbled even worse and parts of it fell beneath my feet. I fell frontward and grasped the sturdier floor with outstretched hands and pulled myself up. I had thought that, eventually, the trembling danger would have come to a rest. But it never stopped, it didn't even slow! It was like the plate that I had stepped on was trying to take the palace down on my head!

I held onto the wall as I tried to judge the distance to the next ledge. "You!" The deep voice I heard earlier pierced the loud collapsing of the passage. I looked over my shoulder in hopes to finally see the speaker. The crumbling hallway was still dark and murky that direction, but I was able to see his silhouette. His form was bulky and short, and he had a snout protruding from his shape. He was flaring his stubby arms above his head, but I wasn't sure if he was doing that because I was discovered, or if he was in shock about the hallway and was hoping to not fall into the cavern below us. "What are you doing here?" He yelled. "How did you sneak past my guards? Oh, you are going to regret that decision!"

I then saw him lean forward, perhaps looking down in fear at the even darker cave down before backing off to make room for a running start. I couldn't let him catch up with me! Not in this position! I stared back ahead of me and wasted little time to jump to the second floor. But I couldn't stop my curiosity to look back to him again. At first, I saw nothing, but I was further away now, so I finally saw his almost hidden figure breaking out of the darkness and towards his first leap. But he never jumped. I saw him stop right before the still shaking edge suddenly. And I could just imagine his fears as he reached up and rubbed his face with his hands. He was too scared to make the jump, and so he yelled out yet again, but this time he called for his troops.

The ground beneath my feet started to fall apart, and I was forced back to the platforms, but it was too late! My feet easily pushed through the weak ground and sickening fear gripped my stomach. I desperately grabbed for anything that I may have been able to reach, anything at all! Adrenaline swiftly rushed through me, prompting instinct to take over. It all happened so fast, I didn't even know that my hand caught hold on the edge of the jagged floor until I hung there for a moment. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked over my shoulder, suddenly feeling anxious about what the moblin was doing. But either I couldn't see him in the darkness, or he left.

I risked looking back no longer and reached up to grasp the ledge with my other hand. I then had to call my strength to pull me up. But I was so close and even had my right elbow over the ground just as my worst fear came falling from the ceiling in the form of a rock!

There was nothing I could do in time, but to pray that both the floor and my grip will hold.

The heavy stone came souring down like a hostile beast. It fell right on top of me and sent a wave of rushing pain down my right arm that I dropped down lower as it then tumbled to the cavern below. I winced and could only hope that my arm wasn't broken. But even if it was, I had no time to cast "life", for even as I struggled to hold on to the murky floor, it was crumbling so that it was too dangerous to continue to hold on any longer. I willed myself to slowly bring my wounded arm up and grab the floor again. It hurt to move it, but luckily, it did not seem to be useless.

Just a few more leaps until I can reach the end of the hall, I told myself, at least, I hoped there was an end to the hall! Now that I was standing upon the split ground that could give way any second, I stared ahead, trying to catch a slight glimpse of whatever was next. Luckily, the next platform was more solid and quite intact!

I was not afraid of the next jump, for the floor I planned to leap to looked very solid and was as thick down the cavern as I could see. I kept my now bleeding arm close and leaped the final leap to solid ground. Worry left me with every breath I released as I still lie on the other side of the still crumbling hallway. But I could not lie there for long…

Several pairs of footsteps clattered together as they approached my location! Dimming my candle yet again, I forced myself to my feet and hurriedly turned a different corner than they used coming in. I was about to leave and see where this hall would take me, but something made me stay; if I listened to them, could I learn something important about the palace, maybe even the guardian?

I hugged the wall and peered around the corner to see the form of three fokkas with a single moblin. "I tell you, he was crossing that hall after tripping over the trap! He should be here!" The moblin yelled and flared his arms unbelievably at the calm and silent guards.

"Calm down, boss." The first fokka stated, "It's very possible that he didn't make it across. It's likely that he lost his grip and fell into the cavern below."

"Then explain this to me, how did he get in here in the first place? The barrier is supposed to keep everyone out!"

"I didn't see anyone when we were coming into the palace, and we are highly observant, but perhaps he snuck in behind us before the barrier closed back up." The fokka replied.

"Unless he was the chosen one! Ever think of that?" The moblin retorted, but the fokka shrugged.

"Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. What would that change? We have to fight for the palace either way. In the meantime, we have to return to our posts. We can't stand here discussing over someone who may have fallen in the caverns." The fokka turned and signaled the other two to do the same. They were about to walk away, but then the moblin grabbed at one and called to wait. The fokka protested, but the moblin harshly shushed him, turned, and leaned, sniffing the air.

"I smell blood."

I gasped and looked down at my bloody arm. I'm such a fool! Sun-Summoner's cloak helped to mask that smell, but he still warned me this might happen! I quickly cast "life", clearing any sign that I was wounded in the first place. But it was too late now.

"There!" The moblin yelled and pointed a stubby finger in my direction. I took a step back, but held my position and drew out my weapon and shield. The fokkas reacted quicker than the moblin, and leaped towards me, and I mean leaped through the air, with their swords and shields.

The first one that reached me wasted no time to swipe the blade from downward diagonally up. But I was able to meet the sword with the blade of my own. And just after that first swing, another fokka has joined the battle. I struck him, expecting to block his attack, but he only held his shield up to block mine. The first bird warrior took this chance to try and stab, but I angled my shield to stop him as I continued to focus on the second one. And so I found that I danced back and forth between the two of them. My enemies melded together in practiced teamwork and used their strategies against me.

The fokkas were well-disciplined and tough fighters. The second fokka went from blocking occasionally to dodging and countering. I swung my sword to the side and had to quickly jump back as the fokka ducked and tried to stab. That placed me in a dangerous position, for now the first soldier followed my move and came close for an easy strike, but I quickly rose up my shield to stop the attack. But the impact alone nearly pushed me to the ground. I tried desperately to keep my balance and swung my sword back at my attacker. The fokka easily jumped back next to his companion, and I came back to continue the fight with a new plan.

I held my shield to block any attack from the first soldier and focused on the ever countering second soldier. I swung at him again, knowing he would dodge and stab, but I didn't step back and I didn't defend. I spun to the side near the first fokka and slashed with my weapon without hesitation. The first fokka wasn't expecting such a strategy from me and was cut across a weak spot in the armor near the neck. Once he dropped to the ground, the fokka and the moblin who have been watching held their breath for just a second.

I could almost feel his anger seeping out and into the murky air as he slowly looked back to me. And he came on me with strong force as he pounded his weapon angrily on my shield. I could hardly protect myself! I knew his anger would never rest until he killed me, and I needed to push him off me then, or I might not have been able to. I used my sword to swoop low at his unprotected legs and he flinched, giving me enough time to stand back up again. His anger made him stronger, but now he had little defense.

I saw out of the corner of my eye the fokka standing near the moblin leaned back and released a horrible screech out. I tried not to cringe as the fokka near me continued to attack. The screech echoed through every corridor before it fell away. I had thought that he was crying for his fallen friend, and so I focused still on my attacker. His power gave me little room to fight, but since he didn't bother to block and dodge very much, soon he too fell on the ground from a fatal wound.

But the screech came back to my ears, and I realized the remaining fokka wasn't calling this time. My heart began to pound when I finally understood that he wasn't grieving for his friends, he was calling for help!

And they returned to him their answer. Many more of the bird warriors came leaping out of the darkened halls and towards me. I knew there was no way I could survive this fight.

I turned and ran.

The stone walls flew past me as I sprinted fast enough that I didn't have enough reaction to what was in front of me. I was aware of many fokkas still running up from behind me, no, not just running. I didn't have a lot of time to even glance behind me, but I knew they leaped forward and some even jumped up on the walls to boost for speed. I don't even know how I stayed ahead of them! I just focused on running as fast as I could.

But where was I even going? What was my plan? I took hallways at random and just hoped that somehow, I would lose some of my pursuers. I needed to find a way out or some sort of plan. Somewhere in here, I knew there had to be some sort of clue on how to reach the guardian, and that was important to find as well.

I only hoped that I would live that long.