Have a dungeon exploration and a boss fight. Sorry I took so long. Chapter 20 just wasn't going well. I should be able to update more now since college is out. Key word should.
17
The Ruby Shrine. Raid on Lurise Auction House. Key Guardian Rufirine.
Link reached for the sword sheathed at his shoulder as the monstrous red snakes slid towards them. Ropes, they were called. More dangerous than regular snakes.
Glurak's hands started to glow, flames licking at his fingers. As one of the Ropes launched itself at him, he flicked a hand and sent fire out towards it. The creature shrieked as the fire made contact, burning it. Within a minute, it was dead on the floor.
Link slashed one of the Ropes as it came near, killing it. Ashlyn stabbed one as it slid past her. Together, they made short work of the creatures.
''Well, I guess that was the trap,'' Link commented.
''I'll pull a lever next,'' Ashlyn said. She grabbed the forth one and pulled on it. A click sounded and the western door opened. ''Eh, lucky...?''
They went to the doorway and left the room. The next hall was short, opening into a narrow room. A grate barred off a section of the room, where a small, unidentifiable object was.
''Look around for a way to move that grate,'' Glurak said, going to inspect the walls.
Link and Ashlyn looked around, seeing nothing on the walls. Glurak turned his gaze to the floor. ''Wait... I think I see...'' He moved towards a spot and stepped on the ground there. The grate slide back into the wall, allowing access to the other half of the room.
The small object turned out to be a slate with writing on it. Glurak picked it up. ''To open the eastern door, pull the last lever. To open the northern door, pull the eighth lever...''
''Ah, so that's how you open the others,'' Link said.
They returned to the main room. Glurak pulled the very last lever, which was the eleventh. A click sounded and the east door opened. He went to look into the doorway.
''Well, it seems to be similar to where we just were... But we need to make sure.''
They entered the next hall. There was a lone torch on the wall, illuminating the short area. The next room was almost completely dark; only some scant light from the hall reached inside. Ashlyn peered around, gripping her sword tightly.
''I can't make out much in here...'' she said warily.
Link went to get the torch. ''This will help,'' he said as he came back holding it.
The light revealed four torches, one in each corner of the room. Link smiled faintly; he knew what kind of puzzle the room had. He met Glurak's gaze; the mage had come to the same conclusion. He went around the room, lighting the torches. When all four had been lit, completely illuminating the room, they saw what had been hidden.
Writing was engraved on the far wall. They went up to examine it, noting that it was written in a slightly outdated form of Hylian writing. Glurak and Link could easily read it, both having been taught most of the older forms of writing.
''Rufirine...that blazing guard... Slow and sturdy, but lays waste to all who come... Heed its pauses...strike,'' Link read aloud.
Ashlyn shrugged. ''Seems vague. Is there something we've missed?''
''I'm not sure. Let's open the northern door,'' Glurak suggested.
They returned to the main room. Link pulled the eighth lever. There was a pause before slots in the floor opened, releasing many flaming slug-like creatures.
''I thought the eighth one was supposed to open the door,'' Glurak muttered.
Ashlyn frowned thoughtfully. ''Maybe it was a trick? Anyway, we need to get rid of these Torch Slugs.''
They spent a few minutes dealing with the Torch Slugs. When the last creature fell, a click was heard. The northern door slid open. Link and Glurak exchanged glances.
''Hmm. It wasn't a trick. We merely had to kill those creatures first,'' the mage said.
Link led the way into the northern hallway, which lead into a large room with only one door up ahead. The room had several levers along with spaces on the floor that looked like switches.
''Huh. There seems to be a lot going on in here. Do we pull those levers? Step on those buttons on the floor...?'' Ashlyn's voice was uncertain.
Glurak surveyed the room thoughtfully. ''Somehow I don't think it'll be something obvious...''
''Hey, look at that tile,'' Ashlyn said. She pointed to a tile on the floor that was edged with red. The rest of the floor was brown like the rest of the shrine.
''It looks significant.'' Glurak went over and stepped on it. The tile sunk lower into the floor. There was a rumble and two sections of the wall on either side of the room opened, revealing a niche. Each niche contained a stone statue holding a sword, both of which came charging out.
Glurak jumped backwards to get out of the way, the hem of his robes lifting with the movement, revealing black boots and dusk gray trousers. He moved again as both statues lifted into the air and slammed down, attempting to crush him.
''What the hell are those!?'' Ashlyn exclaimed.
''Armos statues!'' Glurak shouted back.
She frowned as a thought occurred to her. ''Don't you need some kind of explosion to kill those? We have nothing like that...''
Glurak ran past them. ''No. You can also trick them into slamming up against objects. And since there are two...''
''We can trick them into attacking each other,'' Link said, finishing Glurak's sentence.
Ashlyn hurried to distract the Armos statues, letting them chase her to the other end of the room. Link attacked one of them from behind, luring it away. Both of them led the statues towards each other, and as they raised their weapons, dove out of the way.
There was a loud crash when both of the animated statues collided. Shards flew across the room. Glurak put up a barrier to shield himself, while Link and Ashlyn covered themselves with their arms. When they looked around, rubble covered the space where the Armos had been.
Glurak removed his magical barrier, walking over to help Link and Ashlyn up from the floor. ''That went well.''
''I'd say! Were those things alive?'' Ashlyn said.
Glurak shook his head. ''No. Armos are not living beings. They are animated by magic, though some are controlled with machinery.''
Ashlyn glanced around. ''Should we start trying out the switches and levers now?''
''Yes... Wait. Direct your attention to the niches. There's a lever in each one.'' Glurak pointed to one of the niches.
''You were right. They weren't obvious. To get to them, you had to step on that switch and fight those Armos,'' Link said. He walked up and pulled the lever. A click sounded but the door still didn't open.
Ashlyn walked into the second niche and pulled on the lever. Another click sounded and the door slid open. A longer hallway lit with torches was beyond.
Link stepped through the doorway and started walking with his friends following after him. At the end of the hall was a door flanked by pillars similar to the ones outside the shrine.
Glurak paused in front of the door. ''Well, this seems to be the final area of the shrine. I sense strong magic beyond here. Whatever it is must be protecting the key.''
Link nodded and opened the door. They went inside, looking around. The room was large, decorative pillars carved halfway into the walls every few feet. There were also carved murals on the walls depicting shapes resembling fire. A dark brown statue was in the center of the room. Across from them was another door, locked.
Link took a step forward, over a groove in the floor. When his friends went to follow, a grate shot up through the groove, barring them off from him. The statue suddenly flashed bright red. It took a step forward, eyes lit with red energy. It had no weapons, but that didn't assure Link of anything.
The fiery eyes of the statue locked on him and it gave a grating roar.
Risbon had decided to have another raid, giving the Resistance yet another opportunity to strike. He chose a building in the northeast of the city to make a statement. It hadn't really taken long to get the headquarters team on the same page, so they were ready. Yost was going to accompany them while Malon would stay to watch the headquarters.
He was wearing a disguise, just so they could get to the intended destination without much hassle. The building was an auction house for wealthier citizens. It was made of fine stone and wood, with a pair of carved doors as the entrance. There was currently an exhibit of jewelry owned by a noble that was known for underpaying his servants. They planned on stealing them all and selling them to give to those who needed the money.
There would be guards, of course, but Risbon was confident that his team could handle it. They approached the building, able to see the sign reading Lurise Auction House. The team made their way inside, acting like they were there to see the exhibit or bid on items.
The floor was tiled in a mossy green stone. The room was large and wide. At the center was where the auctions were conducted. To the right were the tables displaying the jewelry. A balcony level surrounded the room, supported by elegant pillars. A staircase that split off led up to that level. People in fancy attire wandered about.
''There's the jewels,'' Tancred said lowly.
Risbon nodded. ''I see them.''
''Do we take them now? Or wait for the auction?'' the earth mage questioned.
''We wait for an opening,'' Risbon replied, glancing around. Being around the social elites made him tense and wary.
A blonde woman wearing a peach colored dress with numerous fake roses on the overskirt walked past them to look at the jewelry. Out of all of them, only Lux looked like he belonged there, though his robes were a gift from Glurak. Tancred was wearing his usual short brown robes and Nettie was still in her gray dress. Risbon looked completely unlike himself with the disguise on: a long sky colored robe with a hood.
He moved closer to the jewelry to see the pieces. A gold necklace with sapphires was the first piece. Next was a bracelet studded with diamonds, followed by a pair of amethyst earrings. There were several other rings, necklaces, bracelets, and trinkets with varying gemstones.
The woman in the peach dress was looking at the bracelet. She noticed him. ''I'm going to be bidding on this gorgeous bracelet. Do you plan on trying to get any of these pieces?''
''Yes. I'll certainly try,'' he answered.
''Good luck, some of the auctions here are quite heated,'' she said, looking around at the other people.
Risbon nodded. ''Thank you...'' He paused, unsure of how to address her.
''Dame Sharon Orlana,'' she filled in.
He blanked out for a second; the woman was a knight? Then he realized she was a hereditary knight, not an actual soldier type knight. Whether she held the title in her own right or she inherited it from family or a husband he didn't know.
''I should warn you to be cautious of Lord Valen Mountjoy. He wins frequently here.'' Dame Sharon pointed to an auburn haired man in a long cream and gold formal tunic.
He took note of that. ''Thank you for the advice, Dame.''
She smiled. ''You're welcome. I make sure to warn new patrons of his win streaks. Honestly, it's a bit unfair. He shouldn't be allowed to bid on everything.''
After another twenty minutes, an announcer wearing dark green livery stepped out. ''Presenting the owner of this fine establishment, Lady Lurise Helenisse.''
A woman wearing a dark green gown with black lace stepped onto the stage. She had black hair with a glossy sheen done in ringlets. Her eyes were a luminous green. She appeared to be in her twenties. Everyone went quiet at her appearance.
''Dukes and Duchesses, Lords and Ladies, nobility and merchants, I bid you welcome to this venerable auction house! Today we have a special treat! Lord Corbin Murray has generously donated these fine jewels to be auctioned off...'' Lady Lurise pointed towards the tables.
The other people looked eagerly at the tables before turning back to the owner. She continued her speech, going into the history of House Murray, the history of the jewels and their details. Tancred looked bored, exchanging glances with Lux. Yost shifted a bit, Nettie fought against a yawn, and Risbon stood focused.
The speech came to a close and Lady Lurise motioned to a man in a dark uniform. The auctioneer. ''And now for the moment we've been waiting for...'' Risbon signaled the others discreetly. ''Let the auction proceed-''
''I'm afraid we'll be taking those,'' Risbon interrupted, throwing his disguise off. The others ran towards the display tables.
The reaction was immediate. Upon seeing the infamous rebel leader, gasps went up. Dame Sharon screamed. Guards rushed forward, weapons drawn.
Link drew his sword, staring at the approaching statue. It was probably about three feet taller than him. The head was carved to look like a dragon. Its hands were the size of his head, it didn't need weapons. Red and gold decorations were painted on its body. It clicked in his head. The statue was Rufirine, the entity mentioned on the wall in the other room. The guardian of the key.
With a snarl, the animated statue thrust a fist forward. Link jumped out of the way, going to the side of the room. He noticed that the guardian moved slowly, like the wall inscription said. He also noticed a red gem on the back of its neck. A weakness?
Only one way to find out. He darted behind the guardian while it was turning to find him and jabbed his sword up to the gem. Rufirine howled in rage, whipping around. Its arm slammed into Link, sending him flying a few feet away. He landed on the floor painfully.
The enraged guardian spread its hands, shooting fireballs at its challenger. Link rolled away, getting to his feet hurriedly. From behind the grate, Ashlyn and Glurak gestured towards the statue. Link glanced at it, seeing that it was preparing to launch more fireballs. He ran, swerving in different directions to foul up the guardian's aim.
''Glurak, can you disrupt the magic animating it?'' Link shouted at the mage.
''No! There are spells in place that prevent that,'' Glurak answered.
Link had figured that but he wanted to confirm it. ''Just as I thought.''
''Hey. It's slow, right? Why don't you trick it into trying to punch you again or something?'' Ashlyn suggested.
Since it was done shooting fire at him for the time being, Link figured that would be a good option. He headed towards Rufirine. The statue smashed its fist downward, aiming for his head. Link moved to the side and Rufirine's fist hit the floor.
Link dashed around to the guardian's back and attacked the gem. The living stone statue roared out in frustration or pain. Probably frustration, seeing as it was made of stone. Link didn't think it could feel pain. Rufirine turned around.
The guardian was clearly furious, its eyes shining a deeper red. One of its hands shot out and grabbed Link, the clawed stone fingers tightening around him. Rufirine snarled, flames licking out from around its teeth. He was aware of Ashlyn shouting his name and Glurak pointing at something.
Trying to ignore the pain of Rufirine's fingers digging into his ribs, he looked at the arm that held him. Now that he was up close, he could see that the guardian had joints to be able to move. It may be animated by magic, but it still needed movement. He kicked hard at the hinged elbow.
The guardian shuddered, dropping him to the ground as it arm jerked involuntarily from the kick. Seeing that gave him another idea. If he attacked its knee or hip joints, perhaps he could make it fall, allowing easier access to its gemstone. Of course, he still had to find a way to get to them while under attack. He quickly got up and sprinted away from the guardian statue, lest it try to return the favor and kick him.
Rufirine spread its hands again, but instead of fireballs, it shot out streams of fire. Link ran, moving as far away from the fire as possible. He did not want any contact with it. Link continued running as the animated statue kept up its attack. He was beginning to get tired. Just as he was starting to think it would never stop and he would end up burning, the guardian paused.
Link realized that although it was animated by magic and could use magic, like any mage it had to stop eventually. He ran towards it. Rufirine stared at him angrily before thrusting its hands towards him. He ducked under its arms and slammed into its knees. The sudden force to its joints caused it to stumble forward, unsteady. Link ran out from under it to avoid being crushed.
Rufirine tried to keep itself upright, but it collapsed to its knees. Link raced behind it, ignoring the throbbing from his sides, and attacked the gem on the back of Rufirine's neck. A grating screech came from the guardian. Link stepped away from it.
The key guardian stood up slowly, laboriously, and stared at him. If it could breathe, Link had the feeling it would be panting. It didn't seem to be keen on continuing, so that meant he won...?
Rufirine opened its mouth, which had hinges inside to allow the movement. An orange-red glow started in the back of its throat. Realizing what it was going to do, Link moved frantically out of the way. A gout of fire shot from its mouth, as if it were a real dragon. The flames narrowly missed him.
After the attack, Rufirine closed its mouth. It stood still, its gaze weighing him with what seemed to be judgement. With a grunt, it pointed one of its clawed fingers at the final door, which slid open on its command.
Since he had apparently proved himself, the grate separating him from his friends slid back into the floor. Ashlyn gave the statue a wide berth while Glurak walked right past it. They walked into the last room.
On an altar in the small chamber was a key. It was gold and a little bigger than Link's middle finger. A thin chain with a red tassel hung from the end. Link picked up the key and put it in a small pouch attached to his belt.
Chaos filled the Lurise Auction House. Risbon drew his sword in tandem with his older brother. Lux readied his magic while Tancred grabbed the jewelry from the tables. Nettie, who had no combat magic or weapons due to her oath as a healer, stood close by.
Up on the stage, Lady Lurise was still standing completely frozen, her gaze on the jewels being stolen. As Risbon and Yost engaged some of the guards, nobles headed for the exit.
''Irdris!'' Dame Sharon called to a man about her age. Judging by their similarities, Risbon figured that he was her brother. Irdris ran forward and grabbed her sleeve, hurrying her away from the fighting.
A few of the noblemen decided to stay, drawing their swords. The rest fled with their wives, sisters, or other relations. Lux fired some of his regular magic at the soldiers. Tancred, having safely stored the jewelry away, pulled out his axe.
Yost switched to one of the noblemen, who clearly had no training with a sword judging by the way he swung it aimlessly. He disarmed the man in about twenty seconds. ''You bought a sword without knowing how to use it? With all your money, why didn't you hire an instructor?''
The frustrated man fled, leaving his weapon behind. Yost grinned widely. Soon, he ended up driving all of the noblemen away, even those who had training in swordsmanship and a bit of skill.
Tancred swung his short axe, blocking a soldier's strike. He flicked a hand and conjured a small rock, sending it into the crowd of soldiers. He could cause small tremors with his earth magic, but he didn't want to damage the building. He didn't know if the pillars could take the strain. And their objective was to simply take the jewels, not harm civilians or destroy the auction house.
He noticed some of the guards approaching Nettie, who was defenseless, and ran over to fight them. He drove them off, earning a few shallow cuts in the process. Nettie healed them with her magic.
Lux attacked several soldiers, flinging jolts of non-elemental magic at whoever came near. He didn't use his fire and electric magic for the same reason as Tancred was holding back on the earth spells. But water magic was fine. He sprayed about five guards with a basic spell, keeping them away and making the mossy tiled floor slippery.
More guards entered the building, having been alerted to the commotion. Lux turned his head towards Risbon. ''We need to get out of here! The five of us will not be able to hold out all day.''
Risbon nodded. ''Let's go. We have what we came for. This fighting is unnecessary.''
Since leaving the way they came was going to be difficult, giving that guards were coming in that way, Risbon turned and ran towards the stage. There was a back exit somewhere.
Tancred and Nettie ran that way as well, followed by Lux and Yost. Lux took a step onto the staircase, Tancred joining him. Risbon didn't question what they were doing; the mages could hold their own. Nettie stuck close to Yost as the arms master forged a path.
Risbon continued into the back of the room, looking behind him to make sure the others were all right. He turned to see where the exit was and found himself almost with his nose in perfumed black ringlets. Lady Lurise stood in his way, her green eyes narrowed.
She made a small, quick gesture with her right hand. ''She's a mage!'' Lux shouted in warning.
There was a sudden crackling of energy and the scent of electrical discharge. A bright bolt shot from her hand and sped towards Risbon, who tried to back away. The magical lightning struck his right shoulder. Electric sparks crackled, moving erratically along his body. He screamed, looking at the hole burned into his sleeve...and his arm.
''Did you really think I was going to let you walk out of here with those jewels?'' Lady Lurise asked coldly, stepping forward with a rustling of her long dress and a clack of her heels, her hand still sparking with magic.
Link, Ashlyn and Glurak exited the key room. Glurak walked up to Rufirine. ''Whoever animated this was a powerful mage. Some of these spells are very intricate and complicated... It seems they gave it some form of actual sentience. It can adapt and develop its own strategies.''
''If you had been in battle any longer with it, I guess it would've wisened up to your tricks,'' Ashlyn said, looking at the guardian.
Glurak nodded. ''Indeed.''
''Well, Link, you have one of the three keys now! And your battle was impressive. I admit I was a bit worried few times, like when it grabbed you... Kicking its elbow was a good idea!'' Ashlyn had a grin on her face.
Link reached in the pouch to briefly touch the cool metal of the key. ''Yes. Two more to go. I think we should go to Zora's Domain next.''
''A fine plan,'' Glurak said with a nod.
They left the Ruby Shrine and went back to Goron City, where Darsuna was waiting for them near the entrance.
''You're back. Did you get it?'' Link pulled out the key. The Goron chief smiled. ''Good. You must've put up a good fight with Rufirine. I should have gone to see it.''
Ashlyn nodded enthusiastically. ''You bet! I love a good fight and Link's battle with the guardian was top notch.''
''Before we leave, we need to stop by the armory,'' Link said.
''Of course. I can see why. The sword you have isn't very good,'' Darsuna said, pointing to Link's temporary weapon.
Link nodded. ''Yes. The sword my father gave me was unfortunately taken away when I was arrested a few days ago. I wasn't able to get it back, so I have this.''
Darsuna led the way into the city, taking them to the armory they had seen before. Inside were neat racks with various weapons displayed. The Goron blacksmith who owned the store was behind the counter with another Goron who seemed to be his apprentice.
''Patriarch, good day. Hello, travelers.''
''Link here needs a better sword. You're the one to see for that, Gomgoro,'' Darsuna said brightly.
The blacksmith nodded humbly. ''Thank you, chief.'' He turned to Link. ''Let me see your current sword, if you please.''
Link withdrew the weapon from the sheath and presented it to the Goron. ''It's a replacement for my original sword, which I no longer have.''
The blacksmith examined it. ''It's decent for short term... But the metal isn't of good quality. I'll take this off your hands.'' He placed the sword on a shelf marked ''Scrap''. Then he came out from behind the stone counter.
Ashlyn was looking at some of the weapons on display with an admiring glint in her eyes. ''These are very good blades. The metal looks to be formed exceptionally well.''
Gomgoro smiled. ''Thanks. You look to be skilled, miss.''
''Eh, I suppose. I'm always trying to improve.''
''A mark of someone noteworthy. Bettering your skills hones other things as well. What's your name?''
''Ashlyn.''
The blacksmith nodded. ''I'll remember you. I can tell you'll be a fine warrior or soldier.''
He took a sword off a rack and examined it. He handed it to Link, who weighed it in his hand, testing the balance. It seemed to be a bit too heavy. Gomgoro took it back and selected another one.
Link tested it, giving it a few practice swings. The weight and balance was much better. ''This feels good. Not too heavy or light...''
Like his first sword, it was plain. The guard was simple and straight, painted a faint red. The grip was wrapped in leather for a more comfortable hold. The weapon had a fuller running the length of the blade, making it lighter, just like his first sword.
''It suits you,'' Gomgoro said approvingly. When Link started to pull out his money, he shook his head. ''No. It's on me.''
Link protested. ''It isn't right for me not to pay for this. It's too fine of quality.''
''And I've got many more very similar to it. I can't let you back out there with that shoddy one you brought. But if you insist... Just half is fine. One hundred and fifty.''
Link agreed to that. The money was handed over. They left, the new sword sheathed on Link's back. They fetched Epona and Glurak's stallion.
As Ashlyn mounted the gray horse behind Glurak, she asked a question. ''What's his name?''
''Storm,'' the mage replied.
She nodded approvingly. ''He looks like storm clouds.''
They rode back down the mountain, making it back to Kakariko by about four o'clock. Both Glurak and Link had their cloaks on.
''Should we stay here and leave in the morning? We won't make it to Zora's Domain by nightfall,'' Glurak said.
''A good point... I guess we'll find an inn,'' Link replied.
Ashlyn glanced around. ''I'd rather not. But I don't want to ride at night either so...''
They stopped outside an inn called The Early Bird. Just as they were about to dismount, several people approached. They were led by a woman with shoulder length sandy blonde hair and a man with dark hair.
''You're not going any further. Stop right there.''
Ashlyn frowned. ''It's her! I knew this was a terrible idea. This place is full of Sheikah.''
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! The boss fight felt really good to put on a Wordpad document. Rufirine does have some sentience, as explained by Glurak. It's not a living creature, exactly. Its name is a combo of ruby and fire, with the ending of -ine like some gemstone names. The other key guardians will have names like that too.
Silly Risbon for thinking that all nobles are useless idle rich, am I right? Lady Lurise is not one to let people rob her business without a fight. She'll be kinda like a boss battle for the Resistance. Her name is pronounced as Lure-iss, while the surname is Helen-eese (rhymes with niece).