Crossposted from AO3
Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters
"...Open your eyes…"
A faint voice broke the silence of the still figure's mind. An infinite black pierced by golden rays of light.
"Open your eyes…"
Groggily, the figure opened their eyes for what felt like the first time in their life. A blue glow greeted them as they stared up from the ground.
"Open your eyes,"
A contraption on the ceiling with several glowing blue lines greeted them, their eyes refusing to focus. The glowing blue liquid surrounding them slowly began to drain.
"Wake up, Aryll,"
'Aryll?' the figure thought to herself, 'Yes that's my name… Aryll. Why didn't I know that?'
When the liquid fully drained, Aryll began to move. With great effort, she sat up and looked around the chamber she woke up in. Intricate stone patterns lined the walls and floor in the same pattern as the… bath she woke up in. Looking down at herself, she appeared to be in only her underclothes, with a cloth wrapped around her chest. Straight, blond hair fell down below her eyes, startling her with its length. However, the most surprising thing had to the fact that her body seemed to be littered with scars. She felt the rough, reddened tissue that was spread across her left side in a jagged, star-like manner. It reached all the way up to the pointed ear on the left side of her head, reaching slightly onto her face and around her eye.
A glowing pedestal in the corner of the room grabbed her attention. She took a step forward and immediately her legs buckled, unused to using any part of her body, much like a newborn babe. Pushing herself up once again, she steadied herself on her legs, now taking careful steps forward. She latched onto the pedestal and it began to glow. The center of the pedestal began to rise, moving clockwise before a rectangular part in the middle spun and pointed itself up, the orange lights pulsing with energy. Something about this object seemed… familiar, but it also made her feel… sadness?
"That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber,"
She didn't know who the voice guiding her was, but something about them made her feel calm. She grabbed the Sheikah Slate and turned it so the blank part was facing her. The screen suddenly lit up before dimming once again. The pedestal reversed its movements and dimmed as well. A noise from one of the walls revealed a doorway that led out of the chamber she was in.
Walking through the door, several wooden crates were set against the walls. On one of them was a set of clothes. A thin, barely held together, discolored shirt and ill-fitting pants. A pair of loose boots accompanied them. While it was not the most pleasing thing to wear, it was better than nothing. A convenient buckle allowed her to attach the Sheikah Slate to her hip. She finished it off with a blue hairband to tie her hair back in a ponytail, getting it out of her face. After she finished dressing, another glowing orange pedestal drew her attention. She walked over to it, confused as to what she was supposed to do.
"Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way,"
'Thank you, disembodied voice,' Aryll thought to herself. She grabbed the Sheikah Slate and held it as close as she could to the pedestal. The orange glow on the pedestal suddenly turned blue. Another disembodied voice suddenly spoke up, as if coming from the pedestal. There was a strange feeling she got from the voice, like it wasn't coming from a living being.
"[Authenticating… Sheikah Slate Confirmed]"
The wall next to the pedestal began to move, revealing a doorway much like the previous one. Daylight shone through as it opened. Aryll had to block the light with her hands, her eyes unused to the brightness of the sun. It seemed the golden glow was combining with it as she looked forward.
"Aryll… You are the light–our light–that must shine its radiance upon Hyrule and its people. Now go… and please, take care,"
"Who are you?" Aryll asked, but did not receive an answer. As she climbed up the stairs, the view outside had startled her. Her heartrate sped up as she ran forward through the grass towards the farthest point of the cliff in front of her. She felt herself gasp at the sight. Lush, green land surrounded her for miles. A forest stretched below her, leading out into plains even further below. A billowing volcano surrounded by craggy rock and jagged spires laid to the northeast. In the northwest were snow covered peaks that rivaled in height. In north, she could just make out the tip of a castle that sat between the two mountainous regions. To the east, two peaks sat next to each other, as if one singular mountain had been split in half. All she could do was look on in awe at the world that was laid out before her.
"Hm?"
Her gaze first landed on a ruined temple not too far in the distance, and then moved to a hooded figure that was standing on the path that led down to the forest below. The broad figure moved towards a campfire under and alcove nearby and sat down. Aryll quickly followed suit and went down to meet the person. Nearing the fire, she got a better look at the figure. Broad could definitely be used to describe them, perhaps a bit on the heavier side as well. A long, white beard grew from his face, contrasting with his dark clothing. He had planted his walking stick with a lamp into the ground near the fire. Something about him agitated her, but she didn't know what.
"Oho! Well met stranger!" the old man called out to her, "It is rather unusual to see another soul in these parts,"
"Hello… Um…" a growl from her stomach let the man know what she was about to ask.
He chortled before gesturing his hand to the food by the fire, "Please! Help yourself young lady. From the sounds of it, it seems like you haven't eaten in a while,"
Aryll sat down by the fire and grabbed one of the baked apples that sat there. She quickly munched on it, the tenderness and sweetness of it making her want to eat faster. Immediately after she finished the first, she grabbed another and began eating that one just as quickly.
"Oho! Seems like you are quite the feaster there aren't you?" the old man chuckled to himself as he watched her.
She had already finished her apples, but paused a moment to think upon what the old man had said. It hadn't occurred to her that she might learn more about herself through the simplest things, like eating. Wiping her mouth, she looked upon the old man once more.
"I'm sorry. That was a bit rude. I suppose I should ask, who are you?"
"Me?" the old man shook his head, "I'll spare you my life story. I'm just an old fool who has lived her alone for quite some time now. Might I ask what brings a young lady to a place like this?"
Aryll looked around her, "What is this place?"
"Answering a question with a question. That is fair," the old man conceded, "As I cannot imagine our meeting being a simple coincidence… I shall tell you. This is the Great Plateau. According to legend it is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule,"
Using his walking stick, the old man stood up and walked onto the path away from the campfire. He turned and looked east before pointing his cane at the ruins in the distance.
"That temple there," he began, "Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom one-hundred years ago, it has sat abandoned in a state of decay," he shook his head, saddened at the sight, "Yet another forgotten entity, a mere ghost of its former self…"
Slowly, he made his way back to the fire, "I shall be here for some time. Please let me know if I can be of service. But first, might I know your name young lady?"
"It's Aryll… apparently," she said the last part quietly to herself.
"Well Miss Aryll, as I said, I shall be here should you need anything," the old man was about to sat down when he suddenly exclaimed, "Aha! I knew I was forgetting something,"
He suddenly pulled out a wide leather bag with a clasp, "You seem to not have a bag so I figured I'd give you one of my old ones. The Korok magic still functions, but it's been quite a while since it was used so it might have worn down quite a bit,"
She accepted the bag and attached it to her belt on the opposite side of the slate. Walking further down the path, she across an unlit campfire with a woodcutter's axe sunk into a nearby stump. She managed to pull out the axe with a bit of effort and slung it into the strap on her back. The path led to a flat area with several ruins to the east. She would have to make her way through the ruined town to get to the temple. Her foot kicked against a tree branch that had fallen nearby. She picked it up and got a feel for it. While it might not last as long as the axe, or be as powerful, she could still use it as a weapon. Though, she realized, she couldn't carry both at the same time. She opened the bag the old man had given her to see if there was something in there, only to discover that she couldn't even see the bottom. It was just dark. She reached her hand into the bag, surprised when she managed to get all the way up to her shoulder before pulling out. Curious as to what might happen, she took the axe and started lowering it into the bag. The wide opening allowed her to put the axe all the way in, despite its rather large blade. Satisfied with the result, she closed the bag and wielded her stick.
A noise brought her out of her thoughts. It sounded like a pig's oink, but gargled. She looked down the path to see a red, bipedal monster with large ears, a pig nose, and a singular horn on its head. It held a branch of its own in its hand. Despite not knowing what the creature was, her instincts told her that it was dangerous. She dodged out of the way of its attack, first whacking it in the head to daze it, and then bringing the branch down on its arm. She grabbed the branch from the monster's hand and proceeded to stick the branch deep into its skull through its eye, the branch breaking in the process. The creature left no blood as it disappeared into black smoke once its body hit the ground. The only thing left behind was its horn. She grabbed it and stuffed it in her pack, figuring it might be useful.
Walking through the ruins made her wonder what happened to the place. The stone structures had collapsed, leaving all bare to the elements save for the temple that stood above them all. Another monster like the first one made an attempt at attacking her. She whacked it with the branch until it broke, grabbed its dropped weapon, and then finished it off with the club she had attained. It was definitely sturdier than the sticks she had been using.
As she neared the shrine, the warmth that she had felt when she woke up had returned, along with the voice of the mysterious woman.
"Aryll…" she spoke, "Head for the point marked on the map in your Sheikah Slate,"
She was getting a little impatient with this voice telling her what to do, but somewhere inside her she felt as if she had to trust them. Grabbing the Sheikah Slate from her belt, she held it up in front of her. Nothing was happening, so she touched the panel of glass on it. The device instantly lit up, displaying a blue grid with a yellow arrow and a yellow circle. She turned around in place and the arrow turned as well. Surprised, she took a step backwards and the arrow moved as she did. Now understanding what it meant, she turned until the arrow pointed towards the circle. Stowing it back on her belt, she began walking forward through the grass directly there.
Along the way, she encountered what appeared to be a monster camp with three of the things she disposed of before. The club she had gotten was much stronger than the branches she was using. She grabbed the weapons the monsters dropped and continued forward. After about ten minutes, it seemed she was heading towards a spire that was sticking out of a pile of rocks. Yet another monster stood in front of the rocks holding a sword and a makeshift shield. Deciding to take it by surprise, she crouched low to the ground, giving the creature a wide berth. Slowly, she walked forward, drawing her club. She raised it above her head and hit the monster, using both her strength and the weight of the club to deliver a crushing blow, cracking the club as she did so. Not wanting to use a weak weapon, she tossed the club to the side and grabbed the sword and shield. Walking around the rocks, she discovered an opening that housed another one of the pedestals she had seen where she first woke up.
"[Place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal]" the pedestal said to her.
Taking it out, she placed the device into the slot in the pedestal. The movements were similar to that of when she first obtained the slate.
"[Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks]"
"Huh?"
The ground around her began to shake violently, causing her to fall backwards onto her back. Cracks appeared in the rocks above her. Suddenly, the floor around her rose, the rocks being pushed out of the way of the piercing spire. She went higher and higher until the ground was far below her. In the far distance, she could see towers like the one she was in rise as well. When the rumbling finally stopped, she unsteadily got up from the ground.
"[Distilling local information…]"
Aryll watched as the obelisk above the pedestal glowed the same blue as the place she woke up in. Whoever these 'Sheikah' were, they appeared to put things just about everywhere. The blue seemed to coalesce at the very bottom until it formed a drop of blue liquid that splashed onto the slate. The map appeared on the device again, this time with details of the area around her. She grabbed the slate from the pedestal and reattached it to her belt for the time being.
"Whoa," she looked out from the tower she now found herself in, amazed at all of the land around her. It was a much better view than from the cliff she woke up on. A glow suddenly caught her eye. She looked towards the castle where the glow came from, the warmth from earlier coming back once again. The voice was faint this time, almost as if she was talking from a distance.
"Remember…" the voice grew closer, "Try… Try to remember…"
Something compelled her to move closer to the edge.
"You have been asleep for the past 100 years,"
She stared at the castle when the ground suddenly shook again. It wasn't close to her, but she still needed to steady herself.
"The beast…" clouds of darkness began to swirl around the castle, "When the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end,"
A being made of the dark mist rose from the castle, its roar reaching throughout the land. The radiant glow still shined through the darkness.
"You must hurry Aryll. Before it's too late…"
"What the…" Aryll slightly paled at the sight of the beast. That was what she was up against? She sighed to herself.
"Alright," she said to herself, "Guess it's up to me to… save the world… great…"
She opened up the Sheikah Slate again. Looking at the top, she noticed there was a log that she could write requests into. There were also now two blue markings on the map. She tapped one and a name appeared next to it, "Shrine of Resurrection." The other had "Great Plateau Tower" next to it. When she clicked on them, another box popped up on the screen saying "Travel to?" with the options of "Yes" and "No" underneath it. For the moment, she clicked "No".
"Now to get down from here,"
She leaned over the edge to get a sense of just how high she was, "Okay… definitely can't just jump down,"
Looking around she found an opening in the floor with a platform below it. This one she could jump down to. She let herself drop down onto the platform, and noticed another one below it that she could also fall onto. This pattern continued until she reached the stony ground that she started on. As she walked forward, she heard a shout in the distance. The old man came gliding down towards her. From where she didn't know.
"My my…" the old man started at the tower, "It would seem we have quite the enigma here. This tower and other just like it have erupted across the land one after another,"
"I saw," Aryll told him, "I was up there,"
"I see," the old man rubbed his bearded chin, "If you don't mind me asking… Did anything… odd occur while you atop that tower?"
She shrugged, "I heard a voice that I've been hearing for a bit now,"
"Well now! A voice you say?" the old man seemed to be surprised, but to Aryll it felt fake, "And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice,"
"Nope," she said as she shook her head.
Now the old man seemed disappointed, "I see… Well, that is unfortunate,"
He turned to look out in the distance, "I assume while you were up there you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle,"
She nodded.
"That…" the old man's voice was grave, "Is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching…"
The old man turned to her again, "I must ask you, brave one… Do you intend to make your way to the castle,"
She nodded her head again. The man let out a slightly amused chuckle, "I had a feeling you would say that. Here on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try and jump off, well… no death could be more certain. Or more foolish. Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine that would be a different story,"
"Alright then, give it to me,"
The man laughed, "Oho! Certainly! Why not? But there's no such thing as a free item in this world, you know. Let's see now…"
He started looking around the area before his gaze landed on something, "How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?"
The old man walked up the mound and pointed at a stone structure with glowing orange lines like all of the Sheikah things she had seen had, "Do you see that structure over there? The one with a strange light? It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? Treasure for a paraglider. A fair exchange I believe,"
A bit of a walk and a sunken pond separated them from the mysterious Sheikah structure. It seemed that at one point, a stone bridge allowed a person to cross the pond with ease, but it had since collapsed and fallen into the water. Before the bridge, to the right, was another monster camp. She decided she would take care of the monsters first. Three of the red monsters surrounded the campfire and another was stationed on top of a small, raised platform with a bow. Unfortunately, the one on the platform spotted her and blew a horn that it kept on its hip.
She rushed forward, using her shield to block the arrows that came her way. Running around the platform, she stepped onto the first rung of the attached ladder and flung herself upwards. She rolled onto the platform and stabbed upwards, plunging her newly acquired sword into the monster's skull. As the creature fell, she grabbed its quiver with few arrows and its bow. The approaching monsters were swiftly dealt with as she fired one arrow into each of the monster's skulls. The bow felt a lot more comfortable in her hand than a sword did. Another addition to her arsenal of equipment. Her attention was drawn when she saw a chest atop another platform sudden take on a yellow glow. Curious, she climbed up the ladder for the other platform and opened up the chest. Inside was yet another sword. She took the blade and put it directly into her bag for later use.
Continuing towards the shrine, Aryll discovered that she could either walk around the pond or swim directly across it to get there faster. Not seeing any reason not to, she hopped into the water and swam. She was starting to feel a bit tired when she finally made it across, although it did take her fifteen minutes to do so. The clock on the slate let her know such. Looks like she was going to need to swim more and build up her stamina. Shaking herself off like a dog, she walked forward to the shrine. Another pedestal sat in front of the glowing structure. Just like before, she took out the slate and held it against the surface.
"[Sheikah Slate confirmed.]"
Relief went through her for a moment as the structure didn't move like the other one did. In the corner of her eye, she could see a circle light up on the ground in the same blue glow.
"[Travel Gate registered to map. Access granted]"
The wall in front of her suddenly swung inwards, another glowing platform shone within. She checked the slate to see if anything changed there. A new blue marker appeared on the map labeled, "Oman Au Shrine". Walking into the structure, she stood in the middle of the circle. Nothing seemed to be happening, then the floor below her started moving. She was descending into the ground below, unaware of what would await her, but still prepared for it.
When the platform finally stopped, she found herself in some sort of underground building. The ceiling glowed like light flowing through water, the floor was made of tan stone tiles, and the walls were made of black stone with various patterns of orange lights. A pair of large metal plates were laid upon the ground. Bars made of the same material as the walls blocked her path. Suddenly, a voice rang through her mind.
"To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am Oman Au. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial,"
The first the she noticed was the pedestal and hanging obelisk much like the one she saw at the tower. She strode over and placed the Sheikah Slate into the slot.
"[Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune…]"
She tilted her head, "Rune?"
After the drop of liquid hit the slate, the screen lit up once again. A new set of squares appeared, the third one showing a symbol of a red diagonal 'U'. She poked the symbol and a description appeared.
'Magnesis:
Manipulate metallic objects using magnetism
- Grab on to metallic objects using the magnetic energy that pours forth from the Magnesis rune. Objects held in the magnetic snare can be lifted up and moved freely'
"[Rune extracted.]"
The Sheikah Slate was returned to her. She grabbed it and looked back at the metal on the floor. Poking the rune again, the slate began to glow a faint red at the end opposite the handle. She pointed the glowing end at the metal and saw a faint stream of light attach itself to the metal. A button stuck out of the slate when it connected. She pressed it with her thumb and a translucent, bright blue 'U' formed around the slate. The red beam split in two and became the same color as the 'U'. She lifted her arm up and the metal plate followed it, revealing a hole with a ladder underneath it. Clicking the button again caused the plate to drop to the ground with a loud 'Bang!'. She walked over and slid down the ladder. A small passage led to the other side of the bars. She walked up the stairs on the opposite side to find a wall made of stone blocks with one metal block mixed with them. Activating the rune again, she grabbed the block and slid it out. Then, she used the floating metal block to push the rest of the blocks out of the way, at least enough for her to get past.
She heard a mechanical whirring noise and dropped the block just in time to see a walking metal creature running towards her on three, spider-like legs. Its metal hide, however, was no match for her blade. Though it had chipped a little, she managed to dispose of it by sticking the sword into the small gap between its 'head' and its 'body'. It proceeded to explode into smaller parts, most of it damaged by the fight. However, she managed to salvage a screw of some kind, tossing it with the rest of the various knickknacks and ingredients she found. Ahead of her was a body of shallow water with two stone platforms leading to a large metal door. She crossed the metal plate that spanned the gap between where she stood and the first platform. Grabbing the plate with the magnesis rune, she moved it to cover the gap between the platform she was on, and the path forward. Before she got to the doors, a glint of metal shone out of the corner of her vision. She looked up to her left to see a metal chest sitting on a platform out of her reach. As if it was an everyday thing, she grabbed it with the rune and brought it down to her. Inside she found a better bow with bits of reinforcing metal and a proper string. The one she was currently using was crude and definitely didn't have much durability to it. Deciding to just use the one she had until it broke, she stowed the new bow in her bag.
Opening the metal doors, she discovered what looked like a glowing cage. Inside was an emaciated body that seemed to be frozen. Curious, she reached out and touched the glowing wall that separated her from the body. It rippled like touching water. The wall exploded into intangible shards before dissolving into nothingness.
"You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero," the voice she heard when she had entered this place came from the body, though it still did not move, "I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon,"
Aryll was taken aback, "How did you–"
"With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you… Please accept this Spirit Orb,"
A glowing orb with the crest she had seen on those old ruins floated out of the monk's torso and floated gently towards her. She stood there watching as the orb came into contact with her chest before splitting into strings of light that seemed to absorb themselves into her. An odd feeling rose in her chest, like potential waiting to be released.
"May the Goddess smile upon you,"
That was the last thing that the monk said before it disappeared like dust in the wind. Another platform lowered from the ceiling behind her. She stood on it like she did with the one that took her down into this place. Just like before, it moved, raising her up into the hole in the ceiling where it came from. Light shone in her face as she found herself back on the surface.
"Ho there!"
She looked up to see the old man descend from seemingly nowhere on his paraglider.
"Hm," he looked at her, "It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!"
"Can I have the paraglider now?" she asked impatiently.
His face became slightly stern, which kinda pissed her off, "I encourage you to slow down for a moment. The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine. It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there,"
"Okay… but can I have the paraglider?"
"I was not finished speaking!" the old man shouted. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. She really didn't like this guy.
The man sighed, "Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their technology disappeared long ago… Or so it is said. It is interesting, however, to think… how something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places across this land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more. Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines… and I will give you my paraglider,"
"The hell?! That wasn't what you said earlier!" she shouted at him.
"Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure that won't be a problem for a rascal like you,"
Aryll groaned, "Fine… whatever,"
"And," the old man continued, "since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines. It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point. Let's see here…"
He turned around and looked back towards the tower, "How about you make your way to the top of that again?"
"Seriously?" said, exasperated.
"I'm sure that a young girl like yourself has climbed to great heights before. It shouldn't be a problem for you," he was about to walk away when he turned back, "Ah. One last thing. Take a look at the map on your Sheikah Slate,"
She groaned again as she took out the slate and opened the map, "Yeah?"
"See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you came from, and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those places with the Sheikah Slate,"
"Yeah," she said like it was obvious, "I already figured that out,"
"Very well then," the old man began walking off.
She grumbled as she clicked on the icon for the tower, "The hell is his deal?"
Clicking on the "Yes" option for the "Travel to?" box, she watched as a glow overtook her body and it began separating into ribbons of blue light before she could react. It felt like her mind was being tossed around while simultaneously being separated. When she was able to see again, she nearly feel over from dizziness. Probably best to not use that so often.
"Oho ho!"
"Fuck!" she shouted as the old man suddenly appeared next to her, "How did you even get up here?! More than that how did you get up here so fast?! You were literally on the ground a moment ago!"
He laughed, "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Now then,"
He looked out into the distance, "I wanted you to join me up here so you could use this as a vantage point to search for shrines. Did you know about the scope on your Sheikah Slate?"
She was taken aback, there was a function like that? Taking out the Sheikah Slate, she finally noticed the small symbol in the corner on the slate. She held it up and was surprised when things she saw through it looked much closer than they had previously.
"Look through it, and you can stick a pin anywhere you'd like to mark on the map," the old man told her, "The pins on your map serve as reference points for your travels. Just stick a pin anywhere you're interested in,"
"Okay then," she held up the Sheikah Slate again.
"Go ahead and take a look if you feel inclined to do so,"
Aryll scoffed, "I don't need your permission old man,"
She started looking around in the distance to see just where the other three shrines were. They stuck out quite clearly with their orange glow around the green foliage of the ground and the white snow of the peaks. Using the scope, she got a closer look at the locations of each of the shrines and hit the 'pin' symbol on the glass. Three pins were added to the map and she could see where they were with the scope as well.
It was at this point she saw the sun beginning to fall behind the horizon. She would need to find shelter for the night. A growl from her stomach notified her that she would need food as well. She hopped down from the tower the same way she did before, this time heading for the nearest forest. After grabbing various apples and mushrooms from around her, she began chopping wood to make a small fire. Deciding that the best place for shelter was probably the temple she had found earlier, she dumped all her supplies into her bag and made her way back through. There was only one monster inside the ruins that seemed to be guarding a chest. Opening it, she found a pair of pants and boots in much better condition than the ones that she was currently wearing.
"Better use those," she said as she stripped her old pants and shoes and put on the new ones. The pants didn't look like they were going to fall apart at any second and the boots were actually meant for rugged terrain, unlike the limp, ill-fitting shoes she was currently wearing. This time, she made it all the way to the temple and wasn't interrupted by that voice. It was probably quite beautiful at its prime, but now, obviously, it was in ruins. One of the walls had almost been completely blown out, a rusted, moss covered… thing that looked like a larger version of the mechanical creature she fought in the shrine. The roof had worn away, several holes spread throughout it. At the back of the structure of an old statue that seemed to have been the center of worship for this place. However, none of that really mattered since all it was to her was just a place for shelter. She put down the bundle of wood she had and then realized that she wasn't actually going to be able to light it. With a sigh, she settled for just eating the apples raw. They were still sweet and juicy, but weren't as filling as when they were cooked. After she finished, she found the least painful place to sleep on the ground and lay there. Her eyes didn't shut for a while, but sleep finally took her.