Hellene and Akko arrive at a cave where there is a gentleman named Alan and his grandson Frank who already knew the warriors of Luna Nova before because they had a history, which the girls were taking advantage of to rest up there on the mountain to replenish their energy before going to the dungeon, which are safer from Appleton's troops who cannot reach that part of the mountain because it is too dangerous, both for the monsters and for the traps that are placed there.
The duo already rests a lot and soon they are well disposed after talking a lot with the two men who live in the cave, the duo decides to go start doing the exploration and not waste time, they are leaving the cave, with the necessary items in hand when leaving the main entrance they already notice that it is very noticeable that there are some monsters that are walking from one side to the other, they were accompanied by Frank who took them to this exit.
"From here you will follow to that staircase that leads to the dungeon of Rastavan is very close to here, there is another cave on the side of the staircase that has a path where it leads to the village of Rastavan, from here on you will follow alone I only took them to the exit" Said the blond boy.
"It's okay, we can manage on our own, thank you very much" said Atsuko as she took a good look around.
"Well now we're going to smash these monsters in the face, good that I can finally put my gauntlets to use, I've always wanted to punch some monsters with them" McLaren said.
The two are following the path soon coming across some deadrocks that were running from one side or the other, as well as octoroks firing stones and several Tektites jumping from one side to the other, even with many monsters, the duo was opening the way where they needed, the sky around was much more cloudy and the clouds hit the mountain on top, which left a little fog around, but it did not prevent them from being able to attack with some ease.
The ruin especially showed that she could be very fast and agile even with heavy gauntlets she could punch fast enough to throw some tektites away, which opened their way until they reached the ladder.
"Wow, those spiders with the giant eye are really bizarre, but they're easy to hit even" said the purple-eyed one.
"The staircase is very close, even to get to the dungeon we have to face monsters, it's really bizarre how it happens" Said the one with crimson eyes.
They continued to get closer to the stairs, the monsters were getting in a larger number, positioned just near the stairs which still came across some statues that move that used to appear in the eastern palace guarding just the entrance to the staircase, the princess showing that it is no small thing was still striking hard managing to leave the two statues in pieces and thus opening the way to the staircase.
"Wow, now that I realise it, that's a long, long staircase" Kagari said as she realised she was going to have to walk a long way.
A staircase that went to another staircase ahead, which went to another one until it reached the top of the mountain, this because the tower was still on another mountain on the other side which gave even a tiredness just to look, but they did not give up yet, they went up, even more than on the way there was a hindrance, creatures that looked like ogres that threw barrels down the stairs to prevent the duo from climbing.
"It's like we're in another universe" said the brownish girl.
"This is not the time to talk about this thing, we are not monkeys" Hellene said.
"Well, it looks like we're going to have to improvise here to dodge these barrels that are on fire and could explode at any moment if they hit us" said Akko.
With great precision they were catching the idea of when the barrel makes an extra jump passing under them or even jumping over them leaning on the staircase handrails, which even as they got close McLaren gave a boost punching with the gauntlet on the feet of Atsuko who was jumping towards the first ogre who was hit by a cut that made him stop throwing the barrels that magically appeared.
"Now there are only four more of these stairs to go, but we've done it" said the rugrat.
"I have an idea with these remaining barrels, I can already see the next ogre, can I get it with my power gloves" Kagari said.
The crimson-eyed one picks up the heavy barrels that were filled with gunpowder and that still catch fire as soon as she holds them and was soon throwing one towards the top of the other staircase, but it didn't reach far enough, which they went trying otherwise, with the purple-eyed one punching and propelling her friend higher by also throwing one of the barrels upwards, which the new Luna warrior caught, threw upwards, but it was still not enough of an impulse to hit where the other ogre was, she only ended up causing an explosion to cause a small rockfall that caught them in full.
"Damn I couldn't use the shield in time, those stones really hurt, I think there's no way Hellene, we'll have to climb the normal way anyway" Said the brownish one.
"No problem, we can do it on the other staircase, so why not on this one?" said the ruin shrugging.
Both were going to the staircase next door and the barrels continued to be thrown, even so they continued to go higher looking attentively, even more so for the patterns of the barrels that were being thrown, causing some small explosions while jumping on the staircase, until they got close enough, in this Akko takes action, she throws her friend with the force of the power gloves and in this Hellene punches the ogre of that staircase.
"Perfect, we've already passed the second staircase, just three more and we're at the top, these monsters are really annoying, by the way it seems to be a little cold up here, I think we should have taken some coats" McLaren said.
"Believe me, this is nothing compared to the mountains of Cork, they are much higher and also cold, I spent hours with Diana climbing to reach the entrance of the dungeon, the path seemed to have no end so much that we were walking uphill, even to breathe it sucks" Said Kagari.
Time went by and the pair went up the stairs floor by floor, with all the necessary care, they went through the stairs intelligently, dodging as they could from the barrels still managing to do new techniques, like Hellene using ropes to tie barrels and throw them back to the ogres which already cleared a lot of path on the last floors, even more than the staircase was getting shorter and shorter as it got closer.
At the top of the entire staircase they arrive where Akko was anxiously waiting, only she didn't expect it to be something so complicated, a part of the hill that was a huge mud, with some mud men coming out of there and walking from side to side emerging from the mud, the path to the other mountain led to a thin dirt bridge, there were even some wooden planks leaning nearby that appeared to be from a bridge construction.
"Perfect, let's take these bridge boards and surf the mud Hellene, we just have to slide and we'll get to the other side near Rastavan's tower" said the excited Atsuko, already getting ready to slide.
"I was able to learn a little bit from Mrs Ursula, I'm too eager to finally put this sliding thing into practice" said the excited rugrat.
The two take a deep breath, take the boards, and soon they are throwing themselves into the mud that already begins with a slightly steep descent, where they are starting to get straighter and with a lot of momentum, raising mud where they pass what the mud men even tried to appear, but they didn't come so close to interrupting something.
Akko jumps for an elevation that makes the wooden board branch a little and with that even holds it and gives a whirl in the air, showing her friend that she is going to one of the edges of the mountain getting close to the top and gaining speed to another ramp, where the purple-eyed simply holds the board and takes one of her feet already showing one of the manoeuvres, which were taking advantage of the moment to have more fun.
"Akko this is much cooler than it looks, I can't believe the way to the dungeon can be this much fun, dodging mud men and still jumping ramps, how can it be this much fun here" McLaren said.
In this one of them jumping Kagari shows another manoeuvre where she jumps and lets the board go around under her foot which impresses the ruin that is also trying to do some manoeuvres there, only that it ends up almost falling just like the brownish one, which they noticed that they were losing a little speed, in this way the mud men emerged more quickly to hinder even more.
"Damn, it's better to focus, then we'll think about doing several of these stunts, I want to do them and even give a name to each one" Said Atsuko.
"You're right, the monsters are appearing more and more, let's focus on gaining momentum and speed like Mrs Ursula taught us" said the princess.
And they were gradually gaining more speed, that way the mud men did not hinder so much, which were arriving at the most complicated part a thin bridge of land that connected the two sides.
The crimson-eyed one went ahead, she put the shield in front even to run over the mud men and it was working, but little by little the speed that was reducing what Hellene behind was with more speed, she was only in a part behind kind of going up and down the mountain to gain the necessary speed to pass what her friend was already almost stopping, but with the McLaren coming close she did not need it.
The brown one throws herself off the board and is caught in the arms of the princess which leaves two on the same board, using the shield the remaining mud men are all knocked down and as it was a lot of speed, added to the extra weight, both were still unable to brake, until they reached the part where there was no more mud where they were thrown falling face down on the rocky mountain floor on the other side.
"Ahhhhh... That hurt" said Akko, getting up in pain.
"It hurt, but it was too radical, how cool, I loved it, we can go back and do it again, I loved going down this mud" Said the red head.
"I'm all muddy too, but now at least we're close, all we have to do is... Climb up the mountain to the top a little more, but damn, it's worse than I thought" said the shockedAtsuko.
"Well let's not give up yet, we have to complete this dungeon, it is the last of the hangers of courage because it will be your supreme test Akko, but then I loved spending this time with you, I would find it cooler if Diana could come here with us, she is very skilful with the rapier, she would open the way more easily with the mud men" McLaren said.
"And we would be so fast that we would roll on the ground until we fell off this mountain" Kagari said, getting up still wearing some bandages on her arms and legs that ended up grating against the rocky ground.
They were moving on to the dungeon, until then the place only had some Tektites bothering jumping from one side to the other, these in the red case which were a little smarter to punch McLaren's gauntlet and cutting attempts by Kagari, even so the duo gave a way to guarantee themselves in combat, they were somehow grouping and hitting combined attacks that deceived the monstrous arachnids a lot.
Down at the base of the mountain, the soldiers had already woken up for a while, those first soldiers who approached the Wedinburgh duo, managed to get loose from the ropes, they walked to the outskirts of Rastavam and saw a gathering of some of the men around the cave entrance, already quite strange what was there.
"What happened? Why aren't you escorting them at their posts?" Asks the soldier who has just arrived.
"The soldiers Michael, Liam and Hank were knocked down by some mysterious force and from the looks of it it must be connected to the entrance of elder Alan's cave, someone secretly went there, it must be his grandson's brat as always running away from us" Said one of the men.
"We saw the wanted girl here, we approached her, but she and a mysterious girl with black hair, they seemed to be dyed, you could tell by the lack of eyebrows, they looked like red eyebrows so clear, purple eyes, I'm sure I saw the girl somewhere, she punches hard with gauntlets and surrendered us, luckily we survived" Said one of those who were attacked by the girls.
"It was Atsuko Kagari, she is here in Rastavan, I'm sure they must have tried to climb to the elder Alan's hideout for something, or they must have even climbed to the tower of Rastavan, which I doubt very much that they will survive, there is no point in being strong and beating us, the dungeon is another level, they will never make it, but anyway, that's what I think it is" Said the last to be attacked by the duo.
"I had an idea, since you mentioned seeing the mysterious girls and our big reward, let's do it like this, we will escort any exit from the cave so that they have a nice surprise when they appear, one of you rides to the kingdom of Appleton and warn the lord that she was seen here, we will share the reward if she is captured, it will certainly be more than a thousand rupees if we can capture it very quickly" Said soldier Michael.
"An interesting idea Michael, you all gather for the entrance, let's get these girls is today, they do not know what awaits them, I'm sure the other girl must be as important as Atsuko Kagari, imagine how much we can get out of this, we can become part of the royal guard is better than a thousand Rupees" Said the last to be immobilised by the duo.
The soldiers shake hands and begin to gather, they even call the city to watch the cave entrances to somehow try to find some way to bring Akko to them and also Hellene, getting many troops around the exit of
the place, even camping, while one of them was going towards the city of Appleton to warn the lord about the sighting, which the girls did not know, but who knew was on top of the mountain watching with a telescope the elderlyAlan saw everything.
Back at the top of the mountain, Akko and Hellene were walking closer to the dungeon, where they come across another fork where it led to an even bigger staircase, on top of the mountain that seemed to be very high, which they were even shocked, when they saw what was written they already went to see out of curiosity.
"The witch chosen by the power of the Claiomh Solais who reaches the top of the mountain with the four hangings of courage will succeed in conquering one more of the seven words, receiving Freya's blessing to defeat the evil of Ganondorf."
"Woah, it looks like there's even more with the courage pendants, I can't wait to finally conquer this next word, I won a bow in the first word, just imagine what I can win in the second word, I get anxious just thinking about it" Atsuko said already excited.
"Well let's continue, the other staircase leads to the dungeon, soon we will find the next word and so we can get another advantage over evil" said McLaren.
Both stare at each other and then agree with their heads, following the single wide staircase to the Rastavan dungeon, the staircase is still long, the huge tower that has seven floors and each one is still very high, as they get closer and closer the tower seemed even bigger what they were noticing, no monster came close to the staircase either.
When they reach the top of the 20 metre staircase they see the huge tower, where even some lightning was hitting the top of it that was not seen, so high that it was the clouds full of lightning hit there, at a height of 60 metres, which seemed to have even more floors up, even if from afar it was possible to even see the top amid the clouds, they were faced with a double door that was huge about 10 metres high they were opening alone inside, with statues next to them of creatures, which were looking at each other until swallowing saliva with a little fear of the intimidating tower.
"Wow, I've never been scared before in my life, but this really gives me chills that my body has never felt so much, it's like I'm shaking all over, I'm very brave for myself, but this is scary" Hellene said.
"I hope the dragons in the statue have no connection with the monsters in here, I hope we don't have to face a huge dragon, well anyway it's good to go, I'm shaking just looking at it, I also feel the chill is like the roar of a dragon slightly consuming me" Said Akko who was starting to enter.
Both pass through the entrance door and then they hear the great creaking sound that is loud enough for the sound waves to cause a tremor through the body until the doors close completely behind the pair that was already shivering with fear.
They notice that there is also something flashing at the entrance and it was making the sound of a beep, which they are getting close to that on the wall, they are getting close to that drawing beeping in green on the wall and as they approach they hear a voice going in the head of both when touching that by the wall.
"Akko, Hellene, this is the elder Alan, I am communicating with you telepathically through these drawings on the walls, I want to warn you not to go down to the base of the mountain, it is full of soldiers, so we will prepare something for you to flee safer far enough not to be seen, When you finish this dungeon, go back to the cave and I will tell you more in detail the escape plan, or else you will be easily captured by the troops of Lord Hanbridge of Appleton" Alan said telepathically to the two who then take their hands off and are even shocked.
"It looks like we won't be able to get away from here so quickly, how are we going to get out of here?" Akko said a little apprehensively.
"We can manage I hope, let's worry about another important thing, the dungeon, it seems that no monster has appeared here yet, but we can't let ourselves be carried away by the innocence of the place, because it looks like a very luxurious and huge castle inside" Hellene said.
The pair shook hands and walked further forward already encountering walls having barriers with an orb that is shining in the middle of it with a blue light which soon Atsuko hits with the sword and opens the way further forward from the tower.
"That was also in the ice dungeon, looks like we'll have to see more of those things" Kagari said.
And so the pair goes following the path through the dungeon seeing two creatures already crawling towards them looking like small dinosaurs that were crawling on the ground with armoured heads, and then slid what they dodge and the creature hits its head on one of the walls bouncing to the other side, but they did not catch the pair that was just dodging, following the path ahead.
Seeing a door with a staircase down they enter and go to one of the underground where they are faced with simply water, which was even strange, what from this deeper water are coming out creatures looking like dragons spitting fireballs.
"It looks like this is going to be the dragon dungeon" said Kagari, and so they went on through the bridges, having to dodge smaller fish that jumped up to eat them, looking like piranhas.
While the dragons emerged from the water still throwing fireballs, with Akko's huge shield it was even easier, they managed to avoid being hit the problem is that they saw both sides, also hitting Hellene who used the gauntlets that had a property of repelling fireballs, until they reach a door where they are locked and are already faced with simply a rain of several bombs that are falling and exploding everywhere.
Some take the crimson-eyed one by surprise, who is a little injured but then recovers, and with the smoke dissipating, some hardhat beetles simply fall to chase the two, this time red, which McLaren is even impressed to see one.
"I thought these things only existed in books, I remember that they are very annoying in ice dungeons because they push a lot, but I think that here we are not so pushed, I want to see how they will be bouncing from one side to the other" Said the red head.
"They're unbearable in the ice dungeon, but I don't think they'll make such an impact here, come on Hellene, our first battle inside a dungeon having to kill all the monsters" Said excited brownish.
Atsuko was already beginning to notice that it was quite different on the normal floor, the monsters did not make her slip backwards, much, which she even got close to a wall where she used the momentum to attack the monster again.
On the other hand, the purple-eyed one was hitting the punches and with her the impacts were strong because she hit equally hard, noting that the blows were according to the impact of the blows, on the other hand she managed to kill the monsters at the time of the impact of the punches, which together the duo managed to make their way there, killing the six monsters that appeared and then they were already checking the pots until they found one with a button where they step on and open the door to leave.
"Now I understand these little monsters better, the harder I hit, the stronger their impact on me, too bad my punches with the gauntlet are too much for them" Hellene said admiring her gauntlets.
Then the pair continued to walk through the other door of the dungeon, where they came across a staircase down again, which was the most underground floor of the dungeon, when they arrived there they were already faced with a huge room that was without any monsters, until they took the first step on the floor and soon the door closed again behind their backs.
"More traps? How many of these pop up every hour like this?" McLaren asks.
"Believe me, there are many, I think this one also has many and is already starting to get into an attack position, pieces of floor will fly towards you" Atsuko said, already going on guard.
"What do you mean, pieces of floor? Ahhhhh, now I get it" Said the ruin that ended up punching one of the floors that flew towards her.
"You understand now Hellene, be attentive, usually it forms a skull I have even memorised the pattern of these floors, you can come that I am prepared" Said Kagari who stood in a corner waiting.
Only the floors didn't make a pattern to draw a skull on the ground on the contrary they were making another very different drawing, throwing in a very peculiar way because smaller pieces came and not bigger as usual, which was also very peculiar and these smaller pieces went even faster, Akko stayed in one of the corners hidden behind the shield that already provided good protection, but her scheme didn't work since the walls gave the girl a nice push forward that ended up being hit by some of the various floors hurting her, while Hellene was holding many of them punching with her gauntlets.
"Woah, these things are fast, I'm being hit like crazy by these various floors, this is really intriguing, I have to be careful, they also seem to cut" Said the purple-eyed one who was punching and punching the floors.
"These walls caught my hiding scheme, I'm going to have to really put the balance and dodge lessons from training into practice, so I think I can make it" Said the crimson-eyed one who was jumping from side to side rolling, trying to defend herself with the shield when she could, some parts of her face and arms were already bleeding with cuts from the floors flying towards her.
The two stayed there for a long time, taking a beating and getting quite injured with just that, it was noticeable in the arms of both girls were full of cuts and bruises, even the redhead having large gauntlets yet she still did not protect the whole arm. The brownish one also having a huge shield did not fully protect her, but soon pieces of floor were stopped being thrown and with that the dust was gathering in the centre of the place, which was making precisely the shape of a dragon, which they were already exhausted, being attentive, until the dust again joined in the centre making a chest appear.
"Phew... It was just an effect, it seems that we will really face a dragon, we must really prepare ourselves that a dragon is a monster of the most powerful" Akko said.
"I can't wait to say that one day I defeated a dragon, I even feel even worse knowing that Diana is not with us, she would love to have this opportunity, now let's see what's in that chest" Hellene said.
"It's always a key, we'll have to get it and then go up probably, there's nothing to explore down here, I'm sure this part must still have a whole underground dungeon underneath, but it's probably not time to go to it, imagine breathing underwater...I spoke, it was exactly a key" Said Atsuko who simply took a key from the chest.
Then the girls were checking the pots to see if there is a button to open the door and even step on one, but it was just a trap, causing several bombs to fall to the ground which they manage to have cover so as not to be caught in the explosion, then they find the other button that opens the door. They each take a fairy from a glass jar to heal themselves since the floors ended up leaving them very injured, thus managing to be physically renewed.
"Well now it's up, if going down is already this complicated imagine down there" McLaren said.
"You have no idea, I don't either and look at the floor really made a dragon drawing, it's a sign that we're really in a tower with an angry dragon, apparently we're going to have to give it our all to survive here, look on the one hand it's good Diana is not here, she could take a huge risk of life, we could have died just in that room of the floors, I lost a lot of blood with the cuts" Said Kagari.
"Me too, at least with three people I think the floors would come with less intensity, at least it would come less at us, there would be Diana who is simply agile in dodging and with the rapier she should break those smaller pieces as if it were nothing" Said the one with red hair.
So the duo goes back up to the ground floor of the dungeon, where they are dodging the dragons that emerge from the water throwing fireballs, soon reaching the staircase to the ground floor, they notice that there is an entrance to a staircase, but for that they need to activate the orb, but they are unable to pass to the other side since the orb blocks the way to the entrance to the door with a spiral staircase.
"And now how do we do it Akko, if we hit the orb we're stuck in it and the entrance, unless we have something to use the dis..." The brownish girl shows her genius and hits the boomerang on the orb opening the way to the door that will go up to the first floor of the tower of the other four levels above that they will still have to climb.
The pair face each other, with a more motivated expression, they take a deep breath watching the door, it was another part of the dungeon that they will have to cross, put all the skill they have trained into practice, since this more underground part was just a quiet beginning of what will be on the higher floors, the superior challenge of facing the dungeon of Rastavan.
Hellene and Akko arrive at the much acclaimed tower of Rastavan, the last dungeon of the pendants of courage that will really put the girl from Luna Nova to test everything she went through in the previous dungeons, still having many surprises to face, at least having at her side the company of her friend Hellene who has gauntlets that help her give a very powerful punch to hit resistant monsters, in addition to being very resistant to taking blows, being very far from the helpless princess that everyone thinks she is for being a princess and still being only 13 years old, already showing to be one of the strongest of the whole group of warriors in Hyrule. Draconic challenges still lie ahead in the Rastavan dungeon.
See you, tower witches...