Chapter 5: The Crypt
Ganon stared at the pathway for several long minutes as they stood there, Ganon absently drying his hair, and Antik waiting patiently. It didn't take long for Mako to return, carrying Ganon's weapons carefully. She handed them to him and waited as he strapped them on before smiling at him and handing him a comb for his hair. Around the hilt of the thick toothed comb was a loop of string. He smiled at her and proceeded to properly brush his hair.
There had been several times at Hyrule castle that the soldiers had teased him for taking so much care of his hair and not just cutting it, but Ganon grew up surrounded by women, most of whom took meticulous care of their hair. He was honestly very proud of his hair. It didn't take him too long to brush through his hair and then he deftly tied it back in a tail that would keep most of it from his face.
"Would it be a problem if I wait to make certain I am sufficiently recovered from my injuries?"
Antik shook his head. "It shouldn't be. The warnings have kept most out. The only ones allowed beyond this point are the guards posted at the entrance. But I wouldn't recommend waiting too long. We don't know what is down there, and-"
An ear splitting scream echoed down the ravine. Immediately, Ganon dashed toward the sound and past the warnings, ignoring Mako's shout behind him. He knew that sound. It was the same one that someone made when a Molduga appeared underfoot, or a sand pit sucked someone in. It was absolute terror.
He skid around a sharp corner and ahead of him was an image from a nightmare. Cilk was on the ground, clawing his way away from a massive, inky spider that was pulling itself free from the crypt entrance, leaving traces of black ooze everywhere it stepped. Ganon shouted at Cilk and the young man turned to look at Ganon.
As he turned, the spider opened its mouth and spat a line of shadows that writhed and screamed as they reached for Cilk. When it touched him, Cilk screamed again and tried desperately to kick at or claw away from the tendrils as they wrapped around him and began pulling him back toward the spider. At the same time, the spider retreated back into the darkness, faster than its bulk suggested. It was almost as if it melted into the darkness.
Ganon charged forward, but a cramp in his leg made him stumble. He still reached for Cilk's hand, his fingers touching the younger man's before he was pulled away and into the darkness, his screams fading as the darkness swallowed him before thinning away into normal shadows and eerie silence. Ganon yelled in anger and frustration, the sound reverberating around him even as he struggled to his feet.
Behind him, he could hear footsteps approaching even as he vigorously rubbed his calf to ease the painful cramping. "What happened? Where is the guard?" It was Mako.
"Something made of darkness dragged him inside. I couldn't help him." Ganon grit his teeth and his free hand as he spoke.
"It came out?"
Ganon nodded. "Not far, but yes, it did. It grabbed Cilk and then disappeared again. It all lasted only a few moments."
Mako froze. "Wait, Cilk was on guard duty?"
Ganon grunted as he felt his calf finally relax. "Yes, I tried to reach him, but my leg cramped. I wasn't fast enough."
The other man with Mako wrapped an arm around the woman to comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Mako. I'll help you tell his parents."
Ganon remembered Vekte going out with the hunters just that morning. He wouldn't know for several hours. Carefully, Ganon rose to his feet, slowly stretching the tight muscles. "Antik said those taken come back after nightfall?" Mako just nodded, clearly holding back tears. Determined, Ganon turned back toward the crypt entrance. "Then I have no time to waste."
He took a few limping steps toward the dark crypt entrance, painful tingling shooting up his leg with each step. He paused after a few steps, turning back slightly. "Keep everyone out. If I don't come back before nightfall…you know what to do." He saw the man nod before Ganon turned and limped into the crypt.
The hallway turned sharply after a few feet and Ganon quickly found himself in absolute darkness. He used one had to guide himself as well as support himself as the tingling in his foot gradually faded. After a few minutes, Ganon realized he was in trouble. He could feel his mind and eyes trying to find some reference in the dark. He couldn't even see his hand on the wall right next to him.
He fought down panic and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the musty, stagnant air. He kept his eyes closed as he walked forward again. His fingers moved over rough stone, carved shapes, and occasional alcoves or coffins. Cobwebs stuck to his hands or face at regular intervals, making him jump each time.
Having his eyes closed helped his panic, but he began wondering as we walked how he would find Cilk in the oppressive dark, or a monster of darkness. He realized, grimly, that the monster would probably find him first.
Ganon stopped walking, taking a deep breath. He needed to think. He needed light. Instinctively, he reached for his flint and steel that he always carried. He grumbled when he remembered, belatedly, that he wasn't wearing his own clothes. Ganon's armor and Gerudo garb were at Mako's house. He didn't have anything to light on fire anyway, except maybe cobwebs.
He needed some other way to light his surroundings. Carefully, Ganon felt at his pockets and weapons. He supposed if he found something to use as a torch, he could use the pant legs as fuel. He'd even use the shirt. What he didn't know was how well they would catch with the sparks off the dagger, or how long it would burn.
I should just go back. I can't do this.
He growled, smacking his hand on the wall. The rough stone helped clear his mind. "I am not a quitter. I will save Cilk. I can do this." Determined, and a little angry at himself, Ganon took another step forward. His hand on the wall suddenly had nothing left to touch. At almost the same time, he kicked something soft, squishy, and sticky. There was a wet squelching as his foot broke something.
He froze, trying to figure out what he had broken. Small sounds reached him, whisper quiet movements and sounds. Some were moving, like something scuttling, but there was another, muffled sound Fear. Frantic, trapped movement. Like someone drowning in quicksand. Ganon started toward that sound slowly, trying not to step on anything else. He had only taken a few steps when he got the sense something was right behind him.
He spun, drawing his dagger and lashing out. Something screamed so loud it was almost inaudible. His blade felt heavier, like something sticky was stuck to it. His breathing picked up as he tried to prepare himself to fight a monster he couldn't see.
Ganon looked this way and that, again trying to see something, anything, in the oppressive darkness. He took a step and felt something scuttle away from him. It sounded sticky. He instinctively swiped at it, but his blade seemed to get heavier without hitting anything.
Something dropped onto his head. It was heavy, sticky, and bit at his head. Shouting, Ganon fought to grab the multi-legged creature and get it off himself. His panic rose as blood began running down his face from a bite wound on his scalp. Finally, he managed to grip the slimy thing and fling it away. It hit something with a splat and a squeak.
Ganon wiped blood from his eyes and fought down panic. Determined, he prepared to hit the nest thing to try and touch him, hard. Pain shot up his left leg as the still healing injury seemed to be opened again, deeper than before. He yelled as his leg buckled and he felt blood streaming down his leg and face.
Fear made him feel cold. He had always been able to see what he was fighting, but now he was literally stabbing in the dark at an unknown number of enemies of an unknown nature. The only thing he did know was that they could see him.
Anger began to bubble in his gut. "I have the Triforce of Power. I am better than this. I am strong enough to beat even an enemy I can't see!" He heard movement to his right and turned to punch it as it approached, shouting wordlessly as he did.
Ganon's right hand lit up like a beacon as he wung. A massive, one eyed, black spider came into view a moment before Ganon's fist connected. Ganon grinned as the creature squished under his fist. He took a shaky step forward, feeling his left leg threatening to give out, but Ganon angrily stayed upright.
As the light of his Triforce piece lit up the space, thick, unnatural shadows melted away, revealing piles of bones, muck, and debris. Seeing the ransacked crypt only added more fuel to his anger. Burial sites were sacred to the Gerudo. Nothing should ever touch the honored dead.
Ganon limped toward the cowering abomination. This thing didn't deserve to live any longer. Every painful step made the chamber a little brighter, and the beast's single eye glard at Ganon while thick black shadows dripped from its mouth only to dissolve before hitting the ground. It had six spidery legs.
Ganon gladly beat the creature with his bare hands. At one point, a smaller version of the spider jumped at Ganon's head, spitting shadows. Ganan caught it with his glowing right hand and crushed it with a satisfying crunch.
Finally, Ganon stood over the thing as the shadows that made up its body fully dissolved. Panting, Ganon looked around the chamber. The oppressive blackness was slowly fading, proper shadowy shapes appearing at the edges. Ganon turned to see if he could now find Cilk.
It didn't take long as the last clump of darkness melted and Cilk almost fell free, scrambling to his feet and yelping in fear. Ganon caught the young man as he stumbled, his injured leg nearly giving out at the contact as the adrenaline faded, along with the glow of the Triforce.
"Cilk? Easy, calm down!" Ganon grunted as Cilk punched him hard in the chest.
"G-Ganon?"
Ganon saw, just before the light faded entirely, that Cilk's face, heard, and hands were covered in blood. Carefully, Ganon found Cilk's hands in the dark, staying still when Cilk flinched away. Then, abruptly, Cilk wrapped the big Gerudo in a hug.
"You came for me! Thank Hylia, you found me! I thought I was going to die!" Ganon hugged him back.
"I couldn't give up on you. Not while there was a chance." Ganon looked around at the darkness again, relieved that he could see the shape of the room, if not details. "We should get out," he grimaced as his leg twitched, "before I can't walk again."
Cilk pulled away, but didn't let go of Ganon. "You're hurt? I-I can't see."
Ganon gently pulled Cilk toward the hall leading back out. Somehow, Ganon limped dows the long hall, feeling his strength wane with every step. He was also getting dizzy, his leg becoming sticky with blood. They came around a gentle curve and Ganon saw light streaming in around a sharp turn ahead.
Relieved to see the end of the tunnel, Ganon tried to pick up the pace, but a wave of vertigo washed over him. The last thing he remembered was Cilk calling his name through the buzzing before he hit the ground.