A/N: I am still looking for one or two additional Beta Editors to assist my current Beta, Hrymeigh. He does an amazing job, but his personal life is such that he cannot edit everything I write. There is no experience required, only a knowledge of the fandoms you would be reading for (primarily HP, Zelda, and Pokemon at this time), a functional (ie, fluent-ish) knowledge of the English language (Hrymeigh is not a native speaker, and does just fine), and a willingness to help. PM me on this website and I'll respond ASAP.

ADDITIONALLY: if you like this story or any of my other stories, please consider supporting me on 'The Pat-r-on Site'. You can find it by going to Pat [r] 3on DOTcom/ KajaWilder (you must have NSFW filter turned off to find my page). I can only continue my current (or faster) pace of updates if I can pay my bills. Think about how much entertainment going to a movie ($10-20) costs you. Then concessions. Think about how much a good fanfic like this entertains you. One is 2~ hours... one is dozens and dozens of hours. If that is worth anything to you, then please consider supporting. I cannot- not won't, but can't- continue posting frequently without support.
Of course, you can ALSO find more of the same stories there. I post everything on this site at least a week after it's posted on 'The Pat-r-on Site', so if you want more and don't want to wait, well... there you go.
Finally, yes, this chapter is short. I felt that putting the first Shrine in a chapter of its own was worth it. The next several are larger by far. That's enough out of me, though. Enjoy!


Ch. 4

Magnesis

The Slate beeped again as she approached the Shrine late the next day. Zelda had slept fitfully at best, but it was to be expected out in the wild lands, unprotected. She ached everywhere, but was more emotionally exhausted than physical. In a day, she had woken with a near-total loss of memory, fought for her life what felt like a dozen times- and nearly lost it a couple of them- nearly been raped by a monster, and caused huge towers to erupt all over what was left of Hyrule.

And now she was apparently to go into a Shrine no one had entered in at least a hundred years, and find some mysterious treasure.

At least the Shrine's not big.

The whole thing was the size of a small cottage at best, thankfully. How much searching could there be?

Oman Au Shrine, the Slate read.

The door here looked similar, at first glance, to the ones in the Shrine of Resurrection. It was made up of slabs or slats of stone or something stone-like, but these were dark, and the symbols clearly writing in that same script, though she couldn't read it.

Only, it seemed these moved sideways, rather than down. There was another of the same circle and ring that had begun to glow atop the tower here, too, but Zelda paid it little heed as it was dark. The plinth, like the others, began to shine as she stepped onto the raised platform, though.

Another beep. Hold the Sheikah Slate over the pedestal. The way will now open. Emergency access has been granted.

Zelda swallowed, and did as the screen commanded.

With a flash, the orange runes and symbols turned bright blue, and the circle behind her lit up.

Travel Gate registered to map. Warp travel now available from this location. Access to Oman Au Shrine Granted.

Zelda then stared, as the blocks shone brilliant blue at the top and bottom, then swung inward like a door, every other layer moving to a different side, until they framed a short path in.

And then... nothing. Just another circle, this one already glowing blue. But it had no runes, only scrollwork in large and small sizes around that same crying, single eye, with a raised section at the back.

Carefully, Zelda stepped into the circle, wary of-

"Oh, Hylia, not again!"

Again, her stomach lurched. But she didn't rocket into the sky.,

Instead, Zelda felt herself plummet down, down, far into the earth, Perhaps beneath the plateau itself.

She could not believe what she saw when the platform finally ground to a gentle halt, and the brilliant blue barrier that surrounded her vanished.

Zelda stepped off the platform, afraid it would drop again or shoot her back up to the surface before she was ready. It continued to glow that soft, yet bright blue. "Is it still... active?"

There was no answer of course. She stood in a huge chamber with dark paneled walls, only half as high as the ceiling high above. That shone with the color of the sky with no sun, blue and steady, giving sourceless shadows. It was carved with whorls and swirls almost like a never ending fingerprint, yet cloud-like, slightly darker than the almost too-bright white-blue behind. The panels there were, she estimated, at least ten feet across, square, and aside from the decoration, uniformly fit together. Below them, pillars and supports held up the roof, she supposed, but not all of them even touched the panels, so how could they?

Far below that, the dark gray stone began. Some, she suspected was crafted of actual panels, but most of the structure of the room she stood in seemed to be made of cubes or boxes slightly taller than they were wide. Near-seamless, with only stars and constellation markings in the same orange as the Shrine of Resurrection providing a change. There were many of them, at least twelve in this room alone, and a few more behind a large portcullis gate she faced, some twenty or thirty feet across, and nearly that high. It was framed by two overhanging sections of the same black cubes with sloped sections where they merged with the wall, possibly to provide support.

There were four smaller torches, or things like torches, two on the wall behind her and one each near the far wall on either side. But instead of flame, they were lit with the steady, slow-pulsing light of the same blue, and made from crystal of some sort Zelda had never seen before. More, larger crystals stood on two decorative, scrolled pillars behind and flanking the strange platform lift she had ridden down into this place.

Two other features stood out. In the center of the room, set into the floor, were massive steel or iron doors, forming a two-sided trap door with the same sorts of designs worked into their faces. The two were identical, side by side, and between the doors- which were blemished, scarred, and damaged by some force she could not identify, but showed no sign of rust or decay- a hole dropped downward into a dim hole.

And in the far left corner, beneath that overhang, a familiar pedestal stood beneath a hanging monolith.

With an idle kick, Zelda slammed her foot against the leftmost door. Predictably, it didn't budge, though her toe of course hurt now. At least I wasn't dumb enough to kick it hard.

The things had to weigh at least a couple of tons, they were thicker than her hand could stretch by at least an inch, nearly two of her wide, and four or so long. Worse, they appeared solid. Somehow, she would have to either climb the portcullis, or get below them to advance, however.

This is far worse than a simple go-in-and-get-treasure mission, the Princess thought to herself, but at least I have a goal. That pedestal, I wonder if it unlocks the gate...?

Of course, as she approached, Zelda received a surprise that shook her to the core.

An ancient voice rang out, reedy and thin, but that spoke with the weight of ages, of old, forgotten lore and wisdom. It dragged at her mind and consciousness, forcing her attention despite everything her once-powerful will could do to only half-listen and remain aware of her surroundings.

"To the one who sets foot in this shrine: I am Oman Au. In the name of the great Goddess Hylia, I offer this Trial before you. Let the Magnesis Trial commence."

Then silence.

Zelda could hear only the breathing of her own body, and the soft rustle of the remains of her dress as she shifted and moved, or the soft pat, pat of the doeskin soles hitting the massive, lighter-stone panels that made up the floor.

"Well... I suppose there's nothing for it, then. The pedestal it is."

Like the one at the tower, and outside, the plinth lit up orange as she approached. It, too, held a slot for the slate to be inserted. Zelda hesitated for a moment, then let it click into place.

Accessing...

Sheikah Slate authenticate. Designate emergency protocols activate.

User... Zelda Amaryll Hyrule VII.

Designated.

Distilling Magnesis Rune.

Like the tower had, words and letters most arcane spilled forth down the monolith, coalescing into a drop of light that was then absorbed by the Slate itself. The screen changed then, showing a mostly blank list of six slots, the third of which was filled with what was clearly the symbol of a horseshoe magnet, drawn in red.

In Hyrulian letters, it read above it, Magnesis. And below, Manipulate metallic objects using magnetism.

Grab onto metallic, ferrous objects using the magnetic energy that pours forth from the Magnesis Rune. Objects held in the magnetic snare can be lifted and moved freely.

Zelda gasped, her sharp mind immediately turning toward the massive doors laying against the floor. "Truly? It's that powerful?"

As the Slate was ejected, more words appeared on the screen.

Yes. The Sheikah Slate is powered in part by the ancient technology and magics of the Sheikah. At the height of their power, they constructed these Shrines, the Slate, and the Towers as part of a defensive network against the eventual rise of the Calamity.

The Magnesis Rune is one part of the Slate's true power, both a weapon and a powerful tool. Only the basic functions can be accessed at this time, but as more abilities are unlocked, the Rune, and others like it, can become more powerful.

This tool is meant for the Hero.

But the Hero is unable to use it. Thus, the emergency protocols were enabled to let any other descendant suitable, such as yourself, wield the Slate.

Be cautious, Princess. The abilities of Magnesis are powerful, but they are not the solution to every problem. This Trial, like many on this plateau, is intended to teach you about the Sheikah Slate's abilities.

Learn well.

Then the Slate went dark again.

But a button stood near the top, the only lit part of the screen, showing the same magnet symbol.

Zelda lifted the device, and tapped the button.

At once, two armatures flicked out, and with an arc of electricity that nearly made her drop the whole thing, a glyph appeared in the air for a brief moment.

When it faded, surrounding the slate and stretching far beyond it, another horseshoe magnet floated in the air, formed from blue light and magic itself. Zelda grinned.

With a pleased smile, she aimed the thing toward the nearest door, and hit the button again. Visible arcs of energy lanced out from each end of the magnet, and the door lurched. "Yes!"

With no more effort than lifting the nearly weightless Slate itself, Zelda pulled the door up, up, high overhead.

Holding it there, she could see a ladder heading down into the passage, no doubt connecting with the ramp leading into another hole beyond the portcullis gate. Zelda tossed the slab of metal to the side, where it clanged loudly against the stone and steel near the gate, then did the same with the other just in case. Then she thought better of it, and more carefully practiced maneuvering the objects before moving on. They stayed, she learned quickly, directly ahead of her. But by twisting her hands one direction, she could move them closer, and the other way pushed it back.

Thus, she was able to maneuver both slabs over the gap of the gate, dropping them with another ear-splitting crash.

"Something," she exhaled, "something useful besides a basic weapon and bow. This is great... I can use this. Thank you, Oman Au, and the ancient Sheikah!"

The ladder, she quickly found, did indeed lead to a small corridor moving away from the lift, deeper into the Shrine. Half the space was filled up for some reason with a channel of slowly-moving water, and stairs on the other end moved upward to the same level.

In the second room, she found a square cube as tall as she was on a side made of the same dull steel, and a second one embedded in a wall. The edges of that short wall, still far too high for her to climb and twenty-five feet and very smooth aside from the eye symbol she was seeing everywhere, was made of the same paneling.

But the center was composed of locks of stone, the corners capped by metal bits to help protect them from damage. Each was as tall as she was, and Zelda knew that even though the edges were pitted by age, she would not have the strength to climb them. Four blocks wide and three tall, there was just too much. But the middle left block was not stone. It was a second metallic one.

Zelda grinned to herself, and tapped the Rune again.

She soon learned that not only could the Magnesis rune lift a huge chunk of metal, it could easily lift the block atop it, too. Clearing the wall would be a snap!

Only things were not so easy.

Behind the wall stood some mechanical creature, dome-shaped with four spindly, segmented legs and a single eye. It looked something like the bell-devils outside the Temple of Time, but much smaller.

It was also faster.

Zelda had to hurl herself to the side to avoid some kind of white, searing beam that blasted outward, sending a shockwave from the wall behind her as it impacted. It came closer, scuttling on those four long, serpentine but spider-like legs, another beam-shot already charging.

With a strangled, panicked cry, Zelda dropped the block she had been holding.

By sheer luck, it landed on one of the mechanical monstrosities legs, sheering it clear off.

Her eyes widened.

The Slate had mentioned it being a weapon, hadn't it? The Magnesis Rune could lift tons of steel!

Directing it at the machine that was still moving toward her, a little slower now as the second shot was wasted and a third recharging did nothing. Somehow, despite being at least partially metallic, it was immune to the Rune.

But the block was still there.

Desperate now, Zelda lurched the Slate toward it and hit the button. Somehow, it grabbed hold, and as she backpedaled, glancing behind her to avoid stumbling into the hole, she raised it as high as she could.

This time, she missed, the spider-thing lunging to the side just as it fired.

The third shot, too, went wide at least.

But Zelda hit the Rune again, and this time swept it sideways. It curved, arcing around with sparks flying as it scraped noisily against the stone-like floor, and smashed into the creature. It slammed into the wall to her right, and she released it only to hammer back again, and again.

On the fourth hit, she heard something inside snap, and a loud whine begin, picking up quickly in intensity.

In just a few seconds, it exploded. Thankfully the blast was weak, and Zelda was peppered by no more than dirt-like particles of the thing.

Another powerful foe down, and she had, through luck more than skill, come out unscathed.

Slowly, the princess exhaled in relief as she carefully cleared the rest of the blocks by pushing them out of the way. Almost too-cautious now, she looked left, right... but there were no other threats she could see.

In fact, the mechanical creature had left something behind.

Another of those strange, incredibly tensile springs. It wasn't much, but Zelda added it to her collection anyway.

The room beyond was half-filled with water, and another slab of steel marked the way across a wide gap above it, with ladders if she somehow fell to return to the first platform, on which the creature had stood. A second gap stood beyond, with two more doors hanging on hinges against the distant wall.

The solution, she reasoned, was easy. She already had a pair of slabs available, and it was only a few seconds' work to bring one into the room, walk it across the first gap, and position the second in place. As she passed, an orange glow caught her eyes from the right, though.

On a single ledge, hanging free of other support, a chest made of shining, polished metal stood, with an orange eye symbol at the front.

Zelda blinked, looked toward the door, where clear tracks in the floor denoted a way for wheels to move through, and back to the chest. She hit the slate, and lifted the device. Yes, it glowed violet-pink within the screen- it was indeed something she could use Magnesis on. Zelda grinned as she pulled the thing closer, setting the box down next to her carefully.

A simple press of her finger to the center of the eye symbol opened it, and the Princess had to smile again. A second bow, of similar make to the better one she already carried, was nestled atop a velvet bottom. Below that was an uncut ruby nearly as large as the end of her thumb. Zelda's eyes widened. The ruby alone, cut or not, was worth a small fortune, she was sure.

But the bow... it was priceless, since it might well keep her alive.

Relieved, glad she'd noticed the chest and figured out how to retrieve it, Zelda added the weapon to her satchel, dropping one of the shoddy Bokoblin bows to make room for it, and shoved the gem far down into the valuable pocket, then turned her new rune toward the doors.

They opened toward her, and Zelda was cautious now of lurking machines waiting to ambush her. But there was no threat inside. Instead, sitting beneath a shrine of sorts elevated on a raised dais, sat the ancient, mummified corpse of some sage or forgotten person. Their gender was too hard to discern as she carefully approached, not least because the corpse was held behind a square barrier much like had protected her from the lift's sides as she descended into the ground.

It carried a huge hat, frayed, worn and split, behind it, with ornaments clutched in its hand and holding long, white hair that draped to the stone altar it sat upon. On its brow, the same eye symbol was tattooed brightly in white, denoting this person's heritage, she guessed, as one of the Sheikah. There was a spot to stand before the ancient body, and Zelda tentatively rose to take her place before it.

She would not have, though in hindsight she should have based on the strange events that had taken place since she woke, expected the voice. The same voice that had spoken as she neared the pedestal at the start of the Shrine's trials.

"You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero, Princess of Hyrule. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed in the sight of the Goddess Hylia, and dedicated to the ultimate destruction of Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you. Please accept this Spirit Orb, the last remnants of the blessing the Goddess bestowed upon me while I lived."

She gasped as the corpse lurched and cracked, a puff of dust rising from it as it shifted. But what happened next was no attack by an undead fiend. Instead, what seemed like the perfectly spherical, crystallized soul of the monk themself left the body's chest, and trailing bits of white energy, entered her own.

Zelda felt...

Weird. Strange, the moment it touched her, and oddly violated, but not in an unpleasant way, as it entered her fully.

She felt... better, maybe? Different? But in a way she could not identify. In some small way, the power contained in that crystal, but non-corporeal orb had... blessed her, too, Zelda supposed. It was as good a description as any she could think of for what had just happened.

Like that core of warmth deep inside her soul Zelda had found after speaking to the statue of the Goddess at the Temple of Time, this nestled far down inside her very being, adding to that warmth.

Zelda found herself smiling as she lifted a hand to touch the bare skin between her breasts, visible because her dress was in such tatters. "I feel it," she whispered, "I feel it burning within. What is it? Is that a shard of your soul, Oman Au?"

Of course, the monk did not answer. How could it? It had been dead for untold centuries, long wasted and withered.

And now, its duty fulfilled, she watched in morbid horror and curiosity both as the body, old and dry beyond comprehension, began to crack and fall apart under its own weight.

In minutes, it was a pile of dust, not even bones visible on the altar. Then they started to glow, and in soft green-white light, the particles rose into the air, slowly twisting around themselves.

"May the Goddess smile upon you, Princess of Hyrule," she heard the voice speak one last time, and in a final swirl, the particles vanished upward.

She sighed, feeling strangely depressed even as she was warmed from inside by the sage's spirit.

There was yet one more thing to do here, though. As she watched, behind the altar itself a second lift began to glow.

Tentatively, she stepped upon it.

And even though she was a hundred feet or more from where she had begun, somehow, it rose straight up...

And took her to the same place the first had descended from.

Agape, stunned by how the lifts had folded space itself it seemed, Zelda stepped in awe from the thing, back out onto the Great Plateau.

There, the proud, happy chuckle of a familiar old man greeted her. "So, you managed to get a Spirit Orb. Well done!"

She blinked, the hand caressing her chest again, "How- how did you know?"

"Clairvoyance," the man cried proudly, aiming a finger at the sky. Then he laughed again, and quieter, said, "or, perhaps just something similar. As one gets older, it can become more difficult to see what is right in front of ones own eyes. However, that which was once hidden from view can often become crystal clear. At least, that has been my experience. Maybe it isn't true for everyone, ho, ho! At any rate, the towers have appeared, and the shrines have awakened. It is all connected to that Slate you carry, Princess of Hyrule."

"What do you mean," she asked, glancing down at it. "I mean, I know the Slate works with them, somehow, but-"

The man smiled, a bit sadly, "I saw it often once, long ago, though I have not seen it in some time. A century, even! Once, long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. I'm sure you have heard the name by now. The great power of their wisdom saved the kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago, or so it is said. It is interesting to think, however...

"You carry a slate made by them. You enter shrines made by them, awaken towers made by them. They have survived all this time, hidden away beneath Hyrule. You, too, have survived because of their great wisdom. Shrines are tucked away, they say, in all corners of the land. On this plateau alone, there are three more, I think. Bring me the treasure from each of them- the three on the plateau- and I will give you my paraglider."

Zelda frowned, "That was not the deal, sirrah. You said the treasure from this shrine."

The big man chuckled, increasing her frustration more, "Ah, well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure it won't be a problem for a young person like yourself. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll also show you a trick to finding the Shrines. Come, bring your Slate up, and open the screen..."

Zelda, scowling, listened. It wasn't like she had a choice.

"Ah, in fact, let us return to the tower's top. You can use the Travel Gate there by selecting it on the map function, you know. I'll meet you up there. You can see best from a high position, after all."

He started walking away before Zelda could react, the heavy boots thunking into the grass and dirt, while his staff thudded more solidly.

She scowled, frowned...

And then lifted the Slate.

"Is that true? Can I simply appear there?"

Yes, the screen replied back, the Travel Gate function is long established. With each Shrine you awaken, each Tower you activate, your ability to traverse Hyrule quickly will grow. The function is enabled now for the Oman Au Shrine, the Shrine of Resurrection, and the Plateau Tower. Simply tap the tower's icon twice on the map, and it will activate.

She blinked, not expecting an actual answer, much less one so detailed.

With a grimace, she did as the screen said.

Then cried out in surprise as, from her feet up, Zelda's body dissolved into motes of brilliant blue light.


Additionally, I am now opening COMISSIONS.
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