Chapter 36 Change of plans...

Chapter 36

 

 

 

Change of plans…

 

 

 

“Why is it always something goes wrong everywhere we go?” Gerad grumbled as they followed Dahrin across the desert to the Temple.

“It’s a talent.” Meria chipped in cheerily.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Gerad grumbled hauling on the camel’s reigns to pull him along. After the battle with Bai and Ludd the group had noticed that Calhan had disappeared and no one saw it happen. After a quick search around the premises and a lengthy discussion the four of them had decided that he was probably at the Spirit Temple. And so here they were tromping across the sands on a mission to rescue their Lore Sage in distress.

Selene took a swig from her canteen of water, the sun beat down mercilessly on the foursome. The camel happily chewed cud as it watched these silly humans swelter in the midday heat.

“How much further?” Selene asked Dahrin.

“Not far.” Dahrin replied over his shoulder.

The four of them walked single file behind Dahrin who was the only one who knew the route that would take them across the sands avoiding the quicksand pits that dotted the land along the way.

As they crested the last sand dune Dahrin held up his hand for them to stop. The other three stood beside him and stared in awe at the sight before them.

The entrance to the temple was carved into a small mountain of rock that jutted out of the sands like a majestic king, called the Desert Colossus. Carved above the entrance to the temple was a relief of the Gerudo goddess of Sand. Her stern but almost motherly face gazed out far into the desert as if watching the horizons for danger to her people. Below the goddess the wind whistled ominously into the gaping doorways that led down into the temple.

 “Impressive.” Meria commented.

“Understatement.” Selene retorted.

“Well, Calhan isn’t getting rescued with us gawking at the scenery, how are we getting in?” Gerad asked turning to Dahrin.

Dahrin was silent a moment in contemplation, “Well, only way in is the entrance. We can probably assume that whoever took Calhan has some traps set for us.”

“Yeah, I figured as much too.” Gerad said chewing on his thumbnail in thought.

“Oh, how I love frontal assaults.” Selene smirked readying her mace and shield.

“Well, wait.” Meria interrupted as she pointed to an outcropping in the cliff face, “What’s that hole up there?”

“A second entrance if you can….fly.” Dahrin paused in his sarcastic remark turning to face Meria.

Gerad looked at her quizzically, “Can you carry someone and fly?”

Meria shrugged, “Maybe Selene, since she’s lighter than you two. But I would rather not risk it, that’s a long way to fall.”

Gerad nodded, “Can you make it up there?”

“Pretty sure.” Meria shrugged judging the distance.

“Um, do we even know where they are inside there?” Selene asked.

“More than likely the Inner Sanctum. But Selene’s right, they could be anywhere. We should stick together as much as possible.” Dahrin said after some thought. The other three agreed and went back to studying the entrance.

“So, what? We just walk up there and go in?” Gerad asked turning to Dahrin again.

The camel got bored and sat down where he stood shoving Gerad aside in the process. Gerad shrugged and dropped the reins. He turned back toward the temple and the camel nudged him with its head. Gerad ignored it.

“Well, I can’t sense anything between us and the entrance. I think we can get in ok.” Dahrin mused staring at the entrance.

“Sense?” Gerad asked trying to keep his balance from being nudged by the camel.

Dahrin nodded, “Yeah, I can sense the spirits of living things. It’s one of the Spirit Sage powers. I can’t go real far yet though, I also can’t tell what it is if there is something there.”

Gerad nodded in appreciation, “Sounds good. Well lets g-“

The Camel head butted him and Gerad lost his balance and fell, rolling down the sand dune they were standing on toward the entrance. The rest of them chased after him sliding down the hill trying to keep their feet under themselves as they went.

Gerad rolled to a stop and slowly got up shaking the sand off, “That stupid camel. I’ll turn it into a carpet next time I get my hands on him……”

“You alright?” Dahrin asked laughing at him as he helped Gerad brush himself off.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Gerad grumbled straightening his clothes.

“Well now that we’re this close, might as well go the rest of the way, right?” Selene asked looking at the entrance that was perhaps thirty feet away.

The others nodded but for some reason none of them wanted to be the one to take the first step. Gerad took a deep breath and let it out. He then adjusted his sword belt and started walking toward the entrance. The others fell into step behind him weapons still sheathed but at the ready.

As they walked off of the sand onto the stone pavilion their footsteps echoed from the entranceway. Gerad glanced around the pavilion but saw nothing out of the ordinary so he continued on to the entrance.

As he stepped through the archway the change in temperature was like a slap in the face. The shadows were cold and he couldn’t see anything. As his eyes became accustomed to the gloom the room before him came into focus.

The room was pentagonal in shape with three doorways facing them and the entrance. One was more of a crawl space but it was still a doorway. Dahrin stood next to Gerad on his right and Selene and Meria were on his left.

“Well, which wa-“ Selene gasped. Gerad turned just in time to see her fall disappearing through a portal that had appeared under her.

“Selene!” Meria cried turning to where she had been.

“Meria, look out!” Gerad cried as a portal appeared on the wall behind her and a large purple hand emerged and grabbed her.

“Gerad!” Meria cried as she was pulled through and the portal disappeared.

“Gerad!” Dahrin cried as he clung to a stone that was jutted out of the floor. A purple hand had him around the ankle and was pulling him into another portal.

“Dahrin! Hang on!” Gerad cried running over and grabbing his wrist right as Dahrin’s grip slipped.

“I was planning on it!” Dahrin grunted in effort trying to pull himself out of the portal.

“What is that thing?” Gerad asked as another hand emerged and latched onto Dahrin’s other foot.

“Like I would know!” Dahrin grimaced as his grip was slipping.

Gerad’s grip on Dahrin was slipping as well but he was holding on for the moment. Gerad pulled with all his strength and Dahrin’s foot came back out of the portal. Gerad heard a screech and opened his eyes just in time to get smacked away by a purple tentacle. He rolled a few feet but bounced back to his feet and dove after Dahrin who was disappearing into the portal.

“Gera-“ Dahrin was cut off as he went through the portal completely. It disappeared before Gerad could reach it and he slammed into the wall where it had been.

“No!” Gerad hit the wall with his fist. After he had calmed down slightly he turned back to the empty entrance room.

“Now what?” Gerad sighed scratching his head.

 

Selene screamed as she fell through the portal till she landed with a thud at the bottom of a giant bird cage. She got up gingerly rubbing her rump.

“Ow.” She sighed looking around her surroundings.

The room on the outside of the birdcage was dim and she was having a hard time making things out, but the room seemed to be vast. A groan from the gloom caught her attention to the middle of the room. She could barely make out the figure of a man suspended by his wrist tied with a cord of purple light.

“Calhan!” Selene cried recognizing the Lore Sage.

He didn’t respond, Selene put the explanation down to him being unconscious. As her eyes became accustomed to the gloom she could see how badly his body was damaged. He had cuts all over his chest and arms that bled down his body, dripping off into a pool of already lost blood.

“Calhan…” Selene whispered in horror.

“Selene?” She heard her name called out from somewhere to her right.

“Meria!? Is that you?” Selene called back recognizing Meria’s voice. She moved to the side of the bars that her voice came from and tried to pierce the darkness. The dim glow of Calhan’s bonds illuminated another bird cage like the one Selene was in. She could just make out Meria’s shape standing and gripping the bars.

“Are you alright?” Selene called to her, if she were to judge the distance between them was maybe fifty feet. Meria’s cage was on a column of stone and Selene realized that where Calhan was suspended was another one.

“Yeah, you?” Meria called back.

“I’m fine, Calhan’s right there but he doesn’t look so good.” Selene said looking back at Calhan.

‘Yeah, I noticed that too.” Dahrins voice floated to them from Selene’s left.

“You ok?” Selene called to him running to the other side of the cage in his direction.

She heard a clang and saw sparks that briefly illuminated Dahrin’s figured as he slashed at the bars with his sabers.

“Yeah I’m fine. But, by the amount of blood under Calhan, I don’t think he has very long.” Dahrin grunted as he struck again, “Can you heal him from there?”

“I’ll give it a shot.” Selene said closing her eyes and gathering her sage energy. She pointed her hands at Calhan’s figure palms outward toward him. Light began to gather in front of her palms as she gathered more and more of her energy.

Her eyes snapped open and she screamed in agony as a bolt of purple lightning shot down from the ceiling of the birdcage and struck her. Her sage energy dissipated as she sank to the bottom of the cage.

“Selene!” Dahrin and Meria cried out to her as she fell over.

“Silly silly birdie, cages bite you know.” Bai’s voice called out from the darkness.

She materialized out of the same type of portal that had grabbed them before and stood before Selene’s cage. Selene glared at her but couldn’t move the shock had numbed her.

“What have you done to Calhan?” Meria called out to Bai.

Bai glanced at Calhan with a bored expression on her face, “He’s not MY plaything, so I haven’t done anything to him. I was taught not to play with other people’s things without permission.”

“What do you mean?” Meria asked confused. Bai grinned as she floated over to in front of Meria’s cage.

Meria unconsciously stepped back away from the needle toothed grin and her monochrome eyes. Bai gripped two of the bars and leaned closer.

“Bai! Leave the sacrifices alone.” Bai flinched as the voice called out to her. Bai looked to the figure in the middle standing next to Calhan.

Bai sighed, “Alright, fine no need to get all worked up, Granny.”

Bai floated to Granny’s side and stood next to her impatiently waiting for something.

“Granny?” Dahrin asked shocked confusion clouding his face.

“Well, well, don’t you look different.” Meria sneered at her.

“But of course, it’s amazing what one time spell will do for one’s skin.” Granny smirked from where she stood next to Calhan and Ludd.

“You killed Ludd, didn’t you?” Dahrin asked hesitantly, like he didn’t want to ask because he was afraid of the answer.

Granny turned a cold glare in his direction, “Of course, he was of no more use to me like he was; therefore I gave him a new purpose.”

“But he was like a son to you!” Dahrin cried grabbing the bars, “He loved you! Why betray him like this!?”

“Survival.” Granny said evenly turning away from him to Calhan, “This one’s nearly ready. Just a bit more blood and we can begin.”

 

Gerad’s breath heaved as he leaned against the stone wall. Its coolness seeped into his back as he slid down it to the floor, little flecks of stone chipped off as he went.

“How can this place be so big?” Gerad grimaced, still breathing hard form running and fighting. Gerad watched the body of the Stalfos disintegrate while his breathing calmed down.

After the rest of the group had been taken Gerad chose one of the doors at random and began wandering around looking for the inner sanctum Dahrin had told them about. So far, Gerad had only found dead ends, traps, monsters, loops, monsters, dead ends, monsters, oh and did he mention monsters?

Gathering his strength he hauled himself to his feet and continued down the corridor. About every ten feet there was a lit torch that made a small puddle of light in the otherwise pitch black tunnel. As he walked he tried to remember if his father had ever told them the route to the inner sanctum, so far he wasn’t having any luck on it.

He came to a door at the end of the corridor. Taking a deep breath he tried the handle and the door creaked open. The door opened into a dark room the light from the corridor flooded onto the floor but illuminated nothing else.

Gerad stepped gingerly into the room holding his shield in front of himself. As he got about ten feet into the room, at the very edge of the pool of light, the door slammed shut behind him.

“Oh, crap.” Gerad sighed.

Gerad could here sounds of things slithering in the dark. He felt something brush against his left foot. He shied away from it and ran into something hard and bruised his shoulder. His arm tingled from the impact against what felt like a pillar.

Something else brushed against him and Gerad swung his sword and hit air. Sharp pain erupted from behind his right thigh as something cut him. He cried in surprise and swung in its direction. Something laughed at him and he caught a glimpse of a purple glow as the thing that cut him disappeared. He grunted in aggravation as he put his back against the pillar.

‘Now what?’ Gerad asked himself.

His eyes slowly got used to the dark and he realized there was a slight glow coming from his chest. Digging in his shirt he pulled out the two necklaces he wore, the Triforce pendant that his parents had given him forever ago, and the pendant with the Sage medallions.

All the medallions were glowing softly in their own colors. They also pulsed at different intervals. The light, spirit, and wind medallions pulsed erratically, almost, to Gerad it seemed, like a fast heartbeat.

Gerad concentrated and drew on the energy of the Light medallion and tried to concentrate the energy to his sword. When he opened his eyes again his sword was glowing. It illuminated a small radius of about ten feet around Gerad.

Gerad heard a high pitched cackle from behind and turned in time to block the scythe coming for his head. The scythe caught on his shield and the Poe squealed as Gerad swung his sword in a horizontal arc slicing the Poe in half.

The Poe erupted in a cloud of purple smoke and as the scythe fell to the ground with a clang, torches burst to life around the edges of the room. Gerad heard a loud click and turned to see a door on the opposite end swing open. He heard voices coming from the room beyond.

As he drew closer to the door, cautiously, he recognized Selene’s voice. He heard her scream in pain and then Meria and Dahrin’s voice call out to her. Still cautious, Gerad moved into the room beyond the door. He could barely make out the conversation coming from high above his head.

Gerad sheathed his sword and put his shield on his back. He looked around at the walls, looking for handholds. He rounded a corner and there on the end was a ladder. Gerad began to climb to the top of the column, as he climbed he could make out more of the conversation.

“But he was like a son to you!” Gerad heard Dahrin cry, “He loved you! Why betray him like this!?”

Gerad reached the top of the column and carefully poked his head up to see. Everyone’s attention was on the figures on the middle column around Calhan. Gerad was outside the range of the torches so he was covered by the darkness. Selen’s cage was on the column to the right of the one he was on. He glanced left and saw Dahrin in a cage as well on the column to the left.

Across the way he could make out Meria in a cage similar to Selene and Dahrin’s with a column between hers and theirs.

“Survival.” Granny said evenly turning away from Dahrin’s direction to Calhan, “This one’s nearly ready. Just a bit more blood and we can begin.”

Gerad swore softly under his breath as he caught a glimpse of Calhan’s condition when Granny moved. Gerad pulled himself onto the top of the column and moved to the edge closest to the center.

Granny began chanting and waving her arms in a complex pattern. The cages that Selene, Meria, and Dahrin were trapped in began to glow and spark. Ludd and Bai had moved off to the right side of the center column when Granny had begun.

Gerad judged the distance between the columns. He sighed as he walked back to the other end. He spun around when he heard the others start screaming in pain. Purple lightning crawled from the cages, across the ground, down the sides of the columns and back up the center column, to the center and wrapped itself around Calhan. He screamed louder as the lightning tore at his flesh. The other three had collapsed to the bottom of their cages the pain taking away their strength. Gerad took a deep breath, drew his blade and shield, and ran toward the edge.

 

 

 

 

‘It has begun, Bai.’

‘Yes Ciar.’

‘He played in nicely, Bai.’

‘Yes, I’m glad we left him free, Ciar.’