Author's Note

Special thanks to DisplacedWriter for helping me with this chapter. I really can't thank them enough for the help they've given me in this story.

The Temple of Farore, Part 1

Man, I wasn't a morning person. I had been rudely woken up by a rooster at the crack of dawn, scaring me awake as it was right outside my window. I got up and dressed before going down to check out of the inn. I had managed to pay for passage up the side of the Everfree, riding on the back of a supply wagon. We departed Appleoosa in the early morning, the sun barely rising over the peaks to the west of the sky. Morning fog clung to the ground, making the area look almost ethereal. Our wagon rumbled along at a decent pace, its wheels creaking with every turn. It took most of the morning to get to my stop as the sun was already overhead as I hopped off the wagon and thanked the driver. He waved good bye and moved along as I turned to face the forest.

“So it begins…” I dryly cheered to myself as I began the hike into the treeline, the dense foliage providing ample shade. It took me far less time to walk to the temple from this direction, it was already looming above me after only two and a half hours of walking. I walked inside and made my way through the building, my footsteps echoing as I walked. As I entered the sword chamber, I found Farore waiting on the raised plinth in the center of the room.

“Welcome Hero. You remember why I summoned you here?” She asked flatly, betraying no emotion in her face or voice. I nodded. She turned to the center of the plinth and gestured for me to come forward. Stepping towards her, she gestured to the slit in a raised pedestal on the floor.
“To begin the challenge, strike your sword into the pedestal.” She instructed as she faded away. I looked around for a moment before I drew my blade.

“Well, here goes nothing..” I muttered to myself as I raised it above my head. With a yell I thrusted my sword, stabbed and embedded my sword in the plinth as orange light shot up all around me. I heard what sounded like stone gears grinding against each other and I looked up to see a staircase opened up in the floor leading down deeper into the dungeon. I removed my blade as the light faded and sheathed it. Before I could take one step, I felt a great pain in my chest as a ball of pure green light jumped from my chest and flew right into the new opening.

“What the… I feel… off.” I muttered worriedly as I rubbed my chest. I felt slightly hollow, as if a piece of me had been taken. “Well, standing here won't get it back…” I sighed in frustration as I entered the Dungeon. The steps led down to a chamber lined with rows of stone columns, each pillar holding a torch via a metal sconce. At the far end I could see a door leading forward. Everything was eerily quiet, and yet I sensed something or someone was here, something dangerous.

I took a few tentative steps into the room, keeping my shield raised as I scanned the room. I heard a faint fluttering sound and looked up as a Keese came down at me, letting out a loud shriek of a battle war as it swooped toward my head. I swung my blade toward it, only to miss, causing it to change course and make another dive at me. I pulled sword back and sliced it clean in two making it explode in a cloud of purple smoke. I coughed as I backed up, still feeling the danger. I spotted another one still hanging from the ceiling asleep. I drew my bow and aimed, letting the arrow fly. The room fell silent for a moment as it arced through the air before it hit its mark with a defining thud, piercing and pinning it against the wall, it let out a shriek of pain as it exploded into dark mist. I noticed that my display hadn't gone away. Maybe it wouldn't so long as I was down here. I took another look around, my knowledge of how these dungeons work came in handy as I found a chest tucked in the corner. It looked like the smaller chests from Twilight Princess and as I kicked it open. Suddenly, I was greeted to my control being taken away as I turned, holding my hands out in front of me as a yellow rupee floated in them.

You got a yellow rupee! What a find!

I blinked as it vanished into my wallet, control returning to me. I shook my head, still frustrated that that still happens.

“I'm never gonna get used to that…” I grumbled as I walked to the door. Looking at it, it looked like a solid block of stone with Farore's Crescent mark carved into it. It didn't look round making rolling it out of the question. I tried placing my hands on it and pushing up and it slid with surprising ease, slamming shut after I walked through. Now I was in a round room with what looked like two jail cells inside. They both had a couple pots and a barrel in them, but something was off. There usually were monsters in every room unless it held the boss key chest, so where were the monsters? Checking the cell to the right I found eleven rupees between the pots and tucked away in the back was another small chest. I kicked open and was hijacked again, this time for a red rupee.

YOU GOT A RED RUPEES! DON'T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE!

I shook my head and sighed, walking back out to the center of the room and facing the opposite cell. This one had the barrel sitting in the corner, and I had a sneaking suspicion I knew where the monster was hiding. As I slowly approached it, I could feel the sense of danger rise and I swung my sword. It hit the barrel, which exploded, revealing a confused looking bokoblin. Before it could react I stabbed it, resulting in another cloud of purple smoke.

“Man that stuff smells bad.” I coughed as it dissipated, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I left the cell and pushed forward, opening the next door as I entered a large room. What looked like an old water basin cut through the middle with a locked door on the other side. I looked around this room, trying to see if there were any other doors, chests or switches in it before doing anything. I spotted an eye switch on the wall by the locked door. Taking out my bow, I took aim at the eye, then let the arrow loose, however my aim was off as I silently cursed in hylian. I had to take a few tries of aiming and angling my shot, but with a great fwip of the bow string and a click, I managed to land my shot, causing the eye to close. My hylian ears pointed up as I heard a squeak coming from above. I looked up and saw another Keese swooping down at me as I drew my bow again, trying to aim at the little pest.

“Come on now, hold still.” I grumbled as I let my arrow fly. The arrow hit true, sending and pinning the Keese against the nearest wall, it let out a painful squeak before exploding in a burst of dark clouds. I turned back towards the eye, I noticed a drawbridge slowly lowering down. As I waited for it, I looked over the edge into the cistern, but nothing of interest drew my eyes. The moment the bridge landed with a thud, I heard a couple surprised grunts. Looking across the cistern, I noticed two Skulltulas making a mad dash towards me.

“Oh fuck me… why does it have to be spiders…” I groaned as I raised my shield. Man, these things looked even more disgusting in real life. I backed up as far as I dared, keeping them at sword length as I tried to figure out what I was going to do.

The second skulltula was circling to my backside and the first one was sizing me up, staring at me with their beady green eyes. They made me feel uneasy and I shuddered to think what they were thinking. I pushed the thought out of my mind and I swung at the first one, aiming for its face as I slashed upward, causing the disgusting thing to shriek out at my attack. I remembered something about how these things were easier to beat on their backs, or was it about attacking their backs?

Distracted by my own thoughts, I was attacked from behind as the Skulltula leaped and clung to my back. In my not so brightest moment I panicked and tried to shake it off while I shrieked like a child, eventually slamming my back into the wall. While I did manage to deal some damage, it wasn’t enough as it bit down onto my neck, causing me to scream out in pain, feeling ten times worse than the spider bites back on earth. My hearts dropped by a quarter heart leaving me with just less than five left. I had to get this thing off of me as I flail my arms around trying to slash at it. I managed to strike it as it let go of me. I shook my head as I focused on the spiders, keeping them both in front of me. The first Skulltula looked upset as it made a leap at me, forcing me to shove my shield at it. I felt it make contact before I heard it hit the floor. Looking behind me, I watched as the Skulltulas’ whole body blackened, its legs curling up before exploding into a burst of mist.

The second skulltula screeched loudly, sending spits of its saliva at my face. I faced the ugly beast and slashed down on it. The spider clawed at its face as it fell over backwards, curling up like a dying roach before erupting in a burst of smoke. I looked around for any more ‘surprises’ and found none. I crossed the now lowered bridge and inspected the door, finding it to be chained up with a massive golden lock. I sighed and turned back around, going across the bridge to my previous destination. Looking to my left, I noticed another door leading out of the room.

“Well, when one door closes, another one opens…” I muttered miserably as I walked up to it. Giving it a shove like the others, it slid up and I entered the next room. It had a raised section with an iron fence running along it, and I could see a door behind it. I looked ahead and found the steps leading up to it were guarded by three more monsters, all of them being Bokoblins as they roamed and patrolled around the fenced off area. I hefted my sword and shield and sighed before charging at the nearest one and stabbing at it, causing it to let out an animalistic shriek. This however alerted the rest of the Bokoblin as they raised their club, letting out their warcry as they came charging at me. I backed up a bit before making a wide swing at them, both of them leapt back, dodging my attack as the third Bokoblin rose up onto its feet. With an overhead swing, it attempted to bash me over the head and I raised my shield to block it as well as swipe at its legs with my sword.

The Bokoblin backed away as its legs were slashed, causing it to whimper pathetically. From my right side, the second Bokoblin swung its club sideways, hitting me and sending me to the floor. I looked at my hearts, seeing it dealt another quarter heart.

‘Come on man, get your head in the game!’ I chide myself as I rolled to my feet and thrusted my sword at the closest Bokoblin to my left. It managed to raise its club to block my attack, however the impact made it slide backwards. The whimpering Bokolin from before leapt into the air, attempting to bash me in my shoulder. I shoved my blade at its gut, attempting to impale it. Succeeding in my attack, the Bokoblin fell backwards, exploding into fine purple powder as I flicked my sword tip. Turning to the remaining two, I spun my blade in my hand before rushing the nearest one as I felt a rush of courage. Both of them came charging in screaming, wanting to avenge their fallen comrade, the first one swinging its club overhead at me as I raised my weapon against his. My weapon clashing with his weapon as I applied my strength, causing the Bokolin to fall backwards surprise. Taking this advantage of confusion, I swung my sword, slashing at his chest, causing the creature's body to go limp. As its body was turning to dark dust, I turned to give the last Bokoblin, it dropped its weapon as it started running away screaming for its life. I narrowed my eyes and drew my bow, aiming a shot at the Bokolin’s head and let it fly as I turned away, my arrow hitting its mark with a sickening squelch. I didn’t have to look back to know it died as the familiar explosion of its body signaled its demise. I fell to a knee as my body finally felt safe and I gasped for a moment.

“Holy shit man… that was so freaky…” I hoarsely exclaimed to myself, slowly standing as I looked around the room for anything useful. Tucked in the corner by the door sat another small chest. I walked over slowly and kicked it, getting hijacked again as I held a heart in my hands.

YOU GOT A RECOVERY HEART! DON'T YOU FEEL THE LOVE?

BWOOP

My heart meter was filled back to full, and I noticed my fatigue had vanished.

‘Wow, these things are a lifesaver.’ I rolled my eyes at my own joke, reminding me once again how terrible my jokes are. I shook my head as I climbed the steps and made my way to the door. With a shove it slid up and I moved to the next room. It was lined with columns with a raised section at the far end, and I could see no monsters ahead. Remembering the previous rooms, I looked up and saw several Keese asleep on the ceiling. If I was quiet enough I might be able to sneak across the room and not disturb them. I moved as softly as I could, making my way from column to column as I kept an eye on the filthy beasts. I managed to make it across and approached the chest, opening it and getting control ripped from me again as I held a key up.

YOU GOT A SMALL KEY! IT CAN ONLY BE USED IN THIS DUNGEON.

As I shook my head, I heard one of the Keese shriek as it dived at me. I dove forward, managing to roll forward and sprinted to the door. I managed to open it and dice through as it slammed shut.

“Well that happened.” I muttered as I stood and rolled my shoulders. This dungeon was trickier than I'd thought.