The Aftermath

“You know for years this desert wasn’t accessible because the Hylians burned down the bridge that went over the canyon.” Link led Epona through a narrow path that would lead up the hill and toward the narrow entrance to the desert on the western region of Hyrule.

“You don’t say.” Izzy sounded weary and disinterested as she followed behind Epona with Champion. The horse wore an expression similar to that of its rider.

“The Hylians didn’t trust the Gerudos after Ganondorf’s birth and the Gerudos were just as hostile toward the Hylians. So to prevent the Gerudos from bringing any further evil into the land, the Hylians burned the only means of travel to and from the desert.”

“Effectively destroying their economy.” Izzy rolled her eyes, still sounding incredibly bored by the conversation. Link had been talking nonstop during their travels through the extensive fields. The sun had begun to descend past the mountains leaving them in the hazy darkness of night. Fog had been rolling in from the canyon for the past hour.

“Well, that was an unforeseen consequence.” Link shrugged, still talking animatedly. He’d spent so much time traveling alone and being quiet that once he’d started talking to Izzy the stories continued flowing out of him like vomit. “People do stupid things when faced with the unknown.”

“That could be the smartest thing you’ve ever said.”

“Thanks, I think.” Link led the horses up the hill and toward the bridge that he’d been talking about. “The group of carpenters that returned here after a few years in hopes of restoring the bridge managed their way across chasm. But unfortunately the Gerudos were still wary of the Hylians and bitter after what they’d done. So the women of the tribe kidnapped the four carpenters and planned to sacrifice them to the beasts in the Haunted Wasteland in hopes the increasingly violent sandstorms would subside.” Link continued leading Epona gingerly across the bridge. Champion seemed less eager to cross it and reared on its hind legs. Turning Epona to face Izzy, Link looked at them skeptically.

“This horse hates the bridge.” Izzy tried to calm Champion down but he seemed spooked. Epona pranced eagerly on the other side of the bridge as if to urge him. “Come on, if that dopey horse can do it then so can you.” Champion seemed coaxed by her words and slowly started across the bridge even if it was simply to prove a point.

“I freed the carpenters.” Link continued on his story. “It took a lot of sneaking around and I was captured a few times myself but I managed to free them and gain the trust of the Gerudo at the same time.”

“Oh, they trust you already? That’s good. I was not looking forward to trying to explain to them why I was bringing the high and mighty hero of Hyrule with me.” Izzy finally got Champion across the bridge safely and patted his side gingerly as a reward. They continued on through the desert sands, the cliffs rising higher and higher around them. By the time they reached the gates of the infamous Gerudo Valley, the sun had made way for night and the moon was settling into the sky. “Thank the goddesses we’re here.”

“Are you kidding? The trip seemed to fly by!” Link smiled contently.

“It dragged on for me. You sure can talk, hero.” Izzy got off of her horse and pulled the string for the bell on the right side of the gates that would alert those keeping watch that someone requested entry into the city of thieves.

“Did I talk that much?” Link seemed surprised with himself. It wasn’t like him to go on gabbing for hours and hours. “I’m usually really quiet if you’ll believe that since I’ve become used to spending so much time alone on my adventures.”

“You should pretend you’re still alone then.” Izzy sounded annoyed but he could see a smile playing on her lips, like she was teasing him. “We should speak with the Gerudo about the crazy weather they’ve been experiencing. Maybe they have some answers for us.” The large wooden gates in front of them creaked open to allow them safe passage into the valley once a guard had confirmed their identities silently. Izzy and Link led their horses into the city.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea. You can conduct your business as planned and I’ll speak with Nabooru about the anomalies. As one of the guardians of the shrines in this land, I have a few questions for her.” Link nodded. Izzy was surprised that he’d agreed to let her conduct her business as planned but wasn’t going to argue with him.

“Alright hero, after that’s done we’ll meet back up. I might take a little while so don’t rush or anything.” Izzy jumped off of Champion and tied him up near the front gates before walking over to one of the Gerudo women and greeting her like an old friend. Link realized she wasn’t going to say anything more to him after an awkward moment of waiting for a goodbye then started on his own path [a name="here"][/a]into the village.

It’d been a very long time since he’d last visited the Gerudos and his memory was a little foggy on where things were located. Link traveled to so many different places that locations often blurred together. Allowing Epona to find her own way as he always did, Link started through the village in search of Nabooru hoping that eventually his memory would kick in and he’d recall which building he usually met her in. He considered that she might be in the shrine near the training grounds but rejected the idea as quickly as it’d come. When he first met Nabooru she’d been in the prisons and he was sure that he wouldn’t find her there either. With any luck, the Gerudo wouldn’t have anyone in their prisons.

“Link? Is that you?” The familiar voice of the proud leader of the Gerudo tribe came from behind him. Turning on his heels, Link offered a smile, partially relieved that she’d found him before he’d made an idiot of himself walking around mindlessly through the village in search of her. “It is you! What on earth are you doing here?” Nabooru quickly approached the hero and gave him a swift hug. Tall, proud, and strong, Nabooru was a fearsome warrior but also a loving and caring woman. The pale orange jewel centered and burned into her forehead was a symbol of leadership amongst the Gerudo. Ganondorf had once bore the same jewel when he’d ruled over the land of Hyrule.

“I was wondering if I could speak with you about something.” Link took note of the dark foreboding clouds creeping in from the west to obscure his view of the stars glimmering overhead.

“Yes, of course. Whatever you need I am always happy to help my friend.” Nabooru nodded toward the building at the top of the sloping hill. “Come, sit with me and I’ll have some drink brought for us.”

“No, no… I don’t require anything except for your audience.” Link hung his head respectfully. Nabooru chuckled beneath her breath and started up the hill toward her home. Outside of the earthen colored building was a wooden porch with several handmade tables and chairs placed upon it. It seemed as though Nabooru’s home was a regular gathering place for the Gerudo since the chairs were well worn.

Link took a seat in one of the chairs once Nabooru had done the same and glanced around curiously. The usual bustle of the Gerudo town was nowhere to be found. There were only a handful of people outside and they weren’t casually practicing their fighting skills or working on crops as he had seen them do in the past. Instead they were tying down furniture and boarding up windows in preparation for something dangerous. The usual confident air of the town had faded into a mixture of despair and fear. Link guessed it had something to do with the terrible weather that Izzy had mentioned to him. It was a relief, if nothing else, to know that Izzy hadn’t been lying to Link simply to manipulate him into getting her errands finished.

“So what is it you wish to discuss with me?” Nabooru smiled politely, nodding toward one of the other Gerudo walking by. The woman ran off with the silent order.

“I’ve heard from a friend of mine that you’ve had some odd weather phenomenon taking place in the Haunted Wasteland and it has been spilling over onto your borders. I was wondering if you could perhaps shed some light on that for me.” Link folded his arms over his chest, curious of what the woman would tell him.

“I’m afraid I have very little information to offer you. The Haunted Wasteland has always lived up to its reputation. People have always seen spirits within the dust and wind that plague the shifting sands. In more recent months the wind has become intolerable, so much so that we have been forced to permanently seal off the gates that opened into the Wasteland. I have been unable to return to the Spirit Temple to properly protect it because of this.” Nabooru hung her head in shame. The same Gerudo that had disappeared only moments ago returned with a jug of some dark colored ale and placed it on the table with two glasses set out for them.

Nabooru poured glasses for the both of them of the thick liquid then took a long drink out of hers. Link neglected his, not nearly as interested in the ale as he was in the information he was getting.

“You sealed off the gates? It was that bad?”

“The winds were knocking down homes and crashing through windows.” Nabooru nodded toward the glass she’d poured for Link who shook his head negatively. “Even after sealing off the gates the rain we’ve been receiving has been so torrential that flooding has damaged the foundations of many buildings. Hail has practically ruined our crops.”

“That sounds pretty severe to me.”

“The only person left who can reach the Spirit Temple now is you and only with the gifts you’ve been granted by the Goddesses.” Nabooru smiled wearily.

“I’m trying to avoid using magic for awhile if it can be helped but my guess is that if you can’t get through the wasteland than neither can anyone else.” Link recalled the things he’d recently learned about the powers he’d been taking for granted. He didn’t want to keep using the magic he’d obtained until he knew exactly what the consequences were and how dire they’d be. The only problem was he wasn’t exactly sure how to find information about ancient magical powers.

“It wouldn’t be so terrible if it was just the winds. Soon after we sealed off the gates the storms coming from the west worsened. As you can see we are tying down our belongings and working on strengthening our city in order to survive the continuing onslaught of bad weather.” Nabooru suddenly looked older. Link hadn’t realized just how terrible the situation was. Now that he realized the severity of their struggles he wondered why the woman hadn’t gone to the queen with their woes. He could hear Izzy scolding him mentally, letting him know exactly why the Gerudo hadn’t approached Zelda. “Do you see those clouds?”

“I do.” Link nodded without searching the sky. He’d become hyper observant over the years spent adventuring and traveling.

“When that storm hits us tonight, it will release hail larger than you’ve ever imagined and perhaps even snow. The lightning will be fierce and the wind practically like a tornado.” Nabooru stared into her glass sadly. “We’ve lost half the village to this weather, it’s dreadful. Why are you asking about it? Who let you know of our plight? The storms aren’t common knowledge to those unfamiliar with the desert.”

“A friend of mine made me aware. She’s here on business right now.”

“Izzy?” Nabooru looked surprised. Clearly, Izzy didn’t seem like the type of character Nabooru expected Link to hang around with. Link felt slightly offended that Nabooru thought that and hardened his features but gave a curt nod. “I meant no offense to you, Link. She’s just quite cynical while you are such a kind and selfless soul.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, she told me about the woes of your people. I believe I might know the cause and the solution for your troubles. If you would allow me to get past the gates I think that I could help.” Nabooru looked surprised but considered this information.

“It’s dangerous. I don’t know how I feel about letting you go out there alone.”

“Izzy will be accompanying me.” Link nodded his head once again. Nabooru continued to look baffled but instantly nodded her head to agree with his terms. Link wondered what exactly Izzy had done for the Gerudos over the years to garner their trust and faith. Only seconds ago Nabooru had been hesitant to let the hero of Hyrule pass through the gates, but now that a thief was joining him she seemed perfectly alright with it. Link was confused to say the least.

“I can temporarily unseal the gates to the Haunted Wasteland but will have to seal them immediately after your passing to prevent further damage to my people.”

“I understand.” Link smiled, feeling rather successful though still mildly offended and bewildered.

“When you return from your quest, I will allow you entrance once more. There is an old guard outpost within the gates leading to the Wasteland. I will have one of my guards sit there and await your return through the night. Unless you would like to wait until morning, that is. The Haunted Wasteland is dangerous enough during the day in the proper light, at night it is treacherous for even the most skilled warriors.” Nabooru was once again cautioning against entry, despite Link’s promise to release her people from the burden of terrible weather.

“The sooner we take care of this threat to your home the better. I’m aware of the danger involved and well prepared for it.” Link puffed out his chest confidently.

“If anyone can make it out of there, it’s you.” Nabooru smiled confidently, seemingly aware that she’d offended Link’s masculinity somewhere along the line and attempting to make up for it.

“Thank you. I have one more request of you, if you’ll have it.” Link bowed his head respectfully again.

“Anything. You have been a loyal and helpful friend to our people and I will return your kindness in any way that I can.”

“The Queen is attempting to use the magic given to her by the goddesses as the seventh Guardian of Hyrule to heal the land where Ganondorf’s wicked castle once stood but it is draining her energy too severely. She requests the aid of the seven guardians of the seven shrines to use their magic and assist her with the process. If you could find time to do so, it would be greatly appreciated. There’s a long path ahead of Hyrule before our world has returned to working order, but this would be a great first step forward.” Nabooru didn’t seem to like the request made of her very much, as made apparent by the scowl on her face. Link wondered again how long he’d been ignoring the Gerudos distaste for the current monarchy. Had he never noticed it before or was it something that had only recently developed? According to Izzy, he was blind to it.

“I will contact the Queen by falcon and see what I may assist her with.” Nabooru offered a weak smile before finishing the rest of her glass. “My guards will aid you in getting through the sealed gate.” Nabooru snapped her fingers and the same Gerudo who had given them the ale came running over to them. Whispering in their native tongue together, Nabooru gave the Gerudo directions before sending her away.

“Hey hero, you ready to go yet?” Izzy walked over, hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Epona was trailing behind her jovially, ready for adventure.

“Izzy! I heard rumor of your arrival. It is wonderful to see you. I trust business is going well?” Nabooru rose from her seat and gave Izzy a hug that she looked reluctant to return. Even with those who so highly regarded her, Izzy didn’t seem to be one for affectionate embraces. Link couldn’t help but wonder why she was so guarded, but couldn’t help but think he would have done the same. Traveling through the wild and seeing the horrors of the world firsthand could easily turn a person cold.

“Business is always going well when I have such reliable clientele.” Izzy smiled politely then looked toward the glasses on the table longingly but didn’t ask for a glass.

“Go ahead, I’m not drinking it.” Link held up his hands and shook his head from side to side.

“Thanks.” Izzy grabbed the glass and drained the ale quickly before setting it back down. “I needed that.”

“Not a problem.” Link looked at her suspiciously. She seemed off since they’d parted at the entrance to the city and he couldn’t put his finger on the reason why.

“Link said you were accompanying him, and I was quite skeptical at first. But here you are just as he said.”

“I don’t know if he’s very good at lying, anyway.” Izzy joked. “But I’ve gotten swept up in some hero-related nonsense and promised I’d see it through to the end. If I get to help your people in the process it’s only an added bonus.” Izzy bowed comically. Nabooru laughed and patted Izzy on the shoulder before turning toward Link.

“What did you promise her in return? The price must have been hefty if she’s taking orders from the Queen.” Link noticed the bite to Nabooru’s words and again wondered how long he’d been ignoring it.

“I’m not taking orders from the Queen.” Izzy grimaced, resting her hand on her hip.

“You see my point?” Nabooru smirked and shook her head.

“I’ve promised her a favor.” Link laughed, getting up from his seat and walking casually over to Epona who was following Izzy around happily. For some reason the horse had taken a shining to Izzy, even if the woman didn’t return the gesture.

“A favor from the great hero? For a thief and ranger?” Nabooru chuckled loudly and then gave Link another playful hug. “You are a brave man.” Link wasn’t quite sure what Nabooru thought was so funny but was suddenly having second thoughts about his promise to Izzy. The same thing that seemed to bring her respect amongst the Gerudo had also given her some sort of nasty and fearsome reputation. It didn’t matter. Link wasn’t one to break a promise unless absolutely necessary.

“You should leave your weird horse behind with Nabooru.” Izzy leaned out of the way as Epona attempted to sniff at her hair curiously. “It’s too dangerous in the shifting sand for her to come. She’ll get swept away or wounded.”

“Definitely.” Epona whinnied in objection to being left behind. Link placed his hand gingerly on the side of her snout. “It’s okay girl, you can stay here and help the Gerudos out for the night. I don’t want you to get hurt in the storm.”

“We’ll provide shelter for your horses if you haven’t returned by the time the nasty weather makes its way here.” Nabooru offered, walking over to Epona and offering the horse a bow. Epona seemingly bowed in return, though she was still irritated she wouldn’t be traveling with Link through the desert.

“Great.” Izzy cleared her throat and nodded toward the large gate that led to the Haunted Wasteland. “Shall we?”

“After you.” Link bowed his head again respectfully and Izzy rolled her eyes.

“You’re too chivalrous for your own good.”

“Maybe I’ll stop treating you like a lady until you start acting like one.” Link teased as he followed after her and toward the gate to the windy desert.

“That’s a good idea. One of us has to wear the pants on this journey.” Izzy retorted quickly then cleared her throat again. As they reached the gate, the Gerudo who had earlier assisted Nabooru was working quickly to clear the area in front of the small doorway that would provide access to the Haunted Wasteland.

As they walked through the door, they were immediately hit with the fierce wind mixed with the loose sand of the dunes. Link glanced back toward Izzy and was about to ask her if she wanted to turn back when he heard the door slam behind them and block their exit. Both Hylians watched the door as the crashing of metal and slamming of gates echoed beyond their vision. It appeared that it was too late for a change of heart. Glancing back at his comrade he realized what was off about her. Izzy looked fatigued. They’d had a rather long day and the night was fast upon them after all.

“Are you alright?”

“What?” Izzy looked confused by the question and patted herself down in search of a wound she hadn’t noticed but found nothing.

“I said, are you alright? You look weary.” Link reached into his bag and pulled out a short cloak which he then wrapped around his shoulders so he could keep the sand out of his mouth.

“I’m just fine.” Izzy pulled her cloak up to cover her mouth then pulled the hood over her head. Reaching into her bag she retrieved a pair of goggles and pulled them over her eyes to block out the sand. Grabbing Link’s arm as he started off into the sand, she handed him a spare pair of goggles she kept around in case the ones she usually wore broke. Link pulled the goggles on over his eyes before patting her on the arm to express his gratitude. Neither one of them wanted a mouthful of the dirt that was flying around.

As they trudged through the shifting sand beneath their feet, occasionally stopping to pull each other out of the earth when it gathered too high around their knees, the wind picked up harder and faster. The dark clouds looming overhead blocked out the light of the moon and the stars. Link stopped their walk when it became too dark to continue and withdrew a lantern he carried with him from the magical bag he used for storage. With the orange light of the lantern to guide them through the brewing storm they continued despite the thunder and lightning that picked up as they continued.

Halfway through the night, as the rain started to fall, at first lightly and then harder and accompanied by hail, Link led them to the old half buried fortress in the center of the wasteland for refuge. Climbing to the top, Link opened the heavy wooden hatch with Izzy’s help before they both climbed in. Pulling the cloak away from her face, Izzy cursed and inhaled the clean air eagerly. Breathing through the thick cloak had become taxing. Link did the same and hung his lantern on a hook near the ceiling. The stone fortress shook and trembled from the storm outside but the walls held securely. Izzy peered out one of the few windows that wasn’t obstructed by the dirt that had buried the fortress years ago.

“They weren’t kidding were they?” Link pulled the green hat off of his head and shook the sand out of it. “That storm is nasty.”

“I bet you were thinking I’d deceived you.” Izzy spoke without turning from the window.

“That did cross my mind, but can you really blame me?” Link searched around the old fortress. He’d been there once in the past on his adventures and had very negative memories of the place. The ghosts that lived in the Haunted Wasteland were still there because of whatever awful thing had happened many years ago, before the fortress had been buried underneath the sands. There were no history texts on the subject that Link had been able to find, but then again there weren’t many texts left at all in the land of Hyrule thanks to the destruction created by Ganondorf during his reign of terror.

“I would’ve been surprised if you hadn’t doubted me.” Izzy turned away from the window and began to explore the fortress on the opposite side of where Link was looking around. She was starting to question that the tough times that had fallen on the Gerudos had been caused by the dark creatures that had been sent to the four corners of Hyrule. Maybe it was just really bad luck. The image on her hand that had appeared in the forest weighed heavily on her mind. “I’m plenty of nasty things, but a liar is not one of them.”

“I’m sorry for assuming.” Link peered over his shoulder, curious of what she was looking at.

“Don’t be.” Izzy turned her gaze toward a dust and dirt covered plaque half buried beneath rubble and sand. Slowly she started to move things away from it so she could take a look at it. Link was curious of what she found and what she was doing so he joined her in her attempts to uncover the plaque. “I get it. I’m not exactly the most trustworthy person so naturally people assume that because I’m a thief, I must also be a liar. But it’s quite the opposite. I see no need to lie, the truth often suffices.”

Link actually laughed when he heard that, helping her wipe the dirt and must away from the letters that he didn’t recognize on the plaque in front of them. Cocking a curious eyebrow toward him, Izzy stopped wiping at the plaque and turned to look at him.

“What’s so funny?”

“I never thought we’d agree on anything, that’s all.” Link continued to chuckle. Rolling her eyes Izzy took a step back from the plaque and rested her hands on her hips as she examined the letters in the unfamiliar language. Link did the same. “I’m a terrible liar though. I couldn’t do it if I tried.”

“Now that I’m not surprised by in the least.” Izzy walked away from the plaque and yawned as she shook some more sand from her outfit.

“You spent all that time uncovering the plaque only to ignore it? What is it? Do you think it says something important?” Gesturing toward the plaque again, Link continued to dust off the letters, trying to see if there was anything he recognized on there. “I know this bird, it’s on my shield…” Link pulled the shield off of his back and pointed out the carving in the reflective surface on the back.

“There’s no point in trying to decipher it. That’s a dead language. Ancient Hylian… but we stopped speaking it a very long time ago. The only known recording of the language was lost long ago. The Book of Mudora would be the only way to translate it. Believe me I’m curious but it’s just impossible to read it without that book. I’ve tried to decipher that nonsense before and it’s not worth the energy.” Izzy took a seat on the stone floor, still shaking sand out of her hair.

“How do you know that?” Link was still looking at the stone plaque curiously.

“Really?” Izzy mocked. “Don’t you study your own history?”

“It’s not like I’ve had time to sit around studying for the last few years. Plus, no one I know has ever mentioned such a thing.” Link came and sat down next to her. The wind roared overhead and sand came pouring in through the windows and crevices. It was no wonder that the fortress had been buried over the years. “We should wait out the storm in here. Maybe it’ll lighten up.”

“I’m not arguing.” Izzy yawned and closed her eyes. There was little but the sound of the wind around them and the occasional crash of thunder whose accompanying lightning was out of sight. Observing his surroundings, Link couldn’t help but think of his first trip into the Haunted Wasteland and how intimidating it had been. Not much had changed since he’d last been there except for the amount of sand burying the fortress and the severity of the storms. The only thing that had changed was Link. This time around he was far more confident in his abilities.

“The last time I came here…”

“You really hate silence, don’t you?” Izzy peeked one eye open at him.

“As I was saying,” Link continued purposely, a smirk playing on his lips. “The last time I came to this place it was just as windy. I couldn’t see a thing so I hid in this fortress just like we are now. For some reason I remember it being much scarier.”

“Well you didn’t have me to protect you.” Izzy spoke and Link wasn’t sure if she was joking or not but continued on with his story nonetheless.

“I couldn’t see a damn thing in all that dust. I needed to get to the Desert Colossus but I kept going in circles and returning to this place. Eventually I sat down and decided to rest. When I went back outside there was a figure in the distance. The ghost of a warrior haunts this place and he led me to the Desert Colossus as long as I could keep up with him.” Link adjusted his seat against the wall, scooting so he was facing Izzy. “Do you think that this storm and nasty weather is being caused by the spirits that haunted this place? Maybe it’s not the shadow creature doing it at all. There’s no creepy fog here like there was before and nothing tried to lure me in. Actually I’d take the wind and hail to be a big “stay out” if you ask me.” Izzy contemplated his theory quietly before getting up.

“I don’t know why after so many years the ghosts of this place would suddenly strike out so severely but it can’t really hurt to look into it.” Izzy draped the cloak around herself again and pulled her hood back up. Link did the same, retrieved his lantern and then started toward the ladder at the center of the fortress. Once outside the two searched around in the dust and the wind in hopes of spotting the ghosts that had once assisted Link on his journey to save Hyrule. Izzy walked past her companion and across the top of the fortress back into the sand. There was nothing as far as she could see in the haze, which wasn’t very far at all. Her gut was telling her that there were no such ghosts haunting the fortress any longer.

Just as she was about to turn back to Link to reaffirm that his theory had been ridiculous the ground beneath her feet started to tremble. Sand shifted under her boots revealing more of the top of the fortress that had once been buried. Link felt the shaking as well and was making his way back toward Izzy. He’d blown out the flame of the lantern and placed it within his bag again, then instinctively drew his sword. Rushing over to Link, Izzy urged them into the sand and away from the source of the shaking.

Before they could get too far, the sand parted and long dark tentacles shot out from beneath, sending brick and dirt flying around them. Izzy and Link dove to the ground, out of the way of the debris then crawled as quickly as they could before the collapsing ground could suck them closer to the tentacle that had emerged.

A second tentacle shot out of the ground, followed by a third and a forth, each threatening to grab at them but missing in the darkness of the storm. The rain and hail seemed to fall harder and more severe than before with the appearance of the creature.

“I think I found the shadow beast!” Izzy got to her feet, not bothering with her sword as Link had, particularly after the last shadow beast they’d encountered had gotten the better of them in physical combat. They would have to absorb the beast as Tenameru had done. Izzy ripped the glove off of her hand and shoved it into her bag sloppily. The big problem was that Izzy had no idea how to do that.

“This is not the time for sarcasm, Izzy!” Link shouted, holding his sword defensively in front of him as he dodged the tentacles that flew out of the ground. There were ten of them in total. The ground gave one final violent shake before the long worm like body, housing the tentacles that were lined with horrible glistening white fangs, emerged from the sands, standing twenty feet taller than the building they’d taken refuge in.

“This is the perfect time for sarcasm, hero!” Izzy stared in awe the shadow creature, unsure of exactly what to do. It wasn’t much like the first one they’d encountered within the forest. There were armored plates all along the body of the terrible worm and the tentacles were oozing with drool and blood from its mouth, which was lined with just as many fangs as the tentacles themselves seemed to have. The only vulnerable spot she could see was the mouth and she didn’t want to get anywhere near it.

“I thought Tenameru said this was going to be like the thing we fought in the forest!” Link shouted over the wind, apparently having the same thought as his partner.

“I think Tenameru might have been wrong.” Izzy finally pulled out her weapon, stepping backwards in the sand and preparing herself to dodge any blows by the tentacles. It wouldn’t be easy in their terrain and with the weather. Link nodded resolutely to agree. “Aim for the mouth?”

“Do you see those teeth? Anything I shoot or throw in there is going to get demolished before it does any damage.” Link shook his head, swinging his sword around. “I say go for the tentacles. At least if we get rid of those it can’t hurt us as easily.”

“Can’t hurt us? It’s ten times our size, hero! All it has to do is move the right way and we’ll be buried alive!”

“Let’s deal with the more immediate problems, like getting grabbed by slimy fanged tentacles” Link shouted, jumping backwards to dodge one of the tentacles as it slammed for them. They watched in disgust as the tentacle pulled away from the dirt, drool dripping and spilling below it.

“This is the worst thing ever. I am so mad at you for getting me into this!” Izzy yelled as she ran to the left to dodge another blow from the tentacles that were frantically trying to grab at the both of them. Link had done the same but in the opposite direction. As Izzy had warned, the sand was starting to move and collapse in sink holes in some areas, urging Link toward the belly of the beast. Running around the tentacles that were still grabbing at the sands in hopes of catching their prey, Izzy slashed her blade at the beast. The end of the tentacle flew apart in a spray of black and green goo, flopping around on the sand like a fish out of water.

The remaining piece of the wounded tentacle was thrashing angrily in search of what had caused it pain. Four more tentacles smashed at the ground around it blindly and defensively. Izzy fell backwards into the sand and scooted through it to get out of the way. Managing to get to her feet, she hurried toward Link and offered him a helping hand before he would slide much further and be buried by the mounds of dirt kicked up by the tentacles.

“Good news is we can hurt this one!” Izzy shouted over the wind and rain.

“Hurt it? All you did was piss it off!” Link held up his shield, having to anchor his feet in the sand as the tentacles slammed against it threateningly.

“You’re welcome.” Izzy gazed around Link, staying behind the safety of his shield. “I think it’s blind, I don’t see any eyes!”

“You hope it’s blind.” Link muttered. The tentacles stopped mindlessly striking the ground in search of them. Five of them rose into the air, revealing their lighter colored underbelly. Along the inside of each tentacle protected by teeth, were jewels bathed in shadow and glowing in the darkness of the storm. Each tentacle that was held high in the air started to manipulate and change. The gooey flesh at the end pulsed, throbbed and then pulled back, revealing a large curved spine.

“Oh sweet goddesses, we’re in trouble.” Izzy shook her head, mouth hanging agape.

“I think we have to aim for the jewels.”

“Ya think?” Izzy whispered in response. Link sheathed his sword and removed his bow from his quiver. “It’s time to run.” He grabbed Izzy’s arm as the beast roared so loudly that the ground shook and the sound of stone collapsing could be heard in the distance. The first tentacle came down with a slam and they barely got out of the way in time as the spine dug sharply into the ground, repeatedly stabbing at the dirt in hopes of killing its prey. It rose as quickly as it had fallen back into the air.

One by one the tentacles crashed into the sand, barely missing the duo as they ran as quickly as the shifting ground beneath them would allow. Izzy grabbed Link’s arm to pull him back and out of the way as the creature changed course and the tentacle stabbed at the ground on either side of them in an attempt to trap them. They ran toward the creature and beneath the tentacle on the right that was stuck in the sand.

“Get down!” Link pushed Izzy hard enough to make her fall down face first as one of the tentacles swung wildly overhead, trying to catch them in its grasp. It roared louder when it realized it again missed its targets. Link fell next to her as the tentacles swung again overhead. Even blind, the creature was clever and crafty when it came to stalking its prey. “You know, now would be a really great time for you to work your magic and absorb this thing!” Link shouted as he crawled through the sand and urged Izzy to move with him.

“Yeah, I think that’s a great idea too.” Izzy nodded resolutely, spitting a mouthful of sand to the side and wiping her face. “Just one little problem with that.”

“And what is that?” Link rolled to the side to dodge another blow from the beast. He aimed his bow quickly as he lay still on the ground on his back. Letting an arrow fly, the creature howled as one of the crystals on the underside of the tentacles shattered in a brilliant haze of green. Shards of glass from the jewel spread throughout the area, intermingling with the cold rain. Link hid beneath his shield and Izzy held her arms over her head.

“I don’t know how.” The creature roared threateningly, temporarily distracted by the pain that Link had inflicted with his bow.