Shrine Out Of Time 2.3 - Gifts

Evening of Tuesday, November 17, 2020 (comprised of some raw note editings from April 29 through April 30, 2023 that I really hope sound consistent because I left it alone for too long) ~ 3

Shrine Out Of Time 2.3 - Gifts

It was a Modest Test Of Strength.

And I beat the Guardian.

Passed through the gate.

Looted the treasure chest.

And approached the meditating Monk....

Your triumph over the test of strength

subverts a prophecy of ruin. From the

ashes of Hyrule, a hero rises.

The Monk spoke the familiar words.

In the name of Goddess Hylia, I

bestow upon you this Spirit Orb.

And the Orb emerged from his solar plexus, arced gently across the space between us, and entered into my heart, my face pensive and reverent as ever at these times.

The little fanfare played, and the pop-up popped up: Spirit Orb – A symbol of courage given to those who have overcome the challenges of a shrine.

And I clicked to dismiss it away.

And then it turned.

You have at last conquered all of our

trials.

the Monk said.

Having fulfilled our purpose, we monks

bestow upon you this...

The warrant of the true hero.

You must now depart for the

Forgotten Temple.

A Gift from the Monks – the new quest banner flashed across the top of the screen.

And then, at the last.... the Monk imparted those timeless words....

May the Goddess smile upon you.

And his body evaporated away into that swirling teal mist, borne of an unearthly wind....

And I was made to depart the Final Shrine.

Hahhhhhh.

I’d finally done it.

I had finally found every last Shrine.

!

And it wasn’t even over yet.

The Forgotten Temple....

I did not warp straight inside, but elected instead to warp to the Hebra Stable—Snowfield Stable—approach the Forgotten Temple from the outside and Tanagar Canyon.... and DO THE THING PROPER.

Good times.... sailing through that firestorm....

And this time, behind the Rona Kachta Shrine at the back, standing on the platform before the giant Goddess statue.... were Three Treasure Chests.

But first.... I prayed to the Goddess, and received my final heart container.

I was ready now.

“Should I do this twenty-three-is-number-one style?” I asked the room at large.

Nobody really got it.

But.... I didn’t do it that way after all. I would go.... left.... then right.... then center....

Left....

Tunic of the Wild.

This armor was apparently crafted for a hero who travels in the wilds. Strangely enough, it’s just your size.

Right....

Trousers of the Wild.

Legends say these pants were tailored for a hero who travels the wilderness. Strangely enough, they’re the most comfortable pair of pants you’ve ever worn.

Ah, that sounds fabulous.

And center....

Cap of the Wild

According to legend, this cap was crafted for a hero who travels the wild lands. Wearing it just feels so right.

And I could feel the Spirit of the Hero.

I am the Hero.

They looked great. Agh, they looked classic.

They looked like the Oldest School Link you could think of. Dazzling with more pixels. But still so Pure.

Heh, and there were little .... square-tooth dark bands around the sleeve hems. Just a simple design. Very nice.

I looked great.

To Cotera then!

Good old Cotera.

Hee!

The upgrades were:

Cap – 10 Acorns and 2 Farosh scales

Tunic – 10 Acorns and 2 Naydra scales

Trousers – 10 Acorns and 2 Dinraal scales

Somehow acorns were just.... so perfect.

So cute. ^_^

Basic and pure for the boy in the forest.

~

And now.... I have notated all.... and I am.... very tired.

[And as of 1:17am, Sunday, April 30, 2023, I have now finessed all.... save the last battle....]

Do you know what my new job is?

I am a video game tester.

These horizons are definitely more exciting.

Probably because.... I can barely see them.

I am in the bottom of a jungle valley, and every day is a machete salad.

No, I can’t talk about it.

I signed an NDA.

Maybe I will upgrade Link’s clothes.... another day....

And fight Ganon again....

....like I said I would.

                        Good night.

 

Seven Prayers

Waking of Saturday, January 26, 2019

Seven Prayers

My last practice with Shelene and Jane went well.

We women are better singers.

jghjrlghrjlgjhrlea!!ASDFFGGHJKL;

It was time to pray.

After I awoke at Pepp’s, I warped to the Forgotten Temple, deep in the folded land at the head of Tanagar Canyon.

I first prayed before the Giant Goddess Statue, towering tall and smiling with her serene hands resting clasped over her belly. The powerful, imposing figure seemed to want and deserve being first.

And the Goddess granted me a Stamina Vessel.

From there I warped to.... but I felt no connection to Hateno Village.

I warped to Kakariko Village, placidly nestled in the mountains north of the Dueling Peaks, in the shadow of the Pillars of Levia.

I then prayed before the Little Koi Pond Goddess Statue, which was one of the smaller, more simplistic renditions, molded with the suggestion of praying hands. This one wore a little pinafore smock like an apron.

And the Goddess granted me another Stamina Vessel.

And, “Your being overflows with vigor. There is no need to further enhance your stamina,” the Goddess imparted to me. Or some such words.

That was three full wheels of stamina now.

That was what David had....

Following my old footsteps, from there I warped to Zora’s Domain, secluded in the fountains of the rugged blue mountains beyond the wetlands.

I then prayed before the Little Balcony Goddess Statue, which was unadorned, but held a prominent position before King Dorephan’s chamber.

Of course, as David had done, I asked for another Stamina Vessel just to see what would happen.... but the Goddess only reminded me once again that my being already overflowed with vigor, and there was no need.

So I asked aright, and She granted me a Heart Container instead.

From there I took a brief moment to put on my protective suit before warping to Goron City, high on the scorching western flanks of the mighty Death Mountain, crusted between claws of rock and lava flows, its air all flecked with embers.

I then prayed before the Little Crowned Goddess Statue, which was ensconced in a rough-cut shrine of rugged stone near Big Boss Bludo’s house. This one wore a bright yellow, three-pointed crown on its head! The make of it seemed to glow....

And the Goddess granted me another Heart Container.

From there I warped to Gerudo Town, the bustling oasis, jewel in the sands, and had to stop to put on some different clothing before entering town. I bought some arrows before finding my way back to the Forgotten Court and visiting with Muava.

I then prayed before the Little Court Goddess Statue, left alone in its quietude with only garbage and lost things for company, but no less faithful in its prayerful rendition, no less a conduit for worship.

And the Goddess granted me a Heart Container.

From there I warped to Rito Village, stacked in beautiful wooded seclusion in Tabantha’s piney wilderness, over breezy trails loved by the sun.

I then prayed before the Little Flowered Goddess Statue, set in its alcove in the Neck, adorned with comely cloths and wearing a circlet of flowers on its head and with flowers before its feet. Ahhh, this one is my favorite. :)

And the Goddess granted me a Heart Container.

And that was.... two statues of magnitude or personal importance.... plus the statues in the lands of the four peoples I had visited.... which made six....

Just one more.

And from there.... finally.... I warped to the Shrine of Resurrection, far away and back and long ago on the Great Plateau, back where it all began, hidden away in the cave so secluded, full of steps and barriers I had halted to climb when I was naked and weak as a kitten.

I rushed out into the sunlight quick as anything now in my rattling gear and thick clothing, and made my way to the Temple of Time, past the paltry Red Bokoblins around whom I used to be so cautious and calculated. One cut was all it took to bring them down now.

Past the crumbling walls and in the hallowed space inside, where the moss and the grass grew as soft as a prayer, and the air moved in glimmering haunts fit for fairies, I then prayed before the Temple Goddess Statue, standing in the midst of its attendant statuettes and smiling that same serene smile under a shaft of heavenly light.

And the Goddess granted me a Heart Container.

Seven Prayers. That would do.

I was stronger now.

Then....

Hateno Village.

I had unfinished business.

The Windy Canyon

Waking of Friday, January 11, 2019

The Windy Canyon

Ahhhh, Rito Village.

I wanted to find a shrine. There must have been another shrine.

I warped to Robbie’s to check that strange jut of land I had seen on my map—the one at the east end of that chasm that separated Hyrule from the north countries. It was just a raised bit of the topo that ran between the chasm and the eastern sea, flat for a good while as it jutted north off the Hyrulean landmass, and then degrading into rugged and more treacherous spiky formations that marched away to the northeast and off the edge of nowhere.

I had to kill a Lynel before I got there—such a daunting thing before—but once I’d made it to the spot, there was nothing to find after all. No hidden alcoves. Just that chime and You can’t go any farther once I came to the end of the flat part.

Filled with a kind of loneliness, I only gazed out into the mist and across the chasm to the towering northlands. Out of reach.

It looked kinda cool, so I took a pictograph.

After a brief warp to the Great Fairy Mija to upgrade my Barbarian Leg Wraps with a giant fairy-kiss to the face.... I consulted my map to see if I could find any other places I’d never tracked out on foot.

Tanagar Canyon. I’d never combed its bottom.

And so it was a warp to the Snowfield Stable and a jog and paraglide down onto the roof of the Forgotten Temple.

I had my work cut out for me here—Tanagar Canyon was huge.

The windy canyon stretched on and on before me, an endless beige track beneath the strip of sky over my head. Ruins and rubbled bits of stonework littered its floor, becoming more sparse as I moved away from the Forgotten Temple. These were hardly replaced by what scanty scrub had been able to take root in the bone-dry earth down here. And there were hecktons of wolves. Lots and lots and lots of wolves.

Dinraal passed overhead twice, but he was far out of reach of any of my bows.

And then my shrine detector went off! :D

I went and found it! It lay secluded in a jagged little corner veering off to the right—the north side—and back behind some large rocks. The Dunba Taag Shrine.

“Build and Release” was the name of the trial inside—it was a DEVILISH Stasis-based Shrine.

And that made 28 Spirit Orbs.

I must pray now, I thought.

But I am so tired.

I kept going, down to the south end of Tanagar Canyon—it curved that way—until I found a Goron who ran.... the Boom Bam Golf! Course.

The Boom Bam Golf! Course was a long, raised strip of the lower bedrock with some minor lateral angling to it, which connected to a large mound at one end with a sizeable depression in its middle. And a very tall flagpole.

Like any good Goron, this one, Modar, huffed and puffed and groared and whooped about the sheer and raw amazingness of his game and how awesome one would be to play it. He actually asked me, “if ya got the stones to strut your stuff in a game of BOOM BAM GOLF!”

Oh wow I can’t believe a Zelda game just said that! XD

So I played it. It was fun.

I didn’t like wearing down my weapons unnecessarily just to whack around the big Stasised golf ball, but....

It was fun.

I kept going. And toward the very last southern end of Tanagar Canyon, as the ground began to rise again.... brreep-brreep! went my shrine detector!

The canyon floor came gently up, curled around to the right and back northward, and it was there that I found the Kah Okeo Shrine, buried in a hole in the ground under a giant slab.

OH MY GOSH WIND GUIDE—THIS TRIAL—

THIS SHRINE WAS DISGUSTING.

But as soon as I had beaten it—Oh, I saw.

I guess that’s 29 Spirit Orbs now. Oops.

I was out of gas. I wandered north. The impassable chasm gaped stark and dusty to my left. Seas to the east and south, chasms and deserts to the north and west.... I wondered what the lands beyond were like....

Wandered north over the same beige rock.

Found a Gisa Crater with a Talus sleeping in the middle of it.

Pass.

This western coast of the country was long. And I was tired.

I called it a day, went to Pepp’s, and slept.

I guess I have 29 Spirit Orbs now. But I’ll pray next time anyway.

Unwarranted Reserve

Waking of Friday, June 29, 2018

Unwarranted Reserve

Mary and Dorothy were over, and they wanted me to play, but I didn’t want to do the main quest.... And so from a save I had cast at the entrance to Chief Riju’s palace, I warped to the Forgotten Temple, and PROCEEDED TO CLEAN—IT—OUT.

It was awesome. Always good to get more practice in parrying Guardian shots. c: ....Though I must say it does tend to run my shield supply down right quick.... :c It’s harder when they’re far away.... and Daruk’s always having to help me.... I find the timing much easier when they’re.... hahhh.... RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU. 8(

It was a lovely hard drudge pushing the infestation out toward the canyon.... but well worth it. Did you know there are treasure chests down there in hidden cavities beside the air-fountain cracks in the ground? Rich ones, too! :D To say nothing of the treasures of Ancient Tech leftover from the slain Guardians.

It was nice to have my own run of the place when they were all gone. So spacious and cool.... It must have been a retreat most beautiful and serene once.

I paraglided back to the giant Goddess statue at the back, and offered a long overdue prayer, to receive another Heart Container. That was nice. :)

That particular exercise bumped me up to twenty-two gears, and so it was time for another visit to Robbie’s place.... and Cherry.

I spoke to her and she beeped and bwopped and I got through her menus and I scrolled down and—

....

I could get the pants. If I wanted to.

I could afford them.

But.... wait.

I quickly warped to Kakariko to check with Cotera, to see if there were anything else to which I could put my gears.... Oh, what was I thinking of? The difference betweeen a strong but partial set, and a weak but complete set? The Great Fairy told me what materials I needed.... But it looked like the higher Ancient upgrades would require more cores.

And I was short on cores.

....

Sooooo I warped back to Robbie’s, spoke to Cherry, dropped another great honking wad of cash.... and got the Ancient Greaves.

I had the set! 8D

My gosh when I put them all on I looked.... all dark and awesome and intimidating! ^_^ Especially when I put on the helm and you couldn’t see my eyes. X-)

So cool. XD

I had enough lesser parts to have Cotera upgrade my new Greaves by one level. But I only had two Ancient Gears left, and would not be able to upgrade further until I’d done a little.... mmmm.... shopping.

Or rather, a lot of shopping. A lot of shopping between Dueling Peaks and Hateno, looking for Teli and his miraculous wares....

I also took a moment every day to check with Hino in regards to the next Blood Moon. But I never did catch him at the right lunar phase.... there was a shrine waiting for me on Washa’s Bluff, I was SURE of it.... If I could just be there on a Blood Moon Midnight....

One thing I was very happy to discover was that, if I found Teli on the Hateno road, and it happened to be raining.... to lift the gloomy mood he would put out all his best wares! Including gears and cores! 8D

Ah, the rain in Hateno would be so sweet to me now....

....

Hateno Rain should be a song.

. . . .

Didn’t the Hateno Rain so depress and spook me once?

.  .  .  .  .  .  .

I do believe it did. Back on that long, weary road punctuated by my first Yiga Clan encounters.

Ah but I needn’t’ve let the rain spook me anymore. I was braver now, and the road was haunted anyway, rain or shine.

Because.... the Yiga were attacking me in the open now.

I guess my little trespass in Satan Canyon and the whole incident with Kohga must’ve.... not sat well with them.

I’d be jogging along a path, and that telltale orange glow would coalesce off to one side or another, that wicked cackle would clatter through the air.... Once in the bottleneck west of Teli’s Slope, I employed the Meteor Rod to fend off a Yiga Clansman, and the ricocheting fireballs nearly killed us both.

Travel was going to become a whole lot more.... interesting.

....

Well.... they wanted me to go full Curare—

I’d go full Curare.

I visited Kakariko to buy some carrots for one of my upgrades, played an arrow game for one Rola, and as long as I was there, decided to visit Impa.

She saw right away that I had reclaimed the Master Sword—my sword, she called it—and impressed upon me that Princess Zelda had sacrified everything to protect that sword and me, and told me not to forget it.

Well that was a sobering note.

Hhhh, in truth, I had not been using the Master Sword much, or at all. Barely.

I hunted Lizalfos, I hunted more Guardians....

Maybe I was subconsciously treating it like one of my other special weapons, like Mipha’s trident or Daruk’s hammerclub—no wait did I even pick that one up? I never used them because I wanted them to last, to stay pristine. They took up my pocket space.... If I bought that house in Hateno, would I be able to stow them there?

I bought more gears and another core. Or two.

I knew the sword wouldn’t break like any of my other weapons. I knew it could briefly lose its power.... But I had never taken it to that point. Why was I leaving it alone so much?

I showed Nebb the Duplex Bow. He gave me fifty rupees.

There’s a good lad.

I suppose there was the point that some of my other weapons were, in fact, stronger than the Master Sword.

But why was that?

I hunted still more Guardians.

I had seen David play, and his Master Sword had a damage-dealing level of sixty.

But my Master Sword.... had only a level of thirty.

No but sometimes it glowed with a brighter strength and a higher level....

No but then it was weak again.

Why did it do that?

Not that thirty was all that weak, mind; for a single-handed weapon that was pretty good....

But why did it change?

What was the pattern?

I visited.... Kaysa, to upgrade my greaves one more time; I had amassed the ten required gears. She kissed her giant finger and bopped me with it in a small explosion of magical dander, and that brought my third of three Ancient Armor pieces up to level two....

I put them all on.... Full sets of clothing that were double-enhanced came with a perk.... usually....

And this perk was.... Ancient Proficiency?

What did that even mean?

Or was it really a perk after all? Or simply a pronouncement of my own skill? I’d killed a lot of Guardians to get this far....

I supposed I’d find out soon enough.

I checked with the Great Fairy to go over my shopping list: Naydra horn, Molduga fins, diamonds, and cores.

I’d just figured Naydra was the name of the third dragon, the one I had not met.

For surely there must be three.

Well, I knew where to find the diamonds easily enough, and warped to Zora’s Domain. But before I found Ledo, I came across Prince Sidon not on his usual balcony above the square, but down near the fountain, before the statue of his sister Mipha.

I heard him murmuring to himself.... or to her....

“Mipha, are you still inside the Divine Beast?” He looked so heavily pensive. “Are you aiding Link in his fight?”

And then he turned—

“Link!” He started at the sight of me. But he made no pretenses. “So you heard that, huh? I’m afraid you caught me in a moment of vulnerability.”

He said.... something more, about his sister, though I don’t remember the words.

He was just a man missing a loved one.

And that’s all right.

“I’m sorry you had to see me in a weak moment,” he finished, or some such words, and I moved away.

Everyone’s weak some time. Even the Prince of the Zoras.

Even my sword....

Sure, I wielded it now, but did I really own it?

I needed to figure this out....

I found Ledo, traded him some Luminous Stones for a Diamond, and saved.

The Trouble with Boomers

Waking of Friday, August 11, 2017 ~ 2

The Trouble with Boomers

I still stood over the head of the Forgotten Temple Valley and—confusticate and beBOTHER the sirens of this game—I was hungry to keep exploring!

Well there was that shrine and stable I could see far to the west across the green fields.

Onward! ^_^

Oh it was a long and rainy jog to get there.

David had seen me playing at one point, or actually I think I had described to him where I was. And I’d told him I wanted to go grab that very accessible looking shrine and stable.

David scoffed and said I’d freeze before I got there.

ò.Ó

I’d said it didn’t look that cold.

But David assured me the environment would be far too cold.

Hm! I’d see about that! u_u

The road went on and on and on, and the rain did not abate. I found at least one Korok up on top of an old ruined hut, and I met.... probably Chabi again. We sheltered beneath the splintered half-roof to chat for just a bit.

There were an awful lot of arrows stuck into the ruined buildings around here. I collected them where I could, but.... it made me wonder how it had gotten like that. What rivaling powers had clashed here?

At length I came to the Serenne Stable.

And it was NOT too cold for me.

HA, David! >8D

I skipped up the adjacent hill and completed the local shrine, and then.... decided to keep following the road. North of the path, before a great mountain cliff, there was a tall tower with a lookout platform on top. It stood beside a camp of Bokoblins.

I ran in and started to climb before they could stop me, and—ah, delight of delights—found a red-barrel boomer on top. ^_^

I peered over the edge; all the Bokoblins were gathered near the base of the tower. I picked up the boomer, and just dropped it over the edge.

And then something happened I had not expected.

Evidently the very tower I stood upon was not immune to the blast. The platform fell out from beneath my feet and I found myself falling through a mess of splintered wood!

Oops.

I remembered my paraglider before I met the ground, but meet the ground I did—along with a squad of angry, burning Bokoblins.

A terrific fire-fight ensued. Grass alight. Blazing clubs swinging. Hot times down on the ground I tell you wot!

After I dispatched them I made a note to never drop any more powder kegs close to the structures I was standing on, and proceeded to climb the mountain.

To See What I Could See

Waking of Friday, August 11, 2017

To See What I Could See

You know, lately I try not to play too far ahead before I’ve written up my adventures so far. I really do. But man....

I don’t know what came over me on this day. It’s a Zelda game. It’s a siren. It’s Blow it all I just wanna play the game and be the Hero. Escape to Hyrule. Divert my mind. Fly me away and tell me stories....

I was still in the deepest recesses of the Forgotten Temple.

David said he’d just warped out of that one. But.... There were no convenient shrines to warp to outside. I think the closest one was Ketoh Wawai, and that one was all in the dark with a Hinox next to it.

I didn’t want to have to traverse any huge distances again. How was I going to get out of here?

....

Well, I decided to just try the same way I’d gotten in—on the air currents. I climbed up the giant Goddess statue for some altitude (pardon me, Lady) and wouldn’t you know.... I made it out unscathed this time! ^_^

After that I climbed back up to where the shrine-detector had vexed me, near where I’d met Yammo and seen my first Tabantha Moose.

My blue marker was right there on that red mountain.

What had I seen on top of that mountain?

I needed to go get it—NOW.

It had always been my wont to keep so many things in reserve until NEVER, because what if I had more urgent need of them down the road?

But I chucked that notion out the window as I perused my very old stock of Spicy Omelets. Surely they should have molded over by now.... but! My hammerspace pockets seemed also to act as the perfect preservation larder.

I ate an omelet, and charged up the road, not stopping for anything! I scrambled over the rough red rocks, straight up the mountainside! My blue marker drew nearer in my HUD map....! And UP over a little crest and it would be in sight!

I had a little difficulty focusing on it however as I seemed to have disturbed a little camp of cold-blooded baddies. Bokoblins, Ice Keese, White Chuchus.

I swiveled my scope madly—there it was! My blue marker!

It was a tree.

I had placed it on the naked trunk of a frozen tree.

....

I ran toward it! Straight through the baddie-camp and further up the hill! Passed the tree, the marker disappeared, and I kept running! I didn’t care to engage any of those things just now!

But higher up on the crest of the mountain was something that made me pull up a short. o_o I snapped its pictograph just as it turned its massive head and noticed me.

A Great-Horned Rhinoceros.

It was big, and woolly! With a blue-grey coat, and an enormous mean-lookin’ horn on its nose!

It charged and I jumped out of the way! Turned and pinked it with my sword. It bellowed and ran away. I ran but couldn’t catch it.... fired one arrow—it groared again—landed a second arrow....!

And it was down!

That was a great lotta meat to harvest! I scooped it all up quick and skipped up to the very tip of the mountain.

The warming effect from my spicy omelet would run out soon.... I decided I would paraglide back to the warmer climes!

And I did—it was a very long flight and I started freezing before I escaped the frigid air. But I managed to touch down on a warmer hill just above where I had started, near that bend in the path that curves around the head of the Forgotten Temple Valley.

GOT the blue marker!

Where to next? :D

Even More Bad Things

Waking of Saturday, July 29, 2017 ~ 2

Even More Bad Things

The deep valley ruins were expansive.... but blessedly devoid of monster life.

I climbed all OVER looking for that shrine, my locator beeping feebly at me at every triangulation. The house was still full and the table had filled up a bit. The chatter drilling into my temples....

I asked them if they could chat in the living room instead, and they were very kind to oblige. But Dad stayed and sat by me, keen to solve the puzzle.

“Why don’t you try bombing that platform?”

I knew it wouldn’t work, but I did it anyway, and planted a bomb on one of the great stone octagons jutting from the floor. “Cool guys don’t look at explosions!” I sang as I leapt off the platform and detonated.

But the stone remained solid.

And when the sun had gone down— “Wait a minute wait a minute—what’s that up there?”

“Those are Luminous Stone deposits. They’re not a shrine.”

The beeping seemed to be coming from.... one of three large stones, between which I’d scared up a Korok. But.... there were no weak spots to bomb, no cracks to enter. Nothing I could do would upset such a huge piece of rock.

I finally said, “I’m going to go to the end of this.... construct.... and see if I can get underneath.”

Dad gave a single surprised laugh. “I wouldn’t have thought of that!”

It was a long jog. I hopped on one of the stone ribs in the architecture, making it my pathway as I ran toward the little horizon that indicated that the valley became deeper further on. I jumped over more stone octagons and ran and ran until I came to an edge.

The place was called.... the Forgotten Temple.

The valley indeed became much deeper here.

A wide patio-shelf of more stonework lay below me. I paraglided down to this second level, and had a look at the wall that held up the top.

There seemed to be a gigantic archway.... but it was blocked and filled with earth and giant standstony boulders.

But near the base was a bit that looked explodable!

Surely this would be my way inside!

I blew it up—!

A Korok hid behind it.

“Yahaha!” he giggled, “You found me!”

>_<

I walked to the edge of the second level, and saw a similar patio-shelf even further down. I paraglided down toward this third level, and was hungrily relieved to see that the archway in the wall between levels two and three.... was unobstructed.

I angled the camera as I touched down on the stone, so that I had a good look through the archway.

I registered only one thing: a number of dark mounded shapes.... like upside-down cereal bowls....

Those were Guardians in there.

I paused to flip the sensor in my Sheikah Slate to look for Decayed Guardians.

Unpaused.

Brreep-brreep! Even as I saw the nearest mounds light up red. Brreep-brreep! Their heads began to swivel. Brreep-brreep! Found me. Lasers locked on.

I RAN. Straight away. Straight toward the edge. Not bothering with any other controls. I just ran.

The camera remained directed at the open archway behind me, the horde of black shapes like spiders congregated in an overturned box, three hot red lasers boring into the back of my shirt—one of them blinking—it was going to fire, it was firing—

And BARELY I jumped off the edge in time—

The air began to rush and I caught myself with my paraglider before I hit the ground—the final rocky dirt bottom of this canyon.

“HAAAUUGH!” Dad and I looked at each other.

That was close.

“Only one thing left to do when you hit rock bottom,” I said.

“Dig,” said Dad.

“Start digging,” I concurred with a nod. u_u

I found a way to climb back up, which brought me back to the Korok level. I could paraglide down for another quick entrance this time.... Because there was something else I had noticed through that archway.... something absolutely ridiculous....

Air currents. Blasting up out of the floor. Meant to be sailed upon.

Heh, my brothers and I used to really enjoy playing a demo of a great little side-scrolling game where you controlled a paper airplane. The floor vents were your friend.

Seemed like the same story here....

Go nuts! Ben had told me at the lake.

I sailed in. The Guardians glowed red and began to swivel. I hit the ground for a few paces to regain the sliver of stamina I had spent. Jumped off the inner edge—there were so many of them in here—lasers tagged onto my shirt—the air current lifted me up—

One of the Guardians blew me out of the air and I fell in a flaming rush—too fast!—But I recovered before I hit the ground—the flames went out—oh my gosh so many lasers....

Up the updraft again, across the huge room—so many Guardians.

I neared a tall, thick barrier wall which seemed to bisect the length of the Temple—there was a hole in the middle of it. I headed straight for it, dropping a bit to get down to its altitude and inside it more quickly....!

I touched down on the last dregs of my stamina and ran to duck behind the mounded earth and rubble in this little alcove.

My gosh that was the LAST dregs of my stamina! Lucky I’d enhanced it as far as I had....

From my hidden perch I could see what that giant dark grey thing was at the far end of the Temple: an enormous statue of the Goddess.

My gosh it was like.... Skyloft....

What was this place?

There was still the other half of the room to cross.... and I crossed it, sailing through another net of pin-cushioning lasers and deadly blue bolts whizzing behind my back—how do you weave when the lasers come from so many angles?—but somehow none of them hit me—too low to make the hole in the last wall—had to drop to the floor, run through that opening down at floor level—lasers chasing me in—UHH!

I made it....

I made it.

And I found the shrine that had so MADDENINGLY eluded me up above.

And it was a Blessing Shrine.

You know, the Blessing Shrines seem to have the same muted music as a shrine you enter after it’s been beaten. Soft. Echoey. Like a memory or a ghost.

I received the Spirit Orb, the eighth I now carried with me, stepped outside, and prayed before the Goddess statue.

One Heart Container.

One Stamina Vessel.

One save.

And one quit.

My battery was out, and it was time for bed anyway.