The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 19 - And the Dead Keep It

            …and on into a solemn hall. Tombs were leaned up against the walls. An eerie feeling ran down Link’s back. He swore he heard someone ask, “What is this place?” but it wasn’t from any voice he knew.

            Endeavor stopped and looked back at them. She said, “This is the Hall of the Dead. The Drex bring all their kindred and those who died in their homes here to this place to be buried.”

            “We didn’t ask,” Zelda replied.

            “Be kind to wayward souls, Princess,” Endeavor answered and continued walking on down the hall. Link had a bad feeling about what that meant. “They would have hidden the key on the far side,” she added.

            They continued on their way down the hall. It really was more a labyrinth, but Endeavor seemed to know her way through. Link glanced at the tombs. Each coffin was uniquely carved and named who was in it. Link noticed some tombs had their names scratched out. He moved closer to one to get a better look as to what had happened to the stone coffins. Endeavor turned back on her heels and hissed at him, “Do not disturb the Dead.”

            Link took a step back as Endeavor studied the coffin. She said, “I fear they have suffered enough already.” She kept going. Link looked at the stone tomb one last time, before heading after Endeavor.

            They passed through a doorway at the end of the hall. The tombs in this room where lain down on the floor, instead of leaned up agains the wall like the rest. They were studded with gems like those on Queen Justice’s crown. These must have been the past rulers of the Drex.

            But there was something very wrong with these graves. Several had their lids pushed aside. Some lids were still over top of the coffins, others were pushed to the ground. Endeavor drew her sword. Link drew his as well, though he wasn’t sure what they were fighting.

            The stone door rolled shut behind them. Link looked back as a purple glow came off the stone. That door was not opening until this room had been emptied of whatever it was lingering here. He returned his focus on the tombs.

            A hand gripped the side of the coffin it was in. Its bony fingers echoed against the stone as it pulled itself up. The body wobbled on its feet for a moment, before letting its arms hang down beside it, its head tilted to one side. It was wrapped in red cloth and breaking chainmail hung loosely to its body. Skin clung to it from years of mummification.

            “This is no Drex queen,” Endeavor exclaimed. “For which I will destroy you for what you have done.” Her sword separated the head from the body in one stroke. The skull hit the wall and shattered. She snarled, “ReDeads.”

            There was a piercing scream. Link didn’t have time to block the sound out, leaving him paralyzed. Journey whimpered from the noise, before launching herself at another decaying body of the ReDead as it rose out of its tomb. The monster tossed her back, and continued its approach on them.

            More tombs slid open. Endeavor shouted, “We need a diversion. There is too many of them.” She was right. They were being circled, and losing ground.

            There was a faint memory in the back of Link’s mind. It was like the first rays of sunlight as it crept into his mind. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the memory as it came to him.

“You learned the Sun Song. Its brilliant tune can raise the sun, and brings light even to the darkest place.”