So Different, Yet the Same - Linked Universe

Chapter 2: The Summoning Shrine - West

"No, no, no!" Heart thumping rapidly, Link hurdles over jagged rocks and narrow edges to try and desperately reach for the door. His eyes widen when he realizes he isn't going to make it, so he lunges. This time, he lands on all four feet, his form more nimble as he is able to maneuver around easier. Still, the door shuts before he can get up to it, and his snout rams right into the concrete.

Link holds his nose in his front paws, whining at the pain. After a few moments, it dies down and he is able to shake it off. Letting out a low growl, he looks at the door and uses his senses to try and look for a dig spot. No luck, but he might as well try anyway.

Unfortunately, the floor is made of solid stone, and it seems that digging anywhere is out of the question. What in the name of the spirit Ordon is this place?

Link sits, wrapping his tail around his body tightly to cover his front paws. The sign above the door reads: West Entrance. Which would indicate that there is more than one exit. However, there are no other landmarks or unique structures. Not even statues or elements of any kind. Just wetness.

Sighing, Link uses his senses once more, but this time to try and find a trail. He sniffs the ground for anything that stands out, but what he picks up, he isn't expecting. A person? It's no one he recognizes, but there is a faint trail that leads to a human being. It's blue, salty, oddly clammy... Like the ocean.

Even if this trail leads to someone villainous, at least he will get answers. That, and he knows he isn't the only one trapped here. Slowly, he follows the scent.

It doesn't take long, the trail only ending a few rooms away. Each time he needs to turn a corner, Link pauses to peek around it. He doesn't want to greet this person in his wolf form, as it would probably surprise them. No, instead he is going to find this person and confront them one-on-one, man to man, and figure out how and why he was sent here.

As he reaches a more open room, Link growls and changes back into a human. He clenches the Ordon sword in his fist, shield in his spare hand, and he spins into the room ready for a fight. Link's expression turns from determined to confused when he finds a young lad holding a stick and lighting torches.

"There, that'll give me some light," the boy says. As the last torch catches the flames, the door between them opens. "No way! Ha, that wasn't even on purpose."

The boy stands there for a moment to think, letting his torch go out. He holds something hanging from his neck that Link can't quite see. Now realizing that he is just staring at the kid, he decides that he should introduce himself. "Hey, there, are you lost?"

"GAH!" the boy yells, spinning in an instant. Much to Link's surprise, he also carries a sword. This one glows faintly yellow, probably because of the gem in the center, and it has a blue handle. The symbol on the tip of the white blade is something that Link doesn't recognize. "Oh, uh," the boy starts. He relaxes a bit, but doesn't let go of his sword. "Who the heck are you? Why are you in a place like this?"

"Woah, hey now," Link says. He puts his weapons away, then holds his hands up. "I'm not going to fight you. I was just wondering why you were in a place like this."

"Well, I..." he starts, but decides to think about his words more carefully. "I'm just here to explore. What's your excuse?"

Link decides to be honest. "I woke up in a room that looked kind of like this. Found an exit, but the door closed before I could escape. Now, I'm just trying to find a way out of here."

The boy squints his eyes so tightly that Link fears they will pop out of his head. "Hmmmm. Okay, if you say so," he finally responds and puts his sword on his back. "I think there is a way through here."