Swimming Pool of Death (Darth and Inky)

Yuku bit her lip thoughtfully, looking out across the room.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I know some sections of the tunnels have a glass ceiling to allow light in, but I’m unsure if they run along far enough to be able to follow them from above. I could scout ahead, but…”
Truth be told, the idea of being alone in a cramped space where many River Zora might await her with deadly weapons unnerved her greatly- she would have no chance in such a confined place.

“There is...one other option,” Yuku said after a long moment, looking at the pipe valve beside them with her mouth twisted in distaste. “We could use your ice powers to block the pipes leading into the Yellow Carp path, and when they have run dry you may be able to crawl along inside them. But once you are in there, you would be trapped until we reached the valve at the other side, and should we be ambushed you would not be able to help me without breaking the pipe and filling it once again with water. It is not the most desirable of circumstances, but it may save us valuable time trying to navigate the walkways.”

Either option seemed dangerous. The walkways would be time-consuming and difficult to navigate from above, and that relied on them even being stable enough to bear weight along the entire length. But the pipes were dangerous and would seal Judith off from her entirely, unable to even communicate, let alone be of assistance in a confrontation. Her companion’s inability to keep her breath under the water was just as damning as Yuku’s magical weakness, and either or both could lead to their downfall if they failed to work the kinks of their plan out.

Upon Yuku's mention of an alternate means of progress, Judith cast an uneasy glance at the temple's plumbing. Squeezing her way through those narrow confines seemed a literal pipe dream- doing so presented far too many potential problems for her liking. Was crawling along a claustrophobic space like that really any less time-consuming than the other routes? What if her ice blockage did not hold? Would she even recognize that Yuku was in danger if her companion ran afoul of the River Zoras whilst she was inside? If anything went awry, there would be no escape.

Nor could she use the walkways, the priestess realized. By Yuku's own admission, the platforms above were labyrinthine and unknown to her. If a frequent patron of the temple did not understand their layout, then how could she, a complete newcomer, even hope to navigate them and arrive at her destination? Unless she had a clear view of the tunnels at all times, which her companion did not think likely, she was sure to get lost.

... The die was cast, then.

"Horsefeathers. No, on second thought... Both the pipes and walkways are too risky. We'll just have to swim, it's our only hope of keeping pace with our quarry. I will do my utmost not to fall behind." Flashing Yuku a reassuring smile (though Judith truthfully felt anything but confident about this course of action), the Hylian acolyte hopped into the water, producing a moderate splash before paddling toward the Golden Carp Path her ally had previously indicated.

She would just have to pray that there were no long stretches of water devoid of any air pockets.

Taking a moment to appreciate Judith’s clout in the face of a watery death, Yuku joined her in the water, diving in and easily moving towards the Golden Carp path. Ducking under the surface, her squid hood helped propel her along, filling with water before pumping it out again. She surfaced before entering the tunnel. Seeing Judith in her robes, she hesitated.


“If you wish, I could try pulling you along?” she offered. “I’m not yet grown enough to try carrying you entirely on my back, but I can help you traverse the tunnel if you hold onto my shoulders,”


For a moment, she considered emulating a tale she’d once read in a romance novel as a young...younger girl, where a Zora man had saved his Goron lover from death after he had fallen into the water, by breathing for him for many hours until finally falling unconscious from exhaustion, waking to find that his stone-fleshed companion had drowned without the Zora to breathe for him. Would that work if she tried to do it for Judith? Yuku wasn’t sure, but if it would stop the Hylian from drowning it was definitely worth a shot.


Thinking about that story just made her think about when she’d read it to the triplets on nights when nothing would settle their squalling, and her gut twisted as she realised once again that Taku may well be dead. She had to find him.


“We’d best be off,” she said unsteadily, pushing off and entering the tunnel, swimming forwards.

Not yet grown enough? Judith chanced a perplexed glance back at Yuku. Her companion was already a mother; surely any further maturation on her part would be limited to a few inches at most? Unless Zora simply continued to increase in size and mass as they aged... She supposed that would account for King Zora's legendary girth. She would never have guessed....

When Yuku suggested tugging her along, however, the priestess pursed her lips in thought before nodding slowly. The Zora were strong swimmers, and she knew she would struggle to keep abreast of her ally normally.

"If it would not be unduly burdensome to you, I believe that would be Wise. Just... give me a signal if you grow weary, alright? You must conserve your strength, too." Making her way through the water, Judith approached Yuku and rested her palms upon her shoulders. And with that, they were off.

---------

... Sure enough, there were sections of the tunnel that were completely submerged. Judith was rather reminded of the underwater passages in the Mermaid's Cave, right down to the murals depicted on the walls of the flooded hallway, only this time she was without the Mermaid Suit that had allowed her to breathe freely in the watery depths. A chill ran down her spine, and she prayed that no swarms of Bari would appear this time...

Instead, danger chose to present itself in a different form as they dived beneath the surface of the stretch of water before the latest tunnel. No sooner had they entered the enclosed channel when Judith felt a strange vibration in the water, and as she turned her head to search for the source of the disturbance, the priestess was treated to the sight of crumbling masonry, blocking the entrance to the tunnel and cutting off any retreat... as well as any access to air!

A trap?! Eyes widening in horror, Judith frantically tapped Yuku's shoulder to alert her to this latest predicament, failing to recognize in her panic that her Zora partner was likely far more sensitive to shifts in the water than she.

Judith’s concern was touching, and brought a smile to Yuku’s face as the Hylian woman held on. She was somewhat wary of inadvertently kicking Judith as she swam, but hopefully her feet and legs would be out of the way. The water lapped up over her ears and she blinked as drops of water were sniffed up her nose with her breaths, and when her head was submerged she swam faster, painfully aware of Judith’s grip on her shoulders. Should it slacken...no, she would not allow that to happen.


Something was wrong. The water was moving in strange ways, and her gaze flicked left and right as she slowed. Was there a River Zora chasing them? A toad-creature lurking behind them? Some water beast that had made its home here unnoticed? Judith’s urgent tapping on her shoulder was enough to confirm that Yuku wasn’t imagining things; if the Hylian woman, in all her lack of aquatic nature, could notice the disturbance, then it was certainly a large one. She whirled around, grabbing Judith to prevent her being flung away, and stared at the collapsing tunnel.


“We have to get out of here, you cannot fight here!” Yuku shouted. “Hold on!”

Twisting back around, Yuku took off, the kind of swiftness that only panic could bring in her movements, arms sweeping broadly on either side of her. Judith didn’t have long under here, and Yuku would not be able to fend off any more of those beasts with time enough to find air for her Hylian companion. Flight was their only option, and she could only pray that they’d find refuge.


Such was her focus that she was no longer even paying attention to behind them; she was slicing through the water without any mind paid to a pursuer, her only goal getting to safety and a position they could fight from if need be. Yuku’s triumph upon spotting the telltale ripple of a surface area was tangible, and she lurched towards it, grabbing Judith and all but shoving her into the air. Yuku remained below the water- she had no idea how much air was in this small area and she was not going to waste it when the water served just as well, if a little stale-tasting. The broken pipes seemed to have led the water circulation to disrepair, but it was breathable and that’s all that mattered.


Taking a risk, Yuku poked her face above water. “Did you see anything?” she asked, clearly unnerved. She briefly ducked for another breath. “Did you see what collapsed the tunnel?”


The possibility that it was only age or disrepair lingered in the back of her mind, but with how on edge she was she wasn’t likely to allow that explanation to suffice.

Judith's utter helplessness as the tunnel came down around the two women was a solemn reminder of how Nayru's chosen element could take life as well as sustain it. She clung to Yuku for dear life as the Zora fled the collapse with all possible haste. Even so, the acolyte quickly found herself yearning for air, her panic working against her as she struggled to combat the painful knot that had formed in her chest. The befouled water stung her eyes, and she was only dimly aware of her surroundings as Yuku powered through the submerged passage. Her lungs were burning, and for a terrifying moment she feared she would succumb to the deluge's suffocating embrace.

Then, at last, sweet succour. Judith's lips parted just as she broke the surface, and she gratefully drank in the oxygen that awaited her. Of course, the respite was fleeting, and she was immediately struck by a fit of coughing and spluttering in between ragged breaths, her legs frantically kicking to keep herself afloat all the while.

Once she had rubbed her eyes clean and ascertained that she had rid her innards of any excess water, she glanced downwards, looking at Yuku, who was thoughtfully trying to leave as much air as possible for Judith by remaining underwater. Despite herself, she allowed herself a tiny smile.

"Th-Thank you. You saved my life, Yuku... Unfortunately, I was not able to see much down there..." As Yuku dived again, Judith put a finger to her own forehead, using her innate telepathy so she could keep speaking to her ally even as she ducked beneath the water. "I cannot say what caused the collapse, but I believe I spied a blockage ahead, as well... We might be trapped." The thought of being stranded within the depths of the temple, so close to their goal, was an agonizing one, and she wondered how her partner might react to the possibility. She waited for Yuku to surface again before continuing, her telepathy spent.

"I... I didn't think *I* would be the one being baptized today..." A little levity would be a shining light against the backdrop of despair... They could not afford to surrender to sorrow, not at this juncture, and she prayed her jest would lighten the mood for Yuku, if only by a fraction. Staying in good spirits could only aid them in finding a solution to their predicament.

"P-Perhaps you could scout ahead to determine the extent of the collapse? I'll stay here, so as not to slow you down... but if danger presents itself, do not hesitate to return to my side, alright? We must face these horrors together."

Judith’s arsenal of Goddess-given magics had come to their aid yet again, and Yuku remained deep in thought as the priestess’ telepathy made itself known. Yuku’s poor eyesight probably hadn’t lent itself to seeing a blockage ahead, if there was one… and she had to hurry. She didn’t like to think of the consequences of the Hylian woman running out of air while they were trapped here. What could possibly have caused a collapse at both ends of the tunnel whilst they were inside it? This felt uncomfortably deliberate. Were they rushing headlong into a trap?

Yuku again poked her mouth above water.
“I’ll do that,” she said, the water in her throat bubbling with the words, “I’ll be as quick as I can, use that water-voice you have if trouble arises.”

She slipped below the lapping water and kicked off the wall, sweeping forwards. The lack of light was making it even harder to see down here. An idea occurred to her, and she reached for her belt and removed the thick quill within. She was sure water sloshed into the clean pouch she kept them in but the pouch was capable of cleaning itself, and she paid it no mind. Gripping the quill, she held it ahead of her, the glowing white ink writing on the water and lighting her way. Yuku pressed her glasses closer against her face, as if that could aid her vision, and moved onwards. A swell of despair arose when a wall of collapsed stone and metal seemed to lurch out of the gloom like a drunkard teetering forwards, the dark mist of the water relinquishing the stones reluctantly. She might have cursed; she wasn’t much paying attention to herself. She swam upwards, reaching the top of the tunnel without a blip of air that Judith could make use of. This was hopeless.

She tried putting her quill between her teeth and hauling the rocks away, but it seemed that for every rock she removed there was another behind it, an endless row of shark’s teeth rising to the occasion and impeding her path. She had to stop, gasping for breath, after one large stone shifted and yanked her straight to the bottom of the tunnel with its weight, almost crushing her fingers below it as it came to rest on the smooth floor. Even the currents that often swelled through the temple seemed to be stilling, and with no small amount of horror Yuku realised that with both tunnels blocked the sacred pool was bound to become murky and filthy with time. Underwater architecture was delicate, and she didn’t know if repairing the tunnels would even be possible.

The quill’s ink was behaving strangely, too. Normally the quill wrote smoothly on the midair space Yuku had designated in her mind, but here the water seemed to be interfering. Rather than vanishing, it seemed to be blending with the water, rising slowly as though less dense than its host. She winced as she realised she had left a literal glowing trail right to herself, but her wince sputtered out into confusion when she noticed an interruption in the line. A dark space of about two feet where she was sure she had written. Hardly daring to believe it, she swam over, and gingerly reached out. It was a hole. A hole! She hadn’t noticed it because the area above was still submerged, but as she swam up it she broke into open air. She’d found a great crack in the roof of the Golden Carp Path, and above her she could see the walkways for land-dwelling worshippers. Whatever had caved in the tunnel had also opened this rift, and she felt sure that she could get Judith onto the top of the tunnel, even if they had to press their backs against one side of the rift and shuffle upwards with their feet.

Stowing her quill, Yuku swam swiftly back to Judith, following her path. This time she didn’t bother staying underwater, bursting above it in a shower of drops.

“I found a way we can get above water, and maybe get out!”

When Yuku returned bearing tidings of a means of egress, Judith gave a start, half-expecting a River Zora to appear and drag her below the surface, even though she knew better. The eerie silence that had settled upon the air pocket since her companion's departure had set her on edge, and its sudden shattering wreaked havoc upon her nerves. But no... The only Zora here was of the more friendly variety. This was joyous news, she told herself, placing a hand on her chest to steady her heartbeat.

"T-Truly? We must go at once!" Judith declared, taking a deep breath as she clutched Yuku's shoulders once more. She wished she could have a moment to gather her bearings, but time was a luxury they would be ill-advised to squander. The cold, murky depths below were not exactly inviting... but they were the only way forward, and besides... after Snowpeak, nothing made the Hylian priestess feel cold anymore.

The water seemed oddly still as the duo dived, in complete contrast to the earlier tremor. Judith could not help but be reminded of a tomb. A watery grave for the followers of Nayru? The thought was disquieting, and as illogical as it was with no evidence, she found herself believing the River Zoras *must* have orchestrated the collapse somehow. She was spared further rumination on the subject, however, as Yuku arrived at the rift she had discovered.

Truly, Mother Nayru was the most forgiving of the Goddesses, to allow the temple's disrepair to be their salvation! Marveling at the infinite mercy of her deity, Judith peered more closely at the sizable crack in the tunnel's ceiling. It appeared *just* wide enough to admit the two women, and while it might take some an effort to climb out, a grueling escape was better than no escape.

And yet, their eager approach yielded an unwelcome sight that cast a shadow over the fortuity of the exit's existence: As the walkways above came into view, so too did a foul River Zora perched upon them. Was it a sentry, posted to ensure nobody escaped their crumbling noose? Or was it merely there by chance, unaware that its enemies literally lurked beneath its nose? In an instant, Judith reached out with her mind to alert Yuku of the danger.

"River Zora, on the gantry above! At least one, maybe more!"

Yuku plunged under the water once more, movements steeled with the knowledge that there was a goal and safety at the other end of their trip. Air for Judith was there for them, and Yuku silently thanked Nayru as they breached the surface once more. The idea of not finding a Hylian-accessible route would have been a nightmare. Yuku could not go on alone, with so many threats.

Judith’s words burst into her mind and the Zora looked sharply upwards, spotting the River Zora hunched on the gantry. Not for the first time, Yuku cursed her lack of ranged abilities. Something to be rectified with the future, perhaps.
“There is no wisdom in lingering longer,” she hissed quietly. “We have wasted enough time, and I fear for Saku’s life. I think we must attempt to sneak past - and if that fails, then are you able to freeze them once more? If they come for me, I know River Zora are particularly susceptible to the bioelectricity my people may create. Forwards is the only path,”

She clambered up the tunnel with ease, the suckers on her feet latching onto the damp wall. She was whisper-quiet as she climbed onto the top of the tunnel, moving to hide below the gantry the River Zora perched upon.
“Come,” she murmured, reaching downwards to help Judith up. The poor priestess’ robes must be heavy and waterlogged, and they couldn’t afford the splattering wringing them out would cause. The sound would give them away. Yuku considered telling Judith to use the sash around her waist to tie her robes up at her knees for ease of movement, but more conversation would be folly. They had to continue on.

Allowing herself to be hoisted up by Yuku, Judith quickly dropped into a crouch the moment she regained her footing, trying to minimize her profile lest she be sighted by the River Zora looming over them. Stealth had never been her strong suit- a priestess was meant to be noticed, to be easily recognized so that they might inspire the faithful. And between her dripping robes, chattering teeth, and audibly wet footsteps, it seemed unlikely they could slip past the sentry if he was at all vigilant.

"No, we must him eliminate him now. We cannot risk being attacked from behind, and I doubt we can remain undetected for long. If he spots us, the battle begins on his terms. I would maintain the element of surprise ourselves." Sighing quietly, the acolyte brought her staff to bear.

"As before... I will assail him with my magic. This time, though, I will use my Ice spell first. If we are fortunate, the impact will knock him off of the walkway, and gravity will handle the rest. If not, be ready to dispatch him with your blade while he is disoriented. I will hold my Magic Bolt in reserve- should more arrive, we will meet them head-on with our electrical abilities."

Her orders relayed, Judith took aim, squinting. It felt strange and uncomfortable, giving commands to her companion... but that was her role. As a priestess, others looked to her for leadership, especially in times of crisis. She had to be decisive, and Yuku had seemed to value her counsel thus far...

... She let fly.

A simple *THUD* was all that could be heard about the chamber as the ball of ice struck the back of the River Zora's head, causing him to lurch forward, dangerously close to the precipice...

She nodded quickly as Judith laid out the plan, quietly easing her scimitar from its scabbard. The blade was old and chipped and parts of it were lacking the silvery sheen of the waterproofing that had kept it valuable to her for so long; she could see even in this dim light the rust beginning to reach its fingers under the glossy wax. Her grip on the weapon was tight and she forced herself to relax, lest the ache of too-tight a hold lead to her dropping the weapon when she needed it. With a nod, Yuku’s tentacles raised behind her head almost unconsciously, like some sort of odd threat display, and her glare was fixed on their foe.

Yuku’s throat seized in panic as the River Zora tilted forward, and to her glee she saw the creature’s face slacken. Perhaps Judith had underestimated the speed at which her projectile had flown, or maybe the frost on its face had stunned it into incompetence, but the creature seemed to be unconscious. It slumped forward, tilting over the railing and dropping its clumsy club-like weapon. Yuku’s face sharply drew back in a prolonged wince of anticipation as she realised too late what was about to happen; she took a few quick steps forward but their enemy was too far away; the River Zora struck the tunnel with a sharp crack. Yuku scrambled, grabbing its ankle as it almost slid off the roof of the tunnel towards the water; in her haste, she forgot the club, which slammed into the tunnel and bounced straight off, landing in the water far below with a colossal splash.

The Zora woman’s lips drew back in a silent snarl of terrified frustration as she jerked back, bringing their injured enemy further onto the flatter surface of the tunnel as she looked around sharply, trying to spot any incoming enemies who may have been alerted by the commotion. When the downed monster in her grip weakly stirred, she quickly clamped a hand over its mouth, quashing the urge to recoil from the touch of its fetid scales against her own pristine ones. When it seemed they had escaped notice, Yuku turned back to Judith, jabbing a tentacle at the River Zora as her hands were occupied.

“We can ask it where they took my son,” she murmured, heart pounding at the close call. “That is… if it is sensate enough to answer us. Thank you. Um… nice shot,”
Yuku took advantage of the River Zora’s state to maneuver its arms together and loop her tentacles tightly around them to keep it from clawing at them. She was loathe to remove her hand from its foul mouth, concerned it may spit its putrid fire at her if she gave it the chance, but she removed her hand slowly to grip its shoulder and shook it - gently at first, then harder.
"Where is my son?" she snapped at it, showing her teeth. The River Zora made an absent mumbling noise, and she snapped her jaw in frustration. These creatures knew enough Hylian to shout blasphemies but apparently their language deserted them when it did not suit their aims! "My son! Where did you monsters take my son?!"

Again, no response, although the creature appeared to be regaining some semblance of its wits as it squinted at her, clearly trying to see despite the frost consuming one eye and the confusion in the other. The vile thing must be concussed, Yuku realised with disdain. She disliked being so close to its face. Unlike monsters like Moblins and Lizalfos, Yuku could make out parts of this foe that vaguely resembled her own race - and she didn't like it. Blast the humanoid things!

“Bah,” she spat suddenly, looking away from its dazed face. It didn’t resemble any dignified race at all, with its hideously overblown lips large enough to outsize her hand and its bulging eyes. She could see muck caked between its fat scales, more evidence of its bestial lifestyle, but even then, she couldn’t bring herself to threaten the barely conscious creature. She turned the beast so its dazed gaze was pointed Judith's way. "My efforts are for naught. Might you try?"

Being face-to-face with a River Zora was an activity Judith enjoyed about as much her companion did- That was to say, not at all. There was a certain aesthetic sleekness to the Sea Zora form that was completely absent in their bestial cousins, who were instead possessed of uniquely disproportionate features. The result was... repulsive, to say the least. Yuku and the foul barbarian before them were practically a study in contrasts, the Hylian acolyte mused.

Having subdued their foe, Yuku attempted to press their new captive for intelligence on his brethren's movements with little success, before inviting her to try. But as passionate as Judith could be, she did not fancy herself much of an interrogator. She held the foul thing's gaze for a few moments, watching as it mouthed a prayer to Jabun and managed a half-hearted spit in her direction, then shook her head.

"It won't be that simple... These creatures are fanatics, here on an unholy crusade to further their black faith. This one would sooner die a martyr than tell us anything, I think. Even if we could compel him to speak, he would surely lie to buy his comrades time to perform whatever profane act they have planned." Yuku's idea had not been without merit, but a closer examination of the facts suggested that it would be a futile endeavour. Judith recalled how the River Zoras, upon encountering stiff resistance, had fled deeper into the temple. For them to do that, they must have accepted the possibility of it being a suicide mission, which in turn hinted at a higher purpose beyond simple pillaging. What was their aim in all this?

One potential answer came to her right away, and she could feel a shiver run down her spine as her face assumed a hue normally reserved for chalk.

"Actually, I... might have a theory, Yuku. If am right, and I pray that I am not, the situation is more grave than I ever imagined. What I am about to tell you is not common knowledge, but we have braved enough together that I cannot in good conscience leave you in the dark, lest you be placed in needless danger. You see..." Judith shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, wondering what the Archcanoness would think of her revealing classified information. Yuku had a right to know, though, she reminded herself. This pertained not just to the Cult of Nayru, but their Zora allies as well.

"... This is not the first time a temple shared by the Cult and Sea Zora alike has been targeted. Near the shores of the Eastern Sea, there existed a place known as the Mermaid Cave, an enclave where my Sisters and your people came to exchange arcane lore and worship our Gods. It was attacked by a group of Wizzrobes, who slaughtered the inhabitants, using them as a blood sacrifice to summon a terrible demon from the depths of the ocean..." Her anger and sorrow at being powerless to prevent the tragedy were evident, her hands balling into fists, her eyebrows embracing her downcast eyes. "... I know this because I was there. Myself, and a Zora mage... we were sent to investigate what had happened. In the end, we were able to defeat the Wizzrobes and banish the demon while it was yet weak from its calling, but not without a bitter struggle." She looked back up at Yuku, her expression resolute.

"What has happened here is so uncannily similar, I fear the River Zoras might have the same goal. If this is so, then there are silver linings... The rituals required to summon such abominations are a delicate process, which means we should still have time. They are unlikely to harm Saku until it is near completion. Furthermore, they would be limited in where they could conduct their summoning- beings of great power need sufficient accommodations to admit them. A large antechamber, perhaps. Especially one with religious or magical significance. Is there anywhere like that in the inner sanctum?" Judith explained as quickly as she could. Her hypothesis had been rather long-winded, and despite postulating that their foes were unlikely to be in a position to finish a dark rite in so short a time frame, there was no real guarantee that she was correct.

"... On the other hand, if we fail, the consequences will be dire. Let us deal with this wretch and keep moving." Indicating the incapacitated River Zora with her staff, Judith frowned. Killing was always unpleasant, yet if it was to defend herself, her faith, or the innocent, she had no reservations about doing so. However, their captive was entirely at their mercy, and the idea of simply butchering a defenseless prisoner did not sit well with her.

"Mother Nayru's Love and Mercy are infinite, yet She is not wont to let Her faithful be murdered by infidels. It was you and yours who have suffered most at the hands of this one and his ilk. I leave his judgment in your hands. Be swift, whatever you decide."

As Judith spoke, Yuku’s grip on their captive slowly unspooled, her attention drawn away from it and towards what she had just learned. Something in her gut felt both frozen and on fire, and she lifted a hand which felt abnormally steady for their situation and used it to push her glasses further up her nose. One arm was crooked, she noted absently. She’d have to use a table or some such flat surface to realign it later.

“So they are hoping to use my son as a sacrifice to summon a demon?” the Zora asked, strangely detached. Surely the absurdities of this day already had become too much, and now nothing could or would spawn further panic within her. Of course the ritual intended to safeguard her children from evil would be interrupted by the evil it was meant to defend them from. Why wouldn’t such a thing occur? Yuku had never had particularly fine fortunes, but this bordered the hysterical in its obnoxious defiance of her goals.

The slimy creature slipped out of her tentacles, and Yuku whirled in alarm ready to restrain it once again. She paused when she realised it had made no effort to escape; it had simply slumped to the ground in a position Yuku would have thought surely quite painful. Lowering her scimitar until its tip was frightfully close to scraping upon the ground, Yuku searched the beast’s putrid face, suppressing the urge to gag at the revolting bulges of flesh that protruded between the scales of its jowls, unable to be contained within. This creature was egregiously ugly even for a River Zora - perhaps its unhealthy and repulsive existence explained why it had been left behind by its compatriots, deemed unworthy of witnessing their unholy craft and instead left to potentially be slaughtered by their enemies.

Well, not so much potentially. As a thick globule of brown-hued saliva rolled out of the River Zora’s slack, bulbous lips, Yuku realised that while it was awake, it was certainly not thinking. The blow to its head alone surely would not have injured it so, but the impact upon the unforgiving stone of the tunnel roof appeared to have robbed the creature of its faculties.
“There’s no use, Judith,” Yuku said, straightening. She didn’t even appear to notice that she had abandoned the honorifics she had been stubbornly insisting upon. “By the looks of the creature, there is no longer any information in its mind to wring loose anyway.”

Planting her scimitar firmly back in its scabbard, Yuku wrung her fingers, trying to think calmly. A wide open area in the centre of the temple? Yuku closed her eyes, searching her memory. She had fled her home shortly before she should have undertaken her pilgrimage into the inner sanctums, and had only ever had access to the areas that were now behind them. The most obvious answer was the Font Chamber, the final and greatest room of the temple, with the sacred font under the statue of Jabu-Nayru. The highest of ceremonies were conducted in that chamber. But both paths to the chamber were blocked now. That must have been their plan, she realised; to collapse the tunnels behind them. How were they going to catch up? It was impossible, unless…

Her eyes flew open.

“The pump room,” she said firmly. “When Grimmau came here for his atonement ceremony, he - sorry, I should clarify,” she flushed, embarrassed at her sudden rapid rambling. “Grimmau is my brother, and the only things I know about the inner areas of this place are what he told me. He said that the sacristy beside the Font Chamber had a path leading down to the pump room, so that if anything went wrong with the water supply the priestess would be informed before beginning the ceremony. These overhead walkways are maintenance paths - so it would make sense that the maintenance paths would connect to the pump room, where most of the maintenance and mechanical work is done, right?”

Yuku looked at the River Zora at her feet. Eyes glazed, breathing laboured, tongue lolling helplessly. With a mild sense of horror she realised that, since Judith would not kill the creature, and it would clearly not survive on its own, the burden of ending its life fell to her. It was most certainly a mercy killing at this point, but that did not ease her rising gorge. There was something very different about killing in the calm than killing in frenzied self defence. Here, there was no pressure or fear; only the gentle lapping of water below them.

She drew her scimitar once again, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath to steady her resolve. They didn’t have time for lingering, or for qualms about ending the suffering of a beast already dead. She crouched, putting the blade to the creature’s throat.
“May Nayru not forgive you, but guide you,” she said, turning her head to avoid catching the spray of blood.

She took a moment to breathe, to be calm about what she had done, before she stood and flicked the blade sharply to clear the excess blood from its surface. The waterproofing helped in that respect, albeit shoddily.
“If I’m right, following those maintenance paths up there is our best bet,” Yuku said, sheathing the blade for a second time and surveying the paths above. The closest the path above came to the wall was maybe three feet away. “I can get up that high if I swim over to that wall, but that’s a big jump from the wall onto the path. Even if I could make it and grab the edge, I don’t know if I could do it with you on my back. Would you rather take the risk of trying to jump from my back to the pathway, or would you prefer we keep tracing the tunnels and see if we can find something more easily accessible?”

Yuku’s panic was quiet but no less insistent, the fear of her child’s fate thrumming through her blood. While the part of her that had been aimlessly fearful about the River Zora plan was settled, it had been replaced with the cautiously confident feeling that if they kept moving they could catch up and stop their foe. There was no way the River Zora could have known about the path from the pump room to the sacristy, so it would almost certainly be unblocked. If Judith and Yuku could get in there, they could stop the creatures from harming her son. They were not forsaken. There was hope.

Judith watched solemnly as Yuku executed the River Zora, quietly bowing her head as her companion called upon Nayru to usher the fallen creature's soul into the afterlife. Was it cruel of her to defer responsibility for the killing to the young mother? Perhaps... but there was a valuable lesson in that, all the same. As much as she might have wished it were otherwise, pacifism was an Unwise stance to adopt in this world. Her experiences in the Mermaid's Cave had taught her that. There would always be those who sought to prey upon the meek. This was why Nayru's gifts could harm as well as heal... To defend the innocent, and avenge atrocity wherever it reared its ugly head.

In any event, it had appeared the River Zora's injuries were more severe than either of the two women had realized, seemingly robbed of his wits by his fall (no doubt a portent of Nayru's disfavour!). He had been in no position to cough up useful intelligence, and putting him out of his misery was probably the most merciful thing they could have done. Being left to bleed out while utterly incapable of comprehending your impending death would be a terrible fate, Judith thought with a grimace, the very idea doubly abhorrent to her due to her devotion to Wisdom.

That dealt with, her mind turned to how best to proceed from here. Fortunately, Judith's theory regarding the River Zoras' intent had provided Yuku with a burst of inspiration, and the Sea Zora woman had wasted no time informing the priestess about the temple's pump room and its adjoining maintenance shafts. Her logic was sound, and Judith was again reminded of how grateful she was to have Yuku here- without her, there was no telling how many precious minutes she would have lost to backtracking! For another blessing, the maintenance walkways were within this very chamber, albeit frustratingly out of reach. Now they just had to find a way up there...

Yuku had suggested swimming toward them- along the canals, the water level had risen just enough that simply leaping out of the water like a dolphin might carry them onto the walkway. However, such a maneuver would require Judith to make a leap of her own, and the priestess knew better than to entrust her fate to an acrobatic stunt... her propensity for klutziness would more likely see her careening into a wall.

But perhaps where physicality had failed, Mother Nayru could provide an alternative.

"The tried-and-true path will serve us better than forging blindly into the unknown." Judith remarked, dismissing Yuku's other strategy of abandoning the walkways and searching for an easier route. "... We will make for the pump room. What if I could freeze the water at its highest point?" She gestured to the waterways with her staff, brow furrowed in contemplation. "I could... make a platform. It would be slippery, but stable enough to bear our weight so we could simply climb up?"

Yuku bit at her lip as the air seemed to grow tenser by the moment, their options dwindling. She barely even noticed as the dead River Zora began sliding off the rounded tunnel roof, and she jumped when it hit the water with a pathetic splash.
"If you can make such a platform, that would make things much easier," she admitted. Something occurred to her, and she nodded. "I know exactly how we can make that platform at the right height; I can climb that wall and then jump down into the water. When the displaced water hits the wall, if you time it right, you'll be able to freeze it so that your platform will be tall enough to reach the walkways."

She nodded. "Hopefully the splash won't attract too much attention, given that we have already... dealt with the sentry,"
Such terminology tasted repugnant on her tongue, and Yuku idly wondered if her actions here were but further besmirching the family name. Yuku had never aspired to the healing arts, and had slain many a monster before. River Zora were for certain barely better than beasts. Still, their faint resemblances to her own species made Yuku discomfited by her latest kill. It was not even the first of its kind that she had disposed of today, but... it was the first (semi)sentient thing Yuku had killed without necessity. It was merciful to release its spirit, but Yuku's actions only hastened the inevitable. Which, she supposed, overrode the concern about it not being necessary. It would have been foolish to leave the creature, both for the danger that it would somehow, magically, regain its wits and for the knowledge that it would most certainly die anyway.

Frustrated, she blinked hard, shaking the rumination away. "I'm going to climb up, and I'll wave when I'm about to dive. If I see any other creatures from my vantage point, I'll come back down and we can make another plan,"
She slid down the side of the tunnel into the water, meeting it with barely a sound as she slipped below it. The water here was fresher than the stale tunnels, a refreshing feeling as it flowed through her gills. She avoided the stained area where the dead beast had fallen, still floating limply. A disgraceful way to be found by one's comrades, Yuku felt, but quite honestly she cared not a whit what the kidnapping bastards would feel for her actions. She was more preoccupied with not having to find her child dead today.

Yuku reached the wall and swiftly placed her fingers on it, scaling it with the agility of one well-accustomed to navigating such surfaces. She climbed until she had reached the roof of the room, four metres above the walkways and maybe six or seven above the water that she needed to dive into if she was going to create their needed platform. She could absolutely have reached the walkways from the water if she had a better angle, to build up speed before she launched herself. They were just too close to the wall here for her to be able to do that. Yuku twisted, keeping her hands and feet in contact with the wall but facing outwards, and scanned the area. She couldn't seem to spot a single River Zora. Had they only left the one behind, over all the walkways? If anything, that only made Yuku feel more confident about her idea. If this was the only area that needed guarding, then it must be close to their goal. And... yes! She could see what she was certain was the pump room! She offered a thumbs up at Judith before holding out three fingers. She dropped one, then the second, then the third, and then dropped off the wall.

It occurred to her, as she fought her instinct to dive gracefully and instead held her limbs in a childish cannonball, that the pool below may not be deep enough to cushion her fall and provide enough water for their plan. Her folly would have cost her several bones were she not lucky. Yuku landed backside-first in the water with a colossal splash, an almighty wall of water surging upwards, reaching the walkways and even splashing above them. She bumped gently to the bottom of the water, unfolding her limbs and being swept about by the tumultuous currents.

"A good idea, Yuku. The velocity of your dive should provide us with enough height to reach the walkway without any additional exertion on our part." The priestess was glad for her companion's resourcefulness; two minds working in tandem were truly better than one.

A consensus reached, Judith channeled her innermost magical reserves as Yuku scaled the wall, meditating on the ever-present dripping of the nearby water. She just had to freeze it, but there would be a degree of precision required, lest she falter a moment and let the water recede too far. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Yuku counted down with her digits, then plunged into the pool below. The priestess waited a fraction of a second, attempting to calculate the exact moment the splash would reach its zenith, then thrust her arm forward and unleashed a bolt of purest ice.

Mother Nayru, grant me strength!

There was a flash of arcane energy, a loud crackling sound... and then it was done. The resulting sculpture was bizarre to behold. Yuku's residual splash had become a hoary flower in full bloom, a towering edifice of glacial construction. Judith paused, taking a hint of pride in her handiwork, then lifted the hem of her robe and leapt onto the makeshift platform. Immediately, her hands and feet were beset by a discomforting frigidity as they collided with the iceberg's surface. Gritting her teeth, she hurriedly ascended her new staircase, her memories of Snowpeak a bulwark against the cold, before making a jump for the walkway from its summit.

Fortunately, the slippery ice did not rob her of momentum, and she successfully crossed the gap, plummeting on all fours onto the walkway- not the most graceful of landings, but skinned knees were a small price to pay for the expedience of taking this route.

Rising to her feet, Judith turned and waited for her friend to follow, willing to lend a helping hand if need be- though she doubted such aid would be necessary, for Yuku's athleticism dwarfed her own!

The water twisted around the Zora woman in ways that pulled at her limbs, currents frenzied and wild and many yardsticks away from the way its surface usually greeted her gentle entrance. Yuku unfurled her limbs and swept herself aside, twisting aside as quickly as she could and kicking out hard with her flippers. It was important she move quickly, if she didn’t intend to become the target of Judith’s frost herself. She felt it as it struck the water above her, the sudden, all-encompassing chill twisting around her stealing her breath. She’d journeyed in colder water, of course; she’d spent many winter days in the past few years sleeping underwater, but generally the change in temperature wasn’t so stark, and didn’t shock her system so thoroughly. She almost felt as a mediocre catch, reeled in and thrown callously into a tub of ice - albeit one she could rather easily escape.

Yuku bit off a curse as her foot struck something hard and a twang of pain shot up her leg; her flipper had connected with the body of the dead River Zora, hard. Wincing in distaste, she surged towards the wall she had leapt from seconds earlier. Yuku gasped as her gills suddenly seized, the water flowing through them thickening, and with a small grunt of effort she threw herself out of the water, hitting the wall with a wet sound. The Zora woman took a moment to breathe and rest her head against the wall, before she lowered one hand to brush at her gills, dusting off thin, watery flecks of frigid slurry.

She looked up to see Judith clambering up the ice sculpture, and marvelled at the unnatural beauty of a single natural moment frozen in time. It was alien to behold, a shape so familiar to her and yet oddly, extraordinarily uncomfortable for her to witness without the motion that was so vital to water’s many movements. Yuku shifted her belt higher on her hips, fins reflexively stretching, before she straightened, walking along the wall towards their makeshift stairwell. When she reached it, she crouched, making the transition from parallel with the ground to perpendicular with a quick hop, before turning to follow Judith. The ice was somehow far colder than she’d expected, and she climbed the structure far faster than was actually necessary in her haste to get off it. Her wet flippers slipped and then stuck slightly as she climbed, and not in the way they usually did when climbing; it reminded her of the time she’d dared her sister to lick the crystalline archways in the height of winter; a faintly guilty thought that this was her comeuppance drifted through Yuku’s head.

She made it to the top, delighted to see Judith in one piece. “We’re really close, now,” she said, feeling tense. “Can you see any sentries?” She scanned the walkways herself, searching and drawing her scimitar for what felt like the hundredth time today. She’d never felt comfortable with it in her grasp, a weapon that was so far from those she’d been taught to use and not even of Zora make, but she would take whatever weapon would defend her and her children right now, when they all needed her most. The absence of the weight on her belt was punishing, and she gritted her sharp teeth, determined not to blame herself for the latest nightmare that had befallen her little straggling family.

Huffing, Yuku started to walk towards the far end of the walkways, idly noting that at least now they knew their path out of this place. There must have been ladders near the entrance that they could use later, or perhaps they even led outside. Yuku simply didn’t know enough about this place, and the irony struck her that it was only a few months shy of when she would have been due to take her pilgrimage here anyway, had she not left her family. Fate finds a way, she supposed, but the end was in sight. Less than a hundred metres separated them from the pump room now.

Judith's confidence in her companion's agility proved well-founded as Yuku deftly made her way to the Hylian priestess' position with comparative ease. It was no wonder the annals of Hyrule's most celebrated wizards often depicted these esteemed mages as floating above the ground- what she had previously assumed to be a metaphor for power beyond the earth now seemed an eminently practical application of magic. Hovering would certainly mean less literal leaps of faith, sprawling faceplants, and sore soles... She resolved to research this matter further.

Of course, the realization of her scholastic pursuits hinged on surviving this ordeal. Refocusing on the task at hand, the priestess shook her head when Yuku inquired about the presence of further resistance from the River Zoras.

"No, nothing at all..." Judith folded her arms across her chest as she double-checked the other walkways, not wanting to be remiss in her vigilance. It was often said that Hylians had a sixth sense for danger, and right now a profound feeling of dread clung to her as surely as her robes. Was there truly no hidden foe in this chamber? Judith frowned. Or... was it a portent of what lay ahead? She recalled all too well the prophetic vision she had received in the Mermaid's Cave, and while she had not been struck with so potent a revelation in the days since, the looming weight of destiny remained.

Yet all was quiet, save for the sound of flowing water. What should have been a serene silence, the ideal accompaniment to meditation and prayer, instead cultivated unease... Just more proof of the corruption wrought by the profane River Zoras.

Falling into step beside Yuku as she made for the pump room, Judith glanced in the Zora woman's direction, concern writ upon her face.

"Steel yourself, Yuku. We are approaching the critical moment. And while I do not doubt that Mother Nayru will grant us victory, we must be Wise in our approach. If these heretics would stoop to abducting a child, they will not hesitate to use him as a hostage if the opportunity presents itself. We cannot permit that. If possible, we should try to ascertain the situation without being detected."

Would that she had Triton's mastery of conjury, that she might summon a Familiar to reconnoiter the chamber ahead! Once more, Judith cursed her lack of knowledge- this trial had highlighted so many areas in which she was deficient. But beyond her own doubts, there was also the unspoken fear that Yuku might act rashly once they caught up with the hateful kidnappers. That wasn't a knock against her companion, not at all... The Zora woman had held up remarkably well, all things considered. But a mother's love, precious and sacred though it was to Nayru, was also a double-edged sword. Would Yuku be able to keep her composure if the savages put a blade to Saku's throat?

Beyond the gentle lapping of the water below, and perhaps if she listened closely the creaking of the old pipes, Yuku found herself taking a moment in the quiet to breathe. Judith was, of course, right - a priestess of Wisdom lending her much calmer input was helping to somewhat douse the rapidly growing fire of panic and anger threatening to overwhelm Yuku’s good sense. She’d been able to keep a rational head thus far, but… being so close to the end, the fear that she had been pushing down since they’d first ventured toward the golden carp path was bubbling back up. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Yuku gave a shaky nod. “You’re right. Caution is our ally here. The pump room is just ahead of us; from there we ought to be able to follow the path to the Font Chamber and hopefully see inside without being noticed.”
She began to walk forward, her heart hammering in her ears. As they passed over another wall Yuku let out a short laugh.
“Look,” she pointed off the side of the walkway at the chamber below. “There are the great carvings I was telling you about.”

Truly, the craftsmanship was spectacular, stained stone inlaid with silver depicting beautiful reefs and aquatic life from far below the surface. The left wall, lined with the red pipes from the red salmon path, had upon it a beautiful rendition of a whale, dusty from lack of maintenance but stunning nonetheless. “I had rather hoped it would be under better circumstances when I offered to show you these carvings, but… well, I must thank you for all your help, I would certainly not have managed any of this alone. In better days, perhaps I will show you more artwork of the oceans and rivers, but before that…”

She came to a stop at a door, oddly clean compared to the pathways. Here, it seemed, laid no lack of attentive care. The paths themselves may have shown their age, but as Yuku pushed open the door there was not so much as a whisper of a creak, the maintenance room pristine. There were instruments Yuku could not possibly comprehend the operation of, pulsing with what she guessed may have been the water pressure of the golden carp path and its pipes. Those for the red salmon path laid still. The left hand side of the room had buckets of tools and several thick books; above them on the wall hung a map of the red salmon path and a list of the scheduled repairs in Zoran. Huh. The repairs were set to be within the next few moons. What poor timing, she thought guiltily; she knew it was not her fault that a section of the golden carp path had been collapsed by the River Zora, but she couldn’t help but feel a degree of responsibility for the additional damage to such a sacred place.

She swallowed hard, turning to face the right side of the room, where a set of stairs led downwards beside a small artificial waterfall. “Here. This leads to the Font Chamber. If they’re in any way grandiose in their sacrifice-” and her voice hitched on the word “-there’s no doubt they will have chosen this chamber to desecrate. Representing both worship of Jabu-Jabu and Nayru… it is surely their goal to stain this temple in the name of their dead god.”