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![[Story in Description] Tunnels (Part 2/3)](http://t.furaffinity.net/43503056@150-1630428696.jpg "[Story in Description] Tunnels (Part 2/3)")
[Story in Description] Tunnels (Part 3/3)
Next: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46986680/
Previous: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43503056/
First: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/41342787/
=====
Rook trudged towards the wider part of the tunnel, Pam and Eru close behind. Slumping to the ground, he tried his best to get comfortable against the jagged, rocky floor, but only ended up feeling more irritable by the end. He reached into his bag, and pulled out a small chunk of dried meat he'd been gifted earlier. His eyes flicked to the siblings, who sat upon their furs and nibbled at stale hunks of bread. They ate in silence, the only sounds were the occasional groaning of the wooden beams, and the echoes of Keese down the tunnel, Rook made sure to keep one hand on his sword, just in case.
Eru cleared his throat. “Well. I don't know about anyone else. But I'm bored. Let's play a game. Pass the time a bit.”
“And what do you propose?” Rook snorted. He'd better not suggest I-Spy.
“Well, how about a question game?”
“A what?”
“We take turns asking questions, so you ask us something, we answer and then we ask you a question back.”
Rook paused. There were certainly a few questions that burned in the back of his mind regarding the pair, Pam especially. What was her connection to that research Chief? Did she know anything about that bizarre balloon-boat drawing he'd seen? And what of her own research?
If he agreed, however, there was the risk that they'd ask something he didn't want to share. He had a feeling Pam would try to press on his fears, but some insight into these two might prove useful in the future. Curiosity won out in the end. Again.
“Alright.”
“Nice, okay. Ask away.” Eru smiled.
He glanced to Pam, who was staring daggers back at him. “You. What's your relation with that Chief of yours? And why does he hate you so much?”
“You make it sound like you actually care.” Pam huffed, she seemed to have been caught off guard.
“Are you going to answer or not?”
She sighed, and after a short pause, looked back up at him. “He's my... our... father.” She mumbled, gesturing towards Eru, who shifted awkwardly on the floor. This was evidently an uncomfortable subject. “As for his attitude? I... Honestly don't know. He wasn't always like this, ever since I took up his research, he's been hostile to me specifically.”
“What do you mean 'took up his research'?”
“You already asked me a question, two in fact, now it's my turn.” She paused again, a ponderous look on her face. “Why did you become a swordsman?”
“Because I... wanted to? What kind of question is that?”
“No. I mean, the Rito stopped using swords an age ago. So why are you picking it back up?”
“I... Just wanted a challenge, that's all. Archery was too easy for me.”
Pam raised an eyebrow, not in a curious way. But in an 'I know you're lying, and I want you to know that I know that you're lying', way. It was the kind of facial expression that got really annoying to look at for any length of time.
“I'm not convinced.” She said.
“That's a pity.”
“Are you going to tell me the truth?”
“Are you going to tell me about your father's research?”
Pam sat quietly for a moment, and shook her head. “You really are a stubborn old crow, aren't you?”
Rook shrugged. “I'll take that as a no.”
A brief period of quiet followed until Eru finally cleared his throat.
“There is one thing I'd like to know.” He started, rubbing his chin. “Why are you so... Attached to that scarf of yours? It's not like it was that cold back in Hateno. Yet I never see you without it.”
Of all the things to be asked, that wasn't something Rook was expecting to hear. He tensed slightly as fond memories of home drifted into his mind, the familiar feeling of homesickness creeping back into his core.
“My brother made it for me, back when we were children.”
Eru nodded sagely. “It's in remarkable condition. You must think highly of him since you've taken such good care of it after all this time. Though that does beg the question...” He paused momentarily, as if debating internally whether to press forwards or not. “Is there a reason he isn't travelling with you?”
“It's too dangerous outside the village. I don't want him getting hurt.”
Pam chuckled “If he's anything like you, it must have been hard getting him to stay behind.”
“I never told him I was leaving.” The words just sort of... Tumbled out his mouth of their own accord. What caused him to say that aloud? To them? To anyone, for that matter. While true, it wasn't something he really wanted to confess. The tunnel suddenly felt very cold.
“So you just... Ran away? Why?” Pam quizzed.
Dusting off the dirt from his feathers, Rook pulled himself off the floor. He was eager to get moving again, and hopefully before he was made to regale his entire life story. Though they still had to solve the issue of getting out of the tunnels.
“I think that's enough games for now. We still need to find a way out of here. Eru, you have a knack for coming up with solutions. Any ideas?”
Eru sighed, nodded and stumbled upright, wandering over to where the tunnel split into several paths. He took a moment to stare intently down each passage, as if waiting for a solution to slap him in the face.
“I have one idea. Two, actually, but the second is a backup plan in case the first goes horribly wrong.”
“Don't let me stop you.”
“So, if we assume that there's one entrance, and one exit. One of these tunnels should have a breeze coming down it, right?” Eru pointed towards the path on the right, it sloped downwards, curving into the belly of the mountain. “That's the only path I can feel air movement from.”
“And your backup plan?”
“Wait for a Keese to fly out and follow it.”
“You fill me with such confidence.”
The trio set off at a pace down the rightmost path, the slope down was steep and it took a fair amount of effort not to lose their balance. Eru lead the way, they took a turn to the left, then to the right. The further they travelled, the more turns they took, the cooler and fresher the air began to feel. We're on the right track, at last. This minor victory was short-lived however, the path they had taken was starting to narrow, forcing Rook to stoop slightly. Following the bend, they soon found out why; the tunnel had partially collapsed, leaving only a narrow crevice between the wall and the pile of rocks to slip through. Pam had already climbed through when Rook realised the obvious; they might fit, but he sure as hell wouldn't.
Pam's head popped back through the crevice. “What's wrong? You coming, or not?”
“Not this way, no. It's too small, look.”
“We could try to clear more space-”
“And risk bringing the rest of the tunnel down on us? No thank you.” He paused, and took a few steps back. “I'll have to find another way out.”
“And if there isn't?” Pam asked.
“Then I'll cross that bridge when I get there.”
To Rook's surprise, Pam climbed back through the crevice. She glanced up at him, and cocked an eyebrow.
“What? Unlike you, I'm not going to just leave without you.” She placed her hands on her hips, in that infuriating 'I'm right and you're wrong' kind of way, and gave him a sickly smile. “Besides, we brought you along to protect us, in case you'd forgotten. So where you go, we go, and vice versa.”
“Oh, how noble of you.” He spat.
Eru stepped forwards. “I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch to have another exit somewhere...”
They doubled back, leaving the collapsed tunnel behind them. No need to get nervous. If anything, we can just go back the way we came and leave. He didn't want to admit to the creeping fear of being trapped, of wandering forever in twisting paths and winding tunnels.
After encountering several dead ends, and a few more collapsed sections of tunnel, the trio finally emerged into another large, but dark cavern. Curiously devoid of ever-burning lights. As Rook's own lantern squeaked to life, they saw a connecting tunnel directly ahead. But more importantly than that, they could feel air movement coming from it. Another exit, at last!
Having walked roughly halfway through the cavern, Rook couldn't help but notice just how... Smooth the cave floor was. Unnaturally smooth. Something glinted in the corner of his eye. He held up the lantern, illuminating a poorly organised pile of rusty swords, spears and... metal boomerangs? A chill ran up his spine, accompanied by a strong premonition that something was about to go badly wrong.
He glanced up, peering into the black void above. A pair of glowing red eyes snapped open, then another, and another, until the entire ceiling of the cavern was a seething mass of red lights all flicking between the three interlopers. The twins were utterly oblivious to what sat right above their heads as they headed eagerly towards the next tunnel. Blissfully unaware that they had walked right into a Lizalfos nest.
Rook needed to act. Now. In a matter of seconds, the monsters would drop down onto them. He reached for his sword. But as his hand close around the hilt, he remembered the twins. His job was to protect them, and he knew full well he couldn't do that if he stood and fought here. They were completely surrounded, and neither of them could fight.
Time slowed. His lantern clattered to the floor. Pam and Eru were a few paces ahead of him. He only had one shot, and if he didn't perform this perfectly, well. It didn't really bear thinking about. He lurched forwards, and stooped down low. In one swift motion, Rook snatched the twins under his arms and ran towards the tunnel. Neither of the siblings had time to protest, as a loud chittering screech echoed around the cavern and one by one the Lizalfos began to detach from the ceiling.
Several of the monsters moved to block the tunnel, but Rook didn't stop, if he did, they were all as good as dead. He leapt forwards, kicking one of them square in the chest. It screeched in anger and toppled backwards, scattering the blockade. Trampling over the furious monster, Rook dashed forwards into the tunnel beyond, narrowly avoiding swiping claws and lashing tails. Behind him, the clattering of steel and a blood-curdling war-cry encouraged him to pick up the pace.
The tunnel was pitch black, at any moment, he could run headlong into a wall, or topple down an incline. Don't think about that. Just follow the wind. Keep running. He stumbled, fighting to keep his balance in the darkness, Pam was screaming at him to put them down, and as usual, he ignored her. Eru, on the other hand, was barking directions, Rook had no plans of questioning just how the man could see anything, as they'd not crashed into anything yet. The pounding of footsteps echoed through the tunnel, Rook stole a quick glance behind him, a swirling, writhing mass surged towards him, their glowing reptilian eyes the only discernable feature in the dark.
And they were closing in. Fast.
Ahead, Rook spotted the faint flicker of lamplight and rushed towards it. Instinct told him to duck, and an instant later an arrow whistled through where his head had just been. Great. Bloody typical. The spark lit up just enough of the tunnel to stop him from colliding head on to the wall in front. But suddenly changing direction was hard already, trying to do it while carry two adult Hylians under each arm was worse. Pam squealed as her shoulder slammed into the rock, and Rook almost felt bad about it. Almost.
Thankfully, suddenly changing direction when you're part of a writhing mass of arms and legs was evidently more difficult. The horde of Lizalfos crashed into the wall with a shriek, and bought them some precious time.
He darted down another passage, following the cool breeze. The howls of the swarm echoed behind them. He had to think of something. And quickly, or else all his leg work would be for nothing. Then it hit him. The bombs!
“Keep running!” Rook yelled, stooping down and letting go of the twins. They stumbled, but kept their balance.
“What are you doing?” Pam shrieked, not breaking her pace. “You'll get yourself killed!”
“Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?!”
Rummaging around in his bag, his fist closed around one of the paper balls he'd been given earlier. He screeched to a halt beside one of the oil lamps and ripped it off the support beam. Jabbing the bomb into the flames, the fuse sprung to life with a satisfying hiss.
Dropping it at his feet and hurling the lantern into the throng of monsters, he set off at a sprint towards the twins. A few moments later, a blinding flash followed by a deafening roar threw him into the air. He slammed against the tunnel floor. The heat of the explosion had singed his feathers and left his head spinning. But he was alive, the same couldn't be said of the Lizalfos, many of whom were caked across the walls of the tunnel in a brief, but gruesome display.
There wasn't time to truly appreciate the destruction. Unfazed by the spattered, crumbling remains of their kin, the few Lizalfos who survived the blast hauled themselves off the floor and continued their charge. Rook hurried to his feet, taking care not to stumble as he sprinted off after the twins. But he couldn't spot Pam or Eru down the tunnel as he ran. I didn't take a wrong turn, did I? Focus. Just follow the breeze. You'll find them.
The air continued to grow colder. The tunnel sloped sharply, climbing up into the gloom of the mountain. The horrifying chittering and clattering had resumed behind him, though much more distant than before. Where are they?! No sight of the siblings, still. Just as Rook contemplated turning around, he finally saw it, the end of this cavernous nightmare, the one thing he never thought he'd be so happy to see.
Snow.
His excitement was terribly short-lived. Almost as soon as he breached the mouth of the tunnel, he was forced to screech to a halt. Immediately ahead of him was a cliff. To his left, a shattered, time-worn bridge hung limp against the rock face. He was trapped. But there was still no sign of the siblings either. Did they fall? Or had he really taken a wrong turn? As the monsters drew closer, Rook heard a familiar, infuriating voice cut through the din.
“Rook! Rook! Over here!”
Glancing over the edge of the cliff, clutching the branches of a sturdy evergreen tree was the unmistakable visage of the ginger irritant and her brother. She was waving frantically, as if her hair wasn't the most visible thing against the backdrop of green.
“You have to jump! There's no other way down from there!” She cried into the wind.
Jump?! Was she mad? His stomach dropped. Even if he did jump, which he had no plans to, what if he missed? What if his scarf caught on a branch? None of this even factored in how he'd get down from the tree, either. But standing still wasn't doing any good, either. Not that he could move. Just like in his nightmares, he was paralysed. Fear had taken hold, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the growing desire to scurry back into the safety of the caves and away from the perilous edge of the cliff.
“Jump! For goodness sake!”
There had to be another way. Surely. Now the twins were safe, he could fight them off. He just had to turn himself around. Except... The Lizalfos would likely just push him off the edge anyway. Rook glanced hopefully at the bridge, as if it would have somehow fully repaired itself in the time he'd been standing still. To nobodies surprise, it was still shattered. There really was no other way. Was there? But what if...?
An ear splitting shriek echoed behind him, time had run out. A Lizalfos slammed horn-first into his left shoulder. Rook hardly noticed, instead, his eyes were focused on the ground below. Which was now racing up to greet him.
Previous: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43503056/
First: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/41342787/
=====
Rook trudged towards the wider part of the tunnel, Pam and Eru close behind. Slumping to the ground, he tried his best to get comfortable against the jagged, rocky floor, but only ended up feeling more irritable by the end. He reached into his bag, and pulled out a small chunk of dried meat he'd been gifted earlier. His eyes flicked to the siblings, who sat upon their furs and nibbled at stale hunks of bread. They ate in silence, the only sounds were the occasional groaning of the wooden beams, and the echoes of Keese down the tunnel, Rook made sure to keep one hand on his sword, just in case.
Eru cleared his throat. “Well. I don't know about anyone else. But I'm bored. Let's play a game. Pass the time a bit.”
“And what do you propose?” Rook snorted. He'd better not suggest I-Spy.
“Well, how about a question game?”
“A what?”
“We take turns asking questions, so you ask us something, we answer and then we ask you a question back.”
Rook paused. There were certainly a few questions that burned in the back of his mind regarding the pair, Pam especially. What was her connection to that research Chief? Did she know anything about that bizarre balloon-boat drawing he'd seen? And what of her own research?
If he agreed, however, there was the risk that they'd ask something he didn't want to share. He had a feeling Pam would try to press on his fears, but some insight into these two might prove useful in the future. Curiosity won out in the end. Again.
“Alright.”
“Nice, okay. Ask away.” Eru smiled.
He glanced to Pam, who was staring daggers back at him. “You. What's your relation with that Chief of yours? And why does he hate you so much?”
“You make it sound like you actually care.” Pam huffed, she seemed to have been caught off guard.
“Are you going to answer or not?”
She sighed, and after a short pause, looked back up at him. “He's my... our... father.” She mumbled, gesturing towards Eru, who shifted awkwardly on the floor. This was evidently an uncomfortable subject. “As for his attitude? I... Honestly don't know. He wasn't always like this, ever since I took up his research, he's been hostile to me specifically.”
“What do you mean 'took up his research'?”
“You already asked me a question, two in fact, now it's my turn.” She paused again, a ponderous look on her face. “Why did you become a swordsman?”
“Because I... wanted to? What kind of question is that?”
“No. I mean, the Rito stopped using swords an age ago. So why are you picking it back up?”
“I... Just wanted a challenge, that's all. Archery was too easy for me.”
Pam raised an eyebrow, not in a curious way. But in an 'I know you're lying, and I want you to know that I know that you're lying', way. It was the kind of facial expression that got really annoying to look at for any length of time.
“I'm not convinced.” She said.
“That's a pity.”
“Are you going to tell me the truth?”
“Are you going to tell me about your father's research?”
Pam sat quietly for a moment, and shook her head. “You really are a stubborn old crow, aren't you?”
Rook shrugged. “I'll take that as a no.”
A brief period of quiet followed until Eru finally cleared his throat.
“There is one thing I'd like to know.” He started, rubbing his chin. “Why are you so... Attached to that scarf of yours? It's not like it was that cold back in Hateno. Yet I never see you without it.”
Of all the things to be asked, that wasn't something Rook was expecting to hear. He tensed slightly as fond memories of home drifted into his mind, the familiar feeling of homesickness creeping back into his core.
“My brother made it for me, back when we were children.”
Eru nodded sagely. “It's in remarkable condition. You must think highly of him since you've taken such good care of it after all this time. Though that does beg the question...” He paused momentarily, as if debating internally whether to press forwards or not. “Is there a reason he isn't travelling with you?”
“It's too dangerous outside the village. I don't want him getting hurt.”
Pam chuckled “If he's anything like you, it must have been hard getting him to stay behind.”
“I never told him I was leaving.” The words just sort of... Tumbled out his mouth of their own accord. What caused him to say that aloud? To them? To anyone, for that matter. While true, it wasn't something he really wanted to confess. The tunnel suddenly felt very cold.
“So you just... Ran away? Why?” Pam quizzed.
Dusting off the dirt from his feathers, Rook pulled himself off the floor. He was eager to get moving again, and hopefully before he was made to regale his entire life story. Though they still had to solve the issue of getting out of the tunnels.
“I think that's enough games for now. We still need to find a way out of here. Eru, you have a knack for coming up with solutions. Any ideas?”
Eru sighed, nodded and stumbled upright, wandering over to where the tunnel split into several paths. He took a moment to stare intently down each passage, as if waiting for a solution to slap him in the face.
“I have one idea. Two, actually, but the second is a backup plan in case the first goes horribly wrong.”
“Don't let me stop you.”
“So, if we assume that there's one entrance, and one exit. One of these tunnels should have a breeze coming down it, right?” Eru pointed towards the path on the right, it sloped downwards, curving into the belly of the mountain. “That's the only path I can feel air movement from.”
“And your backup plan?”
“Wait for a Keese to fly out and follow it.”
“You fill me with such confidence.”
The trio set off at a pace down the rightmost path, the slope down was steep and it took a fair amount of effort not to lose their balance. Eru lead the way, they took a turn to the left, then to the right. The further they travelled, the more turns they took, the cooler and fresher the air began to feel. We're on the right track, at last. This minor victory was short-lived however, the path they had taken was starting to narrow, forcing Rook to stoop slightly. Following the bend, they soon found out why; the tunnel had partially collapsed, leaving only a narrow crevice between the wall and the pile of rocks to slip through. Pam had already climbed through when Rook realised the obvious; they might fit, but he sure as hell wouldn't.
Pam's head popped back through the crevice. “What's wrong? You coming, or not?”
“Not this way, no. It's too small, look.”
“We could try to clear more space-”
“And risk bringing the rest of the tunnel down on us? No thank you.” He paused, and took a few steps back. “I'll have to find another way out.”
“And if there isn't?” Pam asked.
“Then I'll cross that bridge when I get there.”
To Rook's surprise, Pam climbed back through the crevice. She glanced up at him, and cocked an eyebrow.
“What? Unlike you, I'm not going to just leave without you.” She placed her hands on her hips, in that infuriating 'I'm right and you're wrong' kind of way, and gave him a sickly smile. “Besides, we brought you along to protect us, in case you'd forgotten. So where you go, we go, and vice versa.”
“Oh, how noble of you.” He spat.
Eru stepped forwards. “I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch to have another exit somewhere...”
They doubled back, leaving the collapsed tunnel behind them. No need to get nervous. If anything, we can just go back the way we came and leave. He didn't want to admit to the creeping fear of being trapped, of wandering forever in twisting paths and winding tunnels.
After encountering several dead ends, and a few more collapsed sections of tunnel, the trio finally emerged into another large, but dark cavern. Curiously devoid of ever-burning lights. As Rook's own lantern squeaked to life, they saw a connecting tunnel directly ahead. But more importantly than that, they could feel air movement coming from it. Another exit, at last!
Having walked roughly halfway through the cavern, Rook couldn't help but notice just how... Smooth the cave floor was. Unnaturally smooth. Something glinted in the corner of his eye. He held up the lantern, illuminating a poorly organised pile of rusty swords, spears and... metal boomerangs? A chill ran up his spine, accompanied by a strong premonition that something was about to go badly wrong.
He glanced up, peering into the black void above. A pair of glowing red eyes snapped open, then another, and another, until the entire ceiling of the cavern was a seething mass of red lights all flicking between the three interlopers. The twins were utterly oblivious to what sat right above their heads as they headed eagerly towards the next tunnel. Blissfully unaware that they had walked right into a Lizalfos nest.
Rook needed to act. Now. In a matter of seconds, the monsters would drop down onto them. He reached for his sword. But as his hand close around the hilt, he remembered the twins. His job was to protect them, and he knew full well he couldn't do that if he stood and fought here. They were completely surrounded, and neither of them could fight.
Time slowed. His lantern clattered to the floor. Pam and Eru were a few paces ahead of him. He only had one shot, and if he didn't perform this perfectly, well. It didn't really bear thinking about. He lurched forwards, and stooped down low. In one swift motion, Rook snatched the twins under his arms and ran towards the tunnel. Neither of the siblings had time to protest, as a loud chittering screech echoed around the cavern and one by one the Lizalfos began to detach from the ceiling.
Several of the monsters moved to block the tunnel, but Rook didn't stop, if he did, they were all as good as dead. He leapt forwards, kicking one of them square in the chest. It screeched in anger and toppled backwards, scattering the blockade. Trampling over the furious monster, Rook dashed forwards into the tunnel beyond, narrowly avoiding swiping claws and lashing tails. Behind him, the clattering of steel and a blood-curdling war-cry encouraged him to pick up the pace.
The tunnel was pitch black, at any moment, he could run headlong into a wall, or topple down an incline. Don't think about that. Just follow the wind. Keep running. He stumbled, fighting to keep his balance in the darkness, Pam was screaming at him to put them down, and as usual, he ignored her. Eru, on the other hand, was barking directions, Rook had no plans of questioning just how the man could see anything, as they'd not crashed into anything yet. The pounding of footsteps echoed through the tunnel, Rook stole a quick glance behind him, a swirling, writhing mass surged towards him, their glowing reptilian eyes the only discernable feature in the dark.
And they were closing in. Fast.
Ahead, Rook spotted the faint flicker of lamplight and rushed towards it. Instinct told him to duck, and an instant later an arrow whistled through where his head had just been. Great. Bloody typical. The spark lit up just enough of the tunnel to stop him from colliding head on to the wall in front. But suddenly changing direction was hard already, trying to do it while carry two adult Hylians under each arm was worse. Pam squealed as her shoulder slammed into the rock, and Rook almost felt bad about it. Almost.
Thankfully, suddenly changing direction when you're part of a writhing mass of arms and legs was evidently more difficult. The horde of Lizalfos crashed into the wall with a shriek, and bought them some precious time.
He darted down another passage, following the cool breeze. The howls of the swarm echoed behind them. He had to think of something. And quickly, or else all his leg work would be for nothing. Then it hit him. The bombs!
“Keep running!” Rook yelled, stooping down and letting go of the twins. They stumbled, but kept their balance.
“What are you doing?” Pam shrieked, not breaking her pace. “You'll get yourself killed!”
“Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?!”
Rummaging around in his bag, his fist closed around one of the paper balls he'd been given earlier. He screeched to a halt beside one of the oil lamps and ripped it off the support beam. Jabbing the bomb into the flames, the fuse sprung to life with a satisfying hiss.
Dropping it at his feet and hurling the lantern into the throng of monsters, he set off at a sprint towards the twins. A few moments later, a blinding flash followed by a deafening roar threw him into the air. He slammed against the tunnel floor. The heat of the explosion had singed his feathers and left his head spinning. But he was alive, the same couldn't be said of the Lizalfos, many of whom were caked across the walls of the tunnel in a brief, but gruesome display.
There wasn't time to truly appreciate the destruction. Unfazed by the spattered, crumbling remains of their kin, the few Lizalfos who survived the blast hauled themselves off the floor and continued their charge. Rook hurried to his feet, taking care not to stumble as he sprinted off after the twins. But he couldn't spot Pam or Eru down the tunnel as he ran. I didn't take a wrong turn, did I? Focus. Just follow the breeze. You'll find them.
The air continued to grow colder. The tunnel sloped sharply, climbing up into the gloom of the mountain. The horrifying chittering and clattering had resumed behind him, though much more distant than before. Where are they?! No sight of the siblings, still. Just as Rook contemplated turning around, he finally saw it, the end of this cavernous nightmare, the one thing he never thought he'd be so happy to see.
Snow.
His excitement was terribly short-lived. Almost as soon as he breached the mouth of the tunnel, he was forced to screech to a halt. Immediately ahead of him was a cliff. To his left, a shattered, time-worn bridge hung limp against the rock face. He was trapped. But there was still no sign of the siblings either. Did they fall? Or had he really taken a wrong turn? As the monsters drew closer, Rook heard a familiar, infuriating voice cut through the din.
“Rook! Rook! Over here!”
Glancing over the edge of the cliff, clutching the branches of a sturdy evergreen tree was the unmistakable visage of the ginger irritant and her brother. She was waving frantically, as if her hair wasn't the most visible thing against the backdrop of green.
“You have to jump! There's no other way down from there!” She cried into the wind.
Jump?! Was she mad? His stomach dropped. Even if he did jump, which he had no plans to, what if he missed? What if his scarf caught on a branch? None of this even factored in how he'd get down from the tree, either. But standing still wasn't doing any good, either. Not that he could move. Just like in his nightmares, he was paralysed. Fear had taken hold, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the growing desire to scurry back into the safety of the caves and away from the perilous edge of the cliff.
“Jump! For goodness sake!”
There had to be another way. Surely. Now the twins were safe, he could fight them off. He just had to turn himself around. Except... The Lizalfos would likely just push him off the edge anyway. Rook glanced hopefully at the bridge, as if it would have somehow fully repaired itself in the time he'd been standing still. To nobodies surprise, it was still shattered. There really was no other way. Was there? But what if...?
An ear splitting shriek echoed behind him, time had run out. A Lizalfos slammed horn-first into his left shoulder. Rook hardly noticed, instead, his eyes were focused on the ground below. Which was now racing up to greet him.
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