The guy at the docks who earlier asked if the ship had a cannon stops Link to ask if he has a salvage arm. If Link says he doesn’t, the guy suggests going to Eddo. If he gets ahead of himself and says he does, the guy sells him a treasure map for 50 rupees. Meanwhile, in case the player didn’t get the hint, Eddo has sent a letter advertising that he’s got a salvage arm for sale and will sell it to the first person who gets there. Except he’s a bit more demanding: Link has to yell to show how much he wants it, and here I learned I was blowing/yelling/making noise into the camera, not the microphone, so of course I was having trouble. But now it’s settled and he sells Link the salvage arm for 200 rupees.
Using the Salvage Arm is not automatic like it was in Wind Waker; the player has to guide the arm as it descends, grab a treasure chest, and guide it back up. Along the way there are sea walls to avoid, and enemies – some stationary, some mobile. The salvage arm can take five hits before breaking and becoming useless, at which point Link has to return to the shipyard on Mercay Island to repair it. I only ever got good at salvaging when I set the DS up on my Switch stand to hold it steady (which my left wrist appreciates very much). At the mark from the temple, Link finds a key with the sun emblem. There are other treasure maps he’s collected up to this point; most of those treasures give ship parts, but a couple give extra sand for the Phantom Hourglass.
Link’s approach to Molida Island is interrupted by a giant eye plant. Linebeck lays out the guidelines for the boss fight: Link has to hit the eye while not getting hit, and can help with the latter by shooting the eye plant’s attacks before they hit him. After a few shots, the eye plant dies and Link’s able to sail in to dock. He returns to the Wayfarer’s hideaway and unlocks the door with the sun symbol, which leads him to the north side of the island. (He can immediately drop back into the cave to find a Wisdom Gem.) In this area, there are three statues that, when activated, emit laser beams. A slate says the statues are the key to opening the dungeon door; Link finds the three statues and activates them, and has to turn two so they hit the door with their laser. Once all three lasers are on the door, it opens.
Key features of the Temple of Courage include riding platforms (mostly automatic, but there’s one near the end that needs to be controlled by drawing a path on the map), putting key gems into slots, and invisible walkways over apparent gaps. Moldorms show up, explaining why that name wasn’t used for the Sandworms, and they curl up when Link whacks their tail, allowing Link to get in more hits and easily finish them off. Pols Voices also show up for the first time since the Oracle games, and their weakness goes back to the Japanese version of the first game: making noise into the microphone stuns them. Finally for newly returning enemies, there are Beamos, which are only temporarily disabled by being bombed. The dungeon’s treasure is the bow, and some puzzles have Link rotating then shooting into cannons. There are two Power Gems, one Wisdom Gem, and one Courage Gem here.
The boss is Krayk, Bane of Courage, a giant hermit crab. The first phase is confusing: Crayk turns invisible, and the DS’ top screen changes to its point of view. The trick is to shoot it when it’s got Link in its sights, which stuns it an allows Link to attack its shell’s weak points. When the weak points have all been hit, the shell crumbles and the second phase begins. This one is easier: try to attack the face, which it will defend, leaving the actual weak spot on the tail open. With Crayk defeated, Link gets two more minutes’ worth of sand for the Hourglass.
The seal breaks open and the Spirit of Courage is free… but silent, not acknowledging Link or Ciela (who notes the Spirit looks like her). Back at the dock, Oshus is there with Linebeck to offer an explanation: the reason the Spirit looks like Ciela is because it’s part of her. He does a bit of magic that reunites the two halves, and Leaf and Neri come to help her rediscover her powers. She hears Tetra calling for help, which Oshus explains as part of her power to detect evil. With this power, she and the other Spirits will be able to lead Link to the Ghost Ship through the fog. Linebeck again asks Oshus how he knows so much, and Oshus again refuses to answer just yet. (On the other hand, Ciela being the Spirit of Courage explains why Linebeck’s cowardice annoys her so much.)
Next: If you ask me, I’d say she’s up to something, and to be honest, I’d appreciate it if you eased up off my back about it.
