The horse riders are restricted to visiting only a few rooms of the immense underground city. It is mealtime, and those who have succeeded the first trial are gathered around a stone table. They include Laurel, Ally, Yousef, Antonio, Newton, the plump man and the scarlet scarf woman, plus five others: twelve in total. They are rewarded with a plate of roast Cucco and rice carefully prepared by the Gorons.
Laurel seats himself beside the siblings. The food is delicious and well deserved. He hadn't eaten a full meal for months, and it felt good to finally tuck into juicy Cucco meat.
Across the table, Antonio gobbles a Cucco wing whole, and licks his fingers with a smug smirk. Laurel, Ally and Yousef refuse to acknowledge his existence, and continue to eat their meal. The scarlet scarf woman beside Newton senses the tension between them and titters under her breath.
"Eat up, young humans!" the Goron chef claps. "The Chief doesn't want to see a guest go hungry! He will be joining you shortly, to offer you a blessing!"
Laurel looks to the woman with the scarlet scarf, who had successfully beaten everyone to the caverns. What was her secret?
A figure appears at the entrance, taking them all by surprise. The table turns to see a hunched Goron with a beard that split in three directions. For a Goron leader, Laurel was disconcerted at how weak and elderly he looks.
The Chief smiles through glazed eyes and hobbles over towards the table. The humans do not stand but stared in disbelief as the Chief climbs onto the table where they have not long eaten as though it were a pedestal. The Goron chef appears at the vacant seat and applauds excitedly.
"Greetings, travellers!" he says regally, and waves his palms. "And what brings you to my fair city?"
"We're here for the race." one man laughs causing some others surrounding him to snigger. Laurel remains amazed at his lack of authority.
"Ah, yes," the Chief mumbles. "And I am here to wish you the very best of luck from me and Her Majesty of the Mountain."
Suddenly, he begins to shudder. The dreamy smile fades from his lips and his eyes transform from glazed and distant to sharp and piercing. The crowd glance to the Goron chef for a reaction, but the Goron is still dazzled by the Chief's presence. Then, a voice booms, powerful and majestic, but feminine:
"Greetings, young humans." the words spill from the Chief's mouth. "You have entered my mountain on a temporary basis, through the kindness of my people. Therefore, it is I who has granted you accommodation for this night, and it is I who you will worship here."
The table is filled with astonished and somewhat frightened expressions. The tremendous commanding voice continues to spout from the Chief's mouth.
"As you have come this far, it is clear that one of you holds the destiny of victory in this tournament. But that task was no challenge. For the next trial, you will face me, the Mountain, and realise true difficulty and hardship. If you succeed, you may leave this mountain unscathed. Should you fail, you face almost certain death."
The words echo in the minds of everyone around the table. The prospect of death seemed entirely impossible in such an innocent tournament, though they had been warned. Why else would everyone be permitted to carry weapons?
The Chief blinks rapidly as his eyes became glazed once more. He slowly regains his sense again and speaks generously to his guests. "Well, you are welcome to stay in my city as long as you like. Though if you want to win the race, I suggest you start moving...after a good night's sleep."
The Chief gently steps down from the table and hobbles away, his pointed beard wrapped around his fingers thoughtfully. The Goron Chef whizzes round and collects every plate, then dismisses them.
They are directed upstairs to a cave which would serve as their temporary dormitories. Laurel yawns loudly and follows the twelve contestants in an orderly line out of the kitchens, when he notices that one of them was missing: the scarlet scarf. Glancing around suspiciously, he discreetly drops out of the crowd goes to investigate.