Disclaimer: Well, I'm still going it alone due my beta's apparent absence. Regardless, I bring the next chapter of the story.
I don't own the rights to the Legend of Zelda. For the record, I refuse to take any hands and swan dive into... uh, whatever. YOU KNOW WHO WHO ARE!
Chapter XXVI
The trio had no idea what to expect when their Goron escorts brought into the realm of the mountain dwelling species. There was a certain trepidation; the belief that there would be similar hostilities to Zora. It turned out that just wasn't the case. Arriving within a hallowed out dwelling, Zelda, Link and Spryte were amazed at just how wide open the Goron dwelling actually was. The dwelling was composed of levels – three to be exact, all going in a circular pattern. Countless torches were ablaze, lighting the dwelling enough for one to be able to see just where they going. At the lowest level of the dwelling rested a huge Goron monument, complete with a face resembling that of the Gorons.
The two escort Gorons led the trio down a path that went level by level, along the way avoiding oncoming boulder-like objects. One such boulder rolled right passed the trio and into a stone wall, where it unfurled into a young Goron. The little Goron shook its large head, stood up and then ran down the path while curling into its boulder form and rolling on. Zelda, Link and Spryte all exchanged very amused glances. A light tap from one their escorts urged them on. Link caught sight of a group of young Goron doing the one thing he wasn't expecting: dancing. Zelda caught sight of it as well and could swell she was hearing what sounded like… singer. It was nowhere near as soothing as the Zora.
Upon reaching ground level of the dwelling, one of the Gorons slammed its head into a decorative stone wall of some kind. Now the trio weren't the slightest bit sure of why the Goron would ever do something so… There was faint tremor and the trio thought the mountain was on the verge of erupting again. But the decorative wall unexpectedly rose off the ground and disappeared into the rock. The two Gorons motioned the group into the new entrance, from which a faint clanging could be heard. Zelda went in first with Link and Spryte following her. For some reason, the Goron escorts didn't follow them.
"See, I told you they were going to eat us." Link quipped, to which Zelda simply raised an eyebrow.
They ventured a bit further into the dwelling, which was decorated with varying displays of Goron antiquity. The clanging sound had grown much louder, like someone was forcefully slamming metal into metal. Link was smart enough to know the sound of a weapon smith hard at work, but he wasn't prepared to meet said weapon smith, who as it turned out was another Goron. This particular Goron had its back to the new arrivals, but it was far larger than most of the other members of its species. It still had the familiar beige skin, burly shoulders and arms and legs, but it had features that were likely exclusive.
For one, it sported long silvery hair down passed the shoulders and it appeared to be slimmer and more muscular than the otherwise pudgy members of its clan. There was also evidence of some sort of tribal markings on its back, by the silvery hair blocked it from view. The Goron, at first, paid no mind to the trio, instead focusing on its work. A huge hammer was in its giant hand as it slammed the head into a hot piece of steel atop an anvil. After a few more forceful slams, it paused and sniffed the air around before letting out a low growl.
"I know that smell." it said in a low and gruff tone, taking Link and Spryte aback while Zelda was nonplussed.
Then it turned and stood at full height before the visitors, and Link and Zelda had to look up as the Goron approached them with a scowl. Spryte zipped back into Link's pocket although she poked her head back out. Then with a wide grin, the Goron hoisted Zelda up off the ground and spun her around while laughing. Link and Spryte just looked on with utterly lost looks on their faces… that changed to slightly amused looks. Zelda wasn't so amused at first before the big Goron set her down. Then she chuckled along with them.
"This is a treat; little Princess Zelda is all grown up."
Zelda had to smile at the positive response from the Goron she knew to be Darunia. "It's good to see you again, old friend. I see you're still as established in your leadership as ever. That's a fine hammer, by the way."
Darunia hoisted the hammer in his big hand. "The Megaton Hammer; forged in the very heart of Death Mountain. It power has no equal; could be used as a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build."
"It is a fit companion for a mighty Patriarch." Zelda exclaimed.
"That it is," Darunia chuckled before he settled his gaze upon the boy in green. "And who might you be, boy? The Princess's new beau, I imagine."
Link was so taken aback that his eyes became as wide as saucer plate. "B… beau? I'm not her beau. I barely even her friend," He paused when he felt Zelda's annoyed gaze on him before he continued, "I'm Link, by the way."
"And I'm Spryte, from Kokiri Forest." Spryte quickly introduced herself, and Darunia took notice.
"We don't often see many fairies this far from the forest," Darunia said. "You're traveling with the Princess and her friend?"
"Yep."
Darunia considered this before he turned his gaze to the boy. "Link, huh? What kind of name is Link?"
Link displayed an annoyed glare. "I don't know. What kind of name is Darunia?"
Darunia appeared to take exception to that, evident when he leaned forward to study the boy, causing Spryte to huddle back into the safety of Link's cap. Darunia took a heavy sniff of the boy who seemed to agitate him. "You smell funny."
"I smell funny?" Link repeated.
"Yeah, like you've been swimming in horse manure." Darunia implied.
Link thought of a clever response and replied, "And… you reek of eroded stones." That statement earned a heavy growl from Darunia, and Link was already regretting it.
Then Darunia began laughing hysterically, much to Link's surprise while Spryte emerged from her hiding place. "I like you, boy. The Princess here sure knows how to pick them, doesn't she," Darunia then patted, more like pounded Link in the back, causing him to fall face first on the ground. "I think we're going to get along just fine."
Link lifted his face off the ground when Spryte said to him, "Well, he seems very friendly."
"Yeah… very friendly." Link sarcastically remarked.
Darunia strolled around his chamber before he returned to the anvil, Megaton Hammer in hand waiting to be put to use. "So, Zelda, what brings you all the way out here? How's Daphnes doing nowadays?" A heavy clang of steel on iron followed.
Zelda, however, dreaded that question would come considering the Gorons were at the castle that night. "My father, he's… he's dead."
Another clang followed before Darunia stopped. He was silent for a time before he turned around, a perplexed gaze marking his face. "Daphnes is… dead? How? When?"
Zelda had to fight back a tear when she explained, "He was murdered during a banquet… by Ganondorf, the same man I suspect is responsible for the death my mother. He's attempting to gain access to the Triforce so that he might take control of the realm."
The Patriarch's jovial mood quickly became a somber one as he heard the news. "Zelda, I'm sorry. You're father's death is on me; I should've been there to protect him. My issues with the Zora prevented that, but that is no excuse. What about Impa?"
"She stayed behind so that we might escape, along with a number of hostages, one of which is a friend of Link's," Zelda explained. "We're one a quest to recover the Master Sword, but to find it requires three jewels. We already have the Kokiri Forest and the Zora Sapphire but we need the Goron Ruby to complete the collection. That's why we're here."
Darunia turned away from the trio to process all that he'd been told. Much of it was harder for him to comprehend than he would've liked. The news of the King's death tugged at his heart, for despite the differences with the Zora, he considered Daphnes a trusted ally and friend. Darunia continued to process it all, while a mix of emotions ranging from shock to sorrow and to anger swelled inside of him. But then his thoughts fell on the Goron Ruby and the Princess's need for it. What he was about to explain to her, Darunia knew full well, Zelda wasn't going to like.
"You say you've come seeking the Goron Ruby, right?"
"That's right," Zelda confirmed. "It's all that stands between us and finding the Master Sword."
Darunia huffed and stated, "That might be difficult; the Goron Ruby rests deep within the mountain. Normally, it'd be relatively easy to retrieve from there back when the mountain was dormant, but ever since the mountain became active…"
That was when Link put two and two together. "You mean by Ganondorf?" he exclaimed.
Darunia, now in a serious tone, had come to the same conclusion. "That'd be my guess, kid. It gets worse from there. In my youth, I'd heard rumors of a terrible beast that sleeps in the core of the mountain; the same resting place as the Ruby."
"What sort of beast, Darunia?" Zelda asked.
With marked hesitance, Darunia replied, "A dragon," This revelation drew a troubled look from Link as Darunia went on. "I sent five of my best warriors into the mountain to investigate and only one returned mumbling about a large, fiery red reptilian creature. I suspect the four that didn't return were… well, you know. We've taken to calling the beast Volvagia, the Desolator."
"Well, you can't have a terrible monster without a terrible monster name." Spryte quipped.
Link was becoming more troubled and stormed out of the chamber, leaving Spryte and Zelda behind. Zelda caught this action but was unsure of why Link would leave so suddenly. Unless… As soon as he was out of the chamber and alone, Link had to steady himself on a wall to keep from collapsing. It wasn't out of any exhaustion he felt. It was something about this dragon creature of which Darunia spoke. As far as Link knew, only one dragon of any breed had ever existed; that was Nova. Link hadn't seen Nova for years, ever since his childhood. Back then, Nova was just a baby. To think that now Nova had become something terrible… no, Link refused to think about it or accept it when Zelda and Spryte emerged to meet him.
"Hey, Link, are you okay?" Spryte asked.
"Yeah, I'm just processing." Link stated, but Zelda had this look on her face that made it clear that she wasn't convinced.
"It's more than that, isn't it," she said. "You think this creature… this Volvagia might be Nova."
"It could be another dragon." Link said, but he wasn't sure if he was convinced.
To his surprise, Zelda said, "You might be right. But if not… well, it might depend on what you're prepared to do." With that, Zelda returned to the chamber to speak further with Darunia.
Link was left alone to consider the Princess's words. Goddesses, please… don't let it be Nova.
Malon hadn't slept much since the night of the siege, but on this particular night, she was resting her redhead on the shoulder of Talon. Talon was sound asleep as usual, and even as heavy a sleeper he was, his snoring hardly roused his daughter. Malon had grown accosted to it almost to a point where she needed to hear it to sleep soundly. Not even the whimpering or the low moaning of her fellow prisoners roused her. She stayed as she was, dreaming of the happier days she shared with Link in their youth; the times they played with the horses in the corral, the songs they'd sung together and the nights they spent looking up at the stars. Those were the times they'd considered the future even as they grew up… and Link was getting himself in trouble. It still brought a smile to Malon's face as she dreamed.
Then the loud slamming of the adjacent cell, Impa's cell, roused Malon, Talon and several of the other prisoners from their slumber and back into the cold, dark reality of their situation. Ganondorf was at the cell, his back turned to her. He turned toward Malon and took a few steps to the side, and Malon saw that the cell was vacant. Impa was nowhere in sight as far as she could tell, while Ganondorf glared down at Malon with malcontent in his eyes. His glare was the farthest from her mind.
"Where is she? What have you done with Impa?"
"Impa," Ganondorf replied with a smirk. "She is no longer going to be an issue; I've… taken care of her."
To Malon, the statement meant only one thing to her. "You… you killed her, didn't you," she claimed, but Ganondorf only smirked more before he strolled away. "No… no, you're lying."
Ganondorf stopped short of the stairwell and without turning, he replied, "Am I?"
Malon could not provide a response as Ganondorf strode up the stairwell, who was reveling in the young girl's disbelief. Or maybe, he just didn't have the heart to tell the truth… not that he had a heart. If he did, it was as black as the deepest pit. Arriving back in the main halls of the castle, Ganondorf was greeted by small contingent of his Moblins. None of them dared to meet his gaze, for his smirk was replaced by a scowl of fuming rage at the real truth of Impa's disappearance. Then in one swift move, he slammed the back of his hand across his minions face and sent it to the floor. For added pressure, Ganondorf placed the sole of his boot on the Moblin's throat and made the others watch.
"I gave you explicit instructions to find Impa. Why have you not found her yet?" he bellowed.
The Moblin struggled to speak up under the pressure having a boot on its throat. "We… don't know how… she managed to slip past us."
"She was wounded, you idiot. She was weakened, malnourished and defeated, and you in your infinite stupidity…" Ganondorf pressed his boot down even harder and made it harder for the Moblin to breathe. "…you let her slip by your sight."
By that point, the Moblin had no breath left and could barely mutter, "Master… please... don't…"
"Please don't what…," Ganondorf snarled at the moment when the Moblin went completely limp and only then did Ganondorf remove his boot. Looking to his other minions, he bellowed, "I don't care if you must turn this entire castle on its head; FIND HER!"
Impa didn't like leaving Malon and the rest of the prisoners behind anymore than Link or Zelda did, and now she was beginning to understand the grief that came with that decision. When Nabooru managed to slip her the key to her shackles, Impa knew that she had to wait for the right moment to break free. She hadn't Nabooru since her most recent stand against Ganondorf, but now wasn't the time to ponder. She needed to get out of the castle now. But that meant, and Impa was forced to acknowledge this, leaving the prisoners behind. Again, she didn't like, but Impa didn't have that many options. She was exhausted, battered and fatigued. Trying to escape with that many prisoners guaranteed causalities, including Malon and Talon.
She managed to find her way to a secret passage that only knew of, though she hated having kept it secret from the Royal Family for as long as she did. When – and if – Zelda returned, Impa wound have to show it to her. Given her weakened state, Impa was unaware that in her haste, she'd left the entrance to the passage open. That was when she heard the familiar sound of Moblins in the passage. She now had to move as quickly as her weakened legs could carry her. She wouldn't dare let Ganondorf's minions recapture her. She would rather die than be recaptured; she would most certainly kill than be recaptured.
Either way, she picked up the pace and move down the passage as fast as she could go. Those Moblins were gaining on her, this she knew by listening to the footfall into the filthy water of the passage. In lieu of her escaping, Impa had forgotten about another key aspect of the passage when she reached the end. She was stopped cold when she found herself standing at the edge of a spillway that led only way; down into the moat far below. She wasn't sure how long she'd been imprisoned; days, weeks, it all blurred together. It was clear though that the sun was beginning its descent it the horizon.
That didn't matter to Impa as she was trying to find a way down, but then she spun at the sound of battle. She could hear the sounds of Moblins dying, taken down by an unseen foe. Then the noise subsided as quickly as it began and Nabooru appeared. She was clearly disheveled after the beating she'd likely taken from Ganondorf, but she was still fighting. A stare down ensued between Nabooru and Impa, the latter of whom didn't trust the former as far as she could throw her. Nabooru briefly looked back toward the passage before she started to approach Impa.
"More or coming; you must go," she said, much to Impa surprise. When she failed to move, Nabooru added, "I will hold them off. Get out of here, Impa."
"What about the prisoners?" Impa asked.
"I will see to it that I protect them… I give you my word."
Nabooru and Impa heard the sound of more Moblins approaching, along with the heavy footfall of Ganondorf. They'd found the passage and were now closing. Nabooru took her stand, defending Impa while subtly inching her toward the edge of the spillway. The footfall drew ever closer until a new horde of Moblins appeared, all brandishing various weapons and snorting like feral hogs. Behind them, Ganondorf appeared with his own sword in hand and a fuming expression upon his face. That expression softened a bit at the sight of Impa and Nabooru standing side-by-side, inches from the spillway. It was no less menacing regardless.
"Well, now I know whom to blame for Impa's escape, Nabooru. Rest assured, I will not suffer you any longer," he addressed his former ally, before turning his gaze to Impa. "And my darling Impa, you must see that this is pointless. Even if you do manage to escape my reach as Zelda did, where will you go?"
"I'm sorry, Impa." Nabooru whispered to Impa.
"Sorry for what…?" Impa pondered.
"For this!"
Without warning, Nabooru turned and pushed Impa as hard as she could out of the spillway. The Moblin reacted in kind, storming toward Nabooru with reckless abandon. Nabooru stormed toward them and cut them down one by one without slowing down, and then Nabooru charged toward Ganondorf with the knowledge of their last encounters fresh in her mind. She knew she would be no match for him, but she wasn't going to lie down and die. She took a wide swipe at him with her curved sword, and Ganondorf batted it out of her hands. Then he battered her across the face with such force that Nabooru went into the stone wall of the passage. Nabooru collapsed into the putrid water and Ganondorf stood over her with contempt in his eyes.
"Stupid, childish woman. You'll never learn, and I'm tired of it," he snarled before looking to his remaining minions. "Throw her in with the rest of the prisoners."
Without a word, the Moblins picked and dragged Nabooru away. In a final act of defiance, she spit blood at Ganondorf and produced wry grin as the Moblins dragged her away. Ganondorf gave her no further thought, though she still had an annoying habit of coming back from certain doom. She was like a cockroach to him, and if she wasn't careful, he'd squash her. Ganondorf sauntered toward the spillway where Impa stood moments ago before Nabooru pushed her down. As he stood at the edge, Ganondorf looked down over the spillway to the moat far below. In retrospect, a normal Hylian couldn't survive the fall; Impa was no ordinary Hylian.
If you think your escape will hinder me, or if you think you can find you dear Princess… you are wrong. You are dead wrong.
To Be Continued...
Author's note: Took me long enough to get this done, even without my beta. Sadly, we might be on the verge of severing ties unless something happens. Either way I finished this chapter.
I did the best I could with the Link/Darunia interaction, you know, trying to make it somewhat funny and all. Darunia is a weapon smith here as he wields the Megaton Hammer (second favorite weapon behind the Master Sword.)
Volvigia is set to appear in this story, and it seems like Link may be having a tough time with it. We'll see what happens. By the way, the Desolator is another inspiration from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Send some feed back my way. Just don't call me a… THIEF.