Chapter 18: Resolve and Grief
\-==/\==-/
By the end of the following day, Purah's self-satisfied smirk had finally worn off. Although the other scientists had reacted with every ounce of the outrage and sullenness she had hoped for, the Princess received an urgent summons from Daruk, all but begging for help with his Divine Beast. After one last night on the Great Plateau, Link packed up her tent and the Princess said her goodbyes, and the two of them headed back down the grand stairway to Gatepost Town and purchased supplies.
The preparations took the better part of the morning and much of the afternoon, so the Princess deigned to leave from Kolomo Garrison the following morning. But before Link had finished packing away gear and food into saddlebags, she wandered away from the garrison for a walk along the lakeshore nearby. Link followed as closely as he dared; he could tell from the tension in her shoulders and the forced optimism in her voice that she was trying not to think about what would happen once she returned from Death Mountain.
Once she returned to her usual life at the castle, under her father's stern, watchful gaze.
She held the Sheikah Slate close to her face, resolutely poring over the map as she planned their route north. "From here, we'll make our way to Goron City…"
Link's step faltered. She was doing it again.
Longing squeezed at his soul, accompanied by a wave of bitterness. The King had ardently forbidden him from speaking with his daughter about anything that wasn't strictly necessary, and this, he was certain, would not be considered necessary. As far as Rhoam and the General were concerned, he lacked the experience, wisdom, and maturity to communicate intelligibly with the Princess of the realm. They barely trusted him to do protect her effectively, and they certainly didn't trust him to act or speak responsibly around her. Because I'm young, and because of my upbringing, he thought bitterly, remembering the General's words about animals raised in isolation.
But she wasn't there for any of that. She doesn't know why they did it - she doesn't even know that they did anything! And now… The Princess misunderstood the reason for his silence and assumed he simply disliked her.
He allowed his mind to wander back over the past months. For the first several weeks after he was assigned, she greeted him politely every morning and tried to engage him in conversation, but when she realized he would not respond, she underwent a brief period of ignoring him completely.
Now, she seemed to be entering a third stage. She would speak when they were alone, but he thought it was more her way of filling the silence than anything else. After following in her shadow for a few months, Link was beginning to realize that she was lonely - just as lonely as he was.
And the temptation to respond to her was growing ever stronger.
The Princess stopped walking ahead, and Link tilted his head curiously. "Tell me the truth," she murmured, glancing back over her shoulder at him. "How proficient are you, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet… hero?"
He blinked rapidly as she started walking again, more than a little surprised. For a moment, she had sounded so painfully forlorn that he wanted nothing more than to try to comfort her somehow. And yet her voice had quickly changed, harboring an unmistakable note of angry resentment.
He jogged to catch up with her, uncertainty quickening his pulse. This is different. She's never shown this kind of… scorn before.
Of course she hated him - most people did; he was used to that by now. He was the prodigy swordsman practically born with a weapon in his hand, capable of besting anyone in the kingdom in a battle. And he just had to be the one to draw the Master Sword, as well.
People generally didn't like being shown up, especially when it was done by a short, scrawny orphan who wouldn't be of age for another couple of years. He could name very few friends.
Especially after overhearing Urbosa's words, it was no surprise to him that the Princess hated him as much as everyone else did. But rarely did she show open hostility towards him or anyone else; it was a startling change, especially after her happiness and excitement on the Great Plateau.
Biting back a sigh, he shook his head. Doesn't matter. It was about time.
His heart felt heavier than usual, and he wondered if his desire to speak with the Princess was just a reflection of his own loneliness. There was only so much comfort a horse could give, and Captain Janin was about as friendly as a raccoon. Mipha was more a leech than a friend, and he'd only met Daruk a month or so before his appointment as the Princess' knight.
I should open up more, he thought, listening to the light crunch of soil beneath his boots. Actually try to talk to people. Maybe people don't like me because I can't carry a conversation unless they happen to be a horse.
He scoffed inwardly. Or, most likely, it's because I'm a harbinger of doom.
\-==/\==-/
After an uncomfortable meal at the Kolomo Garrison, the Princess left for the guest chambers that had been prepared for her. Link stood outside her door, as usual, foregoing sleep even as the snores of fellow knights echoed through the thin walls. To keep himself awake, he ran himself through drills, one after the other, repeating one whenever he made a mistake. While travelling with the Princess, this time at night really was the only time he could focus on keeping his skills sharp.
Someone's life, or perhaps the lives of many people, will depend on you at some point in your life, Captain Janin had counselled many years before. See to it that you're ready for that day, or their blood will be on your hands.
Now more than ever, the Captain's words rang true. He could not afford to be any less than… well, perfect. The entire kingdom rested mostly upon his shoulders; if the Goddesses continued to withhold power from the Princess, defeating Ganon would be up to him.
And the guardians, if they could be controlled. And the Divine Beasts, if the Champions managed to master them.
Approaching dawn, he switched places with the commander of the garrison to catch a few hours of sleep. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to keep him alert and functional.
So he hoped.
The ride north took them near the castle, but the Princess insisted they continue without stopping there.
"The sooner we finish with the Divine Beast, the sooner I can get back to my prayers," he heard her murmur, nearly inaudibly. "I've… neglected them for far too long already."
Link's heart ached at her words. She was the most dedicated person he had ever encountered. She had not seen any fruits of her hard labor for years, and yet she continued to try steadfastly to gain favor with the Goddesses. It was incredibly inspiring. He only wished her father and her people would understand.
Or that he could tell her that he, at least, admired her for it. His cheeks flushed.
They left their horses behind when they reached the Foothill Stable two days later. The Princess seemed quite relieved to part with her grand white steed, but Link was sorry to have to leave his one dependable friend behind. Choice's dark brown eyes seemed to harbor confusion as he carefully removed his saddle and set it and all of the supplies attached to it on the ground. After removing the bridle, he didn't need to replace it with a halter; Choice followed him into a stall of her own volition.
"Good girl," Link murmured, patting her neck affectionately as he took his curry comb from a saddlebag and rubbed circles in her dark brown coat. "I don't know how long this'll take, but they'll take good care of you here - I promise."
Choice looked at him ruefully, exhaling heavily. She was upset with him for leaving her, again, in the care of strangers.
"Sir Link, are you coming or not?" a familiar frustrated voice snapped, and he looked up to find the Princess glaring at him, a hand on her hip. Her own horse, he noticed, was being tended to by a stable hand.
Link gulped, meeting Choice's gaze. I want to see you settled in properly, for once, he thought in voiceless protest. A glance at the sky revealed that it was nearing mid-afternoon; if they kept up a good pace, they would… probably make it halfway to Goron City before night fell.
"Well?" the Princess scowled.
Would this count as speaking unnecessarily with the Princess? The last thing he wanted was to disobey orders, especially with the way the King and the General felt about him. It wouldn't take much for him to lose everything.
Swallowing away his nerves, he continued brushing Choice's dark coat. "I won't be much longer, Princess. If you would like to hasten things along, there are rupees in the smallest saddlebag; would you mind getting fireproof elixirs?"
"Don't presume to order me around," the Princess huffed, her cheeks coloring. "But if you insist upon pampering your mount, then I will do as you suggest."
Link inhaled deeply, a sick feeling squelching in his gut. It's getting worse - she's more frustrated every day.
If only I could talk to her - really talk to her - maybe I could do something…
But that would be blatant disobedience to the King himself, and he didn't know what he could possibly say to help. He didn't have much experience in friendly conversation.
Choice nudged his shoulder with her nose, bringing him out of his thoughts. Link paused to give her a loving rub on the forehead before putting the curry comb away and taking out a hoof pick, carefully bending down and lifting her foreleg. "Almost done," he murmured sadly.
He found very little dirt in her hooves; instead there were a few small stones that had gotten caught. Link removed them gently, almost wishing there was more for him to dig out so that he could spend more time with her. When he was finished, he returned to his saddle and carefully rearranged their supplies so that he could carry them on his back. Then he hung the saddle on a hook in the wall alongside his bridle and double-checked the feed and water in the stall.
Patting her one last time, Link left Choice in her stall and emerged into the bright sunlight of the Eldin afternoon. The Princess was waiting, holding his smallest saddlebag. "I bought four," she said with a hint of a proud smile. "That's enough, right? And… thank you, I suppose, for asking me to do that. My father rarely lets me conduct anything of the sort."
Link dipped his head in acceptance of her thanks, but his heart hammered wildly. Four? Only four? We need at least three each for the hike up the mountain -
"Is something wrong?" the Princess asked defensively, her knuckles whitening on the bag.
He hesitated in responding, debating whether or not to correct her mistake and lose even more favor with her or to let it pass and bear the brunt of Death Mountain's heat himself. At last he slowly shook his head - it was the first time he had seen her pleased with something she had done that didn't have to do with research; he didn't want to take that away from her.
"Very well," the Princess said with a true smile this time. "Let's be off, then. You'll be able to handle any monsters even with that pack?"
He nodded confidently. And if I'm not, I'll just… force myself to. Somehow. It'll be fine.
The Princess led the way with the Sheikah Slate, following the clearly-marked path on its map. Link followed, anxiously awaiting the sight of the sturdy iron trail marker warning non-Gorons of the heat ahead. They encountered a few fire chuchus; he was able to dispose of those easily, although the heavy burden of supplies on his back slowed him down. After only the third of those battles, the back of his tunic was uncomfortably damp with perspiration, and worry seemed to squeeze his mind with a headache.
Goddesses preserve me…
"It is interesting that Vah Rudania takes the form of a lizard," the Princess mused, once again vocalizing her thoughts, ignorant that Link was hanging on to her every word despite himself. "From the records we've translated thus far, it seems that Rudania was always meant to be piloted by a Goron. However, considering that Gorons used to struggle with Dodongo infestations, it is certainly curious that the ancient Sheikah chose to shape this particular Divine Beast the way it is. After all, Dodongos were a species of reptile.
"Although, now that I think about it, Dodongos went extinct long before the first Calamity, according to the fossils we've found. Perhaps creating the Divine Beast of the Gorons in the form of a lizard symbolizes their victory over them. Or maybe it had nothing to do with Dodongos, but with the large population of fireproof lizards inhabiting Death Mountain…"
She continued to talk the rest of the afternoon away, until they reached the first marker as evening fell. Link quickly set up a bedroll for her and started a small fire, roasting and spicing a few meat skewers for their dinner. It was an uneventful night, and in the morning they continued up the rocky trail. Link handed her an elixir to drink but he hesitated with his own, wondering if it would be better to drink it now or save it for later up the trail.
Maybe if we hurry, we'll be able to get to Goron City fast enough that I'll only have to be without an elixir for a little while. I might as well drink mine now.
He swallowed the icy mouthful of liquid quickly, sliding the emptied little vial into its place in the pouch on his belt alongside the next two elixirs.
With rising dread in anticipation of the volcano's heat, he continued after the Princess. Since he was the one following her, she set their pace, and if he tried to walk faster she merely maintained her steady walk. Not that she was going slow, but… it was just the perfect pace to make it to Goron City on three elixirs. And I have one.
I'll just have to figure out how to protect her even through this heat. It'll be… good training, right?
When they reached the second marker, he handed her the next elixir wordlessly, and she drank it without a second thought. One elixir left.
And they resumed their hike up the mountain. Link focused on his breathing, trying not to betray the rising panic he felt. His heart pounded, and he wondered if he was sweating more profusely or it was just his imagination. His neck felt as if it had been wrapped in several layers of fabric, but it was one of the few parts of his body that was entirely exposed.
He snatched his waterskin from his belt and took a long drink, relishing the coolness of the lukewarm water in his mouth. Suppressing a groan of discomfort, he returned it to its place, noting with a bit of panic that his hands seemed to shake as he did so. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he adjusted the pack of their supplies on his shoulders, inhaling deeply. Stop it - pay attention to the trail. Protect the Princess.
Thrusting his fears from his mind, he turned his attention to the tall walls of pockmarked volcanic stone rising all around them. The deep red color would probably be quite beautiful when the sun set in its fiery orange glory later in the day; it would definitely be a sight to look forward to.
In the meantime, the scent of sulfur hung heavy in the air, and specks of ash drifted like snowflakes in the breeze. The heat from the massive lava river just west of the trail seemed like a thick blanket pinned all around him, suffocating him, enclosing him in unwelcome warmth. He took another drink of water, ignoring the faint taste of leather and bemoaning the fact that it was swiftly heating up along with the temperature. The supplies felt like boulders on his back.
The Princess walked onwards just ahead of him, refusing to look at him, as always. He tried to listen to her ongoing stream of observations, strained his ears to hear her words over the sound of his own heavy breaths. Sweat dripped down his nose and he wiped it away with his sleeve.
Everything was orange. A bright, angry, burning orange that seemed to pierce his eyes like a dagger. Squinting, he hurried forward, his feet feeling heavier and heavier with each step until they dragged against the dark stone of the trail. Desperately he gulped down the rest of his water, trying to ease the dryness in his mouth; it worked for a few minutes at least.
It wasn't much longer that he realized the back of his tunic had dried off, and his underarms were dry as well. Good, he thought, gritting his teeth against the dizziness clouding his thoughts. Felt like I was suffocating in my skin there for a while… Maybe it'll get better now…?
"...Sir Link?"
His chin jerked up at the sound of his name and he met the Princess' gaze. Her face was red, and he could see sweat glistening on her forehead.
"Were there any more fireproof elixirs?" she asked anxiously. "I… thought I bought enough."
...She concerned for me?
No. Needs more for herself, right? She expects me, as a knight, to need less than her…
He nodded, slipping a hand into the pouch at his belt. There was no denying it this time - his hand was shaking. Swallowing with difficulty, he pulled out the last elixir and handed it to her.
"Thank you," she said with an awkward smile, drinking it quickly and handing the empty bottle back to him. Studying him for a moment longer, she frowned. "Sir Link, are you… alright? You look a bit red in the face…"
He shook his head, again inwardly debating how much - if anything - would be within his orders to say. "I'm… fine, Princess," he said at last, forcing his voice to sound much more calm than he felt. "Just a bit… winded from the climb."
She nodded slowly, eyeing him with a bit of skepticism before turning away. "Well, we've almost reached the city. They aren't using the Southern Mine at the moment, so we should be able to continue right along without any interruptions. When we get to the city…"
And she continued her never-ending one-sided conversation. Hope she knows… I'm listening, he thought drowsily, breathing heavily with his lips parted and his tongue hanging out just a little. Maybe that's… some comfort… maybe…
His foot caught on one of the slabs of iron lining the path and he stumbled, barely managing to catch himself before he fell flat on his face. As far as he could tell, the Princess didn't notice, but then again… he felt as if he was walking into a tunnel, his vision blurry and only able to focus straight ahead. He heard things as if from far away and wondered if he was going to lose consciousness; his entire body felt unbearably hot, almost as if he were about to spontaneously combust. It took all of his willpower to keep himself from grunting or wincing at the discomfort.
After they passed through the empty Southern Mine, two fire-breath lizalfos attacked with hoarse, croaking battlecries. Link drew the Master Sword with a groan and forced himself to run in front of the Princess, placing himself between her and the monsters. Teeth tightly clenched against his fading consciousness, he launched himself at the nearest lizalfos, landing a solid blow on its forearm before it could overcome its surprise. While one of them dashed behind him, he charged the other, thrusting the Master Sword all the way through its throat and yanking it back out in time to catch a blow from the first one on his hilt.
His heart hammered wildly, much too fast to be healthy, but he ignored it as the remaining lizalfos dodged his next attack and reared its head back, preparing to release fire from its maw. Link darted forward, sword raised for its exposed throat, but it leapt backwards in time to dodge his blow, letting loose with a wide stream of flame. Link ducked behind a boulder, and heat ever more intense than before - if such a thing were possible - thickened the air around him, making it difficult for his heaving lungs to draw breath.
With wavering vision, he straightened and forced another burst of speed from his burning body, backing the lizalfos against the side of the cliffs lining the trail. Gasping for breath, he swung the Master Sword and took off the creature's head.
A heavy sigh from the Princess as she emerged from the low ridge of rocks she had sheltered behind. She glanced his way, looking disheartened, her gaze lingering on the Master Sword; shaking her head, she started back up the trail. Link followed, wiping his blade clean on his trousers before sheathing it.
His foot caught on another slab of iron on the path, and this time he couldn't keep himself from falling hard to his knees, feeling the scalding temperature of the stone through his trousers. He tried to stand but his limbs wouldn't obey him; a shudder jolted through him and he fell onto his side, his chest heaving at a nearly impossible speed as he struggled to get enough air. Another tremor spasmed through his body and his breath caught; choking on the volcanic air he coughed and tasted blood in his mouth.
He could just make out a blurry light-colored blob that may have been the Princess hovering over him, could hear, as if from deep underwater, faraway sounds that may have been her screams for help before everything went dark.
\-==/\==-/
It was the smell that he became aware of first. Sour and coppery, almost like blood.
Slowly he realized that he was lying mostly submerged in some sort of liquid - cold liquid, as cold as ice; a violent shiver wracked his shoulders and he groaned hoarsely in discomfort.
"...Brother? You wakin' up?"
Daruk? With effort, Link opened his eyes. At first he couldn't make sense of anything - his world was a blur of orange, red, and white. Grimacing, he blinked several times, and the image before his face sharpened. Daruk was hovering over him, concern in his dark eyes. Slowly his rocky features formed a smile.
"How d'you feel?" he asked gently.
Link swallowed, grimacing at the dryness in his throat, and tried to muster the energy to speak. He felt shaky and feeble, as if he'd spent a week straight doing nothing but fight; his aching muscles felt like lead. "I've been better," he croaked, frightened by the sound of his own voice - he could barely recognize it.
Daruk's grin widened. "Yeah, I'd hope so," he chuckled. "Listen, you gotta drink this, alright?" He patted a small ledge, where a vial of fireproof elixir sat. "Better do it quick, too; breathin' in this air isn't good for you Hylians at all."
Link nodded, dragging his right hand up to grab the bottle. He froze, taking in his surroundings for the first time.
He was sitting curled in a small stone bucket filled with the cold, foul-smelling gray liquid that he'd first noticed. His knees were crammed against his chest and his arms pinned to his sides; he imagined briefly the Gorons taking his unconscious body, shoving him into the bucket, and filling it with this mysterious liquid until only his head was exposed. Which is probably exactly what happened.
But the size of the bucket he was currently stuck in wasn't half as disturbing as the fact that his arm was completely bare. I'm… naked.
He could feel his cheeks flushing and, with a thrill of horror, thought of the Princess. Where is she? She didn't see me, did she? Has she been protected?
He cringed, taking the fireproof elixir and downing it in a single gulp. Captain Janin'll have a field day about this.
Determined, he looked around, spotting his clothes in a pile with his weapons and gear on the rocky ground. He didn't feel great, but he didn't dare spend another moment outside of the Princess' presence. I have a job to do. "Daruk, er… would you… give me a moment?" He gestured shakily towards the door.
The Goron's face hardened. "Absolutely not. That was a case of heat stroke you had out there - if we had gotten to you any later, you mighta been lookin' at us now from up above. You've been out of it for two days, and as your brother I'm gonna sit right here and make you stay in that bucket for one more day. At least."
"Daruk, I - I can't -"
The Goron tilted his head. "Worried about the Princess, eh? Don't be - I got her surrounded by a group of our toughest fighters. Besides me." He winked teasingly. "Of course, I could always have her stay in here, where you can keep watch over her from where you are…"
Link tried to press himself deeper into the bucket. "No!"
Daruk laughed heartily. "I thought so. But… I guess I'll make a deal with you. You can get out this evening instead of tomorrow morning, if you promise me to never come up this mountain without enough elixirs again."
"Absolutely," Link nodded eagerly, some of his mortification fading.
Daruk went silent for a moment, wrinkling his nose. "Good. 'Cause, honestly, I don't blame you for wantin' outta this stuff. They taste bad, but they smell even worse."
Link frowned, a sinking feeling in his gut. "What… what does?"
"Well, what else do you find on this mountain that's cold?" Daruk grinned.
Fireproof lizards. Oh, merciful Goddesses above… He was sitting in some sort of lizard stew. Bile rose up in his throat and he clutched at his stomach, biting his teeth together to keep himself from being sick.
"Fantastic," he whispered weakly.
\-==/\==-/
Daruk tried to convince him to keep resting through the night, and honestly, Link felt poorly enough that it was a tempting offer. His head ached, his vision blurred and his eyes stung in the glaring orange light, and even with the contents of a fireproof elixir shooting through his blood, the heat of Death Mountain was oppressive.
But the thought of explaining even this much neglection of his duty to Captain Janin was far more uncomfortable.
The Princess had not yet ventured into Divine Beast Rudania, due to Daruk's refusal to leave his 'brother's' makeshift bedside. Link was touched and slightly embarrassed by the Goron's devotion; although he couldn't remember many people actually caring about his well being, it was a tad humiliating to be treated like a fragile piece of pottery.
Although, to be fair, that's probably an accurate way to describe how Hylians compare to Gorons.
Nonetheless, with Link's health no longer a pressing continue, Daruk was finally free to take the Princess to Rudania.
"Yeah, it can move," Daruk sighed, scratching his head as the Princess hovered over the main control unit. "But… feels a bit like wrestlin' a Talus. Which I have done before, and… it wasn't easy!"
"Hmm…" the Princess frowned, placing the Sheikah Slate atop the control unit's pedestal and tracing ancient symbols across its surface. "Well… I'm accessing the runes that tell the Beast how to move. With any luck I'll be able to… rewrite them in a few places, to make it easier for you. It… it might take a while…"
"No problem," Daruk beamed. "Take all the time you need - you and Link here are welcome here as long as you want!"
Link bit back a grimace. For both our sakes, let's hope she can figure something out soon.
They stood in awkward silence around the control unit for a minute more. The Princes glanced back at them every few seconds, once opening her mouth as if she were about to say something before changing her mind and returning her attention to the Sheikah Slate.
Daruk cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, uh, shout if you need us," he said with a halfhearted chuckle, before grabbing Link's arm and pulling him away. "I guess we better let her have some space," he whispered, hurrying down into the Divine Beast's belly.
Link cast a worried glance over his shoulder, his insides twisting into knots at the thought of leaving her out there, alone, with nothing but space between her and a possible fall into scalding lava - magma? - below. "A-actually, maybe we should…"
"Nah, don't wanna break her focus," Daruk interrupted hurriedly. "And, er, actually… I haven't been down here a whole lot…" He looked around, his brow creased as he examined the Divine Beast's inner workings. Gears, doors, mysterious glowing orbs rolling into shallow basins… Link didn't know what to make of it. He'd expected some sort of simulation of a creature's anatomy, not this… mess of ancient tech. This is… very much out of my league.
"Er, say, little guy," Daruk began slowly. "I'd… wanted to ask your opinion, too. From what I've heard, you take to pretty much any weapon like a fish out of water. Or… or something like that. I don't have much experience with fish." He laughed.
Link pressed his lips firmly together. I get what you're trying to say, but it's… laughably false. Can't do much with a claymore or club or quarterstaff or -
"So whadda you think?" Daruk asked anxiously. "What should I do to work this all out?"
A jolt of intermingled surprise and dread passed through him, and he choked on his breath. Me? You want my advice? On this? Not the advice of the ancient technology genius just above us?
Feeling helplessly incapable of words, he gestured inarticulately around at the mechanisms around them. "Uh… maybe if we… look around?"
Daruk didn't seem to notice the hesitant squeak in his voice. He beamed. "Great idea! Yeah, if Iexplore this place a bit more, maybe I can understand it better! Gotta know how something works before you can use it, right?" He laughed, clapping his hands together excitedly, and dashed off into the nearest alcove.
Link was painfully feeling his lacking education by the time Daruk returned to the Divine Beast's upper level. His head hurt, along with his soul; try as he might, he hadn't been able to make any sense of the purpose and function of the various novelties powering Rudania. Yet Daruk made discovery after discovery, excitedly pointing out how one thing caused another thing that contributed to the Divine Beast' motion.
Because I don't 'need' to know anything like this, he thought bitterly. Just swing a sword, read and write messages, create battle plans… nothing else.
His face flushed, and it had nothing to do with the heat. It's a good thing I don't speak to the Princess - with all of her intelligence, she's bound to laugh at anything I say.
Daruk didn't share his gloominess. "Yeah!" he cheered, guiding Rudania around a bend along a wide ledge running around Death Mountain. "I think I'm finally getting the hang of this!"
The Divine Beast released a earth-shaking roar, and the Goron laughed heartily. "I tell you what - sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around! Let those other Champions know, they better eat their gravel if they wanna keep up with Daruk!"
Link finally managed a small smirk, imagining how Revali would react to Daruk's newfound confidence.
"Speaking of gravel, can you believe this view?" Daruk turned his gaze to the reddish craggy spires of Death Mountain, his dark eyes widening slightly. "Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on these mountains… mighty tasty!" His grin faded slightly, replaced by rare solemnity. "I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing, but mark my words - I'll protect this land of ours to the death! Right, little guy?"
He gave Link a hearty clap on the back, driving the breath from his lungs in a startled gasp. Grimacing, he tried to straighten, only to stiffen at a sharp ache in his spine. Merciful Din - what happened to treating me like a piece of pottery?
Daruk chuckled. "Hey, and… I forgot to mention, but congrats on becoming the Princess' appointed knight. That's a really big deal! Protecting the King's daughter…" He shook his head. "Can't stress this enough - don't you go doing anything reckless like that again. You're always welcome here, but never come unless you've got the right protection. Got that?"
Link nodded, finally managing to stand straight again.
Daruk sighed. "No pressure," he chuckled sarcastically. "Seriously, though. The Princess is a strong personality - so strong she can't quite see the range for the peaks. Remember that, and you'll be fine."
Wh-what? He frowned, confused. But any advice about the Princess would be useful, he was sure; he was thinking about how to ask for clarification without offending Daruk when a low sound, like thunder or massive stones grinding together, reached his ears. A moment later the ground began to shake.
"Huh?" Daruk whirled to face Death Mountain. "What the -?"
The shaking intensified, and Link staggered, nearly losing his balance; in fear he looked around for the Princess, only to remember that she had delved deeper inside of the Divine Beast nearly the instant he and Daruk emerged. A sudden sharp crack rent the air and Link's heart jumped into his throat as several massive rocks broke loose from a towering crag above them, falling directly down to the Divine Beast.
With a roar Daruk stepped in front of him, bringing his fists together and summoning a pentagonal orb of magic around his figures. A rock struck it and broke into smaller pieces, flying wildly off to the side and disappearing into the ravine below.
"So what was I saying…" Daruk murmured as the dust cleared, turning back around, but he sounded distracted. "That was a little strange… s'far as I know, Death Mountain's been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then -" He quickly cut himself off, shaking his head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Link squinted suspiciously, an icy spike of fear piercing his heart. "It's… not going to erupt, is it?" he asked hesitantly.
The Goron Champion forced a laugh that was much too cheerful to be sincere. "What? Nah, course not! And even if it were, its activity in the past has shown that something like this could only foretell an eruption a hundred years later. And even then it's just a maybe!" He chuckled nervously.
"Daruk! What was that?" It was the Princess, white-faced with a touch of fear, hurrying up from the Divine Beast's insides. "What happened?"
"Just a little quake, nothin' to worry about," Daruk waved her off. "Happens all the time!"
"Oh," she said, inhaling deeply and letting out a sigh of relief. "Well, in that case - it seems that the Divine Beast's settings are already as, well, manageable as I can -"
"No worries," Daruk grinned, more sincerely this time. "Link here knew just the advice I needed. It's not a problem anymore - not at all!"
The Goron didn't seem to notice the Princess' crestfallen expression, but Link certainly did. And he also noticed the scowl she sent his way.
"It was nothing," he said quickly, instantly cringing inwardly. That makes it sound like I'm trying to be modest about this. "No, really, it was - I didn't -" His cheeks burned and he quickly fell silent, clamping his jaw shut, remembering his orders. I'm not supposed to care this much about her feelings, he scolded himself. Remembering their journey up the mountain, he winced. I'm definitely not supposed to feel this strongly.
\-==/\==-/
"Link… this doesn't look good."
Link stood, head bowed, in Captain Janin's study after submitting his report of the journey to Goron City and everything prior. "I… I know, Sir. She just - she was so pleased, and… and no one ever really gives her anything to be pleased about, let alone something that she did…"
Janin's dark eyes narrowed. "You inadvertently endangered her by not correcting her mistake," he warned. "If Champion Daruk had not been out for a picnic so close by, you would have died. And the moblins that Daruk killed getting both you and her to the safety of their city would have killed her."
Link grimaced. "I'll… do better, Sir."
"Remember that you were assigned to be her protector, not her friend," Janin scolded. "No matter your good intentions, your one and only job is to protect her from any physical harm that may befall her."
"Yes, Sir."
The Captain rubbed his graying temples wearily, shaking his head. "You have a good heart, Link," he said in a much gentler tone. "Most people don't give you a chance to show it. But a good heart won't get you anywhere with the King, with the General, or even with me. And he will have to hear about this… eventually. You will probably be disciplined. I'll do my best to delay that as much as possible, give you a chance to redeem yourself in his eyes."
Link gulped, his mouth suddenly as dry as it was that day on Death Mountain. "Thank you, Sir," he whispered.
Janin studied him intently. "Your reputation hangs by a thread - you must understand that. You're already too young and too small, in the eyes of the army, in the eyes of the people, in the eyes of the King. You cannot afford to slip up."
Link nodded, taking in a deep breath. "What… what would happen if they found out… I did?"
"You would probably lose your position as the Princess' Appointed Knight in favor of someone more hardened, more experienced," Janin sighed. "You might even lose your knighthood entirely. The people would begin to despair, losing faith in your ability to save them from the Calamity. The Yiga Clan would most likely gain power and popularity; the King would have to find some way to boost morale, and you would be despised."
I'm already despised, Link thought distractedly, picturing Janin's words in his mind. "I… I understand, Sir."
Janin glared at him beneath bushy black brows. "I hope so."
\-==/\==-/
Guest Reviews
LowTwilight (Guest): Thank you! Yeah, he definitely does; it's just sad that he doesn't have much opportunity to practice! Congratulations! ( :
Chicwa88: Haha, I'm glad! And good question, but at the moment, I don't think they'll be making an appearance, adorable though they are; sorry about that! My pleasure - I love keeping to a schedule! ( :