Journey to the Summit
The Goron healers sulked out of the council chamber, though they tried to hide their feelings. Sheila said that she could see the disappointment in their faces. Her voice broke as she pointed out the truth. Her grip on Trevor and Link's hands tightened.
"Oh no," she whispered as Darunia followed the healers out, his steps weighed down by sorrow. His eyes were heavy from a lack of sleep. The healers were with Jerome all night. Strange scents wafted from the council chamber, arriving in the forms of multi-colored smoke.
"The news," said Darunia after a moment of silence. "Is not good. The poor boy…he lives. He's awake even…but the healers couldn't do anything for the wounds. They've only extended what little time he has left, which wasn't much to begin with." His lips trembled as he clasped a hand over his face. "I'm sorry…great Din, I am sorry my friends…"
Sheila and Trevor started sobbing, though Trevor kept it together after a time. He comforted Sheila while Link and Navi went over to Darunia and placed a hand on his rigid back.
"You did your best," Link said.
"No." The Goron leader removed his hand from his face and finally showed tears. "I failed him. When it came to his role in saving the mountain, he was supposed to help us. Not die for us. What was I thinking allowing him to be put in constant peril. I knew what Dodongo's Cavern could have had…and I failed to protect him."
Link's heart sank at Darunia's guilt. "He's a hero. Jerome didn't care about himself."
"He was like a son to me. If I had a boy, I would want him to be as brave and as bold as anyone else. I wish I did more than pressure him to rise to an occasion. There were times when I lacked tenderness…and he needed that to be built up more."
Navi rested on Darunia's shoulder. "He knows you cared. We could tell."
"I could have cared more."
"Darunia?" Trevor spoke up while Sheila kept crying on his shoulder. "We want to see him," Trevor said. "So…so we can say goodbye."
Darunia didn't even think through the request. He led the children into the chamber where Jerome rested. He was on a makeshift bed, wrapped in many bandages. Some of his uncovered wounds swelled. His breathing was still slow and a bit of a struggle for him. Everyone surrounded the boy, staring at him, unable to understand what they saw.
"Hey," Trevor said. "Bro, we're all here. All of us."
"I hope you can hear us," Sheila said. "We wish you could talk to us."
"Thank you," Link said. "To one of the bravest boys we've ever known."
"We'll…" Trevor choked on his words before letting them out. "We'll miss you."
More crying filled the room and it seemed as if the children were going to wait for the final moment to pass. No one really knew how much time Jerome had left. At least he wouldn't be alone. Link and the others would be sure of that. They would be with him until the very end.
Darunia, Maleek, Maui and the elders were a distance away. The Chieftain looked sadder than anyone else in the room. Then, his face grew angry. He turned his back to the children, facing his fellow Gorons. A hushed discussion happened. Then, Darunia turned to the children again and joined them at Jerome's bed side.
"We must hurry," he said. "I'm going to have these men take the bed. You'll come with us. So will some other Calvary men."
The sobbing stopped for a moment as the children looked at Darunia, completely confused. "What?" Trevor asked.
"At the top of the mountain," said Darunia. "There's a mystical being who can heal the dying. We…were hesitant to use them because if they were to save a life once, they would have to leave Hyrule. It's a rule for their kind."
Navi gasped at Darunia's explanation. "A Great Fairy," she said. "Death Mountain has a Great Fairy!"
"That can save Jerome?" Sheila asked. "A Great Fairy?"
"Absolutely," said Darunia. "Legends never lie in Hyrule. We must hurry, though. No delaying. We can answer questions on the way. There's hope yet for Jerome."
Sheila and Trevor got up, but didn't leave the room before squeezing Darunia's hands out of gratitude. The Calvary members picked up Jerome's bed with great care, steadily ushering him out of the council chamber. Darunia nodded towards the elders, who did the same before taking their leave.
Link was about to follow everyone else out, but Darunia stopped him.
"The messenger from Princess Zelda," said Darunia. "Just wait."
He walked over to a chest in the corner of the council chamber room. After placing his palm on top of it, the lid opened. A red glow beamed out from inside and was brought out into the open by Darunia. A ruby with golden cresting was in his clutch. He placed it in Link's hand and wrapped the forest boy's fingers around it.
"No matter what happens," Darunia said. "You and I are sworn brothers. Take this stone as a token of our friendship. May we be triumphant one more time in our journey together."
Link held the Goron Ruby in his hand. A pride swelled in his chest, along with feelings of awe and wonder. He was blown away by the spiritual stone's beauty, but even more astonished at the trust Darunia placed in him. The forest boy vowed in his heart to make sure the bond they forged would never break apart. It had to get stronger, day by day.
The rescue party was gathered outside Goron City. No one spoke and it felt just like the foray into Dodongo's Cavern. So much was on the line. It was a matter of life or death—but everyone was keen on what to do to save this life, the life of the mountain's hero.
"Let our journey be swift," Darunia announced. "Let's not waste time. Get moving!"
The group forged ahead. Maleek, Maui, Sajiro and Dominic carried Jerome on the stretcher they made. Jerome was draped in a white blanket and continued breathing his difficult breaths. Sheila and Trevor comforted him, continually saying kind words, asking him to stay alive for just a little longer. Trevor had the baby cucco with him as well, having wrapped it in a sling he tied to himself. Link flanked this part of the group with Navi by his side.
When he glanced in his fairy's direction, he saw how weary she looked. Perhaps she was upset about the whole ordeal. The Deku Tree meant a lot to her in the same way he meant a lot to the Kokiri children. Maybe encountering a possible death saddened her, draining her heart.
She was by Jerome's side, hovering above him, observing his wounds. Maybe she was trying to see what the healers could have done to keep all this from happening. Link didn't really know.
Navi shared a gaze with Link and instantly got out of her worn trance. She smiled at her charge, the latest of many kind gestures.
"He's going to live," Navi promised. "I can feel it. You'll see."
The rescue party traveled on a trail that eventually curved around a sharp corner that rose to a higher part of Death Mountain. When they turned the corner, they faced the round summit. Smoke encircled the peak, which oversaw the mountain region's red earth. It was like a king, a structure that ruled all others.
An open space of red rock defined the path to the summit. It was a straight shot to the mountaintop, with a road that narrowed beside a tall rock wall that could have quickened the journey to the Summit for those who were alone.
"This should be fast," said Darunia. "We'll reach the Great Fairy in a matter of minute now."
As the group drew closer to the summit, Sheila gasped.
She stopped comforting Jerome and froze in place. Both her eyes grew wide. Link could have sworn that one of them even changed color, to a strange violet along with other hues. Everyone wondered what was happening except for Trevor, Link and Navi, who realized she was getting a vision.
"There's more fire," was all Sheila said. No one understood the meaning until an explosion boomed from high up.
Death Mountain growled. It quaked as smoke plumed from the peak's open mouth. The grey covered the blue atmosphere. Then, fiery bursts exploded out, raining down on the world below.
"Move quickly!" Darunia exclaimed.
Everyone obeyed, rushing towards the rock wall at the end of the pathway. Another boom rattled the red rock path, slowly their flight. Flaming boulders struck the ground, bring peril with them. No one seemed safe from the mountain's onslaught.
"Ah!" Sheila moved a little slower than the others. She barely missed getting struck by a boulder but didn't escape danger until a Calvary member scooped her up.
Jerome's stretcher was unscathed, a miracle onto itself. The Calvary tried to time their escape to the path, where they would be able to avoid most of the rubble. Staying put wasn't going to help their progress and could have endangered it. A life was on the line, lying on a stretcher.
At Darunia's signal, the group rushed ahead. They were on the verge of safety, it seemed. Then, a grand explosion put the mountain at its mercy. A large eruption of lava shot out and the rescue group stood in place, frozen. The omen was complete at this point. There was no way to dodge the incoming eruption.
They all stared at their impending doom. Jerome opened his eyes and saw the peril was well. Fear didn't grip him like it did down in Dodongo's Cavern, in the battles against its namesake creatures. He had a clear mind despite his pain and his mind told him to raise his hand and concentrate.
He did. Jerome raised his hand toward the lava and watched it split apart in mid-air. Not a single drop hit the rescue group, or even the ground they stood upon. The eruption avoided the group altogether.
Death Mountain grew quiet and still. The eruption's final traces faded away as peace returned to the Summit. Jerome looked around at the sky admiring its beauty. Then, he remembered the sun.
He had a dream about it. Jerome loved the sun's beauty to the point of wanting to take it with him. He would reach up until his hand covered the sun, then close his hand into a fist, claiming what was up above. He wanted it all in his hands.
Jerome's breathing was harder to keep. He struggled to speak, so he couldn't say "I love you" to anyone present. That was fine. Everything turned black, another part of the dream Jerome remembered. At that point, everything ended and the dream went away altogether.