Heat began to lightly swelt at the Company's skin as they progressed ever-closer toward the crater of Death Mountain where, if luck allowed, Vah Rudania would be near enough to allow something of an oblong audience with them. Without Daruk to guide them, they were left with little more than rushed directions, though the gradual rise in heat offered an intense clue that they were advancing properly.
Exhaustion, lethargy, a host of terms to describe the tire growing endlessly within the lot of them failed to properly reside within Zelda's mind as best she tried. Even her mind had begun to fight for rest, joining her legs and feet in their attempts to wrest away control from the Princess' desperation to continue, as much as for Mipha's sake, as well as her own. She wanted this to end.
As the darkness surrounding them began to subside, a glimmer of hope accompanied the orange-painted walls they now trekked down, though Link, who had continued to lead the troupe, advanced with caution, knowing better than to relinquish care now that they had gotten so far.
Their craggy trail had long been enclosed, however, they had come to an outcropping, the rock-wall to their left having been torn away from the stone of the mountain, leaving them only a thin ledge to tread above a massive pit below where magma covered the landscape as though they were atop the edge of a massive dome.
Link stepped carefully onto the ledge, examining the area below for a moment before returning to the others, speaking lowly, "Watch your step."
Despite the broad declaration, his eyes came to Mipha, knowing her treads were far from narrow within her suit. He reached over to take her hand, abandoning his forward pursuit as he stepped backward, guiding her along as her glance remained glued onto her feet, simply wrestling with the suit's odd mechanics to keep her feet in line.
Revali plodded along next, his inability to release pithy replies indicative of his own exhaustion, followed by Zelda, and then Urbosa, taking the final spot on the off-chance that she needed to considering anything drastic to rescue one of the others. The Company slowly wired along the ledge, even as sweltering gusts of magma-heated gusts slid atop their skin, forcing Link to alternate hands as he wiped sweat from whichever one had been clasped atop Mipha's mechanized clutch.
Behind them, Zelda began to stumble forward, her feet gradually resigning themselves, forcing Urbosa to reach over to grab her shoulder, ensuring her upright posture.
"Watch yourself," she noted quietly.
Zelda nodded, "I know."
Frowning, Urbosa went on, "I know you know. I'm just saying it."
Zelda didn't catch the humor, focused as she was on keeping stride with the others. She simply advanced listlessly, feet scooting across the rocky earth beneath them, her mind carelessly meandering from its current realm of being. Her throat felt painted with sand at how dry it had become, her nostrils stinging with every inhalation. Even her eyes grew chapped, tinged with irritation as she blinked.
Her mind carried her away, back to home. Back to anywhere other than this place. Zora's Domain, even, seemed so much like a paradise in comparison. Whatever trials they had overcome to get here, for a moment, she felt more prepared to challenge them a million times over if it meant somehow escaping from this place. From this-
"Tch. Kitck. Kwaawr~"
Zelda's mind snapped back into place as her eyes carried down toward the magma flows beneath them. They stood a good fifty yards above the supposed ground level of the domed cavern, yet she could glance worryingly through the hazy steam that carried upward. A boorish force slammed into her as she unknowing walked into Revali, the Rito having paused, though he immediately spun his head over his shoulder with a scolding, piercing stare.
"Excuse me, Princess," he frowned.
Zelda returned to the magma flow, "Y- You heard that, didn't you?"
"Hear what?" he demanded to know, "I've been caught up thinking how best to celebrate my return to Tabantha in solitude once this mess is over and done with. Then the brute up there stopped and-"
"You heard it?" Zelda spoke up louder, peeking over Revali's side to find Link glancing down into the mountain cavity himself, brow furrowed forward in examination.
He only nodded, though Zelda felt Urbosa's tug at her shoulder, the Gerudo muttering quietly, "I caught wind of it myself. It sounded-"
"Not like the mountain," Zelda finished, earning her a nod from Urbosa.
Link's forced gaze slowly released as he returned his attention back to Mipha, picking up their advance once again, allowing the Company to progress at its menial speed. Still, Zelda remained fascinated by the cavern below, her eyes glued to the landscape as Urbosa guided her steps, trying to ascertain what had made such a noise. It sounded unnatural- that is, something biological as opposed to everything they had heard up to this point. From rocks clattering, to magma bubbling and churning.
It sounded-
"Kitck kwaawr."
Her eyes snapped open as she reached over to take a desperate hold onto Urbosa's arm, covering a gasp with her free arm as a skittering creature scattered across a narrow pit of rock like an illuminated cockroach desperate for concealment.
"Ur- Urbosa!" Zelda haltingly spoke up in a fright.
The Gerudo pulled her arm away as the Princess' fingernails dug into her skin, "Gah! Child! S- Stop! What's the-!"
"I just saw it!" she spoke up in a stifled cry, "A lanmola!"
Urbosa frowned, shooting a scathing glance at Zelda, though before dismissing the young woman's words outright, she peered up to find Link gazing down once again, his own face turned with distress.
"Oh, come now!" Revali shouted, "Just move alon-!"
"Hush!" Link interrupted, slamming a finger to his lips for emphasis, returning his attention to the cavern below, "I saw it too."
Urbosa kicked some dirt away underfoot, "By the goddess, you two; that was just some story Daruk told to frighten us."
A moment passed before Link caught her eyes with his own, speaking plainly, "Some stories are based in truth."
Knowing such a truth to be applicable to Gerudo Desert's own tales, Urbosa groaned as she rolled her eyes, shaking her head without further argument.
"We're quiet from here on out," Link ordered, "We're not about to attract unwanted attention."
Without waiting for a collective answer, Link carried on, still with unbearable caution as he guided Mipha along, the Company slowing pressing on as they passed the halfway segment of the outcropping, leaving them near the next enclosed portion of their path. With the arising threat of enemies, a powerful rush of energy now filled Zelda, if only due to her body's recognition of a threat afoot. Her eyes, once constantly weak with tire, now remained wide open as she kept her stare on the cavern below, praying to never see another of those wretched beasts again.
Once within the safe confines of the wholly encapsulated vent once again, Link pulled his hand away from Mipha as he bent over, grasping his knees as he took a breather while the others braced themselves on the walls to find some relief. His voice came out a choking, raspy whisper.
"Alright. We can't be that far," he noted.
Urbosa glanced up toward him, "Do we rest?"
Such a question brought a pang of uncertainty to Link's chest, wary of his new supposed position as something of a leader. He felt something of discomfort, though, instead of worrying about his answer, he simply took a look at Mipha through her suit's visor.
Her eyes, half closed, crusted all around from the gekari gel that had begun to solidify in the heat. Her mouth hung open weakly, and Link could tell just how irregular her breathing was becoming. Mipha couldn't even verbalize, her mind caught deadlocked simply focusing on her next breath, the next breath, the next.
Link shook his head, "No. We're almost there."
"Bah," Revali scoffed, arms crossed, rolling his head along his shoulders, "You know nothing. We could be hours on, still."
Link dropped his shoulders, peering exhaustively toward Revali as the Rito continued, "We're simply going to march on until we die at this rate. Even the Zora- She needs time to take a breath, does she not?"
Staring unwaveringly at Revali, Link slowly turned his gaze back toward Mipha, finding little answer in her face.
Urbosa spoke up as she stepped forward.
"We've got-" she muttered, hunting through her pack, "-one canteen more than expected."
She offered, amidst a critically dour stare from Link, "Look, it's cooled down. We'll take a moment to rest- Maybe get some water in that suit of hers; it can only help, right?"
Link took a breath, swallowing a tense breath of air as he locked back in onto Mipha. Her eye met his, but- They were clouded, as if she were merely a mannequin simply turned his direction. There was no soul within; she had merely become a shell within a shell, her mind having already gone dormant due to exhaustion.
"A-" Link choked out, "Alright."
His heart tugged. These were the decisions he knew himself to be unfit for. The reason he knew never to lead, but to follow.
He saw his mother in those empty eyes.
Urbosa quickly leapt into action, making her way toward Mipha as she threw the canteen's strap onto her shoulder and helping Mipha against the wall. She ran her palms atop the helmet of the machine, having recalled Robbie's own direction, finding a valve there that she pushed against, forcing pressure inside the artificial atmosphere within that ultimately pushed the visor of the helmet to a swinging opening. Urbosa lifted the glass as she raised the canteen up, carefully pouring it into the device.
"This isn't going to wash the gel off, is it?" she questioned.
Zelda sauntered over, answering breathlessly, "I'm not sure we have the time to consider that possibility."
As the two tended to Mipha, Link fell against the rocky wall and slid down into a seated position, dropping his head against his chest as he battled for breaths himself.
What if they shouldn't have stopped? What if he'd made the wrong decision?
His mind was only racked with such viscerally embattled thoughts for only a moment, however, the very thoughts in his head quieted as his body slowly descended into aching rest as he sat there. He knew it to be a bad decision to allow his muscles the time to tense up in refusal, but he hadn't much of a thought at all during his reverie.
Even without Mipha before him, he could see her. Despite his mind failing to recall much of anything, he did remember her. As though in a matter of survival, his mind recalled their nights together; his skin tingling at the thought of Mipha's taut skin, so delicately smooth with only the shimmering rough-hewn tinge of velvety scales. He could nearly feel her chilled touch upon him, burning him amidst the sweltering heat that actually surrounded him.
His eyes closed, deepening that vision upon him. He could see her above him, that night they had shared a bed, running her hands against chest; the contrast between her touch and the heat of the blankets only magnified her icy fingertips, swirling in wintry burst into his body, nearly into his heart. He so desperately wanted to hold her once more. Not simply to save himself from the heat now consuming him, but to have her safe, as well.
Link felt his mind grow aflutter. He didn't know if it was sleep that threatened his conscious, or something more sinister. As though in a death-knell, he understood the folly of closing his eyes, and yet- He didn't much care.
Flirting with danger, for but one more second experiencing everything he had ever loved to dearly in his life.
He didn't much-
"Stupid little-" Revali's voice suddenly appeared in a blisteringly scathing critique, forcing Link's eyes open.
He heard footsteps, before a particularly violent kick slammed into his thigh, Revali's voice bursting into his ear much closer than it had been, "Now, get up then! Ten minutes is quite enough; I'm getting antsy!"
"Antsy," Link groaned, shaking his head.
Frowning, Revali charged, "What of it, you wretch?! Come on!"
Urbosa suddenly replied as Link worked his way to his feet, "We'll be up in a moment. I think it's doing her well."
"Nah ah!" Revali clicked in an oddly informal manner, "You three remain. This one and I are gonna scout ahead while you tend to the fish woman."
Groaning with aching breaths, Link muttered in confusion, "Scouting ahead?"
"Well!" Revali decried with concealed shock, "You said, yourself, did you not? There are creatures about! We best make sure we remain as confined as possible from them, should we not?"
Rather impressed by Revali's foresight, Link couldn't help but shrug in compliance as he stood up straight, "I suppose you have a point there. besides that one on your face, anyway."
Sneering at Link's attempt at levity, Revali grumbled angrily to himself as he scooted along, leaving Link behind to take a final glance back toward the others. Still tending to Mipha, Urbosa kept her back turned, but Zelda managed a frigid stare toward Link, a look which Link couldn't decipher in that moment. Miffed, knowing to ask would accomplish little, Link turned away, stopping only once Zelda's voice rang out.
"W- Wait!" she spoke up, reaching around to grab the knight's sword that hung from her back, "Won't you need-!"
Link swatted the air, shaking his head weakly, "You wanted to protect your Company, right? You do need a sword for that."
Zelda's face grew dark as she watched Link sadly turning away, sauntering along like an aged horse, his voice echoing softly, "Daruk will bring me my own. Soon enough."
As dark as their situation had become, Zelda couldn't help but feel guilty at the doubt creeping up within her.
The two of them strode along through the massive Goron vent, cautiously enough, even through the series of curses Revali would let loose under his breath in reply to some thought that had crossed his mind. Link had wanted to point it out in some haphazard attempt at an insult, though such things took a toll on his already-diminished bodily energy, and he ultimately thought against it. Instead, he remained quiet for most of their path, the two of them having gone about half a mile down the tunnel before anything of interest appeared.
The tunnel had gradually begun to expand, leading them into an obviously manufactured space where Goron thought had clearly been left behind. Not only had the walls been etched with some rudimentary Goron alphabet, but the ceiling laid bare the apparent operation of this room.
Revali scrutinized the room with a scoff, "Good to know they had time to waste when building these."
"It's not just another room," Link sighed, pointing up toward the ceiling, "See? That slit cut into the rock? There's a wall of iron hidden up there. I guess this was something of a gate shaft to redirect the magma if they needed it to run elsewhere."
He noted two large, round holes in the rock above as well, "There's probably a room above this one where ropes or something raise and lower the slab."
"Well aren't you an articulate scholar," Revali mused distasteful.
Link groaned, "It's literally what Daruk said these tunnels were built for."
Revali let loose a scuff, "Psh! If you can believe a word that man of stone says."
Loosening his shoulders, Link shook his head, "Fine, you know what? I'll grant you that. Just because I know better than to lose faith in him- after all that's happened, I can understand you all not paying him any heed."
Revali eyed him critically, "Rather astute of an opinion, Hylian."
"Not really," Link explained, "When Daruk does come through and shows you all what a hero truly is, I'll be looking forward to you, in particular, feeling yourself an absolute fool, so-"
Revali shone a smirk, "I'd expect little else than a pithy snare of weak return from you by now. Still, I'll have you know, I'm not privy to remaining within the goddess-forsaken place any longer than required, so if that bag of boulders can make it any more efficient, I welcome his chance in doing so."
The two's walk continued, wholly undecided in the extent of their scouting, though it did give Revali a few moments to consider Link's words, even if it were simply to find flaw in the Hylian's logic.
"And you see no problem in trusting a man who's largely been little more than a detriment to our venture as of late?" Revali questioned with a scowl.
Link shrugged, "It's not a question of trust. If it were, then yes, I trust Daruk a great deal. but within this Company, trust is not an issue. We all do our part, and I expect as much- I wouldn't have joined had I not that expectation."
"Daruk looks out for me," Link shrugged, "I look out for him."
A pause.
"Even you."
Revali scowled, "As though I would ever require the aid of a Hylian."
"Just so you know- when the time comes," Link muttered.
Remaining with a frown, Revali scoffed as he turned away, arms crossed, as his steps slowed to a stop, causing Link to emulate his movement, waiting for the Rito to speak.
"That should be enough," Revali clicked dismissively, "We return."
Link nodded, turning to follow behind Revali's head start, though, despite his previous comments, decided to level the playing field slightly, smirking, "For one who distrusts Daruk, you sure were quick to check whether or not his story was accurate."
"You know," Revali sputtered venomously, though he quickly reigned in his frustration, returning to his focused gait as he mumbled, "Suit yourself, Hylian."
Link grinned, "Well, you're getting better about not getting your feathers in a fluffle."
"Only because I've already proven myself, repeatedly," the Rito assured with an air of absolute bounty, "By now, any of your words would fail to even hope to tarnish my image."
Glaring sidelong toward Revali, Link noted pithily, "You do realize that, largely, all we've done has gone unnoticed by greater Hyrule."
"Ah, but you are merely incorrigible, Hylian. Witwa, the lord of lords, and even your goddess watches, ever diligent in their gaze," Revali marveled with a reverent tone, "Plus, those children who scorned my plumage now know to fear those with wings!"
Link sighed, "I mean, they know to be apprehensive of someone alright…"
"I also ran into a fellow Rito, one of the low-landers, on our way out of that realm you call a Kingdom," Revali noted without shame, "I might have mentioned my heroic antics back in the desert."
"Oh, goddess; you're like a washed-up bard," Link grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Revali shrugged, "Why, some of the greatest storytellers are bards. I wouldn't discount myself as one; instead of song, I write stories in my actions, in my immovable tenor, despite whatever rigors threaten to-"
*BWOO~OOOM*
He immediately began to sputter in place as the tunnel shook violently in a tremulous chorus, seemingly invalidating his words even as he regained his composure once the earthquake ended.
"Goddess!" he exclaimed, turning to find Link having knelt down to steady himself.
The soldier looked around, "I don't know what that was, but I can tell you already, I don't like it. Come-"
*BWOO~OOOM*
A second earthquake sent the two of their stances asunder, knocking Revali to the ground as he rolled around, desperately attempting to orient himself properly.
"BY THE-!" he exclaimed noisily, "My plumage!"
Link jumped up to his feet, hurrying down the tunnel from where they came from without a word, leaving Revali to work himself up. The Hylian sped down the craggy corridor, still wobbling in something of aftershock, skidding to a stop only as he ran into the large slab of limestone that had broken loose in the tremors, and now blocked their path.
He ran his hand along the sturdy rock, sighing, "Well, this isn't good…"
Refusing to turn as Revali approached, Link simply lowered his head, allowing the Rito to discover the truth for himself, which led to a curse-laden cry, "Well stifle my apteria, why don't you!"
*BWOO~OOOM*
Another ferocious shock sent Revali stumbling forward, clutching onto the slab of limestone as best he could to remain composed, crying out in frustration, "I bet you think you're so clever!"
"What?!" Link shouted back, "How is any of this my- You were the one to-!"
*BWOO~OOOM*
The two continued their fluid attempts at standing straight up amidst the rumbling ferocity of the mountain, their feet sliding along in impotent attempts to brace themselves, only coming to something of equilibrium for a brief moment to allow them some peace of mind.
"Alright," Link spoke up, "Just hold on a moment. There could be more aftershocks."
Revali spat out, "Now you're a geologist!"
"It's basic freaking-!" Link shouted back, only to be silenced be another, closer rumbling that threatened to turn his stomach.
Behind them, another plate of limestone had broken free from the ceiling, hanging only by some unseen hinge that now brought the slab sickeningly closer to the two as though it were a door swinging into its frame, blocking their only exit and closing in on them, slamming through the solid rock of the mountain like a mindless tread.
"This really isn't good," Link noted with a lifeless tone.
Revali froze in unceremonious realization, breaking his icy glance only once Link shouted at him, "Come on!"
Throwing his backpack to the ground, Link braced himself against the limestone slab of the Goron contraption bringing his feet up to the wall that swung in on them, throwing his legs up to meet where it was closest.
Revali strode over with more determination than Link had ever seen, muttering in complaint underneath his breath, "This is precisely how I always knew I would perish! Stolen away from the eyes of the sky, trapped in some abominable tunnel of disgusting earth and silt!"
"Shut up and help me push!"
Daruk's eyes panned the room he had just entered, wondering exactly where he was within the winding hallway of the mountain. He had an idea; he should be somewhere above the others by now, he figured, but couldn't be certain where, exactly. He held on tightly to the Master Sword in his hand, having now forgotten his utter shock that the weapon had allowed him to do so, before stepping further into the room, peering upward toward the shaft above him.
This was a waystation for diverting lava flows from one exit to another, depending on which pathways of the mountain were in use by the Gorons at the time. Despite its centuries of disuse, it still functioned rather properly; Daruk noted the troughs of igneous rock through which lava flows barreled down before pouring down one tunnel. They could be swung from side to side to divert the flow, a profession once chosen for only the bravest of Gorons, but for only a few short years before Vah Rudania's apparent intentions came to light.
Daruk allowed himself a moment of awe as he admired the Goron craftsmanship, having never seen the waystations in person before, though he remained loose in his fascination, still plodding along in continuation, still focused on returning to Link what belonged to him. His sour mood had improved after long hours of introspection within the heart of his mountain, but by now, worry had begun to settle in like a pebble embedded in sand.
He approached the frontend of the waystation, noticing two of the tunnels through which the lava above could be diverted to. He felt something of a twinge in his hand, peering down toward the Master Sword in his hand, almost as if the inanimate weapon were restless. Daruk's brow furrowed in confusion, but in a split second, his eyes went wide as his senses exploded within his mind.
"REVALI?!" he could make out Zelda's voice, "ARE YOU THERE?!"
His breath ejected into the air as Daruk noticed his proximity to the others. The grip upon the Master Sword tightened as Daruk peered into the cylindrical tunnel that led straight down toward the others.
Through one, he made out Zelda, Urbosa, and Mipha, and through the other, Link and Revali, trapped between the slab that had broken loose from where Daruk now stood. The Goron immediately stepped closer toward the vertical tunnels, desperate to tear through the barrier between the two, but paused, not daring to act too quickly only to mess up once again.
He turned to the other tunnel, eyes narrowed, just barely making out Link and Revali with their legs propped up, the same wall of rock that threatened to crush them also slamming through the rock of the tunnel Daruk now peered through.
Turning his body, he prepared to descend down to crush through the rock wall, but in that moment, a sickening screech caught his attention.
"KWAAAAAAARW!"
His spine crawled. He turned back toward the tunnel with the women of their troupe, then back to the opposite, lost on what to do. Torn.
Finally, his breath hastened.
He turned his head upward, finding the trough of lava above him.
Daruk's heart began to pound in his chest as he threw his arm up, dropping the Master Sword down the tube of rock before turning his attention to the trough.
His eyes shut as tight as they could, Link shoved his feet against the slab, growling intensely as he poured his every muscle into resisting the onslaught that threatened their lives.
"Gah!" he cried out in a furious gasp for energy, "GAAA-~"
*PLAM*
His eyes flew open at the nearby, unfamiliar sound, immediately loosing his focus as he scanned the area, checking the space between he and Revali to find the Master Sword, sending his heart in a myriad of directions as his eyes shot upward.
"DARUK!" he shouted.
Revali sputtered from his contorted frame, "What- the- What're- you- doing- dolt?!"
Daruk reached for the rope that worked its way through the trough of lava, carefully pulling it nearer to the two gaps in the floor below. As he aligned it properly, his heart sank- after years of disuse, the lava had eroded away the end of the trough, leaving it too short to reach the two tunnels.
"Goddess, no!" Daruk exclaimed under his breath, returning to the two tunnels.
He thought of his friends. The Company that had once been an assemblage of random beings, that now had very much become his family.
He thought, ever still, of the debt owed to them. after everything he had caused them in the way of pain. in failure.
His heart rang out in his ears as his eyes turned to meet the trough of liquid, searing rock. His body shook, ringing out in breathless, terrified shivers that panged throughout every layer of stone within him.
He stepped toward the two tunnels. He released a tumultuous whisper.
"More than stone…"
"You're not mere stone."
He bit his lip. then surrendered every apprehension. Everything his body knew to avoid doing.
He knew how to close the gap.
His hand raised toward the trough, and with a final shake of breath, buried his hand into the pouring stream of molten rock, his eyes flaring open into wide craters of pained contortion. His body convulsed in initial repulsion, but despite the scorching punctures of endless, searing pain, Daruk resisted, gritting his teeth as a booming roar escaped him.
"HWA-! HWAAAAAAAA-!"
As the lava cascaded down his arm and along his shoulders, he aimed his opposite arm toward the tunnel above Link and Revali, his vision going blank as excruciating pain rang through every segment of his body like stab after stab, as if he were being mauled to death by some murderous specter.
Link's eyes widened at the everglow of orange careening toward the two of them. He immediately jolted his gaze toward Revali, whose eyes remained shut, and readied a leg before shooting a powerful kick into the Rito's side, sending him careening into the wall with a massive *THUD*.
Revali immediately coursed with anger, yelling, "YOU LITTLE-!"
Before he could continue, a loud cascade of lava gushed atop the limestone slab, immediately beginning to melt the solid structure into a gaseous mess of vapor all while lava continued piddling down toward the rock below. Link's eyes widened in shock, the slab slowing its descent now that its momentum had largely halted due to its weakening weight.
Daruk clenched his jaw as tight as he could, feeling his teeth beginning to dig back into his mouth. He growled determinately as he yanked his arm away, releasing a pool of lava atop the next slab to allow it to melt down, before turning his arm even further to allow a deluge to spill toward the woman of the Company as well.
"That had to have been him!" Zelda shouted, as hopeful as she'd been in what seemed like days.
Urbosa bit her tongue, readying her sword, "Child! We haven't time! Ready your weapon and-!"
"Watch out!"
Urbosa threw her head up, leaping out of the way just as a stream of lava came crashing down atop of them. She watched in terror of the foreign substance, but her attention immediately drew back toward the approaching lanmola.
"KWAAAWR! -WAAAWR! -AAAAAAAWR!" rang out the chorus of creatures that immediately came to a halt, terrorized by the glowing beam of lava that poured nearer their direction.
Mipha, newly revitalized, was the first to exclaim, "Urbosa! Your shield!"
In a split second, Urbosa turned her attention toward her shield, catching Mipha's drift in an instant as she lifted it up into the air, allowing a generous heap of lava to collect atop of it before bringing it low, throwing her sword across the face of the shield as lava scattered throughout the tunnel, the lanmola creatures immediately releasing frightened cries in reply.
"KWAAAWR! -WAAAAAAR!"
"Back, you beasts!" Urbosa shouted as she stepped forward ever slightly, turning the creatures back.
The darkened bodies of slithering creatures retreated with zealous glints of guttural cries, but as Urbosa continued the assault, the lanmola swarm suddenly spun away, skittering along like frightened animals.
Their threat averted, Urbosa suddenly spun around, dropping the shield to the ground to keep its face from sending lava elsewhere, hurrying back to the group as liquid pools of magma wormed its way throughout the gigantic ingot of limestone that kept the Company separated. As gaps emerged between noxious fumes of limestone burning into vapor, Mipha peered through the unstable rock, desperate to find Link, finding him collapsed against the wall of the tunnel, hand over his chest as he desperately attempted to calm himself.
She turned a hopeful glance toward Urbosa as the Gerudo took her sword, working its sharpened edge in through the emerging divisions within the slab, attempting to quicken its dissolve.
"Link! Revali!" Zelda cried out.
Revali was the only one to shout in reply, "If I ever again-!"
*CRASH*
Daruk's lifeless body came collapsing into the rock opposite the woman of the Company, shaking the earth between Link and Revali with a startling burst of tremors.
"DARUK!" Link shouted as he immediately leapt to his feet, scrounging his way closer to the fallen Goron as the woman looked on in fright.
Link immediately grew cautious, noticing the lengthy streaks of jet black char that shone along his arms and shoulders that were heated to the touch. He threw his hands underneath Daruk, trying to spin the massive man onto his back, but to no avail.
"Revali!" he cried out.
The Rito sputtered to life, "That man nearly-!"
"GET over here!" Link yelled out with a booming voice that rivaled Daruk's boasts.
As though shaken to his core, Revali stood for a moment in shock, only moving to trudge his way toward the fallen Goron, shaking his head as he cursed under his breath.
"Stupid little-"
Link grunted as he continued his attempt to spin Daruk over, speaking heatedly, "You can say whatever the hell you want, but- You're gonna get over here and help!"
With Revali's added weight, the Goron rolled over, his arm falling lifelessly across his body as he lay there, eyes closed, his lips contorted in a way to signal sleep… or-
"Da- ruk," Zelda whimpered below tearful eyes, covering her mouth to conceal her tender tone.
Link fell to his knees, examining the lost man quickly enough, only to realize that Gorons have nothing of vital signs to begin with. Only a sigh left him at the realization of such a thing, his head turning as Urbosa finished carving out a smoky path through the limestone slab, allowing she and Zelda to quickly help Mipha through the gap.
"Urbosa," Link muttered warily, "Can you carry him?"
The Gerudo watched him with pained eyes, as if in dismay with her own abilities, "I mean- I can try."
Link bit his lip. He turned toward Zelda.
"All of us, or none of us. Right?"
Zelda's heart shook.
Link finished, "Daruk would want us to continue without him."
"I know," Zelda tearfully surmised, covering her face, "I- I-"
The struggling voice of this child tore a wedge through Urbosa's heart. She shook her head as she stepped toward the gigantic man, leaving Zelda speechless as she squatted down, throwing Daruk's arm and leg over her shoulder.
"Enough of this," she charged, breathing quickly to ready herself, "There's no more time for this, right?"
Zelda watched with terror as Urbosa began lifting Daruk over her shoulder with Link pushing him up and over her head, the Gerudo's voice straining as she growled underneath the added, magnanimous weight.
"GRRRRRRR!" she roared like a tigress, "Al- right. Give me- a moment to- adjust. Hard part's over…"
Link turned toward Zelda, "You sure?"
Behind tear-stained eyes, Zelda fretted a reply, but Urbosa took her place with a quick, "Yes, I'm sure! Now come on!"
Urbosa carried Daruk along, every step like a lacerating stab to her knees, gaining speed as she learned which steps allowed her momentum to lunge forward. Link watched warily before catching sight of Mipha, who took her turn behind Urbosa to walk along behind her.
Link's brow curled with worry.
He prayed there wouldn't be another casualty.