He was right, Hyrule was the place where things go to die.
But in the end, it would bring up the case that she hadn't truly thought of when she first got here. Acceptance. Home was long from here. So long, that it was just a dream she had dreamt - with such a constant lucidity, it was almost so real, but admittedly - not real enough. She realized that it was best not to think about it.
The water of the spring was limpid, and undeniably sweet. The soft calls of the morning air weaned into her senses, and into her mind like a blanket. However, instead of warming her, it weighs her down like an uncanny mirage or brought forth from the consistency of spite, and ire. She brushed her hair over the other shoulder, and pressed the damp rag to the side of her face. Light, even shallow taps and nudges, yet the scratch would never let up. Perhaps it would come with time and constant spring water. This was Eldin's spring, meant to heal and nourish like the other three springs throughout Hyrule. Niah grimaced and threw the rag out of frustration, of course it wouldn't work. At least not for her that is. She pulled her knees to her chest and stared at the sparkling pool as the tiny waves gleamed in the moonlight as it slowly went down. There was little noise, the village was still asleep even as it approached the early hours of the morning. The crows were hiding away again, and the crickets were finishing their symphony. Niah's eyes looked towards the horses, Epona and Mara ate their share of hay, positioned without reigns or fencing, they would stay put to their own volition. It was sad though, because Niah never gave either of them a second thought, maybe when she wasn't sulking - she would brush her later.
"This is stupid." Niah thought to herself, combing her fingers through her hair, it was oily, and tangled. A mess, which only added to her frustration. She had chewed her nails bare, and the inside of her mouth was already bitten raw, and no amount of confiding would help the situation.
"This is stupid, this is ridiculous. This is bullshit." It took every bone in her body to refrain from screaming.
The memory of debris, blood and knives flashed through her. With that she bit her lip, and could feel the blood pooling in her mouth.
"Hush my baby. Be still,
And don't cry. For you'll
Drift, and rock with the spring.
So sleep, and remember thou
Lullaby, for the Gods will stay
With you while you dream..."
The lullaby had caught Niah by surprise, she hadn't realized that anyone had come to the spring. There was a woman, wearing a light frock that stretched down to her bare feet. The woman's hair was a deep black, meticulously weaved or braided together down her back. Her eyes were a gentle shade of green, and as she brushed a strand of hair behind her pointed ear, only then did Niah notice the circlet of bright gold that rested on her brow. The woman did have a child with her. It cooed and shrilled, and layed in a delicately woven basket just floating near the land of the village in the water. The child was just out of arm's reach, and Niah watched in a weird sense of fascination, the lullaby continued.
"Goddess, O' Goddess,
Hold him gently for me, for
The cargo you bear is so
Precious, Let him rest
Somewhere, he can still
Dream. Goddess, O'
Goddess, I beg."
The lyrics ended, but was soon accompanied by a flute. It followed the lyrics with the same tempo, slow with a tiny hint of desperation towards the end. But the last note hit the air like a breath as it slowly drifted into the stillness of the environment. Niah knew it was rude to stare, but she couldn't help it. Her mind gravitated towards the serenade. Gradually, a smile spread to her lips, and the mother rested herself in the sand as she watched the cradle slowly drift into the lazy water.
They made eye contact for a moment, before the woman smiled at her and back towards the spring. And left Niah, who felt flustered and embarrassed as she turned away.
"Here."
An arm nudged her, and as she escaped her worried trance, she jumped and looked towards them, Niah let out a breath, "Oh, it's just you."
"Sorry, just good ol' me." Burvis chuckled, but Niah just looked at him with annoyance, but his smile didn't falter, he nudged her again, an apple was presented to her, and with a worried breath, she took it.
"What is she doing..?" Niah asked quietly, without having even realized it.
"The woman? Some Hylians believe that if infants and young children nap in holy springs, then they'll be more blessed or something. " He shrugged as the crisp bite of the apple he handled could be heard amongst them. "And they're not wrong-" He started, he spoke with his mouth full of food, "The springs heal most mundane wounds, but - from experience - they're great to relieve stress." He took another bite, which made Niah shake her head and juggled the fruit in her hand.
"... but it's normal here." He finished.
The sky began to lighten as the spring was just as lazy as them, huddled on the shore hardly realizing their predicament, Niah etched her vision into the waterfall, it fell far too fast compared to the stillness of the water. There was a shift beside her, Burvis had leaned back to relax, and it made her roll her eyes.
"So," Niah began, "What now?" she spoke as she turned back towards him. He had closed his eyes and began to breathe the fresh morning air.
"You head to Death Mountain, what else would you do?"
"I'm not going alone." She daggered, "Not with-"
It was Burvis's turn to roll his eyes this time, and he leaned back forward. "You talk like your boyfriend is dead."
"He's not my boyfriend. We just met-"
"What do you mean you just met? When?"
"I don't know. A couple days ago."
"Wait, you started travelling with some you just met?" He laughed, it brought the mood up gradually, Niah appreciated that as she chuckled along with him. "What's next? Marriage?"
She shook her head, and laughed with a grin before the vibe settled.
But she frowned again once the weight of the situation settled once more. Burvis was right though. He wasn't dead, not nearly even there. The potion had helped with the infection, and unfortunately his eye wasn't able to be recovered. Not that it mattered much regardless, he would remain eyeless unless some long discovery granted him with a glass eye or something of the sort.
"He kinda looks like a pirate now-" Colin had said before Renado had to escort him out the room.
The last night after their arrival back at the village, Niah found herself to be quite acquainted with the children and the other minor folks. She tried to keep them entertained as their friend, - and mentor, was undergoing excruciating pain. It was certain that the red potion had an instant effect, but just as quickly as the novelty of her presence ran out, Burvis had taken control of them, festered and bargained with them enough to head to bed. He was undeniably good with children. Not Colin though, he made a seat outside of the medical cellar Link was placed in, and was comfortable with a book. Clearly the young thing was sick with worry, but also bored. Poor thing.
Niah breathed like she was breathing her first breath of air, and cleared her throat.
"Has he… said anything?"
"No. But I can tell that beneath the surface of the wound still hasn't healed, and he's still in pain. So I tried a spell to try and help it."
"How'd that go?"
"Terrible. There's a reason why I only tangle with defense spells. Medicine is hardly worth my time." He bent down and picked up the rag that Niah had dropped, and began to soak it once more. Niah didn't notice the movement, and instead shifted her gaze to the dark, dense caverns where the water poured. Then all of a sudden, there was a damp coolness pressed against her face, instinctually - she flinched, and pulled away with a look of confusion, but relaxed when she realized it was the cloth.
"It isn't going to work," she started, "-already tried."
"Hm, perhaps." he tapped the magic water against her skin, and just like she said, nothing happened. After a minute of tense concentration, he set it back down as well.
"That's unfortunate. Is there a curse on you? Or-"
"No, that's just the way I am."
There was a tense silence afterwards. Niah could still feel the man's gaze, but instead of confronting it, she ignored it. He had the presence of a dominant and demanding man, but what lingered undeneight was something ageless, with a small dapple of curiosity. Her brain was a muddled mess of confusion. Finally though she turned her head to look at him, and when Niah did, she saw something ancient and forever, little fear lingered. She almost reached out.
Burvis bubbled with laughter, and turned away, his dark cheeks unusually flushed with a red tint. He stood tall above her.
"Hey! What's so funny?!" She stood beside him.
He laughed though without responding, or perhaps that was the response. Niah's cheeks grew red with anger though, and as the laughter tapered off into a middle giggle, he then did respond.
"For-forgive me-" he laughed, "No one has looked at me like that in a very long time."
Amusement did not grace Niah's face however, this made her anger multiply.
"Let's not get upset over a little fun-"
"Are you stating my anger is misplaced?!"
"No, absolutely not, I just find it funny."
"Well, it's not..!"
"Fine, fine." He held up his hands in defense. "Whatever you say. But anyways, if you need me, I'll be at the bar." Burvis walked off and Niah's face was still furrowed in anger.
"And get some sleep!"
Niah rolled her eyes, and snatched the wet cloth and wrung it out.
_/\_
Link was being kept just below the Sanctuary, Renado, the Shaman, had feared upon their arrival that he could get infected and turn into a disease, and no one wanted that to spread. Which was understandable, that would certainly be bad. The door creaked open but no one was alerted by the noise. The room was round with torches that lined them against the stone. The statue was moved to reveal the underground bunker, but instead of the building being a typical round shape - there was a staircase that stretched downward towards a medical type bay. The temperature down there was nothing comparable to the surface. It was much cooler, almost air conditioned for the ill and other fevered individuals. Niah had almost found herself down there, but fortunately the scratch wasn't bad, bled a little but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Before Niah pulled back the curtain, she breathed for a moment, and spoke. "I hope you're decent." she started, "I brought some spring water for you."
There was no response, which she assumed meant that Link was asleep. She wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.
Niah pulled the curtain back. And she didn't see anything too significant. Just a man in an undershirt and trousers, poking at the bandage on his head, and looking at himself through a mirror.
"I thought Hylians' had super-hearing or something."
Link shrugged, at first Niah was scared she had frightened him, but it was like he had heard her to begin with.
"Eh, selective." he responded with a dismissing tone.
"Is that everyone or just you?"
He didn't respond.
Niah moved towards him with purpose, there was a chair in the corner that she dragged over, and she grind her teeth at the sound of the wood screeching against the ground. She placed it to the side of him and beckoned him to turn towards her. He did with a grumble as he set the jagged mirror down.
"Tilt your head towards me."
Link does, and when Niah moved the bandage her breath stopped for a minute to take in the dried blood that clung to the gauze that was bound to his eyes by a scrap of wool. She pressed the cloth to his skin, and he hissed in a response tugging himself away.
"When I was little, I had this cousin from my mom's side of the family, super rich. But anyways, he worked as a carpenter and got most of his jobs from this super rich neighborhood in upstate New York, petty jobs sometimes. But once a coworker used one of their screw guns and shot him in the eye with it, and just… had a screw lodged inside. He was taken to a hospital, and then after a couple weeks he was fine. It was an accident, just a temp playing around with equipment he shouldn't have been messing with."
"Is that… is that supposed to teach me something?"
"Yeah. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
"Thanks, I'm cured - ow!"
"Sorry," she began to tap meticulously on the wound, the blood cleared and revealed a closed wound, but beneath it was bruised and purple. "He was right though, red potion only heals the surface." Niah said under her breath.
"I try not to use it. Not good for you." He sucked in a breath over a particular tap. The effects were nearly instant. Why no one uses the spring water baffled her as she pulled away.
"Does it hurt?"
He pressed the palm of his hand against the socket.
"Not anymore, just stings a little bit."
"Good," She found more pieces of gauze and bandaged his face again.
Link scrunched his face and stood up. He staggered for a moment before he straightened his posture. He reached for the side table and grabbed his belt. Niah watched as he fastened it around his waist, there was a moment where he shuttered, either in pain or drowsiness. Tempted, Niah nearly caught him, and goad him to lay back down and rest. However, from what she saw at the hideout, there was a sense of doubt that he would ever listen.
"It's going to scar." A voice from the deep shadow. "Perhaps you should at least get a patch for it."
"No." Link replied. "We don't have time for that."
"We have plenty of time to make it up the mountain for you to cover up a wound that still has the chance of getting infected."
"There's also a chance of it reopening."
Link shook his head, and negated that fact. He was frank with his answer, however amongst other things - the one understanding was that he was incredibly tormented. But concerning the main capital point she had not a moment's doubt that Link had made up his mind, and his decision was final.
"We'll head to the mountains as soon as possible. The sooner we get that Fused Shadow the sooner we head to the next stop, and we can get you home."
With that being said, Niah decided that pressing the matter further could potentially worsen the situation, especially if one is uncomfortable with it. So she didn't air her grievance - and remained silent.
They left the sanctuary with haste, and Link didn't stop in his tracks in order to make their way to the mountains. This time though, the village was alive with people hoarding and moving about. Their reverence was admirable as they passed through with velocity, and Link moved right alongside them. The glaring sunlight woke her mind the best that it was able to, and with that flare of energy she crossed the village with Link.
The place wasn't nearly as hollow as she remembered though. There were other buildings, worn for sure, but certainly not forgotten, a small general shop, a blacksmith, and a few smaller businesses that relaxed under their shade, trying to stay cool from the impending sun that threatened to roast them. But there were also homes too, with women and children. The cliff that held the bomb assembly was in ruin, but was also larger and expanded, the cliff this time -had homes built alongside it, shacks more like it, with drying clothes fluttering in the staggered wind.
"If we don't get to that volcano soon, and have the Goron's let up their sudden little 'embargo' then the men will lose their homes.." Link said as dirtied men rested near the entrance of the mountains. Many wore various armour and held axes, hammers and other tools. It was hard to look at. Working men laid off from a simple misunderstanding.
"How long has this been going on for?"
"Long enough."
_/\_
The net that led onward was cut nearly to pieces, but after a glance, Link had figured out how to make his way through safely without much of an issue. Niah on the other hand hadn't performed any climbing since before she graduated High School. Link was more used to the climate and activity, and Niah was not. This was made incredibly apparent when Link had made it to the top, and Niah was still mauring away at the bottom. But with a few less than encouraging words, she set aside her inactivity of the last year, and proceeded to the top with much more effort than she would have liked. If she was tired before, she was more so now, as by the time she had made her way to the top - she was gasping for breath and weak.
'Now,' She thought harshly, '-now would be a great time for the adrenaline to butt in.'
But instead of a Goron rampaging towards them - It was barren. She reveled internally from relief.
"Not really active are you?" He asked, a smile pricked at the corner of his mouth, but as Niah rasped beside him, she wasn't short of her own response however.
Niah pointed at the missing eye, hidden in a bandage. "Not really charismatic, are you?"
Link didn't laugh.
"Hey!" A voice boomed through the gorge. "You were told last time that no humans were allowed! These lands are now permanently Goron territory! The Elder's said no human's may pass!"
Link turned himself towards the cliff, there was a Goron, apparent rage and other unhinged expression, but Link looked upward with conviction, and Niah was left with the ever growing feeling that things were about to get nasty, more nasty than what she would expect. If the hideout was any sample of what was to come, then she needed to be vigilant, no matter the case. The Goron took a step before he jumped from the cliff, as he plunged to the ground, his mighty weight perforated the terrain, and the air had a sudden accumulation of dirt and dust, the region was already arid, but it was made more accurate when her breathing faltered slightly either from fear or dehydration.
Niah was shoved behind him, she almost fell in the dust but fortunately caught herself. She watched the metal boots appear on his feet in a blink of an eye. And Niah would stare in awe, if there wasn't a Goron boulder rolling towards them, and with that being said, she made the conscious decision to scuffle to the side of the action and avoid impact. Which she did so successfully, and she watched Link grab the Goron and toss him to the side as if he were a sheet of paper. And would eye Link in conceptive awe, but imminent danger still rested somewhere, and so perhaps it would be better to save the compliments for later.
By the time she looked back at Link, the boots were already off and he had started to wipe the dust from himself.
"There," He said, "With that settled, we can continue."
All Niah did was nod.
As they made their way up the mountain, it inclined severely as they pressed forward. It was hard to dredge up the mountain, and Niah would complain, but if Link could do it, so could she. Dust had started to kick up with her feet though, as she began to become lazy, the sun had risen over the gorge at this point, making all the heat bear on them, and the travel towards the steam geysers was taking longer than she thought it would, but she wasn't excited for it though. Link was silent, and he kept to himself most of the time.
Finally however, after what felt like forever, Link stopped. "We should take a break."
Niah threw herself on the ground. "Oh thank God,"
Link let out a deep sigh as he unhached his shield and sword from his back. Tension released as he stretched his arms above his head and a few cracks could be heard from the strain released from his limbs as his back cracked. He planted himself directed across from Niah, who had crawled to the side of the trail, the cliff making a rather nice shade. Link kept a safe distance himself, but still laid in the shade as well. And nothing was said between them for a long few minutes. Water passed around wordlessly, and an agreement was silently set until her own tension released and the sweet taste of water settled on her tongue.
"My dad and I went hiking once. It wasn't anything big or whatever. But I remember falling into a pond. He thought it was hilarious, but I sulked for the rest of the day." She rested her head against the rock and let out a sigh. "Now that I think about it though. It was pretty funny."
Niah didn't look towards Link at all, just stared at the stone and rock on the other side before she nearly succumbed to fatigue and closed her eyes.
Link remained silent, she didn't expect him to respond at all, but he did. "Must have been nice." The response seemed to be disinterested and annoyed.
Niah was inclined to reply to the comment, but Link's voice picked up over the sound of wind and rock.
"-to have a father. Mine died when I was young."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Link shrugged, "I'm over it, have been for a good while. Sometimes, growing up. I hoped that one day I would wake up in my village, back home. And all of this would one day be a bad dream."
"Maybe it is." She laughed. "Maybe my dad dying is just a bad dream, and when I go home, it's just me waking up in my bed," Niah opened her eyes and stared at the sky, "-I get finished packing so I can go back to my university, and he sees me depart at the airport. Just like last time."
"University? I thought academics were just for men. With science, history and all that boring stuff." Link to his credit. props himself up, and in that moment he looked more like a teenager than he did an adult. Niah forgot how young he truly was. He acted older, never got to live a good life until he arrived in Ordon. Or maybe he was forced there? Questions she had to ask later, but not now. She wanted to gain his trust, not lose it.
"Where I'm from, a woman can do what she likes."
"Okay then, what are you at a university for then? Ilia's husband is educated in history and literature. I've always wanted to know what it was like to go to one and what they do. I would ask. But her husband and I have some problems with each other."
The question hit harder than it should, and it made sense to an extent when he asked it, but the issue was the response. Niah cleared her throat, and opened her mouth to say something, anything but would it be too complicated? Link had more expression in this moment than he had before they left for Ordon, and because of that she feared to answer with something disappointing, and convoluted his mind.
"I was going for political science like my dad did. But… I dropped out."
"Why?"
"I missed being home."
It wasn't the full truth, but it was exactly a lie either, but he seemed content with the answer, and in a way - she was as well.
After that, they gathered themselves up and started up the mountain again. This time though, the somber tension between them slowly crumbled as they began to converse like… normal people. Or at least as normal as you would assume.
"What other things can you do back in your world?"
The pathway was suddenly greeted with large steps. One's where she had to throw her body on to climb, but Link had made it up the first one before her, and as he took her hand and helped to hoist her up, she heaved, both at the fact that she was severely out of shape, but also because Link had to help her, and it was quite embarrassing.
"Well, for one, we can enlist in the army."
Niah took Link's hand as he lifted her up the last boulder, "That's… interesting."
"We are allowed to have as much schooling as we want, and can pretty much do whatever men do. Took us a while to get to that point. How is that interesting?"
Link shrugged, "I just never imagined women would specialize in combat I guess."
"You talk like you are though." Niah wasn't offended by the comment, but was taken back for a moment before she realized that Hyrule wasn't quite there yet. And that was okay, it seemed like women would be treated better here than they were in her world before they got to the point they're at with accepting women into manly attributes.
Link smiled, and let out a laugh, "I am absolutely. I am considered to be a… combat specialist."
Niah didn't want to ruin what was built up and laughed along with him.
"Maybe I'll be able to show you when we meet the Goron leader."
Finally, after nearly two hours of climbing, Niah heard the steam geysers in the distance. She was giddy as they arrived at the checkpoint. In front of them, as clear as day, was a howl monument. Erosion from the years past had exposed small ledges like stair that led to the other side of the cavern. The area was dense and populated with a small group of bublins on the ground just near the monument, and archers;.
They were nasty greasy creatures. They held the aura of evil and malice. Golden eyes with just that small hint of a devious red. They were preoccupied with something else fortunately and didn't notice the two at the entrance of the checkpoint. Niah was on guard, and Link seemed to be clueless. With oblivion that matched a child, he ran forwards with his sword drawn. It gleamed as he unsheathed it, and with a whistle as it sliced through the air. He stopped in his tracks as an arrow from above barreled down and barely grazed his cheek.
Link jumped back, "Dammit," he said "I thought I got them all last time I was here."
"The evil still torments the area, so they come back no matter what you do. Don't ever be too sure of yourself."
Midna left no snarky comment, but Niah nodded regardless.
Link gripped the hilt of his sword in irritation. "There's gotta be another way then." He maneuvered his body behind the entryway, making him protected by the wall, where the archers couldn't see them.
Niah followed his movement, but he was looking at the two ground bublins, too occupied with conversation in gibberish other than what their real job was, Niah looked at the opposite side of the gorge where the other caved portion of the cliffside was, and noticed something interesting.
"Link," She said quietly and nudged him in the process. "Look, they're empty."
"Okay, so- oh. Oh." It hit him suddenly.
The positions to their left that were meant to be occupied with archers were void of them, this meant that without fighting, they could perhaps make their way to the other side. But how?
"If we're quiet enough," Link started, "We can go underneath."
They pressed their backs against the rock as they meticulously made their way towards the wall underneath their posts; they were most exposed now, however all they had to do was make it to the same wall, below them, where they were better protected. It worked, but they weren't out of danger yet. As Niah looked up, a large pebble fell on her head from the bublin's movement, she groaned; it was loud enough that the archers above them reacted to it, but the monsters away from them didn't seem to care.
Link stared at her, his brows furrowed.
"Sorry." She mouthed to him.
The process was long and tedious, but they made their way across. Without a struggle or fight. It was slow and methodical, definitely annoying, but when they made it far enough, they both let out a sigh of relief.
They collected themselves but as they were leaving, Link let out a laugh.
"Huh, that would have made things easier."
"...what?"
"I forgot." He pulled out a weapon, "I could have used my boomerang."
Niah huffed, yeah. Of course he could have.
The geyester lead them to the mid point of their destination, a large area, ledges and gates guarded by Gorons, and just as the entered the area, rubble and magma began to fall, it almost toppled them once or twice as they got closer, but found places where they would be able to take cover. Link pressed them forward as the death shower stopped.
"There's a grate to the side, we could climb up that-"
"Can't. Look, the steam isn't stopping, and if you touched it you would lose your grip, easily."
"That's very true, but I don't have another way to get up there." A boulder whistled past them and crashed into the ground, barely missing the two.
Niah didn't want to mention it, and as she gazed into the terrain, and tried to look for another way up - he was right, there wasn't one. She bit her lip and sighed. Fine.
"We could… use the Goron's..?" She said quickly.
"What..?"
"You know. They ball up as a shield mechanism, and they um… open up really quickly to stun the enemy for an attack. So, if we try and challenge one… we could get him to close up, climb on his back and uh. Make it to the top that way."
It wasn't a good explanation, but it wasn't a bad one either. Niah had no clue how it worked, absolutely none. But she hoped that the explanation would be convincing enough that Link wouldn't question her. She bit her lips and crossed her fingers. She wasn't met with ridicule, but actually a nod and a hum in response, whether that was good or not was debatable, but he grabbed her hand and with his sword drawn. The Goron noticed them instantly and raised his fists to fight.
The Goron initiated the first blow, as Niah let go, Link drew his shield, the boulder fist made contact with it, and in response, the Goron did just as they predicted… rolled itself into a ball. Link took her hand again as they climbed onto it's back, and the quaking started, suddenly the hold released and they were flown into the air. Niah let out a yelp as they fell onto the road.
It hurt. But Link seems unphased.
Link had landed with far more grace than she did, and as she collapsed onto the ground. He helped her up, back as she groaned in pain, she suddenly realized that she had to do that another few more times. It was going to be a nightmare.
"I didn't think we would land so hard."
"Yeah," Link said, "That's what happens when you fall from the-"
The volcano let out a groan as rocks and boulders began to fall from the sky again, and as they made their way to take cover under a cliff, a loud piercing seeth could be heard. Niah was confused for a millisecond before she looked up and finally remembered. Link noticed it too, he quickly pulled out his shield just before impact. The ground trembled beneath them, the area even shifted slightly to accommodate the thing. Niah and Link glanced just over the shield and let out a sigh.
A monstrous boulder was presented to them. Niah knew it would be used to free the Zora's from their frozen land, but Link didn't.
After a minute of collecting himself Link let out a breath. "I… didn't see that coming."
'Yeah,' Niah thought to herself, 'Neither did I.'
Link took her hand, and they traveled up the mountain more. There were still geysers, a few Gorons they had to get through. Fortunately they made it through the obstacles without much problem, gorons or not be damned because both of them fell into a pattern. A few times without much warning, a goron would roll their way and attempt to knock them down, but Link had the reflex to deflect the attack, and send the thing rolling down the mountain once more. Slowly she could see from his silence, he was getting more irritated with the interruption that began to occur more and more as they climbed.
Then they came towards the last Goron. Niah was relieved. Link attacked, the goron took cover, and they made their ascent to the top.
More came, and Link was getting tired - everytime Niah touched him, that's what she felt, but there was also determination. In a way she envied that.
The metal grated floor underneath them clattered loudly with every step they took, and suddenly the attacks stopped. The light beyond them was dim, and Link had to time to get his lanter to watch for attacks either, so they went forward blind. But their destination appeared.
Gorons surrounded them. And began a defense.
"Niah, stay behind me." Boots appeared on Link's feet again, but just as they were about to attack, there was a shout.
"That is enough!" A deep voice yelled, Niah stared towards the entrance of the dungeon, and there stood a mighty Goron.
They stopped and stared at the elder with conviction, and some questioned, but the elder provided no answer immediately, and gazed upon the two with questioning eyes.
He laughed. "My brothers. Are these humans so imposing that you must gang up on them? I should think not!" He pointed towards them, "Come to me humans, you have sparked an interest."
They did wearily. Niah knew better, truly she did, but the tension remained as she stared up at the man. He crossed his arms and looked at them with humor and a sense of awe.
"These brave humans had fought, and you lost. You are strong… for being a human I must say. It's sad my little brothers do not recognize such courage. I will apologize for them. I am Gor Goron, an elder of my tribe, however I am not the leader, but because of circumstances I have temporarily taken the role for my brother, Darbus. Please state your business."
Niah and Link looked at each other, but Link didn't seem up for a conversation and nudged her, as he was able to sneak the boots off his feet
"We um… come because we heard there were troubles with your sacred mine. And, we have decided to uh… try and help find a solution."
The other gorons resounded in laughter, but it was short lived as Gor raised his hand, "Silence!"
"I will listen to the human girl." He sighed and stepped down from the platform. "I said you were strong, however like you said, they are sacred to my brothers and I. Outsiders are not allowed, it is dangerous, as the path is filled with monsters and magma…" Gor drifted off, but as he looked towards Link, he quirked his lip in a smile. "I suppose I could make an exception though. I need proof that you will be able to handle yourself. So I believe a contest of power is in order."
Link and Niah looked at each other wordlessly, and slowly they started to nod.
"I'm glad we could compromise. I presume you know of our techniques."
For the first time since arriving, Link spoke. "Yes."
It was the best of three matches.
Link made his way into the ring, and the other gorons surrounded them to watch the match, but stayed a distance away for the opponent to be thrown down. Niah was excited though, and the first round went just as she assumed it would go, because there was one thing Link had forgotten.
His boots.
Link fell out of the ring after a particular hard shove, promptly he landed, back against the ground.
Niah, laughed
"Yeah, you're a real combat specialist."
Link daggered at her, bared his teeth, and stood once more.
This time with boots appearing on his feet, and more ready to fight. This time, the fight was longer, and tedious. The both fought well as Link dodged the swing, he was able to grab the elder and finally push him over the edge. Link had won.
"Ah, so it seems I have doubted you. We will fight once more."
He was back in the ring, and this time the fight was much longer. Link had almost thrown out several times, but he used his short frame to jump from the elders grasp, then as the two stumbled to the edge once more, Link dodged another slap before maneuvering his way behind Gor, and tossing him over the edge.
The other Goron's stood in awe, their elder had been defeated in their own game, but Gor still laughed and rose to his feet, "You have strong will, and sharp eyes. Commendable attributes. With that being said, since you are here to help my people, you will be put to the ultimate test. The volcano has been erupting with little signs of stopping, so the four other elders including Darbus had entered in hopes to find what the danger was. What he found was a treasure entrusted by the spirits that we were meant to protect. However, when Darbus touched it, he turned into a hideous creature, we used our power to trap him inside the mountain. It saddens me that we had to do that to our patriarch. But make no doubt, the spirits guided you warriors here, and I, Goron Gor, ask for your help."
The elder snapped his finger, "You two! Open the entrance, and let them through!"
The two that guarded the door move to the side, "I will not say this will be an easy feat, however I trust you will make it through, and help my people. Especially for one who has never seen a Goron before, and yet, stares with such familiarity, sharp eyes you have yes."
They made their way towards the mines and Niah released a sigh as they walked through without much of a second thought.
"-Ready your swords, and may the Gods be with you."
I finished this at the beginning of August, and just now finished editing it the best I could. I'm so sorry. Insurance won't approve of the antipsychotics I've been taking for years, and want me to go onto the off-brand, so It's been super stressful without my meds and everything in between.
But good news! I've got a new job and so I'm not as stressed out anymore! And I've got the next chapter half-written! (It's hard to write dungeon crawling haha)
Also, thank you to the review from a while ago! I'm gonna work on Niah and give her as much character as I possibly can, and in the process tighten the story as well! Your critique is greatly appreciated! And I encourage everyone to speak up!
