Chapter 23: Fiery Pursuits
The quartet's search for Din's flame once again put them hiking up the treacherous terrain of the Eldin Volcano, and fighting more Bokoblins that seem to reestablish their turf. The group found themselves in front of the entrance of the Earth Temple.
"You're telling me that the dark version of yourself was nice to you?" Pipit contended to Fledge as they arrived at the temple's entrance.
"Yeah. He was pretty…chill."
Pipit looked over to Karane, who had the same baffled expression as him.
"...I don't know if I should be happy that your dark version was nice, or I should be jealous," Karane deadpanned.
"Leave him be, you two." Link playfully scolds. "Do you feel anything, Fledge?"
Fledge scanned around the area for several minutes, tapping. His gaze was brought upon the path on the right side of the temple entrance.
"This way."
The group traveled down the path. Things were quiet for the next several minutes, though Pipit's expression grew skeptical. Once they all crossed over the stone bridge Pipit had been struck with an epiphany.
"Guys, stop! Link, don't you remember what was ahead the last time we were here? That cave was hot enough to literally set us on fire."
"The earrings I have should protect me from the heat." Link noted.
"Yeah, but the rest of us don't have those earrings." Pipit pointed out. "How are we supposed to get through there?"
Fi hastily exited the sword before Link could come up with a response.
"Do no worry, Master Pipit. During the trek up the mountain I had taken the liberty to analyze you, Master Karane, and Master Fledge since now all three of you have completed your trials. My scans show that the presence of the golden goddesses' essence within each of you has made changes to your metabolisms. There is a 97% chance that goddesses' essences will protect you from the extreme heat just as Master Link's Fireshield Earrings."
"They can do that?" Fledge glanced at his hands. "Wow…"
"There's only one way to find out."
Slowly, the group entered the molten rock-covered cave. Link's Fireshield Earrings gave out a small glow. Other than that, no noticeable changes have occurred to the others.
"The earrings work." Link announced. "What about you guys?"
"I feel fine. Huh! Fi was right after all!" Fledge exclaimed.
"Thank you, golden goddesses!" Pipit gleefully expressed to the air above.
"Stay focused. We still got a job to do," Karane reminded her boyfriend.
Fledge again took a moment to detect the flame's aura. It led the group to a pathway Link & Pipit did not see the last time they passed through the area. The quartet found themselves in a larger cavern-like terrain covered with even more molten rock. There were also pools of lava scattered around the place.
"I have a status update for you, Masters. We are not near the crater at the peak of Eldin Volcano. The Volcano Summit." Fi addressed the teens while they felt a vibration coming from their maps, no doubt adding the summit to it. "I am detecting extremely high temperatures in this area. However, the Fireshield Earrings that you possess, and your friend's essences from the goddesses will allow all of you to explore for extended periods of time. I calculate the probability of finding the final sacred flame here at 90%. I recommend searching for the flames."
"She's right," Fledge groaned, rubbing his head. "There's…certainly a powerful presence here."
While it was true he could feel the aura of the flames, Fledge swore he felt something else. It had a similar reading to the flames but it was much different and fainter. He did not share this with his friends, figuring it was something they could check out at a later point. He can hope he doesn't get them mixed up.
The group resumed their search after Fi retreated in the sword. The cavern was very large. The flame could very well be hidden anywhere. Link had the thought that if he came here alone like he originally planned he could've been wandering around for hours. With Fledge they can hopefully find the flame relatively quick.
Their trek led them to a section with open space. The other side of the path was separated by a pool of lava. The only way across was large rocks wide enough for one person to hop across. One by one each member of the group hopped across. First Link, Karane, then Pipit. Fledge was the last one. Unbeknownst to the quartet, three pairs of reptilian eyes had been watching them from high above the cave. They had been stalking them, waiting for the right time to strike. That time was now.
Fledge readied himself to jump across the rocks when jumping in front of him from above was none other than a Lizalfos. Fledge stumble down on his rear. His three friends were about to rush to his aid when two more Lizalfos jumped down on their side, blocking the path to the orange-clad student. Noticing his friend's predicament. Fledge knew that Link would not be able to get him out of this fight. Meaning he had to take on the Lizalfos on his own this time.
The boy quickly got back on his feet before the Lizalfos could hit him with its large arm guard. The two opponents had their gazes glued on, circling each other, waiting for the other to make their attack.
"Looks like I'm in for a rematch…"
Nervousness filled Fledge's chest. Then he remembered the events of his trial including the encouraging words of Dark Fledge & Din. It help calmed him down.
"No…I can do this. You can do this, Fledge."
Fledge would not falter this time. The Fledge that first fought the Lizalfos in the Earth Temple was not the same Fledge he is now. Sucking in a deep breath, he readied himself to fight.
It was the Lizalfos who made the first move by breathing out large bursts of fire. Fledge blocked the attack with his sacred shield. The force of the attack was enough to send Fledge stumbling back. This gave the Lizalfos an opening to hit Fledge with the spike ball on the end of its tail. Fledge barely managed to dodge the attack. He strikes the monster before it used its large gauntlet to block the attack. Like the last fight, the Lizalfos stuck its tongue out mockingly before executing a punch attack with its gauntlet.
The result, however, was different.
Fledge used every ounce of his strength to use his shield to parry the attack. It was so strong that it knocked the Lizalfos flat onto the ground. Fledge took in deep breaths to comprehend what he had done. With the Lizalfos dazed on the ground, Fledge knew he had to act before it got back up on its feet. Eyeing its tail sticking out, an idea came to him.
Fledge ran over to where the monster was, grabbing its tail with both of his hands. Fledge lifted the Lizalfos from the ground, spinning it around several times before finally releasing it. The Lizalfos let out a screech as it landed in the pool of lava, and continued to do so until the fires of the lava consumed its body.
The three senior knights had taken care of the last two Lizalfos when Fledge finished his fight. Pipit fought one Lizalfos until he got the opportunity to use his wind magic to blow it into the lava pool. Karane used her shield ability to block the other Lizalfos attack until Link knocked it down into the lava as well. All three watched Fledge finish off his Lizalfos on his own.
When it was clear that the Lizalfos were done for, Fledge hopped across the rocks leading to his friends.
"Are you three okay?"
"I think so. What about you?" Karane answered.
"I'm okay. That was…unexpected."
"But we all pulled through." Link gave Fledge a proud pat on his shoulder. "You fought good."
"Thanks. I guess seeing my worth was good enough confidence to help me fuel the fight."
"And having super strength as well," Pipit added.
"Well…maybe that helped a little too."
That earned a chuckle from all three senior knights.
The group resumed their journey. Soon they reached a part of the terrain where there was no molten lava, and it was much cooler. Up ahead there was a large stone wall with an archway path blocked by fire. On the right side of the arch was a statue head that resembled a frog head with red eyes, and a tongue sticking out. The group noticed a familiar Goron hanging near the fire-covered entry.
"Gorko?" Link called out
"Oh hey! We meet again. How have you been, bud?"
"I've been doing good."
"And your friends are still with ya I see. Nice to see you three as well! Say…is there something different about you guys? I feel there is but I can't exactly put my finger on it…"
"You can say that…hehe," Fledge responded.
"Anyways, what brings you down here, Gorko?" Link asked.
"I rumbled over here 'cause I heard of some ancient ruins here. I wanted to see 'em for myself but…this flaming wall of fire is blocking the way!" Gorko pointed to the flaming fire. "I wish there was something we could do to put out these flames…"
As Gorko brought his attention back to the fire. Fledge glanced over to where the statue of the frog is. A large gray stone with a written inscription resided in front of it.
"Hey guys, look at this." Fledge brought his friend's attention to the stone.
"Quench my thirst to clear your path."
"What do you think that means?" Pipit questioned.
"Good question..." Link placed his finger on his chin
Fledge looked at the stone and then at the frog statue. An idea came to him.
"That statue resembles a frog. Frogs need water to survive. Maybe what we need to do is pour water into the statue's mouth. Quenching its thirst."
"That does seem like a plausible theory," Karane stated. "We can use the water from our water skins."
"I don't like wasting our water in a place like this," Pipit stated.
"It could be the only way through," Fledge argued back. "We should at least see if it works."
"I'm gonna have to agree with Fledge on this one, Pipit. It's at least worth trying out," Link conceded.
"...Alright."
Karane offered to pour her water in first. She went up the small stairs leading up to the statue. pouring the water into the statue's mouth. The red eyes on the statue turned blue before it closed its mouth. The fire blocking the path died down.
"It worked!" She cheered.
Gorko was especially pleased to see the flames gone. "The flames are out! Now we can get through here."
Gorko eagerly moved ahead, with the quartet not too far behind. They found another wall with the frog head statue on the left side this time. There were flames once again blocking the path."
"More flames…This is starting to burn me up…" Gorko mumbled. "Hate to ask you this, bud, but could you and your friends do the fire extinguisher routine again."
"There are no stairs leading up to the statue this," Karane took notice. "Looks like they were destroy a while ago."
"I do see a small platform above the statue," Link noted.
"I got this."
Pipit teleported to a small ledge over the statue. He then poured his water into the statue's mouth. Like the last one, its eyes turned blue, and closed its mouth, extinguishing the flames.
"Wow. That's a pretty neat skill you have there. And the flame is out. Now we are getting somewhere!"
The quartet followed the Goron down the pathway. Lying ahead of is a huge structure that appeared to be a large temple with big red-orange fire carvings on top of it. Blocking the entrance was a big wall with flames, with an even bigger statue of the frog head hanging above.
"Do you see this, bud? Talk about intriguing! We are definitely off the map here." Gorko observed. "Judging by the design of this place, I bet there is something super important hidden around here! All I can say is that it is a big frog with a big thirst. I do not think the amount of water in one of your remaining water skins combined is going to cut it this time. Hmmm…You will have to have a big container to hold the water needed for this job. Got anything like that? And speaking of which, where are you going to get all the water needed? I gotta say, I am pretty much stumped. Anyways, I'm gonna take a quick look around."
Gorko went to explore one of the small rooms on the sides of the entrance. Fi showed herself to the group.
"Masters, I detect no water in the immediate vicinity. Of course, you will need a large basin to proceed past the impediment, but you will also need water. I recommend you start with that task."
"Where are we gonna get all that water?" Fledge fretted, looking at the frog statue.
"I doubt we're gonna find a huge body of it around here…" Link added on.
"Well we could go get the water from the lake at Skyloft," Pipit suggested. "But how do we bring all the water here?"
"Maybe I could carry it somehow. I can control the water however I want," Karane offered.
"No way! We're not going to strain you out like that!"
"Then what do you suggest?"
No one had an answer.
"Hylia, help us out here…" Link silently pleaded.
"Well, look who we have here! I was wondering who was making that racket!"
The group turned to see a familiar Mogma.
"Ledd?"
"Long time no see, eh? You and your posse are still looking for your friend?".
Link nodded to the Mogma. "What brings you here?"
"On the hunt for treasure, of course! I got word of some ruins here, and it seems like I was right, so here I am! Believe it or not, I haven't found a thing so far. I suppose you guys don't have any info for me would ya?"
"I don't think we do, to be honest…"
"Why so unsure? You can tell me! We're friends, right!"
"We can't even get in the place." Link pointed to the firewall.
"Geeze, that's a lot of fire…" Ledd uttered quietly. "Why dont'cha just pour some water on it and move on?"
"The thing is we don't have enough of it. The water we have left won't cut it," Karane explained.
"What do you mean?" The Mogma lifted his brow.
"We need…a lot of water," Fledge stated.
"Like a crapton of it," Pipit added.
"Ya need that much water? Whoa…" Ledd responded, clearly not expecting the answer.
"I suppose you wouldn't happen to know how you can help," Link suggested.
"Actually…I think I might."
"Really now?"
"Scattered around here, there are some hot springs-"
"Hot springs?" Karane questioned.
"Yeah! Real high-quality, soothing springs. They can take every stress you have out of your body. You never seem 'em?"
"We umm…never had the time to look around here," Link admitted.
"They do sound nice right now…" Fledge mused dreamily.
"Yeesh! You guys seriously need to look around more! Can't always stay in one place!" Ledd ranted.
"Uh, back to the point you were making," Pipit reminded the Mogma.
"Right, anyways. I hear the water from those springs is fed by some far-off water source called Lake Floria. So a buddy of mine went huntin' for treasure in Faron Woods, and he told me he used the waterways there to find his way back home. He tells me Lake Floria was just about the biggest lake you could imagine. Bet if you checked it out, there'd be enough water there to solve your dilemma. Hope that helps you guys out. Now if you excuse me, I've got treasure hunting to do! Good luck!"
Ledd burrowed back under the ground.
"A report, Masters. I recommend following the Mogma's advice and returning to Lake Floria." Fi addressed the group. "I also have some advice pertinent to the situation. It concerns a method for transporting water from the lake…I suggested you visit the Water Dragon. I conjecture that you can transport a large volume of water using the water basin that the previously injured Water Dragon recuperated in."
"Of course! That makes so much sense!" Link exclaimed happily. "Thank you, Fi!"
"You're welcome, Master. I suggest you head over as soon as possible. Master Pipit's containment of Farore's essence should help you track down Faron."
"Not a problem," Pipit declared.
"You think she'll let us use her basin?" Karane wondered.
"If it means helping us on our quest, she has to," Link remarked. "How are we going to get over here?"
"There's still Gondo's robot, Scrapper," Fledge recalled.
"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about him…" Pipit stated offhandedly.
"Are you guys doing okay?" Gorko trotted onto the group.
"We figured out a way to get a whole bunch of water here," Link revealed to the Goron.
"That's great, bud! You should get going then!"
"There's a Loftwing statue near the entrance!" Karane showed the typical Loftwing statue they have seen throughout the land.
"Talk about convenience, but I'm sure as hell not complaining!" Pipit commented.
As the senior knights eagerly made their way to the statue, Link noticed Fledge trailing behind.
"You okay?"
"I feel a little tired...The trial, all that hiking, and fighting the Lizalfos did feel draining."
"Maybe you should stay here for a rest?" Gorko advised.
"You think so?"
"Of course! I may be an eager scholar, but even I need to stop to take a breather now and then."
Fledge looks over to his friends. "Is that okay with you guys?"
"You've been busy helping us these past several hours. Not a surprise you ended up being the most drained out of all of us," Karane pointed out.
"And it probably wouldn't be a good idea for him to go on into this place if he's all tired out," Pipit added.
All eyes laid on Link. As much as he wanted to give his friend the break he deserves, something within is telling him that letting Fledge stay here wouldn't be a good idea.
"You certainly earned some rest, but I'm not sure if I'm fond of the idea of you staying here while the rest of us go off elsewhere. We've never split up that far before…"
"I'll be fine, Link. Don't worry. I'll stay right here and man the fort.," Fledge assured Link.
"And I'll stay here and keep him company!" Gorko spoke up.
Link looked at Fledge. In the past in situations similar to this, Fledge was usually the one unsure about something, and Link was the one telling him that it was fine. Interesting how the tables have turned. Link pulled Fledge into a hug.
"Stay safe. We'll be back soon."
"I will."
All three senior knights activated the Loftwing statue. A gust of air blew them high above. Link kept his gaze on Fledge until he vanished from his view. Fledge was now alone with Gorko.
"While you're waiting, would you like to hear my discoveries to pass the time?" Gorko said to the young teen.
"I don't see why not. I like to learn a little history."
"Ah sweet! I sure hope not to disappoint you!"
"Man it feels nice to have a cool down after running around that volcano," Karane breathed as the group emerged from the water in Faron's chambers.
"I don't think you can cool down," Pipit commented whilst they climbed onto Faron's platform.
"Why is that?"
"Cause you're always hot…"
Karane let out a playful groan. "Oh, my- Not even 24 hours as boyfriend & girlfriend and you're already saying that cheesy stuff."
"It's true though!"
Link could only shake his head with a small smile as he listened in on the couple's banter. While he may feel like a bit of a third wheel, it was really sweet to see those two finally becoming an item.
"Hopefully when all of this is over that could be me and Zelda. If all turns out well that is…"
The group approached Faron. The dragon beamed at the sight of the humans.
"Ah, I thought I sensed a familiar presence. Back so soon?"
"Hello, Your Excellence," Pipit greeted.
Faron lifted her hand. "Please, no need for that. We both share Farore's essence after all. I say we're both on equal ground. You may simply call me Faron."
"Alright, Faron."
"...I feel a new presence of magic." Faron eyed Karane. "Your eyes are as blue as Nayru, girl."
"I undergo a trial set by Nayru. I passed and was rewarded with the power of 'Nayru's Grace.' " Karane explained.
"Interesting…Well then. I'm sure you'll use her gift wisely. And you, Link, was it? I feel you are much stronger than when we previously met. Tell me, are you mastering the power that dwells within your sword?"
"I have, thank you." Link bowed his head.
"It pleases me to hear that. Do not get cocky. You still have a long ways to go. That just leaves that boy in orange, Fledge. If I have to guess, he became worthy of bearing Din's essence. Where is he by the way?"
"He had to stay behind. And he has the power of 'Din's Fury.'. He's handling it well." Pipit disclosed. "Enough about that, we've come to ask you for a favor."
"What would that be? Faron pressed on.
"Can we…borrow your basin?" Link asked.
"Oh? You wish to borrow my water basin?" The humans nodded to the dragon. "Hmm…Very well, I have recovered, and I have no intention of having to soak in it again soon! Begone with it! It's yours to use as you please."
"Thank you very much! You have no idea how helpful this is," Karane told the dragon with gratitude.
"Shall I send word to the transport robot, Master Link?" Fi asked.
"Call him!"
"Understood, Master. I will call him at once."
Everyone stood waiting for the robot. Moments later, they hear the familiar propeller sound as Scrapper comes flying down from above.
"Mistress Fi! My deep apologies for keeping you waiting!." Scrapper examines the large basin. "Let's see here…This cargo looks very heavy, but it's well within my payload tolerances. Master Shortpants, Master Condiment, and Master Pigtails! Watch carefully while I demonstrate what a real hero looks like!"
Scrapper extended out his arms and used them to reach both ends of the large basin. The robot lifted it with ease.
"As usual, I shall await you in the skies above. Don't keep me waiting!"
Scrapper flew high above. Fi brings her attention back to the group once he was out of view.
"Masters, your task here is complete for the moment. We should return to the sky so that we can set a course for the volcano."
"Do please return the basin to me when you finish with it. There is no rush, though. It's yours to do with as you please." Faron interjected when Fi returned to the sword.
The trio of senior knights quickly return to the skies. Their Loftwings flew straight towards the red pillar of light with Scrapper not too far behind. They eventually reached the entrance of the volcano when the trio skydived straight down.
"Please direct where you like to land, Master," Fi inquired to Link.
"Just near the-"
Scrapper suddenly flew past the trio in quite a hurry before Link could even finish his sentence.
"What the-Where is he going?"
"Beats me!" Pipit shouted back.
"We better follow before we lose sight of him!" Karane bellowed back.
The three teens landed near the base of the volcano. All three set their sights dead straight on Scrapper.
"This is where you wanted the water, right?"
"No! We wanted to go to the volcano summit!" Link shouted at the robot.
"WHAT?! THE SUMMIT? Why didn't you say so from the start? I don't want to carry this thing back to the sky. IT'S HEAVY!"
"MAYBE YOU SHOULD WAIT FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE YOU ACT NEXT TIME!"
"Alright enough!" Karane shouted, ceasing the yelling between the boy & robot.
Scrapper let out grumbles as he scanned around the area. "This place is swarming with monsters."
"I hate to admit it, but he's right. I see several Bokoblins armed with archers' bows," Pipit observed.
"I would bust up enemies like a junkyard wrecker if I could. But I've got my mitts filled with this basin." The robot let out a hum. "Hey, Master Shortpants, Master Pigtails, and Master Condiment! Since we came all this way, let's play a little game called 'protect the robot'. Here's how it works: I'll follow you up the volcano, and you make sure nothing touches me. Got it? Good! Your jobs are simple! You make sure none of these monsters lays a claw on me. NOT…ONE…CLAW! Are we clear?"
"Yeah…" Link uttered.
"Good! Now let's get going." Scraper hovered away from them.
"I am starting to not like that robot..." Link groaned as he rubs his face. "This is gonna take awhile…I hope Fledge can handle waiting a little longer."
"He'll understand. If anything, he'll be getting a few extra minutes of rest," Karane indicated.
"ARE YOU THREE COMING OR WHAT?!" Scrapper bellowed out.
"Let's not keep our friend waiting now. We've got a long way to go," Pipit urged his companions.
"...And when those Bokoblins had me surrounded, I thought that was it for me. That's when your friend, Link, ran out of nowhere and took those things down, no sweat! And that's how he and I got acquainted"
"That sure does sound like Link," Fledge commented once Gorko finished his tale. The pair had been sitting in one of the rooms on the side of the entrance of the temple. This room had a bench that was perfect for Fledge to sit on. "Link always looked out for those he cared for. Always putting himself before others."
"Sounds like you think highly of him."
"We've been friends since we were kids. My mom died when I was six. I had no one to go to."
"What about your dad? I know humans typically have a mom & dad."
"I…don't know anything about him, to be honest. Mom never mentioned anything about my dad. Not even the people who were her friends disclosed anything about him. Whenever I ask they quickly change the topic saying it was something for me to know when the time was right. It was only me and her up until she died. I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life. Then Link came to me and offered his friendship. I think he knew what I was going through because he lost both of his parents a year beforehand. Since then he always looked out for me. Always made sure I was doing alright and stuck up to bullies, which resulted in him getting beaten up on a few occasions."
"Sounds like he's a stand-up guy."
"He really is. I never told him this but…Link's like an older brother to me. He, Pipit, and Karane have all been good friends to me. Never left me hanging when things got tough. But…I always wanted to help them out in return, which is what led me here."
"Oh?" Gorko leaned in with interest before Fledge continued.
"Another good friend of ours, Zelda, got knocked below the clouds. Link initially set out to look for her by himself. Where we come from we knew nothing of this land. It didn't help that other people were being secretive about the whole thing. We didn't know what could happen to Link. So I brought the idea to Pipit & Karane that we join up with him and help find Zelda. It was a bit of…an impulse decision but here we are now."
"Wow! You all sound like very good friends."
"Sometimes, I find that hard to believe."
"Why is that, bud?"
"I…I had issues with confidence and sticking up for myself for as long as I can remember. As mentioned, it made me a target for bullies. The only reason I finally got the courage to make friends with the others is most likely because each one of us went through similar pains of losing family. Link and Karane lost both of their parents, Pipit lost his dad, and Zelda & I lost our moms. Bonded over a mutual trauma."
"You know what I think?" Fledge glances at the Goron. "I say that's a friendship worth keeping."
"You believe that?"
"Of course! From what I've known so far, you all sound so tight-knit. I haven't seen a lot of humans in my life but your guy's friendship is something more valuable than any relic of history. If you guys are going out of your way to help your friend in need, especially willing to go into unfamiliar grounds, that is a friendship worth fighting for and held dearly for the rest of your life. If anything, it's more than just a simple friendship. You're all a family in a sense and families are always there for each other. You should let them know how much you appreciate their friendship. Your bud Link, Pipit, Karane, and that Zelda girl is all lucky to have you as a friend. I would as well."
"...Maybe once we finally get back to Zelda I'll tell them then. I know we barely know each other but thanks for the advice."
"I'm always happy to lend out an ear to a friend or a friendly stranger."
Fledge smiled at the Goron. Seeing how friendly he is, it's no wonder why Link has some fondness for him. Speaking of which…
"You think they'll be back soon? They've been gone for a while." Fledge looks over to the entrance of the path.
"I'm sure they're fine. From what you told me they move the earth to get back to you," Gorko reassured.
"Yeah, you're right. Something probably came up, like usual. I think maybe that robot is probably causing them issues."
"Robot? Like the ones from Lanayru. How'd you get one of those activated?"
Fledge opened his mouth to speak when a noise caught his attention. Odd, there was nothing around here big enough to make that noise.
"You heard that?"
"I think so." Gorko turned his head in the direction of where the noise came from. "I don't think it's anything to worry about, though. Some lizards do hang around in this region. Probably one of them knocked over some bricks."
As much as Fledge wanted to believe Gorko and brush it off, his instincts tell him otherwise. Going against his better self, Fledge moved to his feet.
"I'm going to check it out just to be safe."
Gorko gave an understanding nod. The orange-clad student exited the room. Directly across was another room parallel to him. That is where the noise originated from. Slowly, he walked over to the room. There was nothing inside. That should've been enough to walk away, yet Fledge walked to the center of the empty room. The air was quiet. A little too quiet.
This was odd. Fledge wondered if the noise was just the paranoid side of him playing tricks on him but then he recalled that Gorko heard the noise as well. What made that noise if there was nothing in here?
A sudden chill crawled upon Fledge's back. Something was wrong. He quickly turned his body around. That is when he felt a sudden force slam him against the wall, causing him to let out a small shout. A cool, sharp metal pressed against his throat. When Fledge snapped out of his daze, he found himself staring into a familiar brown eye and a sinister grin. The attacker was none other than someone Fledge was, unfortunately, familiar with.
"Hello there…" Ghirahim purred, licking his lips.
"Y-YOU?! What are you?" Ghirahim pressed a finger against Fledge's lips, while also pushing his sword closer to his throat.
"Shush shush. No need to cause a fuss."
Gorko quickly ran over once he heard Fledge shout. The Goron was surprised to see Ghirahim here. "Hey, pal! What do you think you're doing to him-?!"
Ghirhim sent out a burst of magic in Gorko's direction. It was strong enough to knock him against the wall. His head made contact which caused him to get knocked out.
"GORKO!" Fledge shrieked.
"Don't worry, he's still alive. I be worried about yourself if I we're you." Ghirahim spoke coolly. "Where are Link and the rest of your pesky friends?"
"We split up but they'll be back soon!"
"Ah, wonderful! That what I was hoping to hear. I hate for Link to miss out on this! Why not we both head inside this place and wait for them there? We'll have privacy for us to chit-chat in the meantime. I have something special planned for you, and Link as well! Oh, it will be so much fun!" Ghirahim had speak with so much glee. "Now, sleep…"
Ghirahim stroked his finger on Fledge's forehead. Fledge was instantly knocked out, his body going limp. Ghirahim let Fledge land on the ground with a hard thud. A chuckle escaped the Demon Lord. With one snap of his fingers both Ghirahim, and Fledge vanish from the scene.
A little later…
"You want me to pour the water on this? No problem!"
After a treacherous, and headache-inducing hike up the mountain, the trio of senior knights and Scrapper made it back safely to the temple entrance. They watch the little robot pour the water into the frog head statue. With a mouth filled with water, the statue closes it. The flames blocking its path finally died down.
"Did you see that, Mistress Fi?" Scrapper called out. "If there's anything else I can do to be of assistance just call me anytime!"
"Please return the basin to the Water Dragon," Fi instructed.
"Anything for you, Mistress Fi!"
The robot flew back into the sky, leaving the humans and sword spirit behind.
"The flames blocking your path have been fully extinguished. I recommend proceeding ahead, Masters."
"I really DO NOT like that robot…" Link groaned.
"At least it's over with. Hopefully, it'll be smoother flying from this point," Pipit rejoiced.
"Wait…Where's Fledge? And Gorko?" Karane called out.
The three teens all darted around the entrance of the temple. There was no trace of Fledge or Gorko anywhere.
"Where could they be?" Link questioned.
"Maybe a monster came by and they went off to hide?" Pipit suggested.
"But I see no traces of any monsters passing through here here," Karane noted.
Link was now getting worried. This wasn't like Fledge to run off somewhere unexpectedly. The fact that Gorko wasn't here didn't help put him at ease. There was something wrong.
A soft moan caught the teen's attention. To their relief, it was only Gorko. That relief was replaced with concern once they saw a big cut on his head. Link quickly dashed over to the Goron.
"Gorko! Are you alright?"
"I think so, bud. Ugh, my head…" Gorko groaned.
"Take it easy, big guy." Pipit helped Gorko sit down, whilst Karane pulled out a red potion for him to drink.
"What happened? Where's Fledge?" Link asked.
"I-I don't know. We were sitting and talking when we heard a noise. I thought it was a lizard but your friend went over to check it out. I heard him scream so I rushed over and I see some guy pinning him against the wall with a sword on his neck. I tried to help but the guy somehow knocked me out. I'm sorry, bud. I did try to help your friend, honest."
"It wasn't your fault. Focusing on resting. We'll find Fledge."
"...The strange thing, it looked like diamonds came out of the guy's hand."
"Diamonds?"
"Yeah! Black, white, and yellow diamonds to be exact."
Link glanced back to Pipit & Karane. They had the same concerned expressions as his. There was only one person they knew who did something like that.
"What did this guy look like?" Link inquired.
"Let's see…" Gorko uttered. "He had white hair, and white clothes. His skin was pale. He had a crimson four-pointed cape. And I think he had a blue earring of sorts."
It was those words that Link fear was confirmed.
"Ghirahim..."
"Could it be him?" Pipit wondered.
"I have detected traces of magic in the area. There is a 98% possibility that it is the same magic that Ghirahim uses," Fi explained. "I am also detecting Master Fledge's aura from within the temple. There is a 95% chance that Ghirahim abducted Fledge and took him in the vicinity of the temple."
"That's not good…" Karane stated grimly.
Link stood still for a good minute. Without any warning, he hastily marched over to the entrance. Pipit halted Link by grabbing his arm.
"Wait a moment, Link!"
"Wait?! You want me to wait while that psychopath is holding our friend in there doing Hylia knows what to him!" Link shouted back. "That bastard already snatched one friend away and I'm not going to let him do it to another!"
"But storming in all riled up is not going to help Fledge!"
"Pipit's right. We need to think about this carefully," Karane insisted.
"How then?!"
"Fi, is Fledge still alive?"
"My readings show that Master Fledge is still alive, Master Karane," Fi responded.
"What are you getting at?" Link eyed the female senior knight quizzically.
"Ghirahim has been trying to kill us throughout this whole quest to stop us. So why would he take Fledge instead of killing him when he had the chance? Ghirahim clearly has something planned. I do not what but I feel it."
"And we need a clear head for this. We take one misstep and that could be very well it for Fledge," Pipit added on.
"You're right…" Link breathed out. "I'm sorry for yelling like that. I was just-"
"We get it, man. We're worried too." Pipit patted his shoulder.
"Fledge will be fine. I'm sure he will." Karane assures Link.
Link glanced into the steps leading into the temple. Slowly he walked over to the top of the stairs. Link wiped his head front he sweats from the heat emitting from the temple. His gaze glued down to the stairs. Pipit & Karane were each on his side. Link sucked in a breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to relax. Someone down there Fledge is in Ghirahim's grasp.
"Fledge...We're on our way. Just hang on until we get there."
All three walked down the steps into the temple.
Well, things have certainty made an interesting turn...
On another note, this fanfic is now officially 1 year old. Thank for those have stick around and I hope you will continue to do so as this story goes on.