CHAPTER SEVEN

Heat. Boy, was it hot. That was the first thing I noticed about the piping hot cavern. I couldn't see any lava around me, but I knew that it was there, deep in the heart of the cavern.

I looked at the pile of blocks that stood in my way. I bet a door's back there, I thought.

Grabbing hold onto one of the middle blocks, I pulled the obstruction completely out of my way. The other blocks that rested on top of it fell down to the ground. A couple more blocks. PUUUUSH! And then I saw it, a hole, the perfect size to crawl through. I got on my hands and knees and began to crawl through.

I came out to another creepy room. I could hear grunts and noises, finally spotting the two Bokoblins that made them. I gulped. I'd never taken on two at a time before! Yikes!

The second creature eyed me.

"KRRAGHH!!" snorted the demon, notifying its other friend of my uninvited presence.

Be brave...like the Hero of Time...

"YAAAA!!" I cried as I jumped and smacked my sword to the ground. One of the Bokoblins jumped on my back and scratched my back. I yelped in pain and smacked the sword against him making him fly into the wall. A few quick slashes and a finishing jump-slash move was all that was needed to take care of the baddie.

I turned around to the other attacking creature.

SMACK. SWISH, FWWHIP.

The creature was eaten by the purple smoke as I continued on.

I went to the next door, but it refused to open. My eyes, of course, noticed an unlit torch, compared to three others that were lit. Very suspicious. I grabbed a trusty Boko stick from nearby and used the fire blazing on the third torch to light the unlit torch.

As if it were exactly on cue, the door opened, revealing a short passageway, as well as the core of Dragon Roost Cavern-the volcano.

Boiling spurts of lava shot up from the pool of flames below. I could hear a screech from deeper in the heart of the cavern.

I used a Bomb Flower to blow up a large rock I encountered on the other side of a bridge I crossed. A loud boom crushed the daunting-seeming boulders. A door was revealed and I walked through.

My adventure through Dragon Roost was amazing. Making deals with rats, solving block puzzles, fighting off birds for their keys, spinning like a hurricane to drop a balance platform, battling with Keese, using water jugs to make lava paths and ride them up to the top levels of the cavern, being frightened by pot-hiding Bokoblins...all just part of a day's work in Dragon Roost Cavern.

I finally got to a door that led to some fresh air outside. I let the air flow into my lungs.

"HELP!!" I heard a small voice yell from a few levels up from where I was. I ran up the side of the volcano, sidling across a wall to run up the rest of the way to almost the top of the dungeon.

"Medli?" I called, almost unable to hear myself over the roar of the dragon, Valoo, who was right above me.

The girl was locked up in a cage, heavily guarded by two Moblins and a Bokoblin. The creatures moved in to attack.

The next thing I knew, I was scratched and a little bit shaken, but all three of the monsters were gone. Three monsters! I thought I was getting' purdy durn goood.

I ran to Medli's cell and opened the door.

"Link, Link," said Medli, "thank you so much!"

I blushed as she gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome," I said, not at all being able to contain my face- spreading smile.

"I'd like to give you this, Link," she said, handing me an item. A metal clutching device, hooked on to one side of a thick rope, was what Medli called a Grappling Hook.

"Thanks, Medli!"

"You can use it to get up to high places!"

"Okay."

"Well, I need to go check on Prince Komali, now," said Medli, "Good luck."

I ran back down the winding path and used Medli's Grappling Hook to swing myself across various platforms, eventually reaching a locked door on the other end. I got out my Big Key and stuck it into the door. The door swung open and I walked inside.

All that was in the room was a pool of lava, a large one.

"Hello?" I called.

RrrRrRrRrRrRrUuummmBBBBBBbbLLleeE...

I fell to the ground from the great shaking that emitted from the lava pool itself.

BOOOSSSHH!!

A giant bug like crature shot up from beneath the flames. The fiery scorpion monster was Queen Gohma. I'd heard about her many times before.

The intimidating monster screeched a blew a stream of fire from its mouth. My sly eyes looked and noticed...what was that? A tail...

The battle began. I began running around the outside edge of the pool, the blasts of fire the boss shot at me HOT on my tail.

The queen, obviously enraged that she'd failed to burn me to a crisp, struck one of her giant claws in front of me. I gasped and turned around the other way, only to be greeted by another quick claw slam.

The queen brought her face to me and roared. I tried to attack her blue and purple eye with my sword, but before I could do anything, she brought the pincers on her head together, gripping me in her sharp grasp.

I struggled to get free, trying to reach my sword, but I couldn't. The queen brought me up with her pincers and slammed me back down into the ground, hard. I struggled to pick myself up from the ground, feeling weak from the slam.

I finally came up with an idea. I eyed that tail at the top of the room and reached for my Grappling Hook. With some great aim, a strong throw and a little bit of luck, I was able to latch the hook onto the tail in the ceiling. I gave the rope a reassuring tug before I swung past the queen and landed on the other side of the lava pool.

I heard a grunting noise at the top of the room before the ceiling came in and crashed over Queen Gohma's head, cracking the protective shell around her.

The enraged creature shot another hot blast of fire at me, which I just barely dodged with a roll attack.

Aim, throw, latch, swing.

Again the cave crumbled in and hit Gohma, causing her shell to crack a little more.

Almost there, I thought.

The vile queen slammed the debris back into the ceiling where the tail was. I finally realized it...that was Valoo. No wonder he'd been so infuriated, Gohma had been hurting its tail. This fact enraged me, and I became determined to seek revenge on the queen.

I threw the hook with all my might, being careful not to tug to hard on Valoo's tail as I swung across and let the rocks fall on the queen.

All of a sudden the shell cracked once more and fell off, dissolving in the lava.

Gohma let out a bloodcurdling scream and went on a violent rampage with fire, claws and...phew...bad breath.

Again, Gohma slammed her claws down into the ground leaving no escape for me. Despite my feeling of weakness and tiredness, I back flipped away from her head claw grip and moved in with my sword leaving no mercy for the daunting eye.

SLASH, STAB, SMACK, SMAAAAASH!!!

The queen screeched louder than I'd ever heard as she began deteriorating, her body shriveling up into a gruesome cloud of purple smoke. Poof! She was gone.

I couldn't help but jump up and down and celebrate the hard-earned victory.

A seal covered over the lava pool leaving me a safe path to cross to reach a red heart-shaped container. I touched it and it zipped into me, leaving me feel invigorated and healthy, better than I'd ever felt before.

A sparkling ray of light poured into the middle of the room and I stepped into it. I was transported to the outside again, where Medli, Prince Komali and the King of Red Lions waited. Oh, and so were the entire village of the Ritos, cheering my name.

I smiled.

Prince Komali looked at me with a piercing smile. "Thank you so much for your help," he said, sounding older and more mature already. "You, Link gave me the courage to become a man, like you."

I blushed and brought up my arm and rubbed the back of my neck with my hand, feeling quite embarrassed.

"You've also restored happiness to the people," said Medli, pointed to the village, still chanting my name.

"Thank you again," said the prince, "I'd also like you to have this pearl...as a token of our great appreciation."

He handed me an orange pearl. "It's called Din's Pearl," said the prince, "My grandma gave it to me and I think that it'll be of better use to you during your adventure!"

I thanked the prince and bowed to the Ritos, leaping on the boat.

"Bye!" I called, waving to the Rito people, the chieftain, Prince Komali, the island, the now peaceful Valoo...

...And Medli.