Link kept going until he was at the foothill of Death Mountain. He looked
up at the top and saw nothing but black smoke and fire, dimming the light
of dawn. He tapped on epona's sides and went around the mountain, to
Kakariko City.
Upon arrival, Link noticed an unusual amount of activity: Wheelbarrows moved large quantities of grain, fruit, water, spices, and personal effects of the people of the city. Some were nailing shut their windows and doors. Some were crying for leaving their homes behind.
-"What is happening!?" -Link asked to a grump peasant going nearby, holding heavy bags under his arms.
-"We're going away, what did you think?" -The man stared at Link for a second, then kept walking.
-"Why are you leaving!? The city isn't even under attack yet!" -Link caught up with him shortly.
-"Listen, kid! I'm not staying to die like those Goron fools, and I'd advice you not to stay either!"
-"The Gorons...?" -He asked with a stutter. The man's face went stern as he looked sadly to the ground.
-"They were routed during the night. We were waiting for daybreak to leave".
-"Who did it?"
-"We're not sure... some say that it was a sorcerer, some say it was a demon army, some say it was a dragon. Ask everyone and each will give you a different version..."
-"Can't they be stopped?"
-"The Gorons can walk through magma and lift rocks the size of our homes without breaking a sweat, and they were massacred in ONE night! What do you expect US to do against them?!"
-"If you're going somewhere, go to Hyrule castle, it's our best refuge against any attack, and they're readying an army as we speak."
-"We figured that whoever was behind this wouldn't care for a bunch of peasants traveling south... Hyrule castle may be their primary target..."
-"All the more reason to go there immediately! You can help fight them off from there. Move, and you'll be there before dusk". -Link was growing angry. Was this man a coward?
-"I'm not letting THAT happen to my family!" -The man pointed at the flaming mountain. Link breathed agitated with anger, and finally climbed down Epona. The man took a couple steps back.
-"I am here under orders of the queen to get you people to safety and start planning a defense against THAT! And if you're going anywhere, it's Hyrule castle! Is that clear!?"
The man stuttered a little, then finally nodded in response.
-"Good. Now please get moving." -Link finally sighed and climbed on top of Epona again, then let out a loud scream, which caught the attention of the people of the city:
-"Those of you who are leaving the city are to go to Hyrule castle! These are the queen's orders, and she will not be happy about any of you disobeying!" Link held up the royal letter, as if it were a banner for them to follow. -"This man will lead you all there!" Link pointed to the man he'd just spoken to, who was very surprised of suddenly having the looks of the city all over him. Link finally turned to him once again: -"I'm counting on you to do this. Don't let us all down."
Link rode further into the city. The people were getting scarcer as they were all on the road to Hyrule castle.
Suddenly, Link noticed that he was probably the last person in the city, which actually didn't seem that bad.
-"I've beaten odds worse than these" -He thought to himself. One man against an army of demons led by Ganondorf riding a huge dragon hadn't stopped him in the past, and it certainly wouldn't stop him now.
Link slowed down as he went further up the mountain. As he went the road up to the Gorons' caves, fog started to cloud his way. Both him and Epona had went up this road dozens of times, so they didn't really need to see where they were going. Link was really nervous about going up alone, so he started humming a song from his childhood. Epona turned her head to toss him an uncomfortable stare. He stopped, giggling a little. Then he started whistling a song that Epona liked. Epona was visibly happier now, and they were both starting to relax a little.
As they went up the mountain, a deep voice stopped them:
-"You're late, as usual, brother..."
Link turned around, surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone. There stood his old friend, Darunia, with his arms crossed, and his megaton hammer hanging loosely from his belt.
-"Brother!" -Link jumped down epona and ran to Darunia, who put his arms around him and squeezed him a little. -"Darunia! You're killing me!" -Link gasped.
-"I'm sorry, little fella, but it's been a while since we had a good brothers' hug!"
-"Indeed..." -Link looked incredulously at Darunia, who had a big smirk on his face.
-"What's happening?! I heard that you were all killed last night!"
-"Oh? Did you really think we were that easy to wipe out?! We're the mighty Gorons, brother, you should know better than believing anything you hear from a peasant or two!"
-"I guess you're right, but what DID happen?"
-"Granted, we had our casualty or two... Actually, more like seventeen, but they came by the thousands, I tell ya!"
-"Slow down a bit. Who are they? Were they Gerudo?"
-"No, not at all... They were... Well, I'm not sure WHAT they were, but I can show you how they look like..."
Darunia took Link's sword from its sheathe, and looked at it, surprised.
-"What happened to the other one?"
-"You know what happened... It's at the temple of time. You know I had to leave it there..."
-"Right, right... The Temple of Time..."
Darunia started drawing in the sand with the tip of Link's sword. As linked watched closer and closer, Darunia's drawings began to take form.
Link had seen one of those in his dreams. They were some kind of shock troops.
-"They charged in front of slower, more powerful ones of their kind, didn't they? I've seen them..." -Link reassured himself, and shook his head a little. -"So... Where's the rest of our brothers?"
As Link stood up, Darunia tossed his sword down the cliff, with a suspicious grin on his face, as he clutched the handle of his hammer with the other hand.
-"You'll join them soon enough, brother..."
Upon arrival, Link noticed an unusual amount of activity: Wheelbarrows moved large quantities of grain, fruit, water, spices, and personal effects of the people of the city. Some were nailing shut their windows and doors. Some were crying for leaving their homes behind.
-"What is happening!?" -Link asked to a grump peasant going nearby, holding heavy bags under his arms.
-"We're going away, what did you think?" -The man stared at Link for a second, then kept walking.
-"Why are you leaving!? The city isn't even under attack yet!" -Link caught up with him shortly.
-"Listen, kid! I'm not staying to die like those Goron fools, and I'd advice you not to stay either!"
-"The Gorons...?" -He asked with a stutter. The man's face went stern as he looked sadly to the ground.
-"They were routed during the night. We were waiting for daybreak to leave".
-"Who did it?"
-"We're not sure... some say that it was a sorcerer, some say it was a demon army, some say it was a dragon. Ask everyone and each will give you a different version..."
-"Can't they be stopped?"
-"The Gorons can walk through magma and lift rocks the size of our homes without breaking a sweat, and they were massacred in ONE night! What do you expect US to do against them?!"
-"If you're going somewhere, go to Hyrule castle, it's our best refuge against any attack, and they're readying an army as we speak."
-"We figured that whoever was behind this wouldn't care for a bunch of peasants traveling south... Hyrule castle may be their primary target..."
-"All the more reason to go there immediately! You can help fight them off from there. Move, and you'll be there before dusk". -Link was growing angry. Was this man a coward?
-"I'm not letting THAT happen to my family!" -The man pointed at the flaming mountain. Link breathed agitated with anger, and finally climbed down Epona. The man took a couple steps back.
-"I am here under orders of the queen to get you people to safety and start planning a defense against THAT! And if you're going anywhere, it's Hyrule castle! Is that clear!?"
The man stuttered a little, then finally nodded in response.
-"Good. Now please get moving." -Link finally sighed and climbed on top of Epona again, then let out a loud scream, which caught the attention of the people of the city:
-"Those of you who are leaving the city are to go to Hyrule castle! These are the queen's orders, and she will not be happy about any of you disobeying!" Link held up the royal letter, as if it were a banner for them to follow. -"This man will lead you all there!" Link pointed to the man he'd just spoken to, who was very surprised of suddenly having the looks of the city all over him. Link finally turned to him once again: -"I'm counting on you to do this. Don't let us all down."
Link rode further into the city. The people were getting scarcer as they were all on the road to Hyrule castle.
Suddenly, Link noticed that he was probably the last person in the city, which actually didn't seem that bad.
-"I've beaten odds worse than these" -He thought to himself. One man against an army of demons led by Ganondorf riding a huge dragon hadn't stopped him in the past, and it certainly wouldn't stop him now.
Link slowed down as he went further up the mountain. As he went the road up to the Gorons' caves, fog started to cloud his way. Both him and Epona had went up this road dozens of times, so they didn't really need to see where they were going. Link was really nervous about going up alone, so he started humming a song from his childhood. Epona turned her head to toss him an uncomfortable stare. He stopped, giggling a little. Then he started whistling a song that Epona liked. Epona was visibly happier now, and they were both starting to relax a little.
As they went up the mountain, a deep voice stopped them:
-"You're late, as usual, brother..."
Link turned around, surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone. There stood his old friend, Darunia, with his arms crossed, and his megaton hammer hanging loosely from his belt.
-"Brother!" -Link jumped down epona and ran to Darunia, who put his arms around him and squeezed him a little. -"Darunia! You're killing me!" -Link gasped.
-"I'm sorry, little fella, but it's been a while since we had a good brothers' hug!"
-"Indeed..." -Link looked incredulously at Darunia, who had a big smirk on his face.
-"What's happening?! I heard that you were all killed last night!"
-"Oh? Did you really think we were that easy to wipe out?! We're the mighty Gorons, brother, you should know better than believing anything you hear from a peasant or two!"
-"I guess you're right, but what DID happen?"
-"Granted, we had our casualty or two... Actually, more like seventeen, but they came by the thousands, I tell ya!"
-"Slow down a bit. Who are they? Were they Gerudo?"
-"No, not at all... They were... Well, I'm not sure WHAT they were, but I can show you how they look like..."
Darunia took Link's sword from its sheathe, and looked at it, surprised.
-"What happened to the other one?"
-"You know what happened... It's at the temple of time. You know I had to leave it there..."
-"Right, right... The Temple of Time..."
Darunia started drawing in the sand with the tip of Link's sword. As linked watched closer and closer, Darunia's drawings began to take form.
Link had seen one of those in his dreams. They were some kind of shock troops.
-"They charged in front of slower, more powerful ones of their kind, didn't they? I've seen them..." -Link reassured himself, and shook his head a little. -"So... Where's the rest of our brothers?"
As Link stood up, Darunia tossed his sword down the cliff, with a suspicious grin on his face, as he clutched the handle of his hammer with the other hand.
-"You'll join them soon enough, brother..."