Marin awoke slowly, stretching her arms and looking out the nearby window. She looked over to her husband. She was about to wake him up with a tender kiss when she noticed that he wasn't even there. She sat up quickly, pulling her robe about her as she descended the stone spiral stairway to the throne room, where Link and Zelda stood talking. She ran up to them.
"Have you seen Lance?" she asked. "Yes, in fact, I have," said Link. "He said he knew what to do and took off with a battalion of men."
Marin smiled. At least he found out how to defeat Arkannas. He could have at least woke me up, though, she thought.
Lance kicked his horse forward, his men trailing behind him. Their horses were straining to climb the steep, rocky slopes of Death Mountain. They went up the second switchback and came up to a rocky clearing, with more switchbacks to the left, but blocked by large boulders. Lance read a sign that said, "Goron City ahead."
He was about to lead his men forward when he heard a loud slam to the earth. He looked in the direction of the noise and was astonished to see a rock bounding and rolling toward them. It had strange markings on it and appeared to have...a belly button?
When it was about to hit them, it screeched to a halt right in front of Lance and uncurled! It was a Goron. Lance understood now.
"Why, hello, your highness. What brings you to Death Mountain?" asked the Goron. "We come to speak with your leader, Darunia. We have news for him of something that will affect all of Hyrule," Lance explained.
The Goron, with a sweep of his arm, pointed them in the direction of Goron City.
"Just go around that path and you'll eventually get there. You can't miss it," he said. Lance nodded in gratitude and led his men onward to Goron City.
They wound around the path and saw a small stairway with a banner hung over it that read, "Goron City." Lance rode toward it. He noticed a large, strange pedestal type thing with a circle of rocks on it. Is that the rock circle Dad told me about? Lance thought.
They entered the rocky city, after dismounting, and started the long descent to the bottom of the city. They were almost squashed by a large, rolling Goron. He was gigantic!
They finally arrived at the bottom of Goron City and went up to the door that read, "Only those who are of the Royal Family may enter." (I hope I got that right.)
Lance knew what to do. He reached into his pocket and drew his ocarina. He played the sweet tune of Zelda's Lullaby, the song of the Royal Family. Instantly the door began to rise, allowing them passage.
They stepped into the shrine of Darunia, where they found him meditating, facing his statue.
Lance cleared his throat and Darunia's eyes opened. He stood and turned to face them. His face lit up when he saw Lance.
"Ah, your highness. What brings you to my shrine?" he said. "We bring news of something that will affect Hyrule. All of it. No matter where you are or what race. He is named Arkannas. He is more powerful than anything we have faced. Ganondorf would not be able to stand toe to toe with him," Lance explained.
Darunia rubbed his bearded chin. He began to pace for a minute, then he turned back to Lance.
"Why is it that you've come here again?" he asked. Lance laughed. "Oh, Darunia. You can't stand not to make a joke, can you?" he said. He went up to his friend and embraced him. Darunia pulled out and looked Lance straight in the eyes.
"The Gorons will fight for Hyrule," he said. "We will fight for the Royal Family." Lance thanked him and asked him when he would have a full army ready.
"Give us a month, and you'll have the largest, fiercest army of Gorons ever. I shall alert the armory," he explained. Lance nodded and left with his men, headed for their next destination. Zora's Domain.