Author's Note: Why the long and boring-ish chapter last time? Well, I didn't know what else to do, but I really wanted to give you, my readers, the true flavor of what Kakariko seems to me to be, before Link leaves and comes back to a totally different village much later. No, I didn't just want to get as boring as I possibly could before starting up with a renewed adventure. Speaking of which, we're finally about to hit a second dungeon. Woo-hoo!
Sorry I was gone so long from this story. Mudora has no explanation except that he didn't feel it anymore. But after a computer crash and two reviews from a reader in my absence, I have finally decided to renew my writing, hopefully to the pleasure of all those readers I left hanging this summer. So sorry!
Mudora is a boy! Yes, I am male.I'm still trying to figure out why this story makes it easy to presume I'm a girl... that's very weird, but I'm not upset, I guess. Perhaps the fact that it's not all bloody gory fighting? That's my only guess. Anyway, on to the new "season" of Hero's Path!
A Hero's Path
Chapter 11: Home of the Gorons
"Weird."
"That is one big rock."
Link and Navi stood in front of a large boulder, about ten to twelve feet tall, leaning against the steep cliffs of Death Mountain. It had some neat crevices in it that made it appear to be four separate rocks stacked into one. There was a rock about as big as Link lying beside it. They had been climbing the mountain for a couple hours now.
"Ever wonder how some of these things got here, Navi?" Link said.
"I figure it was placed by the goddess Din," she answered.
"No," a voice said. They heard a groaning noise coming from under the smaller rock as it rocked. Finally, it tipped up to reveal a creature on the belly of the rock... or more appropriately, they realized, the creature was the rock. Extending its legs and arms and untucking its head, it was about as tall as a man. It was mostly bald and had thin, but muscular arms and legs, and if it weren't for the depressed look on its face, it would look quite menacing. Instead, it was quite comparable to a cute, sad-faced puppy dog.
Despite its appearance, Link squealed like a little girl and quite possibly peed his pants. "W-wh-what are you!" he asked.
"Oh, giant, parasitic, armored arachnids you can handle, but cute-face rock-men..." Navi said.
"I am one of the Gorons," the rock-man said, "the stone-eating people who live on Death Mountain."
"Duh, Link. Ever heard of them?"
"Not that I remember..." Link thought for a moment. "Anyway, where'd this rock come from? Can you be our tour guide?"
"No," was the Gorons answer. "I must guard this spot. That huge boulder blocks the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, which was once a very important place for us Gorons."
"Why isn't it anymore?" Link asked.
"Cause there's a big rock in the way, stupid!" Navi said.
"Let me tell you," the Goron said. "One day, many Dodongos suddenly appeared inside the cavern. It became a very dangerous place!"
"What are Dodongos?" Link asked.
"Some of the scariest creatures you'll ever see."
"Try me."
"They're like the dinosaurs of old times, or dragons even, but they breathe fire!"
"Hmm... I remember writing something about Dodongos..." Navi said.
"On top of the Dodongo infestation, a Gerudo man in black armor used his magic to seal the entrance with that boulder!"
"Ganondorf!" Link said.
"If you want to hear more Goron gossip, head up to our city! Goron City is just a little way up the trail. It won't take much longer to get there, even on foot."
"Goron City!" Link said. He ran off in the direction the Goron was now pointing. "This is where Impa said we would find the second stone!" he said.
"Oh, you remember that, but not the part about the harmless rock men?" Navi said.
Following signs to the town, they rounded a cliff wall and were running along a narrow ridge. Suddenly, a boulder came flying down the hill toward them. Link jumped up against the cliff wall as the rock tumbled past. The two watched the rock fall down the slope they had just climbed and stop suddenly with a burst of fire.
"What was that!" Link said, watching the rock stand erect as a Goron and scratch its head.
"That was a bomb flower," another Goron said.
They hadn't noticed before, but a Goron was standing near a ledge nearby, overlooking the huge boulder that blocked Dodongo's Cavern. His shadow was cast over a small plant, the only greenery visible on the earthy mountain.
"What's a bomb flower?" Link asked.
"These plants growing over here. They are "mining plants" that grow only on this mountain. They usually grow only in dark places, like caves, so Bomb Flowers that grow in places like this are extremely rare. I'm standing here to shade the plants from the sun."
"Okay. Which way to Goron City?" Link asked.
The Goron pointed and Link went to an inviting tunnel that had banners, reading:
"Go-goro-Goron City. Goron City, Navi!"
"Good job, Link. You're picking up this reading thing pretty good!"
They hurried inside to find a dark tunnel system, lit in places by torches. Link tripped on a rock, which groaned.
"My stomach," the Goron said as it stood.
"Did I kick your stomach? I'm sorry," Link said.
"Oh, no, you couldn't hurt me with those boots. Odds are, you stubbed your toe! No, I'm just so hungry... Everyone feels faint from hunger because of the food shortage in this town. We are in danger of extinction!"
"It doesn't look like you're dying to me," Link said. You've still got a much larger belly than me!"
"But we can't enter our quarry, the Dodongo's Cavern. We Gorons live on a diet of rocks..."
"Rocks? You eat rocks, and you're dying of starvation?" Link said. "You live on a mountain!"
"Not all rocks are good though. Can you get nutrition from eating dirt? The most nutritious, and delicious, rocks around here are found in the Dodongo's Cavern! But that seems like ancient history now..."
"Can't you just eat the boulder blocking the way?"
"We tried that, but we've become such gourmets that we can't stand to eat rocks from anywhere else!" He sighed a deep, long sigh. Link and Navi stared at eachother while they waited for him to end his sigh. "I want to eat the top sirloin rocks from Dodongo's Cavern!"
Link and Navi decided to move on. Unfortunately, Link took another bad step in the dark. And nearly fell. The next torch below was several stories down. Link might have hurt himself had he not grabbed a rope reaching across the chasm. He climbed across it, wondering where the rope led, and pulled himself up onto a rock platform, suspended by three of those ropes above the pit below.
"Hey!" a Goron who stood out on the platform said. "It's dangerous for a little kid like you to come out here. You might fall down! If I'm not mistaken, you came out here to eat the red stone! Well too bad! It's not here!"
"Red stone?" Navi asked.
"The one that was lighting up the city..." the Goron said. "That's not why you're here?"
"No, we came here for the Spiritual Stone, not the 'red stone'," Link said.
"Spiritual Stone?" the Goron said. "You must mean that delicious-looking red stone that was once displayed here! I was so hungry that I thought it would be okay to just give it one, tiny, little lick, so I snuck out here. But it was already gone!"
"Gone? Are you sure you didn't eat it?" Navi said.
"I think Big Brother took it away. He always says that everyone is after that red stone!"
"Who's your big brother?" Link asked.
"Big Brother Darunia is the ruler of the Gorons. He shut himself up in his room, saying, 'I will wait in here for the Royal Family's messenger!'"
"Where's his room?" Navi asked.
"Why? You want to eat the stone!"
"No, we need the Spiritual Stone!" Link said.
"You think you should have it, and not me?" the Goron said, bumping Link with his belly. Link fell backward, and his body from his rear up hung off the edge of the platform. "Oops. Hold on!" the Goron said.
Under normal circumstances, he'd be able to pick himself up, but he was weighed down by his sheild on his back, and couldn't lift himself up. His legs slipped off the platform, and he went plummeting into the pit.
"Link!" Navi said.
"Uaghahahahagh!" Link screamed as he fell down the pit, staring up as his fairy partner and the platform got further and further away. He awaited the imminent crash and possible doom, but stopped and bounced to his feet. He looked back at his landing place and found a Goron on its back.
"You okay, little guy?" it asked.
"Yeah. Man, I thought I was toast!"
"I saw you falling and thought I should save you. What better than a bouncy belly?"
"Yeah, thanks a lot!"
"What brings a kid like you to Goron City?"
"I need to see... uh... Dadoondia?"
"I'm Dadoondia!"
"Really? Well I need the Spiritual Stone, please!"
"Spiritual Stone? You must mean that red stone that was lighting up the city. Big Brother Darunia took it away. Then he shut himself up in his room and won't come out."
"Where's his room?"
Right over there, with the fancy rug!"
The Goron pointed, and Link struggled to find his way in the dark. Suddenly, a bright light came out of nowhere.
"Link! Hey Link! Oh, Link! You're okay!"
"Yeah, I'm fine Navi. Could you light the way to Big Brother?"
They found their way to a locked door with a fancy rug in front of it. Link knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. No answer.
"Well, we've done all we can do," Navi said.
"What?" Link answered. "You wanna give up?"
"I'm kidding!" she said. "But seriously, what else is there to do?"
Link took the string off of his ocarina.
"What're you doing?" his fairy asked.
"He said he was waiting for the Royal Family's messenger, right?"
"Yeah..."
"I'm here!" he called to memory the three notes Impa taught him two days prior. He remembered it was a slow, soft tune. After a couple of tries, he remembered. Mere moments later, they heard a latch open, and the door slid open. A Goron opened the door, but he wasn't like the other Gorons.
He stood much taller and his muscles were more defined. He had long brown hair, brushed into several ponytails and even had a long beard. He bore white face paint and a menacing stare.
"What! Who are you?" he roared.
"I'm Link, and this is Na-"
"When I heard the song of the Royal Family, I expected their messenger had arrived, but... you're just a little kid!"
"But I am the messenger," Link said.
"Ooh, bad choice, Link," Navi said.
"What! Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?"
"Oh. I'm sorry, I thought you were Darunia..."
"I am! Get out of my face, now!"
"Wow, you're cranky!" Link said.
Navi winced, though no one saw. "Link, you ever think you should just shut up?"
"Do you want to know why I'm cranky?" the Goron growled.
"Sure! Maybe I can help!"
"Ancient creatures have infested the Dodongo's Cavern! We've had a poor harvest of our special crop, bomb flowers! There's starvation and hunger because of the rock shortage! But this is a Goron problem, little boy. We don't need help from strangers, nor do I want it anymore! I ask for an army, and my Sworn Brother sends a little boy!"
"I have a sword and shield... Besides, I wasn't sent by the king."
"You weren't?"
"No, Zelda sent me!"
"Children sending children, to do a man's job!"
"Well if I can't help with the cavern, at least let me help somehow..."
"There is nothing to lift the burden of this horrible disaster. Why did Zelda send you?"
Link thought about saying, "To get the Spiritual Stone," but somehow he thought better of it.
"To lift the burden!" Link said. He had to do something for these people.
"Well?"
Link thought of what he had available. A dagger-sized blade, a shell-sized shield, a slingshot, a half-loaf of bread (he got hungry on the journey), some water in a bottle, an empty wallet, and his trusty ocarina. As none of the rest were much use to him at the moment, he put his ocarina back to his lips. He remembered a song that made him feel good even in a dark, scary forest.
He began to play Saria's Song, and something started to happen. The Goron tapped his foot to the beat, and then he let out a sound, like, "Oh!"
"Oh, oh!"
He started swaying back and forth. "C'mon!" He lifted his arms as he twisted.
"Come on! Come on! Come on!" He was now all-out dancing. Link struggled to maintain the beat of the song while watching this surprising spectacle. He raised the tempo a little, along with the volume.
The Goron shouted, "Hoooooootttttt! What a hot beat!"
He let out several other sounds of joy as he danced. The whole city seemed to brighten ever so slightly, and Link and Navi saw several Gorons dancing to the music.
Link brought the song to a close, and the Goron stopped dancing.
"Heeey!" he said. "What a nice tune!"
"Thanks," Link said.
"Just like that, my depression is all gone! Something just came over me! I suddenly wanted to dance like crazy!"
"Yeah, that was..." Link started.
"What?"
"A cool dance! Awesome! Man, all my practice at home was nothing like that! Teach me, master!"
"I'm glad you like it, little boy. What did you say your name was?"
"I'm Link."
"I am Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons. I'm glad you came and cheered me up. Perhaps you would like to stay and be my personal musician?"
"Actually, I'm on a quest to get the Spiritual Stones."
"You want the Spiritual Stone of Fire, too? The Goron's Ruby, as it is also called, is our race's hidden treasure. I can't just give it to you! Not even if you played that nice song for me!"
"But Mister Darunia," Navi said. "We..."
"...Would be happy to be your musicians, sir!" Link interrupted.
"Good! Perhaps if you stay long enough I will make you a Sworn Brother, Link!"
"Does that mean you'll give me the Stone?"
"No."
"Link, what are you thinking?" Navi asked quietly, as they walked into Darunia's chamber behind him.
"I think I have a plan," he said.
"You think!"