Kass reappears shortly after breakfast with Link's slate and a mysterious object. "It was interesting to meet Doctor Robbie in person," he remarks as he hands them over. "He and Director Purah send their regards, and a 'prototype'. They refused to tell me what it does; I gather they intend it to be a surprise for you."
"Thanks Kass. I really appreciate you doing this for me," Link says as he takes the slate and the odd metal tube.
"Think nothing of it," the bard dismisses with a wave of his wing. "It was nice to be among Sheikah again."
"Again?" Link thumbs the button on the tube, and a bright blue energy blade gleams into existence with a low hum. Nice.
"My mentor was Sheikah," Kass replies. "Though I'd never met any of the scientists before, only Chief Impa and some others who live in Kakariko village."
That sets off an itch way at the back of Link's brain, but he doesn't have time for it right now. "Alright, I'll go find Yunobo if you want to grab some shuteye," he says.
Between Yunobo's raw strength and the power of the magnesis rune, they manage to bring two large barrels of piping hot springwater back down to the city. Yunobo goes to prepare a bath for Bludo, and Link goes for a walk. There are some new Gorons deep in discussion with Gabro today - the South Mine delegation, he assumes. If they're here that means the route down the mountain is clear, which is good news. That means they can clear the civilians out of the area before he goes to deal with Vah Rudania. As he approaches, he can hear Gabro holding court.
"You kiddin' me, Soto? You wanna turn tail without even tryin' to fight first? We already gave up North Mine. Are we Gorons or cuccos?"
Soto, a craggy old Goron, looks unfazed by this taunting. "I'm sayin' we should pull back to South Mine first," he repeats. "Then send a small force to deal with Rudania once we've got a better plan than 'blast it with the cannons'. How'd that plan work out for you so far, remind me again?"
"We pushed it back to the Caldera," Gabro says. "An' I ain't ever met a monster that cannons didn't do for. It'll work. We just gotta hit it enough."
"A Divine Beast might take a bit more dealin' with than your average Talus!" Soto exclaims, throwing his arms up in disbelief.
Link edges through the crowd to stand between the two Gorons, who are now glaring at each other. "Soto's right, you should pull your people back," he says to Gabro. "I can deal with Rudania but I need everyone at a safe distance. Can you tell me more about these cannons?"
Both of them look at him for a second, then burst into laughter. "Who d'you think you are, pipsqueak?" Gabro snorts.
"What's a Hylian doing diggin' into Goron business?" Soto asks. Link bristles, but his reply is cut short by an ear-splitting "HEY!" from behind them. The crowd parts to reveal Yunobo, Kass, and a hunched, craggy Goron with an eyepatch. This must be Bludo.
"What the schist is going on?" he snaps. "Gabro! Soto! Quit yapping at each other like a pair of dogs. Who's the kid?" he asks, clearly spotting Link for the first time.
Yunobo jumps in before Link can. "This is the Hylian I told you about, Boss. He wants to help with Vah Rudania. He already helped me out, and he's a lot stronger than he looks, Goro."
"That true, kid? You fancy yourself some kinda hero?" Bludo asks, squinting at Link.
Link breathes out, tries to calm himself. "I'm just here to help. I have experience dealing with Divine Beasts, and I have tools the Gorons don't. Vah Rudnia will only stop for good if I can get this device to the terminal inside it," he says, holding up the Sheikah slate.
"You got any proof that'll work?" Soto asks, looking intrigued.
Kass steps forward. "I can corroborate that claim," he says. "Link has already calmed the Zora beast Vah Ruta when it threatened to flood the entire valley."
That causes uproar, and Bludo has to quiet everyone again with another yell. Soto speaks up again. "Say you're right and you can stop it with that doodad. How d'you plan to get inside?"
Link looks at Gabro. "You mentioned cannons?" he prompts.
Gabro scowls at him. "You've got another thing comin' if you think you can saunter in here and commandeer my cannons!" he barks. Bludo gives him a flat stare with his good eye.
"Your cannons, Gabro? Last I checked it was Bludo who installed 'em. What's your play, Tiny?"
Link sighs at the nickname, but carries on. "If we can push it back further, inside the Caldera, I should be able to use my glider to get inside from above. You might need to resume the bombardment to stop it coming for the settlements again while I'm shutting it down."
"So you're saying the plan is 'blast it with the cannons'," Gabro grins, smashing his hands together. "Alright, brother, I'm in."
The second part of Link's plan unfortunately runs into problems. "The air in the Caldera is bad news for Hylians," Bludo tells him. "Too hot even with your fancy tonics, and toxic to boot. But we can lend you some armor."
While the Gorons discuss tactics for the cannon assault, Link and Kass follow Yunobo to the storerooms to dig the armor out from under piles of junk a century in the making. There's a bulky body made of silica weave, with separate pauldrons to strap over it, plus sturdy heatproof boots and a helmet with an integrated air filter. The whole outfit looks oddly reminiscent of a diving suit. Yunobo says he thinks it was originally made for Princess Zelda, but it fits Link like a glove. Maybe there are some advantages to being short after all.
"So, Yunobo... Daruk didn't happen to leave any sentimental items of clothing behind for me, did he?" Link jokes as he buckles the boots on.
"Er, I don't think so," Yunobo says, hand to his chin as he thinks. "My bandana has his symbol, but I made it myself." Link's about to explain he was only kidding when Yunobo goes "Oh! The buckle was his though, does that count?" He lifts it over his head, tying it around Link's neck instead. It's a sweet gesture, and Link lets it go. As they walk back to the group, another issue with the plan becomes apparent.
"I don't think I'll be able to use the glider in this," he admits to Bludo, flexing his arms within the stiff casings. "Are there any other options for getting me inside?"
"You are aware that this plan is pure insanity," Kass remarks conversationally as the three of them trek over the rocky terrain towards the Caldera. Kass himself won't be able to follow them into it, his Rito lungs being even more sensitive to the noxious gases it emits, but for now he's keeping them company.
"I can't say I'm that fond of it either," Link mutters, helmet tucked under his arm. He'll need to put it on soon, but for now he breathes the somewhat-freer air.
Yunobo looks back over his shoulder at them. "Sorry, little brother," he says. "I'll do my best not to jostle you."
The plan is this: Yunobo, who is apparently Daruk's descendant and who inherited his Protection ability, plus Link, who is supposedly the reincarnation of previous Heroes but apparently inherited none of their sense (Kass's words), will climb into the cannon closest to the Caldera rim. Once the other Gorons have pushed Vah Rudania within range with their cannons, Kass - who for the record accepts no responsibility whatsoever for their inevitable gruesome demise - will fire them from the cannon. Yunobo will hold tightly onto Link and cushion their fall onto the Divine Beast with his shield, then find a corner to hide in while Link defeats the incarnation of Malice currently holding sway over it. What could possibly go wrong?
The first part goes well enough. Rudania retreats to the Caldera, scything its tail and creating tremors with every stamp of its feet. Kass fires them from the cannon, and they're wrapped in a shining orange glow as they slam into the upper deck not far from the control terminal. Even cushioned as they are, the impact shakes the teeth in Link's head.
They bounce and smash into a pillar, and then Rudania rears up. Link and Yunobo roll straight through the open observation hatch into the Beast's interior, landing with a thud thirty feet below. Yunobo's shield dissolves around them. Link looks up despairingly as the hatch grinds closed, leaving them in total darkness.
"Er... brother? Ohh, I don't like the dark..." Yunobo's anxious voice pipes up right next to Link's ear. Even at that distance Link can't see him. He can't even see his hand in front of his face. He's fumbling for the slate when a ghostly figure materialises next to them. Yunobo screams; Link stifles his own squeak.
"Little guy!" Daruk booms, spreading his arms wide in welcome. "That is you in there, right? Long time no see, brother! I knew the bastards couldn't keep you down. And hey, who's this?"
"Lord Daruk!" Yunobo squeaks, still looking one heartbeat away from a dead faint. "I'm Yunobo. Your, er, great-grandson."
"One o' mine eh?" Daruk grins. "'Course you are, coming here with Link into the jaws of death itself! Any descendant of mine has gotta be the strongest, bravest Goron around!"
Yunobo's going paler the longer Daruk speaks. Link jumps in. "It's good to see you Daruk. Sorry I'm late, I got a bit waylaid by Guardians."
That gets him a chuckle, and Yunobo deflates in relief as Daruk's attention moves away from him. "Can you help us get up to the main control terminal?" Link asks.
"Sure thing, brother," Daruk says. "This way, there's a terminal just over here to get you a map."
Link grabs Yunobo's arm. "Look out for sludge on the floors, it'll probably burn even you," he warns. Yunobo gulps and nods, following Daruk carefully.
Daruk fades out again once they have a map, and Link installs Yunobo behind the pedestal for the slate. The tiny room seems safe enough, and the faint glow of the pedestal at least means he won't be sitting in total darkness.
"Stay here," Link instructs him in a low voice. "Stay still and quiet and you should be fine. I'll be back as soon as I can."
The slate and his energy blade light up the area around him in ethereal blue that casts stark shadows across the floor. It's unnerving to be limited to this tiny pool of visibility. He creeps through the darkened beast with the dull rumble of Rudania's machinery vibrating through his feet, picking off monsters as they come screeching out of the blackness towards his face. Fighting in the suit is as hard as he expected, but Robbie's energy weapon makes short work of the slime monsters and keese. Link stays on constant alert for the Blight noticing him and ambushing him in the dark, but it's apparently content to wait for him to come to it. Finally, he manages to get the observation hatches back open, and light and heat flood back into the interior. From there it's just a slow, awkward ladder climb up to the observation deck on Rudania's back.
Hunched in front of the pedestal is a grotesque mockery of a Goron, its bulky form shifting and bulging beneath the bands of armour wrapped around it. One of its arms ends in an energy version of a Goron greatsword. At the tip it's as wide as Link is tall. Link's own weapon feels very inadequate suddenly. The Malice comes for him, the tip of its weapon kicking up sparks on the deck as it swings the blade round in a vicious arc. Link dodges backwards, and it follows up with a fireball. The suit protects him, but he's not sure how much of that it can take. He brings up his shield to try block its next swing, and nearly drops it with the force of the impact jarring down his arm. Goddess, it's strong. It back-hands him out of range and sprays a gout of flame over him. He rolls away, and slashes at its underside as he gets up. The blade glances off a familiar orange shield with a discordant whine. Shit - that's definitely going to make this a lot harder.
This creature isn't as fast as the one in Vah Ruta, but Link's slowed too by the stiff, bulky suit. His usual strategy for strong, slow foes won't work here. He dodges where he can and glances its blows off his shield at an angle where he can't, getting increasingly frustrated as all of his own hits are caught on that Goddess-damned shield. He ducks behind a pillar as it sprays another burst of flame at him, trying to think of any weakness he can exploit. He brushes his hand against the slate, materialising a bomb in the curve of his palm. When the flames die down he whirls out of the cover of the pillar, arm already curving to lob the bomb towards its head. It's distracted enough by his movement that it doesn't quite get the shield up in time; the explosion near its ear has it staggering, but it doesn't fall. That's promising, though; a few more of those should do the trick. Link darts back out of range of its vicious sweep and lines another bomb up. This one explodes harmlessly against its shield, blowing chunks out of the pillar next to it to litter the floor. He summons a third bomb but the blight is quick on the uptake. It rushes him, battering him away with a powerful swing of its arm as it connects.
Link crashes to the floor, breathless with the impact. He pushes up as quickly as he can but the Blight is swinging its weapon towards him with startling speed. He closes his eyes instinctively against impending death, but instead of feeling the impact, he hears a crash of and a resonant keening, like a finger on a wineglass amplified a thousand times. He opens his eyes to a shimmering curtain of orange. A sense-memory washes over him, of sprawling wide-eyed against the deck as Daruk's shield protects them both from a rain of boulders. Then it clears and there's just Yunobo, hands splayed as he focuses his power, glaring at the monster.
"Are you OK, brother?" Yunobo asks with a sideways glance. Link nods dumbly, incapable of words. Yunobo looks back at the Blight, which is howling as it batters the forcefield in futile rage. "I can't hold this much longer, goro. Let me know when you're ready," he says, teeth gritted.
Link takes in the scene. Slightly behind the monster's feet, he can see his discarded bomb glowing on the floor, forgotten. He shifts the slate; adjusts his grip on his weapon. "On three," he instructs Yunobo.
The shield drops, and then several things happen almost at once. Link makes a feint with his blade, and the Blight flicks its shield up again; now the bomb is contained within the shimmering sphere. Link smashes the detonate button; the force of the explosion, contained within the monster's shield, sends it sprawling to the deck. As its shield flickers out, Link is ready. He surges forwards and slams his blade through its glaring eye with all the force he can muster.
After the creature's twisted body has dissolved into a revolting sludge pile, Link trots over to re-link the Slate to the terminal. Daruk has reappeared; he can hear him engaged in quiet conversation with Yunobo (quiet for Gorons that is, which is to say he can hear every word even facing away, and through the helmet). Daruk approaches Link afterwards, and clasps him on the shoulder with a broad smile.
"Thanks, little guy. Look after Yunobo for me, alright?"
Link nods, his eyes prickling. "I will. We couldn't have done it without your help, big guy."
"Don't mention it. Hey, pass that here a second, will ya," Daruk gestures to Link's - Daruk's - amulet. He holds it between his hands for a moment, a look of intense concentration on his face, before passing it back. Link tilts his head in a silent question.
"I put some of my power in that for you," Daruk says. "If you're ever in a real tight spot, hold it and concentrate, and Daruk's Protection will have your back."
Then Daruk sweeps him up in a bear hug, and Link laughs, bright and joyful. The Goron Champion sets him carefully back on his feet.
"Alright, hold on you two. Me 'n Rudania will give ya a ride back to town."
With most of North Mine still under three feet of lava and its residents still crammed into Goron City or making their way to South Mine for refuge, there's little appetite for a celebration like the one Dorephan held in the domain. But Bludo invites Link, Yunobo and Kass to eat with him and the other Foremen. Link shares a mixed platter of well-grilled meat and vegetables with Kass, and he and Yunobo fill the others in on their exploits inside the Beast. The retelling gets more rambling as it goes, because Gabro keeps topping off Link's cup of ale.
"I dare say I'll have more than enough material for a new song from this," Kass says when they've wound up the tale. Link squints at him. The Goron beer is definitely going to his head; the bard is starting to blur at the edges.
"You're going to write a song about me?" he asks. He's sort of touched. He's heard the Ballad of the Hero a few times in inns, but this will be a song about him. "That's the nicest - wassit, thing - anyone has ever done for me," he informs Kass earnestly. Kass is so nice. "You're really nice. And your feathers are pretty."
Kass laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I should be thanking you, my friend. What is a bard without noble exploits about which to sing? And, of course, your actions have made the world that much safer. A song is really the least I can do."
Link nods. That makes sense. A bard is hardly going to bake him a cake, is he? Or - build him a house. Ooh, he should check the house in Hateno, see what Bolson did with it. Wait, songs - that's what they're talking about.
"Make sure you mention Yunobo," he slurs, patting Kass on the chest. "That's very impor- and Daruk! Put him in it too, because - because 's a shame, what happened to him. And where was I, while all that stuff... happened?"
He pauses for Kass to reply, then realises Kass doesn't know. He answers his own question instead. "Dead! I was dead! And he was dead too, but now I'm not dead and he's still just a ghost. They're all ghosts. 's not very fair, really. I should complain. To Hylia. Once she's not - y'know. Busy."
Kass's expression goes soft. "Come on, why don't we get you to bed?" He pulls Link's arm over his shoulder and helps him up.
He dreams of Castle Town burning, a scene of carnage that flickers between pulsing guardians and screeching, lurching corpses with rattling breath -
- he's fighting giant lava-spitting lizards in claustrophobic tunnels -
- a demon black as night blots out the sun, its noxious breath making him choke -
Link wakes sweating, the echoes of a deafening laugh fading away, and realises he forgot his cooling elixir before bed. The heat of the room feels like a physical presence, squatting on his chest. He digs around in his pack for a bottle, and the chill spreads through him as he drinks. A more peaceful sleep reclaims him.
Notes: Two Beasts down! There probably won't be an update next week due to the holidays, so I hope you all have as good a time as possible in difficult circumstances, and I'll see you all in the new year. 3