"The Gorons built these mines, right?" Link asked as they wandered through the tunnel. "Not the Lizalfos?"

"I think that's what they said," his sister replied. "Why?"

"I was just gonna say, these look a lot like the mines we were in before. Plus, I doubt monsters could build something as elaborate as this."

"You'd be surprised, Brother." Linkle tapped a support beam with the blade of her sword. "I've heard some monsters build huge fortresses, dungeons, towers, and labyrinths. The Outer Continent is supposedly full of them."

"The Outer Continent is supposedly full of a lot of nonsense that doesn't actually exist," Link stated. "Like human-monster hybrids, demonic fairies, and your sense of modesty."

"Hey!"

"Shh!" Gaile shushed them suddenly.

At first, Link thought she was just annoyed by their bickering, but he realized she was trying to listen for something. "What is it? What do you hear?" Link asked in a whisper.

"Voices," the priestess whispered back. "Listen."

The three of them were silent for a moment. After a few seconds, Link could hear what sounded like shouting, but it was very far away.

"Maybe it's the others," Linkle said hopefully.

Link drew his sword, knowing to be cautious regardless of who it was. "Let's go see."

As they continued through the mine, following the sound of the voices, the tunnel eventually diverged into two pathways. "Which way is it coming from?" Gaile asked.

"...Right," Linkle declared, immediately starting down the indicated path. Link wasn't entirely sure she wasn't just guessing randomly, but he still followed her. Regardless, she seemed to have been correct anyway, because before long, they could hear the voices much clearer.

"Which way? Which way?" came a frantic voice from down the tunnel.

"Uh, uh, this one!" There was a second voice. Both the unseen individuals sounded like they were lost, stumbling through the darkness of the mine.

"Hello?" Linkle called out, cupping her hand around her mouth.

"Shh!" Link shushed her. He could tell the voices were not those of Gaile's companions, so he wanted to be cautious.

"Who's that?" the voice in the tunnel asked.

"Don't know. It came from this way."

Link crept forward, shield at the ready, gesturing for Linkle and Gaile to stay behind him. They came to another fork in the tunnel, with one path continuing straight and the other going to the left. Suddenly, three Hylians appeared from the left path, running so fast that one of them slammed into the wall of the cave.

"Hey!" Link shouted reflexively, readying his weapon.

The three Hylians shielded their eyes from the bright lights of the torch and of Gaile's magic staff. One of them, a young knight in shiny armor, stepped closer. Link recognized him. When the man got a good look at Link and his companions, he frowned. "By the gods, it's you people again!" he proclaimed, pointing to Link and Linkle with his sword. "Why must I continue to suffer the presence of this cowardly knave and this ungrateful lady?"

"Ugh, this fucking guy…" Link and Linkle groaned in unison, which drew a surprised look from Gaile.

"Begone with you," commanded the adventurer, whose name Link remembered was Dayto. "We seek the dragon that befouls this land. It is not for the likes of you."

"Well, the dragon ain't this way," Linkle said, gesturing over her shoulder.

"I told you we were going the wrong way," one of Dayto's companions complained to him.

"Silence, fool!" Turning around, Dayto pointed straight down the tunnel with his weapon. "Clearly we are meant to be going in that direction."

"Clearly," Link repeated dryly. "Tell you what - We're already going that way, so why don't you just go back that way?" Link suggested, telling them to go back down the tunnel they had just come out of.

"Never!" Dayto refused. "This wretched place is a labyrinth. We must try another route."

"Then perhaps we should all go together?" Gaile suggested diplomatically.

"No." Link and Linkle once again spoke in unison, causing the priestess to flinch.

"Well, uh…" One of Dayto's companions spoke up. "Maybe we should…" He trailed off as a repetitive noise appeared to catch his attention. Link could hear it as well. There was a sound like metal scraping against stone echoing down the tunnel, coming from the way they had been planning to go.

"What is that?" one of the adventurers asked.

The six of them crept forward, with the light from the torch and the priestess's staff revealing more and more of the mineshaft as they went on. Suddenly, they all stopped. It was tough to make out at first, but there was a tall, wide, imposing figure just beginning to become visible. It stopped as well, as if noticing them at the same time they noticed it.

"...Hello?" Linkle called out to the figure.

Whatever it was, it took another step forward, then another, the scraping sound continuing. As it stepped into the light, Link could tell what it was now. Like the one they had encountered in the Goron vault in the previous mine, the figure was a heavily armored Martelfos. The scraping sound was coming from the gigantic, dark iron warhammer the monster was dragging along with it. There were several gasps of surprise and yelps of sudden terror as the Hylians realized what they were dealing with.

"Fuck, get back, get back!" Link held his arms out and backed up, forcing everyone else along with him.

The Martelfos hissed and hefted its hammer into the air, the feathers on its helmet billowing as it did. Taking two massive steps forward, it swung its weapon downward. The Hylians shrieked in alarm, but the strike missed them, hitting the ground instead. The force of the blow kicked up small rocks from the ground, sending them flying.

Link glanced in every direction, trying to think through his panic. He spotted the tunnel Dayto and his party had come from, noting how much more narrow it was.

Perhaps we could trap the monster in there somehow.

"This way!" Link shouted, pushing and shoving to herd everyone towards the path he wanted. "Down the tunnel! Now!"

The other Hylians complied, taking off running as the Martelfos readied for another attack.

"But, Brother," Linkle began while he pushed her down the path. "Shouldn't we fight-?"

"Later," he insisted. One did not need to be a blacksmith to know their weapons were pretty much useless against an opponent with armor that heavy, even if they tried to go for its supposed weak points.

Link heard the clanking armor and the heavy footsteps behind them speed up. The monster was beginning to charge. "Move, move, move!" Link called out.

"Who decided you were to be the one giving orders?" Dayto asked angrily as the others shoved him along.

"Shut it," Link replied.

"It's getting closer!" Gaile pointed out worriedly.

Looking over his shoulder, Link could tell she was right. The Martelfos was catching up to them, and fast.

"Brother, look!" Linkle pointed up ahead. "There's another split!"

"That way, that way!" Link directed.

Linkle, Gaile, and Dayto's companions turned and ran down the side passageway. However, as Link followed them, Dayto stopped at the fork, turning to face the charging monster. "Enough of this," Dayto declared. "Let us stand and- Augh! Hey!" Link grabbed the adventurer's shoulder and pulled him down the tunnel with him just before the Martelfos arrived, barreling past them like a boulder. Link and Dayto lost their balance, falling over onto the hard stone ground.

"You imbecile," Dayto said in annoyance as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Imbecile?" Link asked, climbing to his feet. "Are you mad, man?"

"Brother?" Linkle's voice came from further down the passageway. "What's going on?"

"Nothing! We'll be right there!" Link grabbed Dayto by the shoulder again, but the adventurer quickly shook him off.

"Unhand me, craven!" he demanded. "You can turn tail and run, but I will slay this monster in the name of making this land safe."

"Come off it, you loon," Link said in disgust. "You can't kill that thing and you know it."

"I know nothing of the sort!" Dayto readied his sword and walked around the corner, off to hunt the beast.

"No! You idiot!" Link followed the other adventurer down the other tunnel, lighting another torch now that his sister and Gaile were too far away. Once it was lit, he could see the Martelfos had stopped a few meters down the mineshaft, and Dayto was rapidly approaching it. "Oi! Oi, stop!"

"Ki-yahh!" Dayto yelled, charging at the monster and thrusting his sword into its back. Link could hear the sound of the impact, and he could tell the man's weapon had done little to pierce the monster's armor. Dayto stepped back as Link caught up with him, watching in astonishment while the Martelfos turned to face him. "...Um."

The monster swung its hammer.

"Watch out!" Link grabbed Dayto and pulled him to the side, down another tunnel. They once again fell to the ground, and as they hurriedly scrambled to their feet, the Martelfos attacked again. Both of them managed to dodge out of the way, but the massive hammer hit a support beam. A rumbling sound could be heard all around them, and Link knew something bad was about to happen. "Run!" he shouted.

He and Dayto ran deeper into the tunnel as it began caving in behind them. They kept running until they could no longer hear the sounds of falling rock and snapping beams. When they finally stopped, they were completely out of breath. Link lit another torch, having dropped the other one when he tackled Dayto. "Oh, fuck…" he swore under his breath, walking back a couple of meters to inspect the rubble. The way back was now completely inaccessible, blocked off by no doubt hundreds of tons of rock. "You idiot," Link said scathingly.

Dayto glared at him. "That wasn't my fault," he argued.

"Not your fault? Not your fault?" Link kicked the pile of rubble in frustration. "Well whose fault was it, then?"

"That hideous monster caved in the tunnel, not me!" Dayto proclaimed. "And who asked you to follow me?"

Link stared at him in disbelief. "I just saved your life. Twice. And now what? Now my sister is on the other side of that pile of rubble with a damned giant lizard monster, and I'm not there to help her because I'm trapped over here with you. All because you couldn't fucking run away from a fight you had no chance of winning." He emphasized his point with a shove to the other adventurer's chest, knocking him against the wall.

Dayto did not respond for a moment. Both he and Link were still out of breath, so the only sounds filling the tunnel were their panting and the crackling of Link's torch.

"I… apologize." Dayto averted his gaze in embarrassment as he spoke. "I was merely attempting to do what the Hero would have done."

"Yeah, well, I doubt the Heroes lived long enough to get famous by pulling boneheaded stunts like that," Link replied, feeling like he was scolding a worse version of his sister. He was about to insult the other adventurer again, but he noticed the look of shame on his face. Link sighed.

Yelling at him isn't going to get us out of here.

"Whatever," he said, adjusting his sword belt with one hand while keeping the torch aloft with the other. "No sense waiting around here. Let's see if we can find another way back."


"From what province do you hail?" Dayto asked after walking in silence for some time.

Link didn't really feel like talking to this man, but he decided to answer anyway. "Necluda," he said. "Me and my sister are from just outside of Hateno."

"I see," Dayto said, catching up to Link and walking beside him. "Are you acquainted with the late queen's sister?"

Link looked at the other adventurer as if he'd asked something ridiculous. "Never met her. Why would I have?"

"Is it not customary to swear fealty to your liege-lady in person?" Dayto asked. "Or was it your father who upheld those duties?"

"My dad's dead," Link answered, mildly irritated. "And we weren't exactly a knightly family." He looked Dayto up and down, examining his armor. "Guessing yours is?"

"Indeed," the other Hylian replied, a look of smug pride befalling his face. "My father is in service to House Stylas of Faron."

"Hm." Link grunted in response.

Of course this twit is a noble.

Coming to a fork in the tunnel, Link held his torch towards both paths. One was caved in, while the other was clear. "Guess we're goin' this way," he said, heading down the open tunnel.

"You said your companion was your sister?" Dayto asked.

Link sighed, realizing the questions would continue. "Yeah. Why?"

"Is she promised to anyone?"

"Fuck off."

Dayto flinched in surprise, falling behind as Link continued walking. However, he quickly caught back up and continued speaking. "What of the priestess?"

"She's a priestess."

"She has taken her vows, then?"

"Hell if I know. I just met her the other day."

"Truly?" Dayto asked. "I see. I was under the impression that you and your party had been traveling together for some time."

Link shook his head. "My sister and I only just left home earlier this month. We met the others in the hot springs on the way up the mountain."

"You… You saw those ladies in the hot springs?" The look on Dayto's face was one of wonder and curiosity.

Link rolled his eyes. "We're trapped in a dragon's den, and this is where your mind is at?"

"I, well, no," Dayto insisted, stumbling through his words. "I am merely troubled by the thought of you besmirching their honor by seeing them in such a state."

"Yeah, well, last time you tried to 'defend a lady's honor,' you got stabbed in the shoulder," Link stated dryly.

"By you," Dayto pointed out. "And I would have won our duel had you fought with honor."

Link groaned. "What is it with you and honor?"

"What in Hylia's name do you mean?" Dayto asked, as if Link had said something appalling. "It's-"

"Wait. Shut up." Link held his hand out for silence. They had reached the end of the tunnel, but when Link stepped through the archway, he did not find himself back outside. Instead, he had stepped out onto a ledge overlooking a massive pit. It was too dark to see how wide or how deep it was, but he could see the path spiraled downwards along the walls of the massive open cavern. "By the gods," Link exclaimed, peering over the edge.

Dayto stood next to him and looked down. "I can't even see the bottom. How far down do you think it goes?"

Link thought for a second, then turned around and stepped back into the tunnel. Scanning the ground, he spotted a large rock and scooped it up with both hands. Returning to the ledge, he dropped the rock into the pit. It quickly disappeared into the darkness beyond the reach of the torch's light. Link and Dayto waited until they heard the rock hit the bottom.

"...Fuck," Link said eloquently. He sighed. "Well, hopefully we'll find another exit along the way." Resigned to his fate, Link set off down the spiraling walkway.

Link had hoped they could walk in silence for a while, but his new companion would have none of it. "So, why did you and your sister come to New Kakariko?"

"I got a thing for Sheikah girls."

"...Truly?"

"No, you moron," Link replied. "Well, maybe. But that's not why. Lady Impa sent us to try to help with the well thing."

"Lady Impa?" Dayto sounded taken aback. "As in, the Sheikah clan leader?"

"Yeah. We happened to be passing through Old Kakariko at the time." Link couldn't be bothered to explain the whole story about being saved by the ashen-haired Sheikah and then getting kidnapped and interrogated by the younger Impa who wore that creepy mask.

"I see." Although Dayto seemed impressed, he did not ask any further questions about the Impa family head. "I, too, heard about the undead infestation beneath New Kakariko while I was passing through the town of Rauru," he explained. "But when I arrived, I heard about the dragon, and that seemed to much more urgently require heroic intervention."

Link groaned quietly in annoyance, but didn't bother to say anything. Then a thought struck him. "Who did you hear about the monsters beneath the well from?"

"Hmm?" Dayto tilted his head upwards as he recalled the information. "It was a Sheikah fortune teller," he answered.

"Fortune teller?" Link wasn't surprised to hear that this idiot had gotten scammed by some charlatan with a crystal ball.

"That's right. She gave me a palm reading and said I was destined for great things," the adventurer said, beaming with pride.

Link narrowed his eyes. "...And when she read your palm, did she perchance examine the back of your hand as well?" he asked, remembering the odd behavior of the Sheikah women who had sent him and his sister on the same wild goose chase beneath the well.

"She did indeed, if I recall correctly."

Link's face contorted in confusion.

This is getting weird.

"Is that a common practice in fortune telling?" Link asked.

"Perhaps. I am unskilled in most magic arts," Dayto said. That did not surprise Link either. Most people who practiced sorcery were smart. "Although, I suppose it is more likely that she was checking to see if I already possessed the Triforce of Courage."

Link rolled his eyes. "You sound like my freakin' sister."

Dayto laughed triumphantly. "She wishes to be the Hero as well? She sounds like an excellent woman. Perhaps she and I would make a good pair."

"You know, I could probably push you into this pit and nobody would ever know," Link said nonchalantly. Dayto's eyes opened wide in shock, as if he feared Link might actually do it.

As Link had expected, throughout their descent into the pit, they came across several other openings in the wall that would have led to other tunnels within the abandoned mine. Unfortunately, each one they came across was either blocked by debris or sealed off by a heavy iron door. And so, they continued their journey downwards, hoping to find a way out soon.


"Gods, that took forever," Link griped when they finally reached the bottom. "I guess the Gorons could just roll down the ramp instead, but would it have killed them to put in a lift or something?"

Dayto seemed similarly glad to have made it this far, and he stopped for a moment to stretch. "Hey, look over there!" he said, pointing behind them.

Link turned around. At one end of the gigantic circular cavern, there was what appeared to be a massive opening in the wall, which was visible because of the light streaming from it. "Guess that's where we're going next," Link decided. "Good thing, too. I'm almost out of torches." The two of them made their way across the floor and stepped into the light. What they saw made their jaws drop.

The first thing that came to mind was the Goron treasure vault Link had seen in the other mine. Just like that vault, the sloped floor was absolutely littered with gold, rupees, jewelry, and other treasures. The cavern was actually much larger than the vault, with the ceiling twice as high and supported by the largest pillars Link had ever seen. Gigantic statues of Gorons lined the walls as if guarding the place. With lit torches hanging everywhere, the room was illuminated quite well for a place so far underground.

Link fell to his knees. "Praise Hylia!" After making the sign of the Triforce with his hands, he began grabbing rupees off the ground and stuffing them into his pockets.

"This is incredible." Dayto walked forward, having some difficulty trudging through the ankle-deep piles of treasure. "So those fiendish monsters have been hoarding all their ill-gotten gains down here?"

"Yeah, it's really something," Link said distractedly, placing a few gold rings around his fingers.

Dayto looked down at him. "Do not take those, you knave. Everything here must be returned to its rightful owner."

"I know you've probably been told to shut up so many times in your life that the words have lost all meaning to you by now, but please, shut up." Link shoved a few more fistfuls of rupees into his pockets before standing back up.

"The quest is to slay the dragon," Dayto declared. "We will be suitably rewarded by the crown once we fulfill our duty."

"Well, chances are, the dragon is up on the surface getting shot down by the Gorons' cannons as we speak," Link argued, hopping down a short flight of steps to a lower level. "If I walk out of here empty-handed, my sister and I might starve to death. That's probably not something you've ever had to worry about, huh?"

Dayto rolled his eyes, following behind Link. "Oh, my," the young man said, spotting something a few meters away. Trudging through a pile of rupees, he stepped up to a large sword sticking out of the ground. "This looks well made."

"Hm?" Link got closer and examined the sword. "Yes, I suppose it is. Goron-made. Seems to have been sized for Hylians."

Wrapping both hands around the handle, Dayto yanked on it, but the sword did not budge. He grunted as he tried again, and again. Link chuckled at his frustration.

What is it with people failing to pick up swords today?

"Here, let me try." Link stepped closer, but as he did, Dayto's grip slipped. His arm flung outwards, smacking Link in the face. "Ow!" Losing his balance in the pile of treasure, Link tripped. To make matters worse, because of the way the room sloped downwards, he began to roll downhill.

Link stopped rolling about when he collided with a stacked pile of gold bars halfway down the slope, grunting in pain when he did. "Agh. You dick!" he shouted up to Dayto as he climbed back onto his feet.

"My apologies, adventurer!" Dayto called back. "Are you injured?"

"No, no," Link said, dusting himself off. "I'm just…" He trailed off as he heard movement behind him, like someone was pushing the piles of treasure around. Turning his head, he saw the ground swelling, like a tidal wave of gold and jewels was rising up from the sea of riches. However, as pieces of treasure fell away from the rising form, Link saw there was something beneath it. At first, he saw only bits of black and red scales, but eventually, he could make out a gigantic, reptilian eye opening wide. Nearly tripping backwards in fear, Link backed away in shock as he realized what he was seeing.

No. No, no. No, no, no, no, NO!

Without another moment of hesitation, Link sprinted across the sloping field of treasure and dove behind one of the massive stone pillars.

"Hver truflar hvíld mína?" A deep, booming voice echoed throughout the cavern, followed by the sound of gold coins being scattered about as the dragon shook them off like a dog emerging from a lake. Link could not tell what the monster was saying, but he dared not make a sound, opting instead to crouch down and sidle along the pillar to stay out of sight.

"Dragon!" Dayto shouted in his most authoritative voice, drawing his sword and posing dramatically at the top of the slope.

No! No, you freaking idiot!

Link's eyes bugged out of his head as he stared up at the other adventurer, silently pleading for him to stop being so stupid.

"Hvað var þetta?" The dragon turned its head to face the source of the noise. Link could barely see as he peeked out from behind his cover, but the dragon was massive. "Ah, a Hylian," the dragon spoke again, in perfect Hylian tongue this time. There were some more loud booming sounds as the giant monster crept up the slope, approaching Dayto. "I was expecting this. Your kind can never resist sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Dayto looked confused, as if he didn't expect the dragon to be able to talk. However, he shook it off, readying himself in a fighting stance. "Silence, fiend! You have troubled these lands for far too long. I have come to put an end to your reign of terror."

"Have you now?" Every step of the dragon's massive claws sent tremors throughout the room. It extended its wings and flapped them experimentally, shaking off the last bits of treasure. With its body moved into the clearing now, Link had a better look at it. The monster did not have a serpentine body like some others he had seen depicted in artwork. Instead, it was more like a lizard, albeit a massive one with a pair of wings extending from its back. The dragon's scales were dark red, with a lighter shade of orange-red on its underbelly. However, its wings were solid black. Similarly, the top half of its head was black, giving it the appearance of wearing an iron helmet with a pair of curved horns.

"And would you happen to be this Hero I've heard so much about?" the dragon asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Ki-yaaa!"

No, no, no, NO!

The young adventurer let loose an over-the-top battlecry. Now that the dragon had come close to him, Dayto ran forward and leapt into the air. As the dragon was down-slope from him, he landed right on its face, attempting to drive his sword into the monster's skull. However, the weapon bounced uselessly off of its scales, making a sound like metal clinking against metal. The force of the impact caused him to drop his weapon, and it landed with an audible thump in the piles of treasure below.

Everyone froze for a moment. Link was terrified that if he moved, the dragon would hear him, and possibly kill Dayto. Meanwhile, Dayto seemed to have no idea what to do next. He stood there, crouched down on top of the dragon's face, staring down at it.

After a tense few seconds that seemed to go on for hours, the dragon inhaled, then exhaled smoke from its nostrils as if to express its annoyance. It then tilted its head downwards, letting the hapless hero fall to the ground. "Have you, perhaps, lied to me, Hylian?" the dragon asked, pinching Dayto's sword between two of its claws and lifting it into the air. "This is not the Master Sword," it said, dropping the weapon. The dragon then leaned its head in closer to Dayto, who shrank back in fear, lying on his back on the ground. "Nor do you bear the mark of Farore."

Link had to do something, but he couldn't think of what. Dayto was about to be eaten alive, but what could he do about it? His own weapon would fare no better than Dayto's. He had no bombs, no magic, and no party. He was useless against such a gigantic foe.

"Listen well, Child of Nayru," the dragon said in a low, menacing voice. "I have no desire to play games with the likes of you. I know there are dozens of you mongrels attempting to storm these tunnels as we speak. Is the real Hero amongst your forces, or have you come without him?"

Dayto pulled himself along the ground, attempting to move away from the dragon leaning over him. "I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me. I'm not the Hero. I don't even know who he is, I swear!"

The dragon examined the cowering young man for a moment, like a wolf eying an injured deer. It exhaled another puff of smoke, causing Dayto to cough frantically. "A pity," the dragon declared. "And here I thought I would be the one to capture him. But, it appears I have no use for you." The dragon opened its jaws.

"No!" Dayto screamed.

"Stop!" Link shouted, stepping out from behind the pillar. He didn't want to, and he wished with every fiber of his being that he could stay behind that pillar, but he couldn't stop himself.

The dragon craned its neck around to look at him, then began turning its body, knocking over a small pillar with its tail in the process. "Ah, so the false Hero did not come alone," the monster said, sounding more amused than it had been a moment ago. "Perhaps you are the real one?"

"No," Link denied instantly, but he knew he had to buy time. Sooner or later, he'd think of a plan, or get lucky, or someone else would arrive to fight the dragon. He had to stall, otherwise he would die. "But I know where he is." He wasn't sure why exactly the dragon wanted to find the Hero.

Perhaps monsters see him as the scourge of their kind, and want revenge.

"Ah, this is most fortuitous indeed." The dragon crept towards Link now, making its way down the slope. Not wanting to end up pinned beneath the monster like Dayto had been, Link turned and ran back around to the other side of the pillar. "And where do you think you're going?" the dragon bellowed, beginning to sound angry. The stomping grew louder as it followed after him, causing avalanches of treasure as it went. "You came into my home, interloper. Show some respect!"

Link climbed atop a ledge that wrapped around another of the pillars. "This is not your home," Link shouted back, hoping he could draw this out by staying off topic. "These mines belong to the Gorons."

"You ignorant fool," the dragon spat, stomping around the pillar as it tried to keep up with Link. "Tell me, Hylian. Where are we? What is the name by which these mountains are known?"

"Um. Death Mountain?" Link replied, sidling along the ledge. The dragon's head came around the corner, and he suddenly found himself staring into one of its gigantic red eyes.

"These are the Eldin Mountains!" the dragon roared. "Do your pathetic people not remember the Dragon God of Fire? He ruled over these mountains while your kind were still hiding in the clouds! These were dragon mountains before the Goron race even knew how to make fire!"

Link stayed perfectly still as the dragon righted itself, facing him head on with its teeth bared. "Per… Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot," Link said, the words barely able to escape his mouth. "My name is Link. Link of Hateno."

"Link of Hateno," the dragon repeated with a hint of mockery in its voice. "Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Link of Hateno." The dragon stepped back, positioning itself to stand up taller and spread its wings majestically. "I am Volder the Dragonlord, rightful heir to these mountains." His voice shook the cavern as he spoke, and Link had to cover his ears.

If Link hadn't been so terrified, he might have made a quip about how humble the dragon was. However, all he could do was stammer. "W-Well, Dragonlord Volder. It is an honor to meet you, and I-"

"Do you honestly believe you can preserve your life by wasting my time?" Volder asked, folding his wings and stepping closer to Link once more. "I shall ask you-"

A noise from across the cavern caught the dragon's attention. Dayto must have been messing around with something and knocked over a pile of treasure, causing enough of a commotion for Volder to see it as a potential threat for a split second. Thinking quickly, Link jumped down from the ledge and ran down the slope.

Behind him, he heard the dragon growl in annoyance, followed by a deep inhalation. Kicking up rupees and gold coins as he ran, Link glanced over his shoulder. The underbelly of the dragon was glowing red, like a superheated sword in the process of being forged. Realizing Volder was about to breathe fire at him, he dove to the side behind a half-destroyed wall.

When the blast of fire seared the ground he had just been standing on, Link was close enough to feel the heat. Even with Breen's flameshield magic protecting him, he got the feeling that dragon fire would still incinerate him in an instant if he got caught in it.

Hurriedly glancing around for anything that might help him get out of this, Link spotted something peculiar. Upon a pedestal a few meters in front of him sat a plain wooden bow. It struck him as odd and out of place given how valuable everything else in the dragon's treasure hoard looked by comparison, but then he realized what it was. It was the bow the Lizalfos had stolen from the Goron vault.

So they really did steal it specifically. What the hell would a dragon want with a bow like this?

He heard the tremorous footsteps of Volder approaching. Unable to come up with anything better, he got up and ran straight for the pedestal. When he reached it, he snatched the bow and held it aloft. "Stay back!" he shouted, turning to the dragon.

Volder stopped, narrowing his eyes as he glared down at the adventurer skeptically. "And what, Link of Hateno, do you intend to do with that?"

"Come any closer, and I'll destroy it," Link stated, trying to sound as confident as he could. He did not know why the dragon wanted the bow, but he knew the dragon wanted it nonetheless. That at least gave him some small amount of leverage.

The great dragon flexed his wings, staring at him for a moment longer. Turning his body, Volder began circling Link like a stalking lion, but he did not come any closer. "Do you even know what it is that you hold in your hands?" he asked. "The importance - the value of it?"

"You're damn right I do," Link lied.

The dragon chuckled darkly. "You are shaking, little Hylian."

Volder was right. Link tensed his muscles and tried to remain still. "The Hero will want this bow," he said, making it up as he went. All he knew about the dragon so far was that he wanted the bow and he wanted the Hero.

Surely they must be related somehow. Was the Dodongo Buster the Hero of his era? No, Linkle would've known about him. Then who was he? And what's so special about this bow? Is it because the Hero of Twilight once used it?"

"That he will," Volder admitted, sliding his tail across the ground as he continued to circle his prey. "It seems the Hero is more knowledgeable than we expected."

We? Him and his Lizalfos followers?

"Still, it changes nothing," the dragon went on. "We already have three of them, and we know where the fourth is." Stopping in his tracks, Volder turned in place, facing Link once more. "Perhaps the Hero has the others in his possession already?"

Link nearly fell over when the dragon's head lurched towards him again, but he stood his ground, still gripping the bow as if he intended to smash it at the slightest provocation. He thought about what the dragon had said.

Three of what? Are there more bows like this? How many are there? Why does he want them?

However, the dragon did not seem to know where they all were, so he could use that. "That's right," Link said, bluffing once more.

"I figured as much. And now he has sent you to collect the bow for him." The dragonlord lowered himself to the ground, folding his wings back as he settled upon his pile of treasure, seemingly bored of threatening Link all of a sudden.

The bow? So there's only one? Then what are the other things?

"I suppose this is good news." Volder spoke in a tone of mock joy, as if Link should be happy as well. "Once I hunt down the Hero, they will all be within our grasp. So, Link of Hateno," he continued, his voice lowering and becoming more menacing as he went on. "Tell me- Where. Is. The. Hero?" The dragon shot him a death glare, growling as he completed his sentence.

Link tried to steady his breathing. Whatever he did next could decide whether he lived or died. The dragon had been successfully convinced that Link had valuable information, which was enough to keep him alive for the moment. However, Volder was clearly expecting an answer soon. If Link lied and pretended to give up the Hero's location, then the dragon would no longer find him useful and kill him. But if he refused to give any answer at all, then the dragon might kill him anyway.

Please, Linkle. I need your help.

"How about a trade?" Link suggested.

"I don't have to give you anything," the dragon replied, unwilling to even hear what he had to say. "You are in no position to bargain, little Hylian. You will tell me what I want to know, or you will burn." Volder punctuated his threat by venting smoke from the sides of his mouth.

"If you burn me, the bow burns, too," Link reminded him. That seemed to get Volder's attention. He subtly backed his head away, as if afraid to accidentally catch fire to the wooden bow. "Or how about I just smash it now?" Link asked. He feigned smashing the bow to the ground, but stopped himself at the last minute. The dragon snorted in fear, then glared at him when he realized what he was doing.

"Alright, you little wretch. You've made your point," Dragonlord Volder said bitterly, climbing up to his feet. "What do you want? Treasure?" he asked, spreading his wings to gesture all around them. "Name your price. It's yours."

Link was surprised to hear that statement. Even if he had not seen the massive treasure hoard for himself, he'd heard that dragons were famously protective of the treasures they kept.

Whatever these monsters are after, it must be absurdly valuable.

"What, you expect me to believe you'll just let me waltz out of here with pockets full of your treasure after I tell you where the Hero is?"

Whatever I do, I first and foremost must secure my safe exit.

The dragon gave out a low chuckle. "You are smarter than you look, little Hylian. Very well. How do you suggest we carry out our little transaction?"

Link's mind went a mile a minute trying to come up with a suitable solution, but suddenly, he had what he thought was a good idea. "You need the Hero. I need him alive until I can claim my reward for the bow," Link lied, tapping the bow in his palm for emphasis. "So, I leave here with the bow and deliver it to the Hero. Then, you can go claim the Hero and reclaim the bow and all the other… items that he has." He still had no idea what other items the dragon wanted, but if Volder believed he would receive the Hero and the other items at the same time, it would surely appeal to him even more.

Dragonlord Volder smiled, if what appeared on the monster's face could be considered a smile. "So you would collect the payment from your master, then betray him immediately after?" the dragon restated before chuckling again. "I admire your pragmatism, Hylian. However, that still does not settle the matter of how you would reveal to me the Hero's location. What is there to stop you from leaving with my bow without ever telling me what I want to know?"

Link did not have an answer to that. "You'll just have to trust me."

"No, I do not think I will. In fact, I believe my patience has just run out. Tell me what I want to know, or I will kill your friend over there." Volder craned his neck around to look behind him, directing Link's attention to Dayto. The other adventurer was currently several meters away, sidling along the wall towards a doorway on the other end of the cavern, which could have possibly been an exit. When the dragon made his threat, Dayto froze in fear, holding up his sword half-heartedly with his back against the wall.

"Who, him?" Link asked, deciding to feign apathy. "He is no friend of mine. I don't even know him."

"Is that a fact?" the dragon asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Very well. Then I suppose you won't be bothered by the sound of his screams as he burns to death in front of you." Volder flapped his wings. Link was knocked onto his back by the blast of air that was created, and the dragon slowly lifted himself into the air. In the distance, Dayto screamed and took off running.

Fuck.

Link scrambled to his feet, still clutching the bow, and ran after the dragon. He had no idea what he could do to help, but his instincts had taken over. He expected the dragon to start breathing fire, but instead, Volder flew over to Dayto and landed right on top of him, pinning him to the ground beneath one of his massive front claws.

"Ahhh!" Dayto screamed in pain. "Help! Help me, please!"

"Silence," the dragon demanded. He turned his head to face Link. "You have still not revealed the Hero's whereabouts to me, Hylian. I'm afraid it's time for this one to die." Volder opened his mouth, the fire heating his belly as he inhaled.

"Wait!" Link shouted. Out of breath from running uphill through piles of metal objects, he attempted to lean against a gigantic lit brazier attached to the base of a pillar. "Ah!" he said in surprise as it burned him, taking a few steps away from it. "I will tell you." He racked his brain trying to come up with a place where nobody would be. If he sent the dragon to a city or a town, there was no telling how many people would be burned to death in Volder's search for the nonexistent Hero. "He's on Mount Drena." Drawing upon his knowledge of the map of Hyrule, Link thought of a snowy mountain in the far northeast corner of the Hebra Province. It was very close to the impassable abyss between Hyrule and the Outer Continent, and thus was unlikely to have anyone near it.

However, despite Link's careful consideration, this did not seem to be the correct choice. Volder glared at Link as if insulted. "You must truly think me an idiot, little Hylian," he said with malice. "I know that mountain. My sister has made it her home. If the Hero had so much as set foot in her territory, he would have been within our grasp long ago."

Link's eyes opened wide.

Damn my accursed luck!

"I do not take kindly to being lied to," Volder declared. "That will cost you this man's life."

Shit!

Link's eyes darted around the room, searching for a plan B. His gaze fell upon the giant brazier he was standing next to, and then upon the bow in his hand. "Hey! Lizard!" he shouted. Once Volder's eyes were back on him, he simply tossed the bow into the fire.

"You imbecile!" the dragonlord shouted in anger, flapping his wings with urgency.

As the dragon flew to the brazier, Link sprinted over to Dayto. He felt the wind blow past him as Volder flew over his head, then he heard a loud crashing sound as the brazier was knocked over. When he reached Dayto, the adventurer was already climbing to his feet.

"Link, you-" Dayto began to speak.

Link grabbed him by the collar. "Shut the fuck up and come with me." Pulling the other Hylian along, the two of them ran for the possible exit that Dayto had been creeping towards earlier.

The opening would be a tight fit for the dragon, but it looked large enough that the monster might be able to squeeze through it, so they were not in the clear yet. The cavern they had stepped into was a lot like the one they'd used to get down to the dragon's lair. While it was smaller in diameter, it was a large circular room with a winding staircase leading upwards along the walls. However, the stairs were made of wood, and appeared to be of shoddy Lizalfos craftsmanship rather than anything made by Gorons.

"We're going up?" Dayto asked.

"No, let's go down," Link said sarcastically, shoving the other adventurer towards the stairs. "Of course we're going up! Move!"

Every step felt like the stairs were going to give out beneath their weight, but Link and Dayto ascended as fast as they could. Not long after they began their journey upwards, Volder could be heard roaring from the next room.

"By the gods," Dayto exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.

"Keep going," Link urged. "He probably won't-"

There was a crashing sound from below as Volder smashed through the entranceway, knocking down a small portion of the walls in order to fit. Once inside, he opened his jaw, aimed upwards, and exhaled a mighty flame.

Link and Dayto screamed, diving forward as some of the fire spewed past them. Looking down, Link could see portions of the stairway beneath them were on fire, and it was spreading fast. "Move, move, move!" Link shouted, getting up and pulling Dayto to his feet. "Look! Up there!" Link pointed. There was a small opening in the wall that likely led to another part of the mine. It was only a short way up from their position. "Let's go!"

The dragon roared and flapped his wings. As he ascended, he began knocking down the remaining pieces of the flimsy staircase. If Link and Dayto fell now, there would be no getting back up.

The pair of adventurers made it to the tunnel opening just as Volder had ascended to their level. They could hear the dragon inhaling as they sprinted into the darkness, then they screamed as their way was lit up by the fire approaching behind them. Another tunnel appeared on the right, so Link rammed into Dayto in order to knock them both into it.

They had made it to safety. The fire steaming past them dissipated, and the tunnel they were in now was much too cramped for the dragon to fit through. Outside, they heard Volder roaring with anger, before shouting at them as they limped away.

"You have failed, Hylian!" he called, his voice shaking the foundations of the tunnel. "The bow was not destroyed. Soon we will have them all, and the Hero cannot hide forever. We will find him!" The dragon roared again, and another stream of flame barreled down the tunnel, but Link was too far away from it to care.

Now, to find my sister…