"Wow, these first-class seats are really something else," Riju reports, being treated to an enchanting foot massage with cucumbers laying softly on her eyelids.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Gustav responds, receiving the pedicure treatment.
"Gustav! What are you doing here? How in the world did you gather up enough money to afford such luxury?"
"My Uncle has ties with the railroad company. They've been offering me some pretty sweet deals."
"We keep hearing about this supposed Uncle of yours. Could you elaborate more on this mysterious figure?"
"Well, he's a pretty tough cookie with a sick red beard. Even though he's pretty old, he could still whip your butt. His appearance primarily consists of a mighty staff coupled with a patchwork cape. He even has this really cool gear-shaped necklace. Trust me, you couldn't miss him if you tried."
"He sounds certainly interesting. Is he perhaps a magic wielder."
"How did you know? He's one of the few Goron's able to utilize the forbidden code of alchemy."
"The staff gave it away. Most people don't wear such odd embellishments unless they hold some form of magical prowess. Huh, a Goron with wizard-like properties, that's something you don't hear about every day," Riju discerns.
"Uncle Guster is really something else, isn't he? Even the leader of the yiga tribe is impressed with his work. What was her name Ribu, or was it Raboo?"
"Wait, you don't mean Rubaru, do you?"
"That's it; she's quite fierce if you ask me."
"Um, Gustav, your Uncle Guster wouldn't happen to be working with the enemy, would he?"
"No way, Uncle Gus is loyal to the end. He just happens to hang out with a few bad apples, that's all."
"I don't know about this Link; we might want to tread carefully during our stay in Goron City. Although, considering we helped Professor Higgins change his ways, who's to say we can't do the same with Guster."
The fellow massaging Riju's bare feet gives the honorable chieftain a playful wink.
McGruff's words linger within your mind, "Who's to say some other handsome Hylian won't scoop her right up."
You push the conniving little twerp out of the way, taking control of Riju's heels. "Hey, Link, you do know what you're doing, right?"
Yeah, they're just feet. How hard could it be? You begin carefully caressing the ends of Riju's toes. Riju chuckles uncontrollably, unable to maintain her composure, "Haha, stop it, stop it."
You continue the process hoping to get an even grander rise out of her. "Haha, oh my goodness, I can't take it anymore. I can't take it." In Riju's frantic outburst, she accidentally kicks over a bucket of sweltering hot water on one of the aristocrats. Within seconds, you and your compatriots are kicked out of the first-class quarters.
"Welp, that didn't last long. I was hoping for you and your legion of followers to finally get a taste of the finer things, but I guess that'll have to wait for another day," Mrs. Plum retorts.
"Perhaps if a certain someone wasn't tickling my feet, we wouldn't be in this mess," Riju remarks with a hint of irritation.
What? She was the one that liked it.
It was clear that Riju held some amount of animosity towards you. You look out the window aiming to get your mind off things. The train was just passing by the coast, the steel wheels riding ever so close to the muddy swamp. You then cross into a forest of sorts filled to the brim with squirrels and other roaming wildlife. After a couple of sharp inclines, the grass changes to a more yellowish hue, signaling death mountain's arrival.
A Goron in a dark cavern gazes deep into a crystal orb, "Crystal ball of light and dark, bring me the two that I shall spark. Hmm, let's see..."
The circular object depicts Link and Riju's blossoming relationship. It shows them there for one another through the best and worst of times.
"Link and Riju, huh, they seem like quite the inseparable pair."
Link and Riju's indignant dispute appears in the small spheroid.
But it seems they currently hold some amount of resentment for one another. By the power invested in me, let this hostility fester until they break apart. Until their vows are extinguished. Until they have no heart," Guster recites.
The train stops at an iron gate surrounded by sizzling hot springs, "This is the end of the line folks, we've finally come to the maw of the mountain. Any of you looking to tread deeper into the blazing inferno better have brought some fireproof elixirs because it's gonna get hot.
"Will my feathers get scorched even with the aid of a fireproof elixir," Tobias doubts.
"Don't worry, little buddy, we have plenty of flambreaker armor stored up in the city's workshop," Gustav reasons.
"That's easy for you to say, seeing as you already have a heat-resistant hide. You're basically immune to fire."
"Well, what I'd give to have wings, then I could easily flee any battles that befell me."
Riju attempts to silence their quarrel, "Come on, everyone, let's stop bickering. The rocky capital of the world awaits. You boys should be excited; I hear Goron City houses some of the best weapon shops around. Or that's what it at least says on travel brochures."
You and your band of unlikely heroes journey up the smoldering canyon, dodging swarms of octoroks and magma punches from an enraged igneo talus. The southern mine provides you and your group with a quick place to recharge before resuming the adventure. Kima, a Hylian decked out in flame-resistant armor, offers you and your posse a chest plate to brace the blistering heat for ten fireproof lizards. Kima continues to flirt with Riju even after the trade is conducted, "So, uh, you're from Gerudo, right? That's pretty far from here. You must be feeling a little bit outside your comfort zone."
"Yeah, I mean, at least I'm used to the heat and all, but these lava patches are like a whole different world to me."
"I hear ya; I'm not from around here either, if you couldn't tell."
"Oh, where do you hail from. Somewhere in Hyrule, I presume."
"I'm from Hateno Village; we could grab a drink there sometime."
McGruff's advice circles within your psyche, prompting you to intervene in their conversation.
"What's all this about Link? He's just being nice," Riju returns.
"What's the big deal, tough guy, afraid I'm gonna steal your girl."
You ignore Kima's desperate pleas for confrontation.
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue, or are you too much of a coward to say anything."
You send a piercing glare towards Kima's way.
"Haha, that got you going."
"Link, it's best if we avoid an uncivil encounter," Riju advises.
"You wanna go, one on one. No swords, just fists."
In your agitated state, you accept his invitation to conflict.
"Link, we don't have to do this," Riju pleads.
Kima shuffles around the battlefield, getting ready for the fistfight.
Before he has time to react, you deliver a powerful uppercut to his front jaw knocking him out.
"Wow, that was something," Gustav comments to Tobias.
"Grgh, I told you not to do anything. What's with you today? You're acting like a totally different person."
You look away from an infuriated Riju, hoping to save yourself from her unruly scowl.
"Well, you're not gonna answer me anyway, so what's the use in trying," Riju replies, noticeably irked.
"He was being a jerk," You sound.
"I know, but you could've been the bigger person and handled it like an adult."
"I'm not an adult. I'm not an adult! Riju, look at yourself; you're four foot eight. You're the epitome of a child."
"You're such a hypocrite, you know that. Always flirting with Zelda or Mipha, but whenever I do it, then it's suddenly not okay."
You avoid speaking any further, already at your mental limit.
"What? Oh, now we're back to this. You're just not answering me cause you know I'm right."
"Do they always do this," Gustav whispers to Tobias.
"I'm not sure; this whole situation is news to me," Tobias whispers back.
You disregard Riju's words and continue your hike up the volcano. Riju begrudgingly follows along, still peeved from your most recent argument. The entrance to Goron City is submerged in a surge of unbridled lava. The molten magma leaking off the jagged peaks also adds to the dangerous mountain's namesake.
Gustav wakes a sleeping Bludo, "Where's Guster. I don't see him anywhere in the village."
"Oh, you're looking for that old coot. I heard he's up near the Bridge of Eldin practicing some of that voodoo magic of his. I would steer clear if I were you. I know he's your Uncle and all, but he isn't exactly the most friendly figure."
"Nonsense, Guster is a Goron through and through. He'd never let me down. Let's go, Link and Riju; I want to introduce you guys to him."
"Plan A, we'll try to knock some sense into him, maybe even convince him to fight for the side of good. But if things go south, and I hate to say this, we always have plan B," Riju reveals, gripping her lightning now.
Riju still held so amount of contempt for what happened earlier, walking two steps ahead of you. Once you reach the Bridge of Eldin, you finally come face to face with the imposing figure.
"Guster, is that you?" Gustav issues.
"How are you doing, Gustav? It's nice to see my nephew every now and again."
"I'd like to introduce you to some people I've met. Link, a great warrior, and Riju, an excellent strategist, oh and don't forget Tobias, he's uh, well I don't know what he does. But that's beside the point; they've all really tried to help me face my fears. They don't avoid me either like other people do."
"I'm glad to hear that, but I afraid I can't mingle with your newfound friends. You see, we appear to be on different sides of the law."
"But I thought you were a good guy, Guster. You've been paying for my travels, haven't you?"
"I am until Rubaru calls; she has me on a tight leash, you know?"
"Why do you obey her orders? Come on, you're a wizard; you have no reason to follow her command."
"She helped me out a long time ago. She helped me realize I could be a hero and a villain at the same time. I thought it was it was time I return the favor."
"Okay, let's go with Plan B, taking Guster down," The group shares.
Riju begins to fire bolts of electricity at the levitating mage. Guster seamlessly dodges the explosive projectiles, zipping and zigzagging through the air.
Guster raises his staff and beckons a meteor storm. Raging boulders come crashing down, interrupting your tight formation. You leap from rock to rock, climbing the cascading storm to the top. Tobias lends you a quick hand by acting as a stepping stone. You jump off your soaring friend and unleash a vicious downward strike.
Guster blocks the shot with his staff. He grins with delight as he stares longingly into your glowing sword, "Wow, the master sword, it's as beautiful as I imagined it to be."
You break away from Guster's grip and land back on the ground.
"Oh, ho ho, I don't think it'll be that easy. Especially if your battle chemistry is off."
"Chemistry? Whatever could you mean?"
"Let's just say Kima isn't the only Hylian who's suffered Link's untamed wrath."
Guster generates a wheel of granite, launching sharp stones towards you and your pals.
"Is he serious, Link? Are you that inconsiderate?!"
You protect yourself with the aid of your patented hylian shield. You're far too focused on the fight to concentrate on Riju's angry rant. Gustav runs away from the carnage, hiding behind a nearby stone.
Riju holds up a slab of concrete, "Hey, urgh, answer me, Link. I'm urgh, tired of the silent treatment."
"Get a grip, Riju; Guster's using your anger against you," Tobias notifies, gliding through the sky.
"Urgh, your right. How could I be so blind? We'll table this for now. Link, it's time for formation D."
You hold your shield over your head. Riju hops on the shield. You push upwards, launching Riju into the sky. Riju plucks a piece of thunder from the sky, placing it firmly on the lip of her bow. She fires it with pure gusto, not letting a moment slip by.
Guster is hit by the charged blast and falls to the floor, "Damn, even when you're arguing, you're just as powerful. No matter, my business doesn't pertain to the two of you."
Guster uses a spell to pick up the stone Gustav is hiding behind, "Join me, Gustav. With the right training, you and I could be unstoppable."
He hands Gustav his gear-shaped accessory symbolizing a truce.
Gustav cradles the ornate device, "Uncle, I've always wanted to follow in your footsteps... but not like this. I wanna fight for the side of good, even if I can't do much."
"That's truly a shame to hear, Gustav. I would've loved to have you accompany me along my glorious quest. But I guess some things just don't go your way. I'm going to retreat for now, but this isn't the last you'll see of me. I'll break all of you apart one by one. If I'm lucky, you'll do the work for me."
Guster snaps his fingers, calling the master sword and hylian shield to his side.
"Oh, and I'll be taking these trinkets as well. I could never pass up the opportunity to steal such a brilliant set of weapons."
Guster disappears into a portal with your beloved sword and shield in hand.
The sword to vanquish any and all forms of evil. The sword crafted by the goddess Hylia herself, selected for the chosen hero to wield, no longer belonged to you. It was now in possession of a vicious tyrant who would stop at nothing to rip the world apart with it.