Author's note: This chapter was made by made friend OHMYGASHA! (known here as TheGiver, I believe) when we worked on the Call of War together. This was posted originally on the NSider Forums, which are now gone. So I will be posting it here. However, my friend has unfortunately dropped this project, but I have obtained permission from him to repost it here. Thanks Ohmi!

Chapter 2
The Gift of Farore
By OHMYGASHA!

Darfide slammed his fist down on the table.

"I will not stand for such blasphemy!" Darfide roared. The council of Goron elders stared at him, wide-eyed, tight-lipped. "Darfide, do not get hasty," Gorok warned. Darfide glared at him from across the rock table. All of the council, seven wise and strong Gorons, encircled the table. They met to discuss important issues concerning the Goron races.

"King Daar threatens to enslave our race," Darfide growled, "and you tell me not to be hasty? Do you realize what happens when we Gorons simply ignore our problems?"

"We have never ignored an issue," Yargoro piped up. Her timid black eyes gazed meekly upon Darfide's imposing figure.

"We ignored the issue of Volvagia, sacrificing our greatest leader," Darfide replied with venom. "We locked away Darbus, and justlook at what happened tohim!"

"Those were extreme circumstances," Belgor shouted tensely, gripping the edge of the table.

"Indeed," Darfide scoffed. "The extreme circumstance ofconfrontation."

"You are out of line!" Yargoro cried, rising to his feet. Darfide lumbered up, leaning his large forearms upon the table.

"Am I, now?" Darfide challenged. "Do not tell me none of you agree with me!"

The room was silent.

"I see," Darfide glowered at the frail Gorons. "You would rather submit to that pig's will, than to fight for what is rightfully ours!"

"Death is a high price, Darfide," Belgor reasoned.

"Death in war is the only way to die honorably," Darfide replied. "I thought Darmani would have taught you that much." The council winced at the mention of their fallen general.

"Perhaps Daar's proposition is not so harsh," Gorbar attempted to bring the room back into order. His smooth voice was wasted upon the rage-deafened ears of Darfide.

"I find nothing less harsh than slavery," Darfide bellowed, and exited the Council Room. The elders that remained sitting tiredly wiped their wrinkled brows.

"He will be the death of us," Belgor sighed.

Darfide walked through the underground city of the Gorons. Many confused Gorons glanced at him as he stormed past. The tunnel he walked through webbed through the entire Goron City, connecting to the hub of activity--a deep chasm that formed ages ago. Darfide walked down a network of bridges and ladders, until he reached the bottom of the chasm. Bright torches burned all around, filling the air with smells of burning fat and oil. Shops were found everywhere on the bottom-most layer of the city. The higher you went in the chasm, the more expensive the shops. The bottom was the heart of the Goron City, and where Darfide planned to find support. Darfide climbed up on a large platform in the middle of the bustling marketplace. Nobody payed attention to him; Darfide cleared his throat, and took a deep breath.

"Fellow Gorons!" Darfide boomed, silencing the crowd--many eyes turned to watch him. "At this moment, King Daar is planning to invade our territory, and enslave our race!" Several shocked gasps, and angry outcries burst forth from the impromptu audience. Darfide smiled grimly, and continued.

"Your Goron Council is doing nothing to protect you!" Darfide bellowed, pointing upwards at the cave ceiling. "They would rather cower in fear and accept slavery!"

The crowd grew restless when this information reached their ears. Several shouted, many cursed, and all of them fought to hear Darfide's next words.

"However, we Gorons shall not go without a fight!" Darfide rumbled. Large cheers erupted from the crowd. "If you wish to uphold the glory of the Goron race, follow me! Us Gorons shall not be ruled by Hyrule! This land was our birthright! Let us fight for it!"

A new energy surged through the crowd. Darfide climbed down from the platform, noting the large crowd of Gorons that now followed him. They all ascended to the entrance of Goron City, making their way past the fissures in the ground, eventually reaching the tunnel that led into Kakariko Village.

Darfide led the large crowd of Gorons through the tunnel. As they exited the tunnel, Darfide raised a hand to stop the Gorons. A line of Hylian soldiers formed a semicircle around the tunnel entrance.

"What have you decided?" One of the biggest soldiers demanded--Darfide guessed that it was their leader. Silent, Darfide crossed his large arms across his chest.

"Speak!" Another soldier cried. "Do you accept King Daar's terms?"

"We Gorons do not accept his tyranny!" Darfide bellowed.

"So you have issued an attack on Hyrule," the leader solemnly noted.

"We have done no such thing," Darfide replied. "Not yet. We plan to speak with Daar--"

"By refusing his gracious terms," the leader cut Darfide off, "you have sealed the fate of the Gorons."

A small crowd of Kakariko villagers were gathering, wide-eyed at the event unfolding. Darfide was anxious about their appearance--it could complicate things, if they decided to interfere.

Darfide caught the gaze of the head soldier and held it. They glared at each other, the sun beaming down upon them harshly. The leader lowered his spear towards Darfide.

The other soldiers did the same, and began to advance upon the rebellion.

"Gorons!" Darfide bellowed. "Attack!"

The group of Gorons surged behind Darfide and leapt past him. Primal roars escaped their throats as they brought rocky fists against the soldiers' armor. The spears of the army bounced harmlessly off the Gorons' tough skin.

Darfide joined in the fight, heading straight for the leader. The leader only smiled as he withdrew a heavy object from behind him. It was a large metal sphere, with bloody spikes poking from its surface. The leader picked the sphere up by a chain, and began to swing it overhead; slowly at first, but with growing speed.

Darfide was surprised, but continued toward the leader. The last time he had seen that weapon was when the Hero of Twilight used it. But that was years ago...why did the army have it under their control?

Darfide lunged towards the leader, extending a rough fist towards his face. The leader swung the ball-and-chain downwards, connecting sharply with Darfide's side. Darfide flew to the side, crashing into the dirt. He was not injured, but the wind was completely knocked out of him.

Darfide struggled to sit up as the leader advanced. He swung the ball-and-chain high over his head again, gaining momentum quickly. Darfide raised his arms over his face instinctively, steeling himself for the fatal blow.

However, the blow did not come. Darfide warily opened an eye, clutching at his side. A large Goron had jumped on the leader's back, throwing his momentum off. The ball-and-chain flew out of the leader's hands, harmlessly rolling away.

The leader elbowed the Goron in the stomach, and turned back to Darfide. During this momentary pause, Darfide had risen to his feet, dusting off his large muscles. The soldiers were slowly being corralled over to the entrance of Kakariko Village.

The leader of the soldiers glared at Darfide; Darfide met and held his gaze, not budging an inch. The sounds of battle cries filled the air, drowning out Darfide's thoughts. The large crowd of villagers had grown considerably. The leader raised a hand and shouted to his troops to retreat.

"You shall rue this day, Goron," the leader snarled, slowly backing out of the village. The battle cries of the Gorons turned into cheers of triumphant joy. They thrust their fists into the air, roaring. Some beat their fists against their barreled chests, shouting taunts at the retreating soldiers.

The Gorons had been successful, yet Darfide knew that this would not be the last the Gorons would see of the soldiers. The King did not take defeat well...he would send more and more droves of troops, in an attempt to crush the resistance.

However, Darfide would not let the voice of the Gorons be silenced so easily.

Darfide sat in a watch tower, surveying the land. He tapped his strong chin, deep in thought. In the distance, he saw Kakariko Village and Death Mountain. A small trace of anger boiled in his veins as he recalled how harshly he had been forced out of the Goron society. He glanced at his hand, and saw the symbol--the memories came rushing back...

A few months after the initial attack (and resistance) on the Gorons, Darfide's prediction had come true. King Daar had sent a larger troop of soldiers--they blocked out the horizon with their sheer size.

Many Gorons began to shake as they sound the collective clanking of metal grow louder and louder. Darfide ordered his army to stand their ground. The Hylian army had reached the comparatively smaller Goron resistance at the edge of Kakariko Village again.

The leader of the soldiers--Darfide learned his name was Jareau--stood at the head of the large crowd, smiling grimly at the puny gathering of Gorons.

"Well, Goron," Jareau called, "Do you still reject King Daar's offer?" Darfide widened his stance, scanning the swarm of soldiers.

"Aye," Darfide replied simply.

"Very well, then," Jareau held up a gloved hand. "You leave me no choice." He snapped, and instantly the soldiers parted. Darfide heard many Gorons gasp as they saw what had been hidden in the mass of soldiers.

"Son!" A Goron cried, leaping towards the soldiers. Jareau's grin spread, but Darfide did not budge. A soldier walked over to the cage that had been previously unseen. In the cage were several young Gorons, not even a year of age.

"Daddy!" One of the smallest Gorons shrieked, clutching at the rusty metal bars. The soldier next to the cage withdrew a large black bomb from a satchel around his waist. He struck a tinder and lit the bomb, holding it inside the cage. The fuse hissed slowly, spitting out bright sparks.

"Darfide, stop him!" Another Goron shouted.

"Go ahead," Darfide said. "Our race is resistant to explosions." On the surface, he was calm and ready, but inside, his guts were churning.

"Would you like to wager the same for the young?" Jareau was obviously enjoying this. "Either come with us, or the children will learn whether they resist bombs or not."

The Gorons in the cage beat against the bars, tears falling from their eyes. Darfide remained stolid, staring Jareau down. The tension in the air was higher than ever--the hissing of the bomb seemed so loud it nearly deafened Darfide.

A large part of the Goron resistance pulled away from their crowd, walking slowly towards the Hylian soldiers. Jareau laughed, and signaled to the cage guard. He nodded and snuffed out the bomb's fuse.

"When did you kidnap our children?" Darfide snarled.

"The villagers of Kakariko were all too willing to help," Jareau smiled darkly. "It is amazing what money, and the right promises will get you."

Jareau commanded the cage guard to open the door to the cage. He assented, and many Gorons flooded into the cage to greet their children. However, as the last one entered, the cage guard swung the door shut, bolting it with a heavy lock. The newly captured Gorons protested wildly, attempting to bend the bars of the cage. They would not budge.

"Why don't you join us now?" Jareau faked a reasonable expression. "It would save you and your people from so much suffering."

"I am saving my people from you," Darfide growled, looking at his resistance group. It was notably smaller, but a few loyal Gorons still stood behind him.

"I will leave you be," Jareau drawled. "You may go--I will not pursue you."

Darfide glared at Jareau, and began to walk away, slowly. The group of Gorons in the cage watched them go, giving up on escaping. They tended to their sobbing children as the free resistance disappeared into the mountains. Jareau narrowed his eyes and pointed at the mountain range the resistance had receded into.

"Kill them," he snarled.

The first part of the journey was easy--peaceful, even. The Gorons walked through a lush valley of green, heading towards the mountains. Darfide had heard tales of caves in the mountains--they would be ideal as the hub of all resistance activity. If he could get his troops up the mountain, they could more effectively plan a retaliation on King Daar's plans.

The valley began to slope upward as the grass gave way to rocks. Darfide looked up and saw the path that would wind through the jagged faces of the mountains. He turned around and faced his troop.

"This journey is not for the faint of heart," Darfide spoke calmly. "It will be dangerous. I cannot guarantee that you will return alive."

The Gorons looked at him, wide-eyed, but then began to silently form a single-file line in front of Darfide. They all smiled strongly, looking at Darfide with an unquenchable fire in their eyes. Darfide nodded, returning their smile, and began to lead the troop upward.

The path grew more narrow as they ascended deeper into the mountains. The jagged peaks loomed everywhere, threatening to block out the sun. The temperature began to drop steeply the higher they went. Soon, ice was forming on the Goron's thick hides.

They crossed a bridge, narrowly escaping death--the bridge was not meant to support the combined weight of a dozen Gorons. It swayed and strained under their massive frames, but Darfide thanked Din that it held.

Soon, the wind picked up, threatening to blow the Gorons off the face of the mountain itself. Darfide and the rest of the Gorons shouldered against the harsh winds, and continued on. After a while, snow began to appear--first in tiny clumps, then in large patches, and eventually it surrounded the Gorons at every turn.

The Gorons shivered as the cold began to permeate their skins. Darfide himself was growing weary, but he knew that if they found the cave, they could at least warm themselves up. Dark clouds swirled above them, birthing sharp tridents of lightning that ripped through the sky.

"Do not give up!" Darfide tried to reassure his troop, despite his decreasing belief in the fabled caves.

However, just as nature seemed to be against them, and just before they were about to give up--they spotted a cave in the distance. The Gorons cheered and followed Darfide with renewed vigor. The path had long since given out, making the last hour of the journey slow and arduous. None of the Gorons cared at this point, as they finally saw salvation in the form of the cave.

They headed up a steep incline, before finally reaching a flat outcropping of rock, where the cave was. It pierced high above the swirling storm clouds, overlooking Hyrule from its frozen throne. A thick fog choked the ground far below, so the view was useless--but the view was not what the Gorons needed at this point.

Darfide's jaw dropped, and his heart sank. He was certain the other Gorons were feeling the same thing--their hopes of safety and warmth had been crushed. A large boulder blocked the way to the cave. Darfide and the Gorons approached it, contemplating the situation.

At that moment, a band of Hylian soldiers crested the peak of the mountain, appearing where the Gorons had just come from. They entered the outcropping, surrounding the Gorons. Many of them breathed heavily, bending over. Despite their ragged appearance, Darfide knew how bad of a position the Gorons were in. There was nowhere to go, and they were now trapped between a rock and a spear.

The soldiers caught their breath and lowered their spears at the Gorons. Darfide glanced at his troop; they were preparing to fight, shaking off the snow that was collecting on their arms.

Darfide stayed behind, steeling himself to the conditions. If he was distracted by the cold, then he could not fight--and that he could not afford. The soldiers moved in on the Gorons slowly, hiding behind their shields.

Darfide signaled for the Gorons to attack, and his orders were carried out. The Gorons were severely outnumbered, even considering how small the group of soldiers was. The Gorons watched their footing, as a single mistake here could lead to death. Darfide headed into the heat of battle, grabbing one of the soldiers by the shoulders. He lifted him up high overhead and tossed him over the edge of the outcropping. Two Hylian soldiers surrounded Darfide, trying to prod him over the edge.

Darfide scoffed and slammed them into the boulder. They fell over, unconscious. The blood lust he had felt so long ago was finally returning to his veins--no longer was he passively sitting around and following the orders of the Goron Council! He had taken matters into his own hands, and the call of war would be heard all through Hyrule!

Darfide had forgotten how quickly the tide of battle could change. The other Gorons, severely weakened by the trek through the mountains already, found themselves running on their last reserves of strength. They had not expected the Hylian soldiers to follow them into the mountains, and because of that, they were not prepared for such a battle.

The Hylian soldiers soon controlled the battle, overwhelming the Gorons. The Gorons backed up into the rock wall, frantically searching for a way to escape. A line of Hylian soldiers advanced upon them, forcing them to group together. A large soldier stepped forward, bearing a large mallet. It was made out of polished iron, and even the large man strained to lift it up. Darfide slipped on a patch of ice, and fell on his back. His head hit the boulder sharply, creating a loud ringing in his head.

Dazed, he barely heard the protests of his fellow Goron as the large man raised the hammer high over his head. Darfide raised his arms over his face instinctively, trying to clear his thoughts. He waited for the impact of the hammer, waited for death, waited for the end of it all...

But it never came. Darfide slowly opened his eyes as the ringing subsided. He looked at the man, and wondered how he kept the sword in mid-air like that. Darfide rose to his feet, glancing around at his troop. He saw expressions of terror in their eyes; many of seemed to be trembling.

The Hylian soldiers stood opposite of them, expressions of triumph clear upon their worn faces. They had put their spears down, confident of a victory. Darfide furrowed his brow, noticing that the snow was not falling--it hung suspended in the air. Cautiously, Darfide ran a hand through the air, and felt the tiny flakes of snow attach to his skin, and quickly melt.

The wind had stopped howling--the clouds no longer moved. Time itself had stopped. A voice spoke to Darfide, soft as a feather.

"O son of Din, accept the Gift of Farore, Goddess of Courage..."