VOLUME IV: Trial by fire
)) Chapter 11: A Name Of Grief ((
Goron City, Eldin Volcano, 11:06 am, Second Day -
Ankoku was trying to look up at his sumo wrestling opponent's face, 'bravely' squirming in fear and trying to find a winning strategy against Biggoron, who seemed more to be confused than ready at all: how was he supposed to win without hurting him too much, for the boy looked too light-weighted he might have swatted away with a sneeze. The only one who looked amused at the scene was Darbus, mostly out of curiousness about the kid's braveness, considering he had asked the Megaton Hammer, but before he could announce the beginning of the match, another voice boomed calling forth the second in command.
The new Goron was shorter and squatter than the other two Ankoku was with, he had a fiercely proud expression and from his attitude , mixed with hos his hair style curiously looked like a fabled king, even with spikes resembling, Ankoku could understand that, no doubt, that was Darunia, the leader of the Tribe, immediately inquiring the group: "By the love of Din, Darbus, what was that high pitched scream?"
If already Ankoku's blush could not clue him, Vaati concluded the work by pointing at him and yelling: "It was him! I absolutely didn't yell. At all, because I am not a girl: I AM VAATI"
This made Darunia tilt his head confused and, ignoring the pretentious Minish , turned at Darbus, who with a single exchange of look understood what his leader's request were.
"Don't worry, Big Brother Darunia, it was a sumo wrestling match, the human is not hurt at all", The largest of the three Goron kindly explained.
Darbus nodded as he intervened giving Ankoku another pat powerful enough to make him fall while letting out a big laughter: "Unfortunately, I doubt we'll do much, Goro, as with that scream, I think this chum proved to be as sisterly as Golith"
"Goro, can you quit saying I am a sister, Big Brother Darbus? this is really hurting my feelings", a voice cried from a few houses above. Incredibly enough, as he mentioned this name, a Goron wearing a comically fancy feathered hat popped out of a window and said with a far softer tone of voice (some would even state effeminate) than most of his kin, making the Minishes and the Skyloftian raise a brow.
Darbus scoffed at that quirky behavior and Darunia let Golith vent while rolling eyes as he continued being as oversensitive as he crossed the arms and puffed: "I miss the Hylian town, goro. they treat me like a brother and I have the begonias waiting for me… I would go here if it weren't for…"
"Enough! Please, Golith, remain alone with your music, Goro, you know you have to practice on it", Darunia bolted raising an hand cutting him off just as Ankoku had been growing interested in his tale, a gesture the hat-wearing Goron perceived as an insult as he gasped.
"Oh, goro, you didn't", Golith whimpered as he got in and shut in the door, making everyone drop in silence, until, of course, Vaati spoke to Ankoku.
"He is right. You are as girly as he is", he stated, making Zari try (and fail) to make an intimidating frown at her friend while still holding the passed out Lili.
This made Darunia turn at and square out the youngling, noticing how large was a pair of dark circle around his eyes.
"Excuse me, Child of Hylia, what is your name?", the Tribe leader asked, at which Ankoku gave out his standard reply
"My humblest greetings, Big Brother Darunia, my name is Ankoku Yami, son of Kage Yami and Shini Goroshi from Skyloft", the black-clad youngling answered, making the rocky leader raise a brow, at which Darbus shrugged.
"He had been like this all along, Goro", he just stated, at which Biggoron nodded, watching as the another figure was walking up behind Darunia, as tall, if not taller, as Darbus, all clad in a dark golden armor and a pointed hemet covering every feature of his face, a figure which Ankoku linked immediately, due to his sheer bulk
"Whatever. Nice to meet ya too, little one… you look like to have gone through a long day…" - the Big Brother pointed out making Ankoku rub his eyes as he nodded – " Why don't you make yourself comfortable at Goron Cit, goro, and take a nice rest?"
It was funny, at first Ankoku felt so energetic, but at such mention, he nodded, feeling his eyes heavier, also, Zadi was apparently scratching his hair while Vaati looked bored, planning fist to deal with the Hylian and then try and get Din's Iron, so he could return quickly to Ezlo's teachings.
"I am genuinely considering your gentle offer, Lord Darunia. Where to get some yearned rest?", he said a bit drowsily rubbing his eye.
Darbus snapped him back again with another pat and a laughter, getting the young man to his knees: "You can pick the room where you took off your other clothes, Goro"
Vaati, upset that the larger Goron had almost toppled him over Ankoku's head just growled upset: "Just wait till I get close to those big eyes of yours, Darbus, just wait…"
The Guest House, Goron City, Eldin Volcano, 11:12 am, Second Day -
Ankoku and Dodo were pretty much ready to rest, while Vaati was quarrelling with Zadi and Lili atop the boy's head about whether to get the quickest way possible Din's Iron and return home or have their friends resting, but as soon as they opened a door of their resting room they quickly a familiar shadow sitting on the edge of the bed as if m, which made Dodo instinctively let out a hissing sound.
"Fang Boy?"- Ankoku blinked for a second sleepily as he rubbed his eyes while they were adjusting to the dim light of the room to recognize the figure –"Ah no… that's Kitoran… wait, Kitoran?"
"Sup, Hylian?" - the pink haired Kokiri said in his usual dismissive sound towards Ankoku while biting down an apple with his almost sharp-looking teeth, prompting a cheerful wave from Zadi, as if she knew of Kitoran's presence all along, which he gave back, then give a larger grin as he dropped his piercing question –"You noticed that as well?"
This question made Ankoku blink as he was putting back his clothing, but the Kokiri wasted no time to stand atop the bed and make clearer his reveal, doubting the blue clad boy would figure out on his own, his grin getting larger: "Are you alright? All okay? All those Goron kept asking you that question, don't you find this … just a bit suspicious?"
"Ahh… finally I see someone with a brain. You, Windborn, bring me to the height of Kitoran, he deserve a fist bump, then to the height of your hand", Vaati exclaimed ordering the submissive black-haired youth around, first hitting his fist with Kitoran's, then punching Ankoku in the eye again, making his carrier wince in pain.
As the eye finally stopped stinging, the Skyloftian asked: "Uh… Kitoran…might I question…?"
"I have always been with you, Hylian"- Kitoran cut him off assuming the question –"I was bored, so I decided to screw around with Mido again and I hid… hehe, you have no idea where"
Zadi nodded with her usual cat-like smile and explained further: "He had been hiding in the Bunny Hood since you went to chase after the Keaton. There is some impressive space-bending magic there"
'Magical bending of time space? … Now that I think of such, Goddess Aria had employed such magic to take down that Giant Poe … considering that hood used to belong to her… no surprise' the Skyloftian thought as Kitoran first showed off an example of the magic by shoving an entire arm inside one of the ears, then, seeing Ankoku too puzzled, snapped his fingers to send him back to reality, while Dodo had finally fallen asleep in a corner of the room.
"… Kitoran"- he finally managed to state –"What are you doing here? Did you run away from Navi"
This made the Kokiri almost trip in disbelief, then he quickly glared Ankoku with his blood-red colored eyes, scaring Lili in the process, and growled: "I run away from nobody…"
'… except Navi' , he added in his mind, not wishing to state such aloud, while Ankoku nodded confused holding his head
"… whatever, that's not the point"- the Pink haired spirit of the forest added – "You have gotten into something you can't understand, kid. And you need someone … clever, a real adventurer, someone like…"
"VAATI!", the albino Minish in purple interrupted him in great arrogance.
"… me. What do you think, Hylian?", Kitoran added clenching again his teeth. In truth, he was just excited about the prospect adventure, he cared very little for Ankoku, having already paid back his debt, helping him was just an excuse… and his silence was not helping.
Before he could think of a way to convince Ankoku, Lili had poked the tight of the Skyloftian, making him turn toward her and causing her to blush as she muttered: "Hmmm… Mr. Yami…. Sorry if you ask, but …I think that…. iff you help the Goron… they might want to … pay you back?"
At this the youth blinked and looked as if he had completely woken up and muttered: "You mean they might… stop patting… No wait… they might give me the Megaton Hammer?"
Kitoran nodded with a grin, which made Ankoku crack a smile back at him, while Dodo had pretty much fallen asleep
"I suppose I might be able to sleep later. After all… I have to rush a bit if I want to take my scarf and return as soon as possible to the Wing Ceremony", Ankoku groaned to himself, deciding to give one more bolt of energy for this last task.
As Kitoran observed Ankoku putting on the Bunny Hood, and unsheathing his word let out a big grin and exclaimed her:"Let the adventure begin"
Entrance of Goron City, Eldin Volcano, 11:20 am, Second Day -
While Kitoran was heading at full speed towards the exit, the Minishes just remaining silent having decided to follow them until they got out and to remain in the city to convince Darunia to hand them Din's Iron, Ankoku was looking around once more at the beauty of the Goron City, now trying to understand what might be amiss in that zone, just thinking that this part had been getting far too smoothly. However, again his thoughts were interrupted as he managed to glimpse the hat belonging to the one Goron he was interested to speak the most: the gentle, delicate musician Golith.
"Greetings there", Ankoku helloed him with a gentle bow, getting a groan from Kitoran who did not wish to get sidetracked
"Hello you there, Hylian, how are you doing, goro?", the Goron innocently answered them with a gentle wave as he was taking out his lute , examining it before stinging a few chords with his large fingers.
Kitoran made a sign to Ankoku to avoid dragging out the conversation, to which Ankoku answered with a rather rushed: "I wished to take a breath outside"
The musician almost tensed a chord to the point it was almost snapped in half as with a somewhat worried tone as he spoke, surprising both the wanna-be travellers with his sentence: "Oh, no, goro, I don't think you should"
The blue clad Hylian was about to try and form a coherent and gentle question, but Kitoran once more cut in: "Now, fella, spill your guts. What do you know about what's happening 'round here?"
"And you better speak now"- Vaati growled shaking his fist in generic smothering rage, making the other two Minish sigh - "Or I will beat up your hat"
Golith looked in disbelief at the Minish and the Kokiri, even a bit scared, hoping at least they would spare his begonias, but Ankoku trying to be a moderator, simply said: "What we meant, Golith is...why?"
"The guards have been constantly checking the entrance to make sure none of us gets in danger by going out of the city, at least not until the General checks the outsides of Eldin Volcano", he answered. Kitoran gritted his teeth and inwardly cursed at hearing such, knowing that he would surely have problems to escape two heavily trained Gorons, and if he could not, surely the child of Hylia would have failed as well.
"Well, is there no way for us to get out, so? I mean, I doubt we can outsmart the guards, right", Ankoku stated aloud in a somewhat obvious ploy to get some weakness in the Goron security which his interlocutor failed to see.
"Indeed" - Golith answered them with a large smile as he was playing some pleasing music with a light shrug - "There is only another way out, actually, a small cave over there, goro, but most Gorons could not fit, so we didn't really bother to cover it"
At hearing such, in a rare moment of syntony, both Kitoran and Ankoku looked at each other with a light smirk, the Minish quickly figuring out what they meant to do, Lili twitching her ears in anxiety at hearing such.
"Weeell...", Kitoran said stretching his hands and smiking more as he looked at the direction Golith had pointed out – "if I cannot get out... I guess I'll go back to sleep, isn't right, Hylian?"
"Truly, I agree to such idea, and I would mind not to follow you, shall we go?", Ankoku spoke in a somewhat more histrionic voice than usual.
"Best wishes with the 'sleep'", Zadi said waving at them with her usual cat smile while Vaati gave them a dismissive huff, wanting them to get away so he could soon deal with Din's Iron and Darunia.
"Oh yes, Lili"- Ankoku answered them as he took his Deku Stick, thinking it could not break in the small cave - "A small thing, as you remain 'awake', please keep an eye on Dodo, use this"
Before the brunette could answer that she was far too short to handle that, she found herself, a small Minish the size of two inches, carrying a stick thirty times taller than her, Zadi trying to help her balance this as they waved at the duo leaving them. Of course, Vaati didn't even bother to look at them.
"I am glad they are relaxing"- Golith said to the Minished sitting down better as he started playing an old melody of the Gorons, the Bolero of Fire - "I don't want them to suffer any problem outside. Poor, poor Eldin Volcano, goro"
Zadi turned at the Goron, having helped Lili setting the Deku Stick down and running up to the Goron's foot she asked with her usual sweet tone: "Pardon?"
The musician looked at the small Minish and smiled having an idea at this and cooed at her: "Well well, you look a curious one... let me sing you a story shall we? It is of far beyond this back, back when Hylia lived"
"Oooooh, I love stories"- Zadi eagerly said helping Lili climb up the foot and eagerly willing to listen her feather-tail wagging - "Please, do tell"
"What a drag", Vaati complained to his fellow Minishes crossing his arms and mumbling to himself, as Golith resumed with more impetus the Bolero.
"Gorons are renown as a tribe of nomads, travelers seeking for clues of a past long gone, and it's true might have moved here in Eldin Volcano … how long ago? Less than fifty years ago, convincing the Mogmas with three hundreds bags of the rarest gems of Hyrule", he said trying to move with a long tone, his music occasionally hesitant as he tried to find the correct words to match his rhythm.
"... but well before the rise of the Demon King, Gorons had a far more solid domain here, we lived in peace with Eldin and just had all the delicious rocks this mountain had to offer..."
"As the Demon King rose, our people were terrified. Big as mountains and strong, we Gorons are pacific, and for a while powerless, unable to attack, although between the Volcano, Eldin and the power Din granted us, we were strong enough to keep up against the endless hordes of monsters to a standstill... until...a shed of light came..."
"A hero in green?", Lili shyly asked in awe a the tail. She remembered such tale, it was very similar to a legend in one of the tomes coming from Ezlo's endless Library, at which Golith nodded, quickly resuming his story.
"Indeed, a man in green, holding an offer of alliance which was to be extended to all the Seven races in Hyrule. He called himself nothing more but a messenger of the Mother of the Hylians, yet one of us, he who'd have become the first Sage of Fire, stepped forward and accepted his alligiance"
"And what a miracle it was: through it... the tides soon turned and we Goron managed to repel the forces of the Demon King off the Eldin Region … not without a price, however. Our Sage was dead, killed in battle, alongside many of our kind. The grief, the pain which had seared our land, and the place being nothing but shambles... made us leave.
At this his fingers tensed to the point his hands were trembling, unable to continue to make this story light through the music, something clearly seen by the Minish youths, as he was now pretty much stating his own opinion: "Darunia might have chosen this place to get over this past... And while I prefer the town of humans nearby the Lanaryu province, I respect his choice. However, there is something none of us has to forget "
Zadi looked at him concerned asking what could it be, with Lili bowing his head: her photographic memory had quickly made her remember all the story, she knew this part.
Golith remained serious and finally spoke setting down the lute to show how this was not him playing around turning at the exit: "Goro, since the death of the first Sage of Fire, our hero, we Gorons have renamed Eldin Volcano... the Death Mountain. And it will always be."
At this the blonde Minish nodded, quickly managing to connect the dots. Indeed, if the Gorons had to be so wary... there had to have been around the Volcano. Something, maybe from that time, was still alive. No wonder they were so scared.
'And now both Ankoku and Kitoran...', she thought widening her eyes, knowing her friends were in far worse trouble they had assumed
"WE NEED TO WARN OUR FRIENDS" - Zadi yelped in fear at this, hastily correcting herself to avoid outing that the Hylian and the Kokiri had been sneaked away from the city using her sweet words to hide her panic – "They were nervous, knowing this. Now that they are aware of what's the problem they'll sleep better"
Golith raised a brow, but again fell for the hook and nodded with his usual gentle smile and a thumb up, knowing she had a point, maybe he should have shared the tale with the other two strangers as well, he welcomed their presence. As long in his thoughts, he didn't notice how Zadi had quickly suggested the other two Minishes they should have helped, but alas, she quickly met a complain... from who else?
"This is a waste of time, the story was boring and the characters were flat!" – Vaati complained upset to his fellow Minishes loud enough so even the two taller individuals could hear him – "We don't need to go through this much, it's likely nothing"
"But Vaati" – Zadi objected jumping before him and looking at him perplexed, her kind nature not allowing her to leave people alone–" the situation might be far bigger than we think... if we help them, we might get Din's Iron with…"
"I don't need to help any Goron to get Din's Iron. am VAATI – The purple clad pint-sized snapped in anger glaring at his friend– and you, like me, are Ezlo's apprentice, and Ezlo is the Sage…"
"Fine fine, I know it, no need to tell me this" - Zadi said raising her hand, but not looking to be giving up –If you don't want to help them, fine, but I still want to… do you wish to help me, Lili?"
As the honey blonde Minish extended an hand toward the shiest of the three, Vaati glared at them both… of course, losing in the process any possibility of Lili siding with him, a fact which made him growl. However, as arrogant as the albino Picori could be, he was not heartless, and was still worried for them, he would not let them go without any protection.
"Whatever… Lili, let's go and take me the Windborn's Deku Stick"- Vaati blurted out before turning to his friends – "they are going to need need at least a Cane of Pacci… incomplete as it might be"
Zadi and Lili widened their eyes in surprise at this, after all, the Cane of Pacci was something only Ezlo could create with absolute perfection, yet they understood the gist of their fellow's order, therefore, as the blonde Mishin reunited in a circle, while the Goron musician observed.
Incredibly enough, it was the brunette who started, having the best memory of the trio, at first just shyly mumbling, but as soon as she gained some of her little self confidence and started making a chant in her original Picori language, soon joint by Vaati and Zadi, a thing which Golith looked at curiously despite being still distracted at what might have been happening outside, as the stick started glowing of a golden aura and they finally lifted it all together (an impressive feat, considering their size) at which the honey blonde let out a grin of triumph.
"I suppose you are not going to help us further, uh, Vaati?", she said trying to coax her friend into doing more with her puppy eyes.
The answer of her Albino friend was to cast a curious green light, which Zadi knew what it meant and answered: "By Demise, no"
With a sigh, she shook her head. She knew they were not going to get more from him, but at least his heart was still in the right place.
"Then let's go to ease our friends' 'sleep'", Zadi said to her brunette friend, and quickly scooted away with the Cane of Pacci.
"And I will keep company to that Solcanubi belonging to that child of Hylia's"- he said, angrily mumbling some rather crude insinuation about some special and forbidden bond between Dodo and Ankoku as a defamatory act. However, not satisfied, he quickly turned at Golith and pointing at him he started yelling -"You, minstrel, begin to use a iambic pentameter for your next poems, or I will make sure to turn that lute of yours into a ukulele!"
Golith gasped in utter horror at such threat and with a pout he told Vaati: "Goro, you meanie!"
Eldin Volcano, 11:47 am, Second Day -
It was rather easy for the two Minishes to avoid getting stepped on by any Goron and find the small entrance, small enough that only a child could fit by couching down, but for thumb sized creatures, the walk was remarkably easy and devoid of challenge, although Lili could not help but wonder how Ankoku and Kitoran could have crawled in there and hopefully getting no harm.
Quickly enough, they were outside the city and down the giant mountain. Lili could not deny it was … majestic, especially the view from down there, seeming that it was impossible to see the base of the mountain, especially considering they, being Minish, had to be very careful, the rocks were so segmented and there were so many cobbles around to hinder them. In fact, they barely could see what it was in front of them, forcing them to run over several times to find the Kokiri and the Hylians.
Finally, after a while, they managed to finally glimpse them, seeing the cloth of the edge of the Hylian's pants flapping in the wind, and oddly neither of them seemed to be moving.
With their voice, both of the small spirits called for Ankoku poking him with the end of the Cane of Pacci, which made him turn in surprise, couching over at their height puzzled at why they were not taking care of Dodo, fearing they had to give further bad news.
"Zadi, Lili? What are you doing here?", he asked confused, his visage lightly upset and anxious while Kitoran's back was still turned away: the pink haired Kokiri seemed to be absorbed by whatever he was seeing over the horizon.
"We are here to give you a small gift", Zadi said thrusting out the stick they were carrying, making the Hylian's eyes sparkle in delight.
"You got the Cane of Pacc… EEP!", Lili said as she squeaked scared and embarrassed at being brought up in the air, along Zadi's amused expression.
"It also has some nifty magic"- Lili cheerfully explained as both she and her friend crawled on the shoulder of the boy in blue - "You will love what you can do with it"
Ankoku smiled, the corners of his lips lightly trembling as he answered, his voice now clearly shaking: "I am quite grateful for such reason. I have the somewhat dreadful impression that … it might come in handy in a far too nearby future"
Surprised at his somewhat eerie answer, the two Minish turned around, at their new height and were left in wonder, Lili immediately hiding inside Ankoku's hat in fear, as the boy looked almost frozen at the spectacle before them, contrasting Kitoran's expression, a mix of complacency and dread, but an overall excitement for the upcoming challenge, branding his sword in his left hand and nervously playing with the lock of his pink hair with the other.
If you were to ask a Goron what is the greatest danger of the Eldin Volcano (or Death Mountain, however you might wish to call it) their answer would be their natural predators, the Dodongo, large bipedal reptilians which can grow from three to thirty feet, breathe fire and have jaws powerful enough to break through roc
Even if someone was unaware of such, they still would know those creatures are not to take lightly, due to their imposing appearance, their thick hides able to repel bombs and swords alike (with the exception of a few weaknesses in their tail).
And now, Ankoku and Kitoran had to welcome a new fear as they had been facing around a dozen of Dodongoes, all a few feet away from each other. Or rather, their skeletons , as it was all that was left of them.
DISCLAIMER:
The history of Zelda, Skyloft, Hyrule and Termina, alongside its characters and setting, just like its spin-offs are (c) Nintendo
Zadi is (c) LuvIsAThing
Kitoran is (c) Kitoma Foxx.
Lili is (c) Maanga
Golith is (c) Theodore Hastings
Ankoku Yami and the story are all (c) Xantospoc
Thanks you all for having read this fic, read and review please. See ya for the next chapter :)