Chapter 20: Goron District
Prior to dawn, Link and Zelda had reached a cable-car station in the Goron District, which consisted of a floating mountain with a ring of smoke circling around its peak. A trail zigzagged its way up to the top, but it was closed off by a gate. There was a Hylian guard slumped nearby, but he didn't seem to be looking at them.
"I think he's asleep," Zelda said. "Let's go."
Walking past the guard, the two climbed over the gate and made a quick dash up the trail. There were large spider-like Tektites that littered the trail, which Link was able to kill instantly with his sword while Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to blow them away. Then a little ways up, Link and Zelda saw a large boulder rolling down that was heading towards them. Link immediately hit it with the sword, which caused it to stop and unfurl into a creature that had light brown skin, a muscular upper-body, small legs, and beady eyes.
"What did you hit me for?" asked the creature nervously. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Sorry," Link said sheathing the Master Sword. "I thought you were a boulder."
"That's okay," the creature said. "I get that all the time. Hey, aren't you guys Hylians?"
"Yes," Zelda answered.
"What are you doing up here? The Terror Mountain Tours don't start till 8:30," the creature said.
"Oh, we're not tourists," Zelda said assuredly. "We were just wondering if we could investigate the Gorko Temple."
"The Gorko Temple?" The creature's eyes widened. "Didn't you hear the news?"
"What news?" Zelda asked.
"A whole tour group went missing there yesterday, and the entrance has been blocked off by large boulders," the creature explained.
"Can't you just lift the boulders yourself? Gorons can do that, right?"
"Yeah, but something's keeping these boulders in place and we can't move them because of it. The only other thing that can move the boulders is our 'special crop' but our leader won't let us use it for some reason."
"May we speak to him?"
"You can try, but I doubt he'll listen. He doesn't like outsiders, much less Hylians."
As they followed the Goron up the trail, Link turned to Zelda and asked, "What's the 'special crop' he's talking about?"
"Flower Bombs," Zelda said.
"They're a type of explosive fruit that grows abundantly in this district, and they're used to make actual Bombs that you can buy at various smithies throughout the Districts," the Goron added. "But there's been an embargo on Bombs lately because of the Twilight Wolves using them to blow up various structures around Skyloft so that's put a damper on our economy."
"I take it you don't like the Twilight Wolves, Mr. Goron," Zelda guessed.
"I have a name, you know," the Goron said irritably. "It's Flint and no, I'm not fond of the Twilight Wolves. What they say about Mayor Ganon being a tyrannical usurper may be true, but I don't agree with their methods. They're too violent, and their leader Midna seems to have ulterior motives."
Link and Zelda looked at each other and then Zelda said, "So, Flint, why does your leader not like Hylians? Is it the tourism?"
"Partially, but he also blames them for not doing anything when Ganon came to power. He's never trusted Ganon, you see, and even suspects foul play regarding the sudden death of the previous Mayor seventeen years ago."
"What do you mean by 'foul play'?" Zelda looked quizzically at Flint's rocky back.
Flint turned to Zelda and said, "Well, it's not my place to say, but he thinks Mayor Gaetano was poisoned by Ganon."
"But that can't be true," Zelda muttered.
"That's what I said too, but Darak is convinced otherwise," replied Flint.
The Goron known as Flint went into a cave opening about midway up the mountain, with Link and Zelda following behind. Inside, there were a few Gorons milling about that looked like Flint only they were either smaller or slightly more built. As soon as they saw Link and Zelda, they rolled away back into smaller holes that were situated along the circumference to the hollow chamber that lay inside the cave.
"This is where we live," Flint said. "And don't pay attention to the Gorons that fled. They just weren't expecting to see Hylians this early in the morning. Because of complaints from Hylian tourists about our apparent 'nudity', we always wear clothes whenever tours come in though we usually don't."
"I see," Zelda noted.
They traveled down a flight of stairs that spiraled down to the bottom of the hollow chamber where there were several corridors leading elsewhere. There was one door that had strange plants that produced black orbs with fuses sticking out of them, and it was this one that Flint approached. Two guards stood in the doorway, and they were slightly bigger than Flint.
"Hi, guys," Flint said. "May we speak to Darak?"
"For what purpose?" said the Goron on the right, who eyed Zelda and Link suspiciously. "Does it have to do with these Hylians?"
"I believe these are the ones Ganon is looking for," Flint said bluntly.
"Well, why didn't you say so?" responded the Goron on the left who immediately grabbed Link and Zelda and crushed them in his two massive arms.
Unable to move, the two were carried through the stone door which opened automatically revealing a whole orchard full of the same fruits that were outside. Here, they were taken to another Goron who was much taller than the two guards with big muscular arms and a receding line of spiky white-blond hair.
"Darak," said the Goron who held Link and Zelda. "One of our civilians found these criminals from the wanted posters. What shall we do with them?"
"Bring them to the throne-room, Tyrus," said the tall Goron in a gravelly voice. "There, I will decide what to do with them."
"What about the civilian?" The other Goron guard asked. "Shall he be rewarded?"
"In due time, Brutus," Darak answered.
Satisfied, the two Goron guards dragged Link and Zelda out of the orchard and into another room that was adjacent to it. There was a carved figure of a Goron with spiky hair holding aloft a stone that had a halo of light around it while a blond-haired child who looked Hylian was holding his hands up to receive the stone. Then beside two fiery torches stood a large wooden throne where a smaller Goron waited with a palm tree fan. A few minutes later, Darak entered and took his place on the throne.
To be continued…