Chapter 21: Throne-Room
"Let them go," Darak said. "And stand outside to make sure no one disturbs us."
The two Goron guards looked baffled, but then Tyrus obeyed and let Link and Zelda drop to the floor. They gasped for breath while the guards stepped outside the throne-room and let the stone door fall. Darak stared at them for several minutes, and then he turned to Zelda.
"You're Gaetano's daughter, aren't you?" Darak said.
"Yes," Zelda said after a deep breath. "Did you know him?"
"Know him?" Darak huffed proudly. "He was my sworn brother! I helped him make Skyloft what it is now and was present at your birth. He was so happy when you were born, but then devastated when his wife died due to complications. I tried to comfort him as best I could, but he wouldn't listen to me and that's when he became suddenly ill followed by his own death."
"It was because of grief, wasn't it?" Zelda asked. "At least, that's what Ganon told me."
"He's been feeding you lies all these years, to keep you from the truth," Darak responded in a bitter tone. "Your father was certainly upset after his wife's death, but he was physically healthy until he started taking a special medicine that he received from Ganon, who was his advisor at the time."
"What kind of medicine?" Link wondered.
"Supposedly it helped Gaetano calm his nerves but the medicine seemed to dull his senses to the point where he could no longer function," answered Darak.
"How do you know these things?" Zelda said after a brief pause.
"Your nurse Impa told me before she and the Sorceress took off with you."
"The Sorceress?" Link thought for a moment and then said, "You wouldn't happen to be referring to Lana, would you?"
Darak gave Link a scrutinizing look. "Have you met the Sorceress, young man?"
"She's the one who convinced me to come here, along with Impa," Link said. "They found me in Termina, and then they brought me to Hyrule and sent me up the Sky Elevator to here."
"So they did escape," Darak said to himself. Then he leaned back in his chair. "Why have you come here?"
"To obtain the Fused Shadow fragment that's in Gorko Temple," Zelda said bluntly. "I think there may be a connection between it and the missing tour group."
"That's what I've been thinking too, and why I've forbidden use of 'special crop' to clear the boulders blocking the entrance," Darak said. "Because of the Fused Shadow's corrupting powers, I don't want to risk any of my people getting exposed to it."
"I understand, Darak, but if the Fused Shadow fragment has corrupted something in the temple it's probably getting stronger and might break out any day now."
"I've considered that possibility, but I'm confident the boulders will keep whatever's in there inside. They're a defense mechanism that the temple imposes when something evil threatens to come in or out of it."
"But how long will it last?" Link said doubtfully. "We've already risked our lives for one Fused Shadow fragment, and I'm confident we can take care of this one as well."
"Then do you have it with you?" Darak asked.
"In here," Zelda said, patting her satchel. But when Darak looked nervous, she answered, "It's all right. The power in this fragment dulled down after we defeated the monster it was attached to, and for some reason I'm not affected by its power."
Darak didn't answer at first, and then said, "Very well. If you think you can remove the Fused Shadow fragment from inside Gorko Temple and save the people that are trapped inside, then I see no reason to stop you."
Zelda's eyes lit up as she took a slight bow. "Thank you, sir, but what about Flint?"
"I'll handle him, but right now you must go," Darak urged. "Use the hidden door behind the statue, and good luck to you both."
Link and Zelda got up quickly and moved behind the statue of the Goron and the boy. There was a stone wall carved with various images of Gorons ascending into the sky and resting on a floating mountain. Beside the mountain was an image of Darak, who looked much younger, and an older man with thick white eyebrows, a balding head, and wearing red robes adorned with three triangles woven into one.
"I know this symbol," Zelda said, touching one of the triangles on the older man's belt. "It's the Triforce, the Sign of the Goddesses."
Once she pressed the Triforce symbol, a door-shaped outline became visible. Quietly, Zelda and Link opened the hidden door and closed it softly. They found themselves in a dark tunnel lit by torches along the way.
"Isn't that the same symbol that appeared on our wrists that one time?" Link asked as he and Zelda quickly made their way through the tunnel.
"It was, and that's when I saw a vision of Ganon," Zelda said, and shook her head. "I'm not sure why that happened, but there must be an explanation for it."
At the end of the tunnel, a large boulder stood in the way.
"Looks like a dead-end," Link noted. "And we can't go back the way we came."
"True," Zelda said picking up one of the strange fruits that was growing nearby. The orb started to flash red as the fuse lit and was winding down. "But we can destroy the boulder with this Bomb Flower."
Zelda threw the Bomb Flower and the boulder and then she and Link backed away. They hid behind a niche while the Bomb Flower exploded. Debris rushed past them but once it settled, Link and Zelda crept out from the niche. The boulder was no longer present, revealing an opening into a chamber that was filled with boiling magma and floating rocks.
"Amazing," Zelda said stepping into the chamber. "I knew Terror Mountain was a volcano, but I didn't know it was still active."
"Could it erupt?" Link said watching the magma bubble and brew beneath the rocky ledge he and Zelda stood on.
"No, I don't think so," Zelda said. "The magma would have to be much more active."
After she spoke, a geyser of magma burst from the pool. Zelda and Link ran quickly to avoid being sprayed until they came to a stone bridge that ran across the pool to the other side. Unfortunately, there was a large hole in the bridge.
"Let me fix that," Zelda said and pulled out the Kokiri Fan.
She waved it in the direction of the bridge causing a layer of ice to form over the bridge due to the cool air. However, the ice quickly began to melt as Link and Zelda stepped on it.
"Run!" Zelda cried and ran to the other side of the bridge without slipping.
Link almost lost his balance, but he made it too as the ice evaporated into steam.
"The temperature is too hot," Zelda said looking down at the Kokiri Fan with disappointment. "This won't be very effective here."
"But it's better than nothing," Link said and saw a stone structure with a large set of stairs leading up to it. "That must be Gorko Temple."
"Let's hope the tourists are still alive in there," Zelda said as they entered it.
To be continued…