Chapter 11: Dragon Roost Cavern Part 1
As the six heroes entered the dank cavern where the second Secret Text was supposed to lie, they saw a doorway boarded up with dilapidated wood panels. Link wasted no time in withdrawing his sword and cutting down the panels that barred their path. Upon stepping through the doorway, Link and company gazed at what appeared to be a large volcano with molten lava lying at the center of the room with many winding paths adorned across the sides of the room.
"I like hot baths and all, but in a volcano, this is ridiculous," commented Alex.
"I understand where you're coming from, we must keep our eyes peeled for anything that would love to boil us alive," responded Link to his teammates.
"You mean like these things," said Chun-Li as a series of Keese bats began flying towards the group.
"Yeah you could say that," answered Link as he struck a few down with his sword, the others all clipped the remaining bats' wings with their martial arts skills.
"Ok, now which direction should we go in?" asked Ken.
"I suggest continue straight along this path and see where it takes us," suggested Zelda.
"Very well, let's move on then," said Ryu.
The others nodded in agreement and ran for the path straight ahead of them, striking down any Keese that came towards them. As they ran through the door in front of them, they found themselves in another room where a giant locked door was to the right of them over a pool of lava and little Baby Dodongos began rising up from the ground and crawled towards the sextet.
"Watch out, these things explode when defeated!" called out Link as he struck down the infant lizards and dove back with everyone to avoid the ensuing explosion.
"Good thing we know where the monster guarding the Secret Text is now," stated Alex.
"All that's left to do now is find the key to that door somewhere in this giant volcano and get back here quickly," added Ken.
"Hopefully we find it soon," commented Chun-Li wiping sweat from her forehead.
The six heroes then went out the door to their left and found themselves outside overlooking the ocean that surrounded Dragon Roost; a cool wind blew past them as they stood on the path on the mountainside. The six quickly ran up the path only to find more Kargarocs flying towards them ready to knock them off the mountainside.
"These birds really are persistent roadblocks aren't they?" commented Zelda.
"That they are, I'm tired of fighting these feathered freaks," replied Alex as grabbed a Kargaroc by the throat and slammed it on the ground before stomping on it.
"You know, you're not the only one," replied Ryu who decked one right in the beak.
After defeating the foul flock, Link and company continued their trek up the path and into another doorway where they saw a series of platforms that they had to leap across with many Keese flitting about and even Fire Keese that had bright orange flames engulfing their body.
"What the hell is keeping those bats from being burnt up by their own fire?" inquired Ken.
"I've wondered about that myself, but I honestly don't know," answered Link.
Across the platforms, they saw a couple of doors, one was locked tightly signifying they needed a key before being able to access what was in that room. The six quickly bounded across striking down any Keese or Fire Keese that dared to fly into their path. After safely getting across the chasm, they quickly entered the unlocked door that was in front of them which consisted of a room filled with Bulblins firing flaming arrows at the sextet who all quickly ran in different directions as to throw the Bulblins off. Zelda shot forth her Din's Fire as she ran causing many of the Bulblins to fly back in disarray. Chun-Li leapt into the air and delivered a series of kicks to one Bulblin who staggered back into Ken who roundhouse kicked the Bulblin into submission. Alex charged at the Bulblin mob that Zelda had previously disoriented and knocked a few into the wall with a Slash Elbow and Ryu followed suit by laying a quick combo into many of them sending the green ogre-like creatures up in smoke. Link also charged forward blocking any flaming arrows headed toward him with his shield and did a ferocious swing sending some of the Bulblins flying back and the remaining ones tried to retreat but Ryu and Ken fired Hadokens at them making the last ones disappear with a poof. A small treasure chest appeared and as Link kicked it open, a small key was lying in it. After seeing if there was anything else of importance in the room, they all headed out of that area and opened the door to the locked area. Inside was a pool of lava with no platforms to seemingly provide the heroes a safe passage across.
"What the, are you really saying that we're cooked here?" grumbled Chun-Li.
"There shouldn't be, there should be something around here to help us, look around," said Zelda.
At that moment, Ken and Alex eyed a stack of large and upon examining them, found that they were filled with water.
"Hmm, water, I could use a drink," commented Alex.
"Hey, one of you hand me one of those pots," called out Link.
"Sure thing man, here you go," replied Ken handing Link one of the large pots. Link threw the pot at the lava and the water inside cooled the lava forming a temporary platform for the heroes to cross.
"Eureka! Everyone use the water pots and cross quickly!" exclaimed Link.
With that everyone started throwing pots into the lava pool and use the platform to hop across quickly. The temporary platforms soon disintegrated shortly after everyone had got across safely. On the other side of the lava pool was a series of blocks barricading the doorway that lie above them. Ryu and Ken quickly went to work on pulling the blocks out of the way, after pulling a few forward, the doorway was open and the group all promptly climbed up the blocks and up to the doorway where they found a treasure chest lying near the door. Link opened it and inside found the map to the dungeon.
"Excellent, now we won't have to worry so much about getting lost in here!" commented Ryu as Link pocketed the map.
went through the door and found themselves outside the mountain again with bridge to their eastern side with a Bulblin on the other side firing arrows at them, Link fired back with his own arrow stunning the Bulblin long enough for him to cross and he quickly struck the monster down with a series of sword slashes. The others followed Link across after the Bulblin was defeated and found a ladder leading up the mountain, a fire prominence erupted near the middle of the ladder but died down a few seconds later.
"Everyone climb up quickly before the fire comes back!" ordered Link.
And following what Link said, everyone hastily climbed up the ladder before the fire prominence erupted again. Upon getting off the ladder, a large boulder stared them straight in the face. Without a moment's hesitance Link took a bomb out and placed it near the base of the boulder. After a few seconds the bomb exploded destroying the boulder in the process and clearing a doorway for them all to go through.
"I feel like we're finally making some progress here," remarked Ken as he entered the door with the rest of his companions. Inside was a dark cavern that only had a few torches providing very little lighting and at their feet was a jar full of sticks. Zelda took one and put the stick to the torch allowing them to have a makeshift torch of their own as they wandered through the dark room finding a few unlit torches as the traversed. Bulblins with swords of their own leapt at the heroes trying to cut them down in the dark, Link blocked a slash with his shield as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Alex all rushed at the Bulblin mob and disarmed them quickly before disposing of them with quick martial arts combos.
"Persistent pests aren't they?" inquired Ryu.
"That they are, keep your eyes peeled," replied Zelda as she lit another torch and a series of bars lifted from the doorway also near them was another treasure chest blocked by wooden beams. Zelda launched forth a Din's Fire burning away the wood and Link ran over and opened the chest finding a compass inside.
"Good, now we can find the treasures easier!" said Chun-Li.
The sextet went through the now open doorway and found another lava filled room with a fire prominence erupting upwards and platform in the middle filled with flame covered bugs.
"Those Torch Slugs should be easy to take care of but where do go from here?" mused Link scratching his head.
"How about up?" suggested Ken as he pointed to a bridge with a doorway above them near the fire prominence.
"Now how do you propose we get up there?" inquired Ryu.
"Like we got across the other lava pool, look!" answered Alex pointing out that there were water pots all around the platform they were standing on.
"I guess the Rito tribe left these here for us in case of emergencies," stated Link as he and the others used a water pot to cross over to the platform where the Torch Slugs were and quickly extinguished all the incendiary insects. Alex then lobbed another water pot over the area where the prominence would rise and created the temporary platform which all six quickly hopped on.
"Hold on tight everyone!" called out Link to everyone as the prominence rose into the air taking the platform with all six of them up with it. With quickness, all six heroes leapt onto the bridge nearby and walked through the doorway. Outside they found a staircase leading higher up the mountain and as the sextet ran up, the staircase began to crumble behind them making them sprint quicker until the finally reached stable ground.
"Nowhere to go but forward now," commented Ken.
As they all walked forward they found a large open area with a crack in floor. A Kargaroc flew over the area and dropped a bomb downward and it exploded making the floor cave and they all fell down the hole crashing down with a large thud.
"I think we fell into some type of trap," piped up Zelda.
"From what I can see there's a pool of lava in the middle of the room, but I don't see anything else in here," said Chun-Li as she surveyed her surroundings.
"Uh, Chun-Li, as much as I enjoy having you on top of me can I get up now?" asked Ken.
"And the same over here too Zelda," added Link. Chun-Li and Zelda quickly got off of Link and Ken allowing them to get to their feet.
"You guys got lucky, oh my back," grumbled Ryu as they saw Alex slowly getting off of him and helping the Japanese fighter to his feet. At that moment, a loud roar was heard making all the heroes look around the room at a rapid pace.
"I have a feeling we're not gonna like what's making that sound," stated Alex.
Right as Alex finished his comment, a large green scaled dinosaur-like creature burst through the walls breathing fire maniacally. The creature lumbered towards Link and company gazing menacingly at all of them.
"King Dodongo! Beware everyone, he's extremely dangerous!" called out Zelda.
"Well duh, it's a giant fire breathing dinosaur, of course it's dangerous!" replied Ken.
"Still, he may be strong, but it's probably really stupid," commented Link.
"Then what do you suppose we do?" asked Chun-Li.
"Give it indigestion," answered Link. Right at that moment King Dodongo opened his mouth preparing to breathe fire once again and Link pulled out a bomb and chucked it right into the lizard's mouth and as it swallowed the bomb, it exploded in his stomach debilitating him.
"Everyone attack him now!" called out Alex as he ran up and Flash Chopped the beast. Zelda fired an arrow at King Dodongo as Chun-Li hit him with her Hyakuretsu Kyaku and Ryu and Ken both used Shoryukens on King Dodongo while Link slashed him across the face. King Dodongo then got up quickly and rolled into a ball towards the others who all dove out of the way to avoid being flattened by the monster.
"Now what to do?" asked Ryu.
"Lather, rinse, and repeat," answered Link as King Dodongo lumbered towards them once again and prepared to expel fire towards them once again only to get yet another explosive snack and another case of indigestion. All six attacked him once again and King Dodongo once more rolled into a ball and tried to flatten the heroes, but to no avail.
"One more time ought to do the trick," called out Link.
"I sure hope you're right," replied Zelda.
And one more time, all six repeated the process and King Dodongo let out a loud painful roar as he began rolling uncontrollably and bouncing off of the walls before rolling into the pool of lava that lie in the middle of the room which disintegrated the dinosaur's body and made the lava cool down, a treasure chest materialized on the cooled lava pool. Link ran over and opened the chest and inside was a large metal claw shaped hook that was adhered to a long rope.
"Sweet, we got a grappling hook, that should really make getting across this cavern a lot easier," remarked Ken.
"First we need to get out of this pit though," responded Chun-Li.
Link looked upwards and saw an object above them he could latch the Grappling Hook to. He swung the item upwards and indeed it latched and Link quickly shimmied up the rope with the other five following suit behind him.
"Well now, let's continue on, that way we can get that Secret Text as soon as possible," ordered Link.
The other five nodded in agreement and they all ran through a nearby doorway continuing their exploration of the caverns hoping to obtain the second Secret Text and find the captive Rito people that were somewhere in the maze.
Author's Note: Well now, another chapter in the books. I've been playing a lot of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom as of late and it's an amazing game. If you have a Wii, I highly suggest picking it up. I use Alex a lot in that game as well because he's awesome! Anyways, next chapter will conclude this dungeon so I'm off to go plan that and until then, please read and review. Dodongo dislikes smoke.