There is less than an hour left in the day as the sun is very low over the horizon by the time they reach the road that will take them to the Maw of Death Mountain. They look up the road going to Death Mountain, gazing at that massive volcano with rivers of lava running down the sides.
"That . . . looks very very hot," Aloy said. "So it's going to feel very very hot."
A commotion up ahead gets their attention. It is two screaming Hylian females running with terrified looks to the road as they are each being chased by a Bokoblin, one blue the other black and both armed with a spiked Boko club.
"The blue one's mine!" Aloy exclaimed as she takes out her spear and runs, with Link focusing on the black as he also runs with a Zora sword in hand. "Hey! Come after me, you chuff!" As she closes the distance with the blue, which stops to give her pause as it is not used to having someone running toward them.
Aloy leaps, jump kicking the Bokoblin in the chest with both feet. But instead of falling down, she pushes down with her legs to prevent herself from falling so that only the Bokoblin falls instead. The Bokoblin is on its back with Aloy now standing on its chest. She immediately plunges her spear into its heart, effectively killing it.
Aloy looks to see Link skewering the black through the chest, then viciously retch his sword out and follow through with a decapitation, breaking his Zora sword in the process. He looks over at Aloy and she nods back with approval. He goes over to her and together they consol one of the females who was attacked. She is a girl with black hair cut short with a bang, save for long sidelocks.
"You're both okay now," Aloy said. "What's your name?"
"M-Meghyn," the girl answered with relief, though still shakened.
"I'm Aloy and this is Link."
"I never saw them coming!" Meghyn fretted. "This is exactly why I didn't want to go truffle hunting. Lousy Nat . . ."
"Your friend?" Aloy asked.
"Sister," Meghyn answered.
Link asks where she is and they see her up ahead crouching down as if looking for something. Aloy and Link walk up to her.
"Did you lose something?" Aloy asked.
"No, I'm looking for truffles," Nat answered without looking up at them. She too has black hair, but is as a bobcut. "We're travelling all over to find hearty truffles."
"How can you look for truffles after what just happened to you?" Aloy asked incredulously.
"I know, I know-it's dangerous for two folks to travel on their own these days. You don't have to tell me twice!" Nat answered curtly, then in a more reminiscent tone. "But when I think how wonderful those truffles taste, all the worries and warnings melt away."
"Then don't go looking around Death Mountain or it'll be more than your worries and warnings melting away," Aloy said dryly.
"Oh don't worry, Death Mountain is much too hot and dry for truffles to grow there," Nat answered.
Aloy and Link leave the two sisters and head up the road. On the right is a ruined house with a Wizzrobe floating around in the air.
"How can that thing be out there and not attack anyone here in full view?" Aloy pondered.
Link tells her that Wizzrobes are usually bound to a specific place.
"Either way, I wanna get rid of it," she said.
They go up to the house to confront the Wizzrobe. It is blue around its cowl, denoting it to be an ice Wizzrobe, which means it has an ice rod that it uses to hurl balls of seething white at them. That makes Aloy remember the shock rod she has and she takes it out to use on the Wizzrobe. It disappears and skips through the air, of which they can see the ripples in the air. When it appears, Link launches an arrow at it, disorienting it. Aloy hurls a ball of lightening at it, shocking it intensely. She keeps hurling electricity at the Wizzrobe until it is finally destroyed and her shock rod breaks.
Link picks up the ice rod. It resembles the shock rod save that one prong is blue instead of yellow and has a white seething mist between the points. Link gives it to Aloy who takes it, finding it to be cool.
"This might come in handy around Death Mountain," Aloy mused.
Link agrees as he mentions the great frostsword he acquired as well.
They walk up the road to the other stable. They see a Sheikah Shrine located behind it and decide to tackle that place tomorrow morning before going to Death Mountain. They head toward the stable and up to a girl sitting by a fire with a cooking pan over it. She has brown hair and wears a black vest, with matching fingerless gloves and boots. But Aloy stops as she stares at something past the girl next to the entrance to the stable.
Aloy is staring at a very tall humanoid bird. It has a black beak and predominately light blue plumage, with black, white, bronze, and darker blue amongst its plumage. It also wears trousers and other accessories.
"Wha-What kind of bird that?" Aloy asked the girl as she points at the humanoid bird.
The girl turns around and looks for a moment then back up at Aloy.
"What's the matter?" The girl asked. "Never seen a Rito before?"
"A what now?" Aloy asked.
"Rito," the girl answered. "They are a race of bird people who live far to the west in a place called Rito Village located on Lake Totori. That Rito in particular is named Kass."
"Even more strange beings in this world," Aloy muttered.
"What?" the girl asked.
"Ah, what stable is this?" Aloy asked.
"This is the Foothill Stable," the girl answered. "If you're stopping by here, then you're probably headed to Goron City?"
Link tells her that's right.
"I thought so," the girl answered, then gives a slight start. "Hold on . . . Are you two really headed to Goron City dressed like that!"
"Yes," Aloy answered.
The girl sighs with frustration. "See . . . this is how tourists get a bad rep. That place is sheer cliff after sheer cliff and it gets so hot past the second checkpoint that your bodies will catch fire. Normally I wouldn't stop strangers from heading to their doom, but I kinda like ya both. So I guess I have no choice but to sell you two these fireproof elixirs. They can protect you from the burning air. Even Goron City regulars usually take at least three elixirs with them. It's sixty rupees for one, one hundred and ten rupees for two and one hundred and fifty rupees for three. Buying in bulk pays off here!"
"So drinking one of these fireproof elixirs will make us immune to the heat up there?" Aloy asked.
"Yes, but only for a limited time," the girl answered. "That being a couple of hours."
"Hey, Link, come with me for a moment," Aloy said as she steps away to stand elsewhere, with Link following. "I'm out of rupees on the count of having to help with purchasing the materials to make my paraglider. How many rupees do you have left?"
Link takes out his stash of rupees and counts them. He comes up with a total of four purple, two red, and two blue: two hundred and fifty rupees.
"But we'll need a certain amount of rupees if we are to spend the night at this stable," Aloy said. "I hope two hundred gets us four of those fireproof elixirs."
The duo return to the girl with two hundred rupees to offer for four fireproof elixirs and the girl agrees to the bargain.
"All right," the girl said as she hands them two bottles each. "Here are your fireproof elixirs. You know what they say: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst."
"Are there any beds available in there for the night?" Aloy asked.
"Yes, there should be some available."
"Okay, thank you."
The girl then gives Aloy a curious expression. "What happened to your ears?"
"Nothing happened to them," Aloy said defensively as she briefly touches one of her own ears. "It's just that I'm not from around here."
They head toward the entrance and up to Kass the Rito, since he is standing next to it. The Rito is head and shoulders taller than either Aloy or Link. Aloy stares what is in Kass's disproportionately large hands. It is a strange box whose middle is intricatedly folded leather. Each movement of his hands causes strange shrill noises to come out of it.
"This is called an accordian," Kass answered as if reading her mind. "It's a musical instrument."
"So that thing plays music?" Aloy asked.
"In case you were wondering about the song I performed at the stables," Kass said, "there are many theories about its origin."
"A song?" Aloy mused.
"Yes," Kass answered. "According to my teacher, it was a song performed by the ancient hero to call his horse companion. If you ever feel like hearing it, feel free to drop by. Anyway, time to get back to it."
And he plays for a bit. Aloy and Link are about to walk past him, when Kass speaks up once again.
"I happen to know a song about the ancient hero. It was passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?"
Link then tells him to do so.
"Excellent!" Kass stated. "Without further ado . . ."
He starts to play a different tune on the accordion this time and begins to sing. His voice well suited for song.
The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land,
Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand.
A dark force of destruction, many times undone,
Rises once again-Ganon, the calamitous one.
But hope survives in Hyrule, for all is not lost,
Two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost.
A Goddess-blood princess and a fearless knight,
They appear in each age to fight the good fight.
Their battle with Ganon I've commited to song,
To keep it through time, no matter how long.
Now begins the second verse, listen and you'll know,
of their battle with Ganon ten thousand years ago.
The kingdom of Hyrule was once a land of lasting peace,
A culture of such strength and wit, that suffering did cease.
But Ganon lurked beneath the surface, strengthening its jaw,
So the ancient people of Hyrule set out to help the cause.
Their efforts bore fruit in an automated force,
To help avert Calamity by sealing it at its source.
Four giant behemoths for which power never ceased,
Each of these titans was called a "Divine Beast."
And free-willed machines that hunted down their prey,
These Guardians were built to last as they could join the fray.
To guide the beasts in battle, warriors were needed,
So four Champions pledged to see Ganon defeated.
Divine Beasts, Guardians, princess, and knight,
Their plan to rout Ganon was looking airtight.
And when Calamity Ganon reared its head, Hyrule rose against it,
The optimism of Hyrule all the more incensed it.
Ganon raged in its assault, boiling with hate,
It gnashed its teeth and thrashed about, but it was all too late.
The Guardians kept the heroes safe through every hour,
The Divine Beasts unleashed attacks that weakened Ganon's power.
The hero with the sealing sword struck the final blow,
And the holy power of the princess sealed Ganon so.
And that is the story of the brazen attack,
On Calamity Ganon ten thousand years back.
Kass goes silent as he stops playing. Everyone around had stopped and listened to that song. There is a silence in the air. Of memory. Of a great battle long past. The feel of relief after a winning a hard fought battle.
"Wow, that was quite a song," Aloy said. "To think that Calamity Ganon has troubled this world for such a long time!"
"And he troubles it again," Kass said sadly. "Until the hero and the princess return to drive him away for good, so that the land can mend."
Link and Aloy enter the stable. There are some empty beds along the wall. Link walks up to a man sitting down. He has a huge backpack that looks impossible for him to carry on his scrawny frame and is shaped like a beetle's body, and there is even a lantern hanging from it. The man has longish brown hair cut to frame his face. He has freckles and a large pink nose. He also has a tray hanging from his neck. Link tells Aloy that his name is Beedle and that he is a traveling merchant.
"Oh, so you've had business with him before?" Aloy answered, of which Link verifies.
"Hey! You're a great customer," Beedle said in a whiny tone, "and since today is Customer Appreciation Day," as he takes out an arrow and presents it to Link, "I want you to have this!"
He gives Link an ancient arrow.
"This even works on those Guardian things," Beedle said. "It's amazing! I hear it works best if you hit the Guardians in the eye with it. This old guy named Robbie gave it to me . . . I guess he's what you'd call a mad scientist, which is kind of cool . . . but also terrifying."
"We know," Aloy said, "we had some business to take care of with him."
"I see," Beedle said. "And who is this lovely lady? Your girlfriend?" And he giggles.
Link and Aloy exchange embarrassed looks and say no.
"Hey!" Beedle then gives a start as he bumps his tray momentarily. "You got strange ears!"
"They're not strange where I come from," Aloy answered sarcastically. "Hey Link, how's about getting us those two beds?"
Link walks up to the counter and the clerk who was at the front walks over to the back to deal with Link. He learns that they can get either a regular bed or a softer one for better sleep. Being on a budget means that they will need to settle on regular beds, for twenty rupees each for a total of forty rupees.
They find their beds and settle down to sleep. Kass had since silenced his accordion and a quiet falls over the place.
Aloy and Link are up early the next morning and behind Foothill Stable at the Sheikah Shrine. Upon entering it, they hear the monk calling itself Ma'a Keet and offering this test via telepathy.
Entering the interior they feel the heat of the inside as they descend onto a platform that is the full width of the room, but very short as there is a lava pond stretched out before them. A large opening alongside reveals that the lava pond is the full length and width of the interior shrine. Just ahead and up above is another platform on arches that is in the same manner as the one they are on. A railed ramp leads up to it, but white spheres come rolling down from another ramp connecting that platform. At one end of the upper platform is a ramp leading to a small area of floor as a metal sphere rolls down it. And at the other end closest to them is another ramp that leads up to the monk.
"Alright," Aloy quipped. "How do we get up there without getting squished?"
Link takes out the Sheikah Slate and waits for some white spheres to finish rolling by. As quickly as he can, he points the Slate up the ramp and uses Stasis on a white sphere that is just about to roll down from the other ramp onto the platform. He runs with Aloy close behind. Link runs to the right, followed closely by Aloy. Link walks over to the other ramp with the Sheikah Slate still out and this time captures a shiny metal sphere as it is about to roll off the platform, then releases it; effectively stopping its momentum.
Link hurries up that platform.
"And of course you just gotta go get that treasure chest," Aloy called out to him sarcastically.
She watches as Link opens it and takes out a knight's broadsword.
At least it's a weapon this time that he can take with him. Aloy thought.
Link returns and uses Magnesis to carry the metal sphere once again and uses it to protect Aloy and himself from more rolling white spheres until they reach the top, then sets the sphere aside amid the four other white spheres so that he and Aloy can walk up to the monk. The monk has his face veiled in that white cloth with the Sheikah Eye, along with having both knees raised with left arm raised higher than the right, with three brass rings hovering between his hands.
The duo receive the Spirit Orb from the monk, who telepathically thanks them and drifts away. The duo leave the shrine and go off toward Death Mountain.
