Aloy and Link hurry toward their destination, avoiding Lizalfos perched upon other islets as the monsters shoot fire arrows at the duo. The duo glide over to the last islet that has a cave on it with its entrance plugged up with hardened lava. Aloy scans that cave with her focus.

"Link, there's a Goron in there. Maybe it's that Yunobo . . . But how are we gonna get him out?"

Link directs Aloy's attention toward a cannon on a nearby islet.

"Okay, let's get over there and see what we can do about it," Aloy said.

They glide over to the islet and examine the cannon. There is a round grate on the top, suggesting that something could be put in there. At the end is an opening, which also suggests that something could be put in there as well. There is a large piece of metal nearby and closer examination reveals that it could be moved. They push on it, wincing at the near hot metal on their hands, and find that it takes all of their strength to move it. The cannon moves as well.

"So that's what that is for," Aloy noted. "But it's aim is off."

Link suggests that if he hit it with a heavy enough weapon, it should suffice. He then takes out a bomb and rolls it into the cannon. Taking out the stone crusher, he hits the switch to make it move. As the cannon begins moving, he sets off the bomb, causing a cannon ball to hit the lava plug blowing it up. The duo glide back to that cave. Inside, the Goron in question is back on to them shivering as he clasps his head.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man . . . What am I gonna do?" The Goron squeaked in an unusually high pitched voice.

The Goron slowly turns around. He has a crest of blonde hair and beady comical eyes set into a chubby face. He wears a blue scarf with a square dark medallion, and black bands around his wrists and elbows.

"Monsters!" He cried. "They're here!" He starts running around. "They found me! Help!"

"Easy! Easy! We're not monsters!" Aloy called out to him with gentle assurance. "We just rescued you!"

The Goron stops and gasps, then hums in pondering as he stares at them.

"Now that I've gotten a good look," he muttered to himself. "Whoa! It's Hylians!" Then finally speaks up. "Were you the ones who broke through that crag to rescue me, goro? Thanks, brother, sister!" As he grins widely to reveal big square even teeth.

"Yes, though it was actually his doing," Aloy answered as she thumbs at Link.

"But what brought you two all the way out here to begin with?" The Goron asked.

Link tells him that they are looking for Yunobo.

"Oh! So that's it! Boss told you to come find me . . . ! Phew, thank goodness. In any case, I sure am glad you save me, goro! The name's Yunobo. Everyone calls me . . . Yunobo. Makes sense, goro."

"Yep, it sure does, Yunobo," Aloy said dryly. "Just as everyone calls me Aloy and everyone calls him Link. So what're you doing out here, anyway?"

"I came to get some painkillers for Boss, but a magma bomb caused a rock slide, sealing the entrance, goro. By the way . . . How did you break those rocks at the entrance, goro?"

Link tells him with a cannon.

"Huh? You used Boss's cannon?! That thing is so difficult to use. I thought only Boss could handle it! Oops," as Yunobo then muttered, "I nearly forgot. This isn't the time to chat . . . I need to deliver these painkillers as soon as possible! Sorry," speaking up once again, "I've gotta run! But do come by and see the Boss later, okay? He may be gruff, but he always repays a favor. I'm sure there's a reward in it for you. Okay then! Good-bye for now, goro!"

He walks past them and waves to them, then curls up into a ball and rolls away.

"Wow, those Gorons are amazing," Aloy marveled. "He's actually rolling over the lava as if it were solid ground!"

She turns to see Link return to the cave and follows. Inside, there are two chests. She snickers as she briefly shakes her head. "One of these days you are going open a chest and make someone very mad."

Link opens one chest and takes out a purple rupee, then opens the other and takes out ten ice arrows. He turns away and walks back up to Aloy as he takes out the Sheikah Slate, telling her that they will warp back to the Shae Mo'sah Shrine.

With Aloy holding one side of the Sheikah Slate, they warp back to that shrine, then make their way down to Goron City back to where they first met Blundo.

"Ah! It's the tiny travelers!" Blundo exclaimed gruffly. "Yunobo told me all about how you two helped him, brother, sister."

How did Yunobo get to him so quickly and leave? Aloy thought curiously. Either he's very fast or that warp takes longer than expected.

"Here's a reward for ya," Blundo said as he hands them three fireproof elixirs. "Hylians like you need this sorta thing, right?"

"You bet we do," Aloy said happily as she takes one of them, and Link takes the other two. "We each drank our last one. Is there any place around here that sells more of them?"

"There is," Bludo answered. "Offrak sells them. But if you need one more, then I can get it for you. It's the least I can do for those who rescued Yunobo."

Bludo rolls away from them and up a hill. He returns a couple of minutes later and stops before them.

"Here ya go, sister," he said gruffly as he hands another bottle of fireproof elixir to Aloy. "Ta even it up."

"Thank you," Aloy said as she takes it and puts it away with the other.

"Okay then," Blundo said. "I took my painkillers, so I guess it's time to meet up with Yunobo. I mean no disrespect to Daruk's legacy, but if I'm not there to give that Rudania a good walloping . . . "

Link asks about Daruk.

"Are ya tellin' me ya don't know about Daruk? The Goron Champion?!" Blundo exclaimed, then turns and points. "See that statue up there? That's Daruk!"

They look at what at first appeared to be a rugged side of a large hill. Then, features begin to take shape to their eyes and the form of a Goron with wild hair and a beard to match is before them.

"Didn't notice that on our way in here," Aloy mused. "I just thought it was a hill. So that was an important Goron back then, huh? Did you ever meet him, Link . . . ? Link?"

She turns to see that Link is staring up at that statue with that faraway look once again.

"Hey Link?" Aloy called.

Link snaps out of it with a slight start and gasp.

"What's gotten into you?" Bludo asked wryly. "Hylians sure are strange. Anyway, Yunobo is actually a descendant of the great Daruk. That's why that slacker can even use Daruk's Protection!"

"So that's his great grandfather then," Aloy mused while looking back up at the statue. "Yunobo sure doesn't seem to have his courage."

"I don't know about that," Bludo said. "He uses it to protect himself when we fire him at Rudania. That's the only way we can chase that blasted beast away."

"Wha-What?!" Aloy exclaimed as she whirls around to face Bludo with a bewildered look.

"He puts up Daruk's Protection, jumps into the cannon, then I take aim at the Divine Beast Vah Rudania and drop a bomb down a shoot. Then he goes flying at the Divine Beast to hit it, so that we can drive it away."

"I-Isn't that kinda dangerous!" Aloy mused with a mixture of concern and amusement.

"Don't worry, Daruk's Protection will protect Yunobo from getting hurt by anything!" Bludo exclaimed dismissively. "And we have no choice because normal cannonballs are no good against Rudania."

"Must be an extremely powerful protection then," Aloy marveled, as she thinks about her own Shield Weaver, since the shield will fail after enough blows until it can recharge.

"All right that's enough outta me," Bludo announced. "Time to go drive off Rudania!"

Bludo shouts and starts wincing.

"Are you okay?" Aloy asked.

"Oh yeah, just peachy," Bludo muttered sarcastically. "Dumb travelers. Of course I'm not okay." Then groans with pain once again. "I'm afraid I wont be goin' anywhere today. I hate to put you two on the spot, but . . . can ya please go tell Yunobo that I'm gonna have to cancel for today? He should be at Eldin Bridge."

Aloy sighs as she gives Link that sarcastic, is this Goron for real look. "Let's go find him, Link. So where's this Eldin Bridge at?"

"It's right over that ridge," Bludo answered as he points up where that long bridge is that Link and Aloy dropped down from near it.

"Ahm, we dropped down from up there, remember?" Aloy said.

"Fine, then go back the way you took when you went looking for Yunobo," Bludo grumbled. "Seriously, you Hylians need to stop takin' short cuts."

Aloy held her tongue in attempting to correct him that she is not a Hylian, as he said nothing about her ears. None of the Gorons did for that matter.

Link thanks Bludo and he and Aloy are off. They head past the shrine, past the place they went to find Yunobo. Careful of the magma bombs that fall from the sky, courtesy of Death Mountain. They continue onward and are confronted by more Octoroks, having to be quick to use their arrows on them just as they are still upward. Around the corner they come upon the raised car railing and end up slaying fire Keese and even a fire Lizalfos that breathes fire and is armed with a forked Lizal spear. Again, magma bombs rain down. They cross the long bridge of metal railings and continue onward up a hill as they see what looks like a raised bridge.

"So where's Yunobo then?" Aloy mused as she and Link look around.

They next hear something faint over a hill nearby. They listen closely and can discern that they are cries for help.

"Where have we heard those cries before?" Aloy sighed sarcastically. "Come on. Let's see what he's gotten himself into?"

They hurry to the source of those cries and soon see Yunobo cowering behind an personal forcefield of orange coloration next to a cannon as two black Moblins menace him, one of which is armed with a drillshaft that it uses as a spear.

"So which one do you want?" Aloy asked Link, and Link tells her the one with the drillshaft.

They rush forward and clash with the Moblins. Wanting this battle to be over with as quickly as possible, Aloy takes out her hunter bow and a tearblast arrow while Link takes out the stone smasher. She releases the tearblast to stick into the Moblin's chest, where it makes that telltale droning buzz and explodes, throwing the Moblin back. She takes out another tearblast and shoots it into its gut where it explodes and spills its innards. The Moblin roars in pain, but Aloy is quick to release another tearblast arrow into its head, killing it. She next turns her attention to the other Moblin that Link is still battling and uses her ropecaster to immobilize it, through both inhibiting its movements and causing it pain. Link makes short work of the Moblin and they are victorious.

"Hey, Yunobo!" Aloy called. "It's safe! You can drop that shield now!"

Yunobo releases Daruk's Protection.

"Wow! You're both crazy strong, goro! You saved me again! Thanks for savin' me, brother, sister! I would have been in real trouble if you hadn't shown up when you did, goro." Then sighs. "Still no sign of Boss, eh?"

Link tells him that he's not coming.

"Because his back is acting up again," Aloy added dryly.

"Huh? And after we went through all that trouble to get them," Yunobo whined as she scruffs his own head. "The painkillers didn't even end up working, goro." Then in a dreary tone. "Well, if Boss can't help, there's nothin' else we can do. I suppose I'll just head back now."

Link tells him to hold on a minute.

"Huh? You're not goin' back?!" Yunobo exclaimed. "But why, goro?"

Link answers that he and Aloy want to board Rudania.

"What?!" Yunobo exclaimed more profoundly. "You're both gonna try to board the Divine Beast . . . ? Who do you think you are . . . Lord Daruk? It's dangerous in there, goro?"

"That's never stopped us before," Aloy said.

"Though I guess if you weakened it first, it might be possible," Yunobo pondered, then speaks up. "But . . . why risk it?!"

"Because if we don't, something even more horrible will happen," Aloy answered.

Yunobo ponders her answer. "Well, I don't really get it," he answered thoughtfully, "but I'm sure you have your reasons, goro . . . The problem is," as he points down the hill toward a raised bridge constructed from blackened metal, "good ol' Boss raised the Bridge of Eldin to make sure that mean Divine Beast couldn't get over here. In order to get to where Rudania is, we'll have to find a way to get the Bridge of Eldin back down, goro. Boss would normally use the cannon to lower it."

Yunobo grunts with annoyance. "We can't get across unless we figure somethin' out! If Boss can't come down here, then he can't use the cannon to lower the bridge. That means we're out of luck, goro! Oh!" As if he just remembered something important. "It occurs to me that you both know how to use the cannons! Don't you, goro? Maybe we can get across after all," muttering that part. "So let's just do what I do to help Boss sometimes. That means I'm gonna be the cannonball! And you'll launch me, goro!"

"Are you sure about that?!" Aloy stressed with bemusement.

To answer her question, Yunobo brings up the orange forcefield around himself once again. "I've got Daruk's Protection, goro!" Grins broadly. "My ancestor's help can't possibly fail me! That means I can smash into anything and it won't hurt one bit, goro!"

He let's go of Daruk's Protection.

"My ancestor, Daruk, was a big deal, goro. That's what boss says, so its just gotta be true! And I can use Daruk's Protection just like Daruk could! That means there's no need to worry, goro! So rest easy, got it? Well, go on then! Take aim at the Bridge of Eldin and fire away, goro! Just y'know," as his tone turns meek, "be kinda gentle about it."

Yunobo turns toward the cannon and puts up Daruk's Protection. He next jumps into the cannon and the round grating on it closes on him.

"Okay, let's get this done," Aloy sighed as she runs her hand briefly through her braided mane of red hair.

Link places a bomb into the funnel and hits the switch so that the cannon turns toward the Bridge of Eldin. Link detonates the bomb and Yunobo goes flying out of the cannon, through the air, hits the bridge, and bounces off it. The bridge lowers to allow safe passage and Yunobo comes flying back toward the duo and land near them, dazed.

"Um! Are you all right, Yunobo?!" Aloy called to him with a mixture of concern and humor.

"Oh! I'm fine! I'm fine!" He slurred while wobbling. "We did it . . . See that, goro . . . If we put our heads together . . . anything is possible! That power I got from my ancestor . . . Daruk's Protection . . . It really is somethin' else, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it sure is," Aloy said dryly.

"Anyhow, I guess my time as a cannonball isn't over just yet, goro. So let's get a move on and cross that bridge, brother, sister!" And he is quick to recover.

The trio hurry down and across the Bridge of Eldin as the Divine Beast Vah Rudania looms large upon the side of Death Mountain. It suddenly roars as it stops. Four circles on its back opens to release dozens of flying drones.

"What are those?" Aloy asked.

"Oh . . . Yikes," Yunobo exclaimed fretfully. "A sentry is always a nuisance, no matter where it is or how many of them there are. If one finds you, Rudania will go nuts, which will cause Death Mountain to erupt, goro."

"I figured it wasn't going to be easy," Aloy said dryly.

"I . . . always get spotted," Yunobo fretted as she scruffs his own head. "And then magma bombs come raining down one after another. If Boss were here, he'd swat those magma bombs away like they were nothin' and force his way up . . . ! I don't think you'd be able to do that, goro. And I don't wanna cause you two any trouble."

"You're right, we definitely won't be able to do that," Aloy confirmed. "So it looks like we'll have to get up there without being detected."

Yunobo starts pondering once again. "Maybe the best idea is for one of you to give me a signal to let me know when I should stop and when I can move forward. Let's hurry and decide what the signal will be, goro! Um, got any ideas?"

Link suggests a whistle.

"A whistle?" Yunobo mused. "Ah, that's a great idea, goro! When I hear your whistle, I'll either stop in my tracks or start moving forward. I like it! Even though it's kinda like calling a horse, goro," muttering that last sentence. "Okay then. I'm counting on you and your whistles to make sure I'm not spotted by those awful sentries!"

"Also, it's going to have to be two different whistles that are signals," Aloy added. "One that means, stay, and the other that means, come. Link, make your whistle."

Link whistles in a loud monotone.

"Okay, that will mean, stay where you are. Now here's my whistle." And Aloy whistles in a loud but warbling tone. "That means, come to us."

"Got it!" Yunobo stated. "A long whistle is Link telling me to stay put, and your whistle is warbling, so you're telling me come on."

"Right!" Aloy answered.

Link gives the word and the trio hurry up the rugged trail toward Death Mountain.