"Yep, over there. Okay. Now the crates."
Link was exhausted. But he had no choice but to work. He was out of supplies, out of money, and had no choice but to find work in the town. Not just for himself, but for Epona's care and shelter. Navi's care was easier, she was tiny. Plus her friends lived just a few miles away, she stayed there half the time whenever Link was working.
Once the crates were moved inside, the potion shop owner thanked Link.
"Phew. Thanks kid. With those carpenters gone, its hard to move things yourself. As promised, here's your pay."
One hundred rupees. Not bad. But that won't be enough. A bundle of arrows, food, it adds up. Especially when Link was far from town. The Deku scrubs charged a fortune for basic supplies. The potion shop owner must have noticed Link's expression.
"If you need work, the Bazaar is hiring. My friend Alsem, he needs a swordsmith. His employee, Col was fired for slacking off." Cojiro's owner, the blue chicken Link borrowed was his pet. "Shame. He disappeared last year into the Lost Woods and hadn't been seen since." The potion owner bowed in respect and placed a closed fist on his chest. "May he rest in peace." No one ever came back from the woods, the kokiri claimed they turned into Stalfos. "Just tell him I sent you. He'll provide you with room and board, and pay you for your work."
A week later Link was exhausted. So much swords, armor and weapons needed. Him and a few others were dead tired. But the war against Ganondorf was still going on. Soldiers were always sent to the castle, most never coming back.
Link groaned in contentment when he slipped into the tub. He needed this. Which is why he spent his paycheck on the inn's spa. He was alone, Navi was still away visiting her fairy friends. After he settled in, he reached over to his satchel and pulled out the diary. He knew Navi read it, she promised she won't spoil the content. She insisted she didn't finish it, she said she needed Link's help for translation. She was fluent in the Sheikah's language, however there was some dialects she was unfamiliar with. Like the old Goron language. This diary entry was filled with it. Luckily the inn's owner was a Goron.
"Wow. I hadn't seen this wording for years." She was impressed. "As much as I love to translate this for you, I cannot." She was shaking her head. "My grandma could, although she is blind as a bat." She saw Link's expression. "You don't need this to know about the past. She was there. If you don't mind listening to long boring stories." She yawned. "I suggest you drink strong coffee."
The old woman laughed.
"Too boring for you?" She laughed at Link's snoring. "My granddaughter never was able to stay awake either." She sipped her tea. "You say this book was written in a ancient language of the Sheikah, as well as the Goron. Trust me, I love to translate it. You see, I was there. However, I was just a baby. It's too bad. I only heard stories. I was shipped away to live with relatives down south when my parents died. If only that eruption didn't happen seven years ago, I would still have my eyes." She finished her tea. "Ah. That hits the spot. Do me a favor. Fetch me my granddaughter. I'm getting tired."
Navi was talking to her friends when Link came.
"There's my friend Link. Excuse me." A few minutes was waving goodbye. Once they were walking towards the ruins of the former town, Navi was shaking her head. "Time travel." Navi hated it. She always felt so dizzy and weird. Her body felt like she ran a triathlon. "So we're going back? Wonderful."
She had a massive headache when she and Link walked in Hyrule Castle Town nearest inn.
"I never will get used to this. Present, future. Pick one."
Link was exhausted himself, but he was dying to get this text translated. Luckily he knew someone.
The old lady was in awe.
"Where did you get this?" Her large hands were caressing the pages. "I hadn't seen this in years. Not since the library froze over in Termina's mountains." She was careful holding the book. "So you want me to translate this for you? I can do that. But, I'll do you one better. I can tell you everything I know. But I warn you. It is a long story." She puts on her glasses. "Gisella!"
"Yes Granny?" The teenage Goron asked.
"Fetch me that mask." Gisella's eyes went huge.
"Nooooo." She hated that mask. Her grandma forced her to were it whenever she told her long, boring stories.
The old lady chuckled.
"It's is not for you. It's for the boy." The old Goron smiled at child Link. "My granddaughter, she was never patient." She thanked Gisella after the mask was given to her. "Here. Wear this. You will need this."
Gisella felt sorry for the boy when he put on the mask. Poor kid. She immediately rips up his bill for the room. She swore to make it up to him. Good thing he can still eat with that mask. Supper will be at six.
"Ahem." The old lady opens up the book. "Hmm. Interesting." She looks up. "Volvagia. Poor thing." She teared up. "She deserved better. It wasn't her fault." She wiped her eyes. "Don't listen to the Gorons in the mountains. They weren't there." She takes a sip of her water. "You ready kid? This is a long story." When Link nodded, she opened the diary.
To the owner of this book. My apologies. Paper is very rare around here, most of the Gorons refuse to read and write. Our race, we prefer to teach with spoken words, not use books. Luckily I spent most of my childhood in Hyrule Castle Town. There I learned to read and write. Luckily the Sheikah understand our language. I hope you don't mind me borrowing your book, I need to write down things, so I won't forget.
I felt bad for Wymarc. Her father, his daughter was his world. When she disappeared, he shut himself away. My father, he was forced to step up. While the locals were up opening the path up mountain, the cavern was covered in a rock slide. He sent me, as well as a few locals to open it. None of us thought it would be infected with dodongos .
Leoric nods to the outside races. There was a few Sheikah, plus some Hylians, as well as two Geruldo.
"Okay. As you can see, there is a huge boulder. But it can blown up with either a bomb, or a bomb flower. Unfortunately, we have no bombs at the moment, they were used to open the paths on top of the mountains. We are in the progress of making some, but the ingredients are inside the cave." He laughs when everyone groans. "This is nothing. You all have pick axes. We work together, we can easily open this."
Hutchin groans as he chipped away at the boulder. Everyone was hot and sweaty, for a winter day, it was hot.
"Still complaining? Please."
"Why do I have to work?"
"Maybe because Father threatened to cut off your allowance again." Ellasia teased. Her brother, always running off partying instead of working at Father's store.
"We have a lucrative business! Besides, it was me that boosted sales." He groaned as he chipped away at that rock.
"All you did was hang up flyers!"
"Yeah, and..."
"Your hopeless." They were interrupted by a roar.
"My Goddess." Hutchin was in awe at the dragon flying ahead.
''Is that the legendary dragon I heard so much about? She is breathtaking!" Ellasia and everyone else watched as the dragon crooned by.
"Volvagia. The Guardian of the Mountain." Leoric puts a fist on his chest. "It's very rare that she is seen outside the mountain, consider yourself lucky."
Volvagia flew around for a few minutes before going back inside the volcano. Everyone was chattering excitedly about what they witnessed.
"Wow." No words could be spoken. Leoric saw Volvagia a few times since he was a mere child, but she always took his breath away. Seeing the outsiders expressions, he told everyone about the dragon. "Volvagia. She guards this land and its citizens. A gentle creature, the fire dragons are very rare. They don't attack without reason, and are very shy. Seeing her flying about. she is just letting everyone know everything is okay."
If only my words were true. She was coming out more and more, but it was only because she was confused. Fire dragons they usually sleep, usually for centuries. But she was getting corrupted by evil. Wymarc, she was Volvagia's best friend. Poor woman. If only she warned her father. Volvagia would have been contained.
It took everyone three days to open the cavern. Leoric was pleased at the results.
''Excellent, excellent. You all did good. You all will get a extra bonus on your pay, plus some free boots." The harsh winter and mountain heat ruined the boots of the workers working, and the Goron Tribe agreed to replace everyone's boots for free. "Ahh. Okay. This is a very hot cavern, our special crop, the bomb flowers grow wild in here." Seeing everyone's confused faces, he chuckled. "Bomb flowers are a rare flower that only grows in dry, dark places. We occasionally see bomb flowers in the wild, but only in dry, sandy places. They are dangerous things, they blow up immediately after harvesting, so if you see one, don't pull one, unless you have expert training. Anyways. I don't need all of you with me, just two of you. Hmm." Leoric looks at each worker. "You two! Yeah you!"
Ellasia saw her brother daydreaming.
"Hey! Hey!" She taps him. As usual he was flirting with women. Hutchin was whispering to one of the Geruldo women, she was blushing and giggling.
"What?!" He was trying to convince her to spend some one on one time with him after sundown. There was a private spot just above them, it had a view of the Sheikah village below. Seeing her sister shaking her head, he looked up. The Goron and everyone else was staring. "What did you say?"
'Moron.' She loved her brother, but he was a major blockhead sometimes. "Pay attention!" She whispered.
"Hylian! I know work is long and boring, but we are on deadline. Want to keep this job? No slacking off! We have plenty of workers, but that doesn't mean you can't be easily replaced." The Goron scolded in a loud voice.
"Yes sir." Hutchin was embarrassed, he saw everyone staring. His sister looked ashamed. 'Sorry Sis.' She was only a teenager, but was more favored then him. Hey, he wouldn't care if he lost this job. That meant he could return to Hyrule Castle Town. Of course he had to beg for money from his father, but he'll gladly work in his store just to have fun money again.
"Hmph. Okay, for the rest of you, return to town. There will be work for you. You Hylians, come with me."
Those two. The boy, he was spoiled rich kid. But his sister, she had a good work ethic. It was supposed to be a run of the mill errand. Get some crop, maybe explore for supplies, but when we got inside, the place was overrun by dodongos.
"It's hot." Hutchin complained. Even with the tunic, he was sweating.
"What do you expect? It's a active volcano!" His sister tells him. It was hot, but not boiling.
"Adjacent to the volcano actually." Leoric corrects. "It's cooler inside. Just have to get away from the lava pits. Watch your steps."
The two Hylians watch as he jumps across the rock pillar.
"Day's getting dark! Move it!"
Hutchin swallows. This place was creepy. But he was curious. He follows the Goron. When he looked back his sister was trembling in fear. She put on a brave face, but was always scared of the dark. Hutchin takes her hand.
"I'll never leave your side. Promise." He held her hand. Just like when they were kids. "C'mon. I'll protect you."
Leoric watches him with approval. The Goron Tribes, they never leave anyone behind. Whether enemy or friend. He nods towards the left.
"We start here. Stay close, and be careful. There are Lizalfo monsters, they are formidable foes. They prefer hot places, but watch out anyways, they are skilled with a sword."
"Granny! Supper is ready!" Gisella calls. The scent of chicken stew was ready for Link and Navi. The two goron women had rock salad ready to go for themselves.
The old woman closes the book. She read ahead. Now she knew how that Dodongo head was mounted. But she wasn't about to spoil the ending.
"Come child. Eat. We rarely get visitors these days."
Gisella was listening, she was wondering about Volvagia herself. The Gorons called her evil, but according to the very old elders, she was a very kind god. What happened back then?