"...And then he held up his trophy! A bag of gold dust! Us Gorons, we use the dust to make fine weapons. The citizens of Termina, they hire the Gorons for the races and places bets. Before you ask, yes it is honest. No one throws the races. The winner splits the gold with the gambler, and the winning Goron is allowed to work as the right hand man for the Elder. Sigh. I miss it so much."
Link was barely listening, he lost focus hours ago, or was it days?
Gisella felt nothing but sympathy for the young child, he was exhausted, she could see that. Her grandma, despite being old, could talk for hours on end. She and her father usually took off when her grandma started talking, she could make you deaf in an hour. Seeing the boy shaking, she begged her grandmother to let the boy sleep, at least for a few hours.
"What time is it? Oh my." She chuckled. "I forget about having a rapt audience." The young boy eyes were red and bloodshot. "It is late, what time is it? Supper already? Gisella, why didn't you tell me?"
"I tried Granny, you said not to disturb you.''
"I did? Must be getting old. Ahem. very well then." She yawned. "Take the boy to his room, but not before he eats."
"Yes Granny." She took Link's hand and leads him to the dinner table. "I know you're tired, but please eat something. I promise you a soft, warm bed afterwards."
Link was too tired to care. Navi wasn't here, she took off when the old lady bored her to death with her stories. She told Link she'll find him whenever he walks around in town. As soon as Gisella set down his bowl, Link dutifully ate, not caring or tasting anything.
Gisella took off the mask, immediately the boy's eyes started to close.
"I'll take you to bed, I can tell you can't stand."
Once Link was tucked in, (he gave his permission for Gisella to undress him) she asked if she can tell him a story. Once Link nodded, she opened up her diary.
"I hope you don't mind, this is a story my dad used to tell me, it always made me feel safe. A long time ago, there was three Goddesses. They created the world out of nothing, but I'm sure you know the rest. Anyways, during that time, there was a legendary place, that Gorons weren't allowed to visit. The Land in the Sky. The citizens there, they were afraid that we would sink the land with our weight." She blew a raspberry. "We wouldn't like to live there anyways, we like to be close to the ground, that way we can stay close to the Stone. The Goddesses, they created the land for us to live and enjoy." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, back then, there was a adventurer. His name was lost over time, but that man, he was the first Goron. That Goron, it was him that brought our race to the surface, him that gave us civilization. He was an adventurer you see..." When she heard the boy breathing slowly, she smiled. 'Works every time.' She carefully walked out of the room. When she saw her granny writing notes, she asked what she was doing.
"Translating these notes. Your generation, they forgot the old language. I want everyone to know the true story of the Great Guardian, that she was innocent in all this." She was old, but her eyes were useful. "Come child, I need your hands."
"Yes Granny." Gisella took the notes and quill pen.
"As I was saying. Where was I...Ah!"
Gisella was curious about the story of the Dragon. All she heard is how evil It was. But if the stories she heard growing up, then everything she heard was a lie.
It was early morning when I discovered that there was people missing. At first I didn't think much of it, people come and go all the time. Until I overheard a young Goron talking about hearing roars from the Cavern.
"Leoric!" A small child runs up to him.
"Lothar!" Leoric smiles as he picks him up. "How's my favorite nephew!" He wasn't really his nephew, but Leoric and the other Gorons loved and cared about the young child. "You are growing up!"
Lothar giggles.
"Of course I am. Soon I'll be able to carry the large rock across the mountain." Gorons weren't considered grown up, even when they were physically grown until they carried a large rock up and down the mountain. After that, a ceremony was taken place to celebrate the adulthood of the Gorons.
"You have a few decades before that, until then enjoy being a child." Leoric remembered his initiation, that damn rock took him two days to carry, but it was the only way to impress his crush, the priest's daughter, Eria.
"But I want to be grown up now!" He whined. He was the smallest of the Goron tribes, he was still wearing a diaper. "You all met Volvagia, I never did!" He starts crying, his wails echoing across the cavern.
Leoric flinched at the child's wails. He saw everyone else covering their ears, especially the workers, who were getting up to leave the cavern. He had to calm the child down, before they lost more workers.
"Let's go to your room, and I'll tell you about Volvagia." He was relieved when Lothar stopped crying.
"Really?! Yay!"
Once they went to the boy's room, Leoric told him about Volvagia. After an hour, he hummed the Goron's lullaby.
"Daddy...It's like he's here with me..." Lothar falls in a deep sleep.
'Sweet dreams kid.' He kisses him on the forehead. He gets up and immediately runs into Lothar's nanny. "Hey."
"Long time no see." Eria teases. She kisses her husband. "Is he asleep?"
"Yes he is." He smiled when she looked relieved.
"Only thirteen and still a baby." Lothar was considered a toddler, they didn't reach childhood till their thirties. "He kept me up all night crying." Lothar's parents were away in Termina, they wanted to move to Snowhead. Lothar's grandfather, the Chief of the Gorons was getting up in age, and his son was worried he wouldn't be able to perform his duties anymore. "I'm going to miss the little rugrat."
"Wait a minute. Is that child that old man in Termina?" Gisella was surprised. She went there as a little girl, he was old.
"Older than me. He moved away with his family before things got bad. My family left as well, my mother was afraid bad times were coming." She turned the page. "Oh my." She cleared her throat.
The rumbles were getting more frequent, but we weren't worried. But when the earthquake came, we realized something wasn't right.
"Relax! Our caverns are built to last against eruptions! Generations came before us, many when this volcano was erupting everyday!" The outsiders were frightened. Leoric gestures to the opening. "You are free to leave if you want, but the ones that choose to stay, gather near the central square!" The giant spinning vase was the center of the city. Thankfully most of the workers stayed, only a few left, mostly the older folk. Unlike Gorons, Hylians were fragile. He and the other Gorons gathered for their teams. After everyone left, Leoric looks around. 'Guess the nobles quit.' He wasn't surprised, all spoiled rich kids were alike. He picks up his supplies and walks out.
After a pleasant half hour walk, Leoric arrives at the Cavern. Once gets to the room he was at, he was about to set down his bag when he heard a scream. Dropping his bag, he rolls in a ball heading to the source of the screams.
Hutchin was holding his weapon. The baby dondongo was glaring at the Hylians.
"Mother's necklace! Give it back!" Ellasia was just about to pick it up when that stupid monster ate it.
"I'll get it back. Hey! Drop it, or eat steel." When the dondongo was about to attack, both were surprised when a large Goron jumped on the creature, killing it instantly.
"Step back! These creatures explode when killed!" Baby dondongos dined on bomb flower roots, making them dangerous to hunt.
"Mom's necklace!" Ellasia was determined to get it back. She jumped on the corpse.
"No! It's too dangerous!" Hutchin hated to see his sister upset, but he saw the creature turning red.
Ellasia yelped when she was pulled off.
"Take your sister and go behind those rocks!"
"But..." Her words got cut off before her brother dragged her away. When they heard a explosion, Ellasia teared up. "Mom." Her necklace, it was gone. She was about to tear up when she felt a chain drop in her hands. "My necklace. How?" Leoric was standing in front of them, staring disapprovingly at the two teenagers.
"Next time you take off, don't expect me to save you." He couldn't believe how foolish they were.
"I understand." They were here for hours. "We're kinda exhausted, do you think we can have a day off?"
"Can't believe he's still not talking to us." Leoric and a few workers were working on the other side of the room, they were building stairs. Hutchin and Ellasia were bringing in supplies like clay and water for the workers.
"What do you expect? We took off without telling anyone. Plus, he put his own life in danger to get mother's necklace back." Ellasia sent a messenger to take it home. Her servants were going to make sure they put it back in her jewelry box back in Hyrule Castle Town. "It's been three days, he's most likely busy." The Gorons had strict schedules, they wanted this whole cave open by next winter.
"Yeah. I guess." Hutchin felt bad for upsetting the gruff Goron. He was strict, but a very pleasant person. The more he worked with the Gorons, the more he wanted to prove himself. Already, he saw more muscles growing. Soon he'll look like Father. Big, strong with a long black beard. His own beard was growing, in a few weeks would resemble their dad.
"Okay! That's it for the day!" Everyone groaned. They been working for hours. "Tomorrow we continue the work, then we help out the mechanics!" The stairs weren't just stairs, gears were going underneath, why, the Gorons never elaborated. "Those that don't work, enjoy your weekend!"
Hutchin was sore, tired and hungry. This was not easy. But looking at the Gorons, he realized he wanted to be part of their group. But how? He must've been daydreaming when his sister tapped him on the head.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Like I just said, we have the weekend off. Want to go home for awhile? There's a caravan that will take us down the mountain."
Hutchin had the weekend off too, he admitted it was tempting. But looking at the never tired Gorons, he shook his head.
"I'm gonna stay." He saw his sister's incredulous expression.
"Why?"
"Just because." He overheard a few Gorons talking, they were discussing a tradition. How every few decades, the young Gorons must prove themselves to be considered part of the tribe. Even those that were born in the tribe weren't considered members until they pass a test. Hutchin wondered if Hylians can participate. He wanted to ask, but he was too shy. When everyone left, he went to ask Leoric. "Hi."
The Goron just grunted.
"How's things."
"Work never ends." He was packing up, he had to make sure that no monsters destroyed the equipment, like those fire keese.
"Sure doesn't."
'Want something kid?" He looks down at the young Hylian.
Hutchin swallows. He felt so silly.
"Mr Leoric."
"Just Leoric. Save the titles for the Hylians."
"Okay. Um. I couldn't help but overhear about your traditions."
"What traditions. We have so many."
"The one about how to be part of the Tribe. I was wondering. What's that about?"
Leoric blinks at Hutchin.
"Its a test all Gorons take to prove they are grown up. You see, we are very self-sufficient. You can't just be born and expect to be a member of a tribe, you must prove yourself. Many Gorons have their own traditions, us, ours are strength."
"Like what?" He sat down when Leoroc did, mentally taking notes.
"It varies. Usually we carry a large rock up the mountain. The bigger the better. Life up here, it gets hard. There are times that we may move somewhere and have no tools, and we have to use our bodies to build our homes. My ancestors, they built the city by hand, tools weren't as readily available as they are now. The Fire Temple, it was created by them, to make sure our Great Guardian Volvagia had a place to sleep."
"The Fire Temple?" He never heard of it.
"It is deep in the volcano. You cannot enter, it is only for the Gorons. Plus, you'll burn. There, we go inside and give gifts and thank Volvagia for guarding the volcano. Without her, this land would be in danger."
"Wow. So, um." Hutchin felt shy asking the next question. "Is there any way that outsiders become members?" He looked down in embarrassment. He heard the Goron's breathing.
"You want to be a member of our tribe?" Him? This spoiled noble? "NO." Leoric shakes his head.
"Why not? I'm strong. I'm good with the sword, self defense, and was top of the class at Knight Academy! I was considered to be one of The Royal Family's personal bodyguards!" So was everyone else, but he didn't tell Leoric that.
"It doesn't matter. You're a good kid, but you have no idea what life's like up here." He gets up. "There is a late night caravan coming up, go home and relax. I'll give you a extra day to enjoy your weekend." Leoric wanted to go home, he was getting a headache.
"But..."
"Matter is closed."
"FINE." He felt stupid for asking. "See you next week." Before he can walk out of the cavern, a earthquake started. It was so violent, it knocked both to the ground.
"Kid! Get down!" Leoric uses his body to cover the young Hylian. Rocks start falling down, rocks so large, they bruised Leoric's back.
Hutchin whimpers in fear, he heard Leoric's pained grunts.
'Dear Goddess Din, please have mercy on us, the Gorons are good people.' He prayed.
After a agonizing few minutes, the earthquake stopped.
Leoric was breathing hard. He knew he broke some bones, he heard a loud crack when one of the rocks fell on top of him.
"Kid, are you okay?" He was in great pain, but he'll never forgive himself if Hutchin was hurt.
"I think so." Once they felt the earthquake was over, Leoric slowly gets up. "Oh Goddess." Leoric had blood all over him, he also had a broken bone sticking out of his back. "You're hurt!" Immediately, he takes off his coat. "We have to stop the bleeding!"
Leoric didn't argue, he felt so weak.
"Sit. But slowly." Hutchin was holding him as he sat down, it was moot, the Goron was very large and heavy. But Hutchin didn't care. "I'm gonna get some help. Stay." Leoric would have laughed if he wasn't so hurt.
After twenty minutes, a sullen Hutchin had bad news.
"We're caved in."
"Oh no." Gilsella stopped writing. This story just got interesting. "Are they okay?"
The old woman yawned.
"It's late. I am very tired." Gisella looked at the clock, it was after midnight. "We have tourists coming tomorrow morning, I suggest you go to bed child."
"Yes Granny." Gisella was curious, but she knew it was time for bed. Besides, even if she could, there was no way she can read the ancient Goron language. She yawned. She had to get up and make breakfast tomorrow, good thing her good friend the cucco lady was delivering eggs tomorrow. She could use the extra help, she should ask her if she wanted to make a few rupees. After she blew out the candles, she helped her grandmother to bed. "Good night Granny."
"Night child."
Gisella blew out her lantern and went to bed.