Chapter 21
The group consisted of Gorons & Hylians and made their way away from Goron City, with Daruk taking the lead. More terrain of rocks in unique formations populate the trail, along with metal tracks. Death Mountain came into the center of their view, getting bigger the closer they got. Another familiar sign stood along the path, along with two metal fences.
Death Mountain Marker # 5
Death Mountain Mines
None-Gorons with low Heat Protection turn back!
A small group of Gorons huddled around the entrance to the mines. One appears taller and more muscular than even Daruk, leaning against a massive hammer. This Goron had tattoos of the same symbol seen on Yunobo's house on his chest where his heart would be. He wore a necklace with large red beads and large metal bracelets on both arms. His hair is styled with triangles around his face, making his head appear like the sun, and he is wearing a headpiece with a ruby gem at the center of his forehead.
"Hey, Dad! Over here!" Yunobo shouted out to the large Goron.
"Ah, Yunobo. Glad you made it back. Did you find Rudy?"
Yunobo nodded. "I also bumped into old friends while looking for him."
Shad gave a bow. "Hello, Boss Darunia."
"You're an honorary brother, tiny scholar. No need to be formal with me. It is great to see you back. You as well, little warrior." Ashei gave a bow with a small smile to the Goron. "And it looks like you brought another brother and two more sisters. Friends of yours?"
Shad nodded his head. "Link, Zelda, Ilia. This is Darunia. Leader of the Gorons. And Yunobo's father."
"It's an honor to meet you," Zelda also bowed.
"Thank you, but no need for formalities. Any friends of Shad's are honorary brothers and sisters. But enough of that, I trust Yunobo and Daruk informed you of the situation?"
"They have," Shad answered. "What have you decided about the Dodongos?"
"My scouts counted about several dozen groups of Dodongos. I planned on sending two teams, each of which took care of half the mine. Now that you're here, it makes it easier. Assuming you're all helping out, that is."
"Of course."
"Great!" Darunia turns back to face the other Gorons. "Everyone listen up! Yunobo & Daruk are here, and they brought Shad here to help."
Just the mention of Shad's presence immediately sends the other Gorons cheering.
"Tiny Scholar is here!"
"Ah yeah!"
"He and Yunobo make a great team!"
"Heck yeah, they do! They're the Dodongo slayers!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough, everyone!" Darunia settled the crowd. "You guys will take the east end of the mine. The rest of us will take the west. Are we clear?"
The other Gorons unanimously understood the instructions given by their leader.
"Excuse me, Boss Darunia, sir, I don't have a weapon on me," Ilia told the Goron.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"It was made of wood."
"Ah, I see. Why do you, Hylian, even have wooden weapons? For me, metal beats everything. But I think we might have something for you, a small one. Give me a moment." Darunia went over to a chest full of equipment. He dug through the box, tossing out several tools before presenting a hammer about half Yunobo's size.
"Kinda big, isn't it?" Ilia faltered.
"It's the smallest one I could find. Can you wield it?"
Ilia took the hammer in her hand. Briefly, she lost her balance but managed to stay on her feet.
"I think I'll get the hang of it." Ilia gave a nervous smile while Zelda stared with concern.
The group made their way into the mine. It was more spacious than all other previous areas the Ordon Trio had been throughout their visit to Death Mountain or the entire Eldin Region.
"This whole place is a mine? I thought mines were normally underground," Zelda stated as she observed the area.
"In other places, yes, but Death Mountain has an abundance of rocks all around," Darunia responded. "Smash any random rock, and you could find any gem. We mine and sell the gems because they taste awful, but Hylians seem to have other uses."
"Even now? Ganondorf made it forbidden for Gorons to leave this place. And, if you don't mind me asking, why did he ban you?"
Darunia's face grimaced. "My father, Bludo, was the Goron leader when Ganondorf took the throne. Father was good friends with King Daphnes. The Hylian Royal Family's deaths never sat right with him. Ganondorf wanted to use our resources to build weapons. Father didn't want to participate in any of it, even telling Ganondorf that those were the actions of a tyrant. As punishment for my father's insubordination, he banned all Gorons from Hyrule. Any Gorons were to be killed without hesitation if spotted outside Eldin. Some Gorons tried to call him bluff by leaving. They never returned."
"That must've been difficult," Zelda expressed sadly.
"I was furious at Dad for that decision for a long time, but looking back, I can perceive that he believed he was keeping Hyrule safe. Our skills in Ganondorf's hands would've caused so much pain."
"How do you get by?"
"Mayor Renado has been kind enough to sell our gems through other means and let us in his village now and then. Nobody ever questions him."
"We won't have any gems for him as long as those Dodongos are sticking around," Daruk reminded this leader.
"Speaking of which...what's this whole "Dodongo slayer' thing those other Gorons called you," Link questioned Shad.
"What? You never told him?" Daruk looks at Shad with a flabbergasted expression.
"No, because he's Mr. Humble," Ashei answered quickly. All Shad could do was rub his neck, a flush growing on his face.
"Nice to see you haven't changed, tiny scholar," Darunia chuckled. "Guess I'll do the honors. First, did you notice an unusual decoration on top of my home?"
"The giant skull? Yeah," Link answered.
"Did you also see the giant footprint on your way here?" Daruk added.
"I got an up-close and personal look, to say the least," Zelda responded meekly, still embarrassed about her tripping into it.
"That skull used to be a living beast. We called it 'King Dodongo.' It was a Dodongo of unusual size, embedded with dark magic. I believed it was the work of Ganondorf. I wouldn't be surprised if he created that thing in an attempt to kill us all off," Darunia explained.
"That beast caused us many problems for a good while," Daruk said, his eyes somber. "A lot of good Gorons got killed by that thing, including Boss Bludo. Then one day, when Yunobo & Shad were around twelve, they went down to Kakariko Village. Killed some folk in the process."
"Kafei's dad was one of them. It would've killed me had Darunia & Daruk not gotten there in time," Shad disclosed to everyone.
"What did you guys do then?" Ilia inquired, clearly interested in the story.
"I think that's something Yunobo and Shad should explain themselves." Darunia glanced at Yunobo.
"O-Oh, sure! After King Dodongo attacked Kakariko, we Gorons and some Kakariko citizens banded together to put down the beast. Shad and I tagged along, even though our families were hesitant to do so."
"I mainly wanted to go to avenge Kafei's dad. I promised him we would take down King Dodongo, and I wanted to see that through. During our search, the beast attacked our group. Me & Yunobo got separated from them, and we fell into some underground cave. That's where King Dodongo was waiting for us. Despite all the odds, we miraculously killed that beast."
"You killed a monster Dodongo when you were twelve?! You're more hardcore than I thought," Ilia exclaimed excitedly. "How did you guys do it?"
"Something...unexpected happened. I-"
A small fireball shot through the air before Yunobo could finish. Ahead lay a small group of large reptilian creatures with triangular-shaped heads, big round soulless eyes, large teeth, and green scales.
"Dodongos..." Darunia muttered.
"That's what they are?" Link exclaimed. "I thought they would be simple giant lizards."
"They may look scary, but they can be quickly dealt with. Daruk and I can take 'em. The rest of you sit tight, " Darunia instructed.
"Watch and learn," Daruk followed.
The Gordon pair ran straight toward the Dodongos. Darunia curled into a ball and rolled into the monsters, knocking several down like bowling pins. Daruk performed a spinning attack striking several Dodongos with his club, one of which flew high in the sky. Darunia unrolled himself, slamming his hammer down twice, swung it to the left, then gave a hard swing to the right before slamming his foot down, creating a shockwave and knocking down the remaining Dodongos at close range.
More Dodongos suddenly appeared, but the large Gorons didn't seem fazed. Daruk struck the monsters by slamming his club down twice, swinging it left to right, attacking the monsters with his shoulder, then thrusting his club forward, swinging it left to right again before slamming it down. Darunia swung his hammer to the right, spinning four times to take out the horde before finally leaping in the air and slamming his hammer down on the ground, taking out the remaining Dodongos. The Dodongos that were spared from the Goron's fury all scrambled away.
"You see that? That's how we Gorons get things done!" Darunia stated as he casually dusted himself.
"Yep. No monsters stand a chance fighting us, the almighty Daruk and Boss Darunia!" Daruk proclaimed with pride.
"That was amazing! You both took them all out, no problem!" Zelda praised.
"Glad you find it impressive, but there's no time for admiration. More of these pests could be around," Daruk pressed on.
"I have an idea. Daruk, you, Yunobo, and two others will scout ahead for more Dodongos. The rest of us look around here," Darunia instructed the Goron.
"Doesn't too bad of a plan. Wanna tag along, Ashei?" The warrior nodded to the Goron warrior.
"You mind if I go with them, big sis?" Ilia asks Zelda.
"Alright. Just be careful."
"Not a problem." Ilia dashed over to Daruk's group. As soon they began moving, Ilia went to Yunobo's side. "So, about King Dodongo, what exactly happened next?"
"Oh yeah. As I mentioned, something truly unexpected happened…" Yunobo's voice trailed off as their group walked off.
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do," Darunia addressed his group. "Shad & Link, you look at the area behind you. I think I saw at least one Dodongo scramble over there. Zelda and I will look around here. Yell for us if you need help."
"Of course, Darunia," Shad promised.
Everyone parted ways. Zelda & Darunia stuck with their area, while Link & Shad went to theirs. The young men explored their side, leading them to a small steep sandy hill. So steep that with one step, Link found himself sliding down on his bottom. Shad, on the other hand, slide on, standing on his feet.
"Show off…" Link grumbled as he lay flat on his rear.
"I said watch your step." Shad extended his hand out to Link, to which he accepted.
Shad walked ahead as Link dusted himself. Once done with that, Link noticed Shad crouching behind a rock. Shad turns to like, giving him a 'quiet' gesture. This prompted Link to crouch down, moving as quietly as possible. On the other side of the rock lay a single Dodongo gobbling up some stones, unaware of the two Hylians behind it.
"Okay, here's what we'll do," Shad whispered to Link as he pulled out his dagger. "Dodongo's tails are very sensitive. It'll shock if struck hard enough for just a few seconds. I'll sneak up behind and stab its tail. When I say now, you must stab it through the mouth."
"Why the mouth?"
"Dodongos have tough skin, making it impossible to stab it. You have to crush them like Darunia & Daruk did or stab their heads through their mouths."
"You think this sword that sliced Vaati's cannons can't pierce that thing?"
"Better safe than sorry. We don't want it to alert others if they're nearby."
Link seemed to understand what Shad was getting at. Giving a nod, Shad gradually made his way toward the Dodongo as the creature continued to enjoy its feast. At one point, Shad had a misstep, prompting the Dodongo to perch its head up only to go back to eating seconds later. When Shad got close, he stabbed the creature's tail, causing it to freeze, letting out a small shriek.
"Now, Link! Pierce, it's head through the mouth!"
Link dashes over to the front of the Dodongo. Following the scholar's directions, Link stabs the Dodongo's head through its mouth. It gave out a pain-filled whimper before succumbing to the wound.
"Well done, Link." Shad praised him
"Thanks." Link pulled his sword out. He then examines the dead creature. Hideousness aside, it did have cool scales. "You think this guy could make some good boots?"
"That's rather morbid.
"Says the guy who collects teeth from dead Bokoblins."
Link walked ahead to scan around for more Dodongos. He saw several large black molten rocks in the center of the pathway.
"Very particular rocks." Link's comment gained Shad's attention as he got a closer look.
"You are right about that…"
"You sound nervous."
"I don't think we should be messing around them. Something about them doesn't sit right with me..."
"Why?" Link gave a hard pat to the large rocks. "What's there to fear about just some rocks?"
Rumbling entered the air as Link could feel the rock beneath his hand move. He quickly backed off to Shad as they both watched what was occurring. The stones came together, which created a sentient being solely made of the rocks. If Link can guess correctly, the rock creature is as big as Mayor Bo's house. The creature towered imposingly, dwarfing the two Hylians.
"Shad, what is that?" Link whispered as the pair backed away slowly.
"Igneo Talus..." Link could feel the dread in the scholar's voice.
Link had heard that name before. From what he remembered, they were monsters made of rock that were typically solitary and never bothered Hylians. Up until now, he had never seen such a massive monster.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Talus' can't eat us for starters, but they can crush us to death. Or, in this case, do that and burn us. And we just woke it up from its nap. How would you feel if that happened?"
"I'd be pretty annoyed."
"That's putting it lightly, but it's the same idea."
"What do we do?"
"It doesn't seem to notice us. Let's try to back away slowly."
The pair both took several quiet steps back. They managed to get a few before Link tripped over the dead Dodongo, letting out a loud thud. That caught the Talus' attention.
"Okay, Shad, what's Option B?" Link asks in a panic as the Talus charges them.
"Two words!" Shad grabbed Link's wrist and ran. "AMSCRAY!"
Both men made a break for the steep hill as the Talus gained on them. It raised its rock arm before chucking it to the pair, shattering into bits of flaming rock, just barely missing the young men. It was, however, close enough to knock both of them on the ground giving the Talus chance to throw its other arm. This only gave the pair enough time to take cover behind a rock wall before the Talus' other arm exploded on impact.
"Is there any way to deal with this thing?" Link asks as he peers over the edge.
"Talus monsters have a lump of black rock on their back. That's their only weak spot!" Shad explained as Link ducked down as the Talus headbutted the ground, causing another wave of flame. "If this wasn't Igeno class, you could easily climb up there, but with its fiery layer, it would give you severe burns. Without any materials to cool it, we're sitting ducks!"
The sounds of crushing rocks were loud enough to reach Zelda and Darunia. Quickly making their way to the sound, they were surprised at the sight of the large Talus. Drawing more rocks from the ground restoring its arms.
"Is that a giant rock monster?" Zelda stammered, shocked at what she was seeing.
"A Talus. Damn," Darunia cursed. "I didn't think one of them would slip in. Can you see the others?"
Zelda glanced around till she saw Link & Shad hiding behind a rock. "There! Hey! Are you guy guys okay?" Zelda yelled out to them.
"Other than a giant rock monster trying to kill us, we're doing dandy!" Link retorted indifferently.
"Just stay calm! We'll get you both out of this!" Daurnia shouted back to the pair. The Goron leader quickly notices Zelda's bow on her back. "Are you good with that bow?"
"Good enough, I hope. Why?"
"That Talus has a weak spot on the top of its back. If you can shoot it, you may be able to stun for a short time, and they can finish that thing off."
Zelda armed herself with her bow and arrow. She aimed at the large black rock on the Talus. It was difficult to aim due to the monster's erratic attempts to crush Link & Shad, but Zelda shot an arrow at the black rock. The arrow's impact left a large crack in the rock, causing the Talus to fall face-first. Its molten rock surface cooled down.
"Wow! Those arrows you got sure can hit their mark," Darunia complimented.
"You don't know the half of it," Zelda muttered low enough that Darunia didn't hear.
"Now, one of you climb on that thing and strike its weak spot until it breaks!" The Goron Boss commanded the pair below
"I'm on it!" Link looks over to Shad. "You get back up there!"
"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you alone with that!"
"I'll be fine! Just go!"
Knowing Link won't be swayed, Shad reluctantly ran up the steep hill to the safety of Zelda and Darunia. Link scaled up the Talus. Though its surface is cooled, Link could still feel the heat coming out of it. Reaching the black rock, Link proceeded to strike it with his sword. The crack implemented by Zelda's arrow grew, so Link moved to strike several more times. Daruk's group came rushing back to higher ground after hearing the commotion.
"What's happening over here?" Ashei stressed as they all ran over.
"Yeah, we heard a bunch of loud crashes," Yunobo added.
"Seems like an Igeno Talus decided to make itself comfortable here," Shad pointed towards the giant monster below while catching his breath.
"That's a big rock monster," Ilia's eyes widen.
"How did that thing get here?!" Daruk prodded.
"Must've got in last night after everyone evacuated," Darunia presumed. "We have to stop that thing from leaving the mine!"
"Link's dealing with it down there," Shad pointed to Link scaling the Talus and taking his first strike at its weak spot before repeating the process. His eyes widen as the Talus' molten surface brightens up, with Link completely unaware. "Link, get off!"
It was too late as the Talus quickly stood back up. Link miraculously managed to stay on, but it did not go unnoticed by the Talus as it started rumbling before jerking around, flinging Link several feet away on the ground, leaving him dazed. The Talus slowly made its way toward the Hylian.
"We need to help him!" Zelda turned to Darunia. "Do you have anything to help take it down?"
"We do, but it's all back in Goron City. If I anticipated this, I would've brought them."
"What about those other Gorons?" Ilia suggested.
"They're too far away. They won't get here in time!"
Zelda slid down the ledge without thinking, ignoring the shouts behind her. On the same ground level as the Talus, she once again shot an arrow into its spot, causing it to collapse. She then dashed at Link as he was coming back to his senses. Unbeknownst to the pair, the Talus recovered much more quickly this time. When they noticed, it had thrown its rock arm towards them. Link pulled Zelda behind her, lifting his shield to defend against the Talus' strike.
A large crash shocked the air, yet Link nor Zelda felt any pain. They open their eyes, relieved to see they were unharmed. They look straight ahead to see Yunobo, his back facing them, covering them in an orange shield.
"Are you guys alright?" Yunobo questioned the pair as he lowered the shield.
"Yes…" Zelda stammered. "How did you-?"
"I'll explain later! You guys stand clear while I'll handle this guy!"
"By yourself? That thing will crush you!" Link retorted.
"Trust me! I know what I'm doing!"
Link wanted to argue, only to be stopped by Zelda's hand on his shoulder. Somehow she believes that Yunobo is speaking the truth. Slowly, Link settled himself several feet away, along with Zelda. With that said and done, Yunobo gave his attention to the Talus.
"If you want a piece of them, you'll have to go through me!" Yunobo shouted as he tried to act intimidating, which fell short.
The Talus did not appear to be fazed. As it preps its arm, Yunobo spreads his feet and legs far apart, clenches his hands into fists, and locks his arms on his side. Link and Zelda could only stare in sheer apprehension & bafflement, wondering what the young Goron was planning. The Talus tossed its rock arm at him. As the rock approached, Yunobo lifted his arm with his fist straight across his face. At that exact moment, the stone stopped its trek, floating in midair mere inches away from Yunobo's fist. The Goron then used his other arm to fling the large boulder to the Talus, making it stumble back on the ground. Before it got up, Yunobo moved closer, sticking his arms out, palms exposed. Whatever he was doing, it prevented the Talus from getting back up.
"What are you waiting for?!" Yunobo's agitated voice entered Link's ears, who was shocked at Yunobo's strange power. "Finish this thing off! I can't hold it down forever!"
Without a moment to spare, Link dashed to the back of the Talus to the now very cracked weak spot. With one solid downward strike, Link pierces the rock with his sword. A large crack enveloped the Talus. The Talus tried to get up before finally going limp onto the ground. Its rocky body broke into smaller pieces. Zelda quickly ran over to the scene.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Link glance to Yunobo. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm fine!"
"Good...Thank you."
"Is everyone alright?" Shad ran over to the small group with the rest behind.
"We are. Thanks to Yunobo," Zelda responded.
"You weren't kidding when you said the way you defeated King Dodongo was earth-shattering," Ilia stated with disbelief.
"Looks like your skills once again saved the day, son!" Darunia praised.
"It was unexpected, but we all pulled through in the end! Ain't that right!" Daruk slapped Yunobo's back, briefly activating his orange shield. "Oh, sorry."
"Guess I'm still on edge," Yunobo suggested. "So what now, Dad?"
"Daruk said he didn't find any more Dodongos. Why don't you and several others head to Death Mountain for an aerial sweep? We'll stay here and signal the others for clean up."
"Not a problem."
"I'll come with you. My telescope should help get closer views," Shad volunteered.
"I'll stay and help Darunia & Daruk with the cleanup," Ashei said
"Would you guys like to come too? We can use the extra eyes," Yunobo insists to the Ordon Trio.
It wouldn't hurt. Though I question how we even get there." Zelda glances at the giant mountain, still a reasonable distance away.
"Leave it to me." Yunobo went to the edge of the leveled ground. Using his power, he cut out a rectangular shape around him. "Hop on, and I'll get us there."
Shad was the first to join Yunobo. Ilia eagerly follows suit. Link and Zelda then slowly went next. Yunobo stood still, his expression deep in concentration, before moving his arms rock platform away from the ground.
"You all might want to hold on," Shad suggested to the trio.
With each movement in his arms, Yunobo moved the rock platform through the immense sea of lava. Zelda was impressed with how sturdy the Goron managed to keep their platform afloat, not tumbling even once, especially at high speed. It reminded her of when her family visited the beach town of Lurelin Village many years prior, where she witnessed a fisherman catch a large fish that ended up dragging the boat along the bay.
"Hey, Shad?" Shad heard Link call to him during the ride.
"Yes, Link?"
"I'm sorry for messing around with that, Talus. I should've listened to your warning."
"I have no hard feelings. I wasn't sure myself. Besides, it was better that we found it than some unsuspecting Goron. I do appreciate the apology. I will say this. I understand you're invested in exploring new places, given that you've lived in a small village all your life. Trust me, I know that feeling, but my advice, try to be more cautious in the future."
"I will." Link promised with a smile.
The platform soon reached the base of Death Mountain, which appeared more extensive than before. Lava trailed down the large mountain in every direction against the black rocks that helped shape the mountain. Near the base on the ground laid another one of those signs.
Death Mountain Marker # 6
Death Mountain
Climb Up If You Dare!
"Going up."
Yunobo attached their platform to the side of the volcano. Moving his arms upwards, they slid upward along the giant volcano. The Ordon trio's sight was glued to the ground below that grew smaller the higher they went. Soon they ceased moving. They looked up to see they were at Death Mountain's top. There they could see the inside of the volcano with so much lava inside.
"That is a lot of lava," Link shuddered.
"I certainly do not want to fall in there…" Ilia trembled.
"Why don't you guys look over here then." Zelda's voice echoed. "The view is great!"
The pair turned around to see the scene behind them. As Zelda stated, the view is indeed glorious. All around, they could see the entirety of the Eldin region. They can see the layout of the mines, Goron City, and even the rooftops of the buildings of Kakariko Village. At the side, they could see Shad, a telescope out investigating the area below.
"I don't see any more Dodongos."
"What about those Talus' things," Link brought up.
"I don't think we need to fret about them."
"Speaking of which, Yunobo, how did you acquire such power? I never heard of anything like that before," Zelda brought her attention to the young Goron.
"When I mentioned that something unexpected happened while Shad & I got trapped with King Dodongo, that was the thing. I remember seeing the beast coming at Shad. I stood in fear and didn't know what to do when I got this intense headache while hearing a voice telling me to help him. I got in between him and the beast, and that's how these powers activated. Taking out King Dodongo became no problem after that. And ever since then, I've been blessed with the powers to control the earth."
"So you're like a... earth bender?" Link concluded.
"If you want to put it that way. Daruk likes to call it 'Yunobo's Protection.' Even after ten years, I still don't know how I became worthy of this power. No Goron in history was said to be blessed with this power."
"I'm certainly grateful you got it. Without it, King Dodongo would've finished me off," Shad said with a smile. "I truly think it's a blessing."
"I think it's pretty cool," Ilia added. "The way you took down Talus was amazing. And how you got us here is great. This view is so amazing. You can see as far as Hyrule Field from here."
"Hyrule...yeah," Yunobo replied glumly.
Ilia gazed at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I was so young when Ganondorf implemented the ban. I love my home, but I always wondered what it would be like to feel the cool air against me inside hot air and the grass beneath my feet aside from rock. Dad often tells me how beautiful Hyrule is. I wanted to see how true it was with my own eyes, but I can't, and I'm not sure if I ever will."
"You will, one day, Yunobo," Shad patted the Goron's arm in assurance. "Ganondorf won't be around forever. Someday he will be taken down. I know it."
Ilia glanced at her sister and Link, who stood in silence.
A Little Later...
Yunobo reattached the rock platform back to its original spot. They concluded that no Dodongos and Talus', were not roaming the mines. They could see Ashei with Darunia and Daruk, along with more Gorons helping clean up the Igeno Talus's remains.
"Welcome back," Ashei greeted. "Find any more unwanted visitors?"
"No. I think it's safe to say the mine is cleared of any monsters," Shad confidently stated.
"That's good to hear," Darunia cheered. "Hopefully, we can resume mining operations without any more surprises."
"And that Talus has loads of gems! It should be enough to keep us running for months. It's good that you and Link here found that Talus. Who knows what would've happened if it was found during mining operations," Daruk said.
"Thankfully, that's no longer a concern. You and your friends did well today, Shad. They are all welcome here anytime."
"Thank you, Boss Darunia," Zelda responded.
A grumbling noise entered the air. Everyone turned to see Link look flustered as the grumbling was heard again. Daruk let out a chuckle.
"I guess all that fighting and running made you pretty hungry? Don't worry. I know just the cure for that."
Moments later, Link found himself holding a large rock similar to gourmet meat, with white stones on the sides, almost appearing like a bone.
"My favorite. Prime Rock Roast!" Daruk exclaimed cheerfully. "Doesn't it look delicious? Why don't ya ding in, little guy?"
Link stared at the Goron. With a nod, Link opened his mouth and bit into the rock. His Hylian companions stood with sheer bafflement as they watched their friend eat the rock roast without any issue.
"He's actually eating that. I'm impressed," Ashei muttered.
"How can he do that without breaking his teeth?" Shad questioned in fascination.
"Will it freak you out if I say that's not the weirdest thing Link has eaten," Ilia shared with the scholar.
"...I don't think I want to know."
"Look at him go! I have never seen a Hylian eat a Prime Rock Roast like that!" Yunobo exclaimed.
"Link is quite a special one, isn't he?" Darunia commented.
"You have no idea," Zelda replied back.
"Aw, geez. That was the only one I had. How thoughtless of me. I shoulda brought some for you and your other friends, tiny scholar! Next time, I promise to bring enough for everyone!" Daruk proclaimed.
"Th-Thank you very much, Daruk…." Shad answered uneasily.
And so that concludes everyone's adventures in the Eldin region. Next chapter we'll finally make it to Castle Town. Seems like the timing of the chapter is perfect what with more Age of Calamity news. Speaking of which, I just had to add that scene with Link eating the rock roast.
I hope you guys like my portrayal of the Gorons. As for the Dodongos, I just see that as mostaly the Ocarina of Time versions. And I hope you like that little thing I gave Yunobo. Why did I do it? That's an answer for another time.
Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.