(Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers! I hope you all have a wonderful Crimmins, and don't eat the Fear-Turkey if Alucard's been anywhere near it!)

 

 

As everyone moves away to throw a celebratory party, I approach the king. “Your majesty… thank you for this…”

He smiles. “It is the least I can do. But, Linka… there is something I wish to ask you. You journeyed within Ruta, the Divine Beast of Water… Now you are back, but Mipha is still yet to return… Is it as I feared? Were we too late?”

I look up at him, my heart tearing to pieces again. “I… I met her spirit…”

The king leans forwards, his face falling. “Her spirit?! So that means Mipha really is… Did… did she say anything to you?”

I nod. “She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and Sidon both, very much, and that she is sorry for making you worry. But she is still lingering, to help me bring an end to Calamity Ganon. And she… she gave me her healing power… I am now the bearer of Mipha’s Grace…”

King Dorephan slumps back in his throne. “I… I see. My dear Mipha… I simply cannot believe it. There was nothing I could do to save her… Still… Mipha fulfilled her heroic duty as Champion. And she will never be alone. It is my duty as her father to watch over her, even now… Linka… she really loved you, you know. There is no mistaking that even now she is overjoyed to be able to help you. Promise me… that you will always remember her. Promise me that.”

Looking up at the grieving father, I can feel my own tears beginning to fall again. “We are united now. I’ll NEVER forget her.”

The king sighs. “Thank you for saying so. I truly appreciate it. If you ever run into trouble, know that you are always welcome here. No matter the time, we shall greet you with open fins!”

I curtsey elegantly, and take my leave, heading out of the throne room. I take one last look at Mipha’s statue. “She’s more beautiful than that statue…” I say softly, before departing for the Eldin region, where I mean to find out what happened to Daruk. With my discovery of Mipha’s demise, I‘m not confident of finding the Goron Champion alive…

Luckily for me, Death Mountain and the Eldin region are north of Zora’s Domain, and, now the rain has stopped, there’s nothing to stop me from going overland as directly as possible, rather than winding my way along roads and paths.

I have to halt at the Foothill stable to resupply, having spent two days travelling through Upland Zorana and almost running out of food. While there, I ask if anyone happens to sell clothing that resists heat, since Goron City is built on the side of fire-mountain. One of the stable hands grins.

“Actually, I sell fireproof elixirs. If you drink one, you’ll be protected from intense heat! I’d recommend you get a couple, since it’s quite a way to Goron city. You can buy some gear there that’ll protect you.”

I rummage in my purse. “Can I get twice the amount? I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

The woman smiles. “I sell one for 60 rupees, two for 110, and three for 150! How many would you like, miss?”

I ask, “Can I get six, then?” I hand over the rupees, and the woman smiles, passing me half-a-dozen bottles of a thick black liquid.

“Pleasure doing business with you!”

I stash the bottles away, and start foraging the local area, hunting for edible plants and animals, preparing meals that will last for the day, then stocking up on things to cook as and when I need to. Sure enough, once I’ve readied myself and begin hiking along the trail towards Death Mountain and Goron City, I can feel the air around me growing hotter and hotter. It’s not a problem though, and I pass a signpost reading, ‘Death Mountain Marker #1. Climbing Path Trailhead’. A good omen, if I’m already at the start of the trail!

I pass through a gorge with steaming pools of water on either side of the path, and, in about an hour, I’m rounding a bend in the path. Ahead is a moving shape, magenta light flickering over its form, shunting legs digging into the rock. A Guardian Stalker. I duck down behind an old boulder, my eyes wide.

“Oh for the love of Hylia! Those things are here, too?!”

I consider my options. I can’t go back; it’d take too long to find another way. There’s no other route except back the way I came from. I draw the Master Sword. The only way… is forward.

 I take a deep breath, and charge out from behind a rock, my sword glowing as the presence of an evil machine activates its true power. I go for the legs, dodging a laser as I hack through two of the six limbs, the machine lurching as it frantically tries to re-orient itself, losing another leg in the process. I duck back as a blazing beam whips over my head and begin pummelling the main body, the Guardian unable to manoeuvre thanks to missing half its legs. With a savage flurry of blows, I bring it down. Once I’ve ascertained that I truly have rendered the Guardian useless and ‘dead’, I move on. About two hours later, I find another sign.

‘’Death Mountain Marker #2. Goron City ahead. Heat level: mild. Non-Gorons use extreme caution’.

I climb up a small rise, and, almost immediately, start gasping, as the air blisters and boils. A lake of fire runs alongside the trail, and I grab one of the fireproof elixirs I’d splurged on. Bottoms up!

As I choke the thick, gritty liquid down, the blazing heat fades to a minor inconvenience, rather than the debilitating feeling of being on actual fire. As I follow the path, a second Guardian lurches around a spire of rock, and I groan in frustration, drawing my sword.

“This is beginning to get on my nerves!”

 A quick, nasty scuffle ensues, but ends the same way as the first did, a broken Guardian lying in my wake. As I sheathe my sword, I round the next bend and almost get flattened by a superheated boulder the size of King Dorephan.

“What the what?! Aaaaah!” I dive into a roll as a bipedal form made of glowing, half-cooled magma hurls its other ‘arm’ at me. I draw my bow and nock an arrow, aiming at a large ore deposit sticking out of the thing’s back, before reconsidering. Screw fighting a living fire-mountain! I simply leg it, sprinting past the colossal monster and scaling the cliff behind it. I don’t bother looking back. I am NOT fighting that!

 

I pass through a mine area, with a few massive Gorons working on extracting the valuable metals and gems from the rock. I don’t stop, though; I need to keep moving while that elixir works. Just in case, I down another one. The night passes as I keep hiking, the heat almost crushing, like a living creature pressing down on me. This never-ending pressure and heat is nightmarish, even with the elixirs, and I can barely contain my relief as I scale the last rise, making it… to Goron City.

While I still have my protection, I make my way to the clothing store. Of course, as is typical of the Gorons, the store is called ‘Ripped and Shredded’, and I practically throw rupees at the storekeeper, begging him to sell me a set of fireproof armour.

As soon as I don the armour, I can feel the oppressive heat fade away to nothing. Now that I can focus, I begin searching for the elder. Upon investigation, I’m directed to the Boss, Bludo. He’s standing outside his house, and is the biggest Goron I’ve laid eyes on, as well as the one with the most impressive beard, a four-pronged mane of white.

He practically refuses to talk, though, focussed on grumbling about a younger Goron named Yunobo, who’s gone missing while searching the abandoned north mine for painkillers. Apparently, Bludo’s backache is too severe, and, without the painkillers, he can’t drive off the Divine Beast, Vah Rudania.

“I’ll go find Yunobo and the medicine.” I volunteer, and, before Boss Bludo can say anything, I head off in the direction of North. Just outside of town, I find a Goron blocking the way. I ask him for Yunobo’s whereabouts, and receive an update. Over a lake of fire, across several of the rocky platforms, there’s a building. Even from here, I can see the door’s blocked by rock. Using my paraglider, I make my way over, Revali’s Gale making it easier, as I land on a Goron-built cannon opposite the storehouse. A circular bomb and some careful timing, and I Blow the rocks away, opening the storehouse.

As I step through the threshold, I hear him.

“Oh man, oh man, oh man… what am I gonna do?”

As he turns, he doesn’t even see me before panicking.

“Monsters! They’re here! They found me! Heeeelp!”

As he runs in circles, he stops.

“Wait… were you the one who busted through that crag to rescue me, goro? Thanks, sister! But… what brought you all the way out here to begin with?”

I smile winningly. “Looking for Yunobo!”

The young Goron nods. “Oh! So that’s it! Boss told you to come find me! Phew, thank goodness. In any case, I sure am glad you saved me, goro!”

He holds out a massive hand. “The name’s Yunobo. Everyone calls me… Yunobo. Makes sense, goro. I came to get some painkillers for the Boss, but a magma bomb caused a rockslide, sealing the entrance, goro. By the way… how DID you break those rocks at the entrance, goro?”

I smile again. “With a cannon, of course!”

Yunobo splutters in shock.

“Huh? You used Boss’s cannon?! That thing is so difficult to use. I thought only Boss could handle it!”

I smile and shake the Goron’s hand, carefully. “You’d better go get those painkillers to the Boss, okay? I’ll be right behind you!”

As soon as I’ve bid him farewell, I start making my own way back, having to be careful with my path, since the lava is way too dangerous to approach. By the time I make it back, the Boss seems to have perked up a bit.

“Ah! It’s the tiny traveller! Yunobo told me all about how you helped him, sister. Here’s a reward for ya. Hylians like you need this sorta thing, right?”

He hands me a trio of familiar bottles filled with black, almost gritty liquid. Fireproof elixirs!

“Okay, then. 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…”

I interrupt. “Daruk’s legacy?!”

 The ancient Goron splutters, “Are ya really tellin’ me ya don’t know about Daruk? The Goron Champion?! See that statue up there?”

He gestures to the mountainside. “That’s Daruk!”

I turn and look, and feel a dull ache in my head as I look upon the statue. It’s crudely carved, but I recognize the face cut into the living stone of the mountain…

 

The massive form of the giant lizard, the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, lurches and shifts, as a jubilant voice rings out.

“Yeah! I think I’m finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!”

The huge Goron gestures, grinning. “Tell you what… sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around. Let those other Champions know, they’d better eat their gravel if they wanna keep up with Daruk!”

He gestures. “Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains…mighty tasty!”

I stand beside the giant Goron, and he nods. “I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing, but mark my words, I’ll protect this land of ours to the death! Right, little guy?!”

He claps me on the back, and I stumble forward a few paces from the sheer force.it hurts like I got hit by an Octorok, and he chuckles deeply. “Hey, by the way… congrats on becoming the princess’ appointed knight. That’s a really big deal! Protecting the king’s daughter… heh heh heh! No pressure!”

He pats my shoulder, a lot more gently this time. “Seriously though. The princess is a strong personality- so strong she can’t quite see the range for the peaks! Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

The air trembles, the ground rumbling, and Daruk looks aside. “Huh?”

The top of one of the peaks, a tall, leant-over spar, shatters, rocks cascading down upon us. Daruk throws his arms wide, clenching his huge hands into fists, and thrusts both forwards, aimed straight at the plummeting boulder.

“Hrrrrraaagh-HAH!”

A shimmering amber barrier forms around him, and the boulder shatters to rubble on impact, leaving us both unscathed.

He turns back to me. “Alright, so what was I saying…? That was a little strange… as far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then… Never mind. Forget I said anything…”