Pieces of Time

Ch 15: Goron City

While Kali was grateful for the change in weather since returning to the village, she hated how miserable it made her during the climb up the sloping paths of Death Mountain.

Impa told Kali about the Gorons before, their struggles when Link was a child, as well as the legend of how the dragon was defeated by a mighty Goron warrior with a legendary hammer.

"Why couldn't they live in a place called....I dunno...Mild Valley?...or..." Kali gasped, "Slightly sloping Death Hill?"

Her party seemed both amused and concerned at her struggle. She felt bad about slowing their progress with her poor condition, though they tried to assure her that it wasn't a big deal.

Anju was excited to accept the invitation to the springs, and was eager to see Kali's reaction to meeting the Gorons for whatever reason. Impa only told her that they are a people of the stone. She wasn't sure what to expect based on that alone.

"Do you need to stop to rest?" Link called back, bringing the groip to a halt.

She waved him off and moved past him, albeit slowly. He'd been tense since they left. The ladies had no issues helping Kali if she needed someone to lean on, or provided her with water if she needed it. She wasn't sure why Link was so overly attentive with them nearby.

"If we stop...now..." she said, breathing heavily, "We won't have enough time...to come back down."

Link caught up with her easily. "You shouldn't push yourself like this." he said quietly, a hand gently steadying her by her arm.

This was the fourth or fifth time he reminded her, and it was starting to get old. She was hot, tired, and out of breath. There was no point in stopping when they were so close to their destination.

"I'm fine, Link." she said tensely, furrowing her brows.

She watched as he pressed his lips together, and shot a glance to Kiden. His eyes accusing. Of what, she wasn't exactly sure.

They kept moving and the ladies flanked Kali again. Anju smiled happily and offered her a sip of water, which Kali took gratefully.

"This gives me new ideas for training," Impa said in passing, a hand on her chin.

Kali only groaned in response, not wanting to imagine it. It made her teacher laugh quietly, amused.

Her muscles burned, and her legs felt like jelly beneath her weight. She kept her thoughts on the soothing, healing heat of the springs. How they could possibly make her forget her trauma, and heal her heart so she could focus on their end goal to stop Pallas. To make her able to not quake at the idea of meeting him again.

As her thoughts began to slip to Pallas, she felt dragged back to the dark, dank dungeon. The burn of a hot blade against her back during one of her tortures. She gasped, suddenly unsure if it was real as black spots began to pop in her vision.

Her legs gave out as she slipped on some gravel. Her palms and knees scraped painfully as she caught herself. Her breathing was heavy, but not from the climb.

The ladies knelt by her to help her up, but only watched as fear clawed its way up Kali's throat when she looked at her scraped palms. Her eyes widened with horror. They were bleeding only a little, but it was enough for her to be thrown back into that unending darkness.

Around her, Impa ran her hand soothingly back and forth on her back. Kiden rushed back to her, kneeling in front of her to try and snap her back to the present.

Only one voice could draw her attention, and she clung to it.

It was Link.

"This is all your fault for having her climb this mountain in the first place!" he growled, drawing closer.