The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time - Part Two: The Quest

Chapter Ten: Conquered Cavern

Evening was falling on the mountain, and the Gorons began their evening routines. Some began to prepare their children for bed, others putting together sparse meals. The local shop was closed by its vendor, and the guard was changed. Darunia paced his room all the while, worry creasing his face. As if all his people's troubles weren't enough, he had to top it off by sending a child into the cavern. He silently cursed himself for his lack of reason. Had he done it in desperation? Had his stress and impatience gotten the better of him? Who in their right mind sent a child to do a man's task?

He cursed himself again for his foolery. Now he had to make amends.

"Brother!" He called, stepping out from his room and into the city's lowest level. "Where are you brother?!"

Other Gorons paused to watch him, curious what this unexpected event was. He did not mind them. In fact, as a thought passed by, it may be better for them to watch and hear anyway. He had not kept his position as chief simply from tradition, but by action as well.

His brother Roddrin finally came into sight, descending a flight of stairs on the far end. He made his way to him, even as he walked, so that they met halfway.

"You called brother, goro?"

"How long ago did that boy leave?" He asked.

"Goro? Is something the matter brother?"

"Answer the question, quickly! This is urgent."

"Yes yes, I can tell, goro. Let's see, perhaps only an hour, maybe only a little longer?"

"And no word from the cavern watch?"

"None brother, goro."

Goddesses, let that boy be safe. "Then come with me to the cavern. If he's not back by the sun's setting, I will personally enter that cursed cave!" He clasped him by the shoulder briefly before passing him by, making his way through the city. His people watched him pass with wide eyes, clearly in awe of his claim. That was good; his people's trust in him came from claims like these that he had made good on. And thus far he had made good on every single one.

As he neared the entrance, He felt his hot blood run cold: The earth trembled beneath him, and, so faint it could have been missed from the trembling, he heard the roar. He had heard that roar before, when he had himself slain a Dodongo in his boyhood, and thus had become a man. But this roar was different, it was….stronger. Deeper. And that meant bigger. Much bigger.

"Goddesses, let that boy be safe," he breathed. "Let's go, quickly!"

                                                          ~0~

Link stood with his back to the wall, clutching the rock more tightly than necessary for keeping balance. He was stunned by what he had just heard, and fear gripped him. That enormous roar, that had shaken the very rock he was standing on, had belonged to a beast he was charged to end the life of, a Dodongo.

And a big one. Big enough to be called a king.

A second roar ripped through the tunnel, this one even louder than the first. Debris fell from above, loose rocks and dirt shaken from their place from the trembling. Cracks could be heard as rock split. With a sharp crack, he felt the rock below him give way, and with a fearful scream plummeted down.

"LINK!" Navi cried, bolting down after him, begging for the goddesses' intervention.

Link, still on the rock, frantically looked for a way to stop himself. His only hope he concluded was to jump to the wall. But he was running out of time. He looked down, gauging how much time he had. The tunnel suddenly opened up, revealing a huge room. A blast of hot air hit him, and he could have sworn the hot air slowed his descent, if only slightly. He had no time to observe his surroundings now though, it was now or never; there was still a blackened wall next to him. He jumped, crashing into the wall only seconds before the rock he had been on shattered on the floor. The wall was oddly smooth, and Link found himself sliding down, though definitely not as fast as before. Navi arrived by his side as he jumped from the wall to the floor. He looked at her, and shook his head.