му нєяσιиє (Prince!Link x Hero!Reader)

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛᴀɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1: ᴘᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ғɪʀᴇ

The minute you set foot on the upper ground, you felt the heat hit you like a wall of warmth. It honestly made you miss the chill of Rito Village. But you had little time to think about things like this. You had to suck it up, and began pushing yourself up the mountain's path. The heat grew more intense as you continued along, forcing you to wipe your forehead every few minutes. The rocky ground made it hard for you to get proper footing, and you nearly slipped several times. The cracks in the ground almost trapped your feet a few times, but you got out pretty easy. You look up, seeing ash clouds slowly seep from the volcano's crater. It seemed so far still, and yet the air was burning. You were surprised your tunic didn't catch on fire yet.

'Fire Temple...' You think as you go on. 'Why does it have to be fire?'

You continue your walk, looking around for any sign of the temple's entrance. Or civilians to ask about it. A few lava pits were spotted here and there, bubbling from the heat. A hot spring you passed was steaming with an endless stream of heated mist. You move away from them each time you pass, not wanting to accidentally melt your boots or something along those lines. After about a half-hour of walking, you finally see a path form on the mountain, lined with small boulders while littered with lizards in the area. You follow it, pleased to have a smoother walk. Still hot, granted, but smooth.

The trek became harder to handle as the path was supposedly coming to an end. You look around, seeing only the way back. Thin lava rivers leading to the larger lakes at the base to your left and right. You were forced to stop as a wall became apparent in front of you. You slowly look up toward the top. It was probably ten times your own height, to your guess. Seeing no other options, you glare a little and grab onto the cracks in the stone. You slowly exhale, then start pulling yourself up the wall while keeping your gaze fixed above. The heat continues to grow, causing you to pant, but you kept going. You felt yourself slow the higher you went, and it seemed like your equipment was somehow getting heavier for you. You eventually reach the top, crawling over the edge with all the force you could possibly bring up. You scooch forward just a few feet from the edge before your head dropped.

"So... hot..." you mumble. You took a moment to recollect yourself, then pushing yourself back up to your feet, you continue onward with a limp in your walk. The heat felt like pressure building onto your body. Each step felt harder to endure, and you felt your body start to drag back toward the ground.

"Master," Zelda says through the amulet in a concerned tone, "are you unwell?"

"I-I'll... be fine," You say softly. "I... I can't stop. The prince... L-Link... he needs me..."

"That may be true," Zelda adds, "but you must rest for a bit. Forcing yourself to function in this heat is unhealthy!"

"I'll be fine," you repeat. "Trust me."

Your body, however, wasn't agreeing with your words. Sweat was now at an ungodly disgusting level, and your boots felt like they were melting onto your thighs. Your gloves seemed fused to your fingers, and small loose threads of your tunic now caught onto tiny flickers of flame. You soon fell to your knees, panting more. You desperately remove your gloves from your hands, hoping they would cool down. You did the same to the outer part of your tunic, practically tossing it to the ground. Sadly, it only made it worse for your hands and arms. You limped forward and pressed your hands on the ground to hold yourself up. Mistake. Your hands instantly started to burn, but it seemed ineffective for your current state.

"Too... h-hot..."

You then felt your being collapse onto the heated rock below.

~~~~

"... ey!"

"...ake up!"

"Is ...okay?"

"What... matter? ...mountain ...much too ...Hylians!"