Key Quest: Air and Fire by Judy Colella (color ebook reader TXT) 📖

Link, meanwhile, stayed where he was, sliding a few inches back for added safety – not that the Goron couldn’t reach him anyway with those crazy-long arms.

“WHAT A WILD ADVENTURE!” The Goron leaned down, eyes bulging. “IT WILL MAKE AN INCREDIBLE STORY…”

How would you know? Were you watching everything from somewhere?

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THE DODONGOS SUDDENLY APPEARED IN SUCH GREAT NUMBERS! AND THAT BIG ROCK BLOCKING THE CAVE!”

It suddenly occurred to Link that perhaps Darunia might be a lot more simple-minded than he’d assumed. Not in a bad way – he certainly seemed intelligent enough – but he was talking about the situation the way a very young child would recount an incident he didn’t fully understand, yet which had impressed him. Either that, or he was practicing for when he’d tell the rest of his people the story.

“YOU KNOW, ALL THIS TROUBLE MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THAT GERUDO THIEF, GANONDORF!”

Link bit his tongue. He’d almost pointed out that Darunia had already mentioned the Gerudo as having been behind their woes, yet now sounded as if it had only then occurred to him. To say that, though, he told himself, would be new heights in rude sarcasm, even for him. So instead he nodded, trying to look enthralled.

Darunia narrowed his gaze and stared off over Link’s head (which wouldn’t have been at all difficult even if the boy had been standing0). “HMM. HE SAID, ‘GIVE ME THE SPIRITUAL STONE! ONLY THEN WILL I OPEN THE CAVE FOR YOU!’”

The temptation to cover his ears was nearly overwhelming – he wished he could tell Darunia that it wasn’t necessary to shout like that.

But then, as if the Goron had sensed this, or had suddenly remembered he was outside and wasn’t supposed to be bellowing, he stopped, gazing down at Link with what the boy could only describe as affection. “You, on the other hand,” he continued in a voice so much softer, it was almost shocking, “risked your life for us.” His mouth curled into a warm smile. “Kid, I like you! How’s about you and I become Sworn Brothers?!”

Wow! Is that even possible? “How would that work? I mean, I’m not a Goron or anything, and – is there some kind of ritual thingy or whatever?” He was very confused.

“No, there’s no big ceremony involved! Just take this as a token of our friendship.” He raised his arms, and a sphere of red luminescence grew between his huge hands.

Link got to his feet, dusting off his tunic absently as he stared, fascinated, at what Darunia was doing.

The light began to coalesce and grow smaller, more concentrated, until at last, amid a shower of brilliant sparks, it became a large, gorgeous red gem, mounted in a gold setting that looked like a double-pronged crown. Like the Kokiri Emerald, this floated gently downward, settling at last in Link’s upraised hands.

The Goron Ruby. He gave Darunia a deep bow of gratitude and slid it with reverence into the soft pouch containing the Emerald. He had no idea what the whole “sworn brother” thing was about, but figured it was why the Goron was trusting him with the Spiritual Stone of his people.

All right – that’s two, and only one more to go. He wished he could tell Zelda right away about this, but didn’t think he’d be able to get back into the castle. Besides, he had a feeling she’d just tell him to stop wasting time and go after the third stone. After all, he’d be seeing her in the Temple of Time once that was done anyway.

Darunia was talking again. “Brother! You’ll keep brushing up on your skills as you travel, won’t you?”

“I will – I promise.” No one had ever called Link “brother” before, and he found himself liking how it made him feel.

“Good! Now listen – you should go see the Great Fairy on top of Death Mountain! She will power you up!”

Link stared, having no idea what that could possibly mean.

“HEY, EVERYBODY! LET’S SEE OFF OUR BROTHER!” Darunia was shouting again, but before Link could wonder why, the ground shook in a series of small quakes as Gorons began dropping onto the path around him.

This was getting ridiculous. They were coming toward him, having stood as soon as they landed, arms outstretched, exclaiming things at him – “You did great!” and, “How ‘bout a big Goron hug, Brother!” and other expressions of delight and comraderie.

All of which would have been nice, heart-warming, too, were it not obvious that even a gentle hug from one of these giants would crush him into a jelly. So, self-preservation taking precedence over any desire to avoid hurting their feelings, he ran.

A few feet further on and one more dropped to the ground in front of the boy, knocking him over. With a manic smile, he jumped back up, gave the Goron a quick bow, and scooted around him, her, whatever. It wasn’t until he had left the over-enthusiastic creatures behind that he realized he was heading up the mountain. Well, that was what Darunia had told him to do after all; he wondered if all those Gorons appearing the way they did had been on purpose to herd him in the right direction. Whatever. He made a sharp turn, and instead of going to the path that led back into Goron Village, he was now charging up the steeper incline more directly to his left.

At the top, he discovered a series of ledges. He climbed these, only to find the last one blocked by a huge boulder, a somewhat daunting gap between him and the rock. Navi tickled his ear, and he put up a hand. “If you tell me to blow up the boulder, Navi, I’ll eat you.”

Silence. Then… “Hahaha! You’re being funny again! I love being with you, Link! You’re so entertaining!”

He sighed and took out a bomb. Staring at it for a few seconds, he had to wonder what he was getting himself into this time. He had two of the Spiritual Stones now, and that was good, but unless this Great Fairy could either give him the next one or tell him where to find it, there seemed no reason to see her.

Still, and as he’d acknowledged several times already, Navi never told him to do something that wouldn’t be helpful in some way. Darunia, too, had seemed pretty sure that a trip to the top of the mountain was in order. And he was, after all, only ten. What did he know? Certainly not more than those so much older. Not that he had any clue as to Navi’s age, but Darunia’s beard was, to him, a good indication that the rock-man had many more years under his belt than Link. Well, not that the Goron wore a belt. In fact, he wore nothing.

Giving himself a mental shake, he refocused his attention on the bomb he was holding. Time to move on, he decided. Lifting the device, he activated it, took aim at the boulder, and threw…

Publication Date: 06-03-2013

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