Quench the Fire

Compared to the long, winding trip they took through the temple, Link and Skull Kid's return trip was significantly shorter. Perhaps it was because they had a better idea of where they were going, not needing to take branching paths in their search. But also, the few things that had slowed them down before – locked doors and a handful of monsters – were no longer blocking their way.

Their trek was nearly silent, with little talk between the two forest dwellers and their Goron companion. Throughout the entire trip, Link pushed himself to walk faster and faster, running ahead, anxious to get back to Darunia. Several times, the others had to call out to him, asking him to slow down. He would do so begrudgingly, slowing or even stopping, only to rush back ahead once they had caught up.

And perhaps because of his drive, they were soon back in the room where he'd first encountered Darunia. In some ways, it felt like an agonizing amount of time had passed. What if Volvagia had done something to Darunia in the time it took them to get here? In others, it felt like no time had passed at all. After all, they had returned far quicker than he probably could have expected. Perhaps, in part, due to their Goron guide.

The trio stood on the platform they had met Darunia on. Across a gap stood an ornate set of double doors. When they had first passed through, the doors had been tightly shut. But now they hung half-open, just wide enough for a Goron to squeeze through.

"Those doors seem pretty important-looking," Link mumbled, addressing Togoro. "I think we should check it out." With that, he took a running leap, just barely landing safely on the other side. Skull Kid followed close behind, warping across before helping Link up.

Togoro followed after they cleared out of the way, tucking the hammer to his chest before jumping across much in the same way Darunia and the other Goron had jumped to meet with them before: by rolling and throwing himself across with the momentum. "This is an important area," Togoro said, standing up. "According to our historical records, we used to take up audience with the Heart of the Mountain beyond here. Up until he became too power-hungry, at least."

Link let out a thoughtful hum, thinking about the implication. Did that mean Volvagia used to be different? He couldn't help but wonder what he might have been like before. Like him, perhaps? Or perhaps he was always as gruff as he was now. "I see…"

Just a few feet inside the chamber, the ground dropped away sharply, save for a narrow path deeper into the room. A dozen or so feet below, a river of lava flowed slowly away from the entrance, towards a big, open island of sorts at the center of the room. It was hard to make out details of the island from where they stood, but it seemed to be mostly flat, with spots that dipped.

On the island stood two figures, standing stiff as they faced each other down. Link darted ahead of his companions to get a better look, an uneasy pit forming in his stomach. As he ran, he grabbed his bow, wanting to be armed at least.

As he drew closer, he could better make out the details of the two figures. One was Volvagia, still in his human form. He was breathing heavily, and the poke of his pike had been nearly snapped in half at some point. The tip of one of his helmet horns had also broken off. But other than that, and a couple bad dents in his armor, he seemed to be in decent shape.

The other figure was Darunia, who seemed less fortunate. Along his arms and stomach were numerous cuts. Most were minor and shallow, and a couple had even stopped bleeding already. But there was a particularly nasty gash on his left arm, and a few nasty burns as well.

He and Volvagia were staring each other down now, each waiting for the other to make a move. The two radiated a tense atmosphere, something that felt nearly palpable, even to Link. Worried, he closed the remaining distance between himself and the two, coming to a stop standing between Darunia and Volvagia with his bow at the ready, trained at the latter.

Both fighters seemed surprised by his sudden appearance. Volvagia took a step forward, staring him down over the bridge of his nose as he let out a huff. "So, you finally arrived. Do you intend to get involved in this battle, spirit?"

At almost the same time, Darunia blurted out, "Link, what are you doing here? You need to get out of here. Don't get involved!"

Link briefly glanced back to Darunia, then ignored him in favor of keeping his eyes locked on Volvagia. The other two had caught up now, Skull Kid taking a stand near him while Togoro approached Darunia.

"Brother Darunia!" Togoro hollered, despite being right next to Darunia. "We've come to help you. We brought you this. Please, take it and strike down the dragon like our ancestors!" He lowered his head and offered up the Megaton Hammer, holding it with both hands as far away from his body as possible, as if wasn't worthy of even being near it.

Darunia blinked, sucking in several deep breaths as he looked the weapon over. His expression turned first to shock, but then a wry smile crept onto his face. "Togoro, this is… Thank you. All of you." Carefully he picked it up, as if he expected it to disappear the moment, he grabbed it. He weighed it, finding the best way to balance it in his grip.

His grin grew wider. "This should even the playing field a bit. Now get out of here, all three of you! This battle is between me and the Heart. Hang back and be ready to avenge me if something happens."

Togoro and Skull Kid were both more than willing to back off, turning and making their way back towards the doorway. But Link stubbornly refused to move, holding his bow even tighter. But would it even work? Or would it just bounce harmlessly off Volvagia's armor? Slowly, he began to put it away. No, he would have to use the Master Sword in this fight. As scared as he was to use it, as much as he expected it to strike and harm him as it had before, he saw no other way. He would do what he had to.

Skull Kid turned to look back once he realized Link had not followed him. "Hey!" He called out. "You heard him, get outta there!"

Link stubbornly shook his head. "No. I want… I need to help." He paused to adjust his stance, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves – and to hopefully calm the tingling feeling racing up his arms, threatening to do more harm if he so much as thought about evil.

All through the interaction, Volvagia had watched silently. Now he let out a scoff. "He seems to understand the situation, at least. You. Darunia of the Gorons. And you, forest spirit. I previously warned both of you that our next battles would be to the death. And now that you are here, that time has come. Prepare yourselves!"

Volvagia took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Then he let out a mighty roar, his body becoming wreathed in flames as he leapt into the air, his body shifting and shimmering in the light as he took on his draconic form. As his change occurred, a wall of flame roared to life, surrounding the arena and cutting off any escape routes for Link and Darunia.

"Hey, watch it!" Skull Kid yelled from the other side of the fire. Both he and Togoro were separated on the other side now.

Darunia glanced back to the duo, then up to the dragon hovering threateningly over them, before his gaze settled on Link. He gave him a scrutinizing look, then shook his head with a grunt. "You've gotten as stubborn as a Goron, brother. We're in this fight together now, though, so stay close and watch my back!"

Link replied with a firm nod, tightening his grip on his sword, then turned his gaze upwards to Volvagia.

Ferocious, serpentine, and terrible, Volvagia circled overhead, strands of hair that flickered with fire waving as he climbed higher and higher, nearing the top of the cavern. All the while, all Link and Darunia could do was wait, watching tensely.

Practically at the top now, the dragon lashed out, striking at a rock formation near the roof with his claws, breaking off chunks that rained down and forced Darunia and Link to move, dodging and weaving to avoid being crushed.

Then Volvagia dove, flying down towards Link at a speed he couldn't hope to avoid. With a single slash, Link was bowled over, struck in the shoulder. By twisting, Link was able to avoid landing on his sword, a minor positive. By the time he had climbed to his feet and surveyed the damage – stripped bark, a puncture wound in his shoulder, and a ripped-up sleeve – Volvagia had already flown all the way by, diving down into one of the holes in the floor. Peeking over the edge, Link saw no dragon, only a pool of lava.

"Stand back!" Darunia warned, pulling Link back from the edge. "He's used magic to become one with the magma. He could reappear from anywhere!"

Uneasily, Link backed further away from the hole, standing as far away from any as he possibly could. Darunia did the same, standing back to back with Link as he watched for any sign of movement.

There was a rumbling beneath them. Both glanced anxiously from hole to hole. Then suddenly, Volvagia burst forth from a hole near the center. His claws grabbed hold of the hole's lip, pulling him up. Emerald eyes squinted maliciously; he swung his head around in search of his targets.

Darunia pushed Link backwards before rushing towards the dragon with a mighty yell, tightly gripping the Megaton Hammer in both hands. He brought it back, raising it above his shoulder, then swung down hard, striking the protective plating on Volvagia's head.

There was a resounding crack that echoed in the cave walls. Volvagia brought his claws up to his face and let out a screech, reeling from the blow. He began to sink back down into the lava, but not before lashing out with one arm, leaving a nasty gash on his right arm forearm.

Worried, Link dashed over to Darunia to check his wound, but the Goron shook him off. "Don't worry about me. Focus on the pools and wait for him to emerge again!"

Link hesitated at first, but then nodded and turned his attention back to the holes. His grip tight around the Master Sword's hilt as he watched and listened for any signs of movement.

The ground shook, the fire around them roared, and then Volvagia emerged, flying high into the air once again. This time, he did not fly all the way to the roof of the cavern; instead, he only flew just out of reach before turning back, diving towards Link with his mouth open.

Letting out a yelp, Link dove out of the way. But the dragon's tail lashed as he passed by, slamming into Link and knocking him back with such force that he was sent flying towards one of the holes. He landed half in, half out of the hole, his feet kicking and trying to find a hold so he could scramble back up. After just a few seconds of struggling, a hand grabbed hold of the back of his tunic and lifted him up. Darunia tossed him aside, back towards where he'd dropped his sword in the commotion, then dodged out of the way himself as Volvagia dove back into the lava.

Yet another rumble and a few seconds later, Link had barely enough time to recover and grab his sword before the dragon resurfaced again, stopping halfway out of the hole like he had the first time. This time, his gaze was set on Link. He drew his head back, something glowing at the back of his throat.

Then Darunia delivered a punch to the side of Volvagia's jaw, causing his gout of flames to miss by a wide margin. Unwilling to waste this opportunity, Darunia continued his onslaught, striking at the armor-plate with his hammer once again.

Volvagia let out a pained screech, cracks forming in his armor-like headplate. He drew himself up a little taller, and Darunia curled into a ball just in time to avoid the snapping bite that surely would have shredded through his soft, unprotected belly.

But that was where his luck ran out. Volvagia swung his head back the other way to strike at Darunia with his snout, sending the Goron rolling out of control. He tried to turn, to catch himself and stop, but he ended up landing sprawled out, defenseless, on the other side of the arena. Volvagia dragged himself out of the lava and was on him in an instant.

In the short time it took for Darunia to recover, Volvagia was already there. His hands pinned Darunia down, claws wrapping threateningly around the Goron's arms. He reared his head back with his lips twisted into a snarl, preparing to strike.

"No!"

Link rushed towards the dragon, striking underneath his scales on his side with his sword. As he pulled the blade back, blood began to leak from underneath.

But it was little more than a bug bite to Volvagia. He turned his head and puffed a bit of smoke from his nostrils as a warning, then spat a small burst of flames when Link would not retreat. As soon as Link was forced to back off, he turned his attention back to the Goron.

"So, this is the end of the proud Goron Chief, Darunia," Volvagia began, lowering his head so that he was face to face with Darunia. "You have been a worthy opponent… But in the end, you have let your pride get the better of you, facing me alone like this. And that has been your downfall."

Link shook his head, trying to drown out the voice and focus. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't let another friend die. He temporarily sheathed his sword and then, with a loud cry to grab Volvagia's attention, threw himself onto the Dragon's back, grabbing hold of his scales and ignoring the rough texture as it dug into his palms. And then he began to climb, pulling himself up into the fire-like ropes of hair. They stung, even through the gloves of his tunic, and he was certain that he saw smoke start to rise where they brushed against his face. But he had to push through it.

He grabbed hold of one, letting out a pained cry as he pulled himself higher and higher, until he was able to grab hold of the beast's horns.

Volvagia swung his head back, letting out a mighty roar as he tried to throw Link off. But Link had wrapped both of his arms around the dragon's horn and held on tight, the world spinning as he was thrown back and forth. Once he was confident in his hold, he loosened one leg, kicking and swinging it blindly until he felt his heel dig into Volvagia's eye.

The dragon threw his head back once again, but this time in pain. He let go of Darunia with one hand and tired to claw at Link. But the skull kid scrambled out of reach, staying on his hands and knees as he scrambled up and onto the fractured plating on Volvagia's head, digging his foot into one of the cracks to secure himself. With the plating shattered, leaving weak spots in Volvagia's scales, this was his best chance.

Carefully, trying to hold tight with one hand while reaching for his sword with the other. He ducked, narrowly avoiding being knocked away by those claws, wobbling as he tried to both keep his balance and find a good place to drive the sword into.

Volvagia's attempts to throw him off had become much more violent now, and it was becoming harder and harder to stay grounded. He was using both hands now in an attempt to pull him off. But with his focus on Link, he'd freed Darunia.

The Goron wasted no time climbing back to his feet. He rushed to pick up the hammer where it had fallen a few feet from him, and then turned back. This time, he aimed his blow on the dragon's chest, striking just below his arms with all the force he could muster.

Even Volvagia couldn't shrug off a blow like that. The dragon reeled, no longer focused on Link but instead on the damage to his chest.

This was his chance. Now that Link was no longer in danger of being thrown off, he sat up, looking for a big enough hole in the armor – there! With a mighty cry, Link took the sword with both hands, and drove it straight downwards, burying it nearly to the hilt in the dragon's head.

Volvagia went rigid, his eyes wide and his tail lashing in shock. Darunia took the opportunity to reach up and grab a strand of the dragon's burning hair, pulling him down to the ground. At the sudden movement, no longer anchored, Link stumbled and rolled right off, landing beside Darunia in a heap.

By the time Link was back on his feet, Volvagia was completely on the ground, is tail thrashing wildly and his hands clawing at the sword in his head, as if trying to vanish it away.

But soon, Volvagia's struggles began to slow. He quit clawing at his face, and lashing tail slowed to barely a twitch. He lifted his head slightly to look down at Darunia and Link as the fire around them began to die away. Now that he had stopped moving, Link could see how bad the damage was.

One eye was tightly shut, a bit of liquid leaking out. A trickle of blood ran down Volvagia's face from where the sword was stuck, though it would be much worse once Link pulled it free. And there was a small dent in his chest from where Darunia struck him with the hammer; any bone there had likely been shattered.

With great effort, Volvagia began to speak. "So… This… is how our battle ends…" His tone held no malice, nor anger, but it wasn't happy either. The only way Link could describe it was… cold. Empty, maybe. "So be it… You… have surprised me, forest spirit… And… You have been a… worthy opponent as well… Darunia of the Gorons…"

He lowered his head to the ground and closed his eye letting out a long sigh. "Take your sword, spirit… you have earned the right…"

"It might be a trap," Darunia warned, grabbing Link's shoulder. But Link wiggled himself free and approached the dragon. Volvagia made no move to stop him, not even as he climbed onto his head and began to tug at the sword.

"How… Ironic," Volvagia mumbled as Link worked. "The great evil returned in the form of a man… and yet, the goddess has chosen a monster for her hero."

"I'm not—" Link started, but he cut himself off. There was no point in arguing with the dying dragon, so he just finally pulled his sword free, ignoring the fresh blood that welled up, and returned to Darunia's side.

The Goron gave him a pat on the back. "Come on, Link. Let's leave."

Soon Link, Skull Kid, Darunia, and Togoro all reconvened in front of the alter in the main hall, all four silent for most of the walk there. Once they had arrived, Link and Darunia's wounds were attended to in an uneasy silence. One of Darunia's arms had been so cut up while he'd been pinned that he was unable to lift it without wincing, blood oozing down his arm from the cuts. Though he had several nasty gashes, none of them were life-threatening.

And although injured, Link had nothing so severe. There were several spots where his bark had been chipped or scraped and broke away, and a couple of small cuts on his shoulder, all oozing sap that had already began to harden. Besides that, there were a few charred spots on his face where Volvagia's fiery tendrils had brushed up against him. His hands had been thankfully protected by his gloves. Some black soot clung to the palms, but otherwise he seemed fine. Silently, he thanked the Gorons for gifting him the tunic – and then fixing it up later.

Skull Kid, being Skull Kid, was less thankful. "Can I take this off already?" he asked, tugging uncomfortably at one of the sleeves.

"Wait until we're out of the volcano first," Darunia said with a shake of his head. Then he turned his attention to Link. "Looks like you saved us once again, kid. You've been a great help to us twice now, and I don't know how we could ever repay you. Just calling you brother doesn't feel like enough!"

Link silently shook his head in response. He didn't want payment, or anything like that; he just wanted all this to be over with, so things could go back to some form of normalcy.

"So, has the Heart of the Mountain fallen?"

All four looked up at the sound of a familiar voice. Making his way up the steps to the alter was Sheik. Behind him, a couple of Gorons lingered, watching curiously.

Darunia stared at Sheik for a moment. "You bet he has! Have you been helping out as well, Sheik?" He waited for Sheik to nod before letting out a hearty laugh. "Looks like we're in your debt as well then!"

"Think of it as nothing more than helping an ally," Sheik said, shaking his head. "As I've told you before, all the people of Hyrule need to stand strong against Ganondorf in these trying times. But that's not why I'm here." He turned his attention to Link, addressing him. "Have you been able to perform the Bolero of Fire for Darunia, yet?"

The Bolero of Fire? Oh, right, the song! Link's hands dove into his bag, fishing around until he found the ocarina. All the while, he began chattering away. "Oh, that's right! I didn't get to do this earlier. Sheik said I gotta play this for you, so stay right there."

Bringing the instrument up to his mouth, Link blew a couple of experimental notes as he focused on recalling the tune. Then, with a stiff marching beat in his head, alternating between two staccato notes before shifting to the next phrase, the melody growing higher and higher in tension, before finally resolving on a low note. It told the story of a mountain. Of a proud race, barely touched by change as they marched on through time. The Bolero of Fire was, in essence, a representation of the Gorons.

As the song came to an end and Link looked up from his instrument, no longer in a deep focus, he noticed Darunia standing very still, a contemplative look on his face.

"This is…" Darunia mumbled, before his words died away.

Link returned the ocarina to his bag. Then he shifted his attention to Darunia, nervously wringing his hands together while he waited for a Darunia to say something. The way he was standing still, silent, reminded Link of what had happened with Saria. How she had gone still after he first played the Minuet of Forest. And that only served to remind him of what happened afterwards.

Surely, the danger had already passed here, right?

But before he could voice his concerns, Sheik approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, kneeling to get at his eye-level. "You've done well, Link. Fighting Volvagia is no easy feat. But… we need to talk. Discuss where to go next. Relax, I'll explain in a minute."

"Wha—"

Link was cut off by Sheik speaking words he did not recognize. The world flashed white. When the light faded and he could see again, he was standing back on a familiar, watery pillar.

Rauru stood in front of him, his gaze as stern as always. And beside him was… was Saria, sitting on her dais with a gentle smile on her face.

She tilted her head, offering a cheerful giggle as a greeting. "Good job, Link. It's good to see you again."

"Saria, I…" Link's words died in his throat as he noticed something happening in the corner of his eye. A figure was fading into existence to her right. Darunia was soon fully visible, standing with an uncertain look on his face as he took in his surroundings.

"It is good to see you here, Darunia, Sage of Fire," Rauru began, his voice gruff as always. "I'm sure you have many questions, but they will have to wait for later. For now, we need to discuss Link's next move."

"I agree." Link turned around, and there was Sheik, standing just behind him. "I, for one, think he should head for the water temple next. After what happened here, I am… worried that Ganondorf might strike our Zora allies next. And besides that, the water temple… well, if there's anywhere he could be freed of his curse, it would be there, in the purifying waters."

"Water can be dangerous for a skull kid," Saria mumbled, bringing a hand up to her chin. "But much less-so than fire. Still… If he could be healed of the curse there, why didn't you send him there first?"

"The situation with the Gorons was dire," Sheik replied curtly. "We had no way to know for sure what happened to them after they quit reporting to us. And if something had happened, if Darunia had fallen in his fight with Volvagia… Everything we've been preparing for thus far would have been for nothing."

The group fell silent for a moment, Saria looking away when Darunia turned to look at her. Rauru closed his eyes in turn, and Darunia let out a quiet hum, but said nothing more.

Finally, Rauru broke the silence. "I think the water temple is probably the best idea. The shadow temple is closer, but… I don't like the idea of sending Link there without at least trying to heal the curse first. Sheik, what is the current situation in Kakariko?"

"I've been told that things are going well. The remainder of the Hylian guard, as well as several civilians, are staying there and keeping an eye on things. And now that the Gorons have been helped… once they've had a bit of time to recover, they should also be able to help. With the danger levels likely low, I believe the water temple is our best course of action."

Darunia nodded. "Indeed. I have a lot to learn about… this sage business that you were telling me about, Rauru, but… Before we talk further, I must speak with my brothers, give them instructions. As soon as we have got our city back in operating order, I'll send reinforcements down to Kakariko."

Sheik let out a grunt. "If we are all in agreement, then I'll scout ahead and make sure everything is ready at Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain before Link gets there. We have no time to waste."

"Are we done here, then?" Darunia asked, snapping Link back to attention. When it had become obvious that he had no say in the matter, he had stopped listening closely."

"Almost," Rauru replied. "There is just… one more thing we must take care of first. Link, if you would, stand up a little straighter. There you go. Darunia, hold out your hands, then… imagine a medallion. A small medal that symbolizes both your friendship with Link, and the power of your people. Imagine those feelings flowing into the medallion. Breathe in… and release."

As Link watched, small dots of light began to settle in Darunia's hand, glowing first golden, then a deep, ruby red. Slowly, they began to form into a flat, rounded shape, growing denser and denser until, suddenly, there was a flash. And as the light cleared away, it left a small, shining, red medallion in Darunia's hands.

"Take it, Link," Rauru instructed. In response, Link hesitantly stepped forward, dropping down into the gentle flow of water to stand in front of Darunia.

The Goron flashed Link a wide smile. "Even after all this time, here you are, helping us out once again. I can't thank you enough, Brother! On behalf of the entire Goron race, thanks for helping us out." He paused, taking one of Link's hands, lifting it up before pressing the medallion down into his palm. Link stared at it as Darunia continued.

"I think I understand what the old guy wants. Here, take this token of our friendship. Go on out there and keep saving the world, okay? And… don't you forget, you and I are true brothers! You can always count on me if you need something, got it?"

Solemnly, Link nodded and pocketed the medallion. Then he turned and walked back to the center of the Dias he had first appeared on. Sheik was gone now, having left in the time he had stepped forward.

"Good luck, Link!" Saria called out, waving as he began to disappear. Then the light grew bright around him, and the echoing emptiness of the Sacred Realm faded away.

When Link came to, he found himself laying flat on hard ground. He sat up suddenly, whirling around as he tried to get his bearings. He was in Darunia's chamber, sitting on a mat. He seemed to be alone, not even Skull Kid around. But nearby, he could hear voices.

"I know you want to see him, but you just have to wait a little longer."

"But he's fine, Sheik, look how well he handled the Fire Temple."

That voice… he knew that voice."

Link forced himself to his feet, ignoring just how sluggish he felt. The tunic may have protected him from the worst of the fire temple, but he must have become dehydrated during their trip. Slowly, he began to walk forward towards the exit, listening to the argument.

"I know it looks well but… we just need to wait. If everything goes well, we can both talk to him after the Water Temple purifies his spirit."

"You're hoping for a lot. We don't even know if he'll be able to get in yet. The entrance is at the bottom of Lake Hylia."

"And you heard the last report from the Zora. The lakebed has nearly run dry due to Ganondorf's magic. He should be fine."

"I hate this. I haven't talked to him in seven years! And I'm supposed to be looking after him. Do you have any idea how long I've waited to—"

The speaker cut off. Link had emerged from Darunia's room to two people. One was Sheik, who was watching him with unreadable eyes. And the other was…

"Navi?"

Sheik shook his head. "We need to go. You two can catch up later. Come on, Navi."

Sheik turned and began to walk away. And after a second of hesitation, Navi followed.

"Wait!" Link called out, running in hopes of catching up. "Navi!"

Bot Navi and Sheik paused, turning to look at him. "We're leaving, Navi."

"...Sorry, Link." Navi turned away. But Link had nearly caught up to them.

Then suddenly, Sheik threw something on the ground. There was a bright flash. And when Link's vision cleared, they were both gone.

A/N: That ending... may have been a bit frustrating for some of yall. Hear me out, I don't plan to let this thread hang for long in-fic. Regardless, with that, we've come to the end of the fire temple arc!

Let's talk for a second though. This arc... was honestly a bit of a slog for me. It was a struggle to get it to come together, and I'm not sure I'm satisfied with it. And after struggling with it for so long, I need a bit of a break. So with that in mind. HoaH will be going on break for the rest of summer. I'm hoping to pick it back up in late August or September, but no chapters will be published until I finish drafting the water temple arc. Due to stopping in the middle of this arc for a while... even with the outline, I feel like I lost a bit of what I wanted to do with it. So to avoid that happening again, I'll be working on this section by section, and publishing only once a full section is drafted. Hopefully that'll be sooner rather than later.

Hope to see you all soon!