Ocarina of Time Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Volvagia
Volvagia's baleful yellow eyes regarded Link with ravenous hunger, saliva dripping from the dragon's mouth. He knew now more than ever that this enormous reptile regarded him as food. He knew he should run, but a sudden wave of fear rooted him to the spot, even as Navi shouted at him to flee.
Run where?
There would be no outrunning the colossal beast towering over him. Any hope that Volvagia might somehow recognise him- however slim that might have been- was dashed in an instant. There was no spark of recognition. Instead, there was only the hungry, baleful eyes of a starving predator.
The dragon opened its jagged maw in a bellowing roar, tail lashing against the debris strewn behind it. Stones, some the size of small boulders, were knocked flying, and as he craned his neck to take in Volvagia's enormous girth, Link realized that Volvagia really could have used his old Kokiri Sword as a toothpick.
The serpentine body uncoiled, scales scintillating ruby-red. As the beast inhaled, Link realized what was coming and threw himself out of the way. The searing heat engulfed him as the hellfire belched from the dragon's maw, missing him by inches.
Link spun around as the dragon turned to send another column of fire towards him. He ran, his boots pounding upon the cracked stone. A broken column to his right offered some semblance of cover. He dove behind it, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"Any ideas, Navi?" Link asked.
She didn't reply immediately. He saw her gossamer dragonfly wings beating madly as dashed to his side.
"Navi?" he asked again.
"You could try shooting an arrow in its eye," Navi suggested.
"Won't that just annoy him?" Link asked.
"He's already annoyed!" Navi pointed out, Volvagia's menacing growl adding emphasis to her point. "Got a better idea?"
Run?
"No," Link replied. He retrieved his bow from behind him.
Running was probably the most sensible idea, but Link had no intention of fleeing. Not with the Gorons depending on him.
Fear cuts deeper than any blade.
"You can do this, Link! You killed the giant dodongo!" Jemite yelled in encouragement. It was not helpful, but Link appreciated the Goron's effort.
The floor trembled beneath the dragon's heavy footsteps as it moved towards Link's hiding place. Volvagia snarled, boldly peering around the stone.
Link jumped from his cover, loosing an arrow towards one of Volvagia's eyes. It missed, and Volvagia merely flinched.
Volvagia snorted, as though the arrow had been nothing more than an annoying insect, and kept coming. Link loosed a second arrow. Another stream of fire bellowed towards him and incinerated the projectile in mid-flight. Link rolled away, fire scorching the ground inches from his boot. He looked back from his hiding place. Volvagia was still bounding towards him, a cat regarding a mouse. Link let a third arrow fly. It shattered uselessly against the dragon's scales.
"Plan B?" Navi yelled, trying to be heard above the dragon's snarl.
"I thought that was plan B!" Link yelled back.
Suddenly, Link could feel the dragon's hot breath on his skin. Tensing, he looked up to find Volvagia peering over the broken column, teeth bared.
"Move!" Navi yelled. Link didn't need to be told twice.
He cursed and sprinted out of the way. Volvagia's maw snapped shut, right where he'd been standing. Dropping his bow, Link wrenched the Master Sword from its sheath as Volvagia's eyes followed him. He struck the reptile's face, snarling with the effort. He was but an ant before this creature, an ant trying to bite its way through stone. His sword scraped off the dragon's scales without leaving so much as a scratch.
Link cursed and then, in a flash, Volvagia's steel-like claws tore through the air. He ducked as they came within inches of ripping him in half and managed to jump clear of its jaws. With a roar of outrage and frustration, the dragon whipped its tail towards him. Link darted sideways, avoiding the barbed end, and hacked his sword straight through the tail, leaving a bloody stump where the barb had been. The dragon roared a deafening, agonised scream that nearly tore Link's eardrums asunder.
In a dizzying blur of motion, Volvagia swung his claws at Link, bellowing with fury. The movement was so fast that Link didn't have time to run.
He rose his shield, and with a crash of bone and steel, Volvagia's forelimb slammed into him, throwing him straight into a stone pillar. Winded, Link pushed himself to his knees, gasping for air as he looked up. With several leaping bounds, Volvagia was on top of him, opening his cavernous mouth once more. His sword and shield were a few feet away. There was no time to find another weapon. Link forced himself to his feet, ignoring the protest of his bruised body, but it was too late to flee.
A blur of movement out of the corner of Link's eye caught his attention as one of the Gorons threw a spear into Volvagia's mouth, forcing the dragon to recoil with yet another terrible scream.
"Link, get away from him!" Navi shouted, her shriek barely audible, even when she was no more than an arm's length from him.
Volvagia thrashed about, trying to dislodge the spear stuck in its throat, and for a moment Link stared in astonishment. Volvagia slammed his head into a pillar, writhing madly and smashing into yet another pillar in a spasm of unbearable pain. Finally, Volvagia slammed his jaw shut, snapping the shaft and burying the head deeper into his jaw. Splotches of black blood mingled with saliva splattered the floor, and the Volvagia regained enough presence of mind to send a blast of fire tearing towards the Goron that had thrown the spear.
The Goron got out of the way, barely. A second Goron threw a sword that resembled a letter opener in its hand. This did nothing but bounce of Volvagia's nose, enraging him further. The dragon snarled and sent a fireball tearing through the air. It did not miss- the mountain dweller was reduced to a molten slag of rock.
No! Link had sworn he would not let them get hurt; he hadn't even wanted them to come with him.
He stared blankly at the remains of the deceased Goron before Navi snapped his attention back to Volvagia. "Link! Now isn't the time! Stay focused."
The death of their companion motivated the Gorons into picking up any weapon off the ground and throwing it at Volvagia.
In a rush of reckless rage, Link charged forward amidst the hail of weapons and debris, snatching his sword and shield. Raising the Master Sword, he plunged it towards Volvagia's side. The dragon twisted around, cuffing Link with its wing. The barbed end scraped off his shield, and Link hacked wildly, trying to strike a tendon or any soft tissue that he could reach.
Navi shrieked a warning.
Reality became a confused blur as Link was lifted into the air. His shield fell for a second time, and he was only vaguely aware of something sticking into him. They were white, sharp and the size of swords.
Teeth.
He was in Volvagia's mouth. Navi screamed, a horrible shriek of hysteria.
Link's bones rattled as the dragon shook him like a rag doll. All this took seconds, and Link knew that at any moment the dragon would clamp its jaw shut, crushing him or swallowing him whole.
He was too dazed to scream and every bone ached from being jolted. Volvagia was toying with him, a cat teasing a mouse before devouring its hapless prey.
Still tightly gripping the Master Sword, the hilt clenched in a death grip as if it refused to let him let go this time, Link thrust the blade desperately into the dragon's gullet. The gem in the sword shone a brilliant yellow as Link released the hilt. With a hiss of agony, Volvagia released him and Link went sailing through the air and straight into a column.
Bone and stone connected with a sickening crack. The pain was blinding. Link didn't even remember hitting the ground. He rolled over, consciousness desperately trying to flee from him, pain coursing through every fiber of his body. Tasting bile, Link gagged, his head throbbing with the frantic pounding of his heart. The world slowly regained some coherence, his vision returning. Everything was a blur, and he could only just make out a flicker of yellow and red that burst from Volvagia's direction. It rushed towards him, bright and searingly hot.
Fire.
The flames swallowed him. A strange tickling sensation rippled over Link as the fire blew across him. He wasn't entirely immune to its intense heat, for it was like standing too close to a blazing furnace. When it was over, and he emerged unscathed, Volvagia's eyes widened with surprise.
Thank you, Impa, Link thought, amazed that he wasn't dead.
One of the nearby Gorons gasped. Jemite bolted from behind the damaged column and yanked Link out of the way with little regard for broken bones.
"Thanks," Link gasped, wincing at the agony that flared in his ribs.
"How did you survive that?" Jemite sounded as astonished as he looked. "Hylians are supposed to be highly flammable."
Navi flew up to Link, looking just as shocked when she saw he was only badly bruised.
"Yeah, I noticed," Link groaned, trying to sit up. "I learned that trying to take on the giant dodongo."
Volvagia saw him getting up. He let out a furious roar, hatred burning in his swirling amber eyes as he stomped forward.
Link's chest did not hurt as much as his head, and with no time to check check, he sprinted away from the dragon, darting between columns, wincing at the pain that was his bruised ribs. The chain mail seemed to have spared him any serious injury, but even then, he was going to be very sore in the morning.
If I live that long, Link thought, ducking behind yet another pillar. He chanced a sweeping glance at the Gorons, dismayed to see that although they were keeping their distance, they seemed to have surrounded Volvagia and were now trying to corral the dragon towards him. He wasn't sure he liked that idea.
Volvagia appeared to not like this either, for seeing what the Gorons were doing, he took flight, leaping over the heads of the mountain dwellers who scrambled for cover. He weaved around the forest of columns but didn't remain airborne for long. He landed, not far away from Link, and prowled towards his quarry.
Cursing the fact that the Master Sword was stuck in the dragon's gullet, and that he'd lost his bow, Link surveyed the hall for another weapon.
A glint of silver caught his eye, a jagged blade beside a Lizalfos. Link scrambled for the blade, ignoring his aching limbs as he ran towards it.
"Jemite, can you get Darunia's hammer?" Link yelled over his shoulder, Jemite nodded and rolled towards the rubble.
There was a scream as another Goron tried and failed to slam a spear into Volvagia. Snapping around faster than any serpent, the dragon spewed a torrent of flames into its would-be attacker.
Another Goron stepped forward, but hesitated as the dragon's eyes turned to face him. Volvagia growled.
"HEY!" Link roared at the top of his lungs, the effort sending a spasm of pain through his ribs that nearly stopped him in his tracks, as he ran towards the dragon.
Volvagia's head snapped forward towards the Goron.
NO!
Link jumped, one hand catching one of Volvagia's long horns. The dragon lurched back as he clung to the side of its head. He caught a glimpse of the Master Sword and abandoned all thoughts of retrieving it; there was no way he was getting that out without offering his arm as a morsel.
He clambered onto the dragon's head, holding on for dear life as the dragon swung its head, trying to dislodge him. Link slipped, grappling for a spike further down the serpent's neck. He caught it, nearly impaling himself, and pulled himself upward once more. He could almost reach the crystal that protruded from the scales and even from here, he could sense the dark magic within it.
A blur of motion distracted him as Jemite charged forward, Darunia's hammer clasped in one hand. The hammer swung down, slamming into Volvagia's head.
CRACK!
Volvagia trembled, stumbling sideways in a drunken daze. Link grabbed the crystal in the dragon's neck, trying to wrench it free, but it wouldn't budge, and even briefly touching it sent a shock of pain through his hand, forcing him to let go. In hindsight, that was probably a stupid idea, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
Darunia's hammer cracked against Volvagia's skull once more, before the dragon could recover, its enormous head smashing into a damaged pillar. Bits of stone crashed down, the pillar wobbled, its cracked top giving way in a shower of debris and leaving the rest teetering for a horrible moment.
Before Link could do anything, the damaged column buckled, its cracked foundations giving way. Link was about to jump clear of the danger when he saw Jemite slowly getting to his feet.
"Jemite, look out!" Link yelled, but it was too late.
The deadly shower of stone came crashing down, Jemite didn't even have time to move before the pillar crashed down on top of him.
NO!
Link let go of Volvagia. He hit the ground with a painful thump and rolled clear of the shower of debris. The stone struck Volvagia with enough force to shatter several of the dragon's vertebrae, the hail of debris raining down atop of him.
The stump of Volvagia's tail still flickered madly, the trapped serpent desperately tried to free itself as the enormous blocks of stone came down. Another Goron picked up Darunia's hammer and then slammed it into Volvagia's skull, which had remained clear of the falling pillar. Once. Twice, three and then four times. Finally out cold, Volvagia went limp.
Link stared at the listless dragon, breathing heavily as Navi zipped over to him.
"Link?" she said, sounding worried. "He's not dead yet. You have to stop him from being revived."
Link ignored her, his attention focused on the pile of debris that buried Jemite.
"Link, you have to kill Volvagia before his injuries heal," Navi said urgently. She followed his gaze and added with a gentle murmur, "There is nothing you can do for Jemite."
"I didn't want them to come," said Link softly.
How many had died? He looked around at the sober faces of the remaining Gorons. There were only four and they were all staring at the dragon warily. No doubt they were wondering how long it would remain unconscious.
"They wanted to fight, Link. It was their choice," Navi whispered. "You have to kill Volvagia. Now!"
One of the Gorons barked an order. Two of them walked towards the debris Darunia was beneath while the others began to move the stones Jemite was buried under.
Reluctant to kill a creature he'd almost considered a friend, Link limped over to Volvagia's head. The dragon's jaws were open, tongue lolled to one side, and the Master Sword was still buried deep in its mouth.
If it had been any other sword, Link would have just left it there rather than risk getting his arms taken off. He could just imagine his next conversation with Sheik.
"Yes, I let a dragon eat the Master Sword... what do you mean why didn't I go after it?"
Praying Volvagia did not choose this moment to wake up or shut his mouth, Link grabbed the blade and wrenched it free. The dragon's head twitched, and he jerked back, heart pounding madly.
"Hurry, Link!" Navi urged him.
He did not linger. Clambering over the dragon's neck, and avoiding the spikes, he landed by the crystal behind Volvagia's head. With one swift thrust, Link drove the Master Sword into the cursed object and shattered it.
The dragon stirred. Link held the Master Sword high, gripping it in both hands as he prepared to drive it into Volvagia's skull.
"Link!"
Link gasped. A consciousness touched his mind, and a familiar voice spoke in his head. Navi must have sensed it too because she exclaimed, "Volvagia! He's still alive."
Link's hands trembled, the blade quivering in his grip. He sensed the dragon's pain, almost as though it were his own. It lanced through him, threatening to crush him, and he could not breathe. He felt weak. His hands slackened, the Master Sword slipping from his grasp as he collapsed to his knees.
Navi called out to him, but he didn't hear; the dragon's anguish was too much. He desperately wanted to break the contact, but he didn't know how; telepathy wasn't something he understood very well.
"Link."
"Volvagia?" Link breathed hoarsely.
The pain only intensified, mingled with the dragon's sorrow- the result of years of being tortured by Ganondorf. Years of being killed and revived using the magic of Ganondorf's soul mask and the Triforce of Power. The dragon's eyes opened, unfocused and unsteady.
"Kill me."
The voice was barely a whisper; Link was almost unsure if he had heard it at all. His blood froze at those words- Volvagia wanted to die.
"I..." he stammered, a lump in his throat.
"Kill me,"!the dragon repeated. "Do not prolong this indignity any more than it has been already."
Link wondered if it was even sane.
"I thought you were dead," Link managed, still shocked to hear the dragon's voice. "We all did."
Navi noticed his hesitation and quickly spoke up. "You remember what Sheik said- a dragon would consider it a mercy," Navi told him. She glanced over at the Gorons, a sudden noise catching her attention. With Volvagia incapacitated, a small horde of Lizalfos had stumbled into the room from one of the adjacent tunnels, and the Gorons were dispatching them with little effort.
"But Sheik said it was impossible for Volvagia to survive," Link told her. "What if we can help him?"
Navi's voice was pained. "I know you want to, Link, but you can't. This curse isn't natural."
Volvagia must have listened because a moment later he replied, "Your companion speaks true; either way, I die. Such was that wretched demon's curse. He could heal me or revive me each time the taint ran its course. I remember everything."
"What a horrible way to go," Navi murmured. "A curse that kills you only for you to be revived and slowly die again and..."
She faltered at a look from Link.
"You're certain there's nothing we can do," Link asked, turning his attention back to the dragon. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been helpless to prevent the death of so ancient a creature.
"Spare me your pity and kill me!" Volvagia snapped, tired of Link's hesitancy. "Or would you have me wait out this agony instead?"
Link was taken aback by the anger in those words, barely managing to avoid flinching. Slowly, he picked up the Master Sword and held it high in the air.
"KILL ME NOW!"
The Master Sword plunged into the dragon's skull. Link reeled as an intense pain seared through the bond between him to Volvagia. Then it began to fade, the threads of consciousness that was Volvagia slipping away.
"Thank you, Link."
With those last words, the bond unfurled until its frayed fragments faded and vanished like mist. Volvagia was gone.
Link withdrew his sword from the lifeless dragon, heedless of the tears that stung his eyes. He started to turn away but a wave of dizziness made him stumble. He fell to one knee and the world went white.
All the pain from his injuries disappeared, and Link took a moment to recognise the ethereal sensation engulfing him. The same thing happened after he killed Ganondorf's phantom. His first thought was maybe Saria or Rauru had summoned him. Only it was neither the Sage of Light nor Saria that stood behind him. The Goron Chieftan beamed at him, and it took a moment for Link to realise what Darunia's next words confirmed.
"Never expected I'd become the Sage of Fire. When those bombs exploded, I thought I was a goner," Darunia rumbled. He glanced about, as if expecting to see something. "Damn shame about the lack of edible rocks in here. You reckon Rauru will notice if I munch on a stone or two?"
"Probably," Link replied.
"Hah!" Darunia laughed. His mirth was short-lived as his tone grew more serious. "I admit, I thought Volvagia would remain a Sage, like his ancestor before him. What were you doing at the temple entrance, anyway?" Darunia was now grim-faced. "I left instructions for you not to follow me."
"I missed them," Link said. It was not entirely a lie. He did not want to tell Darunia about Onyx's opportunistic attempt to kill him.
"Well, you're still in one piece. Had me worried for a bit. Thanks for helping Volvagia," Darunia growled in dismay. "It's hard to believe he was still there."
"I would have saved him if I could have," said Link.
Darunia nodded, "I know, brother . We'll make Ganondorf pay. You, me, the other Sages, we will make him regret what he's done. Just promise me one thing- when we finally confront Ganondorf, step aside."
Link almost chuckled. "I will try to remember that."
"Make sure you do," Darunia growled softly. "Rauru will want me to send you back... Before I do, I want you to know that no matter what happens, the Gorons of Death Mountain will always be an ally. When you awaken the other Sages, I will make sure my people are fighting by your side. I sent emissaries to the other Goron clans deeper in the mountains. It may take them time to get here, but I'm certain they will join our fight."
That was the first Link had ever heard of more Goron clans. It made sense for there to be others scattered amongst the Goron Mountains.
"Who will take care of your people while you are gone?" Link asked.
"The Elders will take care of them. I will not be surprised if they elect Jemite or one of his brothers to lead," he furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "Ah, I'm sure they will be fine. Just don't leave me waiting here for too long." As if expecting to see something of significance amidst the white expanse, Darunia glanced about. Then he met Link's gaze and there was an immense pride shining within his eyes. "I want you to have the medallion of fire. It was what brought me here, but it is still in the Fire Temple. You might have to dig it out first. Sorry about that."
"Don't worry. I'll use it, I'm sure." Link said, not relishing the thought of digging out the medallion. At least there were the Gorons for that.
"Remember, we are true brothers now. Go, Link. Give Ganondorf hell for me," Darunia said with a final laugh. Then he was gone, and the light faded to darkness.
Link knew an uncomfortable moment of confusion as he awoke, coughing up a lungful of dust and ashes. He was face-first on the ground. He must have fainted, and someone was shaking him by the shoulder. Hard.
He rolled onto his back, gasping as all the pain from his rattled bones returned to him. The Goron standing over him looked worried.
"Are you all right, Dodongo Buster?" he asked.
Jemite?
Link blinked, trying to get the dust out of his eyes. Groaning, he got up, brushing away Jemite's offer of aid.
"How... I saw the pillar hit you!" Link asked, accepting the waterskin that Jemite retrieved from his bag.
"It knocked me out cold, but apart from a bruising, I was not badly injured," explained Jemite, rolling his shoulders. "The others found you unconscious. I got these for you." He held up a ruby red medallion and gestured towards the shield and bow beside him. "Something happened to Darunia. He wasn't in the rubble but that..." he pointed to the medallion. "That was all that we could find."
"I know," Link said.
"Huh?" Jemite grunted, sounding baffled. "How could you know?"
"The medallion sent him to the Sacred Realm, right after I destroyed the crystal in Volvagia's neck," " Link explained.
Jemite still looked utterly perplexed, narrowed eyes turning from Link to the rubble and back again.
"I do not understand," Jemite said.
Link shook his head. "I can explain later. He's okay, but he will not be back for some time."
After a short pause, Jemite nodded and sighed. "Alright. I trust you as a sworn brother, but you better explain once we're out of here. No doubt the others will want to know."
As the other Gorons gathered around, and at their insistence, Link and Jemite tried to explain what had become of Darunia. Jemite's brief explanation received a chorus of mutterings and confused exclamations that were punctuated with lots of chin and head-scratching. As one Goron handed Link his bow and shield, Jemite repeated his desire to talk about Darunia's disappearance later. Just as he did, a distant rumbling vibrated through the stone floor. The earth itself was trembling, and dust fell from the ceiling high above them. This wasn't another of the tiny tremors Link had noticed earlier, for this rose in intensity.
Oh no.
This was what happened in Dodongo's Cavern, right before the cave-in.
Death Mountain was erupting.
"We have to get out of here!" Jemite exclaimed.
"The temple was built to withstand eruptions, wasn't it?" Navi asked.
"Yes, but sections of it have been rebuilt twice over the centuries," said Jemite. "There's no guarantee it will stand, especially since we tried to blow it up."
"In other words, no," Navi affirmed dryly.
"We will never make it into the city in time," one of the other Gorons pointed out. "It's too far."
"We can use the portal!" Navi said. A thick cloud of dust was now descending on them as the trembling intensified.
The portal!
They could still make it there.
"Let's go. Navi, lead the way," Link said. Looking over his shoulder, he checked the Gorons were following. Seeing that they were, and Jemite had Darunia's hammer, Link grabbed the Master Sword and ran for the archway that would take them towards the dais.
The Gorons ran in a lumbering gait or rolled, making just as much noise as the eruption. Parts of the temple ceiling collapsed, hitting the ground with a thundering crash. The remaining columns trembled, but none of them collapsed.
Not wanting to be buried alive again, Link sprinted faster and faster. Behind him the Gorons were rolling along the ground, picking up speed as they bolted for the archway that led to the dais.
Down the corridor they ran, the shaking rattling him as Link struggled to stay on his feet. They entered the room with the three giant head statues and sprinted through the archway. As they reached the arch, a stone loosened by the rumbling broke away from the ceiling, striking Link's right shoulder hard. Pain shot down his arm, and he grimaced at the blow. Despite the warm damp feeling now spreading along his limb, he kept running, certain nothing was broken. He reached the bottom of the stairs and dashed towards the bridge. As they feared, the tunnel they'd used earlier was now blocked by fallen earth, leaving them to brave the shuddering bridge.
Praying it didn't collapse while they were on it, and seeing no cracks, Link ran across its length. As he reached the island, he could see crumbling bits of stone crashing down the side of its rocky slope to fall into the fiery chasm. Across the bridge, Link fumbled for his ocarina, found it and clambered up the steps onto the platform.
A chunk of rock smashed into the dais, barely meters in front of Link, cracking the stone. Link felt a moment of dismay. If this didn't work...
Don't think about that.
"Where are you taking us?" Jemite asked.
"The woods. It's the only place I know how to get to," Link yelled over the noise.
"Which woods?" Jemite asked. "There are many beyond this mountain."
"The Lost Woods," Navi told him sharply, in a voice that told him to be quiet.
More rocks were crashing down around them, and Link was peppered by smaller bits of debris. It was now or never.
All the remaining Gorons were on the dais, and Link played the Minuet of the Forest. The melody was lost beneath the growling roar coming from the depths of the mountain. The strange metallic smell was tingling his nose. It was strong and threatened to cut short his playing as he made an effort not to choke.
To Link's relief, a blue wall of fire erupted around the rim of the dais; the Gorons gave exclamations of shock, and Navi yelled for them to stay still.
Everything spun as bubbling plumes of magma shot upwards towards the ledge, nearly impacting the bridge. The chaotic swaying nearly knocked Link off his feet.
The world was spinning too fast. Everything went white, and the shaking ceased.
Next Chapter
Reviews
   Lord Darth Yoda chapter 30 . Nov 8, 2014Great battle with Volvagia. You do a great job with the boss fights. Reminded me of the OoT fight.
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Jenessa S chapter 31 . 
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