The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Novelization

Link carried on through the twisting mining tunnels, the passage stretching on long enough for disorientation to take hold. Then the passage opened into open space – a vast cavern of molten magma. Nice and easy. Link wiped the ash from his face and stepped onto the narrow bridge. He had barely reached the halfway point when the cavern roared to life. A violent tremor shook the stone, ripping stalactites from the ceiling. Link threw himself forward as one crashed down behind him, obliterating the path. The shock splintered the bridge beneath his feet, cracks racing outward as the structure began to collapse. Link sprinted forward reaching the far side just as the last of the bridge crumbled into the magma behind him. He bent over, bracing his hands on his knees as he fought for breath. If I never see another volcano again, it’ll be too soon. Before long, the path returned him to the central mining chamber, just as Gor Liggs had said. He now stood high above the mine’s entrance. A narrow catwalk stretched across the drop, leading to a small cargo elevator suspended above the crane’s control unit. A lone Bulblin guarded the lift. It leaned against a support beam, yawning as it idly picked at the barbs of its club. It did not see Link until it was too late. An arrow punched through its throat, and it staggered back with a strangled hiss. Its hands clawed weakly at the shaft as it collapsed. Link casually stepped over the body and onto the elevator. He pulled the lever and felt the lift shudder as its gears slowly turned. It descended to the crane’s control platform, and from there, he made his way back to the quarry at the heart of the mines. Link paused before the locked door, and a wave of nervous excitement washed over him. So much was at stake. Part of him was terrified, but another part – the one that longed for adventure – found it thrilling. A sentry on the cliff spotted Link in that moment. A war horn blared, alerting the others to his presence. He dove behind a crate just as a volley of arrows splintered the boardwalk around him. Dammit. I don’t have time for this! Link drew his bow and dropped one of the Bulblins with a shot between the eyes. An arrow grazed the top of his hat, forcing him to duck down. He cursed under his breath, nocked another arrow, then leaned out and fired again. This time, the shot struck a Bulblin in the chest, sending it tumbling into the water below. “We can’t stay here!” Midna shouted. I know. Link loosed another arrow, this one missing the mark. His skill and weaponry meant little against the Bulblins’ numbers. A drawn-out fight favoured them, especially with the mountain on the verge of eruption. “You’re wasting time! Move!” Midna snapped. Link slung his bow aside and raised his shield. He counted to three, then burst from cover. Arrows streaked toward him, splintering against the shield as he ran. When he reached the door, he pulled the key from his pocket and jammed it into the padlock. Midna covered him, swatting arrows from the air with her magic before they could strike. With a sharp clatter, the chains fell loose. Link shoved the door open with a heavy heave, and the two of them slipped inside. The moment they were clear, Midna sealed the door behind them. “There, that should keep them out,” she said as her form melted into the shadows. Offering a silent nod, Link turned to face the long, grand corridor behind him. Rows of massive, gilded columns rose to support a high-arching ceiling, while the marble walls bore ornate reliefs. They depicted great battles, the Goron tribe’s unification, and the swearing of fealty to the kingdom of Hyrule. The battle to seal Fyrus had scarred the hall, leaving it broken and half in ruin. Link’s footsteps echoed eerily as he moved down the corridor, which opened into a vast, dome-shaped chamber. It was the mine’s inner sanctum – the pride of the Goron faith. Once the most sacred place on Death Mountain, it was now a prison of last resort. A gargantuan figure loomed at the centre of the sanctum, its limbs bound by chains that stretched to the ceiling and floor. It was the Demon of the Flame – the infernal evil that had brought Death Mountain to the brink of ruin. Fyrus. Even when slumped over, the corrupted patriarch dwarfed everything around him. His skin – thick and impenetrable – was void-black, and jagged tusks protruded from his mouth. A stone headpiece rested upon his brow, adorned with familiar glyphs and a sinister, eyelike crystal. The evil that radiated from it was unmistakable. The Fused Shadow. Link faced the beast down and swallowed his rising panic. Stronger warriors had tried and failed to defeat Fyrus. How was he supposed to succeed where they had not? He drew a steady breath and pushed forward, even as his nerves threatened to unravel. Sensing Link’s approach, Fyrus’s burning red eyes opened, and his head rose with a slow, deliberate motion. The crystal on his forehead flared to life, glowing a fierce orange as he leaned forward and unleashed a seismic roar into Link’s face. His skin ignited, and the sanctum was filled with baleful light. Fyrus’s body heat quickly weakened the chains. When he yanked down, they gave way instantly. Now free, he moved with startling speed and backhanded Link across the chamber. He slammed into a column, pain exploding through his side and into his hip. Sensing weakness, Fyrus snarled and charged. A sharp jolt of terror from Midna surged through Link, snapping him into motion. He threw himself aside as red-hot chains lashed the pillar behind him. Ignoring the pain in his side, he forced himself up and retreated toward the back of the sanctum. Fyrus charged, tearing through the sanctum. A column exploded beneath his weight, sending chunks of the ceiling crashing down around him. He snatched a falling boulder from the air and hurled it. Link somersaulted aside, but he faltered as Death Mountain rumbled beneath him. Fyrus drove his foot down in a crushing blow, and Link darted away at the last instant. He scrambled backward across the fractured stone. What do I do? Link’s eyes snapped to the crystal blazing in Fyrus’s forehead. It had to be the source of his power, but there was no way to reach it with his sword. But my bow can… Fyrus closed in, leaving no time to think. Link dashed beneath his legs. Fire scorched his face, blistering his skin. He bit down hard, forcing himself to endure the pain. In the clear, Link whirled and drew his bow. The instant Fyrus turned, he fired. The shot landed. The crystal rang under the impact, thin fractures spreading like cracks in glass. The beast clawed at his head and rampaged through the sanctum, toppling columns as he thrashed. The ceiling shuddered, then began to collapse. Link nocked another arrow, but Fyrus’s chains lashed out and wrapped around his knees. Heat bit deep, searing his flesh. The links were too hot to tear free with his bare hands. Fyrus dragged him in violently, and agony exploded through Link. He screamed. The beast revelled in his suffering, as though it was feeding his arcane power. On the verge of blacking out, Link drew his blade and drove it deep into Fyrus’s foot, who recoiled in surprise and hurled Link across the sanctum. He hit the ground hard on his back, choking down bile as he forced himself upright. Before Fyrus could turn his way, he slipped behind one of the few remaining columns. Link steadied his breathing, and pain flared sharp as he tried to draw in a full breath. A cracked rib, he thought. I can’t take much more of this. Link peeked around the corner and Fyrus saw him immediately. The demon gathered fire in its hands, then hurled it forward in a blazing sphere. The blast tore the column apart, forcing Link to run despite the pain flaring in his ribs. Fyrus gave chase, but he stayed just beyond the monster’s reach. Sprinting through the debris, Link twisted and loosed another arrow, but he missed. Fyrus roared furiously, and the crystal on its head flared before erupting in a fiery blast. The shockwave hurled Link backward, sparing him from the wave of fire that tore through the sanctum. Fyrus was on him in an instant, reaching down to grab him. From his back, Link twisted and fired, striking the crystal dead-on. Fyrus staggered with a high-pitched squeal. The opening gave Link just enough time to scramble to his feet, but not enough to escape. Fyrus lashed out again, kicking him from behind and sending him hurtling headfirst into the wall. Link slumped to the floor, his vision swimming as consciousness slipped away. Midna sprang from his shadow and looked up. Fyrus was almost on them. Her breath caught, and she spun back to Link, grabbing his tattered tunic. “Wake up! Don’t you dare fall asleep!” When he did not respond, she slapped him hard across the face. “MOVE!” The blow snapped Link back to his senses. He blinked away the vertigo, pushed himself up to one knee, and nocked an arrow. Drawing the bow with the last of his strength, he held steady as Fyrus closed the distance. At the last moment, he fired, and the arrow struck the crystal dead-on. It shattered, showering him in a cascade of glittering, razor-edged fragments. Fyrus clawed at his shattered headpiece, rearing back with a shrill, inhuman scream. He staggered through the sanctum, stomping wildly as his strength began to fail. The flames consuming his body flickered, then died out completely. With a final, heavy crash, he fell before Link, the last of his power spent. Link fixed his gaze on the exposed Fused Shadow embedded in Fyrus’s headpiece. He drew his sword with one arm, the other pressed tight against his ribs, and limped toward the fallen beast. His expression hardened as he stood over him. No more. You’re done hurting people. Driving his sword into the headpiece, Link pried the Fused Shadow loose. The red glow in Fyrus’s eyes dimmed, then faded entirely. His massive form shrank, collapsing inward until only the body of a large Goron remained. Silence settled over the sanctum. Link watched Darbus’s chest rise and fall, each breath slow but steady. Relief flickered faintly through the haze of pain. Fyrus was gone. The Gorons had their patriarch back. Link wondered if Darbus would remember any of his ordeal.  Would he ever know what his people had endured? All at once, Link became lightheaded, and the pain he had been ignoring surged back – sharp and impossible to dismiss. Watching him from behind, Midna grew concerned as she fully realized the state of his health. Large portions of his tunic were torn away, revealing the chainmail underneath. His battered face was covered in ash, cuts, and burns. After all the punishment he just took, it was a miracle he was alive, let alone standing. “Hey, are you okay?” Midna asked worriedly. “Yeah…fine… I just need to–” Before Link could say anything else, his body gave out on him. He collapsed onto his knees. Midna tried to come to his aid, but it was too late. He was unconscious before his face even hit the ground…