The Legend of Zelda: Rise of a Fallen Hero

Chapter 45: Return of Daruk

Link and Ilia left the Great Plateau's treacherous dangers, and Link boarded Epona at the edge of Hyrule Field.

Ilia decided to use a Rusty Broadsword she had found to try to and clear away some of the region's monsters.

Link rode Epona to his next destination, the Eldin Province, where he hoped to find Daruk.

He crossed the Bridge of Eldin on Epona once again, although this time the bridge looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.

Soon, Link arrived at Kakariko City, and from the smoke above the city, he could tell that Ganondorf's tightened grip on Hyrule certainly hadn't made things any better for the city.

As soon as Link entered the gates leading to the main road, a dozen soldiers in golden armor dashed past him, attacking a group of rebellious hylians and gorons.

Link looked around and saw civilians that were being enslaved and executed, and he even witnessed a group of soldiers release a Moblin to eat a troublesome Zora.

The soldiers now had the new symbol of Ganondorf on their armor, a combination of the Gerudo logo and the ancient symbol of Demise.

All of the civilians here were either living rough lives under Ganon's rule, being enslaved, executed for treason, or fighting back in battles that resulted in at least half of the giant city being on fire.

Link was curious as to why Emperor Ganondorf hadn't done anything about the chaos going on here in Eldin.

"Sup" a muscular hylian man said from behind Link "Wanna help me gut some soldiers?"

"No thanks" Link replied "I have to be at Goron City"

"Alrighty then" said the man, and then Link looked up, horrified, as a fiery six-story building suddenly collapsed on itself, and the sky rained down chunks of burnt wood and flame on the city.

Epona and Link dashed away to survive, and headed out of the chaotic city for Goron City.

They were headed for Death Mountain, the volcano that had been emitting lava flows for many years.

At the end of Death Mountain Trail, Link tried to avoid looking at the creepy bodies and skeletons he occasionally saw on the side of the lava rivers.

A large Fire Moblin charged forward at Link, and the Hero of Hyrule obliterated it with the Master Sword, protecting himself from it's giant club by using the Hylian Shield.

Link looked up to see what had become of Goron City in his absence, and to his surprise, it looked the same as it had before.

Except there were barely any Gorons there.

"Where did everyone go?" Link asked the recognizable Yunobo, who was sobbing in a corner.

"You're back!" Yunobo exclaimed "You missed so much! After the battle of Lon Lon Ranch, Ganondorf separated us all and did something to the seven sages, and I've been trying to find Daruk ever since!"

"What about Patriarch Bludo and the other Gorons?" Link asked "I only see about two other Gorons in this whole place!"

"They are Gorko and Gortram" Yunobo explained "They, along with Biggoron and I, stayed behind to work on the mines. After Ganondorf came and executed elder Bludo, most of the other Gorons fled to the Eastern Union, that country southeast of Gerudo that was a union formed by Holodrum, Labrynna, Koholint Island, and Termina. Well, the Gorons thought they would be safe there, but then Ganon added the union to his empire anyways"

"That sucks" Link said "How are the mines going? I'm assuming that old rich guy from Kakariko does own most of the mines anymore?"

"Ulria joined Emperor Ganondorf's new senate" Yunobo explained "But after Ganondorf decided to collapse the Goron Mines a few weeks ago, Ulria got really angry, and was executed by Ganon  along with the rest of the imperial senators, and the senate was dissolved"

"Politics don't defeat evils" Link said"Magical swords from thousands of years ago do!"

"If you say so" Yunobo sighed "But I've given up"

"I'll find Daruk, and I'll free him" Link promised "I already went to the Great Plateau and freed Ilia, and then I found Rusl and the gang, who were dead, and I got the Master Sword, the favorite weapon of every hero ever!"

"Cool" Yunobo sighed "I'll just wait here then"

Link looked around Goron City, trying to think about where Ganondorf might be keeping Daruk.

Suddenly, a strange gem in the side of a rock caught Link's attention.

"I wonder what this is" Link said "Biggoron! If you can here me, I have some rocks for you to break!"

The giant, mountain-sized Goron stepped over to Goron City with a loud rumble, and looked down at Link

"Sure thing, small one!" Biggoron rumbled, and he used a finger to break apart the rock, revealing an unnatural red crystal that amazed Link

"Cool" Biggoron observed, and then he walked away

"Hang on" Yunobo was looking at the crystal "There.....I think there is someone trapped inside of that crystal!"

"Wait, what?" Link looked closer at the crystal "Oh hylia, you're right!"

"Din's name!" Yunobo shouted "We gotta get them outta there!"

Yunobo punched the crystal with his large and strong Goron fist, but all it did what send a shock to Yunobo

"Ouch!"

"Let me try" Link said, and he put the blade of the holy Master Sword so it was touching the crystal. With that, the crystal began to break apart, and the body of Daruk fell out of the crystal

"DARUK!" Yunobo yelled "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"Good to see ya goro!" Daruk cheered, and he turned to Link "You too, little guy! I knew you'd come back to save us all"

"It's my fault that Ganondorf didn't die during the battle of Lon Lon Ranch" Link admitted "Because of that, I must do whatever it takes to do what I failed to do that day, and in order to do that, I need all the help I can get from you guys"

"Thanks for saving me little guy" Daruk pat Link on the back, causing the hylian hero to fall forward a few steps 

"Don't do that!" Link yelped

"Haha" Daruk smiled "That's what the old Link always said"

"It's true" the Hero's Spirit whispered to Link "A pat on the back from a Goron can send you forward a few feet"

"Well, we better get going" Link said to Daruk

"Uh guys?" Yunobo pointed behind Link, where a could of malice was forming

"That looks like Ganon's malice, like the stuff that infects the Guardians!" Daruk said 

The cloud of malice formed into a being that was made of sheikah technology and purple malice.

It had a single glowing eye that glared at Link, Yunobo, and Daruk, and it had a glowing sword on one arm that was very menacing and intimidating.

It was a Blight Ganon, one of four monstrous creations of Emperor Ganondorf, using his malice powers.

It was Fireblight Ganon, and it was ready to battle.