The fire temple - Photo op [Tsubori / Razgriz]

Masaro was surprised by the fault in his boulder stopper just as much as the fact that Tanic had stopped the boulder with his mask. He heard Tanic berate him, and nodded. “My bad.” Walking by the now destroyed boulder, Masaro found himself at the ladder he’d set up to get on the blocks. He climbed up the steps, finding himself at the large hole down to where the Goron they’d seen was. There was a large, thick rope ladder hanging down to the bottom, and the photographer knew it would be able to hold the two of them.

Climbing down the thing, Masaro found himself at the bottom where a large flaming pot awaited them. “Okay, this part will be interesting. She said it should work fine…” He mumbled. When Tanic reached the bottom, Masaro pulled out his camera. “Okay, get ready, there’s about to be a-” His words were cut off by the flaming creature emerging from the massive pot. It had limbs entirely made of fire, and a dark brown core with a rather angry face. “Alright, go ahead, I’ll take pictures from here.” He said, the ever present friendly smile still beaming bright.

Tanic, further annoyed by Masaro's lack of a serious or strong response, rambled to himself as he ascended and descended, "Boy can't even move through here, what place is this for a man such as myself? Still, he has gone above what the lad was supposed to. Failing at the basics and performing bashingly good at the extras, must be why he's in advertising." Finally reaching the bottom, Tanic saw the being materialize out of the pot.

As he sighed and lowered his head, he thought 'Doesn't it know it can't hurt me?'. Still, it presented an interesting opportunity, one he couldn't turn down. He ran toward it as it danced toward him, he jumped, reached out his arm to rip the core from the rest of the thing, and slam the brown monster into the ground, crushing it with his palms repeatedly and finished with a single Goron punch to the beaten and unconscious minion laying in front of him. Panting, Tanic stood for a second over the shattered remains of the creature, that was all it took for him to realize the sleeve of his shirt had been burnt off to just past the shoulder.

Turning to the photographer, Tanic had the rage in his eyes that Masaro imagined had faced the now dead dancer.

Masaro spent the fight mostly up on the ladder they’d used, but came down a few times to get varied angles on the fight. After it was all done, Masaro saw the Goron’s shirt and smiled. “Hey, that looks pretty badass!” He said ecstatically, taking a picture of Tanik. “And that scowl! Man, that makes you look like you’re saying ‘I’m an awesome action guy and I’ll risk life, limb, and shirt to help my brothas. That’s how you say it in Goron, right?” A smile only fitting on a moron swept Masaro’s face. “The last Goron to save is just through that door. Then it’s time for the biggest surprise of all!”

Tanic's rage subsided somewhat, not because he thought it was necessary or he agreed; indeed he hated these improvisations and "surprises". No, because he realized that he now had record and a witness (although perhaps witless would be more appropriate) of defeating a major enemy of the Gorons. Still, he made distaste known.

"This... This was my best shirt... THIS WAS MY BEST SHIRT!" he yelled, not knowing what else to say, but indeed that was his best shirt. Frilled and a deep purple color gave a rich presentation and a classy undertone. But now had the added benefit of saying 'I got torched and am lucky to be alive!'

With passion still in his eyes, he rammed through the door and descended the ladder. The long, long ladder, full of rungs and handholds, and more ladder. Hell, he might as well drop, let gravity do the work. But he climbed down the thing as his frustration built up. At the bottom, he freed the Goron without a word, not wishing to snap at him.

Masaro followed the goron, once again snapping pictures of him as he freed the last goron with the most important key. He took the large key from the chest, nodding to Tanic. With that, they were back near the room with the large bridge that led to the main hall. He was giddy about this next part, as it was the grand finale, the crescendo of the quest. He'd called in a favor from an old friend and she'd helped him greatly.

"Alright, now this key unlocks the last room we have to do here." He said while jumping across platforms to the locked door. "I had a friend come in for me, and she made sure we had a good note to end on. For contractual reasons I've said I wouldn't tell you her name, but I assure you, she does good work." Unlocking the door, Masaro motioned inside, to a room with nine open lava pits. He sent a smile back towards Tanic before pointing to the middle. "Sir Tanic, meet the subterranean lava dragon; Volvagia." As if on cue, a massive snake-like dragon emerged from the middle, spiralling around the room before going back into the lava pit. "Well, big guy, have at." The photographer said, getting his camera ready.

Tanic tried to give Masaro a 'Really... REALLY?!' look, but it was actually a 'You expect me to kill THIS!' look, given the circumstances. He momentarily thought about retreating: the pictures thus far would do nicely, and he no intention of dying heroically to a legendary, Goron-eating dragon; however much his reputation would improve from it.

Then he realized the Goron-eating dragon might be hungry after all that time sleeping, or rather, being dead. It wasn't simply going to let him run, it was going to eat him and then tear it's way out and do the same to the rest of the Gorons.

Unless it was stopped here and now.

Lowering his bomb mask over his face slowly, he knew that he probably wouldn't live to have another adventure, give another loan, or see his dim-witted photographer again. Come to think of it this seemed to be the reasonable extreme of what Masaro does: Immensely dangerous, never asked for, and not very gentlemanly; but none the less effective. Tanic would be a hero to the Gorons if he killed it, and had proof; something he could not afford to pass up. He raised his fists and waited for the beast to make it's move.

Masaro snapped a picture of Volvagia as it popped it's head out, and he saw Tanic making a purely defensive stance. Meanwhile behind him, a red-haired woman came out of hiding. "Wow T'sara, awesome work! You weren't kidding when you said it would be brought back perfectly!" Masaro sid to her. The woman then shook her head and walked away.

"Masaro, I said not to call me that anymore. If you don't need me further, I'll take my leave." She then climbed up the rocky walls and escaped the room.

"But it's such a pretty name!" He said, goofy smile in full. He then refocussed his attention to Tanic and Volvagia, whom had taken to the air, breathing fire towards the Goron below.

Tanic forced his arms together in an attempt to block the incoming blast. The heat singed even his stone skin, and burnt away most of what remained of his clothing; but left him very much able to fight. Holding his ground until the flames passed, Tanic lunged forward and punched the swerving dragon, alas only managing to skim it's jaw with the punch and detonate the bomb mask, which seemed to hurt the Goron more than his enemy.

This couldn't go on, he was exhausted, burnt, and partially blown up. Volvagia had barely a scratch, and was much tougher anyway. But Tanic was smarter, he had been duped by his colleagues before, he wouldn't be duped by this bug that just crawled out of a hole too. Taking a defensive stance again, he prepared to block another burst by the thing.

Masaro watched Tanic, constantly snapping pictures, until he realized that many pictures were coming out too dark. Thus, the photographer set the flash on his pictograph box on high, trying to get another shot of the great dragon.

When he took the picture, Volvagia had been charging up another fire blast, but now completely blinded, the attack went far wide of the Goron, and in a panic, it now went through the room, dazed and confused. “Wow, I don't believe it!” Masaro said. “...That picture turned out great!” He yelled while waving the picture above his head.

As the light raced through the room, the Goron was sure his end had come. He had misjudged Volvagia, who seemed to be releasing a immensely powerful blast at the almost complacent meal in front of it.

Except it didn't, it veered off, missing entirely. Jumping to strike the being once more, Tanic hit the beast, and while not a solid blow, it definitely connected. This time the damage done was significant, and the dragon howled and doubled back. Tanic stood a chance now that he had openings, but knew even those wouldn't last long.

While Masaro kept focusing on getting pictures of the dragon, it eventually retreated back down into the lava. Now it only came up partially, it’s hands able to swipe at Masaro. The mage jumped, leaping over the swinging arms. He then cast ice on Volvagia’s chest and whacked it across the face with Jimmy, his pet rock. “Hey! I’m just the photographer! He’s the one you’re fighting!”

After that, the dragon got the message and dove down again, preparing to spring up from the lava and attack the goron.

Tanic searched the floor quickly for any sign of the beast's emergence, but each of the holes looked calm, without disturbance. Suddenly a violent thrust from behind him carried Tanic in the maw of the dragon, it's teeth clenching around him and digging into his side. This was much worse than fire. Dragged into the air, the Goron was thrown upward as Volvagia turned to have another go at him. To those on the ground, he would've looked helpless, dead even, as he floated there spinning, falling but not otherwise moving.

As the fiend approached for what seemed like the final blow, Tanic's right fist burst into flames, bashing the monster with the back of his fist and causing a massive explosion as his other hand reached out and grabbed a horn. Volvagia shook violently, trying to dislodge the Goron who was punching violently at it's vulnerable head. Finally, Tanic and Volvagia crashed to the ground together, the dragon dead and the Goron little better.

Unable to move, barely conscious and blurry visioned, Tanic lay there. The exhaustion alone would've brought him to his knees, but being burned, crushed, and blown up repeatedly as well as stabbed by teeth had done far more. He whispered "Just let me... rest... awhile" in a raspy voice to his undoubtedly excited photographer, just before passing out.

Masaro was chattering for a while before realizing that his client had passed out. He snapped a few more pictures, especially of Volvagia's body burning into a mere skeletal frame. The photographer figured Tanic would want something to remember this day by, so he took the skull of the giant dragon.

Masaro dragged Tanic out of the temple, laying a note on his chest saying "I'll contact you back in town - M" and leaving the skull by his side. He also took this opportunity to take his pay from the Goron. With a bounce in his step, the Hylian photographer began the long trek home. It was a fun day, and a very profitable day for both. He'd had some help from T'sara and Jimmy, but Masaro felt good about everything he'd done. He knew that when he got home, he could easily sell the photos to the news companies, getting fame as a photographer for himself and fame as a badass for Tanic.

"So Jimmy, what are we doing tomorrow?" He asked the rock.

"Maybe we take it easy?"

"Ha. As if."

Tanic awoke outside the temple, his injuries untreated and head throbbing; most of clothes had been burnt to ash and his equipment ruined. Bleeding, woozy, and naked, but alive. Hell, the shoot had even been a success and given him a trophy; a trophy of Volvagia no less. Slowly regaining his feet, Tanic almost hit the ground again, but managed to steady himself. Suddenly, a glint from Volvagia's mouth caught his eye, and reaching in revealed it's source, a purple rupee stuck between it's teeth. 'The bloody thing was eating it's treasure! No wonder there was nothing inside!' The Goron thought to himself. While the thing's stupidity, or rather taste, annoyed Tanic to no end, at least he had 50 more... suddenly and frantically patting himself down, he found his money pouch missing. The bugger took his due from the Goron when he was was out cold. At least he had 25 more rupees than what he came in with, and with that thought, he tucked the his new found loot away safely. Carrying his trophy on his back he looked out over the mountain, and to a scenic view below.

Death mountain could be seen from this height and he wondered if he should go give Ganon the ol' one two. Looking down at his injuries, at his heavy trophy and state of dress, such thoughts left his mind. "Tomorrow, after breakfast and brunch." he said aloud, to no one in particular before beginning to descend the mountain; maybe an adventurer's life wasn't so bad after all.

1) Thank you for putting your treasures in the beginning. When I said that a description of where the treasures came from was helpful, I meant more meta-game than in-game, but this is good too :)

2) Thank you for editing your posts; there are still things that need smoothing over, but it's nothing to fuss about. Just remember to keep proof-reading, and you'll be fine.

3) I've already spoken to you bothy about keeping your dungeons challenging, so I don't need to reiterate that here. This was challenging enough for Tanic to pass, so it passes, but keep it in mind. Dungeons=devilishly tricky temples of badness, not mildly-challenging pre-set up complexes. If what you have in mind doesn't quite fit, think of putting it in a normal RP.

I think that's it! Congrats, you finished the Fire Temple. Have fun!

This RP has been completed and accepted, and will now be moved to the Archives.