The parameters by which Cain searched led him to stop briefly among the party of Gorons that had recently come down from the mountains. He regarded them before entering the crowd, having stopped on the wall of a townhouse. Out of all those living in the World of Light, he liked Gorons the most. They were proud and powerful, yet also intensely compassionate. By generally staying in Death Mountain they bothered nobody with pretensions or ambitions, and when they did come down from their lofty, stony home, they treated those they met with respect and brotherly companionship. This was a people that would never usurp a throne, invade a realm, or betray their own. Some categorized the Gorons as stupid, but in Cain's vision, they were perhaps the wisest of all, and worth tolerating. If the World of Light were to end, their destruction would be a deep regret to him. He resumed his search, jumping between the shadows of the children of the earth and succinctly looking at each one for any anomaly.
As he was scrutinizing one individual, he heard a loud, hefty crunch behind him. Initially paying it no mind, Cain was very surprised to hear a deep, rumbling voice call from the same direction. “I have found you, shadow-walker!”
The Twili whirled, equally enraged that he had apparently been found and intrigued at who might have been able to do so. He was currently cast over the back of the stocky merchant he had examined before, and when he faced about his red irises flared. Before him, sitting upon a simple rug and with a half-eaten slab of granite in one hand, was a Goron with one eye.
This specimen was large and portly, even for his kind, and heavily tattooed. Cain instantly spotted the symbols of autumn, Din, Sheikah, and Zora, as well as plenty of Goron marks. Rather than the normal small, black marble eye of his race, his left eye was solid yellow, and streaks of the same color flowed out across his craggy cheek as if they were tears. Though difficult to make out without getting closer, there appeared to be markings on the eye: six shapes arranged in a circle, three of them triangles pointing inward and three of them circles, all arranged in an alternating pattern.. He wore several arm bands, each crafted of either copper, tin, or bronze, if Cain could guess. Next to his feet, resting on the carpet beside its own, was a large satchel embroidered from dark red fabric interspersed with gold in intricate, no doubt cultural designs. A hard-looking, sphere-shaped lump in the bag suggested the presence of a weapon, even in the genial atmosphere of the Festival of Time. Finally, a little smile played across the stone giant's wide, black lips.
“How did you see me?”
The smile grew larger. “This eye of mine is just a scar, nothing magical here. My gift is patience and observation. You must have escaped notice for so long. It is because people, no matter their breed, are always in a rush to get the most out of their lives. I live for a long time, and I've learned to slow down and notice the little things. Like a living shadow. Are you a spirit?”
Cain shrugged, a spark of amusement in his eye. “Maybe—a lost spirit, that is. Tell me this, brother. Do you here voices in the night?”
At that, the Goron shook his head, and seriousness replaced the glimmer of joy on his huge features. “I suspected you were looking for something or someone. It seems I, Potemno, am not who you seek.”
Much of the interest that had illuminated the Twili's eyes faded. It became obvious, even in his ephemeral form, that he wanted to move on. “Pity. Then I, Cain, must depart. If you happen to see a noble ranger, a fishy merchant, an old whitebeard, or a masked man, please don't hesitate to direct them to the graveyard.” He left the green-clothed child from the list, since there were so many running around and to attempt to single one out would be nigh-impossible. “You know where it is?”
The Goron called Potemno nodded. “Fair winds and smooth roads.”
“Let us hope.” With that, Cain vanished again. Potemno watched him go. Strange that someone could look so evil and yet act so civilized. Thinking about his dark visitor, the Goron absent-mindedly took another bite of granite.
