Link hated this place. Despised it. Detested it.

He couldn't explain why he did, exactly, but the feeling was strong. The place was familiar, but not in the way the rest of Hyrule was - that was a half-forgotten memory of having walked the same fields a hundred years ago. This feeling was different. He stood on cold, wet stone, surrounded by water. There were traps. He wasn't sure how he knew the traps were waiting, but the knowledge clawed at him. Something deep, ancient, wanted to scream at being in this place.

"Link...Link!" Sidon hissed.

The champion snapped out of his trance, turning his head to the zora in question.

"Now isn't the time to daydream, my friend!" Sidon whispered. "Do you see that pillar?"

Link looked at the center of the room again. A tall, stone pillar stood in the center of the water. There was a platform wrapping around it, offering a space for lizalfos patrols to walk. A steel door - new, and clearly brought in from elsewhere - sat in the very center of the pillar wall. Above the door was a faded target.

"I saw lizalfos entering and exiting that door," Sidon explained, keeping his voice low. "At least five. We'll have to be careful."

The pair pressed themselves into the shadows as a guard exited the pillar. A simple green lizalfos - It looked briefly from side-to-side, before walking along the platform. A yap from across the room greeted it when it reached the northern end of the hall.

'More lizalfos where we can't see,' Link frowned. There was another door, to the east, but embedded in the doorframe was a large set of chains. A heavy lock bound them together, sealing it shut. To the west, Link could see a corridor, but what lay beyond it was a mystery.

"There are likely more rooms underwater," Sidon observed, pulling himself out of the water to crouch behind Link. "Although I'm not sure we'll reach them easily."

"You can," Link nudged the prince. "Just swim."

"And leave you to the lizalfos?"

"Distraction," the champion smirked.

The prince eyed his companion warily. "...You have a plan?"

"Sure," Link stood, pulling his bow from his back. "Shock 'em."

"...Don't you mean 'surprise?'" Sidon muttered, still hidden while the hylian moved forward a few paces. "Wait - Link, come back!"

Link stood at the edge of the water, bow ready and a hand at his quiver. He waited. The lizalfos guard ambled around the corner, close to completing his circle around the central pillar.

"What are you doing?!" Sidon hissed. The champion shot him a cocky, almost playful smile, before drawing an arrow and firing it at the guard.

The guard shrieked, convulsing with jolts of electricity.

As Link jumped into the water to make his way to the platform, Sidon bit back a groan. 'He didn't mean 'surprise.' He literally meant to shock them with shock arrows.' The zora shuffled closer to the water, just as Link was clambering out of it. He watched as the hylian pulled out his claymore, rearing back and smashing the guard with the blade. The lizalfos flew back several feet, crashing into the far wall. It recovered with an angry growl, to which Link responded with a casual wave. The little champion ran to the other end of the hall, to the north, drawing more angry growling and snarls as he began to shoot whatever he saw.

"Well, that's a...tactic," Sidon muttered, a smirk on his own lips. More lizalfos erupted from the water, heading to the northern side, beyond the pillar. He waited a moment longer, allowing Link to draw their attention away. Then, he dived.

The water was mild, though a bit cooler than the lake outside. Sidon breathed deeply, smelling for any scent he could find that was not lizalfos. Surprisingly, the water was fresh - there had to be other ways for the water to move, rather than sitting around and growing algae.

The temple was indeed huge, seeing it from under the water. Navigating it without some idea of where his unit was located was going to be a hassle.

'No, wait,' Sidon maneuvered himself lower in the water. There. The scent of fellow zora. They were close. In the water. 'Why are they being held underwater?' The prince dropped lower to follow the scent. Lizalfos could only remained submerged for so long. Zora had the advantage in the water. He expected they would be held outside it.

The middle pillar was cracked, further down, and Sidon swam closer to investigate. There was a large opening here. Poking his head inside, the prince saw no sign of zora or lizalfos - only dragon statues, and nasty-looking spikes. A distorted yapping from above the waterline caught his attention - A pair of lizalfos were looking around, probably trying to discern what was happening outside. One moved to the doorway, and exited the room.

It flew back in moments later, thrown into its companion.

Sidon grinned, spotting the flash of Link's claymore peeking inside the door. The hylian had this area handled. He swam back into the main area to continue his search.

The scent grew stronger as he continued to descend. Spear at the ready, he swam to the west. There was a corridor at the very bottom, where the smell of zora was the strongest. He made his way through the winding passage with care.

Sidon entered the chamber, finding a tall torch in the center of the room, as well as two other torches on either side of the far wall. An airtight chest sat to his left. Beyond the torches was a door. It was broken - the stone used to build it in a pile of rubble on the floor. Bars blocked the entryway in the door's stead.

Behind those bars, was Bazz.

"Prince Sidon!" the other zora called, his face lighting up with a relieved smile. Then, he grew concerned. "Sire, what are you doing here?!"

"What? The prince?!" Gaddison's pale face appeared from behind Bazz, her eyes wide. Catching sight of Sidon, she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"

"Here to rescue you lot, of course!" Sidon huffed. "Are the others with you?"

"Yes!" called a third zora. "Tottika reporting for duty - Ailbhe and Junayd are here as well." Tottika clambered on top of Bazz. The shouts of the remaining two could be heard from behind him.

"I want to see Prince Sidon!"

"Sire, it's dangerous here!"

"You shouldn't be mounting a rescue mission by yourself, my prince," Bazz chastised.

Sidon regarded the soldier with a withering look. "I'm not alone - Link is distracting the lizalfos in the main room." He crossed his arms, frowning at the group. "I'm more than capable of rescuing my fellows."

"Oh, Link's here too?" Gaddison perked up. "That's fine, then."

"Is that the thanks I get?" Sidon asked. "'Oh, it's fine if Link is here?' How did all of you get captured in the first place? Link didn't even see you in the lake!"

Bazz bowed his head, ashamed. "...It was General Isolda, sire."

"Yes," Sidon grunted. "I saw her."

"Prince-"

"No, nevermind," Sidon waved the matter aside. "It doesn't matter how you got here. We'll discuss that after we get you all out." He swam closer, wrapping a hand around one of the bars. He tugged. They didn't budge in the slightest. "...These are quite sturdy. Sturdier than most lizalfos construction."

"Old Sheikah technology, we believe," Gaddison observed. "Or ancient magic."

"The lizalfos open them by lighting the torches," Bazz offered, gesturing to the center of the room.

Sidon's eyes narrowed. That was curious construction. "They light the torches underwater?"

"They lower the water level first," Bazz explained. He pointed upward. "There's a mechanism on the top floor, I think. They always swim up before the water comes down."

"I see," Sidon looked up, seeing nothing but more water and more ledges. 'More corridors?' he corrected himself. 'How big is this temple?' With a determined nod to Bazz, he pushed off from the floor. "I'll be back!"

"Be careful, sire!"

'Of course I'll be careful,' Sidon inwardly grumbled. 'I'm not a child.'

He knew they meant well. Just worrying for their prince. Still, it seemed that being one of the best archers and having fought with Link against Vah Ruta didn't dull the coddling. He could handle this, and yet still… He knew his people held him in high esteem - they said as much. Praised his abilities as a warrior. Constantly. There was a fanclub, for Hylia's sake.

But sometimes…Sometimes he wondered what they truly felt about him. About their prince. About how he managed. About how he would rule.

About Sidon, heir apparent.

Sidon stopped his ascent, coming just shy of the top ledge. With a deep breath, he shut his eyes. 'That kind of thinking isn't helpful at the moment,' he reminded himself. 'You may fret about such things later.' He took another breath. Eased his tensed shoulders back down. Breathe. Relax. This wasn't the time to let those kinds of thoughts in.

'Now, it is time to focus.'

The prince opened his eyes, and propelled himself upward. Not enough to fully breach the water - just enough to see what was on this ledge.

It was a room, not a corridor. There was yet another door on the far wall, unbarred. Unlocked, in all likelihood. A solitary green lizalfos stood close by, next to a set of drums. On the wall above it was the Hylian Royal Crest.

'Perhaps this place is of Sheikah design after all,' Sidon mused, watching the lizalfos closely. It held a small mallet in its claws, and was beating the air - just short of actually hitting the drums. Sidon studied them. There were four, arranged like the cardinal directions of a compass, though the lizalfos was only miming a pattern of three: east, north, west. East, north, west. It mimed over and over, like it was trying to memorize the action.

Sidon reached for his net. It was only one foe. This lizalfos might know something. At any rate, it knew what to do with the drums. Could prove useful. He began to swing the net, gathering momentum. At that moment, the lizalfos' head perked up. It turned, likely having felt Sidon's eyes on it.

Too late, though.

The net flew from Sidon's hand, wrapping completely around the lizalfos, who flailed, tripped, and fell to the ground with an angry yelp. Sidon hopped out of the water, a triumphant grin on his face.

The lizalfos snarled upon seeing him - no words, just an angry animal-like growl.

Sidon moved past it, to the door on the far wall, with spear in hand. He opened the door, expecting more enemies inside, or at least some monsters.

Nothing.

The far room was empty, save for supply crates. Sidon leaned forward to examine the doorframe - at the top was a set of small, circular holes - spaces for bars, just like its counterpart below.

'Opening the door doesn't activate them,' Sidon observed. 'Perhaps they activate when something enters the room? ...Wait.' The prince turned his head to look at the lizalfos he had netted. 'That gives me an idea.'

The lizalfos raged, writhing in the net, but only managing to get itself even more stuck. Sidon faced to his captive with a smile. He casually walked over, picking up the squirming foe, and brought it over to the door.

"Apologies, but I'd like to test a theory, if you don't mind." He grabbed either side of his net, thrusting the bundle toward the empty room. The lizalfos tumbled out of the net, rolling into the room with an annoyed yap. Sidon flapped his net in the air as though he were airing out a dusty rug, and then slung it over his shoulder. Shut the door.

He waited.

Sure enough, he could hear bars dropping out of the door frame, sliding into the floor. Sidon opened the door again, and the bars stayed where they were.

"Interesting," the prince mumbled as he tapped the metal. The lizalfos was trapped in the room, and from what Sidon could see, had no way out. It hissed at the zora.

A satisfied smile on his face, Sidon folded his net back up, clipping it it onto his belt. He moved back to the drums. The royal crest was a bright gold, shining in the dim, dilapidated temple. Sidon's head tilted as he studied it.

'Only the triangles…?' He was used to the full crest - a bird's body, with wings stretched beneath the holy triangles. This was missing the bird. He couldn't recall ever seeing the mark depicted so minimally before. '...This place must be quite old.'

Regardless, he knew the pattern for the drum. At least, in theory. He tapped them in order - east, north, west. They reverberated pleasantly. He eyed the water level.

...Nothing.

Frowning, Sidon brought a finger to his chin. "I'm sure that was the correct pattern…" He raised his hand to cup his mouth, calling to the lizalfos he imprisoned. "That was the pattern to lower the water lever you were miming, wasn't it? Is there some other trick to it?"

The lizalfos was quiet.

Sidon hummed. "Perhaps he doesn't understand Hylian." His Lizal wasn't quite as polished as he would like, but it was worth a shot. He cleared his throat, growling lightly to test it. Moving closer to the trapped lizalfos, he waved to get its attention.

"My friend!" he yapped. "How to move the water?"

The lizalfos growled back. Not words, as far as Sidon recognized. Still just regular growling.

The zora grinned amicably. "Please?"

The lizalfos shuffled in its spot, turning to face the back wall. It sat with an annoyed grunt.

No answer, then. "Well," Sidon sighed, "I suppose that's fair." He did toss the poor guy into the next room. After ambushing it. And now it was stuck - barred in their supply closet.

In retrospect, Sidon wasn't sure why he thought asking the lizalfos would work.

He was sure he had the pattern right, though - why didn't the water level change? Did he need to hit the drums with the mallet, as opposed to his hand? The mallet was in the other room with his irritated captive.

He could break through the door frame. Steal the mallet. Honestly, he could simply kill the lizalfos - they were sworn enemies, after all. That idea didn't sit well with him, though. He'd fought lizalfos before. Killed them before.

That was on the battlefield.

Yes, this was their base. Yes, they had captured his companions. But this lizalfos, grumpy and unhelpful as it was, had only been here for its duty. It wasn't actively hurting anyone. Just doing its job. Maintaining the water level.

'What a dull job it must be,' Sidon mused, crossing his arms over his chest. He watched the lizalfos' unmoving form beyond the bars, a bit forlorn.

The lizalfos turned its head, sticking its multi-color tongue out in Sidon's direction.

'Ah,' Sidon caught himself. '...Sympathizing with the enemy.' His gaze returned to the drums, and he let out an amused huff. '...No wonder my soldiers worry over me.'

This was ridiculous. Link was good at puzzles, wasn't he? Maybe he should have been the one to explore.

Maybe he needed to hit the drums harder? He did so, beating the drums with his full hand rather than tapping with his fingers. East. North. West.

There was a loud thud as a mechanism clicked, and then sound of water draining. Sidon walked back over to the water, seeing the level drop rapidly. He placed his hands on his hips, admiring his handiwork. The water was fully drained within seconds, leaving only damp stone.

And a steep drop.

'It's not nearly as bad as Shatterback Point,' Sidon thought, leaning over the edge to gauge the distance. He had plenty of practice with long falls, though he was usually landing in water in those cases. He'd leapt off the Lanaryu Tower when he met Link. This drop was likely a similar distance. Bracing himself, he waved a quick goodbye to the imprisoned lizalfos, who actively ignored him. Sidon hopped off the ledge with a quick flip.

The landing was hard, but he managed to handle it with little more than a pained flinch. He straightened up, grinning in the direction of his fellow zora.

"You did it, sire!" Bazz praised.

"Now all that's left is to light-" Sidon paused, staring at the center torch.

It was already lit.

"That's normal," Gaddison commented. "It lights automatically. Not sure how, though."

"Curious," Sidon gestured to the torch. "This temple is full of odd mechanics." He glanced around the room - the other two torches were still unlit, and he didn't see another way to light them.

"There are extra torches to light the others, inside that chest," Bazz pointed behind Sidon, to the chest sitting against the wall. The prince opened it without difficulty, finding plenty of torches, and even flint.

"That's certainly... Sidon's head tilted slightly, regarding the items with suspicion. "...convenient." He lifted one of the small torches out of the chest.

"I think they find it too much of a bother to store them elsewhere," Tottika chuckled from behind Bazz's shoulder. "Isolda came through and yelled at guards all over the temple earlier. I don't know what she said, but it seemed like she wanted them to move that chest."

"Then we shall thank the lizalfos for procrastinating!" Sidon cheered. He lit the other two torches, and the bars penning in the zora shot back up into their door frame. His unit clambered out excitedly, managing a hasty bow to Sidon before standing at attention. The prince nodded to them. "They took your weapons, I would assume."

"Yes, sire," Ailbhe confirmed, readjusting her armor over her white scales.

"Should we look for them?" Junayd asked, popping up from behind Ailbhe. "I'm not even sure where to start…"

"You could probably camouflage like the lizalfos," Tottika smirked, poking Junayd's shoulder. "Your scales match the walls."

"Unless we happen upon your weapons by chance, it would be better to prioritize leaving," Sidon waved a clawed hand at the winding passage. "I don't want to get caught in here when Isolda returns. Although," he frowned, "Now that the water is drained, reaching the exit may prove difficult."

"I'm sure the lizalfos have noticed that Link isn't the only intruder," Bazz observed. "They'll want to investigate-"

Another thud reverberated through the temple, and suddenly Sidon's feet were engulfed in water. The level rose rapidly, and the zora were soon completely submerged.

"What was that you were saying, Bazz?" Ailbhe laughed, but her voice quivered with nerves. "The lizalfos have surely noticed?"

"They reset the water level…" Junayd muttered.

"Let's go," Sidon pressed. "Link should still be in the main room. We'll regroup and leave."

"And if they give chase, sire?" Bazz inquired, his expression dark.

Sidon pumped his fist, grinning broadly at his unit. "Why Bazz, I'm surprised at you! As if they could catch us in the water!" Each of the zora smiled a bit, relaxing ever so slightly. Sidon pushed off against the floor, swimming back through the passage to the main room. His unit followed suit, falling in behind him.

Once out by the pillar again, they discovered the lizalfos had reset the water to the highest level again. Sidon smiled. That made life much easier. Now he only had to find Link.

Looking upward, he could see multiple bodies of lizalfos. Bodies that would soon vanish in a puff of smoke, thanks to Ganon's magic. The water was full of blood, and the smell of it was almost overwhelming as they moved upward. He never liked the scent of lizalfos blood, but there was something else mixed with it. Faint. It was a familiar scent - one that reminded him of Vah Ruta, for some reason. Fighting the Divine Beast with Link. Sidon halted his ascent, eyes widening in recognition.

It was Link's blood.

Bazz swam up to the prince, a worried frown on his face. "Sire-?" He didn't get a chance to finish. Sidon was already off - swimming full-speed to the surface.

'Link's hurt.' Sidon swam harder. He could hear the shouts of his unit behind him, but he didn't care. Not right now. Link was stuck in the middle of the fray - he was hurt.

Or worse.

Sidon breached the water with his spear in hand, surprising a number of lizalfos along the northern wall. The momentum he gained from swimming launched him into the air, well above the enemy.

The spear was thrown, and impaled one of the green lizalfos in the leg. It, and its companions, shrieked with surprise, scrambling to direct their own gear at their newest foe. The green fell to the ground, unable to remove the spear. Sidon landed on the platform, near another of those odd dragon statues with a target mark under its mouth. He growled, yanking his net from his belt.

The lizalfos nearest him charged with its spear, only to have its weapon caught in Sidon's net and pulled out of its hands. Sidon leapt at the creature, grabbing it by the arm and flinging it at the dragon statue. It smashed against the stone, leaving large cracks before falling heavily to the floor.

Another pair of lizalfos jumped on Sidon from behind, and he fell to the floor, their claws scratching at his scales. Sidon rolled, dislodging the green one and knocking the wind out of the other, a blue. He pushed himself quickly to his feet, drawing his rapier. A quick thrust, just as the blue lizalfos managed to find its legs - it snarled in pain as the blade pierced through its shoulder. Its companion hissed.

'Where is Link?!' Sidon thought desperately, parrying a spear directed at his stomach. It glanced off his breastplate with a sharp screech. There was no sign of the hylian, other than the scattered lizalfos horns and claws left behind from his skirmish. Sidon flung his net again, distracting the green lizalfos long enough for him to stab it. The blue yapped at him, and charged forward, reaching up to scratch at his eyes. Sidon punched it in the side of the head before it could, and it fell to the ground.

Then there were zora - Ailbhe and Gaddison burst from the water, swiping weapons from the fallen lizalfos and finishing them off. The green that Sidon had stabbed in the shoulder was only up for a moment before getting stabbed again. This time, it was impaled on its own spear. Gaddison kicked the creature off the edge of the blade. She nodded to Sidon.

The prince returned the nod, and then looked around - there weren't many lizalfos left, so where was his friend? Where had Link gone?

An angry gurgle alerted him to another blue lizalfos across the water, standing on the platform of the main pillar. It crowed a rallying cry, shaking a heavy claymore.

Link's claymore.

Sidon felt his insides go cold. This one had fought Link. Had taken Link's sword. Had probably hurt Link to get that sword.

This one would die.

Sidon hunched low, a snarl on his lips. The blue lizalfos leapt over the water, claymore high above its head. Sidon charged forward, tackling it. The pair crashed onto the ground, and the lizalfos squirmed in Sidon's grasp. One of its flailing claws caught the prince's cheek, and Sidon hissed. Unable to get a decent angle with his rapier, Sidon bared his sharp teeth with an enraged growl.

He clamped down on the creature's neck, piercing and crushing its windpipe.

The lizalfos struggled a moment, but then went limp, and Sidon relaxed his jaw. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he moved the dead lizalfos out from underneath him. Grip still tight on the hilt of his sword, Sidon's eyes flicked up, searching for more enemies.

Link was staring at him from across the water.

"Link!" Sidon exclaimed, overcome with relief. "You're alright! I smelled your blood in the water and I thought the worst…" he trailed off, noticing the champion's lack of a reaction. The hylian was standing, mostly uninjured aside from a large, bleeding gash on his arm. He was wet, and the water dripped off him steadily, but he didn't seem to notice. Link was entirely motionless, holding eye contact with Sidon. His eyes were wide. Surprised.

"...Link?"

The champion pointed at his eyes. Still wide. Still locked on Sidon's.

'Eyes? My eyes…? ...Oh.' Sidon knew what Link must be staring at now. His pupils, normally slits among his gold irises, would dilate at the smell of blood. The smell that had overwhelmed him in the water. The taste on his tongue. Sidon didn't want to check his reflection in the water - he already knew what he'd find.

Pitch-black eyes.

Not to mention the blood. He was covered in it. Could still taste it on his teeth.

"Prince!" Bazz surfaced, followed soon after by the rest of Sidon's unit. "Are you alright? Link is-" he stopped, catching the champion's eye. Link waved at him. "Ah, you found each other. Link was fighting on the opposite side of the pillar."

Sidon hastily wiped his mouth with the back side of his hand, smearing his scales with more red. That hand continued to hover in front of his face after, hiding the sight of his bloody teeth. "...You lost your claymore," he commented, gesturing weakly at the champion.

Link shrugged, and then pointed at the dead lizalfos. "Bastard knocked me down. Stole my sword."

"Are you alright, Link?" Gaddison asked. "Your arm is bleeding."

"Looks worse than it is," Link waved off the comment.

The lizalfos next to Sidon puffed into a small cloud of dark smoke. It disappeared, leaving a horn, a couple of claws, and Link's claymore. Sidon picked up the sword, and then hopped into the water.

"We should depart," the prince declared. While he swam over to Link, he kept his eyes down, or on his fellow zora - they were used to the dilated pupils. Link, on the other hand…Link hadn't seen them before. They were eerie, he knew, especially to hylians. Nevermind the fact that Link saw him clamping down on a lizalfos' neck with his teeth - not exactly princely behavior. He held the claymore aloft for Link to take from him, still avoiding looking up at the champion. The sword lifted out of Sidon's sight as Link retrieved it. Then, the champion hopped into the water himself, calloused hands grabbing onto Sidon's shoulders.

"We'll follow your lead, your highness," Bazz nodded to the prince.

Sidon nodded back, tentatively patting Link's hand with his own, to direct him to hold tighter.

Link squeezed Sidon's shoulder briefly, before securing his grip.

"Move out!" Sidon called, leading the group to the exit of the temple.


The sun was setting over the river. The group stopped about halfway back to the Domain, to rest. Sidon stood, looking downriver, under the pretense of making sure they weren't followed.

In actuality, he was panicking.

'Link still hasn't mentioned what happened,' he fretted, his mind racing. 'Did it shock him too much? He's fought alongside zora whose eyes dilate before, hasn't he? Didn't Mipha's do the same?' His eyes, back to normal now, narrowed. 'If he had, that was likely a hundred years ago. He wouldn't remember.' He shifted from one foot to another, antsy. Link was usually fairly quiet, but not one word about Sidon's eyes? Or the blood on his teeth? He expected some sort of comment, but without any input, he had no idea how Link felt about seeing Sidon in that state. It scared hylians to see him like that, generally.

...What if it scared Link?

Sidon didn't want that. He didn't want his dearest friend to be afraid of him. He would never hurt Link. Never. Surely the champion knew. His head turned, and he watched the others setting up camp. Link seemed fine with the others - smacking a piece of flint with his claymore to set a bundle of wood ablaze. Smirking at the off-hand comments. At ease, it seemed.

The prince sighed.

Sidon couldn't forget the look on Link's face when they'd spotted each other. The shock. The wordless confusion. Whether that translated to actual fear… He didn't know. He couldn't know.

Not unless he asked Link about it.

Sidon shut his eyes. He took a long, deep breath. '...Worrying like this won't solve anything. Only action will.' His eyes opened again, and strode purposefully over to the campfire.

"Ah, your highness," Bazz smiled at the prince as he approached. "I take it we weren't followed?"

"No," Sidon confirmed. "All is well." He caught Link's eye. The champion's head tilted in question, but before Sidon could speak, Bazz piped up again.

"You'll want our report, then, I expect."

The prince's attention shifted to his soldiers. Yes. Their report. Why his unit was captured so easily. What the lizalfos were up to. General Isolda's return to Lanaryu.

His nerves were eating him up on the inside, desperate to get things sorted with Link, but...This was more important. Duty before pleasure. Or before panic. Whichever. Just don't think about Link being disappointed, or frightened, or wanting nothing to do with him ever again.

...Actually, no, there was no way he could focus on duty right now.

"I would like your report, but not just yet." Sidon turned to the champion, who was fiddling with his Sheikah Slate. "...Link."

The hylian looked up. Curious. Questioning.

Sidon didn't see fear in the champion's expression, but the other did have a habit of deadpanning. He could be damn near unreadable at times. Sidon swallowed, still nervous. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Link glanced at the other zora, who looked just as confused. He gestured for Sidon to lead the way.

Sidon could hear the others muttering as he led Link away from the camp, but he paid it no mind. It wasn't their opinion he was worried about at the moment, it was Link's. He stopped close to the river, behind a tree. It wasn't much privacy, but it would do.

Link joined him. He gazed up at the prince with a raised eyebrow.

Sidon could feel his heart pounding. What did Link think of him right now? "I...I wanted to discuss what happened," he started. When Link continued to look confused, he added, "My appearance, in the temple."

Link continued to stare at him, the issue still not apparent. "...You mean...your eyes?"

"Yes." Sidon's gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm sure it was...Hylians have been quite alarmed at seeing me in that state, in the past. My eyes - Well, they dilate drastically when I smell blood, and there was a lot of it." He fidgeted with his bracelets, running his claws over the intricate designs. Too much energy. Too nervous. "I smelled your blood in the water, and I - I couldn't bear to think you'd been hurt! And then I saw that lizalfos with your sword and I…I panicked." He looked back up at the champion, indicating the gash on Link's forearm. "It had hurt you, and taken your sword, and I wasn't there to help you - I ended up acting on instinct rather than proper form, and I know I look frightening when I fight that way, but I hate to think that I could have scared you, since I-!"

Link burst out laughing.

Sidon stopped. Stared. The laughing continued. The hylian had his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter, but to no avail. When he managed stop cracking up, to get it down to a chuckle, Link looked up at the zora with a grin on his face.

"You...You find it funny?" Sidon questioned. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. It was probably the farthest thing from what he was expecting.

"Scared?" Link managed to choke out. "Of you?"

"But…" Sidon knelt down. He couldn't be eye-level with the champion, but like this he could at least see Link's face better. Still no apparent fear, but... "Your expression when you saw me was-"

"Surprise," Link laughed again. "Didn't know your eyes did that."

"So...You're not frightened of me," Sidon concluded. "Even after seeing me fighting like..."

"How could I be?" Link asked. "You're…" The hylian gestured up and down, at the entirety of the prince. "You're you."

Tense muscles relaxed at the words. Link didn't even consider him a threat, let alone something to fear. Sidon let out an amused huff. "That's...That is a relief." He smiled at the champion, nerves starting to settle. "I truly only wanted to help - to protect you somehow. Although," he simpered. "That is a difficult endeavor, at times."

Link's eyes blinked in surprise, and Sidon immediately regretted his words. What was he thinking? Link was the champion, the Hero of Hyrule! He was the one who did the protecting, not the one who was protected.

Sidon wanted to protect him, though. At least, wanted to watch out for him. Have his back. The prince felt his stomach clench with discomfort. What if he had insulted Link? Was saying that he wanted to protect the champion implying that he didn't believe Link could handle things? He fidgeted again, looking off to the side.

Link wasn't saying anything. This was awkward. He messed up. He should apologize - clarify his intent-

Small, hylian hands were suddenly cupping Sidon's face, turning his head. His eyes widened as the champion forced the zora to make eye contact. Sidon's breath caught in his throat at the sight.

Link had the most heart-warming, gorgeous grin on his face that Sidon had ever seen.

Sidon stared. Wanted to keep staring. He wanted this image ingrained in his memory forever. Link smiling. Happy. Golden wisps of hair framing that wonderful face - that smile. Those beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the setting sun. Goddess Hylia, he could get lost in those eyes. Link was smiling like this because of him.

Sidon felt this had be the best moment of his life.

Then Link stood on the tips of his toes, reaching his arms around Sidon's neck to pull the zora in for a hug. As he settled in the prince's arms, Sidon corrected himself.

This was the best moment of his life.

"...Thank you," Link mumbled, his head nestled on Sidon's shoulder.

The zora wrapped his arms around the champion, leaning his face against Link's soft hair. He gave the hylian a light squeeze. "...I'm more than happy to assist you, in any way I can."

Link pulled back, still smiling. His cheeks were tinged red, as were the tips of his ears.

Sidon couldn't, for the life of him, remember what that red tinge meant.

He knew the rush of blood to the cheeks happened among Link's kind. Quite often, in fact. He knew it was normal. What it signified, however...Was it good? Link was still smiling, so it had to be good, right? The champion was looking him over, fondly. He looked pleased.

Then Link frowned.

"You're hurt," Link observed, running his thumb across the small cut on Sidon's cheek.

"Only a minor scratch!" Sidon chirped. "It's nothing serious. One of the lizalfos nicked me with its claw."

Link's pointed ears twitched downward as he grimaced. "...that asshole."

"I'm fine," Sidon reassured the champion. "Really."

"...Fine," Link sighed, giving the prince's cheek a final, affectionate pat before letting go. He glanced back to the camp, and then smirked. "...We should get back."

"We should?" Sidon leaned over so he could see past the tree. Bazz was watching them, looking impatient. "Ah...I suppose we have been talking for a while. They likely want to give me their report so they can get some sleep."

Link flashed another quick grin, and then led the way back to camp.

"Alright, Bazz," Sidon gestured to the other zora, moving to sit next to the campfire. "If you would."

Link plopped down next to the prince, curious eyes focused on the rest of the unit.

Bazz cleared his throat. "When you decided to stay behind and take care of those octoroks, we forged ahead to Lake Hylia. I expect Link was traversing the other side at the time, since we didn't see each other."

The champion nodded.

"There weren't many lizalfos about the area," Bazz continued, "So we took to searching in the water. That was when we came upon the temple-"

"And you entered without me?" Sidon chastised. "Into an enemy's den?"

Bazz looked for a moment as though he were about to protest, but held his tongue.

'...ignoring the fact that we did the same thing, without backup,' Link bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't smile. He glanced at Sidon. The prince didn't notice, still too annoyed at his unit.

"We were only trying to be thorough, sire!" Ailbhe protested. "Since there weren't many monsters in the area, and the temple is so deep, we assumed there wouldn't be anyone there."

"Clearly, we assumed wrong," Tottika pouted. "We ran right into General Isolda."

"We thought she'd attempt to execute us on the spot, but they only imprisoned us," Bazz explained.
"...That's peculiar," Sidon commented. Well, Isolda herself was peculiar, from what he recalled of her. The general must have figured something out upon seeing the zora unit enter the temple. The prince wracked his brain. In that instance, enemy soldiers suddenly stumbling upon their stronghold, unsuspectingly - no, completely unknowingly. The zora would have been immediately caught off-guard once inside the temple. They would have clearly had no knowledge of the base. "...Did she assume you were scouts?"
"I believe that was the case, sire," Bazz nodded. "She likely assumed there would be more zora on the way, or that we would be missed. She's dealt with zora before - she knows we travel in groups."

"Hm, and if more were on the way, they could use you as hostages…" Sidon frowned.

Gaddison nodded solemnly. "Link's efforts have reduced the number of lizalfos in the area - The survivors seemed to be grouping up in the temple, but there aren't enough to fight our army."

"And they were traveling in pairs, rather than solo," quipped Ailbhe. "Except for Isolda."

"Sticking together, stockpiling arrows, taking captives…" Sidon grimaced. He didn't like the sound of it. The actions sounded too much like a plan in the making - not the lizalfos' simple stratagems of sitting around and waiting for prey. It was too different. Too active. "...They are unquestionably preparing for battle," Sidon decided. "It is only a matter of when, and where."

"Perhaps a hylian outpost?" Tottika theorized. "They could get more supplies from the hylians. More land."

"The Domain is always at the highest risk, though," Bazz interjected. "There's nothing the lizalfos would love more than to obliterate the zora."

"Would they dare be that bold?" Gaddison laughed. "They know our army is stronger than theirs. They wouldn't win a battle in our home."

"Not unless they held some sort of advantage." Sidon's eyes narrowed. The lizalfos didn't have that yet, but… "The element of surprise, perhaps?"

"...Shock arrows," Link muttered.

All eyes locked on the champion. The zora shifted nervously, casting worried glances at one another.

"They…" Ailbhe wrapped her arms around herself. "They have shock arrows? More than normal?"

"They are attempting to make them, but they have yet to succeed." Sidon crossed his arms over his chest. Throwing arrows at a dragon may not be the way to make shock arrows, but there was no doubt the lizalfos were trying. If they were trying, they might try multiple methods.

If they tried other methods, they may eventually find one that worked.

The prince grimaced. "...This does not bode well. We must inform the King."

"What will you do, champion?" Gaddison inquired, turning to Link.

Link, not expecting the question, rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He frowned, eyes flicking upward to meet Sidon's.

"You still have Divine Beasts to subdue, do you not?" Sidon asked.

"...Yeah." Link brought out his Sheikah Slate again, pulling up the map. "In Rito Village. Gerudo Town."

"Both are quite distant," Sidon observed. Link was quiet, studying what he had gathered of the world map. It was still incomplete, but it was enough to see that the trip to either area would be a long journey.

"I believe the zora can handle this matter while Link faces the Divine Beasts, my prince," Bazz stated.

"I agree," Gaddison nodded. "This is a zora problem. The champion has helped us enough."

Sidon spotted Link flinch slightly, but a determined stare replaced any expression the hylian held previously. The prince wanted to address it, but Link was already getting to his feet.

"I should go, then," the hylian muttered, slinging his Slate back onto his belt.

"Thank you for your help, Link!" Tottika beamed. The rest of the unit echoed his thanks, and Link smiled politely at them.

Sidon placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "You've been a great help, as always. We will confer with my father regarding the lizalfos, so don't worry!"

"Yes, please focus on saving the world," Gaddison laughed.

"Speaking of," Bazz smiled, "That was quite a happy coincidence you were still in Lanaryu to help us - I figured you would be halfway across Hyrule by now!"

"True, not many people can say they've been saved by the Hero while he's journeying," Ailbhe quipped. "I bet some of the others will be jealous."

Sidon scoffed. "I don't know about that." He turned to Link. "You seem to quite enjoy helping everyone you come across! It's admirable."
The hylian stared at the prince for a moment, before responding with a small smile of his own. He shrugged, as though the feat was of no consequence.

Sidon was taken aback. The smile on the champion's face now was almost...sad. In spite of all the zora's praise. And then, it was gone, right back to stony determination. Something was bothering Link, the prince knew, but he was about to depart. Checking to see if all his gear was in place. Already taking steps to leave the camp.

Link turned, briefly, to wave at the group. The unit waved back.

"Farewell, champion!"

"Good luck!"

"Link," Sidon got up, catching up to the hylian quickly. He took the champion's hand before Link could get too far. Link stared back up at him, his face blank. The amusement from earlier was gone, and Sidon couldn't fathom why. The questions burned in him. What was wrong? Why was the hylian frowning now? What had changed him so suddenly?

He couldn't figure out what was bothering the other this quickly, and Link was already set to leave. Tugging on Sidon's grip. Uncomfortable. Impatient.

Well, he could still offer the champion some support. At the very least.

Sidon grinned, striking a confident pose. "Whatever you pursue, I have no doubt you'll be victorious! Should you need a break, you are always welcome back at the Domain - whenever you like."

Link nodded, simpering at the prince.

Sidon squeezed Link's hand, gently. "Be careful. And come back soon, won't you?" He beamed. "I always look forward to your company."

At that, Link's cheeks started to resemble Sidon's own scales again.

The champion hastily patted the prince's hand, face burning red. He nodded once more to Sidon, and then ran off - back into the wild. Link disappeared downriver, in a blaze of blue light.

"...That was an odd exit," Bazz noted.

"...yes," Sidon agreed. He turned back to his companions. "...Do any of you recall what a hylian's face turning red means?"

The soldiers all looked at each other, perplexed. Gaddison shook her head. Bazz shrugged.

Sidon sighed. Well, it was too late now. He would just have to ask Link about the phenomenon later.

That, and about whatever had distressed the champion so much.