A/N: So a bit of a retcon: when I originally began this part of the story, I literally made up Dolare as an antagonist out of thin air, giving him the personality he had a few chapters ago when introduced in a flash-forward. Since then, however, his character, story, and motivations have expanded so dramatically in my head from anything I could have possibly envisioned at the time (enough so that I'm quite interested in an entire backstory-story about him), so unless I can create reason for him to act how he does in this part's prologue, I might simply call it a retcon and move on with a far more interesting character.

Don't worry; this is still the Champions' story, so I won't bog anything down with Dolare content beyond what's needed, but hopefully by the end of this section of the story, you'll be pining for a whole lot more when it comes to him, which is a goal I hope to achieve with any OC that I create :)

Enjoy goofball-Daruk :p

"BWAH HA!" Daruk churned with a vigorous roar as his hands flew up into the air, sending the gaggle of Zora children before him skittering away in sudden terror, though their screams were near-immediately curtailed by giggles and laughter as Daruk's chest rumbled with his own chortles, "And then, after turning over the entire mountaintop, I gave a massive-!"

He threw his fist toward the sleek ground beneath him, denoting an immense effort toward digger, "-and then I buried that beast alive! leaving it no chance to terrorize our people ever again!"

"Woooah!" came a droning sound of awe from the children, as they slowly returned to the space near Daruk, with one of them quickly asserting, "You musta been scared, Mr. Goron, sir!"

Daruk flung out a fist with a smirk, "Me? Scared?! With the heart of a champion, there is no room for fear, young one! See these gray hairs?"

He tugged at his thick beard, "Such things come only from a lifetime of experience! Why, you all- eh-"

Gradually realizing as his eyes scanned the nearby guards, the lot of them now disinterested in the show Daruk was performing for the little ones, that the Zora don't have hair, he stammered quickly, "W- Well, uh- I mean, I'm sure if you all live lives devoid of terror, you'll- uh- grow scales unhindered by any sort of weapon!"

"My gwampa said his life's only giv'n him a slanted spine," one of the younglings answered, much to Daruk's distress that such topics were to arise.

"Yeah!" chided another, "I barely go near the channels; if I fall in, i'ssa one-way trip to tha basin!"

Daruk crossed his arms, "Channels?"

The child pointed to toward the stream of water that flowed atop the platform itself, carried to its edge before tumbling off into the infinite depths beneath the Domain itself, "My dad c'n step through no problem, but I'm to tiny, Mr. Goron, sir!"

"Pfft, he's huge!" cried another, forcing Daruk's face to turn in revulsion, "Teacher says, the only way up a stream is the grace to- to-"

The child dropped their head in thought before another finished simply, "The grace to find the water's pathways."

Daruk slammed a fist into his open palm, grinning with bravado as a thought sprung into his head, "Bwah ha! I do believe, young ones, that there are many ways to accomplish such a feat. Behold!"

The children's mouths fell open in awe as Daruk stomped toward the channel of water, smirking only to himself now as he figured out the best way to proceed. He came to the edge of the dip in the platform, just a step above the rather quick stream of water, before turning his head back toward the kids as they slowly came closer for a better look.

"Never fear! For the heart of a champion never-! Whoa! WHOA!"

As he dug a foot into the channel, his body immediately began to fall backwards, his arms flailing in panic as a rousing cry came from the children, "GAAH!" "WAAA!"

A few of them darted away, either in panic or to get help, while the others huddled together into a shivering mass of scaled bodies as their eyes widened at the scene of a Goron about to plummet to his ultimate demise. Daruk's body wavered back and forth until his other foot slammed into the channel behind him, allowing his body some sense of balance as he dramatically leaned his body forward, fighting the stream of water with a terrific grin of grandiose hubris.

"GAH!" he shouted as though such an act were requiring anything resembling effort, "I-! I think I-! I-!

With the drama of a showman, Daruk took a sudden, deliberate step up the stream, amidst a sudden whooping of hollers emanating from the children as they watched with utter disbelief. Daruk's face curled with feigned determination as yet another step came from him, then another, battling the rushing water and defeating it as he went along.

"B- BWAH!" he gave a final cry of battle before stepping out from the channel with conjured up exhaustion, grabbing his knees as he keeled over, the children rushing over to offer him aid of any sort.

One of them quickly asked, "Mr. Goron, sir! A- Are you okay?!"

Daruk offered a warmly fierce smirk, "Of course! With the heart of a champion, nothing can stand in your way! Oh, and there are different ways you can go about things- that, too. I'm sure when you're older, being able to navigate the waters will be easier for you all, but for a Goron such as myself, brute strength will carry me where your ways deem themselves much too- eh…"

His spirit faded as he looked up to find the children that had scurried off nearly dragging Lady Mipha by the arm as she desperately tried to simply stay upright amidst their grasp, the Goron certain that he was to be in trouble for such a demonstration. The returning children's eyes flew open at the sight of Daruk still standing, covering their mouths with shock as Mipha cleared her throat.

"Um, Daruk?" she asked timidly, "Are you trying to…throw yourself into the basin..?"

His lips flew wide into a smile as he dug his fists into his hips, laughing magnificently, "HA HA! Of course not! I was merely giving these young ones a lesson in the power of determination!"

"I- uh- figured it wasn't what they had said, but," Mipha replied, almost embarrassed that she'd been called for such a thing, "If you don't mind not frightening them…"

Daruk gave a quick nod, "Absolutely! My apologies for causing you any trouble, Mi- erm, Lady Mipha."

A few of the children gasped as Daruk's misstep, though it was more that he knew her on such a basis as to use her name without the title than anything else. Still, they came to attention as Mipha clapped her hands together, the lot of them rushing to turn toward her.

"I do believe Teacher Olutoh was looking for her students, however," Mipha directed with a low tone, earning a chorus of disappointed jeers from the children, some of whom even latched onto Daruk to prevent their departure before a sudden scowl from a nearby guard forced the lot of them to slowly gather up before sauntering off, though not without Daruk's sending off, patting which ones he could as they left.

Mipha frowned regretfully, "I'm sorry to have ruined the, uh, festivities."

"Pah, it was no problem at all," Daruk assured, "Little things stumbled upon me with such wide eyes; I supposed they had sought out stories for me to regale to them with my tremendous charm!"

Smiling with subdued delight, Mipha agreed, "I'm sure that was the case. Do you require anything before I go see my father?"

"I wouldn't want to impose any more than we already are," Daruk answered with a swift fist to his chest, "I'll be moseying around, enjoying the scenery, until we hear back."

Mipha nodded with agreement before offering a goodbye and strolling off with a uncharacteristically regal gait, presumably due to the setting, leaving Daruk to reach up toward the sky and stretch out his back, his voice eking out in relief as he did so. His arms fell to his sides before turning to wander off to do more exploring, though his brow quickly rose in piqued interest as his eyes noticed Zelda standing nearby, a cumbersome book tucked in her arms as she watched with an amused grin the suddenly nervous Goron.

"Hey, uh-" Daruk stammered as he scratched the back of his head, hurriedly averting his gaze.

"Hello," Zelda greeting with the slightest hint of a giggle hiding behind the word.

Daruk bit his lip, "…how much of all that did you see..?"

"Enough," Zelda offered with a smarmy sort of grin, "I didn't know you were that much of a showman."

Shrugging, Daruk explained lightheartedly, "Well, I mean- Kids are just great to entertain. Gorons don't age, and we start out with some semblance of maturity, so it's always nice to see beings who are young enough to be fooled, or more importantly, taught."

Nodding in agreement, Zelda smiled once more, "Very true, Mr. Goron, sir."

"Ugh," Daruk groaned as he reached up to massage his face in exasperation, "Where are you off to?"

Zelda turned toward one of the parallel platforms, motioning her head in direction, "Link is over there with some of the petty soldiers, so I figured I'd get out of the library, or rather, the shelves, and do some researching out in whatever sun I might find out here. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure!" Daruk happily exclaimed as he joined her side, the two strolling around the edge of the platform to cross over onto the next, "Perhaps I could even be of some assistance."

Zelda grinned, "I don't think they'll have much issue stepping through tiny streams of water though."

Daruk gave her a sidelong glance, "I can assure you, Princess Zelda, that my abilities extend beyond my acting prowess."

He caught a distasteful frown from her as he quickly retaliated, "That is, simply, Zelda. Sorry; my mind is quite in a tizzy here between you and- Lady Mipha."

"It's fine, trust me," Zelda assured easily, "I've just gotten so used to being known for my name with you all that it was a bit of a jolt to hear that title again."

Daruk threw a fist into his chest, "It would do me a great disservice to say anything to bring you dread. I assure you, I want make the mistake again!"

"It wasn't a mistake," Zelda warmly assured, reaching up with her free hand to pat Daruk's arm, "I am indeed a Princess, whether or not I like it. Sooner or later, at that, I'll have to accept it regardless. Until then, however-!"

She brought up the massive textbook, "I can study with reckless abandon! This tome is a study of one of the earliest Rito writers, written by the ancient Zoran Papir as he attempted to translate its language, which he didn't get very far."

Daruk wondered quizzically, "Does that mean you're going to finish it?"

"Actually, no. Papir started, then it was continued by Vorom, then by Zareem, then Ijor, then-"

Daruk gave a nervous laugh that concealed the deeping concern he had about his free time, "I- I, uh, get the point."

Nodding in understanding, Zelda concluded, "It's all mostly chicken scratch, pun intended, but I still find it fascinating nonetheless; it's basically a dead language, even by the Rito. Reminds me of the Divine Beasts almost. The technology of the Sheikah- it's all essentially dead science in comparison to ancient language."

"Ah ha, I get it now," Daruk nodded with a fierce smile, "I may not be into such things, but I can promise you whatever help I may offer when it comes to- well, translating those machines."

Zelda revealed a hopeful smile, "Well, thank you, Mr. Goron, s-"

"Eh, please; no more of that…" Daruk begged with a nervous stroking of his beard, which earned a final giggle from Zelda as the two approached the adjoining platform, their attention turning toward the small group of three Zoran soldiers taking turns sparring amongst themselves with Link taking a spot within their ranks.

Daruk happily noted as he examined Link's body in profile, "Look at him! He hasn't taken a scratch!"

Readying his voice, he roared, "Now that's my Brother!"

"Woo hoo!" Zelda cheered in near-unison, the two's spirited interjections causing a nervous shiver down Link's spine.

He turned toward the two, only for Daruk and Zelda's faces to fall upon noticing the front of Link's body, which had sustained a litany of wayward cuts, as well as a single bruise placed upon his forehead.

"B-Brother!" Daruk chided in worry, only for Link to shrug as he waved to the soldiers as he made his way toward the two onlookers.

Link replied, "What? These are just a few nicks; had I been more adept, I wouldn't have sustained them, so- They're putting me through my paces though; it's kind of nice to spar with people whose style I'm not familiar with."

As he finished, despite his assertion to the contrary, Daruk began examining Link's face with his bulging hands, much to Link's noticeable chagrin as Zelda inquired, "But doesn't it hurt?!"

"I mean, yeah, but that's what make you stronger," Link explained with a plain shrug before pushing Daruk's hands away, "Daruk knows this."

"Do I?!" Daruk challenged, "I was born with that resilience within rocks of igneous! I didn't have to take a beating!"

Link reiterated, "It's not a beating. You should see Kopo; I managed to tackle him and get a swift strike in to win the match."

Suddenly intrigued by Link's newly found successes, Daruk immediately switched shifts as he stroked his chin in interest, eyeing the group of soldiers, "Oh! Which one is Kopo?"

"Second from the right."

"Wowwie!" Daruk exclaimed, "That ain't no small fry! You've done more well than I thought!"

Link shot his Sworn Brother a smarmy sort of smirk as Zelda groaned in exasperation, rolling her head along her shoulders as she scolded lowly, "Oh brother… You two are nothing but boys on a playground."

His smirk now beaming, Link reminded, "Wait until Mipha is finished. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to scrap with us."

"No thank you," Zelda forced in reply before sitting down atop the platform, opening up her large book, "I'm no barbarian. I only read about them."

Link chuckled at her reply before waving for Daruk to follow along, "C'mon; they'd be happy to meet a Goron. It isn't every day you can find a man of stone around here, especially one who enjoys a good wrestle."

"Well, I can certainly see- Wrestle?" Daruk concluded with a worried tone as Link interrupted him with greeting.

"Hey guys, this is Daruk. Daruk, here's Tevi, Kopo, and you remember Tovar? This is his son, Zevan."

The three soldiers returned a greeting, though it was Zevan who beamed with excitement, stepping toward Daruk and taking his hand only to pull him into a hug, "By the Goddess! I've never come across a Goron before! It is a tremendous honor to cross paths!"

He turned to Link while Daruk continued to reel, "You certainly entertain an eclectic cast for a Royal Knight."

Link shrugged with a proud smile, "Well, Daruk and I go a ways back, actually. His strength is legendary, even amongst his own people; though, most importantly, he's rather capable of harnessing that power and is a pretty proficient fighter atop of that."

"Really?" Zevan replied with subdued elation, "Uh, Daruk. Of what victories can you speak of?"

His eyes rolling upward in thought, Daruk quietly began, "Hmm. Well, uh- I do suppose…"

His continued silence as he considered his answer only seemed to raise Zevan's excitement as the Zora drew his head back in wonder, "So many victories that you've difficulty even recalling them! My dear guest, I'm without words to explain how honored I am to be in your very pres-!"

"Ah!" Daruk suddenly spouted, catching Zevan's breath in anticipation, "I ensure the steam vaults are maintained at an acceptable level with a one hundred percent success rate! Such proficiency hadn't been seen since our earliest ancestors!"

Zevan was taken aback, unsure of how to politely respond, though Link simply leaned closer to his Goron Brother, speaking up quietly, "I think he meant combat victories…"

"Oh! Right!" Daruk retorted, "Have you ever encountered a Hinox?"

The soldiers shook their heads with Zevan replying, "We have not, though we've heard stories of their brutality. Is it true they weave the weapons of their enemies among necklaces?"

"I'm not sure of the lot of them," Daruk began, his voice rising with pride, "Though, the one I single handedly disposed up certainly did."

Zevan's eyes grew wide, "No kidding!"

Daruk dug his fists into his hips, proudly recounting, "One of them had determined to make their way up our mountain path; a dangerous proposition indeed, as a very many travelers and merchants trust those paths to be safe. From atop the canyon walls, I maneuvered a team of Gorons who dropped boulders down beneath the Hinox's feet before I let loose a burst of gunpowder before his eyes, sending him stumbling backward, falling atop the boulders and onto his back, before I bested his flurrying punches and did him in."

He eyed one of the nearby cliffs before pointing to one, "It was about as large as that cleft, I suppose, give or take."

"Goddess," Zevan muttered breathlessly before returning to Daruk, "Goron, you must offer experience to us!"

Daruk grinned, "Well, it wasn't much beyond good ol' Goron ingenuity and- What're you doing?"

"I wish not to be hindered," Zevan confirmed as he rather quickly removed his armor, "I would like this experience to linger beneath many moons!"

Daruk's eyes widened as he whipped his neck around toward Link, grasping his arm and pulling him away with only a quick explanation, "Link. Sidebar."

Link followed, or more accurately was dragged, back away, with Daruk immediately voicing his concerns in a whisper, "What in the Goddess' name is he asking for?!"

"He's a Zora soldier," Link explained, "A rather young and zealous one, yes, but still."

Silence greeted him behind Daruk's critical eyes, the Goron waiting for a further answer before finally bridging the awkward air, "…and?! What does that have to do with anything?!"

Link sighed, "For a soldier of the Zora, their tenacity and prowess in battle is only tempered by the trials placed upon their bodies. The soldier with scars is infinitely more experience than the soldier without a scratch."

Daruk's voice grew into a tumultuous tremor, "Are you saying he wants me to hit him?!"

"Pretty much, yes," Link explained, "From knowing what it means to take a hit from someone of your strength, he'll ultimately-"

"I'm not going to do such a thing!" Daruk charged with an impassioned plea, "W- What if I hurt him?!"

Link shrugged, "That's kind of what he's hoping for."

"Link!" Daruk whined, the two of them quickly turning their heads to Zelda, whom they'd unknowingly taken up shop just above, her clicking tongue catching them off guard.

"Tsk tsk," she scoffed, "Perhaps if we'd partaken in more artful subjects…"

Daruk's body began to shake at the thought of injuring somebody, though Link took hold of his shoulders, pulling him down to his eye level, "Daruk, look. What was that you said a few nights ago? You're not merely stone."

The Goron groaned, "My father… I was nothing but rock and sand. But-!"

"But nothing," Link challenged, "You're not just rock and sand. You're a being capable of so much more than carelessly throwing your weight around. You're capable enough to know when your strength is necessary."

Daruk's brow curled in worry, his eyes catching Zelda as she muttered, still buried within her book, "I hate to advocate such barbarism, but Link is correct. If only to bring you more confidence, I agree with him."

"See?" Link reiterated, "Now. You're gonna work up some of that warrior spirit and go punch a man in the arm."

Daruk groaned as his head fell forward, "Fine, fine; if he truly wants me to. But I seriously doubt he's totally thought this thro-"

The two of them turned to find Zevan exhaling with determinate force, holding his arm out as Kopo and Tevi rapidly stroked their hands up and down his arm as if in preparation for the incoming strike, leaving Zevan to speak up as Link and Daruk approached, "Alright! Here we go! Through this, my very scales with be the canvas upon which the evils of this world will tremble at the very sight of!"

"Neph'fore" "Neph'fore" Tevi and Kopo reverently recited almost as if in a chanting prayer, though their tones were obviously following a droll timbre.

Zevan held out his arm for Daruk, turning his head away in preparation, "Alright then! Goron, you have my respect!"

Daruk couldn't conceal the worrisome tremble along his brow as he watched the Zora before him shivering in painful anticipation. He thought of Link's words a moment ago before allowing a deep sigh, pulling his arm back in a quivering motion.

"W-Well," he began, "I was voted the most helpful pebble paddler…"

"Such a robust title!" Zevan charged, "Bring onto me the very same power that made you a paddler of pebbles!"

Link had already shut his eyes, avoiding much more of this odd charade, as Daruk finally winded up, taking a powerful step back before throwing his whole entire weight into the punch, his fist careening through the air as it made blistering contact amongst Zevan's arm, immediately sending the Zora stumbling away and falling to his knees in seething pain.

"GAH!" Zevan groaned as he bit his tongue, "GH- GAAaaaaAAAH!"

"I'm sorry!" Daruk immediately spoke, running to the Zora's side as if to help him.

Zevan immediately shook his head, "N- No… The force of that strike shall be a message, not only to my body, but to anybody who might cross it…"

He drew a hand before gently slapping Daruk's arm, "Thank you."

"Er, uh- No problem?" Daruk reasoned an answer, though remained rather curious what exactly he was replying to.

As the men awaited Zevan's recovery, Zelda's eyes, which had been hovering overtop her tome toward the group, returned to her book as an impish grin crossed her face. She had caught his over-the-top stance, no doubt pulling his punch and merely selling it as such a burst of feigned energy masked his intention.

"Quite the showman," she chuckled mutedly to herself.

Zevan rose back to his feet with a sigh of relief, shaking his head as though to clear the event from his mind, leaving Daruk to wonder aloud as he eyed the two other soldiers, "I'm not, uh-…"

"Goddess, no," Topo muttered in reply, "Zev's the one with such inane ideas. "

Worry suddenly reappearing within his voice, Daruk questioned, "What?! I thought this was some cultural ritual! Link-!"

He turned to find Link amidst a shrug, Daruk's expression growing into a scowl as he began recognizing the deception, leaving Link to answer, "Hey, you learned a lesson, didn't you?"

"What, to punch an impulsive dumbass?!" Tevi teased as he gave Zevan a playful swipe from his foot.

Zevan's glare scorched the air, "Hold you tongue; you'll be singing a different tune once I'm your commander."

"Skeletons don't have tongues, I'm afraid," Topo smirked.

Zevan prepared a swipe of his own before turning toward Daruk, "Goron, perhaps you'd better-"

He paused in realization as he caught both Link and Daruk staring off into the distance, the Hylian's eyes, specifically, turning into something of a fierce stare. Following their eyes, he caught a glimpse of the small parade of Zora bodies entering the Domain from the Great Zora Bridge, the same assortment from the day prior.

Turning toward the others, Zevan spoke up, "We'd better head over."

"Yes, sir." "Affirmative," came the replied from the other soldiers as they quickly slid across the platform up toward the King's chamber.

Link and Daruk remained behind, watching more in curiosity than anything. Though, Link knew that their presence what not one of good tidings. He caught sight of the same cloaked figure from the day before, such ornate robes hiding him wholly from sight, forcing his eyes to constrict as though in an attempt to see beyond that shroud.

Soon enough, Zelda had joined them, having taken note of the silence and risen to her feet, her voice appearing softer than normal as if to ensure not to be heard by the procession.

"Who are they…" she wondered aloud.

Link took a moment to reconsidering his thoughts a final time before finally allowing his conclusion to be heard, "…trouble."

Standing atop the same platform that housed the King's Chambers, Urbosa watched curiously as the motley crew of Zora she'd recognized from yesterday came strolling up toward her in much the same manner as before. The Zora standing nearby took wary glances themselves, though Urbosa took note of a handful of them who slowly skittered forward in something of withdrawn anticipation, the Gerudo's brow turning in curiosity as she kept tabs on the approaching group.

There were six in total: besides the clocked figure themselves, there was the younger Zora man who seemed so out of place amongst the brutish assortment of ragged bodies, what with his near-unmarked scales, the two of them notably close as they were surrounded by the other four.

The largest of the group, who was easily the largest Zora Urbosa had ever seen, stood atop all the others, with his chest puffed out in muscle as if he were putting on a show, lips curled in devilish excitement, his hands held into fists as he examined only the more adept-looking of the Domain's inhabitants.

After him was a woman, whose most notable feature was that her dorsal fin had been chopped off just beyond her skull, leaving quite the unsightly pinnacle to a body so rough hewn from what was certainly a life not worthy of envy. Her eyes were dipped in endless scowl, an untrusting, almost furious energy radiating around her as she kept her hand readied at her waist, where a sword rested, hanging upside down from her shoulders.

Then strode another man, of a rather jovial sort, his small frame hopping in elation as he followed the others, though unlike all the others, he seemed to have nothing equating to weaponry. Even the largest of them had massive arms, but this one merely kept on with little more than the skeevy grin on his face, cackling in boyish excitement whenever the others elicited a gasp of shock from the Domain's inhabitants as they passed by.

Finally, the oldest of them, a Zora so taken by gravity over his lifetime that he nearly waddled with a body parallel to the ground, slowly meandered behind the rest, hobbling without a cane until the shortest of them turned to find him struggling, his comparatively spry form taking him up to the forefront of the group to catch the largest's attention. Urbosa's curiosity piqued even further as the largest one waved off the smallest, keeping their worried abated and forcing the elder's gait to remain downright sickly to watch without assistance.

Turning her head to find Zelda and the others over on an adjacent platform, nodding to signal the slight wave from the Princess, before returning her impatient attention to the group as more Zora began to collect nearby, gradually catching her interest. Arms crossed, her ear perked up to gather what she could of the growing murmuring beside her, excitement building in a slowly drifting cloud of voices.

"They said they were Niq," she managed to catch, "Perhaps that's the one!"

"In the cloak?"

"Yeah!"

"Pshaw; don't be stupid. Their numbers have been in decline; I'm sure they're simply making a show of this to keep the donations rolling in."

"But-"

"But nothin'."

Urbosa turned to the two, immediately catching both of their flabbergasted glances, speaking up plainly, "Niq, you say?"

"Y-Y-Yes!" the gullible one replied as if under interrogation, "Th- They said as much yesterday!"

The Gerudo turned her head toward the massive chamber that housed the King, hoping to find Mipha, but to no avail. She then turned back to the others, hoping that she could speak to them for opinion, but reassuring herself of her one lonesomeness , Urbosa simply recalled the story that Mipha had recounted of the Niq, bewildered that this group of fiendish looking characters could be a part of such a friendly sort. Still, her vision remained fixed upon them as they approached, finally coming into earshot as they made their way up the final stairway.

"-then he dies. Now hush!" instructed the massive Zora, swiping in the direction of the tiny scaled man, "We're about to begin."

The tiniest took a swift kick at him before turning away, watching the elder Zora still hobbling his way just at the bottom of the stairway the others had already climbed, passing the only woman with gritted teeth, "Finbreath."

She shrugged in reply, her eyes fixed upon the crowd slowly forming around them with skepticism, as if preparing for any one of them to pounce. Urbosa recognized such a posture; shoulders cocked backward, head slid forward. She was almost like a caged animal, simply baring it's time before tearing free from whatever shackled its rabid temperament. Even as they came to a stop outside the King's Chamber, the crowd of Domain dwellers remained within a bubble of wary skepticism tinged with genuine intrigue.

A single Zora left the collective, stumbling toward the group while clutching its thigh, catching the attention of the largest of the crew, who quickly formed up as though he were their bouncer, though the pristine one halted him with a snapping bite of speech.

"Helor!" came a rather mellifluous shout, as if strained to such a volume, though it stopped the brute's advance.

The large being, Helor, snarled in reply, but still pulled back into formation, having adequately frightened the approaching man, now standing in place with a scared expression as he nursed his injury, though he quickly turned away from Helor to the younger Zora as he approached with a graceful extension of his hand.

"Don't be afraid," he assured with a gentle smile, "Are you in need?"

The Zora stammered, still thrown by Helor's averted rampage, "They- They say you're Niq…"

"We are," the young Zora smiled, "Why do you ask?"

His hand tightening upon his thigh, the Zora nearly began to weep as though having found something lost for ten years, "My-! I've lost my ability to swim and-!"

Quickly becoming a tearful mess, the man dropped his head into his free hand as the newcomer chuckled gently, "And you're hoping we can help."

Instead of answering, the young man embraced the injured Zora, pulling him in tight as he spoke something delicate into his ear, Urbosa's eyes wincing as she attempted to read his lips, though it grew moot as the man pulled away with a boisterous proclamation, throwing his arms toward the sky, "And it will be joyous for every one of you as well!"

Urbosa frowned. Certainly this was a show, she thought to herself with a groan. That said, eyes passing once more over the chambers of the King, Urbosa knew already that there was yet something about this group that had brought the King himself to seclusion. What possibly could be beneath that shroud which so rattled the curiosity of so many Zor-

"Joyous because, simply put-!" the pristine Niq cried heroically, pausing to allow his words to wash over the audience, "Those words upon which so many have latched their lives upon! I tell you, today-!"

He grinned, turning toward the silhouetted figure with a look of absolute determination, clenching a fist as he instructed with a vigorous air, "-he has come!"

The skeevy Niq, who had seemed so picture-picture for the background, grabbed the cloak and yanked it free, revealing the figure of a Zora man, face locked in stoic indifference as he stared forward without a flinch as the pristine man approached him as the crowd of Domain dwellers arose their voices in a humid mixture of confusion, shock, and terror.

Urbosa lifted her head only slightly as her eyes widened slightly in a worry all her own, hidden so well behind her critiquing eyes.

For the man beneath the cloak was covered in crimson scales.

She turned toward the others to find Zelda reeling in shock as well, her hand covering her face in exasperation while Link and Daruk looked on, the Hylian's gaze narrowing in his own critical stare.

"Surely you all know by now the tale of the Sundered Scale!" the man, who had certainly turned into something of a hype man, declared, "I, Akis, give unto you all the Sundered Scale himself! Dolare! The true King of this Domain!"

The stifled murmurs among the Zora suddenly grew to a fever pitch as a wave of confusion and anger began to arise from the assertion of a 'true' King, the loyalist mindset of the Zora immediately drawing attention to the idea of Dorephan's rule being anything less than legitimate. The guards present, among them Zevan and his two companions, quickly began to quell the unrest by stepping toward the now-sizable crowd, understanding this show as exactly that.

"Fake!" "Bastard!" arose sharp insults from the crowd, forcing the pristine Niq, Akis, to raise his arms in a shrug.

"Fake?!" he challenged, "Then come! Face these scales that have clung onto this man's body in birthright!"

His hand turned down toward the massive, craggy scar that lined Dolare's side, the grotesque aberration now catching Urbosa's attention as her interest turned to horror. The sickly, zig-zagging line had torn nearly from his armpit to his waist, a rather nefarious deep having had to come to the man who now held the title of 'Sundered Scale'.

"Touch his scar!" Akis challenged loudly, "Feel with your own fingers where your King, Dorephan, drove a dagger into his side when he was but-"

Zevan's head turned over his shoulder in confusion, he immediately returned to the crowd as a number of them began to push against him and the rest of his guards until, finally, the voice of Tovar rang out amongst the whole of the Domain, a roar so powerful that it rang in echo to the very height of Zorana.

"ORDER!" he cried out, slamming the butt edge of his trident into the floor below, immediately quelling the crowd.

He gave a sharp glance toward the Niq, "You'd better be able to back up these treasonous claims, stranger."

"Back up?" Akis retaliated incredulously, turning a hand toward Dolare himself, "See upon him those scales of crimson? clung onto by only those of Royal lineage? Come! Examine him yourself; you'll see it is no mere trick of the light nor of pigments of paint."

Tovar's eyes constricted in examination as he held his ground, forcing Akis to turn to another onlooker, "You there, fellow Zora, come and see for yourself!"

His attention fixed upon the Niq with a course expression, Tovar noticed the Zora closing in, slowly but surely, as the man, Dolare, lifted his arm to present himself. The onlooker slowly approached, peevishly prepared for some trick to be played, though as he gradually reached over to touch the man's scales, a hollow breath left him as his fingers ran across his scales.

"It-" he managed with shock, "They're real."

"Indeed they are," Akis reiterated beneath the impending murmurs and whispers of the Zora, "As real as this man's claim to the throne. A claim not levied loosely. Any chance of a union between these two men were soiled the moment this man's father plunged a dagger into his side when he was but a child, ready to do whatever it took to end any suspicions of illegitimacy."

Urbosa bit her tongue as she fought away the urge to challenge the man before her, though she knew it wasn't her place. Instead, as Akis went on, Urbosa turned her head to scan the Domain, her brow fading into anxiety as she locked onto Mipha, whose own face was spun in a look of confusion and sadness, her fist clutching at her chest as she watched from an ascending ramp, out of view of the Niq.

"You there!" cried Akis, pulling Urbosa's attention back to the fore, "Gerudo! Come and see yourself! A touch unadulterated by the scaled hands of my compatriots; please, humor me!"

Urbosa's expression turned narrow as she considered his offer, her legs slowly taking her closer as she answered, "Okay…"

She approached the man referred to as Dolare, feeling the piercing gazes of her fellow Champions upon her back as she did so. A wealth of conflicting emotions swirled within her, uncertainty, even doubt, seeping into the back of her mind as she thought of Mipha and her father, especially as she rested a hand upon Dolare's arm. Her palm was met with a stinging chill, followed by the coarse sensation of scales, her eyes following along as she ran her hand the length of the man's arm.

"See?" Akis goaded happily, "Do what you must, please! Scratch them, pull at them; you'll find that they're certainty authentic!"

Urbosa wondered if he were simply bluffing, so she did so, taking a scale between her thumb and forefinger and pulling at it, though to no avail. As she repeated the motion, she quickly turned her head up toward Dolare himself, her eyes piercing into his own pair as her brow roughened in forceful reply to his own stare.

She was caught off guard. Behind those eyes, confirmed by a shiver rushing down her spine- behind the bravado, the muscle, the atmosphere surrounding this man- behind those eyes, there seemed to be a man lost in this world.

Taken aback, Urbosa failed to pull at his scale once more, her critiquing glance seeming to be distasteful to the man as Dolare gradually tightened his pull from her until Urbosa finally relinquished her grip, though she couldn't help but continue to stare into that man's face as she carefully stepped backward. Akis went on hyping up the crowd, but even as the man whooped and hollered, Urbosa was left with a conflicted energy from the crimson-scaled man.

"What do you plan on doing by coming here," Tovar finally demanded, stripping Urbosa from her studious stare, "You cannot honestly hope to upend an entire culture simply by bringing a man here with red scales."

Akis' face contorted with ferocity, "Maybe not me, soldier; but then again, it is not just me. Even beyond our group here, there are others far too ready to seek the prosperity only Dolare can provide through his divine mandate."

He grinned, "You only have yet to open your eyes to see them."

Tovar's eyes fell into narrow slits, surveying the threatening tone as Akis returned to the group, speaking amongst themselves as the Domain crowd began to rise to ruckus. Urbosa found her hand stroking her chin in observation at the entire ordeal, frowning distastefully as she once again ran her eyes along the man's scar. Why had the King been brought to silence? Might he truly have-..?

A sigh escaped her before she turned her attention back to where Mipha had last been standing, only to find that same spot vacated, leaving the Gerudo with a displeased shake of her head, wondering what thoughts might have been rolling around the Princess' head if she, herself, were flooded with doubt now.

As the crowd warily approached the Niq as if in sampling, leaving Tovar uncertain as to how to progress, Urbosa found a seam through the crowd, pushing her way through toward the King's Chamber, turning her head over her shoulder to find Zelda and the others having also left their spot, presumably to come here as well. She hoped, more desperately than ever, for some answered.

Hopefully answered that might quell the doubts wrestling within her mind.