A/N: I apologize for the rushed chapter. I'm torn between understanding that people don't read fan-fiction for original characters, but at the same time, BotW leaves us with VERY little in terms of in-game villainy, so I have to conjure antagonists up, but I ALSO don't want them to just be nothing-characters who are just there; I'd like to flesh them out somewhat.

So I wanted it all condensed into this single chapter, just so it's easy to skip if you'd like to return to the Champions in the next chapter, where this whole conflict will more than likely be resolved :)

Dolare stared at the flame that sat flicker atop the candlelit desk that had once been used to sign in prisoners in this cell, but much like the rest of the small space, it had become rather dilapidated by now, leaving the man with a noticeably dreadful appearance at the very thought of being here. With each pang of dripping water that hit the floor, his ears rang in unsettled anxiety; he'd spent enough of his early life in much the same conditions, and never would have wished upon his worst enemy the same outcome.

That his enemy now resided here, Lady Mipha, Peincess of the Zora, was more indicative of the plot hatched, not by him, but by his second, Akis, the fiercely loyal, silver-tongued man who had assembled this band of Niq around the central figure of Dolare. His ability to win over crowds had started the Niq, and now, it threatened the stability of Zora's Domain itself, although, as Dolare ran a couple of fingers along his scar, he remembered his own addition to the plan.

His fingers across the scar tissue sent shivers down his spine. Never before had he felt such pain, and yet, he hadn't recalled a moment more close to Akis. The two men had shared more than their time and love, after all. Even that scar, the two had shared far more darker moments alongside one another.

Dolare peered at the candle with scrutinizing eyes, focusing greatly upon the dancing flame, if only to prevent his vision from wandering along those stone walls that seemed to encase the darkest of evils within their darkened façade. He wished Akis would return soon, but knew his work was important.

The two men had always been diametrically opposed, with Dolare retaining an almost crippling attitude of introversion, while Akis was the scrappy, resourceful one that had 'adopted' Dolare as children. Raised along the coasts of south-eastern Hyrule, nobody had known of the crimson scales of royalty, and to them, such an affliction upon Dolare's scales was a source of degradation, and without Akis' intervention early on, Dolare might have met the bottom of the sea before his first decade.

As they aged, they remained much the same, though Dolare's appearance offered the two little, so long as they remained beyond the bountiful reaches of Hyrule proper. Dolare wore sickness upon his body, and by association, Akis had caught "the red" as the ocean Zora had referred to it.

The plan came soon after stories of Zora's Domain, and indeed, Zoras upon the land, came to the two's ears. So reviled were these land-walkers; tales of their very existence were sparse at best, but the more Akis head, the more Akis grew entranced. Then, on a chance meeting with a pilgrim elder, came the tale of the Zora Royalty who wore red scales, which shimmered in lithe strands across the rivers of Hyrule.

It took Akis only the briefest of seconds to recognize the resemblance within Dolare. Akis' eyes had caught him in such serenity only a few times, and yet, they had burned and impressed upon their mind so clearly.

The plan was set. They would spread tales upon the land, much in the same way those tales had once affected them, with Akis' natural penchant for oratory proving a reliable tool. Where they had no leverage beyond Dolare's scales, they sought even further evidence to be fabricated. Those stories were molded into a cult of sorts- one so easily accepted, yet so tied to good will that it would merely be innocuous.

Then the plan to forge upon Dolare's body a scar so magnificent that it would bend the eyes of even the most fervent follower of the Royals. A tactic so devious, so sure to win them freedom from the poverty, the unhindered ferocity of life among the ocean. They both wore scars, ghastly ones, yet this one would overshadow all the others.

With years of trust, and Akis' experiences skewing whales, knowing where to aim his dagger, he plummeted the knife deep into Dolare's side, battling not only this man's muscles and sinewy skin, but also the pitiful wails, the tears, the cries of anguish that overflowed from a man so able to withstand such emotion. Akis', themselves, couldn't bear to watch, their eyes locking only with Dolare's as the dagger so finely cleaved into his side, that night proving only of tremendous trauma, and yet, of such unrelenting devotion to their relationship.

For months, Dolare recovered; given their scales, such deep cuts were not usual, and as a result, Zoras weren't particularly resilient toward such wounds. Still, Dolare healed, slowly but surely, forcing Akis to wander about for food for the two of them; yet, after Dolare had recovered, it became Akis' time for recovery.

For while Akis fell in love as Dolare allowed his body to be torn into, if only to please Akis and lend credence to his wild ambitions, Dolare first fell in love as Akis willingly surrendered himself to only one man. Him. within the throes of the worst pain that could befall a Zora of Akis' lineage.

That care forced such a swell of affection upon Akis that, while born and raised female, his body began to alternate, the process of their scales being shed, torn free from his body as it contorted, molded, changed in ways Akis hadn't ever known, leaving them with such misery that Dolare's eyes would fall with combatted tears as Akis wailed, shaking back and forth, hoping for it all to end before, finally, Akis came about with such pristine skin between magnificent scales, becoming far more beauteous to Dolare now unscarred.

Their past, carved upon their bodies in the shapes of scars, ever-present reminders of all that tormented them, that kept them from lives absent from pain; that past no longer resided upon Akis' scales, leaving Dolare with symbolism all too clear as the two began their trek toward Zora's Domain.

Lost in his memories, Dolare bolted to attention as Akis stepped into the cavernous prison area, the newcomer's foot sliding across the floor with an appalled groan, trying to remove some octorok gel from between his toes.

"Gah! This temperate climate will be the death of me," he complained, shaking his head before noticing Dolare's proximity, smiling as his hands clasped together, "They didn't rough her up, did they?"

Dolare shook his head, eyes tinged with sorrow.

Akis caught his glance, softening his voice as he stepped into the cavern-like landscape, "Good, good. Nobody is our enemy here, so- Look at you."

He strode closer to Dolare, reaching up to fix his unkempt cloak, "This change in climate will have us both in deep if we're not careful, I told you."

"I know," Dolare answered with a deep voice, echoing listlessly as he frowned.

Akis nodded knowingly, pulling the thin fabric down to better cover the man's body, "All for the while, I suppose; we will have to acclimatize sooner than later. I spoke to a few Zora- They're apprehensive, but their uncertainty seems to rest within our favor. So long as we keep up the momentum we have seized."

A knowing grin spread across his face, his attention waning from their mission as he noticed Dolare's endless stare, so lost in though as he was, eliciting a small chuckle from Akis, "You're cute when you pretend that I'm not needed to care for you."

Dolare's eyes lit up behind narrowed slits, "I'll have you know-"

"That you'd be dead without me peering over your shoulder?" Akis teased with a wry twinge to his voice, "Just now; you'd have a cold by tomorrow had I not fixed your cloak."

Considering his desire to simply concede the point, Dolare instead turned away, which only answered Akis' accusation all the same, forcing the younger of the two to cross his arms, "Not that I mind at all. You've always been lost in your thoughts- in need of somebody to care for you beyond such things."

He reached out to stroke Dolare's arm, smiling, "All the more reason to give you a home where little worry will be needed."

The crimson-scaled man caught Akis' lonesome tone, "Thank you."

"For what?" Akis charged with sincerity, his mind having already left his prior words.

Dolare muttered, "For caring for me when nobody else would."

"Ah, well," Akis shrugged, his hand reaching up to conceal his curving lips, "Such things I find easy."

He examined Dolare's body, so torn and half-broken apart by ravaged scars and torn scales, Mark's of a rugged life amongst the endless ocean. His eyes turned to his own, which had appeared much the same until his transformation required the shedding of his carapace. Now, so pristine were his scales, his body.

"I only wish I've made it easy for you," he muttered with indignity, his mind shaking with uncertainty.

Dolare's eyes ran along Akis' body, quickly examining those scales that so well represented a new beginning for the two of them, before breathlessly answering, "Perhaps you've made it too easy for me."

Scoffing lightly at such an assertion, Akis turned away to hide an embarrassed smirk, leaving Dolare to confirm, "I promised you. I wouldn't allow anything to bring damage to your scales."

He ran a thumb along the ugly scar that lined his side, "I'll carry all of our scars from now on."

Akis gave a sidelong glance, "It's a good thing I adore your rough hewn form."

"That's beside the point," Dolare grumbled as he lowered his head, undoing the satchel from his wait, "I'm going to speak with the Princess again. See if I can't convince her to join our cause. Maybe some food will earn us some trust."

"T'would certainly help," Akis nodded, stepping away lightly, "I'll keep watch then. Helor and the others are keeping watch for any unforeseen incidents that might come to pass."

Dolare nodded before stepping toward the door to the cavernous prison, coming to a halt as he peered toward Akis from over his shoulder, watching his sauntering gait, cocksure as it was, as he leaned into the wall to begin his watch, forcing Dolare to smirk.

"It's a good thing I adore your new form as much as the last," Dolare offered in an attempt to leave his lover lost in thought without him.

Watching for a moment to find Akis' head tilting down to once again conceal his nerves, Dolare stepped into the prison with a careful step, shutting the door behind him. He was immediately greeted by the sickly humid air that seemed to cling to his skin, the pitter-patter of drops of water raining from the ceiling that echoed in impatient cacophony.

His immediate reaction was to frown. He was not in favor of this particular part of the plan, and now seeing the horrid conditions of the prison, his stomach churned further. He had hoped for a more diplomatic approach, perhaps in a bid to win favor and shelter from these Zoras of the land, but Akis had long been sure, convinced, at that, that these far more noble and prestigious beings would never accept the filthy vermin of the ocean. Even as they arrived, noticing how well-kept these Zoras beneath their armor, Dolare couldn't help but think that Akis may yet be correct.

Still, it hurt to know they were holding anybody, much less a Princess, in such squalor.

As he came to her prison cell, Dolare's eyes shrunk in examination, finding Mipba where he had last left her. She seemed so dignified in contrast to his own red scales; even beyond her lithe, feminine shape, her scales were without imperfection, while Dolare wore jagged, ugly things, well built for the rough existence beneath the sea, but they did little for appearances nonetheless.

"Princess," arose his thickeningly deep voice that seemed to reverberate the very walls surrounding the two of them.

Mipha didn't move beyond her eyes peering upward toward him, a stern glance shooting toward him. Despite his sorrowful imprisonment of this innocent being, Dolare couldn't help but be curious. From the tales relayed by Akis, these Zora knew nothing of hardship; their ornate, self-sustaining home said it all. Yet this little thing eyed him with the solemn viciousness of a caged animal, waiting for any split second of an opening.

"Do you mean to threaten me?" Dolare's voice bellowed evenly, "Even as you're sitting there, caged?"

Mipha replied with a voice as still as lake water, "Come in here and we'll see how threatening I can become."

Dolare grinned at her ferocity, a trait he himself wished he'd had himself, "I told Pakor that your imprisonment was to keep them out as much as it was to keep you in. I'm afraid their tales of you have become rather…"

He cleared his throat, "Unbecoming, I'll put it that way. I dread the thought of one of them getting any ideas."

Mipha challenged, still with a deadpan voice, "So you just came here just to share with me this disturbing information?"

"No," the man shook his head dismissively, "I brought you a meal. We can't have you withering away in here, can we?"

Mipha's brow furrowed, "I can."

Such determined defiance forced the man to run a hand along his face in thought, "If you thought that information a second ago was worrisome- I do know ways to get you to eat. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness."

Scoffing, Mipha shook her head, "Sorry, I missed out on your kindness somewhere between your friend's speech and my kidnapping."

"Only to keep you safe, Princess, I assure you," the man nodded, his voice still carrying no emotion, "I sat around those bonfires with my band for decades, all of them so loyal. We'd all scraped through the world to survive; but Akis knew they'd need something to keep them going. So he regaled them with stories of Zora's Domain, the mighty mountains of Lanayru; how better everything would be when we finally returned home. After so long, however, even the strongest loyalties need be stoked."

The man's eyes narrowed, the ridge between his eyes bowing ever so slightly in a demonstration of how serious he was, "What my men have said about what they would do to you, the Princess of the Zora, once our return had occurred… You'd best accept my generosity, before I decide to allow them to decide how best to treat you."

He reached a hand through the grating of the cell door and dropped a Hylian carp to the ground with a WHAP, the creature still flopping around only weakly to signal its freshness, "I plan on creating a brighter future for our people- not just my people, but all of us Zora. Perhaps, soon enough, you'll understand the advantages of taking to me more kindly."

The man turned his head down the hallway as if to check on something before returning his attention toward Mipha, "Let's just hope I don't have to bring my Niq in here to convince you just how respectful I am in comparison."

Dolare nodded his head toward her, as if in reaction to her title as Princess rather than her personage, before turning to leave, shaking his head. He seemed to have made the situation worse, he thought, groaning to himself while massaging his face. Stepping toward the doorway to the prison, Dolare reached out to make his exit, just about to-

"Hey."

Dolare came to an abrupt halt, returning his gaze toward the prison before strolling backward, his curiosity stinging the back of his mind.

"What," he spoke less as a question than an order.

Mipha stood up, the first movement he had seen her make, an uncertain expression resting upon her face as she crossed her arms, speaking with soft authority, "What do you fancy yourself? A god, like the Niq say?"

A nervous chuckle left Dolare as he lowered his head, "God or not, my intentions remain the same."

"But you speak of tales and legends of this land," Mipha reminded, "Surely you came to take the Master Sword and prove your worth to the whole of Zorana."

Dolare's eyes narrowed, the man desperately clinging onto his air of supremacy while his mind began to churn with confusion at her words, hoping for her to continue so that he would be unable to prove his uncertainty with his words.

Sure enough, Mipha continued, "Did you not notice it within the throne room? It might be tucked away, but-"

Her lips turned with frightful concern, "-only those worthy can wield. For as long as I could remember, my father had handled it, yet-"

Mipha's eyes wandered up toward Dolare, "He's been unable to these last few moons. I've wracked my brain thinking of why that might be, but- Perhaps-"

She came to a full stop, holding just enough out there for Dolare to reel in on his own, the man's brow having furrowed at her words. As if having something to hide, Mipha suddenly spun away, leaving all the crumbs for Dolare to pick up as she allowed a subtle grin upon her face now that she was beyond his view.

Without a word, Dolare stepped away, rolling away as though had piqued his interest. He had heard her words, and yet, he knew better than to take her at such things. He skulked toward the door slowly, chewing his tongue as he thought, finally exiting back into Akis' view.

"My love, what's wrong?" Akis wondered, immediately noting the infinite worlds Dolare's mind was navigating at that moment.

Dolare sighed, "Nothing, just- In all those tales you picked up- Did something called the Master Sword ever come up?"

Turning to face Dolare, Akis' forehead wrinkled in thought as his eyes wandered, "I believe so… Was it that sword that cannot be tamed by just anyone?"

With a look of fright at Mipha's words having been conformed, Dolare injected a sharp breath, "That-!"

In a haste, he strode toward Akis, his rapid movement leaving him breathless, "It's there. In the throne room."

"What?"

"The sword! It-! She just said-!"

"She speaks lies, Dolare," Akis shrugged, "She's simply trying to make fools of us."

"No, no," Dolare asserted, "She knows I'm just an ocean whelp! She would have no reason to lie to me in such a way! I know nothing of swords or of magic, or-"

An air of worry grew upon his words, "She- She knows I'm nothing but a stupid ocean bar-"

Akis took a sharp hold of Dolare's arm, pulling him in close with a forceful tug that silenced the man, leaving Akis to speak in whispers, "You fell in love with me. You're not stupid, you're not worthless."

He reached a hand up to stroke Dolare's face, "You're worth everything to me."

Dolare took in a moment's breath as Akis left his cheek, the younger man groaning, "Look, if you want to go do your digging, that is fine by me. I need to rest after today's events, so I'll hang back until Avoh returns, okay?"

"Okay," Dolare finished with a sigh, his concerned frown turning slightly upward as he confirmed, "Don't wait up."

"When have I ever," Akis teased, "Go. Have your fun."

Dolare accepted the command with a listless smile before nodding and starting off back down the winding cliff path back to Zora's Domain.

The moon now cradled high up in the night sky, Zora's Domain was all but silent as its denizens retired for the night, retreating to the basin below to sleep, leaving only the children and their caretakers atop the Domain's sheen-covered home atop the waters, resting in the far more manageable waters of the tidepools. Aside from any visitors, of course, this left the whole of Zorana in a whispered existence, a far cry from the constant hustle and bustle of the Hylians and Gorons, and even the Rito when the mood would strike them to remain awake this late into the evening. For the Gerudo, too, this became the only possible time for many of their projects, leaving the Zora as the sole settlement where everything would come to a pause.

This made for a rather gentle time in these parts, albeit with an uneasy air, particularly for visitors. While it made Dolare's task easier, it also left him with those same nerves that often accompanied traders who stayed for the night, only to be left alone to their own devices. For a newcomer such as himself, it was a dissonant oddity compared to life beyond the shores, where, at any moment, any larger being could be eying you for a meal. This silence, save for the gentle beating of the water's heartbeat as waterfalls fell into pools, allowed contemplation that might have been utterly foreign to Dolare just weeks earlier.

Among the moonlit avenues of ramparts, he found his way to the throne room, its doors held open in preparation for Dorephan's return in the morning, though now, it seemed an ironic twist, now that Dolare strolled in through its threshold, his eyes barely aiming toward the throne as he gave a cursory glance along the room's expanse, hunting for that sword.

There it was.

His lips curled as he slowed, his feet nearly sliding along the floor as he reverently approached the weapon, its shape gleaming in the moonlight as if to signify its importance. His eyes fell, unable to glance at it for too long, lest the fear within him were to swell to magnanimous proportions.

But what had he to fear?

The thought confused him. He lifted his gaze to stare upon the sword, but not long after, his arms began to tremble. What if he were to fail? What if, for all their sacrifices; for all the trials that had now marked his body in unending disgust- What if he were to fail?

But then, those trials had given Dolare a man for more beautiful than he had any right to gaze upon.

A courageous sigh escaped him as he stepped toward the sword which sat unsheathed atop the King's desk, his hand reaching out, pausing for a moment's tremble above its handle. Dolare bit his lip as his breaths became unkiltered, shaking, waving in the cool air.

What if it worked?

He tasted blood as his fangs bit ever more fervently into his lip, finally dropping his open palm to take the sword and lift it, his eyes blowing open wide in terror as he stepped backward, tossing the sword away before his fright caused him to trip backward, slamming into the ground and pushing himself further away in a horrified distress that gradually waned as he distanced himself. His breaths were rushed in impending dread, a choking swallow allowing him to gain some semblance of where he currently was.

What if, after all Akis had done for him, he would ultimately fail?

What if these crimson scales were a curse, just as everybody had once said?

His eyes locked upon the sword laying across the room, Dolare finally allowed himself to blink while his breaths steadied, examining the room further before scurrying to his feet. He stared at the sword, his mind churning up a plague of fear, self-consciousness, and crippling anxiety.

What if, as weak as Akis' plan to conquer this Domain was, his hold on Akis was just as weak. What if this plan were the only thing keeping the two of them bound together?

He turned away, terrified as ever as he stepped out from the throne room, the power that had singed his hand leaving him wishing they had never left the ocean. The two of them had each other then; now, they had the gods of Hyrule to contend with as well.

They had their fates.