Woodland Village – Western Outskirts

The corpses laid on the ground for a moment, long gashes across the red skin not oozing a single drop of blood, before the three of them burst into a thousand tiny black pieces. A sweep of the wind, and they were gone, any trace of their existence cleared away from the world.

Link still wasn't used to the sight of slain monsters disappearing into thin air. He wasn't sure why. It felt like he was always expecting something else, something bloodier, fleshier than just a bit of dark glitters. As if the... the texture of monsters had changed ever since he'd woken up. Then again, maybe that was just another detail he'd forgotten.

One among many, many other details.

As unnatural as it felt to him though, he'd been told that it was a relatively normal happening. Something to do with a calamity's curse, or a hero, or, or something. Truthfully, Link had had no idea what the traveler had been talking about that day. He'd already felt awkward asking about the monsters, he hadn't felt like pushing his luck by asking anymore questions. Especially with how the traveler had broached the topics like they were common knowledge. And especially after said traveler had taken out a piece of sweet bread from his pack, tearing it in two halves and handing him one. That had been enough to let the questions completely slip from his mind.

Yet, faced once more with the mysterious phenomenon, he couldn't help but wonder what was up with these monsters' weird dying ways. There was definitely something fishy going on, he could feel it. Link trusted his instincts.

Not that he had much else to rely on at this point.

"That. Was. Absolutely. Awesome." Link turned to the excited voice on his left, startling when he found himself face to face with a black Zora, who had gotten very close all of a sudden. "How did you do that? You just went swoosh and whoop and, and, wow! Wait until Bazz sees this, he'll totally drop a scale!"

The blond Hylian had no idea how to react to the Zora's babbling. Luckily, he was saved from having to say anything when another voice cut in.

"Swoosh and whoop? Was that really all you could come up with, Rivan?" The red Zora seemed amused, addressing his companion. "There has to be better words to describe our champion's feat." He turned to him, a sparkle of something Link couldn't identify in his eyes. "Magnificent, to say the least."

"Yes, that," the other readily agreed. "Are you a royal guard? A mercenary? No ordinary villager could ever have that kind of talent! Who are you really?"

The red Zora placed a chastising hand on his eager companion. "Forgive my friend's manners, he tends to forget himself when the excitement gets to his head. His name is Rivan, and mine Sidon." He gave a wide smile. "May we ask yours?"

The Hylian made sure to be very subtle about taking a step back –that Rivan fellow was just a tiny bit too close for his taste. "I'm Link," he then answered.

I think, he didn't say.

"Link," Sidon repeated, as if tasting the name on his lips. He nodded. "Honor to meet you, Link."

"Yes, totally!" Rivan followed, grabbing Link's free hand in both of his own. "Can I shake your hand? That's what Hylians do, right? Can I?"

The flustered Hylian was mercifully spared once more when another voice resounded from further away. "Prince Sidon!" A silver Zora appeared from behind a tree, followed closely by another black one. "Are you quite alright?"

Her eyes swept quickly over the red Zora's figure before switching to Rivan's hands over Link's. Her eyes thinned significantly. "What are you doing?"

Rivan seemed too cheerful to care about her incriminating tone. He turned his attention toward the other black Zora. "Bazz, you have to see this! Link's blade's the fastest I've seen in my life! He's awesome!"

Bazz, the second black Zora, nodded serenely. "I'm sure. Why don't you let go of his hand first?"

"Uh? Oh, right." Rivan finally freed his hand, a sheepish smile on his lips. "Sorry about that, I get carried away easily."

The silver Zora sighed. "Understatement of the century."

The glare Rivan sent her way soon morphed into a heated argument, which Link had no qualms about tuning out completely. He'd somehow thought that the Zora were a relatively quiet race, but it seemed like his knowledge of the world was proven wrong again. Another forgotten detail, maybe.

"Bazz, do we have any red potions left?"

The black Zora turned toward his prince, perplexed. "Er, no. We gave all we had to the doctor earlier. He seemed to be in need of some."

Sidon frowned. "Let's hope he still hasn't used all of them then." He gestured to the blond Hylian's shoulder. "It doesn't seem too bad, but you probably ought to get it checked by the doctor."

Link unconsciously grabbed his right shoulder at the Zora's words. He'd almost forgotten about the hit he'd received during the fight. The only one actually. He'd gotten distracted by the red Zora's appearance, wondering for a second if he was friend or foe; the Zora was tall. "I'm fine," he said, without really thinking about it. But it didn't hurt that much, so it was probably true anyway.

"There's no harm in being cautious, my friend!" Sidon gave him a grin full of razor-sharp teeth. Link wasn't too sure what to make of it. "Now, let's go back to the village. The Bokoblins have been cleared?"

Bazz nodded. "All that could be seen, anyway."

"That's good to hear." He started walking back toward the village, Bazz at his side and Rivan and the silver Zora at his heels, still arguing. Link ended up walking between Sidon and Bazz, having no idea how the particular arrangement had come to be. A retreating red hand at his side let him have his suspicions though. "Although... I wonder what such a number of monsters were doing here in the first place. That's a rare occurrence, not to say a worrying one."

"Their weapons weren't sloppy either. They clearly came prepared." The black Zora side-eyed his prince. "I have a bad feeling about this, Sidon. Something big's coming."

"I hear you, my friend. I hear you all too well..."

The silence stretched. Even the two behind them had stopped arguing. Link felt impossibly awkward, stuck in the middle of a conversation that was both heavy and strangely intimate.

He felt really small too. That was arguably worse.

Soon enough, they were reaching the village again. The amount of people coming and going had considerably increased, as well as the number of patients getting treated by the doctor. Thankfully, some of the villagers who had chosen to remain hidden during the attack, especially the children, were now out and diligently helping the busy man. No Bokoblins were in sight. Just as the red Zora had said, they had all been 'cleared'.

A voice called out to him before he could even think about escaping. "Link! You're safe!"

It was the red-haired villager who'd been with him when they'd stumbled upon the Moblins. Talo, if he remembered right. Link cringed a little as he took in the bloodied bandage wrapping his arm. He could have protected him better. He should have.

"I'm glad you're alright! Did you really get rid of the Moblins?" He asked.

The blond Hylian nodded just as Rivan chirped in excitedly. "You should've seen him, almost didn't need our help!"

Talo frowned a bit confusedly, before smiling. "That's great. Hope they'll stop coming at us for good this time. Twice in a row is getting hard to deal with..."

"Are you hurt?" The doctor asked, cutting in the conversation without any warning. He eyed the Zora before taking a look at Link, who had to resist the urge to step back.

"We're alright, but Link seems to have taken a hit to the shoulder. I'm afraid it might bruise." Sidon sent him a concerned glance.

The blond Hylian appreciated the thought but certainly not the gesture. "I'm fine," he repeated.

The doctor asked for him to come over with a grunt. When Link didn't comply immediately, he glared. "Well, what are you waiting for? Don't make me lose my time, I don't have enough as it is!"

The Zora gave him a curious glance, and he sighed internally. He walked forward, figuring he might as well drink whatever potion the doctor would give him and get it over with. When he reached a hand toward the grey-haired Hylian, however, he was only given another annoyed stare. "What's that hand for?" He waved his arm impatiently. "Get your tunic off. Can't heal what I can't see, can I?"

Get his tunic off. Get his tunic off? There was no way he was getting his tunic off.

Seeing as Link was frozen on the spot, the doctor reached for his temple in a show of soothing a headache. "Ah, for Hylia's sake. Do you not understand common language? Get on with it already!"

He reached for Link's tunic as he spoke, trying to get rid of it himself, but the blond Hylian grabbed his hand before he could do so. The doctor was momentarily stunned, but his wits came back in a beat and he reached for it with his other hand. Link grabbed it as well, effectively restraining the confused man's movement.

"What are you–" The doctor huffed, his tired eyes suddenly revived by sparkles of irritation. "Stubborn brat, won't you take it off!" He pushed his hands forward, trying to grab for the tunic's hem again with a force that almost caught Link off guard. But he wouldn't let himself get outdone by an old man. Not entirely sure where he was going with this, but refusing to budge, he pushed in return. Which lead the man to push back. And Link to push again. And again. Until they were both groaning with the effort.

The blond Hylian briefly wondered what on Hyrule he was doing.

As he was busy arm-wrestling with the mad doctor, Link heard an urgent voice call from behind a house. "Doctor, there's an unconscious woman over there! Come quick!" Link was a bit surprised to see it was Rivan, who'd apparently left his prince's side while he wasn't looking.

The doctor's grip faltered. He cast a glare toward the Zora, seemingly hesitating, before Sidon laid a giant hand on his shoulder. "We'll take care of things here. Please go."

The mad doctor finally left, much to Link's relief. He was starting to feel tired, and he wanted to leave for some quieter place as soon as possible. Just as he turned to the red Zora, wondering how he'd be able to arm-wrestle his way out of an arm of this size, he saw that the Zora was giving him a conspiratorial smile. "As I said, we'll take care of him. Please go rest." He handed him a red potion and winked.

Link wasn't sure what to say. He took the potion, nodded his gratitude and left, the image of the winking Zora not leaving his mind for some reason.

The blond Hylian ventured further and further from the commotion, eventually reaching the river. There, he kneeled and cupped some of the clear water in his hands. The water felt cool as he splashed it over his face, relieved to get rid of the sweat that had accumulated there. He did so a few more times, simply enjoying the feeling, before he stopped and stared at the ripples he'd made. It took no longer than a few seconds for the surface of the water to smoothen, eventually reflecting a slightly swaying version of his face. Link gazed at it, taking in the details of his eyes, nose, mouth and ears all over again.

He hated that face.

The feeling of loathing inside him grew stronger and stronger as he peered at himself, tensing his hurting shoulder and filling his mouth with acid. The scar on his abdomen began pulsing, searing hot, as his nails dug into the wet earth beneath, harder, deeper, aching to move and reach out and rip it apart –

He closed his eyes shut. Breathed in. Out. In and out again, until his fingers finally relaxed and the burning of his scar subsided. He knew he shouldn't do this to himself. Every time he'd look at that face, the same thing would happen. He knew it and yet, he was just so curious. He wanted to know who he was, what he was. He wanted answers to so many questions, but he wouldn't get any if he couldn't even stare at his face for more than five seconds, would he?

He sighed, a wave of helplessness gripping at him again. Eventually, he sat on his bottom and reached for the ground behind him with his hands, leaning heavily on it. As he did so, he heard a small thump at his side.

Looking down, he saw the vial of red potion rolling out of his pocket and into the grass.

He grabbed it before it could roll too far. Holding it up to his eyes, he peered through the shining, crimson liquid. The shape of the glass would only let him see a hint of his reflection, distorted and discolored. For a second, he was worried the same thing would happen again, but the sight didn't bring up any of his earlier emotions. Instead, he was reminded once again of the winking Zora, with bright red scales and toothy smiles.

He snorted softly, opened the vial and drank it down.

Woodland Village – Northern Plaza

Sidon watched as the small figure turned and left, quickly disappearing behind a row of houses. He felt amused, yet slightly disappointed. He'd have liked to talk to him some more, if possible. There was something intriguing about the quiet Hylian, something almost familiar. The man hadn't seemed in the mood for a conversation, however, and Sidon figured he could always try again later. He had other matters to take care of at the moment.

Mainly, making sense of the unexpected monster invasion.

He turned to the young man with the injured arm. "Would you mind telling me what you meant earlier by 'twice in a row'? Has this happened before?"

The red-haired Hylian sighed, cradling his arm mechanically. "Yeah, about a week ago. We were attacked by a group of Bokoblins, more than we'd ever seen since the Fall of the Calamity. They had wooden clubs and bows, same as today. No Moblins though... I don't get it. Why're there so many monsters nowadays? Just when everybody's busy with the Ceremony too..."

Sidon raised a hand to his chin. "This is worrying indeed. The Domain has observed a surge of monster activity around our lands as well. Just what could be the cause of this..."

"I doubt we can reach a conclusion by ourselves, my Prince." Sidon looked up at the sound of Gaddison's voice. "Discussing this at the Ceremony could prove useful, in this case."

He nodded. "I agree. This doesn't sound like a local problem anymore. Perhaps the Champions could provide us with some explanations."

"Should we depart now?" Bazz asked, spear at the ready. "We might be able to reach Castle Town before dark, if we don't waste too much time."

The red Prince debated the suggestion for a moment. It was true that, the situation being as it was, leaving for Gerudo Town as soon as possible would have been for the best. They had to share their observations with the Champions and find a solution to the concerning uprising before it got any worse. Sidon wasn't sure it was the best idea, however; his comrades, and himself, were quite weary from a day of continuous swimming and a battle on top. Moreover, he didn't feel entirely comfortable leaving the villagers to fend for themselves after withstanding so much damage. There was always the chance of a second wave coming out during the night, and Goddesses knew how dire that outcome would be.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a small squeak. The doctor was coming back, scowling as he dragged Rivan by one of his side head fins. "I swear she was –ack– there but then she woke up and– ow ow wait! Let go, please?"

Once the doctor arrived in front of Sidon, he let go of Rivan's fin with a jerk and glared at the prince. Sidon suddenly felt a little scared. And a little sorry, too, as he watched Rivan massage his fin with a grimace. "Tricked me, did you? Very smart, yes. But please take your princely pranks elsewhere, I'm a busy man. Now, if you don't need anything, get out of my face. This place is for patients, not idlers. Shoo."

Sidon had to praise the man's audacity; not everyone would dare talk to a prince like this. Then again, he didn't mind it much, for the red Zora preferred it this way. He waved a warning hand toward Rivan, who undoubtedly was about to chastise the man for his rudeness, and offered a wide, bright smile to the angry Hylian. "I hope you don't put it against us, Doctor, we certainly didn't do it with bad intentions. I offer my apologies all the same."

The man mellowed a little, though whether it was from the Zora's words or from the Zora's smile wasn't exactly clear. Sidon's two rows of teeth could be quite intimidating, at times.

The party of Zora eventually left the doctor's side after exchanging a fraternizing glance with the young red head. Rivan was still cradling his fin as he sulked. "Didn't have to grab me that hard. Zora's fins are sensitive, doesn't he even know that? Talk about being a doctor..."

"Distracting him was your idea, though. You got what you asked for." Gaddison, as usual, didn't miss the chance to tease the black Zora. Much to the latter's chagrin.

"So, you're saying I should have let Link struggle against that madman? I have compassion, unlike others."

"I'm not saying you did a bad thing," she said nonchalantly. "Just that you had about a dozen smarter ways to do it."

"Oh, really? Then how about you tell me how Miss Heroine here would have done it, huh? Let's hear it."

She shrugged. "What for? It's too late now. Better ask for my advice sooner next time." With this, she smirked and turned away; knowing perfectly that her behavior would only infuriate the black Zora further.

Sidon and Bazz were used to it enough to know when to stop listening. The guard turned to him instead, face as inexpressive as always. "As expected of the charismatic Prince Sidon. You really don't get angry."

"What do you–" The red Zora answered his own question mid-sentence. "About the Doctor, you mean?" He laughed. "Getting angry for so little would be foolish. Do I look that immature to you?"

"I know some councilmen who'd never have let that slide." Sidon cringed at the inadvertent slander, knowing fully well that Bazz's words were true. Some councilmen could be... strict, when it came to reverence. "Makes what can actually trigger your anger all the more frightening."

The red Zora abruptly stopped in his tracks. His mind glitched for a second as he looked down at his guard, registering the words, swallowing them, conjuring them, condemning them. He cast the thoughts away as soon as they appeared.

"Frightening indeed," he murmured, before resuming his walk.

Bazz's expression hadn't changed, except for the tiniest bit of apprehension visible in the thinning of lips. Sidon pretended not to notice. Instead, he focused his mind on the pressing matter at hand. "I believe we should spend the night in the village. We can leave for the desert at dawn tomorrow."

Bazz followed after him, accepting the change of subject for what it was –a command. "Understood. I will see with the villagers for a suitable accommodation."

The prince nodded. "Make sure to pay them sufficiently. Hylians tend to get shy when the royalty is involved." The image of the doctor suddenly came to his mind. Well, most Hylians anyway.

Before the guard could respond, an unfamiliar voice rang from behind. "Excuse me," it said, and Sidon turned around to face the white Rito he'd caught a glance of earlier during the battle. "I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation. Could it be that you're heading to the Ceremony?"

The Rito's voice was deep and smooth, an air of maturity surrounding him. The bow hanging at his back seemed rather sophisticated too, though Sidon was far from an expert in that area. "Yes, that is indeed the case. Why?"

"I thought so," the Rito said, nodding sagely. "My name is Teba."

Woodland Village – River's Shore

The breeze was cool, ruffling his bangs and clothes as it swept over him. No sounds, except for the rustling of tree leaves and the soft sloshing of the river. If he paid close enough attention, he could also hear echoes of voices from afar. But Link let the sounds brush over him like silent waves, preferring to let go of his senses as he dithered between sleep and daydream. When he was like this, time would stop, as well as his thoughts and the world around him. Nothing mattered anymore. Even the images haunting him would blur together, no longer discernible from each other. No longer a threat. Only blissful quiet.

His ears perked at the soft crunching of grass next to him, but he refused to open his eyes, even as he heard the telltale thump of someone sitting. He was too comfortable to wake up from his nap just yet. The person would give up and leave eventually. Hopefully.

Or at least, that's what he thought until he caught a whiff of a very nice smell. He blinked his eyes open instinctively.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were sleeping." Link looked up to see the red Zora smiling down at him. "Did I wake you?"

He did wake him, but there was no real point in telling him that, so Link dodged the question by simply sitting up and looking around. The night had well and truly settled, a smidge of moonlight showing behind the clouds. As he turned to the Zora again, he took in the sight of two wooden bowls nested in the Zora's laps. They were filled with a clear orange concoction, white and green morsels swimming around in it as its delicious aroma wafted all the way to his nostrils.

His face must have betrayed his thinking because Sidon handed him one without delay. "This is fish stew. The villagers made it, to celebrate their victory. I thought you might like some."

He took the steaming bowl in both hands, hoping he wasn't drooling yet. "Thank you," he said rapidly, before taking a careful sip of the warm liquid.

Ah, heaven.

The Zora let out a laugh. "I'm guessing you like it, then. I've rarely seen someone enjoy fish stew as much as you do."

The Hylian nodded. "It's delicious."

"Quite. Their clams are direct exports from the Lanayru Sea, after all. Those are exquisite." Pausing to take a sip of his own bowl, he added, "although the chef's skills play a big part as well." He then peered at his stew, musing. "How interesting. There's an unusual flavor to this..." Picking out a small dry leaf from his bowl, he looked it over curiously. "A leaf?"

"Thyme," Link said.

"Thyme?" Sidon continued to stare at the herb. "I see, we don't use this ingredient in the Domain." He then proceeded to eat the thyme leaf, under the incredulous eyes of the Hylian next to him.

"It's," Link started, before hesitating. Sidon watched him curiously as he munched on the dry leaf. "You're... not supposed to eat it."

"Ah." The Zora swallowed anyway, laughing. "Explains the lack of taste. I take it you have some knowledge of cooking, then?"

Link shrugged. "Not really," he said, yet couldn't hide the smile forming on his lips. In this world full of things he had no memories of, it felt nice being the knowledgeable one, for a change. "But I like it."

"I could see that." The Zora's eyes crinkled a little with amusement. Link made no further comment, giving his full attention to the awaiting bowl of food in his hands. Sidon did the same, and they ate in silence, sitting on the grass while the river gently lapped at their feet.

Link was a fast eater though, and predictably finished his meal first. Having nothing better to do as he mourned his departed supper, he fixed his gaze on the Zora at his side, absently studying him. The other Zora had called him a prince, which wasn't so surprising looking at the abundant jewelry covering the man. His gait was firm yet flexible, his back curving with the elegance of an experienced swimmer. What caught the Hylian's eyes the most were the luxurious red scales covering most of his body. Although not very visible in the darkness of the night, they reflected the pallor of the moon in such a way that Link felt the sudden urge to touch them, if only to confirm they weren't made of water themselves.

He was so focused that the sound of Sidon's voice made him jump. "I wonder how many new flavors I will discover during this trip. I hear the Gerudo cook very refined meals. I'm looking forward to it."

"The Gerudo?" Link repeated, if only to pretend he hadn't been ogling at the Zora just a moment ago.

Sidon mercifully didn't comment on his jumpy behavior, if he noticed it at all. "Yes. My companions and I are traveling South, to Gerudo Town. We are attending the Ceremony there."

Link's heartbeat settled as he heard those words. It wasn't the first time someone had told him about this particular ceremony, though Link had never truly figured out what it entailed. "The ceremony of..." What was it again? "...the heroic..." He racked his brain for what was next, to no avail.

Sidon spared him the effort when he completed, "Of the Hero's Blessing, yes." He gave Link a curious glance. "Have you never been to a Ceremony before?"

The Hylian shook his head, embarrassment creeping up his pointed ears. When the Zora asked him why, he simply answered, "Never had the chance."

Sidon hummed thoughtfully, before offering another of his large smiles. "Well, I highly recommend you try and go, someday. I'm certain you'll like it, if only for the amount of exotic food you'll be able to taste."

That elicited a small laugh from Link; the Zora seemed to know perfectly well how to convince him. To be honest, he'd been quite curious since the first time he'd heard about it. Only, he'd thought recovering his memories would come as a priority before any sightseeing. Now though...

It'd been close to three weeks. Three weeks of roaming like a vagabond in search of something he had no idea how to find, barely getting by with what he could rummage from the wilds and mind full of questions and doubts he had no one to share with. Three weeks of nothing were starting to feel like a long time for the Hylian. He hated to admit it, but he was getting weary. Maybe, a change of pace wouldn't be so bad, he thought as he traced the outline of his bowl with a distracted thumb. Maybe...

"Could you tell me about it?" He licked his lips, not meeting the Zora's eyes. "About the ceremony."

Sidon looked down from where he'd been staring at the clouds, a soft smile forming on his lips. "Of course. What would you like to know?"

The Hylian gave a shrug. "Anything." Everything.

"Hmm." Sidon brought one hand to his chin, thinking. "Well, I suppose you must already know that the Ceremony's main purpose is to celebrate the sacrifice of the Hero as he defeated the Calamity." Link hadn't known that, but he didn't mention it. "However, there is another objective behind this ceremony. By bringing all the races together around a single event, it not only serves as a diplomatic measure to maintain the communication between each leader, but also as an economical boost to the entire lands, as merchants and traders from everywhere around the world momentarily assemble at a single place. This is also why they alternate the Ceremony's location every time." He pointed behind him in the direction of Death Mountain. "Actually, six years ago, it was held just there, in Eldin Canyon. The last one was in Castle Town, and this year is in Gerudo Town, which is why a lot of people are very excited. It's the only occasion for males of all races to visit the renowned capitol, after all." He paused, scratching his neck somewhat sheepishly. "But, ah, you most likely knew all that already. I must admit, I'm not entirely sure what I should tell you."

The blond Hylian drank the words like a man in the desert. He hadn't known any of that, and the more he learned, the more he wanted to ask. What was the Calamity? Who was the Hero? What kind of wares were traded and what kind of food was served? How could they let males enter Gerudo Town? Why Eldin Canyon? What about last year? Had Sidon gone too? Had Sidon gone to all of them? How many had been held anyway? And why, if it was a recurrent thing, couldn't he remember a single one?

He shook his head eagerly, avid to hear more. "No, it's fine. Go on."

The Zora met his eyes, not saying anything as his expression turned thoughtful. After a moment when Link feared nothing more would come, he spoke up, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Link, if you are so curious, why don't you go and see it for yourself?"