The Champions' bedraggled gait somehow made it to the dejure entryway into Zora's Domain: the Inogo Bridge, the final landmark crossed underneath by the Zora River before crashing into the tumultuous waters of the Rutala River. More importantly, it marked the first sight of Zoran architecture for any outsiders not privy to such magnificence. While luminous stones made their way toward a wider population, the ore being used in construction remained a peculiarity to most outside the Domain itself, and if one were to inquire further enough, they might learn that the Zoras themselves new little of the craft.

"We inherited much of the Domain," Mipha explained with a learned air, "So far long ago that our ancestors weren't able to keep any written records of who constructed these bridges, or the Domain itself. We know the Zora began by living atop the mountains before descending to the basin below, but other than that, much is unknown to us."

Daruk nodded attentively as he approached the large, crystalline structure at the bridge's fore, "This watchtower is truly magnificent!"

Smirking, Urbosa challenged amusedly, "Hold on, buddy; it's not a salt lick."

Forced to compose himself, Daruk cleared his throat, "I suppose you believe I'd make of meal of any rock that crosses my-"

He paused under the knowing sight of the others, resigning himself to simply examining the tower once more, "The luster, the masterwork that went into such smooth surfaces; it's wonderful!"

"That was our first hint that our ancestors couldn't have constructed these," Mipha confirmed easily, "Beyond that, we were borne by, and constricted to, the water; it would have been impossible for such things to have been made by us on land. Still, it's 'Zoran' by association, and just as well- it's become a part of us."

She smiled at the thought, the luminous object reminding her of home, "However it came to us…it's still our home."

"And that's all that matters, Zora," Urbosa triumphantly replied with a regal tone, crossing her arms in a motion of authority, "Well, before Daruk makes a snack of your home, shall we cross?"

"B'ey!" Daruk shouted through the finger in his mouth, having rubbed whatever he could from the ore's vibrant surface.

Revali frowned at the sight, dropping his head, "I can see us making ill impressions in the domain of this Gerudo- after all, she is their leader. But I won't have you making a mockery of myself when it comes to these Zora. Despite their disadvantages, I admire their ability to take what they are offered and make the most of their seafaring nature; they don't merely remain idle, wishing to soar as we Rito do."

Taking the backhanded compliment in stride, having learned to do so, Mipha managed a quick reply to Urbosa's suggestion, "Actually, this is where we stop for the moment. Being the first bridge toward the Domain, and as presupposed by the two watchtowers, Inogo Bridge is under constant surveillance, even if we may not see our hosts."

In a blithering annoyance, Revali threw a wing toward Daruk, "See?! You've made a mockery even as we stand here!"

Daruk shrugged, "How so? Would it not be a compliment to tell them how tasty their structures are?"

Wholly unable to comprehend whether or not Daruk was serious, Revali returned his wings to his chest, crossing them only until realizing Urbosa's similar stance and dropping them to his side, lowering his head to groan in frustration.

"Where might they be?" Zelda wondered as she strolled toward the river's edge, examining the rolling waters below.

Mipha smiled rather pleasantly for her explanation, "They're probably checking to see if I've not simply been kidnapped and made to be a puppet or sorts."

"But-" Zelda stammered with quiet horror, "You're their princess!"

Giggling, Mipha nodded, "True. but even my life is not worth the security of our entire population. Particularly now that we've a formal heir in my brother; until he spawned, the story right now might be entirely different."

"But then," Link noted plainly, "You wouldn't be here at all were that not the case."

She smiled peacefully, thinking of the meaning behind his words, "That might very well be true…"

Urbosa's eyes constricted as she attempted to make out the pathway beyond the bridge, "Looks simple enough a trek now that I'm seeing it. Were we all Zora at the moment; I've seen your people's mastery over the most furious of currents!"

Hiding a scoff was Revali as Mipha smiled with innocent pride, "Well, some Zora train their entire lives to perform such things."

"What should happen after we're approached?" Zelda asked quizzically as she attempted to piece together the rest of the excursion until the Domain.

Mipha's head turned upriver, examining the currents with a pensive expression, "I suppose I leave you all to make your way up the river yourselves. We'll need passage upriver, and I dare not burden our wardens here. It'll be quicker for me to begin preparations for your arrival if I swim up alone."

"That's what we get for going along without a solid plan," Urbosa pointed out with a frown, "Still, I'm rather miffed by how tight the security seems to be around here. It's not as if we're stragglers, either; I mean, you've got the Princess of Hyrule right here."

She reached out a hand as if in presentation toward Zelda, though the young woman's puzzled, scrunched face belied any sort of austere beauty that Urbosa might have been demonstrating. Still, Urbosa returned her attention to Mipha as the Zora answered.

"W-Well, it's not so much you three, Urbosa, Daruk, and Revali. We're actually quite welcoming of Gorons and Rito especially. It, uh- You two…"

Sensing how difficult such a divisive topic was for her to explain, Link offered his own critique, "Some of the higher-up Zora despise Hylians. That simple."

Sighing, Zelda's shoulders fell, "I mean, I suppose it's warranted. I have no grounds to presume, yet I would have hoped after a few generations, the bloodshed might have been left behind in service of peace."

"It's not the war," Link explained, "I mean, according to your written histories it might be. But we were all fine when I was a child; we-"

"That's right!" Urbosa exclaimed with surprise, "You were a part of a Hylian troupe that came here every year or so!"

Nodding, Link went on, "And our two people seemed tense, but peaceful enough. One year, though, they simply refused us entry, leaving us with nothing but scorn in answer. To this day, I don't know what happened- If Mipha could enlight-"

He paused as he noticed her dour expression, feeling that same roiling within his gut that he felt the night before. He couldn't escape the faint idea that whatever might have happened, it had involved her somehow- after all, she was royalty, anyway. But perhaps there had been more- More than he was ever truly willing to think of.

The others must have sensed this as well, their replies having been muted much as Link had been, their somber faces showing in silent solidarity with

"Well?!" Revali suddenly charged, "Are you not going to explain, Zora?"

Urbosa groaned angrily, "Y'know, it's a good thing you lack the comprehension to fully understand what goes into being a birdbrain."

"I'm a bird, one with quite the specimen of a brain. What's the insult?" Revali inquired innocently enough, though with a gritting expression to match the Gerudo's.

Turning toward Zelda, Urbosa complained, "I can't even get an insult in edgewise! He- Daruk! Cut that out!"

The party turning to find Daruk attempting to scale the tower for some unknown-to-them reason, Mipha paused at the apex of her motion, smiling gently as the others' attention followed along with hers. With a tremendous enough grace to prevent any sound to spill over from the river's surface, a Zoran man, clad in battle armor, had suddenly appeared mid-way along the bridge, the stave in his hand plastered to the ground as the tension in his hand began to wear off in dry sanguinity, as if understanding these individuals posed no threat to him.

"My lady, Mipha," he immediately bowed his head before pounding a fist into his chest, "I apologize for my tardiness, but our orders-"

"-are understood even by me," Mipha interrupted gracefully, her bell-like voice offering little more than a premature, helpful end to the man's thought, "Hakes, it is good to see you manning this post on your own."

Slamming his fist once again against his breast, the Zora proudly declared, "Nothing could keep me from performing at my utmost, even in this youthful age. Hence my lack of imposition until just now."

He looked over the Champions with a dry expression, "Once it became clear that this band lacked the cohesion necessary to traverse this river, I knew they posed little threat to both you, as well as the Domain."

"Well, now, hold it," Urbosa challenged, raising a hand in disbelief, "Putting aside your obvious misconception of our- well, of my combat prowess- We've all made stepping stones of greater environments; I don't think this river will be holding us b- Even Link here has crossed this path many times."

Miffed by her insinuation, Link eyed her critically as Hakes explained, "I don't doubt your ability, Gerudo. We've nevertheless been inundated by a nest of skultullas in one of the crevices along the way, which, my apologies, was what I was considering when I spoke out of turn."

His honorable reply causing a sense of regret to rise up within Urbosa for her accusation, she replied graciously enough, "Well, I mean, a bunch of skultullas isn't much for us, either. Daruk here can take down the largest of Gorons when he's not attempting to eat architecture, and I myself have greater ability than I might appear to possess."

An embarrassed expression crossed Daruk as Hakes gave the group a look over, as if ascertaining whether she had spoken the truth, leaving Mipha to explain coldly, "He probably doesn't know much about outsiders. He's come up in our new world of cloistered society, so-"

She turned to the warden, "I can assure you, Hakes; this group is more than capable of making it upriver on their own."

Hakes allowed his eyes to rest as he nodded, "As you say, Lady Mipha."

The Zoran princess turned to the Champions before letting a quick bow escape her in gentle reverence, "I do hope you don't mind my departure."

"Oh, not at all," Zelda assured quickly enough, "It will give us a chance to traverse this river without guidance. I can't think of much that would be as fun, right everyone?"

Any sort of reply fell silent as Zelda turned to the others, uncertainty clouding the group. Even if for a brief amount of time, the loss of Mipha took from them a certain calm even if she might not have exuded as much. Her silence often said more than if she were to speak, and given the tendency toward bouts of outbursts that the others brought to the group, it only became more apparent.

Still, Mipha did her best to smile at the silent gesture, recognizing the others' quiet respect toward her absence, allowing a quick, "Do your best not to be too much trouble, alright?"

"On my honor," Daruk declared plainly, eliciting a droll rolling of Urbosa's eyes.

Another smile from Mipha fell a bit soft as her eyes met Link's, the knight nodding to her his own assurance of the group's safety, allowing a warm sense of trust to swell up within her cold-blooded chest as she turned to leave, diving rather gracefully, trident and all, into the river, leaving the remaining Champions in Hakes' company.

"Well, Hakes, we will-" Zelda began, turning silent as she turned to find Hawkes having disappeared.

Revali sputtered, "Quite the unceremonious goodbye. The more respectable Rito goodbyes last an hour or two!"

"It's a good thing we're not all Rito, then, if we're attempting to beat the sunset," Ursoba sighed, "Link, I suppose since you've been here before, if Zelda would allow you to lead us?"

Quickly enough, Zelda agreed, "Just my thoughts! How long should it take us?"

"If we hurry, a few hours at the most, assuming we don't run into those skultullas Hakes mentioned," Link shrugged, "I'm sure we could make short work of them, but the excavations down in Necluda have disturbed the more hard-set of them enough to force their migration up north. I've been on assignment down there before to protect the excavators, and you can get a pretty sour skultulla every now and then."

"Then give Daruk and myself the first blows!" Urbosa proclaimed with a ferocious smirk, slamming a fist into her palm, "Right, Daruk?"

Daruk grew nervous at his sudden addition to her boasts, "R-Right!"

He quickly bent toward Link, "They're, uh, not… You know…"

Link assured him with a smirk, "They're not too scary, Brother; they're ugly little things- you shouldn't have any qualms about combatting them."

"Pshaw," Revali scoffed, "Unless you count the ones that jump, latching onto their targets before injecting the most potent on venoms right-"

"Gah!" Daruk wailed in trembling form, though the group's attentions turned to Revali instead.

Urbosa's eyes widened in surprise, "Did Revali just make a teasing joke? I'm impressed."

All Link could do was pat Daruk's arm before heading off along the winding path upstream, "Don't listen to him. The only thing we have to fear is not making it by nightfall and becoming tardy guests. C'mon, guys."

The group collectively began to follow behind Link, with Zelda remaining behind as Revali stood in place with a pondering expression, the Hylian making sure he was prepared to press on as well, offering gently, "Revali? Are you okay?"

"What did she imply by insinuating that I was making a joke?" he wondered aloud, "I was merely giving advice! Are they not aware of the jumping skultullas within the depths of Gisa?"

Zelda groaned silently as she surrendered her upturned shoulders, carrying along in defeat that Revali could not even accept a falsified expression of camaraderie, her gait leaving the Rito the last to depart as he continued running Urbosa's words in his head, obliviously unaware of what had transpired.

The Company cautiously pressed on through the Tabahl Pass, though any reservations toward security had routinely been abated as Daruk, Urbosa, and Zelda all continued to express their wonderment of the natural wonder surrounding them. Zelda especially, these lands having once been unavailable for her to pass, though even Daruk and Urbosa hadn't ever crossed these lands themselves, leaving an air of awe to permeate the air, even if it did little for Revali, whose wonderment, were he to have such a thing, remained concealed behind his studious glances.

For Link, who hadn't visited this place since his early teens, it was a rather nostalgic trip, his glances upon certain landmarks beginning in foreign recognition before suddenly bursting into recollection, a sensation he wasn't too familiar with, to be sure. Even so, he held a certain pride in his knowledge of the river, particularly whenever the others had excitable questions, namely Zelda, who had already constructed plans to not only camp out here for a month for research, but also so hunt down the local fauna "for research purposes" before releasing them back into the wild, no doubt with a renewed distrust of the greater beings who roamed Hyrule.

"Urbosa would come along, too!" Zelda volunteered for her good friend, earning her a skeptical look from the Gerudo.

"I beg your pardon?" questioned Urbosa.

Zelda was quick to explain, "I mean, doesn't it feel as though these roaring rapids are calling your name?"

"For a bath, perhaps; I wouldn't exactly be able to make a pleasure trip up this way. I can only hand off my power for so long to my handmaid before my women become restless," Urbosa explained plainly.

Now frowning, Zelda turned toward Link, "Okay, well Link, you could-"

"My being your bodyguard is not predicated upon vacations," Link challenged, "Especially now, your father must have better things in mind for me upon our return from this quest."

To Daruk, she began, "Daru-"

"Bwah ha! I would love to join you on such an excursion!"

"Really?!" Zelda cried in excitement.

Daruk nodded, "Absolutely! Although, to stay in such terrain for so long, I'd need to figure out a way to keep my skin free from moisture. We Gorons don't take well to water, you see; I mean, we can bear it, buy it certainly isn't comfortable, that feeling of skin being torn from your body."

His face turned quizzically, "You know, now that I think about it…"

Zelda groaned in wrestled frustration, dripping her head as her attentions turned toward those of her acquaintances back home, of whom she had few. So encased behind library walls, she hadn't much time for friends to begin with, and the few she'd had were in the service of her father, and not exactly able to make such trips, particularly when the thought of jealous associates amongst the castle wondering why they hadn't been tasked with such an enjoyable assignment.

"Well?" Revali spoke up, irritated by Zelda's lack of attention in asking him, "You're not going to ask me?"

She spun toward him with a furious speed, "Really?! Revali, you'd-?!"

"No," he returned with a grimace, "Water makes a drudgery of our wings. I wouldn't be caught dead upon these waters."

Zelda nearly collapsed from the sudden throes of sadness thrust upon her, though Urbosa was quick to take her shoulders around her arm, "There, there, we'll figure out something. Get you back out here with a tent, some books, where you can enjoy the peace, the serenity-"

"My archaeology kit," Zelda murmured in time, causing Urbosa's attention to waver in confusion, "Just look at the cliffs surrounding us! So much storied strata to be examined and no time to explore it!"

The Gerudo somewhat disappointed in her inability, now, to pinpoint exactly this young woman's desires, dropped her shoulders while Daruk questioned with a boisterous air, "Ah! A fellow admirer of history written upon the very earth surrounding us! For all the books you might have in your libraries, these rocks tell tales from even before your earliest texts."

"And you can probably translate them into taste, as well," Revali noted glibly, though the idea seemed to pique Daruk's interest more than his frustration.

Zelda replied, still, to Daruk, "I know! It was quite funny; I remember the one time my father took me along to one of the dig sites back when the Divine Mechanisms were first taking shape upon those cliff faces. Everybody was so fixated on those machinations and all I wanted to do was collect what I could of the ancient dust being unlocked from the rocks. One soldier had to hold me back, so I fell and managed to swing a handful of dust away from beneath his grasp."

"Always the stubborn one," Urbosa sighed with a mixture of melancholy and nostalgia.

Zelda held her head high, "And I'll have you know, Revali, before you say anything- I was not playing in the dirt, I was merely doing research. A far more studious exercise, you might agree."

A half-shrug answered her, "I grant you enough; while it may stain our precious plumage, even we Rito have relinquished ourselves to the earth from time to time. Though, I would expect such things not to be left to a Princess."

Grinning rather reservedly, Zelda admitted, "Well, to be sure, I haven't always been the 'princess' type, if that hasn't already been made obvious by now."

"Not the princess type," Urbosa repeated with a sarcastic timbre, rolling her eyes with a smirk, "This is the same girl who would plot out elaborate plans involving scaling the castle walls to reach the desserts in the kitchen, and then wail like a child and demand to be coddled like a princess when she would get caught with one foot out her door."

Zelda's face went flush, "U-Urbosa!"

"She was so cute the one time I found her out," the Gerudo chuckled warmly, "Hadn't a single reservation about using that 'princessness' when it suited her. I figured I would teach her a quick lesson about what it means to be a queen."

The two women went silent with melancholic smiles, leaving Revali's feathers ruffled, "Well?! What does that mean? You cannot expose such a tale and then fail to expound until its conclusion!"

Urbosa chuckled, "I just escorted her to the dessert pantry and we had a few candies before I returned her to her room. Her father begrudged me for the rest of my stay, but such things happen. Still, her mother and I shared a laugh about it."

Slowly, pithily, Revali began smoothing the plumage at his chest, muttering to himself, "Had I known such an answer would be awaiting me…"

"Hold on," Link turned with an incredulous scowl, "On our first excursion, to the shrines, I tracked you down after you'd left and found you atop a plateau in the desert. Did you climb that?"

A mixture of pride and shame forced Zelda's face to drop, "Well, actually, yes, I suppose."

"She was quite a climber, even growing up," noted Urbosa with a shrug, "She really wanted those candies."

"I didn't-" Zelda refuted, though simply choosing to advance as she replied to Link, "It's not difficult. Especially when you have to be silent, you learn a few tricks; like when you push open a door, ever so slowly. It's only loud in relation to your own silence; you cough quietly, or sniffle, as you do it to steel your nerves and keep you from losing your will. It's nowhere near as loud as you believe."

She shrugged, "Climbing is just- Here, I'll show you!"

The group had since rounded the embankment that comprised the Bank of Wishes, crossing the bridge there to bring them upon the under-cliff of Ralis Pond when Zelda darted toward the nearby cliffside, much to Urbosa's chagrin and leaving Link to apologize.

"I mean, I didn't expect a demonstration," he chewed in resignation, though Zelda remained undeterred.

Urbosa turned her lips as she considered the young woman's happiness, simply smirking at the joy that seemed to overtake her, "Well, I suppose it's fine. She might not realize this, but after this venture, she won't be finding the time to return here either."

Reluctantly, Link allowed a scornful sort of expression of loss cross his face, recognizing much the same for himself. Mipha had remained at the forefront of his mind, yet, he knew all to well- for all his thoughts of a life alongside her, such things were not to come easy to either of them. For most of these Champions, this journey, however tremulous it might become, it would soon prove to be a final chance at something of a care-free existence, at least on the smallest of stages. Time, and perhaps destiny, was yet pulling them all toward other goals, Link knew, thinking of Mipha's fears of a destiny left unfulfilled by his absence.

"See?!" Zelda ejected excitedly as she dug her foot against the rocky cliff, "Watch me!"

Daruk was left as the only one with maximum interest, throwing a cheering fist into the air as he roared with equaling excitement. Quickly recognizing her own absence of attention, Urbosa smiled as she returned her attention to her surrogate daughter, approaching the stage of her performance as Link remained for a moment's respite before joining the others.

Explaining as she went, Zelda proudly began rising along the sheer face of the cliffside, lined in magnificent colors of strata being projected upon by shimmering reflection from the river waters behind them, "You might think to use the ball of your foot, but- The side of your foot has so much more surface area, it's easier- to-"

She began to slow as she arose a handful of feet upward, exhaustion catching her, leaving Urbosa to allow some supervision to come from herself, "Now don't get so far that you can't return to the ground easily."

"Don't worry," Zelda assured with all the confidence of a child, "There's a tiny crack in the wall up here; I'll just reach it and come back down, okay?"

Revali cracked suddenly, "You sounded enough like a mother there, Gerudo. I hadn't any expectations of such a thing."

Throwing a scornful expression toward the Rito, Urbosa eyed him with a fierce look, swapping her scowl to Link as he began to chuckle, "You know, now that he mentions it…"

"A maternal instinct is a great strength of living beings, I'll have you both know," Urbosa shrugged, allowing her resentment to leave her as quickly as it had risen, "I suppose you wouldn't have an idea of what that's-"

She came to a sudden halt, shutting her eyes in regret, taking in a sharp breath as she recognized where her thoughts had begun to tread. Urbosa gave a heated sigh before turning toward Revali with a frown.

"Sorry," she offered.

Revali's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why? Because I hadn't a mother myself? Trust me; had I the advantages of the other Rito, I might not have tempered into the specimen among the lot of you today. The greatest gift I could have been given was my abandonment, if I'm being truthful."

Expecting such an answer, Urbosa's heart still hung with regret, knowing well enough that, even if such a thing bothered the Rito, he wouldn't ever dare admit to it. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought of what might be going through his mind.

"EEEK!" cried Zelda, shooting the entire Company's attention upward to find her with her body leaning as far as it could go away from the chasm within the cliffiside.

"Zelda!" Urbosa shouted out in concern.

A moment passed before Zelda began to giggle, closing back in onto the crack of stone facing with a soft explanation, "Sorry. It's okay, it's just a tiny skulltulla is all."

Sure enough, as she peered into the small cove, a tiny collection of bulbous eyes peered back at her from a few feet within the enclosure, the softened image of a skultulla hatchling just barely broke free from the darkness. She smiled at the sight, finding it rather cute, even as it raised its foremost legs in some cuddly attempt at protecting itself.

"Just a tiny skultulla?!" Urbosa shouted, "Get down from there, child!"

Zelda smiled as she slowly began reaching into the cove, even amidst Urbosa's protests, "Did you know that the males were once killed and skinned for their golden carapaces? There was an ancient texts I came across, even, about a skultulla token so rare that it-"

In an instant, Urbosa's cautious glare turned fierce, leading Link to react much the same as he dropped his backpack from his shoulders, the Hylian muttering, "I caught it too."

"Caught what?" Daruk questioned, his terror increasing gradually at the first mention of a creepy-crawly that so easily could be stomped upon through little fault of his own.

Link gritted his teeth, hurrying toward the cliff, "She never cuts off an explanation of an ancient text. Zelda!"

He dug his toes into a miniscule jut in the wall as he quickly began to scale the wall, only managing to slip and fall as Zelda had mentioned, forcing him to adjust his footing even while Zelda's eyes remained wide from the entrance of the chasm. She slowly retreated her hand at the sudden appearance of more collections of eyes, and even more, as if an entire nest of giant eyeballs had immediately taken root within the darkness.

"Well that's terrifying," Zelda surmised quietly to herself before quickly readying her feet and pushing off from the rock facing, leaping back toward the ground and into the waiting arms of Urbosa.

"Child!" Urbosa shouted as a sudden skittering broke the air, even as Link made his way back to the ground himself.

Zelda pleaded, "I didn't know!"

Groaning, Urbosa brought the Princess to her feet before slamming a fist into the palm of her hand as a cacophony of skultullas began pouring out from the cliffside. She eyed them down; even relatively tiny, their sheer numbers seemed to engulf the wall, no doubt a defense mechanism of some sort, though, in this case, such an act seemed to ready Daruk even more, the Goron clutching his hands into fists as he stepped back into the Company's sphere atop the riverbank.

"Well, I could think of worse roadblocks," Urbosa sighed.

Link cocked his head toward Revali as he slid his Knight's sword from its sheath, "Hey Rito, that bow gonna do you any good here?"

"You'd be aghast at what I can do with this," Revali assured, readying a splinter of an arrow to be drawn in an instant.

Chuckling, Link shook his head, "You shouldn't ever trust your life to something that doesn't remain in your own hands. The only thing stopping my sword is me, nothing else. What can you say about your arrows?"

"That they're loosed with the power to split your skull in two," Revali bit back, eliciting something of a rivalrous smirk from Link as the Champions formed up.

"WRAAAA!" Daruk shouted with a vigorous roar to attempt to frighten away the beasts, but to no avail, forcing him to ready his fists, "You were right, Brother, about them being ugly!"

Link nodded, "They've become more ferocious and more willing to conglomerate since they've been displaced. Watch your backs; they like to surround their prey and-"

"Prey? Ha!" Revali scoffed, "I laugh at the notion! Give me two seconds and you'll see that these vermin require only a miniscule amount of-"

His voice slowed to a halt as the Champions noticed the swarm of skulltulas begin to shallow around the chasm within the wall, leaving it wholly uncovered as if in awaiting a new challenger, Link's heart dropping at the realization of what was going to emerge. He gripped his sword tighter.

"Alright, that's not a nest; it's a hive."

"Hive?!" Zelda questioned, turning toward Urbosa, "Why did you let me get so close?!"

Urbosa's eyes blew open wide, "Me?! Why not aim that accusation back to that stubborn streak of yours!"

"Had I any idea-!"

A low, trembling rumble burst beneath their feet. The two women ceased their bickering just in time to notice the gigantic, shielded cranium of a humongous skultulla slowly emerge from within the crevice, throwing its head back and forth to force its way through the thick rock, causing a tumultuous series of tiny earthquakes as the cliffside rumbled.

"Alright," Link directed, "We're gonna have to be smart about this. Urbosa, you wait for your chance and go for the head."

"Right."

Link nodded, "Daruk, you-"

He turned to where the Goron had been, a queasy feeling coming over Link as he found nothing, "Daruk? Where did you-?!"

"That rapscallion!" Revali charged, causing Link and Urbosa's attention upriver to find Daruk making a mad dash, Zelda thrown over his shoulder, as he desperately tried to flee the impending battle.

Link wondered aloud, the incessant skittering of ugly toes gradually drowning out their voices, "Well?!"

Urbosa thought for a moment, "Well, the person we're supposed to protect is over there! What's here to pledge our fealty to?!"

A knowing frown came across Link as he grabbed his backpack, "Hard to argue with that logic."

The two began to rush off after Daruk, leaving only Revali to complain in place, "You little miscreants! I was promised heroic battles, and at the slightest moment of such a thing-! GAH!"

Angrily recognizing his own disadvantage by himself, Revali readied himself as he gave chase after the others, the Company in shattered retreat as the ginormous skultulla fell from its perch and began giving chase, a swarm of younglings scurrying along after it if unable to latch onto one of its razor-sharp legs.

"They teach you this in knight school?!" Urbosa teased with a grin, even as the two of them were in full stride.

Link frowned, "Probably when you were learning how to be a queen by eating late night candy."

"I'll have you know that sugar is the cornerstone of any rule," Urbosa explained, earning something of a half-hearted smirk from Link's gaping mouth, his lungs churning in overtime as the two approached the massive chasm above the river bridged by the might bridge, Luto's Crossing.

Link began, "Ruling over afternoon naps, perha-!"

A sudden burst of atmosphere burst past the two of them, knocking the both of them off-kilter as Revali flew across the bridge, zooming by with a furious speed. Link quickly returned to his balance as he made it to the Crossing, turning to find Urbosa slowing up as she joined him.

"C'mon; another mile or two and the Zoran guards will help-" Link paused, noticing the mischievous look upon Urbosa's face, "…what?"

The Gerudo offered a smug sort of smirk, "I mean, as long as Revali is using his strengths as a Rito…"

With that, Urbosa leapt up toward the railing of Luto's Crossing and bounding into the air with a magnificent leap, her body nearly flying toward the adjoining cliffside before she began near-surfing down its sheer surface, leaping from rock face to rock face as her powerful limbs made mincemeat of the gigantic distances between the walls of Zora's River.

Link's shoulders fell in defeat as he turned back toward the approaching swarm, dropping his head as it shook with revulsion, panting aloud to himself, "Alright then…"

His breath only slightly returned to him, he began jogging across the bridge, quickening his pace as the sickly skittering behind him increased, the skultullas blackening the bridge itself as they overtook its architecture, the gigantic form of their brood-leader rushing across as it angrily continued its own chase. Link turned his head over his shoulder to note their distance, though his eyes caught the strap over his shoulder that carried the Master Sword, forcing a groan from him as he rolled his eyes.

"Any help here?!" he questioned of the weapon, "Can't fly me outta here, can you?!"

His complaints going unanswered, Link refused a glimpse of Zora's Domain as he crossed the mighty bridge, simply pressing on as he returned to the earthen pathway, now far more rough now that the terrain took a downward-sloping path. The form of the ground beneath him gave him quickness, though that was only a blessing for so long, as his heightened speed forced Link's quickened gait to come out from underneath him, slipping to the ground and sliding to a stop as he rolled along the soil.

Quickly taking note of his surroundings, Link noted the swarming skulltulas surrounding him as the broodmother approached, limiting his actions, though such a thing did little to faze him. Standing up, reaching around his waist, he yanked the Master Sword from its sheath and held it before him as the gigantic beast came ever closer, forcing a frown upon Link face as he complained.

"I always knew it'd go down like this," he sarcastically noted to himself with a shake of his head.

The massive skulltula lifted its pincers, ready to strike, causing Link's shoulders to square up in preparation to retaliate, when in a split second, an ornate spear flew past him, impaling itself in the ground before the broodmother, forcing the beast to recoil in uncertainty. Link spun around, finding nobody, before whipping his head back toward the skulltulla queen as a blood-curdling whine escaped its carapace.

A Zora, clad in armor, leapt from the cliff above the beast, landing atop its head and sending its external skull slamming into the dirt from the elegant force of the Zora's leap. Belligerently so, the skulltulla pulled its head up, but the force of doing so only served to aid the Zora, as he raised a mighty spear above his head, slamming it atop the beasts head, the counteracting motions of both only serving to heighten the explosive result.

The Zora leapt from the skulltula's carapace as the massive beast began to squirm in mighty motions, throwing itself around painfully, the spear remaining embedded within its skull as it thrashed from side to side. The swarming ranks broke as the lesser skulltulas desperately retreated atop the broodmother, covering up the wound, leaving Link in shock at such a sight, as if they were attempting first aid on the massive beast.

The Zora backed off toward Link, yanking the spear from the ground as he spoke openly, "The things are dangerous, you know."

"I'm quite aware," Link offered pithily, earning a smarmy grin from his rescuer, "I don't think we were ever stupid enough to jump onto one, though."

A bright laugh left the Zora as he readied himself, the skulltula's thrashing coming to a halt as it reoriented itself, charging toward the two with a chillingly shrill vocalization, but only halfway to Link and the Zora, a sudden burst of a body left the cliff above, descending upon the beast, spear drawn as he slammed its sharp edge into the broodmother's exoskeleton, a horrible cry breaking the air as the lesser skulltulas began to abandon the mighty beast, having recognized the futility of remaining. Weakly, the mighty skulltula wavered for but a moment before its body gave up any resistance, simply falling to the earth as its legs slowly shriveled up, allowing the Zora to yank out his spears from its ugly body.

His regalia signaling a prominent place atop their military ranks, the Zora man made sure to make their way to the beast's head, slipping the spear there free before approaching the Zora at Link's side with a frown.

"You must think these are simply handed out like herring," the older Zora muttered aloud.

The man at Link's side gave a cocky reply, "Hey, I had to improvise; I can't help that my father's losing a step in his old age."

A wry sort of smirk left the older man as he tossed the spear to his son, allowing the two a forceful handshake as they brought their shoulders to one another's in congratulatory zeal, "Don't think me weak simply because my speed has decreased; I can still beat you down if need be, son."

"Yeah, probably, only because I was never one for finesse," the son grinned, turning toward Link, "Hylian, I would greet you as a host, but- Judging from your weaponry, I doubt you're a mere traveler."

Link shook his head, "I'm not, really. My party sort of broke rank when that thing showed up."

He offered his hand, "Link. Royal Knight of Hyrule Kingdom."

"Royal Knight?!" the son-Zora exclaimed in surprise, "Your prowess is legendary, even among our circles here in the Domain! Well, depending on who you ask- My father-"

"Ahem," the older man cleared his throat with an invasive air, intending to cut his son off as he shook Link's hand, "Please ignore my son's familiarity. I'm Tovar, Knight of the highest Zoran order, and my son here is Zevan. He's still a whelp."

Frowning, the subordinate challenged, "A whelp that just made better time that you when it came to saving a Hylian straggler."

"I'm not-" Link began, though was interrupted by the elder Tovar's tone.

"And yet you were so inefficient with the time you saved, my son," Tovar sighed with exasperation, "Still, you did take on a rargvunt by yourself. I cannot deny you some amount of praise for such a feat. Just remember, this is a Hylian soldier. Don't show your hand all at once."

He eyed Link, "No offense."

Shrugging, Link replied, "Hey, I understand. I used to come here with one of those first bands of Hylians after our people's relationship was on the mend. If anybody understands the history between our two peoples, it's me."

"Then you'll excuse my father's skepticism," Zevan nearly pleaded as though wanting on Link's side, despite his father's disapproving gaze, "The Knights of your Kingdom were so ferocious during the wars, even our eldest military teachers cannot help but remain respectful despite the blood they managed to spill."

Link frowned, lowering his head, "Well, when you mention it like that…"

"Exactly why you don't bring such things up," Tovar instructed with a groan, grabbing his son's shoulder and pulling him down in some attempt at punishment, earning a grumbling complaint from his son, "Link, was it? While I've little doubt you can protect yourself from here, part of our oath compels us to accompany those we've come to the aid of."

"I understand," Link nodded, "'Never a body amongst these shores', was it?"

Tovar smirked, "You are well informed, Hylian. I'm sure our interests will conflict once I'm aware of what brings you here, but until then, I'll be happy to hear more of the finer things outsider such as yourself knows of my home."

He released his son, Zevan stepped away as he massaged his shoulder, Tovar instructing, "And I'm sure my son will be sure to heed the thoughtfulness I've instilled within him since he was a 'pole."

"Yes, father," Zevan replied begrudgingly, though still with a curious eye upon their guest.

A/N: I apologize if it seems as though I rushed through the Champion's excursion along Zora's River (I'm sure I could've gotten more creative and done more with the environment) but there SO MUCH I have for their time in Zora's Domain, and I'm tremendously excited for so much of what's about to happen, so I simply ended up with a single chapter. Hopefully none of it felt rushed or forced.

Also, Tovar and Zevan both appear in my other BotW fic, 'The Scales That Bind', which does take place after 'Champions' Tale', just in case you were unaware or forgot. If you haven't read it yet, considering how that story goes down, you might want to wait until the conclusion of this Vah Ruta part of 'Tale' xD