The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

The Voice
6 - He's Naked, isn't He?

Sidon had not been joking when he said the path ahead was full of enemies. Not even five minutes after parting with the Zora prince, he stumbled into a patrol of lizalfos. Literally. He was sticking to the sides of the road as he went along, tripped on a tree root and went tumbling through a bush, crashing directly into the lizard monster on the other side.

"Your reflexes are getting better," Sheik said after a brief but intense skirmish that left the three lizalfos dead, and Link sitting on a fallen log, his entire body involuntarily shaking, and not just because of the adrenaline.

Sidon hadn't lied about the lightning, either, to Link's intense displeasure.

Not about the lack of a lie, of course. If anything, he appreciated the warning. He just wished the prince had been lying.

"They barely realised what was happening before it was over."

"Th-Thanks," Link said, teeth chattering.

"Pity said reflexes couldn't stop you from instigating the fight in literally the most embarrassing manner possible, but other than that, well done, you."

He should have seen that one coming, really.

"You can swim, right?"

Link nodded. It was true. He had no trouble swimming...in still ponds and gentle streams. The Zora river, in its current state, was neither still nor gentle. The rainfall, courtesy of Vah Ruta, was causing all kinds of havoc in the domain, the most obvious being the utter force of nature its river had become. Frothing white, the sheer speed at which the mass of water moved past was intimidating enough. The uprooted trees and other debris floating past with alarming regularity did not help whatsoever.

"I-I'm going t-to d-drown, aren't I?" Link asked, observing the wet series of rocks that were his only way of crossing the river at this point, barely rising out of the water. The road had ended at a sheer cliff wall, much too steep and wet for him to climb, and there were no other ways to cross within sight.

"I calculate there is a ninety-five percent chance of drowning horribly and painfully if you were to fall, yes," Sheik said. "I'm not above a bit of gambling, mind you, but five percent? Not my kind of odds." He paused awkwardly. "So...you know...don't fall?"

"Wh-What w-would I d-do w-without you?" Link said, sheathing his weapons and making sure they were properly secured to his belts and harness.

"Curl up in a ball somewhere and weep?" Sheik suggested.

Link didn't dignify that with an answer as he stepped back from the bank to give himself a proper run-up. Mostly because Sheik's suggestion wasn't the least likely thing in the world—but he wasn't about to give his companion the satisfaction. He'd been getting a bit too much of that lately.

He counted down in his head, tensing his legs, ready to make a run-and-leap that would...well, pretty much decide the fate of Hyrule.

Why am I the only one who has to decide it? he wondered before springing forth—

"And I don't think Sharky is close enough to save your drowning arse, either," Sheik commented casually, and so suddenly it brought Link entirely out of his groove.

At least Link wouldn't have to worry about dirtying his armour—the mud along the riverbank took care of that problem quickly and with impressive results. He'd need a thorough bath after this.

"...you know we're trying to cross the river, right? Not assess the quality of its bed?"

"Sh-Shut up!"

"I just remembered something!" Sheik exclaimed.

"Wh-What is it?" Link asked, eyes wide. Had Sheik remembered something from his past, perhaps? Would they finally have at least some answers to the many questions surrounding his identity. He stopped moving, looking down at the slate with no small bit of excitement.

"I just remembered..." Sheik said again, trailing off and keeping Link's attention glued to him. "We could have used the Cryonis rune to cross the river. You never needed to risk your neck jumping on those slippery rocks at all!"

It took all of Link's willpower not to send Sheik on an impromptu river surfing trip.

Link shivered slightly as Sidon once more disappeared under the river surface, urging him to continue on, claiming that all his fellow Zora were anxiously awaiting his arrival. Link had a feeling that, if the Zora knew what sort of warrior he really was, they would be anxious for a different reason entirely.

Despite his doubts, though, Link couldn't help but feel spurred on by Sidon's support, which the prince had no real reason to offer, given that he and Link were more or less strangers.

...but maybe that was what he needed right now. Knowing that someone (other than Sheik) was completely and utterly in his corner, cheering him on. That thought filled his chest with warmth, which in turn alleviated a bit of his shivering from the unplanned mud bath he'd taken earlier.

"Do you think he saw the fight from before?" Sheik asked innocently. "Or when you dove into the mud?"

The warmth drained right away, and his stomach crashed through the earth, never to be seen again as it headed for the centre. Had Sidon seen two of the most embarrassing experiences of his hero-career so far? Was that why he was so supportive? Did he think Link a simpleton who needed an emotional crutch?

"Hey? Hey!"

Sheik's shout brought him back to the living world, and he looked down at the slate.

"I was just joking—I highly doubt he's been watching this entire time. Bet he just waited here to make sure you didn't get lost or something."

"Y-You th-think so?" Link asked, unable to keep the hopeful and—above all—relieved tone out of his voice. He really, really didn't want to disappoint the Zora prince...at least not so early into his quest. He wanted to...he wanted to prove to Sidon that his faith wasn't misplaced.

Why, he had no idea. He'd barely met and spoken with the Zora for five minutes, and even then it was mostly Sidon doing the talking, on account of Link's tongue either twisting itself into knots or stubbornly refusing to move whenever Sidon was looking at him.

Sheik sighed. "Yes, I think so. Now hurry along before you get hypothermia. Sharky will definitely not like that!"

"You can do it! Stay strong!"

Sidon's teeth flashed (Link concluded it had to be the teeth themselves) in another wide grin before the prince swam up the river at an unfair speed that Link had no way of keeping up with. Not that he was running after Sidon just yet. He was too busy grinning to himself like an idiot.

I will stay strong, he thought to himself.

"You know, a thought just occurred to me," Sheik drawled.

Bracing himself, Link hummed in acknowledgment, but not really encouraging the Sheikah to continue speaking.

"He's naked, isn't he?"

It took Link's brain a good five seconds to restart after that statement, and he mentally thanked the Sheikah for their habit of wearing masks in the field given the vivid red his cheeks must have glowed at that moment.

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Sheik said, ploughing on. "I mean, sure, he's got a belt...but it's not exactly holding anything up, is it? Makes me wonder why he's carrying that sword—can't be of symbolic value, given what he must have between his—"

"S-Stop!" Link nearly screamed, covering his ears.

It was a relief when the next river crossing actually had a proper bridge. Link was still hesitant of crossing it, however. With his luck, he reasoned, something was bound to happen that would make even this simple a task an utter challenge. Nerves still firing off from time to time from the electric weapons of his enemies, Link was tense as he slowly made his way across the metal bridge...

"Hey! Link!"

"You really should stop tripping over your own feet, you know," Sheik whispered.

"S-Sidon!" Link greeted in return, waving back to the prince, who was bobbing in the river just beside the bridge. He tried not to panic about having just addressed a prince by his given name and no title, likely breaking a million rules of etiquette. Luckily, the prince didn't seem to notice (or paid it no mind, at least).

How Sidon managed to stay so perfectly calm and collected when the river raged around him, Link had no idea, but it was certainly impressive. Those muscular legs must be quite effective and strong and—

No, no, no! Stop that!

Sidon smiled. "You're almost halfway to Zora's Domain!"

"Are you fucking kidding me? We've been at this for hours," Sheik muttered, thankfully not loud enough for Sidon to hear him over the roar of the water.

"Oh, by the way," the prince continued, "there are a few spots up ahead with lots of enemies...but I'm sure you will be fine!"

Link felt his shoulders lowering themselves in tandem with the sinking feeling in his gut. It was one thing that he wasn't more than halfway to the domain, but knowing he'd have to fight his way through even more enemies...he was already exhausted just from getting to this point.

"I believe in you, Link!"

Sidon flashed him another grin—this one less...exuberant, somehow. It was more...gentle. Kinder, almost. Link wanted to die.

He must have seen my reaction, he thought. He's realising what a fraud I am...

"If it's so important for you to make it to the domain, he really should be lending a hand in getting you there," Sheik muttered. "What good is just cheering from the side-lines going to do?"

At least he's cheering, Link thought, trudging onward.

"Link, no."

Link couldn't help the grin that came to his lips as he flipped his shield over and regarded the muddy hilltop he was standing on...and how it ran perfectly alongside the river.

"L-Link, yes," he whispered as he ran forward, shield in hand, and jumped.

"Do you have any idea how wrong that could have gone?!" Sheik shrieked. "One false move, a single mistake, and you could have fallen and broken your neck! Gone in the river and drowned! Impaled yourself on a tree branch! Honestly, what were you thinking? A shield is not meant for surfing!"

Link let him continue his tirade for another couple of minutes, waiting until Sheik had run out of steam.

"I-It w-worked, d-didn't it?" he asked, happy to be the smug one for once. "G-Got down th-the hill in n-no time."

He wasn't really sure why he'd thought it was a good idea. Sheik was right, it was exceedingly dangerous, especially on this sort of terrain, but...the moment he'd thought of it, there'd been no fear whatsoever. Never mind the nervous jitters he got whenever he had to paraglide somewhere at great heights, when he had to sneak up on enemies, when he had to face them head-on, when he had to speak with people he didn't know...there'd been none of that as he'd surfed on his shield, down that muddy hill. Just a thrilling sensation that had him grinning like an idiot the whole way down.

"And what do you think Sharky would have thought about it, if he saw you, hm? His only hope risking his life and acting like a fool!"

I hope he saw me, Link thought. That'd hopefully make up for my earlier displays of clumsiness and cowardice. And maybe impress him a little. Or a lot. A lot would be good.

It also let him learn something new about Sheik. The Sheikah in the slate enjoyed paragliding and great heights (his impressed utterings whenever Link climbed a rock face was proof of that) ...but great speeds, apparently, was not something he found much joy in.

I think I'll be shield surfing a lot more from now on, Link thought with a grin.

"You are still pretty far off, my friend! But I was sure you'd be passing over this bridge, so I have been waiting for you."

"How touching," Sheik said in a sickly-sweet voice, still keeping it below Sidon's hearing range.

"Sh-Shut up," Link whispered before waving down, not daring to vocalise an answer. He wasn't sure if Sidon had caught on to his stuttering yet, but he had no desire to expose it all that much. Not yet, at least.

"Uh, Link—"

"Shh!"

"You will be in Zora's domain before you know it!" Sidon called up to him. "In fact, I'm going to head that way too!"

"Link, there's a—"

"N-Not now, Sh-Sheik!"

"I shall meet you there!" Sidon waved up at the bridge once more before making to swim away, but something made him pause, his arm raising to point at Link. "Whoa! Beware, warrior! A monster approaches from behind you!"

Link barely managed to catch sight of the black-coloured, red-eyed moblin before its club was already dangerously close to caving his head in.

Ducking and rolling, his Sheikah blade was already drawn and cutting through the back of its legs as he came to his feet. Too high, the blow merely sliced the monster's flesh, not any of its vulnerable tendons or nerves.

It only made the damn thing angrier, causing it to swing the massive tree trunk of a weapon wildly...but also clumsily. Link managed to duck out of the way...mostly. It caught him in his side on the backswing, throwing him backwards and into the bridge's railing with a loud clang.

That was going to hurt later, he knew, but right now his body was quivering with adrenaline, all other sensations but the thrill (and panic) of battle blocked out, including pain. Before it could raise its weapon once more, Link threw himself forwards, ducking beneath and between its legs, twisting around and cutting once more.

This time, he got the backs of its knees. The blade cut through the tendons like they were nothing, and the moblin's legs immediately crumpled beneath its weight. It began to howl, but the tip of Link's blade severing its spine at the neck silenced it quickly. Black blood began pooling beneath its body, the rain slowly washing it away.

He had little time to enjoy the victory, however, as Sheik more or less exploded a moment later.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" he screamed. "I tried to warn you about that thing, but you wouldn't listen! And for the love of the Goddess, don't tell you didn't hear it coming with those giant ears of yours!"

Link kneeled on the bridge, adrenaline fading and leaving nothing but the blooming pain in his side and his back as a reminder of his apparent utter lack of situational awareness. The ear comment was unnecessary, his brain told him.

"No, you were too busy listening to Sharky and making lovey-eyes at him, weren't you?!" Sheik said. "I knew he was trouble, I bloody knew it!"

Link nodded. Sheik was right. He'd gotten distracted. Too distracted, and it nearly got him killed. Had that moblin been a little faster, or a little quieter...

Wait...lovey-eyes?

"Link! Link, are you still there?! Are you all right?!"

Sidon's worried voice echoed up from the river below, and Link hauled himself to the side of the bridge, waving down to the prince, giving him a thumbs-up.

"F-Fine!" he called back.

"Oh, that is a relief!" Sidon replied, his entire body relaxing in the water. "I was so worried!" He hesitated. "But...I say...is there someone else up there with you? I could have sworn I heard another voice..."

"Ah, crap," Sheik muttered. "Well, he was bound to find out sooner or later, I suppose."

"K-Kind of," Link answered, giving Sidon a little shrug. "L-Long s-story!"

"Are they a warrior like you?" Sidon asked.

"M-Maybe?"

"What do you mean, maybe?" Sheik demanded.

"Then will you bring them to the domain as well?" Sidon asked. "Perhaps they too can be of help!"

"W-Will do!"

"Excellent!" Sidon said, no doubt posing dramatically again. "I shall see you both at the domain!"

And then he was gone. The moblin's body gave a twitch, more black blood spilling from the gaping hole in its neck. Link divested it of its rupee pouch and continued on his way. He held his aching side, gritting his teeth as each step jarred what he suspected to be broken (or at least bruised) ribs.

"Are you all right?" Sheik asked after a minute or so, his voice much calmer now.

"N-Not r-really," Link admitted. "I'm s-sorry."

Sheik sighed. "So am I. The ear comment was uncalled for. You can't just...let yourself get that distracted, Link. The next time, you might not walk away with just bruised ribs. You might not walk away at all."

"I kn-know."

They rounded a bend on the path, and hill rose above them. Lizalfos, bokoblins, and moblins had made several camps on top of it, fires burning brightly despite the pouring rain. Their weapons sparked with electricity.

Almost as if to punctuate the misery of it all, thunder boomed above them.

"It's a good thing we're both pessimists," Sheik said after a minute or so of staring at the hill of death. "Or we'd be really disappointed right now."

Link couldn't even find it in him to be annoyed.

Luckily, the rain and thunder provided excellent cover, and Link was, despite his aching ribs, able to sneak his way around the side of the hill, and climb up there. The incline was a little rougher, but there were plenty of outcrops he could grab on to, and they weren't nearly as wet as some of the other obstacles he'd tried to climb.

The monsters didn't even notice him as he slipped by their camps, too busy arguing amongst themselves, sleeping, or just eating. Link was satisfied with this—he definitely couldn't take them all on when every movement set his side on fire.

He could even see the dome-like structure and towers of the Zora's Domain in the distance...but there was one final obstacle in his way.

"What...the fuck...is that?"

Link had no answer.

It looked human...but not quite. It seemed to be wearing yellow-coloured robes, its big, round face mostly hidden by a hood that rose in a tapered tower above his head. Its eyes were large, and glowed yellow, a wand-like object that gave off sparks clutched in its thin fingers.

And it was walking. On. Air.

Dancing on it, more like, as it skipped and spun around the blackened skeleton of what had once been a small house, long since destroyed.

There was no way of sneaking past it—nothing to hide behind save the big rock Link was currently crouched behind, observing the stupid-looking thing with suspicion. It looked harmless enough—silly, even. But he knew better than to assume anything about anything at this point. With his luck, it could probably vaporise him in seconds. That wand, especially, looked dangerous.

He'd saved it so far, but this was definitely a situation that called for the gift Sidon had given him. Reaching into the satchel on his belt, Link popped the cork and drank the elixir that Sidon claimed would make him more resistant to lightning. To what degree, he had no idea, but he felt like he'd need it. It tasted awful, and was just as thick as it had looked, practically clinging to his throat and nearly choking him.

"How was it?" Sheik whispered, the lens of his camera spinning as he continued studying the strange creature intently.

"A-Awful," Link whispered back. "Like u-used s-socks."

"Well, it did something to you, according to my readings, but I can't tell exactly what. Guess we won't know how effective it is until you, you know, get hit."

Link made an unimpressed sound as he withdrew his bow and nocked an arrow, deciding to go for a ranged approach with this one.

"If it helps, consider it an experiment," Sheik added. "Pretend you're a scientist."

In hindsight, Link learned that he didn't want to be a scientist.

I hate wizzrobes...