CHAPTER 12

Link had been hoping to get some much-needed information, as King Ceto had suggested. Yet as he strolled down the beach with the remaining Zora siblings to what was Rifsha's last known location, he was bombarded with a story from Marlo.

"Though you were a leader of the Hylian Army, I should remind you I've become quite the soldier since we last met." he boasted, then held up his spear to show it off. "This spear in particular is one of my finer moments, if not my absolute finest."

Link's ears did not miss the exhausted sigh from Beytho. Marlo had clearly told this story a lot to anyone who would listen.

"The head of my spear is my finest catch-the marlin is a fast fish, one that many of our strongest warriors could not outpace. Yet, I seemed to be the exception. Eager to prove to my people that it could be done, I caught up to the beast and ran my spear through its side, wrangling it back to shore-and risking impalement, I should add. Now the mighty creature's skull acts as my spearhead, and I have outpaced others of its kind with much greater ease. All fine specimens in their own right, but the first..."

Link held in an exasperated sigh. This Zora sure loved to hear himself talk.

"But enough about me." Marlo said, his story apparently over, "What of you?" Link's attention snapped right back to the Zora Prince, who had turned his gaze from his spear and accompanying enactments right to their Hylian guest. "Surely, a zora's greatest catch is nothing to the life of an esteemed soldier and captain like you?"

Link felt more than one pair of eyes fixate on him. After an awkward pause, he found the ability to speak again, but someone else did instead.

"Well, if he has been gone for fifteen years," Link turned to find Beytho, gazing down upon him with her usual expressionless mask, but he could not mistake the judgment in her eyes. "He might have one good story at least. Unless…"

"Sister!" Thya interjected, "Do not press him. He will speak of his reasoning when he deems it necessary."

Beytho gave her sister a quick look, then back at Link. "And when exactly will it be 'necessary'? I hoped for his return. I'm just curious as to why he waited fifteen years. Has he any inkling of what Hyrule has become?"

"I am not blind to Hyrule's suffering." Link said, feeling a heat rise in his face, but resisting the urge to snarl at her. "Before I came here, I have glimpsed what Hyrule has become, and what it will be if action is not taken."

"Then why not act sooner?" Beytho asked, her voice laced with cold scrutiny. "What was so important that you had to devote more time to-?"

"Be silent!" Thya hissed, "It only matters that he came back to us and wants to set things right again! While he is alive, there is hope for us-for Hyrule-still!"

Link did not avert his gaze from Beytho's, but did not turn to meet Thya's either. Deep in his conscience, Link knew he would likely be faced with judgment like this, just not so soon or from the people most loyal to the Royal Family of old. At the same time, it had been foolhardy to believe that all Zoras would just welcome him with open arms like the other Zoras he had met.

He turned his gaze down where they had come, where Aria was likely learning the basics of swimming. All the other Zoras must have noticed, for a few seconds later, Marlo piped up. To some degree of Link's surprise, it was not to bring up another story or to boast some more.

"She has something to do with your emergence, doesn't she?" he inquired, "Your daughter, I mean." Link gently inclined his head in a subtle nod.

"The child?" Beytho inquired, "She needed your attention more than the rest of Hyrule?"

"Enough!" Thya stormed into her sister's line of sight. The difference in height meant Thya had to crane her neck to see eye-to-eye with her sister, who looked down with a slightly-upturned head. "Link has returned and wants to help heal the land. That should be all that matters! Would you rather he have never come back at all?!"

Link felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet Marlo's gaze, the Zora prince's expression nonverbally apologizing for what he was going through. "I think it best," he said, all flamboyance gone from his voice, "that we let my sisters sort this out."

As Link and Marlo turned away, Link's eyes could not help but notice the air was alive with birds-birds that were cawing excitedly as they circled over the water. Curiously, he asked, "Marlo? Have you seen seabirds fly like that before?"

Marlo put up a hand, shielding his eyes from the sun, then squinted at the birds circling overhead. "A little too often, honestly." he answered, "They like to feed on the dead, even those who suffer the effects of Malice. We've had to kill our fair share of gulls because they go mad after eating a tainted fish." The Zora turned his gaze below the circling birds and what traces of his former gusto swiftly began to fade away. "There's something out there…" he said, then took a few steps closer to the ocean's waters to get a closer look. Mere seconds later, Link saw the Zora Prince overcome by what could only be described as "panic". "Oh no, that had better not be what I think it is!"

Propping his spear into the ground, Marlo took off towards the waves. When the water was up to his waist, he dove into the deeper parts. Watching his silhouette, Link could not hide his amazement. He had not been exaggerating for the sake of his story. If Thya was the average Zora speed as he and Aria had witnessed, then Marlo was a whole different league-swimming at least three times quicker.

It was then that he reminded himself that the Zora Prince was also swimming for his life. Or, in this case, someone else's.

"That's it, Ari, now keep going like that." Koifa said, clapping her hands.

Learning to swim was not as egregiously difficult as Aria had expected. Right from the word "go", Grupa and Koifa were straightforward and clear in their instructions. She had no flippers, gills, or tailfin, but she was not struggling to keep herself afloat. It comforted her to know Grupa was there if she ever needed assistance.

Swimming with a Zora Scale helped, too. She could hold her breath longer if she ever went under, and she could emerge on the rocky outcroppings feeling like she had never submerged in water. Her clothes were not heavy with water, and she didn't come out feeling chilled to her bones.

There were some aspects of water that she could not get around, however. Her clothes were still heavy and dragged her down, even if they dried fast once she was out of the water. She also had to rest frequently and pace herself. Water was heavier and harder to move through than she had thought it would be.

She did as she was told, sweeping with her arms and kicking with her legs, keeping her head above the water's surface as best she could until she reached the other side of the training pool Koifa had selected for them. She liked to believe she did decently, considering she had never swum in her life. Koifa and Grupa never berated her form and only gave her a few instructions that were easy enough to follow. Swimming under the water was a different sort of challenge, from buoyancy to being able to go in all manner of directions.

After several minutes of practice, the three had decided to call it good enough and were going down the same direction Link and the others had gone. A slight groan came from Grupa, though whether it came from his mouth or his stomach, Aria could not tell.

"All that teaching and swimming worked up an appetite." he said, one hand resting on his stomach, "Never know what's edible around these parts anymore."

"You mean with all the Malice?" Aria asked. Grupa nodded, his face betraying his embarrassment.

"Not too long ago," Koifa answered, pity in her voice, "he accidentally ate a fish infested with it. Poor brother was sick for weeks afterward. Our fishermen have thoroughly inspected every catch ever since."

"Is there any cure?" Aria asked.

"Well… 'yes and no'." Koifa replied, "I've always had a gift with making medicines-not quite the healer that Thya is, though-but Malice just perplexes me."

"How so?"

"Hmm… How best to explain this?" Koifa said, tapping her chin with a finger. After a second's thought, she spoke back up. "Yes, in that I know how to treat people sick with it and have concocted a few potions that can help resist its effects. No, in that I can't make something to get rid of it completely."

"Wait," Aria piped up, showing them her forearm, "I got a bite from a Moblin, but Thya healed me. It's like I was never hurt at all."

"Well, like I said," Koifa said with a shake of her head, "Thya's a far better healer than I am. And the nature of Malice is, for lack of a better word, 'unnatural'. By that, I mean there's nothing else like it in the world. Whatever this is, it's magical, and of the worst kind."

Aria shuddered, mentally. By all accounts, this felt like an incurable disease. "How do you make it?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, I need a scale of the fish that bit you." Koifa said, then saw the perplexed expression on Aria's face and laughed in embarrassment. "Sorry. Zora expression. In order to make a cure or resistant, I need a bit of the poison I'm trying to cure. I basically turn the poison around and use it to help someone."

Aria gave an "ah" as it all sank in. This meant, however, that if they wanted to build resistance to Malice, they would have to seek it out and even gather some of it. The mad, infected boar and the pain it caused her father still stood very clearly in her memories, so the thought of actively looking for and gathering this dangerous substance made her shudder inside.

Their conversation was interrupted when a loud "HOY!" rang out. All three turned to see Marlo, running as fast as he could towards them. When he came to a halt, panting for breath, Aria could already tell something was amiss. He looked distinctly pale in the face, his scales seemed to lose some of their vibrance and glitter. When he finally caught enough breath to look at them proper, that was what scared them the most. His eyes were so wide, yet looked like they saw nothing but darkness.

"You… You have to… Have to come quick!" he panted, urgency ringing in his voice.

Aria, Grupa, and Koifa looked at each other. Mere minutes ago, Marlo was flippant, proud, and eager to show his ability.

What could have happened to make such a person look like he had watched the stars all go out?