Chapter 8: The Zora Armory

He was at the beach one day.

It was a stretch of white sand which looped around a lake like a ring. When no one was there, the place was quiet.

During the summer, everyone in Oak Shire went there. They'd pack their families into cars and drive out to the beach for a swim.

The water helped everyone cool down from the unforgiving heat. Trevor liked staying on shore, of course.

He...never liked being around water with the gift. Naturally.

Instead of swimming, Trevor built sandcastles. He barely summoned water to shore, and that was only to dampen the dry grains into wet clumps to build towers with.

One day, Trevor built the largest castle yet.

It was a fortress which rose to his waist when he stood. Hours were spent working on it.

He even took time to decorate the castle with white rocks and long lost marbles he found along the shore.

The trinkets all fascinated him. He didn't think that so many items and objects would suddenly be out and about like they were.

One treasure Trevor found was a seashell. It was pink and wide, like the lid to a hand mirror case.

He approached the front of his sandcastle and tried to mold the shell into the front...then, the castle toppled over.

It was like the earth sucked the palace in. Everything sank.

The sand crumbled like snow in an avalanche. Trevor swore he heard some kind of crash, maybe, but that wasn't obvious because a cruel giggle filled his sense of hearing.

Suddenly, crafty fingers snatched the seashell from Trevor's hand. From the corner of his eye, a figure and its shadow dashed away from Trevor's side.

He heard a voice taunting him, daring him to give chase.

Rage swelled in Trevor's chest. He didn't want to play a game.

He just wanted the thief to stop.

Whoever it was...he just wanted them to stop.

Why didn't they stop…?

NOW

Claudius led the children to a room two levels below the King's courtroom. Zora women with shimmering gazes adorned by golden eye liner and glistening lashes ushered the children to their sides.

They pressed different fabrics against them while using rulers to measure them. After the Zora maidens were done, Zora soldiers escorted the children to the Zora Armory, a place just down the hall from the fitting room.

The Zora Armory was a vast room with walls kept in their natural state. Its floor was padded in the middle, as well as a handful of corners on the far side facing the entrance.

Along the walls, a multitude of weapons awaited ready hands. The selection ranged from wooden spears with sharpened flint points to copper colored tridents carefully placed on handles. Many Zora men trained on the padding, fiercely sparring with their respective weapons.

Claudius led the group through the armory until they reached the far side wall, where more Zora weapons rested. The commander seemed to admire the Armory, as if he built it all himself. He had a satisfied smile on his face.

"My newest recruits," he declared. "Welcome to the Zora Armory. You're children with extraordinary abilities, from what I've heard. Still, you're young. You're inexperienced. It doesn't sit well with me to see your potential untapped at such a critical point. We need to protect you, but you'll do that by learning to protect yourselves."

Claudius spread one of his arms over a stone table that rose to his waist. Trevor's stomach churned at the sight of the weapons.

They seemed alive despite their stillness. The situation's very real nature stood out to him, like a shout that was done for recognition alone.

Trevor wished he could quiet all the noise down.

Claudius plucked a slingshot from the stone table's surface. It was similar to Link's, made of wood and wrapped in white tape. The commander glanced back at Sheila, offering the slingshot to her.

"Young lady," Claudius said. "You look like someone with a perceptive eye. I also knew plenty of Sheikahs who were the finest archers in Hyrule. They rivaled-and even bested-the Knights of Hyrule. We'll train you well."

Sheila raised an eyebrow as the slingshot was handed to her. Trevor wondered why she was called a Sheikah and Sheila seemed to wonder the same.

Claudius focused on Jerome next. He picked up a club that could have reminded Trevor of what the bokoblins used at the Zora Delta.

This version proved less menacing; it had no spikes, the texture was smooth and the wood lighter in its complexion. When Claudius handed it to Jerome, Trevor saw how easy it was for his best friend to grasp the weapon.

"It'll be effective." Claudius clapped Jerome on the back and pointed him in the direction of a Zora Sentry with white scales for skin. "You'll train with Ardent. Clubs are his specialty."

Jerome gave Trevor an excited grin before jogging to the hefty Zora Sentry to start his share of training. Trevor didn't want to acknowledge Claudius standing before him, searching him out to see what he could do in preparation for Lord Jabu-Jabu.

He looked around the Armory but actively avoided eye contact with the military veteran.

"And what of you?" asked Claudius. "What can you do, young lad?"

"Um...not use weapons. That sounds like a plan, right?" Trevor gave a smart alick grin to the warrior, who scowled at the quip.

"You'll have to learn just like your friends," said Claudius, crossing his arms.

"I don't really want to, though."

"Is there something about fulfilling a good king's request which bothers you, young man?"

"The part where it doesn't really concern me all that much. It's been a long journey and I want a break."

"What makes you think you deserve one?"

"Where do I start?" Trevor pointed to Sheila and Jerome. "We get sucked through a weird portal into a world we don't know. I wake up, like, naked in some stranger's house. I meet a farm girl who keeps saying some of the same stuff you say, I meet a talking owl that freaks me out, I meet a kid and his loudmouth fairy, almost get eaten by a wolf, find my best friend without his memory, watch him almost die before my very eyes and now I have to listen to some fat fish with a crown on his head tell me to save his precious little girl from a whale, which I think is just another 'King Zora' without the crown and cape!"

Trevor lost his breath after explaining himself. Claudius didn't look moved.

"I'm sorry you went through all that," he said. "But you're not the only person in this world, son. There are many beings who go through hardships, see their trials through and learn to overcome them. It is not easy. I won't say it is and I won't tell you that your trial is unimportant. It is important, though. Your job is to overcome it. I advise you to obtain better character to make it happen."

Claudius turned towards the rack of flinthead spears. He snatched one from its holder and tossed it towards Trevor, keeping the point upright.

Trevor grasped the handle, fumbling with the spear before holding it steady. A rope wound itself around the spear, coiled like a boa constrictor on its prey. He didn't want to admit the weapon was a little heavy for him.

"Being in Hyrule will prove worthwhile," said Claudius. "It will make a man out of you."

"OK," said Trevor, "Who am I training with?"

"You're looking at your master."

"...Fun."

Claudius and Trevor found a space in the Armory's training area that fit both of them quite well. The Zora leader put a gap of distance between the two of them, wielding a spear of his own.

He made a certain stance with the spear that Trevor tried to imitate. Trevor felt awkward standing on the balls of his feet while spreading his legs apart with one in front of the other. He pointed at Claudius and suddenly thought about how many ways the soldier could accidentally kill him. Trevor swallowed an extra gulp of saliva.

"I'll be gentle in the session," said Claudius. It was as if the Zora Commander were psychic. Trevor was freaked out. "And...BEGIN!"

Trevor was constantly on the defense. Actually, he was always on the defense.

Claudius seemed careful enough to not hurt Trevor. He went for the spear more than anything. Whenever he struck Trevor, the staff struck the boy, tapping him on his side.

Trevor constantly winced at the hits, thought none of them really hurt. He couldn't get used to the pressure and eventually found himself falling at the brute force of Claudius' advances.

"Get up," Claudius said when Trevor fell for the fourth time in the session.

Trevor's body shook and he couldn't really stop him. His arms burned with weariness.

His legs were the same way, wobbling and aching from the way they had to work against the push of Claudius' attacks. Sweat dribbled on Trevor's skin like rainwater on a window.

It was cool to the touch, but Trevor felt himself fuming. He wasn't sure if it was the heat of his training or the anger that bubbled inside him.

"Did you hear me?" Claudius asked, his voice a little more stern. "Get up, Trevor Berenson."

"You're a jerk of a teacher." Trevor's teeth gritted during the outburst.

Again, Claudius was unmoved. "Your attitude isn't appreciated. Stand."

"I don't appreciate any of this." Trevor rose despite his words. He felt his brow furrowing. His nostrils flared as he re upped his stance. Curse words jumped around in his head.

"I'm not your tormentor, Trevor."

Trevor charged at Claudius, not caring that his spear point went straight for the Zora. Claudius sidestepped the attack, making Trevor missing by a wide margin.

Trevor's feet skidded across the Armory floor's surface, lightly filleting some skin on his bare soles. He cringed at the pain and let out a grunt.

"For forty years," Claudius said. "I've led battalions into battle. Few soldiers under my watch have died. Except for the Civil War. That was terrible. That was a trial, much like your own. I won't make comparisons about which of our issues were worse."

Trevor didn't care. He tried to hit Claudius with the side of his spear, but the leader was ready again. He blocked every hit, keeping a calm face in the duress Trevor tried to dish out.

"Many of my men are leaders today because they were dedicated. They learned to love who they were. They learned to love Hyrule. Other people mattered. I showed them they mattered and served them. Are you willing to do the same?"

"Shut up." Trevor's rage flared and he didn't know why.

"Disappointing." Claudius countered Trevor's attack and tripped him by kicking the side of his spear at the boy's heels. Trevor fell hard on the Armory floor, though his head didn't smack against the stony surface. Claudius pinned Trevor to the ground with the butt of his spear.

"There's a common pattern," said Claudius. "Or at least I think there is. You're all about serving yourself. Never others. Even your friends there. You only serve them because they're important to you. I can see the fear in your eyes, Trevor Berenson. It's easy to run...but it's bold to face uncertainty. Somewhere out there, Princess Ruto is facing dark times. So is Jabu-Jabu. Ruto has been prepared for these moments since she was born. I haven't a doubt she's maintaining her dignity through it all."

"We don't know that." Trevor pushed the spear away. "What if she's...you know. Oofed?" He made a motion across his throat with a finger. It was that motion, the one that meant a word no one ever wanted to say. It finally brought out a rage in Claudius.

The Zora commander struck the ground with a spear. "How dare you," he said. "HOW DARE YOU. Stand up again!"

Trevor's stomach whirled as he realized his mistake. He felt compelled to obey from Claudius' rage alone. Maybe he needed to learn to keep his big, dumb mouth shut.

"Respect your responsibilities." Claudius charged at Trevor, upping the ante more than ever. Trevor fell after a while. "Stand. Your form is unsophisticated. Improve it."

Trevor stayed down. He let go of the spear and started shedding tears. "I don't want to do this."

"You and your friends have a responsibility."

"Let my friends handle it."

"Fulfill your duty."

"I don't want it."

"You already agreed!"

"I wish I didn't! Just...just stop, please."

The Armory was quiet. Trevor felt every eye in Zora's Domain focused on him and Claudius. Claudius didn't seem to care. His voice rose every time he spoke.

"Enemies are like thieves," he declared. "They come to take everything from you. What should you do? What will you do? Run or defend yourself? GET BOLDER, Trevor Berenson!"

"Stop."

"Up again, until you have it right."

"I SAID STOP!"

He raised his spear, turned it on its side and drove it over his leg. The weapon snapped in two.

The ensuing crack echoed as splints darted everywhere. Trevor was sure all of Hyrule heard it.

Oak Shire's police department could have found him now with the way he brought attention to himself. Claudius rage faded.

It turned into a shocked disappointment, in a sadness mixed with the frustration Claudius already felt from this first session.

Without another word, Trevor slowly rose to his feet. After barely looking at every face in the Armory, from his friends' astonished stares to the soldier's calm gazes, he fled, wishing he could disappear altogether.

He hated Hyrule, Zora's Domain, Claudius, wars, Princess Ruto and everything else in between.