Author's note: thanks to some recent life changes I find myself with more time to write, which is why I can present the next chapter to you at a much more reasonable time than usual.

I have covered the homes of the Gorons, Ordonians, Hylians, and Gerudo; it is now time to talk about the Zoras some more. The architecture for the Domain in this chapter was inspired by the masterful masonry of one of Catalunya's greatest architects, Gaudi. I had the privilege to see his work for myself during a vacation in Spain, and wrote most of this chapter in our lodge by the seaside while the imagery was still fresh. Feel free to look up images of the Parc Guell in Barcelona, where I found most of the references in this chapter.

Chapter 16

The trek into the Zora Domain was supposedly doomed from the start; Val Jabun's people told them as such. They'd be stopped halfway up the waterway and driven back the way they had come at lance-point, if the entryway hadn't already been blocked off. Aggression was not a common Zora trait, but even the sturdy fishermen in the northern capital knew not to cross a Zora when they were angry. Auru and his followers were labelled foolish to try and enter the Domain in one piece.

The leader insisted that, as long as there were no direct acts of war between the Zoras and Hyrule, he would consider them his allies. In truth, Auru Nahamani's eyes kept bouncing back to the young hero riding in their midst, wondering just what means of persuasion even he could have hidden up his sleeve to open negotiations between them and the circumstantially hostile race.

Ever since the Lizalfos battle, Link had been like a closed book with a blank cover. Further prodding, provocations, or attempts at reconciliation from Rusl were met with apathy. Ashei's banter was merely shrugged at, and whenever Auru tried to seek out a private moment for a quick update on how Midna was faring and to gain an insight on what was going on in the hero's head, he was given only the most vague of answers.

Auru was astute enough to know he had erred, and vastly, in bringing Rusl along. It was not hostility that spurred his former apprentice's tongue whenever he lectured Link, but the result was a tense truce of silence between stubborn father and reluctant son that was steering their little fellowship's morale into a dark corner. Even Ashei was uncommonly quiet—in and of itself a cause for worry—and Auru had a feeling she could discern some personal similarities she'd rather have kept a lid on.

Their stay in Val Jabun finally brought some answers to their inquiries about the rogue Yeti. Yes, there were indeed rumours of a large, Goron-like monster with thick white fur that invaded the Domain on a regular basis, wreaking havoc, before leaving up the long trail into the vast Snow Peak mountain range which could only be reached skirting the Domain's main access point. That spot apparently remained open for travellers, and Ashei insisted they abandon the vain idea of getting more knowledge out of the Zora population and just make a break for the trail.

Auru used his authority—or whatever he thought was left of it—to justify an attempt at speaking with the Zoras, and not only because of Link's yet unveiled query with their prince. Whatever information they could glean from them concerning the rogue Yeti would further confirm their suspicions that the beast was indeed influenced—perhaps even entirely created, as Midna suspected—by the Mirror shard's curse. Auru had been informed by the secretive pair that such powerful artefacts could take on any form, and usually chose one with enough firepower to defend itself. The Yeti had most likely been overtaken by its powers and corrupted to an abomination, a fate Auru recalled the Goron patriarch had suffered, according to Link.

And if the Zoras had had multiple encounters with it, they would best know where it was currently hiding.

The Domain sat at the mouth of the river, the northernmost point in Hyrule's territory cradled by vast, grey mountains. Departing from it and patrolled by half an army's worth of Zora soldiers, the river formed a wide highway for canoes, rafts, barges, and clusters of Zora contractors carrying goods in their sleek, pellet-shaped floater containers. Auru was met with a feeling of déjà-vu, for gathered on the river's two shores and along the Northern Road leading forward, countless tents and stalls had been erected where Humans, Hylians, and Gorons milled about.

Ashei groaned behind him, but Auru relaxed as he scanned the populace from atop his horse. The people watching them pass were smiling and nodded in greeting, their clothes clean and intact. Cries from advertising vendors, wallowing voices haggling over fish prices, filled the air. Zora soldiers marched in groups along the road but did not force their way through, and many of them pulled handcarts packed with goods up to the Domain concealed behind the rocky massif.

"Interesting," Ashei said from the rear as she cast her eyes about. "These people are here to do business, nothing more."

"Not quite," Auru answered. "They probably once sought refuge and were denied, then decided to stay up here in case a monster invasion truly did happen, in which case they could potentially force their way into the Domain. This situation just allows for trade to be a happy by-product that passes the time and provides a revenue."

"The Zoras are buying weapons," Rusl added, pointing at a large cart being pushed by a group of Zora soldiers packed with Hylian-made lances and shields. "Seems their new king has taken a course of caution. I wonder how they are paying for them."

"Fish, in all likelihood," Auru answered.

"For weapons?" Ashei asked, perplexed.

"In a starving country, food is the most valuable of riches. And weapons don't fill your children's bellies."

"No, but they keep you alive just the same."

The quartet finally arrived at the junction and was met with a large wooden wall completely sealing off the access tunnel into the Domain. The barricade did not even have doors, so resolute were the Zoras in keeping out other races. Only a large metal grate, barely visible beneath the churning surface, allowed access via the water. Soldiers kept an unbroken vigil on its surroundings while exchanges in the military body were carried out or Zora deliverymen passed through with their merchandise.

"Now what?" Auru whispered to Link, watching as the youth fumbled with his rupee wallet.

"I'll try to gain us access."

"How?"

If Link truly thought bribing them with rupees would work, Auru had seriously misjudged the boy's cultural awareness, not to mention his intelligence. Zoras had little use for material goods—apart from weapons, apparently—since their wealth lay in knowledge, not riches. The only decorative jewellery they'd indulge in were necklaces or bracelets to show their military rank. Ororah's necklace had held a simple waxing moon, establishing her as a sergeant.

Link pulled forth a glistening, blue jewel instead, and Auru felt his jaw drop. "With a key," Link answered.

The one exception to the rule, Auru thought. Goddesses, that boy gets around!

Auru almost asked him if it was truly what he thought it was—the Zoras' most prized material heirloom, the Spiritual Stone of Water. His answer was given by the small troop that approached their horses, for when Link held up the jewel, similar reactions of surprise and shock went through the Zora soldiers.

"I wish to speak with your king and return this to him," Link said, calmly keeping the trinket out of their reach. "I was party to his rescue in Kakariko before he returned here. He entrusted me with the Spiritual Stone for safekeeping. If you give him my name, he will recognise it."

The Zora who approached them wore a golden necklace with the triple moons ranking him as a captain. Long he stood before Epona, eyes shifting oddly behind his fish-eyed helmet. Auru had not met many Zoras face-to-face, but he knew that the race was a highly intellectual one, and individuals would often stand in silence in the middle of a conversation whilst computing theories, outcomes, and answers.

After a short moment, the captain beckoned Link to dismount.

"Captain Oturo, at your service. Sadly I am under strict orders to deny any member of non-Zora races access to our kingdom. But I promise that I will personally oversee the Sapphire's return to his Majesty's trusted hands." He stretched out a membranous hand expectantly.

Link shook his head. "I wish to give it to him personally."

"We have come to investigate the recent attacks on your kingdom, Captain Oturo, the ones performed by a rogue Yeti from Snow Peak," Auru added, dismounting also. "My name is Sir Auru Nahamani. I vouch for my companion."

More eye-shifting, more silence, before the captain replied just as firmly as before. "Whatever rumours you might have heard, Sir Nahamani, are all false. We have had no such attack, least of all from Snow Peak. On the other hand, your companion is carrying a racial heirloom that has been entrusted to us by the goddesses themselves. If he does not give it willingly, we will have to take it by force."

"What?" Rusl called, but he was blocked by a row of soldiers as Link was suddenly crowded in on all sides. The youth reacted quickly, holding the stone behind his back even as he was driven towards the river. The captain gave his soldiers a sign that Auru recognized with horror—the order to seize and detain. There was no boat or raft docked at the shore to catch him, and before Link could react he was shoved into the water with a mighty splash.

"Captain, wait!" Auru called, looking fearfully at the spot where Link had disappeared.

"He will not be harmed, we are only securing the Stone," Oturo assured.

Several Zora soldiers jumped in after him, their sleek bodies melding gracefully with the river's calm water. A struggle seemed to ensue wherein membranous feet and head fins disturbed the surface like sharks devouring a doomed seal, pushing Link down every time he tried to surface. Despite the Zora's guarantee, Auru felt terrified that the Zoras would drown Link just to get to the stone.

"Stop it, that's my son!" Having come to a similar conclusion, Rusl jumped from his fidgety horse with his weapon raised. Ashei's sabre rang angrily as she hopped down to meet them also. The same hand sign from the captain brought forth more soldiers to stop them in their tracks, when the splashing and coughing coming from the river pulled their attention back to the water.

"We can't find it, Sir!" one of the soldiers called. "It's not on him!"

Auru saw with relief that Link was still very much alive, and looking mildly terrified within the Zoras' grip. He was breathing hard, white as a sheet, stretching his neck more than was necessary to keep his head above water. Auru's heart went out to him; he'd seen that same expression on traumatised soldiers' faces too many times to miss it. He almost drowned in Lakebed Temple, he thought, remembering the youth's tale of his journey through the submerged cave system. The experience scarred him.

"Link, are you okay?" Rusl called anxiously, but Link didn't seem to hear him.

"He dropped it and it sank to the bottom, obviously," the captain grunted at his troops in the river.

"No, Sir, we searched the entire area, his pouches, his tunic's folds, everything. It's gone."

Captain Oturo frowned, approaching the shore where Link was being held above water by his captors and leaning down in a domineering bow, fists on his hips.

"Where is it, boy?" he growled.

Auru had to summon up all his self-discipline to stop himself from yelling at the captain—Show some respect to our chosen hero, you ignorant mollusc!—and was frightened by his own heated thoughts.

Link leaned forward until his cheek almost touched the captain's and said one word, so quietly that Auru couldn't hear it. Then he raised his voice, anger fuelled by the persisting near-panic of being held in the water against his will rendering his words sharp and hard. "That is the name of my friend, your king. He entrusted it to me in good faith when he gave me the Stone for safekeeping. I have kept the king's confidence and only ask that I might speak with him in person."

The captain hissed and made a gesture as if to slap Link. Auru and Rusl moved forward simultaneously, unconsciously, but the captain pulled his hand back instead. "Very well, young man. You—and you alone—may enter the Domain. You'll be under constant watch, and your companions will stay here until you return."

"I'm at your mercy, Captain," Link replied, casting a nervous glance at the waterline reaching to his neck.

Captain Oturo turned to Auru, Rusl, and Ashei. "If you cause trouble, I'll give the order to detain you too. We'll return your comrade when his Majesty has dealt with him. You can expect him back in a few hours."

"No, wait!" Rusl called and was once more pushed back against his horse's bulk. "Link!"

But Link ignored him as he turned and began paddling alongside the soldiers towards the opening grate. He hesitated long enough for the Zoras to become impatient before he found the courage to dive under, and Auru noticed Rusl's look of confusion at his son's evident reluctance.

"He never had any issues with water before," the smith muttered, turning his accusing eyes on Auru. "What in Farore's name have you done to my son, Nahamani?"

A parent, even just a surrogate one, rarely failed to notice discrepancies in their children's behaviour. Auru knew that, having once possessed the same innate ability. His former apprentice's accusation put him in a tricky situation, and not only because of Auru's oath of secrecy towards Link. More and more similarities were rising up, too many to count; the hair, the build, the ears, not to mention the eyes, all strikingly familiar. Not that Auru hadn't seen them before, when Link first entered the headquarters in Telma's company, pale and injured. But the more he thought about them, the more he found himself uplifted by that irrational, irresponsible hope that these similarities were founded in blood. His blood.

No. It was not right. He was better than that.

"I didn't do anything to your son, Rusl." The last three words pained him more than he felt comfortable to admit, even just to himself. "I believe that fear of water was established long before I brought so much pain to him, as you have so eloquently put it. Or have you forgotten the desert's blatant lack of liquid?"

Rusl grunted and tugged on his horse's reins harder than necessary. "I don't need any more arrogant wit from you, Auru. You've turned my son against me, I know it. It's your fault he hates me. And I don't even know why! What have I done to you both?"

Nothing, Auru thought, gritting his teeth against the burning shame that stole over him. And that's the very worst of it.

0

Link was glad it was summer and his soaked clothes did not freeze him to his core. But he discovered that the Domain held an uncommonly fresh climate compared to the plains of Lanayru they had ridden through the day before, and soon he was shivering. He reckoned it was the abundance of caves and cliffs that bathed it in constant shadows, its elevation, and Snow Peak looming to his left like a giant white wall, snow-covered crests beaming in the late afternoon sun sending their frigid gales down into the valley.

Frigid, too, were the looks and side-glances he received from the Zoras they passed. Most of them wore the traditional fish-eyed helmets common to their military and wielded long, curious spears; Link had never seen spearheads with fins, and yet they adorned the carved points like a membranous dorsal. Were they there to facilitate underwater combat? He lacked sufficient knowledge in regards to the physics of water to be sure.

The path ahead wound through a corridor of high rock walls. Their footsteps reverberated against them, squishy pit-patting from the Zoras' flippers and soft knocks from his leather boots—also soaked, he found out grimly. He still wasn't quite sure why they had shoved him in the water in the first place, if it had been out of spite or just to gain an advantage over a primarily land-dwelling opponent. He figured it was the latter, and his momentary state of shock had given them ample time to search every crack and crevice in his tunic for Ralis' Sapphire.

He cast a smile at his shadow and silently thanked Midna for her quick reaction. In his fright of being propelled underwater he had lost his hold on the jewel, likely the result the soldiers had been aiming for. She had snatched it up and hidden it in the shadows before they could lay eyes on it.

"Are you a magic wielder?" Captain Oruto asked, catching Link by surprise.

"What makes you think that?"

"We cannot find the stone on your body, and it is too big to be swallowed. Either you've used magic to make it disappear, or you've hidden it somewhere much more… personal."

With flaming cheeks, Link stuttered out, "No, I, err—No. I wouldn't… I didn't—"

"Then where is it?"

He was at an impasse, one that had just one possible way out; admit that magic was involved. His first instinct was to negate it, find an excuse and perhaps even relinquish his dignity if it got him out of the situation bruised but not broken. But the more he thought about it, the more problems this revelation seemed to solve. He could keep Midna's identity secret and make use of her powers overtly. Hylians, as he'd read before, had been known to possess magical abilities in the past. Which meant the Zoras would not question his words, and potentially grow less suspicious if he just played into their assumptions.

"I… I can't use it well, just enough to hide objects from sight," he answered. "The stone is quite safe, I assure you."

Oturo frowned but nodded in understanding.

When they reached the end of the corridor, Link forgot all about his muggy state or the passing soldiers' blistering side-glances, his eyes instead struggling to take in the vast space that stretched out before him. He—just like Auru before—experienced a strong sense of déjà-vu in the form of light pastel colours, mosaic-covered walls, and breath-taking, fantastical scenery.

The Domain was primarily a high-walled hub filled half-way with the gently flowing river that, here, took on the dimensions of a small lake. What immediately caught his eye was the colossal waterfall that tumbled into the basin at the back. It was the birthing force of the Zora River, and as such it spewed forth a froth of silver that echoed with tremendous noise against the granite walls. Smaller fountains left and right accompanied the behemoth in its boastful show of tumbling water.

The shoreline ran along the wall where a path had been carved out of it, allowing the rock to reach over it like a roof. Where it became too wide to hold itself up, columns had been erected like membranes tapering off at the top and bottom into elegant cones. The Zora masons had used flat stone chips instead of coloured tiles to build and decorate them. Further ahead, the ceiling itself had been enhanced with pointed teeth of jagged stone that reached down like stalactites, each piece carefully chosen and locked in mortar.

Above, the roof provided a stable platform for a tunnel-like walkway interspersed with more columns forming windows to the outside. Ivy, moss, creepvines coated those balustrades and hung from the roof like curtains that diluted the sunlight and turned the shadows beneath into magical rays of emerald green. To decorate the upper gallery, small porcelain discs depicting various fish and seashells garnered the columns and low walls below the openings.

Zoras were everywhere. Some walked along the shoreline path and through the galleries that spanned the length of the wall, but most could be found milling about in the lake, their shifting scales shimmering in the sunlight like nacre. When Link leaned forward to inspect the water, he was astonished at how crystal clear it was and how far into it he could see. In the depths he saw cave openings and carved archways—homes, screened off with curtains of seaweed or coral hangings. A grander entryway was frequented intensively, and he wondered if this was the threshold to the fabled Zora City, lying completely submerged beneath the rock.

He was led into a gallery at ground level and up a winding staircase into the upper walkway. Up another flight of stairs and he was met with more rooms hewn into the wall, this time above water, attended by the first few Zoras he saw that were partly clothed. They wore simple loincloths and shawls, but the sight brought on his discomfited realisation that most Zoras walked and swam around completely bare. No distinguishing parts were visible, of course, and they actually reminded him a lot of how Midna looked before Zelda healed her. But it still drove a bloom of pink fluster into his cheeks.

The uppermost gallery brought them all the way to the waterfall's spillway, and Link was surprised at how quiet it had become. Before him was yet another cave, this one over fifteen feet high. The stream that became the waterfall ran rapidly past them and out the cavern into daylight. Inside, Captain Oturo ordered his troops and Link to wait and walked ahead into the space at the back. Link's eyes, which were still half-blinded by the outside glare, took a moment to adjust so he could make out what lay ahead.

More tiled columns that supported the granite ceiling stood in a half-circle near the cave's back. Intricate lattices of blued steel formed a curling mesh between the pillars that reflected the bright sun coming in from a skylight. The mosaic in this room was astounding, covering the entire wall and most of the ground. Some of it was partly obscured by more hanging vines. Link followed it with his gaze, marvelled at the bright reds and deep blues, the million rainbow-coloured porcelain pieces scintillating with wetness and sunlight that breathed life into their depictions; shells in outlandish shapes and colours framing the edges, fish swarming around abstract Zora figures carrying spears and riding massive sea creatures with fanning tail fins. Link did not know yet what a whale was, but of one thing he was certain: he'd had quite enough of sea monsters, and he was far from eager to meet another barrel-shaped and comb-toothed giant fish.

Before the columns and in the cave's very centre, bordered with white and grey chequered steps, was a deep water basin—the source, Link surmised, of the waterfall outside and thus likely all water in the kingdom. It churned and wallowed with the pressure of the deep, and the sound made Link's flesh pucker with goose-bumps; it was much too similar to the endless chug and slurp in his venting cave in Lakebed Temple, a never-ending nuisance of repulsive, salacious noises that had encroached upon his half-conscious mind trying to rest. Peering into it to see just how far it went down, he shuddered with sudden revulsion when he found nothing but darkness. The soldiers around him cast him confused frowns.

But every resurging, unpleasant memory of that dreaded place vanished instantly when he heard, from the back of the chamber, a startled child's voice. Barely five seconds later Prince Ralis, now king of the Zoras just a tender decade old, raced along the shore walkway paying no mind to the adult caretakers jogging after him or his many jewellery pieces jangling merrily as, with a half-sobbing whoop, he bowled through the soldiers and straight into Link's arms.

"You're here—You made it—I was so worried—It's really you—Thank almighty Nayru who kept you safe—You're alive!"

Link felt his cheeks stretch with a startled grin as he knelt down and held Ralis at arm's length, laughing at the Zora child's torrential mirth. "Yes, I'm here, I survived, and only thanks to your help, Ralis." He choked off when the boy once more crushed him in a hug. In the background, he could see Captain Oturo and his contingent staring in bafflement at the scene.

Told you, Link's narrowed eyes said, and they looked down in embarrassment.

Ralis soon became aware of the throng of Zoras surrounding them, and Link watched downheartedly how the boy's excitement deflated once he saw the many displeased faces of his counsellors and realisation returned; this is not how a king behaves, tsk tsk, their eyes seemed to say. But he composed himself quickly, raising his chin with steady majesty.

"This is Link of Ordon, the warrior who risked his life to keep me protected. He is a guest of honour and shall be treated as befitting a close ally to the Zora throne."

"Of course, Your Majesty," the Zora woman who stood closest to Ralis said, her eyes softening with not quite as much sympathy as Link expected. "I shall personally see to his accommodation."

"No, Nemale, I will do that myself, thank you. You all may return to your posts."

"But, my King, the hearing—"

"Later, Nemale, I'm sure it can wait till later."

"My King, please allow one of us to accompany you," Captain Oturo, eager to redeem himself, stepped forward. "He is carrying our sacred heirloom and refused to hand it over at the gate. He came here under the pretext—"

"Yes, I know," Ralis interrupted hastily. "I gave it to him when we met in Kakariko, because, err…"

"For safekeeping," Link stepped in.

"Yes, exactly. I couldn't yet know whom to trust after my rescue apart from him."

"My King, I beg your pardon if I seem forward, but you are still young and easily misguided—"

"That will be all, Captain Oturo," Nemale interrupted harshly before turning to Ralis once more. "Your Majesty, allow me to accompany you."

"No, thank you, I'll be quite safe in his presence." Ralis now seemed both angry and exceedingly uncomfortable. "Return to your posts and go about your business. I'll be in the Hylian royal guest chamber, and the guards there will be testament to my safety."

With pursed lips, the counsellor nodded and waved at the others to disperse. Ralis took advantage of the confused milling and grabbed Link's hand, pulling him past the churning water source. Link finally saw the chamber's purpose when he made out a large, ornate chair inside a recess in the back wall that the steel lattice fenced off and partly hid from view. Ralis' throne, the seat his late mother and likely all Zora kings and queens had once occupied, stood like a fat menhir in the centre surrounded by braziers and pillars. It looked much too large to accommodate such a small boy.

Ralis pulled him past the throne and through a doorway at the back of the room that led into a winding stairwell. He did not stop as he emerged in the tunnel above but hurried on through the adjacent gallery until he finally stopped at a doorway guarded by two stern-looking Zoras in silver armour. Mutely, they opened the double doors for them, revealing a large room lit by braziers and another skylight.

Link was once more stunned silent at the chamber's opulence. Where outside, most of the seating had consisted of stone benches covered with more ceramic tessellations to survive the Domain's persisting humidity, this room was furnished entirely with mahogany. The four-poster, the armchair, the cupboards, the desk, the side- and dining tables all flaunted their reddish wood grain beneath a gleaming coat of varnish. Cushioning was held in earthy hues mixed with the odd turquoise, and teal silk embroidered in gold and silver shells composed the drapes around the dominant four-poster.

Link gingerly stepped over the intricate floor—more porcelain tiles, charcoal-black—and teetered precariously at the edge of a magnificent red carpet before his filthy wet boots sullied it. Ralis watched as the doors were shut, then shot out his arms and hugged Link's middle again. Link held him tight, paying no mind to the Zora's slick, gooey skin leaving a slimy film on his clothes. He could feel the child trembling in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Ralis finally said as he took a step back. "I'm making you all wet."

"I'm already plenty wet," Link chuckled. "Your troops know how to catch someone off-guard."

"They thought you were an enemy… But you had the stone, and I'd told my advisors I'd given it to you… Yet they still disgraced you. I'm so sorry."

Link held out a pacifying hand and presented Ralis with his broadest smile. "Don't even think about it, Ralis. I'm just glad I convinced them to bring me here so I could return this to you."

He reached into his wallet where, seconds before, he had felt Midna discreetly deposit the Sapphire from the shadows. When Ralis took the stone, more thick tears rolled down his cheeks as he held the jewel to his lips.

"Thank you so much..."

"I promised I'd give it back to you, didn't I?"

"That you did. But this is nothing compared to how glad I am that you're okay. My prayers were with you each night and day."

Ralis gestured for Link to take a seat on the nearby sofa, which Link somewhat saved from his wetness by carefully rearranging the lavish cushions in a circle around him. The Zora child did the same, but his care was curtailed by his apparent preoccupation.

After a moment of silence, he decided to give voice to it. "I almost dare not ask... Did you find the power you were looking for? The Masked Man, is he...?"

Link had prepared his confession beforehand, but now that he was confronted with the young prince once again, saw in his chubby boy face that crushing, innocent hope only a bereaved child could display, he found he had lost his words. A grunt escaped him instead, prompting him to hide his discomfort behind a smile he hoped was reassuring. His crushing shame turned it into an agonised grimace instead.

"Link? What is it?"

Pull yourself together, Link thought miserably. He deserves the truth.

"I wasn't strong or skilled enough to take him down," he finally brought forth after a deep breath. "I failed you and your mother. Forgive me, Ralis."

Link admired the boy for how he kept his disappointment in check, but it was there nonetheless. Deservedly. Link did not begrudge him in the slightest.

Speaking more calmly now, he told Ralis of his journey through the temple, leaving most of the gritty details out. He retold his defeat at Lanayru's cave and how Zant had ambushed him, skirting as best as he could his transformation or his flight from Zelda's tower. Ralis' countenance, held stiffly neutral throughout the tale, lightened once more when Link spoke of the princess' success in trapping Zant's god in the castle with her, thus completely cutting Zant off of his power to enter their world again.

And though it was a risk to Midna's covertness, Link decided to discreetly signal her for the Master Sword, pulling it from the shadows beneath him like from the surface of a black pond. He knelt before the young king in the manner of Hylian knights, the magnificent silver blade held upright before him, as he spoke his vow.

"The Blade of Evil's Bane chose me as its wielder, and I give you my word, Ralis, that I will bring your mother's killer to justice with the power this sword has granted me. Zant will pay for what he did to you and to your people."

Ralis was too shell-shocked by both the blade's splendour and the vow to notice the trembling in Link's voice, and answered in the only way his young heart could think of: another bone-crushing hug. Link knew he had now irrevocably bound himself to his success, but despite the circumstances he felt strangely relieved. This time he had no choice; he couldn't lose against Zant again. And if he was being honest with himself, to make this vow to two people was a lot easier than vowing to an entire kingdom. Midna, and now Ralis, were counting on his triumph. He knew he couldn't forgive himself if he disappointed either of them again. Their belief in him spurred his willpower, his courage, like no amount of reverence or admiration ever could.

Carefully setting the sword beside him onto the sofa, Link proceeded with filling Ralis in on his other reason for coming, and the Zora boy's countenance became poised with intrigue after hearing of the Resistance's efforts in the invasion and their recent involvement in assembling a relic known to the fewest people as the Mirror of Twilight.

Before Link could finish, Ralis politely interrupted him and called for the guards, instructing them to find Link's companions and escort them to the throne room. Link turned with a start to where he had put the Master Sword, and saw that Midna had already taken care of it while his and Ralis's attention had been elsewhere. Bless you, Midna, he thought, and not for the first time.

The two sentinels were at first reluctant and attempted to dissuade the young monarch, but Ralis valiantly insisted.

After Link spoke of their current mission into Snow Peak, Ralis requested to see Ashei's sketch. Link carried an exact copy of it—courtesy of Shad—given to him by Auru at the start of their journey.

"Yes, we've been invaded by this creature multiple times, usually at night," Ralis said, holding the parchment by the corners to prevent soaking the drawing. "It was too large and too woolly to be easily pierced by our spears, so we tried crossbows to slow it down. That also didn't work. Many of my guards were hurt trying to stop it from ransacking our holy ritual spot by Mother-and-Child rock."

Link debated with himself whether he should reveal Captain Oturo's denial of the attacks, but decided against it for now. "We're still trying to figure out its motive," he answered instead. "So it came only to destroy your sacred ritual spot?"

"No, I believe it was after the reekfish that breed there. The beast left once it caught a handful of them. Sadly these fish are also sacred to us, and we must stop the creature from stealing any more of them."

"It was after a sacred fish? That's all?"

"Yes. Your sketch actually shows it right here. That red dot of paint can't be anything but a reekfish, although drastically over-dimensioned. Reekfish are prominently red."

Link's mouth dropped open when he finally saw it; the scout who'd made the sketch had used his own blood to try and show the fish it had caught. Shad, thankfully, had replicated the blood using red paint instead, and Link knew each stroke was accurate. The pencil outline of the catch had been badly smudged by it—just like in the original—but now that he knew what it was supposed to represent, he recognized it.

"This makes more sense now, but I still don't understand what the Yeti would want with the fish. Does it have any special properties?"

Ralis shrugged. "Reekfish, as their name suggests, are extremely pungent both in smell and taste. We don't eat it, so I can't say if it has any medicinal purposes. Likely for that beast the intense taste is just a delicacy. I don't really know. I'd have to ask my counsellors about it."

The prince looked at his finned feet thoughtfully, and Link sensed some apprehension in the boy's posture. He gave him a light nudge with his elbow.

"What is it, Ralis?"

The child sighed. "These attacks are just a small testimony of how unprepared and inexperienced I am for this position. My people look to me for advice, yet I have none to give. I barely know how to do multiplications..."

"You're afraid you might make mistakes that could have lasting consequences."

"Exactly. What if my kingdom, my race, falls because I was not wise enough to lead it?"

"Surely you have people around you to support you, right?" Link recalled Counsellor Nemale's not-so-sympathetic look after being told off earlier. None of them, in fact, had looked even the slightest bit supportive.

"I do, but... How can I know who to trust? Most of my mother's advisors, people she trusted, were killed in the attack. I'm left with strangers who think I'm not fit to rule and treat me like the helpless child I am. I try, I really do, but I could never hope to be like my mother, not when I wasn't even old enough to familiarise myself with the duties of a monarch."

A look of hope passed across his face, and he locked his eyes with Link's. "Perhaps you could give me some advice, Link. If you could stay for a while, maybe teach me the basics of military strategy...?"

Link pursed his lips and looked down at his knees, a sobering thought crossing his mind. Ralis's situation was more like his own than he had thought, being thrown into an adult position by a fate that should never have happened. Link had had Midna and the Light Spirits to put him on the right path, but who did Ralis have? A handful of sceptics seeing nothing but a child on a seat that should be occupied by a ruler?

It was a new type of adoration Link hadn't encountered yet, one that was perhaps even more painful to bear than Auru's reverence play. Of course he was a source of inspiration to the boy, perhaps even a golden lifeline in a sea of ugly looks and prejudices. Tales of ancient heroes were just as known among the water tribes than among the farmers, merchants, and scholars of central Hyrule. And though Ralis had sworn his own oath to keep Link's identity secret, how could Link blame him for harbouring that kind of confidence?

His heart yearned to give Ralis what he wanted, what he needed, but he'd be lying to both himself and to the Zora boy by putting himself into a pair of boots he couldn't fill.

"As much as I'd want to help you with that, I don't think I could be of much use to you," he admitted. "I never gained any experience in leading people, and my militaristic skill doesn't reach much further than archery and swordplay. Before I was chosen to be the goddesses' champion, I lived in a village and herded goats all day."

The look of utter defeat on Ralis's face nearly broke Link's heart. Ransacking his brain for anything better to offer, his eyes fell on the Yeti sketch, and inspiration hit him.

"But there is one person I know who could help you. My commander in the Resistance is a former general and extremely knowledgeable in, well... pretty much anything. And he once tutored Princess Zelda. I'll introduce you, if you want."

"Do you mean Sir Nahamani, your Agency leader?"

"Yes."

"He sent me a very touching letter of condolences. And if you trust him, then I'd be a fool not to do the same. He seems like a very wise man, and a formidable leader. And if he even was Princess Zelda's personal teacher…"

Remembering Auru's supposed knack for harbouring ulterior motives, Link hastened to add, "He did ask me to give him your name so he'd have a private connection to you. I didn't, since you asked me not to. And he knows of my... role, I guess. He said that your race will have to be involved in this war sooner or later, and he'll likely push for that at some point."

"I see. To be honest, most of these decisions to exclude ourselves from the war, like putting up that barricade outside, have been taken by my advisors. I have no experience to fall back on in judging if this was good or not. Will Sir Nahamani have my race's best interest at heart?"

Link thought back on the weeks he'd spent in Castle Town, the charity events he'd witnessed in Reliance Alley, Doctor Lysh spending an afternoon to diagnose the beggars' many ailments at Auru's request, food portions served to the paying customer in the tavern purposefully reduced to increase cutoffs being handed out. Auru dividing his time between the College where he taught his students, the barracks where he trained his soldiers, and the headquarters where he plotted his next mission. The wise leader had once told Link that, in order to make lasting changes one had to make sacrifices, but choose carefully where those sacrifices held the least unpleasant outcome. Inactive guards could manage with smaller portions, watered-down ale, increased charge, in order to feed a starving beggar for a day. Doctor Lysh's military wage was sufficient to support an unpaid visit to Castle Town's invalid population.

Establishing this careful balance was Auru's main job in the Resistance. And so far, Link had seen ample proof that Auru could play that balancing game, and score a win in most cases.

"I don't think you should blindly trust him, or anyone for that matter, without asking exactly why they made a certain decision. In Auru's case, he will always tell you the truth. He is a good man with a lot of experience. I'd trust him with my life."

Ralis's face hardened with determination, and his voice rang strong—powerful, regal— as he called for his guards again.

Auru was led into the chamber a while later accompanied by Counsellor Nemale, who looked like she had just tasted a bite from the fabled reekfish.

"Your Majesty, you really shouldn't keep inviting random visitors to our royal guest chambers," she said sternly. "Who are these people? The black-haired Human woman made a rather insulting remark about our escort to the throne room. She really didn't get that wet on her way up."

Link saw Auru vainly stifle a snicker while Ralis pacified his counsellor and ushered her back out. The boy then stood, hands folded neatly before him, and nodded at Auru's deep bow.

"Sir Nahamani, we are well met. I am the new Zora king, at your service."

"The honour is all mine, my King. Has my letter reached you well?"

"It has, and I thank you sincerely for your words of comfort. I was hoping to fall back on your offer for advice. From what Link tells me, you are a formidable leader, a tutor to your very own princess. I couldn't ask for a better mentor."

Auru visibly blushed. "Formidable is not a word I'd use for myself. I have experience, yes, but experience is a bottomless barrel that begs to be filled. If it helps you in any way, I'll gladly share what I have gathered so far."

Nodding, Ralis gestured at Link's sketch. "I have seen that creature you're looking for. Link has filled me in on your mission to find these Mirror shards, and if it brings you closer to your princess, and the Masked Man's demise is guaranteed, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand in your search for that beast."

Auru's head shot around to meet Link's eyes, and the latter nodded. "I made the king a promise that I'd bring Zant to justice."

"So you know of..." Auru gestured at Link vaguely.

"I told him about being the goddesses' champion," Link confirmed, trusting Auru to make the correct conclusion about Midna's continued concealment.

"It was an immense honour to be rescued by the chosen hero and share his friendship," Ralis answered. "Fate brought me and Link together."

Link cringed as he remembered just how fate had truly brought them together, and how much the tables had been flipped back then. But he pushed that thought, and the shame resurging with it, to the back of his mind. "The Yeti came here not to destroy and pillage, Sir. It was after a sacred fish, the reekfish."

"A fish, you say?" Auru was all business again. "Reekfish? Those carry a very distinctive smell, don't they?"

He turned and began pacing across the room, stroking his goatee. "Oh, that is good, very good. If we hire a scout with tracking dogs, we might be able to follow the fish's scent straight to the creature. When was the last time it visited? Or shall I say invaded...? Last night, good. A scent this strong won't decay that easily. Good, good. I have to speak to Ashei about it. Would your people be willing to provide us with a sample of the fish?"

"Only a member of the royal family is entitled to catch a reekfish," Ralis replied, lifting a finger to his right head flap. There, piercing the one-inch thick, pale blubber that vaguely looked like what a mat of smooth hair would look like on a non-aquatic person, was a hook-shaped piece of jewellery made from pink corral.

"If I can convince my counsellors, I'll happily catch one for you," he added. "I'm not sure they'll agree to it, though. The fish is meant to be sacred to us."

"As king, you have authority over every member of your court," Auru said firmly. "Such is the basis of a monarchical rule. I'll give you this first advice: don't ask for permission. That can be interpreted as a sign of weakness, and is likely the reason why your counsellors question every decision you make."

Ralis at first looked dumb-struck and shared a hesitant look with Link. The young Hylian smiled and nodded, trying to hint his previous advice within his eyes. Don't trust blindly; ask.

Understanding soon bloomed on the boy's troubled face. "What should I ask for, then, if not for permission?"

Auru smiled. "Collaboration. As king, you will have to become a master at debate, and convince the people of your decisions by presenting uncompromising arguments as reinforcement. That takes time, and wisdom, to learn. But I can already tell, my King, that you have the best foundation for acquiring this knowledge. I see a bright future for you."

"Your words flatter me, Sir Auru," Ralis said with a deep bow. "I very much look forward to our work together."

Auru's eyes grew solemn when he looked at the child king. "However, I fear what you are looking for is a teacher putting you through your paces to learn all the finer facets of kingship, or an advisor who stands by your side at court, giving you the right answers when they elude you—I'm sorry, when they don't come to you."

"I know what elude means, Sir," Ralis replied, and Link was amused to hear a hint of irritation in the boy's tone.

"Oh, good. I beg your pardon, my King. Clearly you are already quite eloquent in your vocabulary."

"And I know what you're implying, Sir Auru. I would never dare to pull you away from your most important duties in the Agency. But perhaps a correspondence could be arranged between us, with my private courier swimming between Castle Town and the Domain regularly."

Auru agreed. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. And that way I could also send you a few study books written by great monarchs and generals that inspire thought and would help you build a strong moral basis. If this is acceptable to you, your Majesty?"

The king stepped forward, holding out his small hand where the thin membrane between the fingers was just beginning to form.

"Call me Ralis, Sir Auru."

0

The Resistance members were housed in the Hyrulean servant rooms in the same hallway as the royal chamber, and although Ralis insisted Link should take that room in honour of their friendship, Link convinced the boy that a more inconspicuous accommodation was better suited to his position. Plus, he did not really trust his own decorum when forced to sleep in that luxurious four-poster. If he tossed and turned with another nightmare and damaged the silk bedding or, Hylia forbid, the gold-threaded curtains, he'd likely die of guilt and embarrassment.

So another servant's quarters were given to him instead, situated in the eastern wing of the Domain walls, and this suited him nicely.

Ralis was advised by his consultants to refrain from making his encounter with the Resistance overly known. Auru seconded that instruction and promised the agitated counsellors they'd keep a low profile by taking their evening meal in their rooms and otherwise staying out of sight. And once they were provided with a reekfish sample, they'd be on their merry way first thing in the morning.

The dilemma with the sacred reekfish, however, left Ralis, the Resistance, and the many counsellors in a debate for almost three hours, well beyond suppertime, until Ralis finally nailed every formality to the wall and heeded Auru's initial advice, taking off towards the lake at a brisk pace and completely ignoring his consultants' protests. A pleading glance back at Link prompted the Hylian to jog after Ralis.

They walked along the shore accompanied by a loose circle of royal guards, the moonlight jumping across the calm water like silver coins. Link had his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the shimmering surface thoughtfully.

Ralis gave a long sigh beside him. "Thank you for sticking with me. I just couldn't stand it in there."

"They'll come around eventually," Link stated. "Auru will help you with gaining their trust and their respect. It won't be this hard forever."

Ralis smiled brightly. "Thanks to you, I got to know Sir Nahamani personally, and you bringing him here showed my counsellors what kind of person he is. They act all displeased and dismissive, but I think they've recognised his competence and will accept him as my mentor."

"I bet he's with them right now knocking some sense into them," Link chuckled. "He's that kind of person."

Though the Zora child giggled in response, a despondent frown soon replaced his mirth. He began fumbling absendly with his coral earring.

"Even if I study hard to learn all that I am missing, it'll be years before I know enough to fulfil my role effectively. What choices can I, a mere child, make that will be beneficial to my people, right now? We're facing a war, the worst possible state a king could face."

"Your first choice as a king was to give me your ancestor's armour," Link answered kindly. "That choice led to me surviving a temple no Hylian or Human had ever set foot in. It changed the tide of this war, Ralis. It led to Princess Zelda trapping Zant's god in Hyrule Castle and cutting Zant off of his power indefinitely. That choice alone might already have saved countless lives."

Ralis's eyes widened, but he shook his head in disbelief. "Those were your actions that led to this! I merely…"

"You had a pivotal role in it, Ralis," Link assured.

The smile that brightened Ralis's face warmed Link's heart to the core. It was immensely gratifying to finally say something right, to give another child hope. Goddesses knew he had a lot of catching up to do in that regard when it came to his own family.

"I'm so glad to hear the armour worked. I was admittedly a bit terrified for your safety, imagining all sorts of things that could have gone wrong."

Link gulped, waiting for Ralis to demand he return the armour that still rested in the cellar of the cathedral ruins. Such a priceless garb, a Zora heirloom likely just as important as the Sapphire, and he'd left it buried in a chest in the middle of the forest.

Preceptive as ever, Ralis read Link's thunderstruck expression masterfully. "I gave you that tunic as a gift, Link, remember? It is yours. May it serve you well for years to come."

"It's safe and—mostly—undamaged," Link said, cringing. "And once I am able to retrieve it, I'll—"

"No, no," Ralis held up a hand before Link could finish; and the hero was proud to see in the gesture a hint of the formidable king Ralis would one day become. "I want you to keep it. Do with it as you please. I feel it will be much safer in your hands than in the midst of my people."

"I'm honoured, your Majesty," Link answered, bowing his head.

Before them, the guards had stopped and positioned themselves in a wide circle around an outcropping where the lake reached inland. Moonlight brightly shimmered off of two lone rocks reaching like obelisks out of the water. One was shorter than the other, and both had a slightly wider, spherical top that resembled a head.

"Mother-and-Child rock," Ralis announced and approached the shore while unclasping one of his earrings. He held the hook-shaped hanger by its clasp and knelt down, plunging it into the water. Link sat down at the shore beside the boy king after Ralis had waved at the Hylian to join him.

A moment of silence passed wherein large red dorsals caressed the surface in their hesitant approach, undulating with bulky grace as the salmon-shaped red fish congregated closer.

"And how are you faring with your appointed role?" Ralis asked, keeping his voice at a murmur. "It must be just as scary to be tasked with such an important mission where you know not the outcome or what shall await you."

"It is," Link replied. "But my defeat against Zant has shown me what will happen if that outcome is failure. It gives me a pretty powerful incentive to strive for success."

"I have to help you," Ralis pleaded. "Please, there must be more I can do to lessen your burden."

Link chuckled mirthlessly, hiding his trembling hands by tucking them under his knees. There was no way he'd pull Ralis into this growing mess when the boy had so much on his plate already. Link had pulled the Resistance into it, and hadn't quite made up his mind yet if he regretted it.

"You're already helping plenty with this, Ralis. Also, I think you have a bite."

The Zora turned and gave his hook a tug, which prompted the fish nibbling at it to flail with sudden urgency. Ralis pulled hard on it and propelled it in a wide arc over his head, right into the arms of two guards hurrying towards them. They smothered the fish with quick and unsettling efficiency, but Link was more acutely aware of the sudden sharp sting exploding in his over-sensitive nose that drew a choked grunt from him.

"Are you okay, Link?" Ralis laughed, accepting his hook from the guards.

"Dear Farore," Link wheezed, burying his nose in his sleeve. The stench was so strong that his eyes watered, as if he was chopping a bunch of particularly ripe onions. "Is that coming from the fish?"

"Well, it is not called a reekfish for nothing. But I didn't expect you to react that strongly towards it."

Neither had Link, but when he thought about what kind of animal he shared his spirit with, it didn't surprise him in the slightest. The Wolf was cowering in his mind's farthest reach, whimpering. Scratch onions; this stench was like poison. Sharp, rotten, foul acid for his nostrils. It made him want to throw up.

"Take it away and fetch an oil sheet to wrap it in," Ralis said to his guards, and once they retreated with the fish in hand Link could breathe a little easier again. The smell still clung to his nose like a nightmarish memory, but at least its sting had lessened.

"Ghastly, isn't it?" Ralis chuckled. "It'll only get worse when it starts to rot, so maybe you should find yourself a mask or something."

"Nah, I'll be fine," Link lied, wiping away the tears and snot from his runny nose. "The more it reeks, the easier it'll be to find that Yeti."

He just hoped he wouldn't be completely incapacitated by the noxious smell once he did face the creature and its fetid catch. What a sorry end for a hero that would be; defeated by an olfactory time-bomb.

000