Chapter 14
Mysteries...
Mysteries hidden by the dawn
Memories...
Have you faith in a song?
Scene on a sleeper's eye
Human, monster, ocean, tree and sky
Believe!
Dreamer awake...and see.
Live your dream!
-Ballad of the Windfish
"Where is he?! Where is that little thief?! We never should have trusted an outsider like him!"
"Don't want to get hurt? Then you do what I say."
"You're my 'friend', aren't you? Ha! But you're a Zora!"
"He might be useful to us. His kind can track fish better than anything. We'll have a plentiful crop with him around."
"It's been nearly three weeks. If he hasn't been seen yet, then he will probably never be seen again, alive. I'm sorry."
"Holy Mother of Pearl! There's blood on the strings! Japas, you've been playing so much that your fingers are bleeding!"
"Dad? Where's Mom? Where's Amberize and Pyrias?"
Japas woke with a start, mouth gasping like a fish out of water, laboring to breathe. His fins clung to his face, damp with pesperation. At first, Japas couldn't figure out where he was. A thin sliver of moon shone through the window but other than that, the world was still wrapped in shadow. A muted snort drew Japas' attention to the sleeping figures of Tijo and Mikau. So he's still in his friends' dorm.
Nightmares of the past. Again. Japas covered his face with his hands and tried to get a grip on reality. He's in the university now. In Hyrule. He's not in Termina, Labrynna or Holodrum. He's with Mikau and Tijo; he's safe here. What a pathetic sight he must be to anyone that might happen by. Japas was glad that none of his friends were awake to see him like this.
Like this. Shaking, afraid, and alone. Japas hugged his knees against himself and stared at his hands. Beyond the sparkling rings on each finger, his hands were bony and calloused. Not just by extensive use of his guitar, but also from endless months of toil. His body was thin from years of malnurishment and overexertion. The hunger ate at his tail, which accounted for it's small size. His body was also scarred. The watery moonlight highlighted the ugly wounds on his body more than daylight ever could. Thank Goddesses that at least he wasn't marked on the face. There was one pale scar that ran along the left side of his jawline, but that one didn't bother Japas too much. After all, the person who did that to him suffered much more afterwards.
Japas smiled at the memory of what he did to the bastard and traced the scar with a finger. Tijo snorted again and Mikau mumbled and rolled over in response. Japas gazed fondly at his friends, but lingering doubt still haunted his mind. He lied to them about his life in Holodrum and left out many details. Tijo, and even Mikau, could never understand what he's lived through. Japas picked up the guitar and silently left the dorm, closing the door with a soft click. He headed off to his own dorm, where he could take comfort in his solitude.
Mikau watched Japas go. He had been watching his friend ever since Japas woke up. Mikau blinked in confusion. What was that all about? The Zorian Hero waited for his best friend to return, but he never did. Shrugging it off, Mikau rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next day was dimmer than the last. Grey clouds loomed overhead, heavy with the promise of rain. Not that it mattered at all to Zoras. There's hardly an outdoor, airside area in the whole university so who cares if it rains or not? Mikau rather enjoyed the light sprinkles and surfaced often to feel the individual droplets strike his back. Evan swam alongside the Zorian Hero as they headed for their first class. Mikau didn't have the heart to wake Tijo and Japas was nowhere to be found. Instead, he ran into Evan in the dormitary hallways and they decided to leave together. The two Sleeks arrived at the gym earlier than expected, almost half an hour early. No other students have arrived yet, but a deep, booming voice welcomed the two Zoras, making them cringe.
"Lorecrest! Wake!" Mr. Bayn greeted his pupils warmly by their last names. Evan fought the urge to step back from the titanic Zora but bravely stood his ground. Mikau mirrored the smile thrown at him. He knew that Mr. Bayn was mostly bluff. "So! How was your morning? I hope the two of you got enough rest, 'cuz today is not gonna be a cakewalk like yesterday!"
Suddenly, Mr. Bayn lunged ahead, whipping his tail at Mikau. The Zorian Hero ducked and rolled away with unnatural speed, then turned and crouched to face the threat. Evan, on the other hand, was nicked by the followthrough. He backed away in surprise, more shocked than hurt.
"What was that for?!" Mikau cried, equally surprised as his friend. His arm blades lengthened. His tail was as stiff as a rod.
But the gym coach just laughed heartily and clapped his hands. "Very good, Lorecrest! That Heroic blood of Ugin's certainly didn't thin with your generation! Let's see how well she did her duty in training you!" Mr. Bayn lunged again.
"Mr. Bayn! Mikau!" Evan yelled, confused and panicked. "What's going on?!"
Both duelists ignored Evan. The older Zora wasn't as fast as Mikau, but moved with an agility that spoke of years of training and experience. The younger Zora was lothe to use his razor-sharp arm blades on his teacher because Mr. Bayn wasn't actually moving to injure his adversary. They traded blows. Mikau wondered what his teacher was up to.
Watching Mr. Bayn's attacks, Mikau realized that they were the same type of movements his mother used to practice with. Filelliquy Ugin, or, Filelliquy Lorecrest, being a Zorian Hero, was often called upon to rid Zora Hall of minor disasters such as wandering Like Likes or stray Morphas. As tradition dictates, she had started teaching her son some basic fighting techniques when he was 13, but Mikau took exception to fighting. He would rather create music instead of learning to fight. Mikau only mastered the bare basics before his mother tired of motivating him to study his heritige.
And Mr. Bayn once trained Filelliquy.
Now Mikau realized that the gym coach was simply testing him. Mr. Bayn drew his arms close, leaned his weight on his left leg, and had his tail whipping to the right; a move that Mikau remembered well how to avoid. The teacher lashed out with arms and tail, which Mikau dodged by simply dropping to the ground. He landed on his elbow and kicked Mr. Bayn's balancing left foot out from under him. Mikau's opponent stumbled, took care not to fall on his student and rolled easily onto his feet. He dusted himself off calmly as if nothing had just happened.
"Very good, Lorecrest!" Mr. Bayn bellowed cheerfully. He clapped his hands again.
"What, what, WHAT was that all about?!" Evan demanded now that the fighting has ceased.
"Peace, young Wake!" The coach laughed at Evan's outburst. "Just a bit of practice for the Zorian Hero. It's their duty to learn the ways of the warrior! Although I'll admit this one could use a bit of work on his skill." He gave Mikau a significant look.
Mikau glared at his gym teacher, a bit angry that he's being treated like this. He never asked to be trained, and he doesn't like fighting! Mikau lowered his arms and let his fins reduce to their original size.
"Mr. Bayn." Mikau said stiffly, jaw clenched with determination. He stood as tall as he could, trying not to lose his resolve as the gigantic Zora turned to him. "I'm not here to learn self defense. Just because I'm a Zorian Hero doesn't automatically mean that I like fighting! Hey, I signed up for this class even though I didn't want to before! Isn't that enough for you?"
Mr. Bayn's face flashed from shock, to anger, then back to his relative cheerfulness. It was clear that the older Zora was rarely spoken to in such a manner. But he smiled. "Okay." He said simply, and turned his attention to the other students. Others have just started to arrive and tried not to make eye contact with their teacher.
"He really isn't the predictable one, is he." Evan commented.
Mikau frowned but then shrugged. "I think I disappointed him. He was so looking forward to teaching a Zorian Hero but got a half-ripe pacifist musician instead."
"Hello, boys." A silky voice from behind them startled the two Sleeks. Turning around, Mikau and Evan discovered that it was Or'qua who had snuck up on them. She smiled warmly at the Zorian Hero but her expression took a subtle, yet apparent change when faced with Evan. She tilted her head down and gazed upwards coyly. "We never had a chance to talk yesterday, Evan." Or'qua said his name shyly, as if she wasn't sure she got it right. Her incredibly long and thin tail swished lazily, yet enticingly behind her. "You played so well, I never got to congratulate you properly."
Evan was taken aback by her soft manner; this certainly wasn't the fierce Jeeball captain he had battled yesterday. Faint traces of a blush were visible on his face. "What do you mean, Or'qua? In the end, it was your team that won." Evan claimed with a neutral smile.
Or'qua brightened when Evan called her by name, the corners of her petite lips twisting upwards. "You should have been on the winning team."
In the background, Mikau watched Evan and Or'qua with a frown developing on his face. He was slightly insulted by how Or'qua ignored him when it was HE who led his team! Officially, at least.
Altress walked into the gym and although a few heads turned in her direction, she didn't attract nearly as much attention as she did yesterday. She now wore a cheap bodysuit that she probably bought from the university's all-purpose store. Mikau vaguely wondered how much money those stores made off Hylian female Zoras at the beginning of each year. Altress was clearly not used to wearing clothing; she rotated her shoulders constantly, uncomfortable in the wrap of cloth.
Mikau thought Altress looked lonely. She didn't have any friends in this class, and the grimace on her face kept anyone from even trying to talk to her. So like an idiot, Mikau decided to offer her some company. When Altress caught sight of his approach, her eyes seemed to widen and narrow at the same time. Her fins contracted in warning, those on her head framing her face like a basilisk.
Ooookay...Mikau immediatly turned around and walked away awkwardly in the opposite direction. Mr. Bayn saved the Zorian Hero from further humiliation when he announced the beginning of warm ups. Evan broke away from Or'qua and swam the two laps around the track with Mikau, which helped the Zorian Hero forget about Altress' spiteful glare.
The class passed by quickly. Mr. Bayn showed no mercy and drove his students to the limits of their abilities. When the Phys Ed class was finally over, even Mikau found it difficult to catch his breath. He had to help drag Evan out of the gym or the eel-Zora would be late for class. Mikau was just about to leave airside, when a large, Mr. Bayn-shaped shadow loomed over him. Sure enough, the teacher was behind Mikau. He had two unconsious Zoras under each arm, which he casually tossed into the water. They floated off limply, carried away by the tide. Mikau could only hope that Mr. Bayn's involvement in their present condition was only to goad them to exhaustion.
The bruly Zora wiped his hands. "So, Hero Lorecrest," Mr. Bayn smiled widely at Mikau, his hands now crossed across his chest. "I suppose it would be useless to try to make you reconsider to learn how to fight? It would be my pleasure to coach you after classes." Mikau shook his head, his face a careful blank. He was getting angry at his coach for being pestered to fight.
But Mr. Bayn's smile broadened. "You are perhaps the last Zorian Hero. There will come a time when the people have need of your talents. And when they need you, will you be ready?" Mikau didn't answer. "I'll always be here, Hero. Let me know when you choose to accept my offer." And with that, Mr. Bayn disappeared into the shadows of the gym.
"I would take the offer if I were you." Evan chirped from his position on the ground. His hands were relaxed behind his head, under his tail. Mikau was holding the tail taunt and using it to drag his friend to the water's edge.
"Hey! Look who's still alive!" Mikau cried mockingly, letting go of the tail in surprise. Without anyone to hold him up, Evan's head collided painfully with the floor.
"Ow! Watch it!" Evan rubbed the developing bruise on his cranium. "Personally, I rather like learning self defence. It comes in handy every once in a while, y'know?"
"Yeah? Then why don't you ask Mr. Bayn for lessons." Mikau joked as he dove into the water.
Evan followed him not far behind. "Actually, I was thinking about that."
"What?!" Mikau cried, releasing a cloud of bubbles. He looked at his friend incredulously with a raised eyeridge. "Oookay. Whatever floats your boat."
At this point, the two Sleeks diverged in opposite directions. Mikau swam towards the Arts building while Evan headed for his next class of Calculations.
"Say hi to Tijo for me!" Mikau called out to his rapidly shrinking friend.
"Tell Japas he needs a haircut!" Evan replied. Mikau laughed, though Evan probably couldn't hear with all the other Xyrian chatter around them.
Actually, when Mikau saw Japas later, it looked like he needed a haircut, bath, and a lot of coffee. In other words, he looked a mess. Mikau didn't ask any questions when Japas sat down beside him, though his eyes burned for answers. He had seen his friend in this condition often enough, when they were back in Termina. The poor boy sometimes didn't get enough sleep because he was locked out of his house. Mikau had offered his own roof for his friend to sleep under, but Japas refused, letting his foolish pride lead him.
Japas should have gotten enough sleep in Mikau's dorm or his own. Maybe he did something stupid like losing his room key, or he couldn't stomache his own cooking or something. Then Mikau remembered Japas' strange behavior last night. But that only made the Zorian Hero more confused.
"Hey," Mikau ventured.
"Hi." Japas' smile looked stretched. Little of his usual energy showed on his body. Mikau opened his mouth to say something else, but his thoughts were disturbed by the first croak from Prof. Iciirri. His trademark coral-on-wood echoed against the walls.
"Listen to this, students." The professor said without preamble. He pressed a button on an electric music machine, which churned out pre- recorded music. Both Mikau and Japas, dispite his lack of energy, leaned in closer to hear the song. It was simple but elegant; a riff that's played on only one instrument. Most of the students in the class recognized the tune instantly as 'The Ballad of the Windfish'. Of course Mikau's heard of it before, but the version he was familiar with had lyrics and a host of other instruments.
"Can anyone tell me what song that is?" Prof. Iciirri said as he paced the room, occationally using his coral stick as a walking stick. He pointed at a random Zora in the room who had her hand up.
"That's 'The Ballad of the Windfish'." She answered.
"Very good." The teacher nodded his head. It was strange to see a Bottom-feeder who's head could swivel on his neck. "'The Ballad of the Windfish' was recently made popular by the Zorian band, the Indigo-gos, but how many of you know that they were not the original creators of the song?" A few hands and affirmatives shot up. "Nobody knows the true writer of this particular song, because it seems to come from various sources. Those who venture into the Eastern waters, the realm of the Windfish, are often afflicted with unconsiousness supplemented by vivid dreams. The visions in these dreams are never the same, but those who've survived them, always learn 'The Ballad of the Windfish' through the dreams. Very odd." Prof. Iciirri paused, seeming to consider this.
"The first person who reported 'The Ballad of the Windfish' was a Zora named Reverler Riverluff. He lived around six centuries ago, and traveled to the Eastern waters due to reports of a large fish that was spotted there. Though we now know it was the Windfish, it was mistaken as a Jabu-Jabu, and the Zora King at that time sent a party to investigate, thinking that Zoras could live there in the future. Riverluff was the only survivor of that incident. He suffered from mental illness which was probably not caused by the Windfish, but by the trauma of losing his comrades..."
What is this, History class? Mikau thought as he rapidly scribbled down notes. He cursed silently when he broke his pen through furious writing. Mikau reached for Japas' pen, since his friend wasn't using it at the moment. In fact, Japas was sleeping behind his hair again. The thin sheet of fins rippled every time the Sleek exhaled, disturbing the fins with each breath. Mikau hoped that a bit of sleep might revive Japas for the rest of the day.
Actually, it seemed as if the prospect of food excited Japas more than the presence of sleep. Because when the bell for lunch rang, Japas leaped up, smiling, and headed for the door, 100% himself again. Mikau didn't realize how worried he had been for his buddy until a huge wave of relief washed over him.
"Hey Japas! How are you, man?" Mikau called out as he chased his childhood friend.
"Nifty! I'm ready for Comp and Theory now!" Japas swam outside before Mikau could answer. He suddenly stopped, and looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's the Arts building?"
Mikau slapped a hand on his forehead, then let it slide down his face. "We just finished that class. You slept through the entire session. It's lunchtime now, fish." Try as he might, Mikau couldn't stay exasperated any longer and burst out laughing.
Japas gave his friend a good, long stare. "Oh." He said simply. Pause, blink. "In that case, where's the cafeteria?"
End of Chapter 14
By the way, that song at the beginning of the chapter? I wrote those lyrics to the Link's Awakening version of the Ballad of the Windfish. I spent half an hour listening to Marin sing so I can get the syllables to match the melody. Now I'm considering writing lyrics for all the other Zelda songs, like Song of Time and Oath to Order and such.
Hmm, Japas' nightmares are the first touch of darkness to my fic. What might I possibly be foreshadowing? Stay tuned to find out!
Mysteries...
Mysteries hidden by the dawn
Memories...
Have you faith in a song?
Scene on a sleeper's eye
Human, monster, ocean, tree and sky
Believe!
Dreamer awake...and see.
Live your dream!
-Ballad of the Windfish
"Where is he?! Where is that little thief?! We never should have trusted an outsider like him!"
"Don't want to get hurt? Then you do what I say."
"You're my 'friend', aren't you? Ha! But you're a Zora!"
"He might be useful to us. His kind can track fish better than anything. We'll have a plentiful crop with him around."
"It's been nearly three weeks. If he hasn't been seen yet, then he will probably never be seen again, alive. I'm sorry."
"Holy Mother of Pearl! There's blood on the strings! Japas, you've been playing so much that your fingers are bleeding!"
"Dad? Where's Mom? Where's Amberize and Pyrias?"
Japas woke with a start, mouth gasping like a fish out of water, laboring to breathe. His fins clung to his face, damp with pesperation. At first, Japas couldn't figure out where he was. A thin sliver of moon shone through the window but other than that, the world was still wrapped in shadow. A muted snort drew Japas' attention to the sleeping figures of Tijo and Mikau. So he's still in his friends' dorm.
Nightmares of the past. Again. Japas covered his face with his hands and tried to get a grip on reality. He's in the university now. In Hyrule. He's not in Termina, Labrynna or Holodrum. He's with Mikau and Tijo; he's safe here. What a pathetic sight he must be to anyone that might happen by. Japas was glad that none of his friends were awake to see him like this.
Like this. Shaking, afraid, and alone. Japas hugged his knees against himself and stared at his hands. Beyond the sparkling rings on each finger, his hands were bony and calloused. Not just by extensive use of his guitar, but also from endless months of toil. His body was thin from years of malnurishment and overexertion. The hunger ate at his tail, which accounted for it's small size. His body was also scarred. The watery moonlight highlighted the ugly wounds on his body more than daylight ever could. Thank Goddesses that at least he wasn't marked on the face. There was one pale scar that ran along the left side of his jawline, but that one didn't bother Japas too much. After all, the person who did that to him suffered much more afterwards.
Japas smiled at the memory of what he did to the bastard and traced the scar with a finger. Tijo snorted again and Mikau mumbled and rolled over in response. Japas gazed fondly at his friends, but lingering doubt still haunted his mind. He lied to them about his life in Holodrum and left out many details. Tijo, and even Mikau, could never understand what he's lived through. Japas picked up the guitar and silently left the dorm, closing the door with a soft click. He headed off to his own dorm, where he could take comfort in his solitude.
Mikau watched Japas go. He had been watching his friend ever since Japas woke up. Mikau blinked in confusion. What was that all about? The Zorian Hero waited for his best friend to return, but he never did. Shrugging it off, Mikau rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next day was dimmer than the last. Grey clouds loomed overhead, heavy with the promise of rain. Not that it mattered at all to Zoras. There's hardly an outdoor, airside area in the whole university so who cares if it rains or not? Mikau rather enjoyed the light sprinkles and surfaced often to feel the individual droplets strike his back. Evan swam alongside the Zorian Hero as they headed for their first class. Mikau didn't have the heart to wake Tijo and Japas was nowhere to be found. Instead, he ran into Evan in the dormitary hallways and they decided to leave together. The two Sleeks arrived at the gym earlier than expected, almost half an hour early. No other students have arrived yet, but a deep, booming voice welcomed the two Zoras, making them cringe.
"Lorecrest! Wake!" Mr. Bayn greeted his pupils warmly by their last names. Evan fought the urge to step back from the titanic Zora but bravely stood his ground. Mikau mirrored the smile thrown at him. He knew that Mr. Bayn was mostly bluff. "So! How was your morning? I hope the two of you got enough rest, 'cuz today is not gonna be a cakewalk like yesterday!"
Suddenly, Mr. Bayn lunged ahead, whipping his tail at Mikau. The Zorian Hero ducked and rolled away with unnatural speed, then turned and crouched to face the threat. Evan, on the other hand, was nicked by the followthrough. He backed away in surprise, more shocked than hurt.
"What was that for?!" Mikau cried, equally surprised as his friend. His arm blades lengthened. His tail was as stiff as a rod.
But the gym coach just laughed heartily and clapped his hands. "Very good, Lorecrest! That Heroic blood of Ugin's certainly didn't thin with your generation! Let's see how well she did her duty in training you!" Mr. Bayn lunged again.
"Mr. Bayn! Mikau!" Evan yelled, confused and panicked. "What's going on?!"
Both duelists ignored Evan. The older Zora wasn't as fast as Mikau, but moved with an agility that spoke of years of training and experience. The younger Zora was lothe to use his razor-sharp arm blades on his teacher because Mr. Bayn wasn't actually moving to injure his adversary. They traded blows. Mikau wondered what his teacher was up to.
Watching Mr. Bayn's attacks, Mikau realized that they were the same type of movements his mother used to practice with. Filelliquy Ugin, or, Filelliquy Lorecrest, being a Zorian Hero, was often called upon to rid Zora Hall of minor disasters such as wandering Like Likes or stray Morphas. As tradition dictates, she had started teaching her son some basic fighting techniques when he was 13, but Mikau took exception to fighting. He would rather create music instead of learning to fight. Mikau only mastered the bare basics before his mother tired of motivating him to study his heritige.
And Mr. Bayn once trained Filelliquy.
Now Mikau realized that the gym coach was simply testing him. Mr. Bayn drew his arms close, leaned his weight on his left leg, and had his tail whipping to the right; a move that Mikau remembered well how to avoid. The teacher lashed out with arms and tail, which Mikau dodged by simply dropping to the ground. He landed on his elbow and kicked Mr. Bayn's balancing left foot out from under him. Mikau's opponent stumbled, took care not to fall on his student and rolled easily onto his feet. He dusted himself off calmly as if nothing had just happened.
"Very good, Lorecrest!" Mr. Bayn bellowed cheerfully. He clapped his hands again.
"What, what, WHAT was that all about?!" Evan demanded now that the fighting has ceased.
"Peace, young Wake!" The coach laughed at Evan's outburst. "Just a bit of practice for the Zorian Hero. It's their duty to learn the ways of the warrior! Although I'll admit this one could use a bit of work on his skill." He gave Mikau a significant look.
Mikau glared at his gym teacher, a bit angry that he's being treated like this. He never asked to be trained, and he doesn't like fighting! Mikau lowered his arms and let his fins reduce to their original size.
"Mr. Bayn." Mikau said stiffly, jaw clenched with determination. He stood as tall as he could, trying not to lose his resolve as the gigantic Zora turned to him. "I'm not here to learn self defense. Just because I'm a Zorian Hero doesn't automatically mean that I like fighting! Hey, I signed up for this class even though I didn't want to before! Isn't that enough for you?"
Mr. Bayn's face flashed from shock, to anger, then back to his relative cheerfulness. It was clear that the older Zora was rarely spoken to in such a manner. But he smiled. "Okay." He said simply, and turned his attention to the other students. Others have just started to arrive and tried not to make eye contact with their teacher.
"He really isn't the predictable one, is he." Evan commented.
Mikau frowned but then shrugged. "I think I disappointed him. He was so looking forward to teaching a Zorian Hero but got a half-ripe pacifist musician instead."
"Hello, boys." A silky voice from behind them startled the two Sleeks. Turning around, Mikau and Evan discovered that it was Or'qua who had snuck up on them. She smiled warmly at the Zorian Hero but her expression took a subtle, yet apparent change when faced with Evan. She tilted her head down and gazed upwards coyly. "We never had a chance to talk yesterday, Evan." Or'qua said his name shyly, as if she wasn't sure she got it right. Her incredibly long and thin tail swished lazily, yet enticingly behind her. "You played so well, I never got to congratulate you properly."
Evan was taken aback by her soft manner; this certainly wasn't the fierce Jeeball captain he had battled yesterday. Faint traces of a blush were visible on his face. "What do you mean, Or'qua? In the end, it was your team that won." Evan claimed with a neutral smile.
Or'qua brightened when Evan called her by name, the corners of her petite lips twisting upwards. "You should have been on the winning team."
In the background, Mikau watched Evan and Or'qua with a frown developing on his face. He was slightly insulted by how Or'qua ignored him when it was HE who led his team! Officially, at least.
Altress walked into the gym and although a few heads turned in her direction, she didn't attract nearly as much attention as she did yesterday. She now wore a cheap bodysuit that she probably bought from the university's all-purpose store. Mikau vaguely wondered how much money those stores made off Hylian female Zoras at the beginning of each year. Altress was clearly not used to wearing clothing; she rotated her shoulders constantly, uncomfortable in the wrap of cloth.
Mikau thought Altress looked lonely. She didn't have any friends in this class, and the grimace on her face kept anyone from even trying to talk to her. So like an idiot, Mikau decided to offer her some company. When Altress caught sight of his approach, her eyes seemed to widen and narrow at the same time. Her fins contracted in warning, those on her head framing her face like a basilisk.
Ooookay...Mikau immediatly turned around and walked away awkwardly in the opposite direction. Mr. Bayn saved the Zorian Hero from further humiliation when he announced the beginning of warm ups. Evan broke away from Or'qua and swam the two laps around the track with Mikau, which helped the Zorian Hero forget about Altress' spiteful glare.
The class passed by quickly. Mr. Bayn showed no mercy and drove his students to the limits of their abilities. When the Phys Ed class was finally over, even Mikau found it difficult to catch his breath. He had to help drag Evan out of the gym or the eel-Zora would be late for class. Mikau was just about to leave airside, when a large, Mr. Bayn-shaped shadow loomed over him. Sure enough, the teacher was behind Mikau. He had two unconsious Zoras under each arm, which he casually tossed into the water. They floated off limply, carried away by the tide. Mikau could only hope that Mr. Bayn's involvement in their present condition was only to goad them to exhaustion.
The bruly Zora wiped his hands. "So, Hero Lorecrest," Mr. Bayn smiled widely at Mikau, his hands now crossed across his chest. "I suppose it would be useless to try to make you reconsider to learn how to fight? It would be my pleasure to coach you after classes." Mikau shook his head, his face a careful blank. He was getting angry at his coach for being pestered to fight.
But Mr. Bayn's smile broadened. "You are perhaps the last Zorian Hero. There will come a time when the people have need of your talents. And when they need you, will you be ready?" Mikau didn't answer. "I'll always be here, Hero. Let me know when you choose to accept my offer." And with that, Mr. Bayn disappeared into the shadows of the gym.
"I would take the offer if I were you." Evan chirped from his position on the ground. His hands were relaxed behind his head, under his tail. Mikau was holding the tail taunt and using it to drag his friend to the water's edge.
"Hey! Look who's still alive!" Mikau cried mockingly, letting go of the tail in surprise. Without anyone to hold him up, Evan's head collided painfully with the floor.
"Ow! Watch it!" Evan rubbed the developing bruise on his cranium. "Personally, I rather like learning self defence. It comes in handy every once in a while, y'know?"
"Yeah? Then why don't you ask Mr. Bayn for lessons." Mikau joked as he dove into the water.
Evan followed him not far behind. "Actually, I was thinking about that."
"What?!" Mikau cried, releasing a cloud of bubbles. He looked at his friend incredulously with a raised eyeridge. "Oookay. Whatever floats your boat."
At this point, the two Sleeks diverged in opposite directions. Mikau swam towards the Arts building while Evan headed for his next class of Calculations.
"Say hi to Tijo for me!" Mikau called out to his rapidly shrinking friend.
"Tell Japas he needs a haircut!" Evan replied. Mikau laughed, though Evan probably couldn't hear with all the other Xyrian chatter around them.
Actually, when Mikau saw Japas later, it looked like he needed a haircut, bath, and a lot of coffee. In other words, he looked a mess. Mikau didn't ask any questions when Japas sat down beside him, though his eyes burned for answers. He had seen his friend in this condition often enough, when they were back in Termina. The poor boy sometimes didn't get enough sleep because he was locked out of his house. Mikau had offered his own roof for his friend to sleep under, but Japas refused, letting his foolish pride lead him.
Japas should have gotten enough sleep in Mikau's dorm or his own. Maybe he did something stupid like losing his room key, or he couldn't stomache his own cooking or something. Then Mikau remembered Japas' strange behavior last night. But that only made the Zorian Hero more confused.
"Hey," Mikau ventured.
"Hi." Japas' smile looked stretched. Little of his usual energy showed on his body. Mikau opened his mouth to say something else, but his thoughts were disturbed by the first croak from Prof. Iciirri. His trademark coral-on-wood echoed against the walls.
"Listen to this, students." The professor said without preamble. He pressed a button on an electric music machine, which churned out pre- recorded music. Both Mikau and Japas, dispite his lack of energy, leaned in closer to hear the song. It was simple but elegant; a riff that's played on only one instrument. Most of the students in the class recognized the tune instantly as 'The Ballad of the Windfish'. Of course Mikau's heard of it before, but the version he was familiar with had lyrics and a host of other instruments.
"Can anyone tell me what song that is?" Prof. Iciirri said as he paced the room, occationally using his coral stick as a walking stick. He pointed at a random Zora in the room who had her hand up.
"That's 'The Ballad of the Windfish'." She answered.
"Very good." The teacher nodded his head. It was strange to see a Bottom-feeder who's head could swivel on his neck. "'The Ballad of the Windfish' was recently made popular by the Zorian band, the Indigo-gos, but how many of you know that they were not the original creators of the song?" A few hands and affirmatives shot up. "Nobody knows the true writer of this particular song, because it seems to come from various sources. Those who venture into the Eastern waters, the realm of the Windfish, are often afflicted with unconsiousness supplemented by vivid dreams. The visions in these dreams are never the same, but those who've survived them, always learn 'The Ballad of the Windfish' through the dreams. Very odd." Prof. Iciirri paused, seeming to consider this.
"The first person who reported 'The Ballad of the Windfish' was a Zora named Reverler Riverluff. He lived around six centuries ago, and traveled to the Eastern waters due to reports of a large fish that was spotted there. Though we now know it was the Windfish, it was mistaken as a Jabu-Jabu, and the Zora King at that time sent a party to investigate, thinking that Zoras could live there in the future. Riverluff was the only survivor of that incident. He suffered from mental illness which was probably not caused by the Windfish, but by the trauma of losing his comrades..."
What is this, History class? Mikau thought as he rapidly scribbled down notes. He cursed silently when he broke his pen through furious writing. Mikau reached for Japas' pen, since his friend wasn't using it at the moment. In fact, Japas was sleeping behind his hair again. The thin sheet of fins rippled every time the Sleek exhaled, disturbing the fins with each breath. Mikau hoped that a bit of sleep might revive Japas for the rest of the day.
Actually, it seemed as if the prospect of food excited Japas more than the presence of sleep. Because when the bell for lunch rang, Japas leaped up, smiling, and headed for the door, 100% himself again. Mikau didn't realize how worried he had been for his buddy until a huge wave of relief washed over him.
"Hey Japas! How are you, man?" Mikau called out as he chased his childhood friend.
"Nifty! I'm ready for Comp and Theory now!" Japas swam outside before Mikau could answer. He suddenly stopped, and looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's the Arts building?"
Mikau slapped a hand on his forehead, then let it slide down his face. "We just finished that class. You slept through the entire session. It's lunchtime now, fish." Try as he might, Mikau couldn't stay exasperated any longer and burst out laughing.
Japas gave his friend a good, long stare. "Oh." He said simply. Pause, blink. "In that case, where's the cafeteria?"
End of Chapter 14
By the way, that song at the beginning of the chapter? I wrote those lyrics to the Link's Awakening version of the Ballad of the Windfish. I spent half an hour listening to Marin sing so I can get the syllables to match the melody. Now I'm considering writing lyrics for all the other Zelda songs, like Song of Time and Oath to Order and such.
Hmm, Japas' nightmares are the first touch of darkness to my fic. What might I possibly be foreshadowing? Stay tuned to find out!