Prologue
Ambassador Traela,
I apologize for the crudeness of this letter but I must focus your attention on a matter of the utmost urgency. As you know, our alliance with the other kingdoms grows unstable. The uncivilized Goron continue to be an annoyance with their migration onto our shores and the ever-dominant Hyrule passes laws seemingly every hour hindering our once many freedoms. The Gerudo, I fear, have also become a threat once more. My scouts have reported that they have begun procedures to expand their kingdom beyond the desert to our borders, contesting the Goron migration. These issues must be attended at once. The Zora have laid in docility for too long. Our lands are sacred and belong to us and only us! The only people we might be able to trust for these affairs are the Hylians. We seem to be under their control enough that they could see our troubles as a threat to them as well.
This is why I am bringing this to your attention, friend. I need you, as ambassador of the Great Seas, to make haste to Hyrule and conduct negotiations with Queen Zelda. Allow her to realize the threat this could cause to her kingdom, at the same time showing her the harshness of her laws that leave us prisoners within our land. Approach these subjects peacefully so as not to test her temper. She is...or was...a kind and just person, but her power, I believe, has hardened even her personality.
If she does not understand that dark times lie ahead that must be dealt with immediately and that her laws are quite unreasonable, we must then take action. You will be escorted back and I will begin a full-scale invasion from the sea. The Zoran army is prepared for battle if the need be. Our numbers vastly surpass their's so we will have the upper hand. Hopefully the invasion will not be necessary and the Sage of Time will understand our predicament. Also, you will need to prepare your own transportation for this mission. There are other governmental matters that need my attention.
Ah yes...the last thing. There have been mysterious deaths occurring in the Seas lately. I have not figured out what has been causing them but I must look into it soon. This matter is not to be discussed with anyone...I don't want fear spreading throughout the kingdom...in these times especially. What I want you to do is when you make it to Hyrule, make sure you speak with Dranor Swiftback, a well-respected Hylian apothecary. His knowledge of poisons is insurmountable. Please tell him that if he could come and speak with me in Ferathur Palace as soon as possible, it would be much appreciated. If he does not know the location of our meeting point, please escort him there.
Good luck my friend. You may want to keep this letter to document any information you find useful. Please make haste in your duty Traela...I don't know what will happen to our fair lands in the future but I know that this meeting will surely influence the well-being of the Zora.
Eternal Servant of Sage Ruto,
Overlord Zoraco
Chapter 1
"Heroes fall and kingdoms crumble. Innocents suffer and the light drowns in darkness. Destruction inevitably passes to all, even to the most purest of things. Its deadly touch spreads through the world's beauty leaving nothing but pain and ruin. In the end, all that is left is a faint spark of what once stood in glory, to be rebuilt once again in hope of a new life. However, this cycle can be prevented if the righteous stand true. The proud can remain eternal. So many have fallen to temptation, fueling destruction's power that it has become impossible to prevent this flow of sorrow. Mountains have crumbled and land has been settled or corroded. Deserts have been infested with evil beyond recognition. However, one thing has stood unmarred by time's fury, the vast Sea of Nayru! This is where the Zora reign supreme over all other kingdoms. The sacred lands and seas of the Zora have withheld times ravages, but now, it is being stolen from us by those who have no respect for the gods' creations! We must stand firm in our attempt to drive these foreigners from our home. This is why I call you all here today. Ambassador Traela is being sent to Hyrule. She will converse with the Queen and our homelands will be purged from foreign scum with the aid of the Hylians!"
A flood of applause and shouts of excitement rang throughout the stadium as Overlord Zoraco emphasized his last sentence by pounding his fists on the podium. The seas echoed with joy as the hopeful Zora cheered their leader as he stepped down from his pedestal.
The crowd started to disperse from the stadium back to their homes. Beached on the coast laid the city of Centrenil, one of the main social cities that made up the Zoran Kingdom. The coast stretched for miles protected by a solid wall of mountains. Hundreds of stone buildings rose from the oceans representing the majesty of the Zora. A swirl of beige and aquamarine marble layered the spiraling towers of the palaces and of the stadium that burst with commotion at the overlord's speech.
As the Zora walked out of the stadium and went back to their normal lives in the city, only a few remained in the stadium seats, relaxing and talking about their everyday lives.
"Heh...some speech, eh? Wonder if it has any credit to it...all this stuff about out superiority. I guess I wouldn't know, haven't been the anywhere past the mountains."
"Yeah...that's your problem Trem, you never go anywhere! I've been to Din Mountain, Hyrule, and even part of the Gerudo desert. Though...it isn't that cool...I mean, it is interesting to see everything but it's not like it's any better than our home. Just more uncommon and...uncomfortable. Too many strange people."
"Then whaddya' braggin' about Caelin! So what if I haven't been in the outside world...like you said, its uncomfortable anywhere else so why not stay here?"
"Yes, but you still need to go. It is very educational!"
"Educational my foot! I don't need any learnin'...I'm fine the way I am."
"Heh...are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I am! You think differently?"
"Well..."
The argument trailed on as the two young Zora shot comebacks at each other. Trem and Caelin had been friends since they were a mere five years old and, though complete opposites, were inseparable. Now, ten years later, the bond remained strong. Though their personalities were quite different, their appearance was stunningly identical.
Both had the natural, extremely light-blue skin and their many blade-like fins. An elongated tentacle hung from each of their heads splitting into two smaller fins that nearly touch the ground. Protruding from their arms were giant fan-like fins that ran the length of their forearms and went a bit past their elbows. On the sides of their waists, two sharp fins hung down to below the knee. These were the main features of all the Zora, of course every one of them had something different about them.
The one thing that set apart the two friends from everyone else was their scales. Instead of the azure scales that all other Zora's had on their fins, Trem and Caelin had none. Their skin and fins were pure light blue. These two Zora were the only ones with this strange condition and, strangely enough, they weren't related.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" Another Zora of the same age made her way over to the arguing pair with a cheerful expression covering his face.
"I am NOT a prissy-boy! How DARE you!"
"How dare I? You're the one who's callin' me all "unsophisticated and childish" and crap like that! You wanna fight? I'll gladly take you on! Come on prissy-boy, come get me!"
"Hmph, I will NOT degrade myself in front of our friend, Saeli, who you rudely ignored. Why, hello Saeli, how are you today?" With the last word being spoken, Trem launched himself at Caelin nearly knocking them down to the stadium floor.
"Well I uh...um...I heard the speech and uh...guys..." Saeli's words fell on deaf ears as the two friends wrestled each other on the ground "Get...OFF OF ME!" shrieked Caelin as he kicked the overhead Trem squarely in the stomach.
Trem flipped into the air in retaliation to the kick and landed smartly on the ground. Caelin scrambled up and charged head-first into Trem and they both fell down again into another wrestling match.
"Ugh, guys come on...stop this...meh...guys..GUYS!" Saeli's yell echoed throughout the stadium turning a few heads. The two friends paused and looked up at Saeli in shock.
"Phew...okay, now that you are paying attention, guess who I talked to today!" Saeli said with much enthusiasm.
"Who?", both of the Zoras stood up and said in unison.
"Well, as you know Trem, Caelin and I went on a trip ALLL over Hyrule with some other people while YOU stayed here. SO, because Caelin and I know they area so well, WE get to go again!"
"Really? That is so wondeful! I cannot believe this! I must go pack straight away!" Caelin started off to the stadium exit.
"Wait, wait, wait! There's more! Okay, now, we need 4 people to go, so that's you, me, and...someone else...bah, we''ss figure that out later. Anyway, GUESS WHY we have to go!"
"Well, I think probab-"
Cutting Caelin off mid-sentence, "Nope! Ya know how there is an ambassador going to Hyrule? Well we get to be escorts! We get to carry weapons, and dress up in a military suit, and act alllll official, and oh...I better pack my blade-sharpener...for the weapons you know, oh yeah, and..."
As Saeli rambled on, Caelin looked over to Trem. "Well, Trem, how about you come with us? It will be fun!"
"Hmph...I don't think so...I don't wanna escort noone."
"Oh yeah...I forgot, you are to scared. You don't want to be 'uncomfortable'. Oh well, I guess we will just have to go find someone else then!"
"Yeah...I guess you will."
"A...oh come on Trem! Just come with us! It'll be great!"
"Gah, just shut up. Fine...I'll go. Let me tell you though, I am NOT gonna listen to Saeli over hear yap the whole trip!"
Saeli continued her coversation to herself, "Oh and I REALLLLLY need to bring my little fan...it might get hot...oh and...hey...What did you say Trem?"
Butting in before things got out of hand, Caelin said, "Uh, okay, lets just go to your house. It looks as if they are closing the stadium. We should pack!"
"Yeah...we should, but we need to find more people. Our skills aren't really THAT good for escorting an ambassador! We need to make sure he is FULLY protected on his merry, little way to Hy-"
Just before Saeli finished her sentenced, a Zoran Guard strode the stadium gates. He was dressed in the traditional Zoran armor, the cerulean chest and leg plates blended in with a sandy beige leaving the arms bare. He held an enormous trident bearing three keen-pointed prongs that could've glided through any flesh with extreme ease. "You three, come here! You are needed at the town gates."
Without letting the three friends talk back, he pulled them in front of him and pushed them along, jabbing them once in awhile to speed things up. As they made their way to the gate, they found that Overlord Zoraco and the ambassador were anxiously waiting near the gateway leading out of the city.
"Yes, thank you guard, go back to your post. Now, you three, I understand that you have been chosen by Traela to escort her to Hyrule Castle?"
"Y-yes...but we should pr-probably go get more people to help...I mean...we don't really have any battle experience."
"Nonsense girl...er, Saeli right? Yes, Saeli, you, along with your friend Caelin, have traveled to Hyrule before, no?
"How do you know that? Er...and how do you know our names anyway?"
"Heh, I keep tabs on anyone that enters and leaves Centrenil. I have noticed that, though you don't think so, your fighting skills are quite superb. I believe that you will be suited enough to escort Traela. I've decided that two people is just fine. But...there is the matter of this other one...what is your name?"
"It's Trem...why d'you need to know?
"Well...first off you will address me with respect...also, I need to see if you are fit to go."
"I haven't been outta these walls...ever. They're the ones that pushed me into going..."
"...You are not allowed to leave. You have no experience with the outside world, like you said. Go back to what you were doing please."
"W-what? You can't do that Trem! Just let him come with us! It'll be so much better!" pleaded Caelin.
Shooting down Caelin's remark with a fierce glare, Zoraco hurried them along out the gates. "Okay, now you should hurry...I can't be making a scene here...now go. This is a very important mission and I need it done with haste. Go!"
Past the city walls were the mountains that had hindered any land invasion that could befall Centrenil. A sandy pathway miles long led up a fairly smooth mountain into the vast mountainous region of the Goron who had made their way to the Zoran borders.
Traela leaded them out of the gates which slammed shut leaving a slightly shocked Trem behind. "TREM! We'll be back soon! Don't worry!" yelled Saeli in her usual optmistic mood. "So...do we need weapons or anything? I mean, what if we run into something we need to drive away or something..."
Remaining silent Traela handed each of the young Zora their weapons and seemingly glided off through the dull, sand-covered beach.. Her long turquoise robe dragged on the ground concealing her feet.
Caelin's weapon was his speciality, a sturdy wooden staff. It was strangely plain but virtually unbreakable Saeli received a bow and quiver full of need-like arrows with an object on the back of each arrow resembling a Zora fin.
Both Saeli and Caelin ran up to the ambassador making sure not to lose her. Trying to break the awkward moment of silence, Caelin decided to talk. "So, uh...Ambassador Traela...it is quite an honor to meet you!" Traela made no response and kept making her way to the first mountain they had to cross.
The ambassador, though remarkably beautiful, never remarked on anything, started any conversation, joined into any conversation; she never talked, really, at all. Her robe that hung down to the ground was studded with brilliant, cobalt sapphires that sparkled even when there was no light shining down on them. This only added to her beauty. Her face, like all other Zoras, seemed to extend out from the tip of her nose leaving the forehead quite flat and bore slanted, pure, navy blue eyes.
Trailing behind Ambassador Traela, Caelin and Saeli started to whisper, "This is going to be a long trip...I don't really like this Traela."
"I know what you mean Cael...its sort of awkward...she never says anything!"
As Caelin and Saeli continued their judgmental conversation of Traela, the ambassador ahead of them could hear all too well what they were saying. A slight smile formed on her solemn face as she listened to them. Hardly opening her mouth, Traela started to mumble to herself in an ever-so hushed voice.
Ending their conversation, Saeli could overhear Traela talking to herself. Everything was so inaudible it might as well been another language. Only a couple of words could be heard from her mumbles.
"Obnoxious brats..."