"You asked for a ghost story."
Urbosa looked up from the fire to study the Rito seated across from her. His original promise of one more story had turned to two, two had turned into three, three to four, and still the storm raged on outside their cave, thunder crackling and lightning flashing so close it felt as if they were personally under attack by a storm that had taken offense at their very presence.
"You said you didn't believe in ghosts," she countered. The storm had no interest in settling any time soon. By now most of their group was on edge, and Revali's voice was beginning to wear.
"I don't, personally," the Rito replied obligingly. "But there are stories, and those who swear to have seen things out in the wild lands of the Tabantha Frontier. Ghosts and monsters and other, darker things."
Urbosa felt Zelda settle against her. As much as the girl enjoyed a good ghost story, it was easy for her imagination to run away with her when one wasn't being told in the near darkness of their cave.
"In the Hebron Mountains, for instance," Revali began, his voice lowering slightly to take on a more hushed tone, as if he were imparting forbidden knowledge, "nestled deep in a small patch of woods lies a cabin as neat and tidy as one could ever wish for. Snug against the weather, with every board laid tight, windows shuttered tightly against any potential storm, the cabin looks as if it had been built to welcome any and all passing travelers, offering shelter from the cold night winds.
"So Cree, one of the village elders, and a Rito brave and true, thought when he came across the cabin during his youth. The snow had been coming down heavily since mid-afternoon, the skies had turned dark and ominously gray. The winds cut sharply through even Rito feathers, and Cree had spent hours looking for shelter. He had all but given up any hope of finding a place to wait out the night and was sure that he would perish in the storm when he stumbled across the cabin.
"The wind ceased abruptly as he stood before the building. Silence rang loudly in his ears in its absence. Exhausted and worn, the Rito paused only to reassure himself that he was not imagining the cabin before making his way inside.
"He found the cabin empty, but neat and clean. Wood lay stacked by the fireplace. A bed had been made up in one corner. No one was home, clearly, though he wondered if someone had stepped out only for moment and been caught up in the same storm he had so recently left behind."
Revali paused to roll his shoulders. Outside the rain let up for the briefest of moments only to return again in full force.
"The first thing Cree did was start a fire. Stripping off his cold, wet, clothes, he found dry ones in his pack and changed, shivering as the warmth from the fire slowly worked its way across the room. As the cold began to leave him, the Rito began to realize how tired he was. He searched his pack for some dried meat and chewed drowsily, watching the fire as it crackled and popped.
"When the fire began to die down and no one had returned to the cabin, Cree decided that it must have been built as a place for weary travelers to stay for the night and went to bed.
"He awoke suddenly, his heart pounding, staring into the darkness and seeing nothing." Revali rasped, and Zelda jumped. "Precisely what had awakened him he could not have said, but after several long minutes of listening he figured he it must have been some forgotten night terror. Laying back down, he took a deep breath and tried to relax.
"He had just begun to drift off once more when he felt an icy breeze ruffle his feathers, and somewhere outside the cabin something scraped against a wall. Cree shivered, and pulled the blankets closer, but did not at first think anything of the sound."
Zelda huddled even closer to Urbosa. The Gerudo put a reassuring arm around the girl.
"When he heard it again, this time scraping just below one of the shuttered windows, he tensed, coming fully awake. Ready for whatever might come next, he thought, the Rito lay in bed, listening in the darkness.
"The scraping sound continued around the outside of the cabin until it reached the door, then abruptly stopped. Cree waited with baited breath, knowing he had made certain the door was bolted tight before he went to bed.
"The door never opened, but suddenly he heard another sound, this one from inside the cabin. The sound of something large and heavy being dragged across the floor. Cree leaped from the bed and dove toward the fireplace, stirring up the embers until they lit the room. Panting, his heart hammering in his chest and his ears, he looked around and saw nothing.
"Something bumped against the outside of the cabin then, and Cree jumped. Something-the same thing, perhaps, began scratching at the door, as if desperately trying to get in. Cree reclaimed his spear from where he had set it to lean against the wall and braced himself.
"A creature screamed outside. The Rito ran to the door, raising the bolt and throwing it open to stare out into the darkness, but saw nothing. Behind him he could hear the sound of something heavy once again being dragged across the floor.
"Afraid to turn around, Cree stood on the porch, unable to leave, unable to stay. Behind him the dragging sounds continued. Something scratched at the walls..."
Revali shifted, and Urbosa became abruptly aware that the story was over, at least, as far as the Rito was concerned. The Gerudo frowned.
"That's it?" she demanded. The story itself had sent delightful shivers down her spine, but it was far from over.
Revali shrugged. "Cree never said what happened after that. Or how he made it back to the village," he offered her a predatory grin. "He never spent another night in the mountains after that." The Rito looked momentarily thoughtful. "Actually, I'm not sure he ever spent a night outside the village after that. He used to mutter a lot about there being night-stalkers in the forests."
"Night-stalkers?" Urbosa felt an eyebrow lift.
Another not very nice smile. "Evil spirits. Some say they possess Rito, some say they once were Rito, others say they simply resemble our race. Creatures of hunger, desire, and insatiable blood lust. You can tell when they're around: the air grows bitterly cold, and the creatures themselves stink of death.
"They look like Rito, sort of. Like dark, twisted versions. Dark, blood-stained feathers. Wings with sharp claws at the ends. Razor sharp beak and talons. They move like shadows through the trees, stalking their prey. Always hungry, always searching for more."
"They sound a little bit like Re-Dead," Urbosa offered thoughtfully. "Lurkers in the dark, feeding on the life force of their victims. Gibdo are similar as well, if I remember correctly."
"Night-stalkers allegedly feed on the blood and flesh of their victims." Revali offered. "One old legend suggests they were once Rito who were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive."
Impa gagged slightly. "But you don't believe in those either?" she wanted to know.
Revali shook his head. "Tabantha Frontier is dangerous enough without inventing ghosts and monsters to wander it. There's already plenty waiting out there to kill you if you aren't careful."
"Still, it's a fun story," Urbosa pointed out. "I do enjoy a good story, whether you believe in ghosts or not." Looking around, she added, her tone turning mischievous, "But we'll never get the children to sleep with you talking about haunted cabins and bloodthirsty shadow monsters." About half of the group grew mildly annoyed at being called children, even in jest, but the Gerudo knew she was right. They were already spooked enough by the storm.
Revali yawned lazily and flapped a wing at her. "All right, all right," he grumbled halfheartedly, though he had to be getting tired. "The Spiritual Stone of Water has been known by many names, including the Zora's Sapphire and the Zora's Engagement Ring. It was often used as precisely that, passed down to a young Ruto maiden who would then pass it on to the man who would become her husband.
"The stone itself is fashioned after the Zora Crest as well as resembling the Mark of Nayru..."
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is not mine. Obviously. ;)
