Warning: Blood and violence and some vomit.
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This was all Sidon's fault.
Calamity Ganon had vanished from this land, but that didn't mean his influence or darkness was completely gone. Sidon was too optimistic, too eager to see this new free world, and left the safety of Zora's domain to seek out Link and the princess, leaving behind his entourage of guards and chaperones. He didn't need them.
And why would he? Sidon was a grown Zora, a prince, trained all his life in the arts of combative swimming, and his mere height and weight intimidated the most common monster. Hell, he was bigger than most of the horses running free in Hyrule. Why should he be afraid of the occasional hobgoblin or lizard? He could handle himself, no problem.
His over-confidence was his first sin.
"I can carry him," Sidon offered for the tenth time. He lifted his chained arms, reaching out. "Please, having him dangle over the horse like that might kill him."
The grey-colored goblin was obviously the smart one. When morning broke, they unchained Sidon's legs, but kept his wrists bound, then forced him to walk behind their horses like a dog on a leash. If he walked too slow, the goblins tugged viciously on the chain, making him stumble. But if he walked too fast, one of them would trot up next to him on their horse, and then kick him in the head, forcing him to back off. Sidon learned very quickly how much taunt he was allowed to have.
The grey goblin kept Link with him. The creature had Link draped over the horse like a worn, beaten rug, letting his head sway from side to side. His face was getting redder.
"I can carry him," Sidon pleaded again. "It'll be no problem, I won't-"
The grey goblin suddenly stopped, raised his riding crop and brought it down upon Link's back, viciously striking him.
WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK
Each blow was loud enough to echo across the empty fields. Sidon cried out in protest.
The goblin raised the crop again. He waited, purposely staring at the Zora prince.
Sidon bit down on his lips, shaking in frustration.
Satisfied, the goblin turned back around.
So this was how it was going to go? If Sidon so much blinked the wrong way, then it was Link who was going to suffer? There was no mercy amongst these horrid beasts, nothing in them to appease to. Sidon was considering offering them a bribe, promise them gold and rupees, but now he knew there was no point.
Worse, Sidon didn't know where they were going. He's never been this far into Hyrule. It was getting hotter by the minute, and already Sidon was feeling the heat begin to take a toll on him. His people did not have the ability to sweat. The running waters of Zora's domain kept them cool. If he didn't get into water soon, he was not going to be of any help to Link.
This was all his fault.
Years of combative training meant nothing compared to real life experience. Just a few hours into Sidon's personal travel of Hyrule, he was ambushed by these horrid goblins. At first it was laughable. They were so much smaller than Sidon, and Sidon tossed them around like rag dolls. Their swords were too dull to cut his skin, their clubs too short to reach his weak points. For the first minute of battle, Sidon enjoyed himself.
Until they brought out the shock arrows.
The first arrow brought him to his knees, knocking the wind out of him, and the second made him lose consciousness. When he woke up, he was already chained to a rock.
Link suddenly threw up.
His fever was getting worse or the constant jostling on the back of the horse made him sick. Either way, both the horse and goblin squealed in disgust, and with grunt, the goblin angrily shoved Link off.
Sidon dashed forward, catching Link before he struck the ground. "I got you! I got you-!"
He cried out as the goblin began whipping him over the head with the riding crop. He curled his body around Link, refusing to move. "Let me carry him! Please! It'll be no problem! Let me carry him!"
WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK-
Thick streams of blood ran down Sidon's face, dribbling onto the dry grass below him. He held Link closer to him, angling his head away so blood wouldn't stain Link's tunic any further.
With one last strike, the goblin stopped, huffing and puffing angrily. Sidon didn't move. He was not going to uncurl until he got confirmation Link was not going to be punished for this transgression.
The chains around his wrists were tugged on. Sidon achingly looked up, and the grey-goblin gestured to him to stand up and get going.
"Alright," Sidon breathed. He got up, and the world around him tilted on its axis. He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood, double down on his stance and pushed past the dizziness. Oh no, not now. He could show weakness later.
He had Hyrule's champion in his arms. Now all Sidon needed to do was wait for an opening and run for it.