Hii! Sorry for the delay! I've been preoccupied with lots of Zelda trailers, spoilers and RP on discord haha! I finally obtained Ganondorf in a group and now I plan to mass slaugh- I mean give them all hugs.. Muwahaha! I actually JUST finished this chapter. Yes, I've not actually planned out how this fanfic will go. Do I have some ideas? Of course! I have some stuff in the back of my mind- I mean on my notepad that I've jotted down of stuff I want to happen. Is there anything in particular you guys want explored?! Make sure to read the stuff at the top of the 'Introduction' of the fanfic. I really need to start mapping out a general direction of where I want it to go.. hm.. Either way, enjoy!
Morning came faster than he would have liked. He reached out, stretching his limbs and arching his back. He pushed himself from his awkward and slightly uncomfortable bed as he cracked his neck. The air smelled nice! Like frying fish and roasted mushrooms. His tongue flicked out to run along the edge of his beak as he quickly got prepared for the day.
He was a massive Rito with a long wingspan, standing at around seven foot two. He had sharp pale blue eyes while the feathers adorning his body went from white, grey, black and various shades of blue such as around his 'fingers', back, torso, shoulders and a few other places. His face is a soft white that then dips to the back to a deep blue. His 'clothes', however, were a different matter entirely. He wore a light gray chest guard that covered his front to his waist, various sashes adorning his hips, light shoulder guards with sashes there as well as a matching scarf. The sashes were various shades of blue with white.
He could see that Sediia, his beloved mate, was tending to the fire as well as roasting a meal for them. At this point in time Loculi the Rito did not have children. Eventually they'd have a whole clutch of little rascals but for the time being his priority was to his people. After all, he was their Chieftain.
"Good morning, Loc." His mate's soothing soft voice giggled as she turned her head, peering over at him. He met her green eyes with his own pale blue orbs and smiled at her.
Sediia was his polar. Where he was tall and bulky she was shorter and more lean with pale pink and white feathers (the occasional black here and there), her 'fingers' a soft aqua blue. She usually wore a brown front guard and a matching aqua blue thin scarf around her neck. Her long hair trailed down her back. Her face was much like his with white but her white covered her cheeks and dipped towards the back of her head. The upper half of her head and face were that same pale pink. Her head came up to about his chest.
"Good morning, my love." He paused, stepping closer to inspect what she was cooking. "Hearty Salmon with Hearty Truffle?" He inhaled deeply, detecting some of the herbs she used with it. "Oooh, with Swift Violet?" He rubbed his hands together with a grin. "You spoil me!"
She giggled at him before turning her head back towards the pan. "Do you mind bringing me some when it's finished? I'll be down with the children near the bridges." She nodded to him and so Loculi pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head before turning to walk towards the stairs that led down into the rest of the village.
Rather than fly down he'd walk as it gave him time to greet the various Ritos he passed such as the shopkeeper Linerd.
Just as he reached the last step and could see the children up ahead running around each other a lone Rito swooped down and landed just before him, crouching down before his Chieftain. "Sir, news from the east."
"What news do you bring?" Loculi's voice turned serious as he shifted on his talons, eyeing the Rito scout before him.
This scout was Jeriko, the son of the shopkeeper. The proud Rito had white and soft green feathers adorning his much smaller agile frame. He wore a red scarf around his neck, a brown front guard and red wrappings around his right leg, a bow strung across his shoulder. His soft green eyes peered up at Loculi and his beak showed the deep frown of concentration the Rito wore.
"The Gerudo King of the Desert has arrived at Hyrule Castle, sir, and seems to be trying to forge an alliance with the Hylian Court. Upon my flight I counted his accompaniment of 15 Gerudo guards. However.. I noticed a second grouping that was a day's travel behind. It was hard to count their number accurately but I'd guesstimate roughly 30. I couldn't get close enough to evaluate to whom each was but from the weapon at the hip of the Gerudo on the front horse I surmise they're being led by the king's second in command."
That was news indeed! Wow! A lot to take in. Loculi lifted his left hand and rubbed the feathered appendage against his beak in thought.
"The second grouping should be reaching the castle in a few hours time. Should I return to continue my scouting, sir?" Jeriko's sharp eyes were studying Loc's face carefully, waiting for orders from his Chieftain.
What he wasn't expecting was for Loculi to shake his head. "No. I actually require your presence elsewhere."
The smaller Rito blinked up at him, tilting his head to one side in confusion. "Another task, sir?"
Loculi smiled mischievously before motioning for the Rito to stand. He stepped past the green Rito and gestured towards the children. "I need you to help them with their flight lessons today." He could feel the immediate exhaustion of the scout who grumbled at his side. "Now, now, it's easy! These little ones can already fly a bit, they're just having difficulty with banking properly."
"Of course, sir, I'll tend to them." Jeriko bowed his head in acknowledgement before trotting off towards the children.
The Chieftain felt another presence at his back and turned to see the smiling face of his beloved who was offering him a meal wrapped securely in a container as she had suspected he would need it to go. "Your lunch, sweetheart." In her other hand was his bow.
He often wielded this mighty bow that was a present from the Royal Hylian Family some time ago; it was a Royal Guard's Bow but the deep grey major parts on it have since been painted a brilliant blue while the red middle section was changed to a soft cream color. The lighter grey parts remained the same but the deep black towards the end was now white.
"You always seem to know when I must leave to tend to important matters, my love!" He leaned down to peck her on the cheek affectionately, nipping at the feathers there lovingly. She chuckled as he took the meal from her. He secured it using the clip his lover gave him, securing it to the sash at his waist. He'd done this numerous times, it wouldn't fall off.
"Of course!" She said with a bit of sass as she playfully swatted his broad chest. "Do give my regards to the Zora when you get there!"
He blinked at her, again startled by how she seemed to know his moves. "How did you know I was going to head to the Zora Domain?" His speechlessness was present in his soft tone in that instance.
"I may or may not have overheard your conversation with Jeriko; good boy that one. And I guessed from there that you'd run off to go gossip with that guard friend of yours and even the young prince." At her words he puffed out his chest and huffed a little. No, they didn't gossip! She poked his chest in that moment, causing him to deflate. "Tell them I say hi. Don't forget that, please." She then turned before he could retort and walked off.
The nerve on that woman! He smiled before turning to peer up at the sky. Well, he did need to meet with the Zora King regarding some matters of trade so he could indeed talk with the two she mentioned. He crouched before manipulating the air to boost him high into the sky. He angled his flight path towards Zora Domain.
Another grueling day, exhaustion vibrating along his frame like he was a coiled spring. He peered over the edge of the waterfall, the reservoir spread out behind him. He heaved a sigh before attaching his trident to his back, taking several steps back. He inhaled and then exhaled slowly before running towards the side and jumping. He sailed down the tall waterfall, seeing the water coming closer and closer as he fell so gracefully. He prepared for the splash, thinning his body like a professional diver before hitting the water, going deep before coming back out to break the surface.
He swam towards the ladder before heading up to the landing and then made his way up to the place where the royals frequented. While normally his majesty King Alvio II would be seated in the water pool near the center back it was actually empty but standing nearby were three people; Princess Ulu, Prince Meki her younger brother and the Zora Royal Guard Dalomon who was reminiscent of an Orca but in Zora form.
Princess Ulu and her brother were near physical twins. Unlike their father they were both pale white however Ulu had a soft purple touch to the ruffles along points of her body with pale golden eyes. Her brother, on the other hand, had grey trimming rather than purple with brighter golden eyes. They both were shark-like. Despite Meki being younger he still towered over his sister by several inches and sometimes this was a point of contention between the two.
"Ero, Ero!" He could hear the princess call out to him as she was the first to notice his approaching presence. She flashed him a brilliant smile that softened his cold heart. She was the only one he really felt nervous around.
Dalomon turned and grinned at him. The guard was a towering Orca Zora that was black and white. He had various scars crisscrossing along his skin, showing the numerous scuffles and fights the warrior had been in. His eyes were a deep brown with a hint of amber and he carried with him a Traditional Royal Guard trident as well as a sword tucked into the sash at his hip.
Out of the group Dal was the tallest; he was 8'1, Ero was around 7'8, Meki was 6'4 and poor Ulu was only 5'5. Of course she'd grow a little more with time but she was still small.
"Finally you return from your rounds! How is the reservoir?" Dalomon chimed in with humor dripping off him like honey.
"There's a crack on one of the back waterfalls, it needs to be patched up. I did a rough fix but it'll only last a few hours, can you have someone sent to tend to it?" Ero rubbed his hands together, trying to dry them a little faster.
Dalomon nodded to him as he excused himself to get someone for that very task.
This left Ero with the royal siblings. "How are your lessons?" He turned his white pupils toward Ulu who blushed when he looked at her. It was no secret that she fancied him. Goddesses sake, her brother was constantly trying to nudge the two together as problematic as that was.
Ulu seemed hesitant to answer as she looked away sheepishly, her pale blue eyes flickering back and forth from the ground to the sky. "Very well.." She replied in a meek voice.
"Princess Ulu.." At his tone she turned her head towards him bashfully. "Chin up, speak clearly, do so with purpose. You may be Queen one day and you'll very much need to learn how to be confident. Come now, act as your mother."
She slowly nodded before shifting on her feet. "Y-yes, I'll work on that." She said softly before pausing and then repeated herself a little louder. "I'll be more clear."
Ero nodded to the young princess and smiled softly at her. "I expect great things of you, my princess."
"Your majesties!" A sharp voice called out in a pant, causing the trio to turn towards the direction. They moved towards the stairs to see a Zora Guard standing beside a tall white and blue Rito that they all recognized. The Rito was scanning the area before his eyes caught sight of the trio and that silly beak grinned. "The Rito Chieftain has come seeking your audience!"
"Y-yes, send him up!" Ulu's voice called out, a bit unsteady but she was trying to be more assertive. A good and healthy step, after all one day she would be leading the Zora.
Soon enough the massive Rito was strolling up to them, adjusting his bow on his back before he unclipped the little box at his hip. He held it up towards the trio. "I brought Sediia's cooking, interested in sharing it with me while we discuss some things? She sends her regards, as well, knew I was coming over."
Meki smiled at the Rito. The four went down beneath the throne into the communal pools and picked the one closest to the back to lounge in. The three Rito all relaxed in it against the edge near where Loculi sat with his talons dipped into the water. He undid the seal on the box and used his claws to cut the cooked fish into four pieces before handing them to each present.
"So how come you came all the way out there? Don't you have younglings to be teaching the grace that is flight?" Ero asked, studying his old friend. The two had met so long ago during trade agreements between the Rito and the Zora, long before Loculi became the Chieftain, when he was a wee little bird. At that time Ero had not yet found his footing into being the king's personal guard.
Loculi blinked rapidly at him with his somber pale blue eyes before narrowing them at him. "I come with intel you'll want to know." He bit into the fish piece he had, savoring the taste for a moment before swallowing it. "A scout that came from Hyrule Castle brought news, just before I made this trip, about the Gerudo King. Yes, you know the one-" He pointedly looked at Meki who was scowling as he was trying to recall, the young prince wasn't too particular about keeping up with who and where of matters.
"Oh? The Gerudo King?" This topic caught Ero's attention and he focused all his attention on the Rito. The young king was already making a name for himself and it was carefully dipping into a bad one.
Loculi nodded his feathered head as he bit into a mushroom. "Mhm-" He swallowed the piece whole. "-my scout says he had arrived at Hyrule Castle yesterday with 15 guards, seeking to forge alliances. He also said there was a second grouping a day behind, which that one should have arrived at the castle by now, roughly 30 in their entourage, led by the young king's second in command."
When Ulu spoke up the trio all looked at her with wide eyes for she was not one to say such; "Is it wrong that.. I always get chills when he's around? Almost like when he looks at me he wants to flay me.."
"You're not the only one, princess. Those methodical cold golden eyes always unnerved me." Loculi shook himself, ruffling his feathers before crossing a leg over the other.
"You're telling me you don't SWOON in his presence, princess?" Ero's tone was playful as he flicked his gaze towards the young princess, mouth split into a grin to reveal pointed teeth.
She shivered while Loculi lifted a feathered hand to his forehead, leaning back dramatically as he rolled his eyes.
The group laughed at this but oddly enough Meki was disturbingly quiet, his skin a little flushed. Loculi actually noticed this before Ero and commented on it; "Are you alright, your majesty?"
At his title the young prince snapped out of it, lifting his eyes as he had sunk a bit into the water. He pushed himself up, folding his arms atop the edge and leaned his chin against them. "I'm worried. Are you all not?" He pointedly looked between them, his eyes glistening with several emotions.
"Why? I just thought it was interesting to learn. The Gerudo's have been secluded in the desert with their skirmishes and drama-" The Rito tried to explain but Meki's face turned hard and serious, losing its deep concern.
"That's just it." The prince said, causing them to blink at him at what he was trying to say. "The Gerudo RARELY leave their desert, even less so for their leadership whether it be a chief or this king. Why now? Why seek alliances now?"
Ulu and Ero shared a look before she dipped down into the water for a moment.
Loculi frowned at him, tilting his head before dipping his hands into the water to rinse them off. The water was constantly cycled and cleaned so it wouldn't harm the communal pool. He then ran his hands through the feathers of his head, smoothing them back as water dripped down the sides of his face. "I don't see the problem here. He wants to actually have good connections with the other leaders. That's good! We should be commending him. At least he's trying to improve things for his people. Living in the desert must be difficult."
"I just suddenly have a really bad feeling.." Meki grumbled as he looked away.
Loculi closed his box as he noticed the food was all eaten and sealed it carefully before adjusting the feathers on his left arm, preening them with his beak as Ulu came back up from the water.
"Ero!" A sharp voice called and the group all turned to see the guard Dalomon padding up to them. "The section you mentioned has been patched." However his next words startled all of them. "Sir, some of our troops along the northern border between us and the Elden Region seem to be missing. We can't find scale or fin of them." He paused scratching his chin in thought. "Oh, the name slipped my brain, around the Cephla Lake."
Meki sighed before he pushed himself up and out of the water, padding over towards Dalomon. "I'll head there to investigate along with some guards." He smiled at his companions. "Please, enjoy our Rito friend's presence." He bowed his head before walking off with the much taller guard than him.
Ero and Loculi shared a look. That didn't sound good.