14. Favors and Duty

Thanks to Light and LogosLogic for reviewing! I encourage all my readers to let me know what they think. ^^

Also for pronunciation reasons: Rundyna; rune+dyna[mite]

As Link's eyes slowly opened he saw the dark sky above him and felt a hard surface behind his back. To his left was the young girl in green once more while the woman in blue slept beside him with her head across his lap her long blue hair fanned out over his legs. As Link moved he felt the hard surface behind him was a rock used to prop him up rather than the warm soft woman in red that had been there every time prior.

It was after that realization that he felt the girl squeeze his hand drawing his gaze to her but she wasn't looking at him, she was looking towards the edge of the grassy clearing where the woman in red stood. At her feet the grass had turned black and just looking at her made him feel cold inside, before link could get up to go to her the girl in green held onto him tightly, afraid.

"Power is corrupting..." The once warm comforting voice was now choked and Link could see her right hand had turned black. Her outline seemed to waver like a black flame and the girl in green slowly shook her head before looking to Link her emerald eyes pleading him.

"Not again... Save them." The girl whispered as she gently let go of his hand to reach up and place her small hands over his eyes and placing him back in darkness.

~X~

Link's eyes then shot open as pain wracked his side, his breath came out in pained hacks while he sat up holding his side thankful it wasn't the side he had been stabbed with the stinger shard. As his vision slowly cleared he looked up to see the Zora soldier from earlier that Rutalia had punched out glaring down at him while the back end of his spear moved back through the bars and Link would've grabbed it if he wasn't having such a hard time breathing.

"Maybe if you wake up when we talk to you this wouldn't have happened." The Zora spat at Link before starting to unlock the cage.

"Go to hell, fish bait." Link shot at the Zora with a glare that mirrored the Hylian's look and it was at that moment Link realized that this Zora had more piscine features than Rutalia did, even though he was buzzed she still appeared mostly human. This soldier had obvious blue scales and gills along his neck before his body was covered in blue in silver armor, his eyes were pitch black and his mouth lacked lips. Those were the main differences Link could spot given the Zora's fish tail-like helmet. With a rough pull the soldier opened the cage ushering Link out.

"Get out defiler." The soldier grunted while standing aside for Link to get out, which he did slowly stepping onto the stone underfoot before looking around the area. Where the carriage and makeshift prison cell had stopped looked like a road along the side of a river however upon looking over more of the area Link found it was closer to a cave with high stone calls carved from the water also leaving a large hole above where the light shone through. To the South was a building beside what looked like a dam at the river's edge or maybe a fishing spot and to the East was a single door placed into the stone wall with brick steps placed before it, if Link didn't know better he would swear that the door had nothing behind it but stone. However Link was proven wrong as a young man walked out and Link's eyes grew wide

"Okay, see ya next time cousin!" It was the man who worked at 'Coro's Stop and Fuel'! Link instantly moved and ducked behind the cell peering around the cage and the Zora watching the man as he began to walk down the road the carriage had come up.

"What are you doing?" The soldier questioned annoyed lowering his spear.

"Shhh, that guy tried to kill me before." Link quietly hissed while glaring heavily at the young man as he moved out of view.

"Shame he didn't finish the job." The Zora quipped before reaching down grabbing Link's arm and pulling him to his feet which served to aggravate the Hylian more.

"What the hell is your problem!" Link snapped rounding on the soldier pushing him away with his cuffed hands.

"You Hylians think you can do whatever you want just because of that hero." The soldier growled before grabbing Link's arm again and pulling him along the path ahead through a wide cave that the river ran through. That answer however quieted Link not particularly understanding while he followed the soldier until they exited the cave making Link instinctively close his eyes from the ambient light before slowly opening them again.

"Whoa..." Link silently spoke looking around, around them, pure white marble walls rose towards the sky and much of it was already carved into making a spiraling pattern like the inside of a seashell as the top of the marble walls reached the impeccably blue sky above that shone down with bright rays illuminating multiple shells that were embedded into the walls like fossils. But more than that the sunlight revealed the depths of the massive sapphire lake that made up the center of the area that delved so deep there was a point where Link could only see pure blue. However the water didn't stop the architecture and the spiral continued down below the water as well serving as even more space for the huge amount of Zora that occupied what he could only now assume was Zora's Domain. Although the majority of the residents were Zora he could make out handfuls of Hylians and even a couple of Gorons.

The cave Link had entered from seemed to be a run off channel for the water and directly across the sapphire lake stood a massive waterfall where the spiral design ended and a cave of sorts seemed to sit at the waterfall's mouth. However, before Link could get a better look at the waterfall the shaft of the soldier's spear connected with Link's back making him stumble forward. Once he got his balance back Link shot a look at the Zora with a low growl before he walked past the Hylian grabbing his arm yet again. "You Hylians always get so awestruck when you see the water."

Before Link could snap at the man he noticed everyone watching him, guarded, like he was a criminal, however some older Zora seemed to understand what was happening and shook their heads. The looks quelled Link's uprising enough that he didn't try to explode in fire again to get away but he hated he looks all the same. As the soldier guided him along the Eastern edge of the pool, judging by the angle of the sun, Link saw that many of the Zora looked similar to the soldier and the elder one he had saw before. Although now that he had control of his cognitive function he noticed that very few of them, maybe one in every ten, looked like Rutalia did, while they were all humanoid the majority had greatly accentuated piscine features, like their' fins, scales, gills, many even having a fish for a hea- that explains the helmet now. Rutalia however seemed vastly closer to a Hylian compared to the others and every so often he caught sight of another Zora that had those more Hylian-ish traits. Although Link's line of sight became interrupted as he and the soldier entered a marble hall with large sections carved out so that it was just as visible inside and out, smaller pathways lead into the marble and away from the water but the soldier didn't slow his pace as he brought Link around to a somewhat larger opening and within he saw a large open chamber with smaller sections separated by bars.

A jail... great...

"So... I take it the whole jail thing wasn't a joke?" Link quietly asked, a small bit of hope floating in his tone before the soldier sniped it out of the air with a glare. As they reached a cell Link heavily debated lighting himself on fire to get away but the sight of his gear being looked through by another Zora. "Hey! That's my stu-"

"Silence." The soldier cut off Link as he tossed him into the cell before closing it as the blonde struggled to his feet.

"At ease..." The other Zora spoke quiet and bored while she sat on the ground looking through his bag. The soldier looked at her before huffing and going over to a desk fashioned from coral beside the entrance. Link's gaze moved to the Zora as her bored tone spoke up again quickly losing his fondness for the race of fish people. "So... our magitech researchers took your shield, sorry about that, the rest of your stuff is here though."

"You assholes took my shield?!" Link yelled at the girl who finally looked at Link, she was like Rutalia but different at the same time. She had crimson hair that fell down over one eye while the rest was held up in a ponytail, her visible eye had yellow sclera, red iris and slit pupils. Her skin seemed to have the same texture though it was a more obvious blue than the other Zora. Her frame seemed rather lithe, a far cry from Rutalia's buxom build, one more akin to a fighter than a dancer. Her lips slowly split into a wide grin showing off rows of sharp teeth like razors making Link take a step back out of instinct given the short distance despite the bars between them.

"You're lucky that's all we're taking." The girl whispered before leaning back and rising to her feet with a grin on her face. The red-head quickly pivoted on her heel before starting to walk away leaving Link to glare after her taking note of the simple dark clothes she wore in contrast to the heavy accessories or armor he had seen on other Zora. As she reached the soldier though Link noticed another Zora had entered the room and was now talking to the female while the soldier stood at attention. As Link stood he saw the Zora was considerably older than the others with cream and purple tones accenting his features along with golden scales, wide flowing fins spanned from his shoulders, elbows, and waist like robes. His eyes then shot over to Link and he felt a strange tug within him before the Zora looked back at the female that nodded her head before stepping back. In the next moment she opened her hand and a blue mark glowed as water formed as a spear in her grasp and she then swiftly brought it around hitting the soldier's neck making his body go limp over the desk.

"It's really such a shame that he has to be in charge of detainment..." The older Zora spoke with a sigh while the girl shrugged and picked the keys off him.

"Hey if you want this to quit happening tie Rutalia's legs together or abolish the 'royal decree'." The female spoke with a bored expression while crossing the room again to unlock Link's cell. As she stepped closer Link's instinct was to step away but he judged it would be better to have his hands free as she unlocked his cuffs.

"The former would be easier, the latter would imply we don't value our royal line." The Zora sighed regrettably while bowing his head to Link. "I'm sorry for my daughter's... 'exploits' she is far too enthralled with the Water Sage's legend."

"If it wasn't for her we wouldn't have to knock out Sunam and free a Hylian every other week." The girl muttered while leaning against the bars of the cell and handing Link his gear. "I am sorry about your shield though. When your stuff got here we had a guest from The Reef and we had to keep up appearances."

"...The Reef?" Link quietly asked as he took his bag back setting his sword on his hip rather than his back.

"Oh, it's the Oceanic Zora capital. Most of us in Hyrule are native to in-land waters." The male Zora explained as he came to stand a few feet away from the female offering Link a light smile. "The exception being Rutalia and Rundyna here, my daughters belong to both castes."

"Right..." Link answered while he took stock of everything in his mind and his gaze eventually fell to the unconscious guard. "I take it, I can't stick around."

"That would be correct I'm afraid, Sunam feels the royal decree should be followed to the letter. He is a good man at heart though somewhat over reaching." The man sighed lightly while stepping aside so that Link could step out before beginning to make his way out of the room expecting Link to follow. The Hylian cast a look at Rundyna who gave him a shooing motion while she herself sat back down against the bars like he had found her, though she shot him a grin as he followed the other Zora. "Unfortunately you also cannot leave the way you came because the entire path back down to the castle borders water ways and you'd be caught within hours."

"Then how do I get back to Castle Town?" Link asked not wanting to climb inside of another crate as the two walked along the marble hall in the same direction that Link was lead previously. Soon they reached another large path way though this one was positioned behind the waterfall that fed the area with it's perfect water.

"Well, here this should help get you back in," The man handed Link a folded letter and as Link scanned it he learned the Zora King's name, Ralis. "As for getting back however, you'll need to leave through this path, it will lead you Northwest to Hebra and there you will find the Yetis, they are an incredibly hospitable and gentle sort, they will be able to help you from there."

"I haven't been to Hebra..." Link quietly commented before putting away the letter. Ralis nodded his head before turning reaching into a satchel Link hadn't noticed hung between his fins and pulled out two small packages one with a pink mark handing them to the Hylian who looked back at him.

"Some food for the trip, the pink one is for the Yetis when you get there." Ralis explained while Link stowed away the food grateful to the Zora King. "Well then, you'd best be off now, he won't be out for much longer but you should be fine once you're in Hebra."

"Thank you King Ralis, I appreciate your help, regardless of the circumstances." Link said softly before stepping down the path and beginning to leave Zora's domain behind him. As he continued through the white tunnel he eventually lost the light of the sun bouncing off the white marble and it turned to earth and stone but much of it was coated in a lowing blue lichen that lit the path. The path seemed to take hours and hours as he trudged through the path that he could swear was carrying him straight North. Soon Link yielded to his stomach and took out the package that Ralis had given him and upon unwrapping it he found grilled fish which instantly reminded him of home. The days he and Ganondorf spent fishing, or rather Link fishing and Ganondorf complaining about being bored, that memory was enough to make Link smile a bit and remind him what he was doing everything for. As he took a bite he could taste seasonings that were new to him as well as simple familiar ones, though the fillet of fish lasted a solid ten minutes as Link continued on finally seeing a white light near the end of the path a short ways after the blue lichen faded.

Cold air assaulted his lungs before Link could step out of the cave and the change forced him to cough, his muscles contracting from the unexpected cold filling him. After a moment of getting his breath Link blinked his eyes trying to see through all of the white before him as snowflakes drifted down from the solid gray sky above him. A shiver ran through Link's body as he rubbed his arms not expecting this much cold even though Cindy had told him about the ice and cold. Through the mostly clear air Link saw a simple path extend down below him and it abruptly turned left curving around to path carved up through the next slope. "Out of the fire and into the freezer... I miss Volga..."

Thoughts of the dragon filled Link's mind as he moved down through the snow and along the path, in the path itself the snow came up to Link's shins but on either side the snow had to sit at three feet deep at least. The sudden realization made Link more aware of his surroundings while reaching down to pull the cleaved blade from it's sheathe using it in a reverse grip like a knife, just because it wasn't the same weapon didn't mean he couldn't find a way to use it. A moment later he could feel a rustle in his bag and as he reached in he felt the familiar wooden handle meet his hand as he pulled free the Gale Boomerang with the spirit waving at him as it sat on the crook of the bow. ~Think of a bubble and throw.~

Rather than questioning the spirit that faded as Link brought his arm back he visualized a sphere in his mind before throwing the boomerang and as it shifted through the air it quickly came back to Link before beginning to orbit him and creating a small warm whirlwind around him his own body heat warming the currents. "Heh thanks Gale."

The winds responded with a brush against his cheek like a caress before he continued forward without being hindered by the cold flakes of snow. As he began to climb the slope on the opposite side a low crunching sound in the snow made his grip tighten and his stance shifted mid-step bending his legs while his eyes scanned the white environment and his long ears homed in on any additional sounds. There was the crunch again and judging the distance Link crouched low before it moved in he moved low, staying under the white creature's attack before rising up and driving the blade through the beast's side using it's own downward force and Link's rising motion to force his blade through like butter. A heavy thud filled the air as Link twisted on the ball of his foot and pushed back flipping back out of range while his black blade now gleamed with crimson. Wait, crimson? Link's eyes focused as hot blood escape the body of a polar bear a bit larger than himself staining the ice. A low sigh passed his lips seeing the creature had passed in an instant but now he couldn't harvestit, not well enough to show the creature respect.

Link had always been taught that a hunter didn't waste what they killed it was how they respected their kill. A deep furrow worked into Link's brow as he looked over the body, given the size he could guess it had to weigh at least four-hundred pounds, at the very least. "Dammit..."

In a fluid motion Link sheathed the black blade before going over to to the bear and lifting its paw over his shoulder and making sure he got a solid grip before pushing hard digging his heels into the snow to get a solid push and thanks to to the blood and snow the bear slowly slid behind him making the process slightly easier. The short amount of climb Link had left was enough to force his breathing to rags as his body burned from the effort of dragging the beast along the way. Link would be damned if he just left the body to freeze, or worse, rot, at the very least if he could get it to the yetis maybe they could harvest it.

That was when he heard another loud crunch and his hand moved back to the blade on his hip watching the snow as another large figure made its way towards him. No doubt a predator that had smelled the blood and as it closed in Link pulled the blade while dropping the bear's arm preparing to fight. However the creature that walked out of the snow stood at least three times link's height and was just as wide with massive arms and white fur covering it's body. It came to a stop as it saw Link and after staring at him for a moment let out a loud laugh that shook the ground beneath the Hylian.

"Hylian poke bear to death hahaha!" The creature bellowed before looking at him with a huge grin. The hunter however narrowed his eyes slightly, was this thing really making fun of him for killing the bear? "Excellent killing, let Yetar cut."

Before Link could say anything the creature moved to his side and lifted the bear onto his shoulder like Link would a small deer. The sheer amount of strength the creature had was astonishing and as it began to head back into the snow it paused looking back to Link expecting him to follow. With a shrug Link moved to follow the being that he could only guess was a Yeti that he had heard about given how friendly the creature was. "Thank you, I was having trouble pulling that."

"Not problem, easy for Yeti!" The wooly creature boasted making Link smile a bit as he relaxed and kept pace while his little whirlwind came the snow from his skin. As they finally crested the hill Link stared in awe at the large structures built along the mountain sides, they looked as if the mountains themselves had been carved into the shapes of caves and huts but their sheer size is what truly staggered Link as it reminded him of the gate to Hyrule Castle. "Here."

The creature's booming bass drew Link's gaze to a cave off to the left and Link followed him inside where he was greeted with a wall of warm air as a fire crackled in the deep recessed pit. Yetar however was already at work having strung up the bear with a large tub beneath it and used a particularly sharp rock to cut it from top to bottom making Link wince slightly at the rough tearing sound of the flesh and stone. As the eti worked Link paced around the fire curiously looking at the tools around and noticing the large makeshift bed at the back of the cave. "So you're here alone?"

"Yes, leaving too." The Yeti responded plainly sitting on the cave floor his large brown eyes now on Link. "Tribe left days ago, too dangerous now."

Link quietly nodded sitting by the fire and facing the large creature before reaching into his pack remembering the other package from King Ralis, after a moment he found the pink marked bundle and held it out to the Yeti. "I'm sorry to hear that, Ralis said this was for the Yetis when I got here, guess that means you big guy."

Link explained but Yetar seemed to recognize it in a flash reaching out and unwrapping it delicately before breathing in deeply, Link didn't understand at first but a moment later he caught the pungent scent and it made him cough as he saw the Yeti lift a pink fish from the wrapping and eat it whole. The moment after it disappeared into it's mouth the Yeti let out something like a purr as it laid its massive arm across its stomach. "Reekfish is best. King give gift so Yetis help Hylians. Hunter the same?"

"I... Yeah kinda." Link admitted not proud of how he had ended up stranded up in Hyrule's frozen tundra. The Yeti nodded understanding and after letting his fish settle quickly got to work putting some things together, a number of small tools, long broad leaves roughly the length of his arm, small white rocks, and a massive pelt easily large enough to warm the Yeti which almost made Link question the creature it had killed for the pelt but decided it'd be best not to know.

"Here, strip shirt and metal to dry." Yetar told Link making him notice that his tunic was slightly damp and his chain-mail would probably be sticking to it if it weren't for the fire.

"Oh, thanks." Link replied while doing as the Yeti said leaving him in his white under shirt as he let his tunic and mail dry. The warmth finally started to sink in while Link watched Yetar work on the bear for a short while before the warmth and softness of the pelt eventually claimed the Hylian lulling him to sleep.

~X~

Low groans sounded from Link as he woke up slowly rising into a sitting position rubbing the back of his head as he looked over to Yetar. He was still working on something but to his side he had multiple bundles like the ones Ralis had given him. Link at first decided to let the Yeti continue uninterrupted but as he reached over for his tunic and chain-mail he found they were no longer by the fire where he left them. Another low groan escaped Link as he moved up onto his feet moving over to see what Yetar was up to, though as he saw it he smiled a bit rubbing his head. "You winterized it?"

"Yes, need protection or freeze." Yetar confirmed somewhat dismissively, from what Link could tell the Yeti had created a white pelt cloak from the bear the collar held to his chain-mail with magnetic stones. Around the cuffs and hems was also white fur that Link could tell was to help keep his body heat from escaping. "All part of deal with King, need reach bottom of mountains without dying."

"I really appreciate that... I'm glad you're able to take the meat from the bear too." Link responded with a grin looking over the clothing and the bundles that Yetar had wrapped while Link was asleep.

"No, meat for you, need food too." Yetar grunted as he finish the white pelt and set it down beside the bundles before lifting a sack made of the pelt as well handing it to Link. "Bag enchanted, stays cold stores bear."

"I... Thanks..." The blonde accepted the bag noticing two pockets one of which had white mist creeping from within. These Yeti must really respect Ralis if they're really willing to help strangers like this, even if it is for a fish. Yetar nodded with a smile as he tossed some of the bones and fur scrap into the fire where Link now noticed blackened bones having been burning away for a time already. "So how did you do this enchantment? I've heard that it's unique to Yetis."

"Bwahahaha no, haha not unique to us, learned from Ice Sage, found Ice plate deep in mountains." Yetar explained with a great amount of mirth but that information confused Link, all the stories he remembered only detailed seven great sages responsible for aiding Hyrule. Before Link could say anything though Yetar rose to his feet handing Link his clothing which the Hylian re-equipped feeling the warm fur brush his skin while the white cloak flowed from his back like the cowl of some great war hero, the idea didn't thrill Link but it did look pretty cool. "Show you direction, on way down mountains."

"Oh okay." Link replied following after the wooly Yeti while his curiosity got the best of him and his gaze rose up looking at Yetar. "So you said it was dangerous? What's happening?"

"Land dark, and ice here brittle for homes, search for sturdy ice." Link understood that he meant the darkness that was afflicting Hyrule and more so understood the land being inhospitable for large beings such as them. Sorin had taught him that animals often migrate or leave when an area is no longer ideal for them. Judging from the way they make their homes Link wouldn't be surprised if the homes would all be wiped away by avalanches over the next century. When Yetar came to a stop Link noticed the snow field stretching out before them and that the light had changed as it glowed through the thick clouds above. "After noon now, hurry down before dark."

"Thanks again Yetar, take care getting to your family." The Hylian smiled up at the creature who gave him a big toothy grin before heading back leaving Link to head out into the snow. The snow clung to his green tunic and the fringes of fur that had been added to his clothing as Link pushed further into the tundra. Most of what he could see was little but hills with mountains far in the distance. After at least an hour of trekking through the snow Link was beginning to miss the glowing cave from earlier.

It took all of Link's reflexes to turn and grab the edge of the precipice he had slipped off, His muscles ached from the sudden drop but Link sighed seeing more snow a few feet below him and the cliff around him was more like a series of steps leading off the frozen plateau. "This is getting fucking ridiculous..."

After letting go Link slid the last few feet to the next steppe and looked out over the decline and off to the Southwest he could make out something like a statue. Figuring that was what Yetar had been talking about Link moved down the cliff carefully making sure he didn't lose his footing on the ice. Once he had reached a flat enough area that Link could reach the statue it was just a short distance away.

"So you're the Sage of Ice?" Link mused as he stepped up to the statue, a beautiful visage of a woman with pure white hair and skin as blue as the ocean, he saw that it was made of ice though the arms were broken off of it, at it's feet laid a shattered metal platform with some kind of symbol under a golden Triforce emblem. Link was greatly interested in whatever story there was behind this, although as he felt the cold slip past his clothing he decided it would be best to push on.

A deep rumble passed through the ground as Link stepped down and a frustrated breath passed through his lips as he looked at the ground beneath him. Silence filled the air as the blonde swiftly looked around waiting for something obscene to happen to him. When nothing else happened he took a step forward and felt his foot fall out from under him as the ice fell away leaving a black abyss for the Hylian to be consumed by.

"I KNEW IIIITTTTTttttttttt..."