Galvatron felt stupid for having dived away into the lake so quickly, but the shock and adrenaline left him at the mouth of his home until nightfall.
Quietly Galvatron shuffled out, paddling at a leisurely pace to retrieve the remains of the crab corpse and his previously abandoned spear.
Giving the stars a quiet glance Galvatron sunk back below the water, not to wake 'til sunrise.
The sunrise came and went, and Galvatron never came out of his home.
The sun had already reached its peak and was slowly beginning to sink down again by the time the Zora peeked out of his home.
He wasn't exactly employed or needing to be anywhere.
Who cares what the time was?
The forest was quiet.
No singing, no footsteps.
No anything.
It was running it's normal quiet sounds of bird songs and the occasional animal call as they wandered through heading to riper feeding grounds or safer pastures.
It was very cloudy today and it sent a cold chill through Galvatrons bones every time he poked his head out of the water.
Even the breeze felt as if it were biting.
Regardless, Galvatron felt it best that he slipped over to the other side of the lake for a while.
It seemed, having focused more on fighting the monsters at the lakeside closest to his home had pushed the monsters to use the other side of the lake.
There was much more to fight here.
Enough that Galvatron managed at least two a day for a while.
It was exhilarating but left him utterly drained, muscles sore and stiff he merely floated along the water's surface, not caring to go beneath or out on land.
His right leg was covered in healing herbs anyway.
A wayward claw had got him just above the knee.
It was sore and he needed to leave it for a while longer before risking any of it washing off.
At least today it was warm.
Warm and humming again.
It caused a content little sigh to escape him. Galvatron loved these days, soothing and stress-free.
He didn't need the stress anyway, it made his head hurt and that made him angry, he didn't like the kind of headaches that feel like daggers bursting out from inside his own head as if shearing away his thoughts and sanity like some kind of mind robbers.
Focus on the warm hum.
It even left the surface of the water rippling, nearing the centre of the lake Galvatron could practically feel the surface of the entire lake against his sensitive Zora skin.
Enough that it was easy to tell of the displacement of water.
Someone was in the lake.
Ignoring the herbs on his leg Galvatron dove under again.
The humming stopped as he did this.
It wasn't the hum of the forest, someone was making that noise.
He prayed they didn't spot him.
The water was his home and he could easily locate the disturbance.
A few minutes after he'd submerged the hum started up again. Swimming as slowly as possible, Galvatron quietly moved closer to the source.
As he got closer to the source Galvatron could hear it better. The sound rippled through the water, hugging him with each note that rang past him.
It wasn't humming. It was singing.
He could hear the words clearer and clearer as he neared.
He dared not venture closer.
He could see the person's silhouette.
He knew that shape.
The sharp pointy face, the width of the arms.
It was a Rito.
Not that that was a surprise, he should've known.
They had flown before. It was obvious.
Instead of leaving or attacking, as he probably should have, Galvatron peered at this newcomer as they continued to sing to their invisible audience.
He wasn't close enough to make out too much, just that the Rito was a lavender-ish purple and kept halting their singing to preen and groom at winged arms. From his hidden vantage point, Galvatron could see just how broad their upper body was, including what must be an armoured shoulder and chest piece.
A Rito warrior.
Of course.
He was near parts of their territory, after all, it made sense.
Soon after Galvatrons arrival, the Rito seemed satisfied and left.
Good.
He didn't want no damn, stupid Rito's hanging about his home, even if they did sing. Galvatron returned to his home, unsettled but satisfied.
They came back again the next day.
Singing to themselves and humming.
This time Galvatron wasn't in the water. He'd gone to collect more herbs and was now stuck behind a tree, clinging to its shade to keep his moisture as long as possible.
He could see more of the Rito now.
Definitely taller than Galvatron by about a head.
A sharp, pointed face left him with an almost predatory look, contrasted by the dulcet tones of his singing.
The armour ringing around his neck and shoulders was thick.
Definitely a warrior, no normal person would be fine with such a big, heavy piece of metal clinging to them for so long.
No doubt meant he was strong too, easily one Galvatron wanted to avoid.
On land, anyway.
When he finished singing and preening, he shook himself off.
Atop his head, two thicker, darkened feathers stuck up, an incomplete crest that looked like strange ears, antennae or even horns if one felt whimsical enough.
But today he didn't stay long, and instead flew up and out of sight very quickly.
Galvatron couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
It was beautiful singing...
A Zora's voice was legendary for supposedly luring sailors to their deaths through sheer beautiful melodies.
Songs were meant to flow from a Zora's throat with the smooth beauty of a pure stream, flowing gracefully to all who hear it.
Those rumours were true, everyone he'd heard sing back at home made such beautiful sounds.
Everyone except him.
Galvatron had sung before, but when he did the others recoiled.
They didn't like it.
It made them angry.
He was young, only a small whelp, he just wanted to join in with the other children. But they hated it.
It must've been awful, as their angry little faces opened to insult and hands picked up rocks and sticks.
He'd just wanted to sing.
The Rito appeared again the next day, singing his tune as loudly as before, his deep tones easily penetrating the water.
Galvatron could practically hear him anywhere in the lake.
He hated it.
Why couldn't the Rito go away and stop reminding him of… well, him.
The damn bird showed up yet again.
He look perturbed as Galvatron deliberately left blood from a recent fight near his 'preening' spot.
It didn't stop him as he went to preen again.
Only he whistled out a tune rather than sing, occasionally glancing to his sides just in case.
Damn bastard, he can even whistle well.
It didn't work, they were back singing again the next day with renewed vigour, and again the next and yet again he came back another day.
Galvatron clawed at his face, he wanted it to stop, he wanted his solitude back.
Loathing his predicament Galvatron woke up early. He refused to listen to this infuriatingly pretty song today, no matter what!
Swimming with force and irritated energy Galvatron made it to a connecting river and swam out of his lake.
He'd spend the day hunting far out from his home.
Far away and alone.
Good.
Perfect.
Not that it mattered even if he stayed. There was no Rito visitor today.
Unaware of this fact Galvatron spent the day hunting, the net slung over his shoulder slowly filling with fish.
It would've filled much faster if Galvatron could stop himself from snacking on his catch.
At least the net was gradually filling up, his catch rate slightly exceeding his self-indulgent snacking.
The many boons of hunting in fresh territory.
With a neat little catch, Galvatron used his will-power and self-control to stop himself from just feasting right away. He could do that later but he was MEANT to be catching these for storing.
Then maybe feasting on them all at a later date.
Trying not to eye what was in the bag Galvatron tied it up, hoping that not smelling the food would help him not eat it.
Along with keeping some nosey beasts away.
He'd done well, no problems and of course no blasted singing, even the trip back to his lake was event free as he sailed down the river even allowing the current to gently push him along at some points.
The lake was quiet. Good.
It had a calm tone to it, only quietly did a tiny ripple touch the surface.
Like the most delicate of fingers poking at an ancient scroll.
That was fine Galvatron could handle that.
He could handle the distant muffled sounds of some commotion too, let them handle their problems alone.
The surface of the water rippled more vigorously and Galvatrons face wrinkled up.
It was tangy, it was iron-y in flavour.
Even from the edge of the lake, he could pick up that distinctive smell from miles away.
Looking up, there was a shadow above the water, but more interestingly feathers.
Dark blue ones gently fell and touched the surface, sending those gentle ripples out.
But now drops of blood were falling too, being flung around from the source of the commotion the drops rained upon the lake.
Now a fight was something Galvatron should get his nose into.
Especially now the blood had got his heart racing.
Breaking the surface of the water the distant sounds of a muffled commotion became clear.
They were still distant but now they were obvious and awful.
It was the most dreadful screeching sound like several beasts being strangled and shook.
It was also getting louder.
A shadow in the sky was getting larger.
Squinting at the approaching frenzy of feathers it was a mess barely keeping itself aloft.
That damn Rito warrior was back.
He was surrounded by a small flock of Kargarocs about five, the large birds must have been passing through migrating to new nesting grounds.
They were large and swarming over the Rito.
He was doing well, he punched one in the face making a loud crack and sending a few more globs of blood down to the lake below. The bird retreated but clearly circled back to rejoin the fight.
One of them, however, was clinging to the Rito's back, it's feet digging into his waist soaking the fabrics he wore with blood, it's wings flapping wilding as it continued pecking and biting at the Rito's head and neck, clearly having learnt the shoulders were a useless target.
The noises of the Kargarocs were truly as awful as travellers had said, like the dying squeal of a stressed beast.
Their noises drowned out the angry crows of the Rito.
Pulling a Rito blade from his belt the warrior tried slashing out at a Kargaroc in front of him, cutting its shoulder and causing it to dive away dripping more blood into the lake.
He tried swinging back to stab at the one on his back but he couldn't another Kargaroc dove at him and he had to swing at them.
It didn't help he needed to stop swinging in order to continue flying.
It made the fight descend lower and lower and the angry birds flocked around him in an angry ring.
For whatever reason the Rito stopped trying to fly all together.
Swinging the sword backwards he stabbed the Kargaroc in the back causing it to squall and release him, trying desperately to fly away despite the vicious wound.
The other Kargarocs took the chance and three of them dived hitting him in the chest repeatedly.
Yet it seemed planned as the Rito did nothing but fall.
The Kargarocs seemed confused but they didn't pursue the falling bird, nor did they notice Galvatron dive down again as the Rito plummeted into his waters falling to the bottom of the lake like a stone.