He was cold and in pain.
Everything hurt and everything felt far heavier than it ought to be.
Stirring from a strained sleep, bleary eyes could barely make out where he was.
Slowly his vision settled and he could see where he was.
Pressed between two rocks.
Two rocks with an awfully rustic layer of leaves, mud and tree bark above him.
Just outside someone had made a fire, but it was badly placed and its heat barely helped within the tiny, tiny rock hut.
At least the fire was making a wonderful aromatic smell as it cooked three decent sized fish, they looked like they needed turning.
His toes clenched and arms stiffly reached out to the rock-walls either side of him.
It wasn't going to be the quickest or most impressive of awakenings.
Leaning forwards he hissed angrily, physically clenching up to try and stifle the pained moan as wounds on his back cracked and stretched with his movement.
The damn Kargarocs.
Of course.
He'd ran into a migrating group and had clearly riled them.
Flopping onto his front, he decided there was no shame in crawling for the time being.
Besides no one had spoken, so he was probably alone and no one would see him like this anyway.
Even when free from the small space of the 'hut' he didn't bother to stand upright as he continued to crawl over to the fish, turning them over, he watched hungrily as cooked juices leaked from them as they moved.
At least the heat of the fire was soothing his stiff, sore bones.
It took little time for him to feel comfortable with slowly standing up.
Cyclonus stood alone in this make-shift camp, confused, wary, and unsure what to do next.
He was sore and could feel the bruises throbbing across his body but he was… alive, a little woozy but good.
His mouth felt dry as he knew what to do.
He had to check the wounds on his back, they were open sores of weakness presenting themselves to any would-be attacker.
They were also deep and should really be causing far more of an issue than they were.
He mentally winced remembering the Kargarocs claws digging into him as it clung to his back, hindering his movements in what should have been a less problematic fight, he carefully reached towards the bloody mark it had left behind.
Slowly his fingers reached beneath the fabric of his stained and torn shirt.
Instead of pain and agony as his fingers touched what should be wet, soft, open wounds he received a hot burning tingle as they pressed into something hard and rough.
They couldn't have scabbed over already.
He withdrew his arm, his hands now coated with an obvious pungent smell.
Herbs specially mixed and crushed to amplify their healing properties.
With his beak slightly agape, Cyclonus looked around again.
Still no one, just the still lake glinting in the moonlight and the dark canopies of the forest looming above him.
The fish smelled done.
It was impossible, no one would've just helped him and then left him.
Would they?.
"H… Hello?" He called out, quieter than he should have but his throat was dry and confusion held his pitch at a low level.
Swallowing he tried again, louder.
"Hello?"
There wasn't even a rustle.
Not a peep, from anywhere.
It was terrible, he couldn't tell if it was good or bad, either way, it was making him feel uneasy and sick.
Or maybe that was just on account of the still recent wounds.
Or the fact he's been unconscious for an unknown amount of time without food or water.
He took the fish with a ravenous glee.
Flying was out of the question, trying to get lift-off strained his wings and his muscles twinged, sending him down to the ground faster than he could go up.
Before he knew it a day had passed.
The sharp stick the fish were roasting on was good enough as a hunting weapon, spearing fish at the lake's edge and even the occasional rodent. A tiny offshoot on the stick even worked to pull high up branches down increasing access to berries and fruits.
A couple of days later and Cyclonus could run and perform acrobatic exercises with much more ease, climbing trees and running was no longer an issue.
By the end of the week, he could fly.
With the wind in his feathers, Cyclonus gladly took off, leaving his temporary home.
His saviour was never known or seen, a mystery and a tale for Cyclonus to tell and maybe one to eventually solve. Yet for now, it was merely an afterthought as he returned to his duties.
A saviour that had watched him the entire time, one that watched him go with mixed feelings.
It was nice to have something different, some potential company, but it was also nice to have his old life back, no one to bother him or rat him out to the King.
Galvatron couldn't tell which one was nicer and which one was making him feel just a little sad.
Sadness was useless and did nothing for him, he shoved it away like all the things he didn't want or need as he completely submerged into the water and went to his bed…
It must have been an entirely new season by the time Galvatron was awoken earlier than usual.
It sent a shiver up his spine as if something had deliberately awoken him against his will.
He had no other reason to be awake at this ungodly… morning, time.
Several bubbles rushed out from between his teeth as he angrily huffed, kicking and shuffling about in his bed the Zora twisted moodily until he had gained a decent swimming speed leaving his home and out into the lake he called home.
There was nothing around and the clear water let him see far across the lake.
Fish swam idly.
Seaweed waved back and forth.
He squinted and glared.
Something had to give.
He wanted it to give.
Answer, damn it!.
The water hummed and rippled once more and Galvatron spun in the water, confusion evident on his face.
Then he was left floating.
Floating motionless in an expanse of water that rippled and rubbed against his scales like hundreds of delicate dancers shedding their rhythm onto him through their movements.
That fucking bird had a strong singing voice.
Blowing bubbles Galvatron followed it back to its source and sure enough, the Rito had come back.
Wearing thinner armour this time and a sliver of a bandage was visible just under his clothes, fiddling shyly with his hands.
He was too close to the surface but the Rito moved away, heading slightly towards the area where Galvatron had left him many moons ago.
The way the Rito's head moved back and forth, up and down.
He was looking for something.
Looking for him.
Of course, he would.
Galvatron had saved his flaming life.
Out of the good fucking graces of his heart.
Fucker.
It was tempting.
Somewhere in the back of Galvatron's mind, he wanted to spring forth from the water, making sure he brought enough of it to shower the Rito with his emergence, fling his arms to the air and yell 'T'WAS ME! I SAVED YOU!'.
A nearly non-existent thing called 'better judgment' put a cap on that thought, especially as the Rito turned around again and was heading back towards the lake, slowly.
Unconsciously Galvatron swam back a little as the bird's large frame cast a shadow of the water.
He really was looking for him.
From what he could hear, the lyrics of his tuneful song were easy to understand. He was calling out to 'the saviour in the night', the 'unseen hero'.
Goddamn what a fanciful, over-the-top Rito.
Sure he may be singing a song he didn't write but did he have to pick one with such ridiculous lyrics?
Galvatron's face scrunched up under the water listening to the words drip down.
The Rito plodded it's way back to where the makeshift camp was, here he stopped singing and after a short time a familiar Rito shape sailed up into the sky flying away.
Even then Galvatron took his time to emerge.
Stupid bastard, what's he doing coming back here?
Clawed footprints lined the sands and dirt, Galvatron pondered if the Rito had seen some of his footprints.
Maybe he already knew a Zora saved him?
Or at least that one frequented the area.
He'd gone back to the tiny clearing where he had constructed an equally tiny camp.
More light trickled down to the ground as the Rito had knocked branches out of the way in order to fly up from there. The warm shafts of light painted the ground with mottled shades of gold and amber as the place remained unused since the Rito's departure.
The light almost hurt Galvatron's eyes as it jabbed sharply at them.
Squinting angrily he was about to leave when the true culprit was spotted.
A rogue ray of light was shining on something left at the tiny hut and the reflection was what poked annoyingly at his eyes.
Driven by curiosity once more Galvatron approached the offending object.
It was a badge, a badge of delicate thin gold embossed with a pattern of feathers circling around each other in an almost flower-like array.
Rito jewellery.
Galvatron almost couldn't believe what he saw.
It was already astounding the singing idiot had come back but he had also left a gift!?
Did he really think his 'saviour' would magically find the thing and not some passing thief or traveller?
What a moron.
Well, lucky for him the saviour lived right next door and Galvatron quietly scooped the badge away heading back to his lake, and quietly placing it among his royal-wear.
It was meant for him after all.
It happened again the next day.
This time the Rito came back at a later time, hoping for better success it seemed.
Galvatron was midway through a particularly fat fish this time, enjoying having messy mouthfuls of food that made speaking impossible. Then again is made him almost choke when the singing started up again mid-bite.
With a dash of irritation and an admittedly equal dash of amusement, Galvatron swam back to the lake's edge where the singing came from, this time sitting back on the sands and chewing away at the big glob of fish meat he had still in his jaws.
He had to admit, at the very least this Rito was providing entertainment, almost a ghostly feel that maybe the lake wasn't quite so devoid of sentient life.
Just like the previous day the singing drew to a close and the Rito went back to the clearing. He took longer this time but once again he flew upwards and left.
Once again Galvatron waited and then went to investigate.
Once again another little trinket had been left, a pin this time.
Galvatron felt his blood go cold.
The pin was decorated with a nice round pearl.
Did the Rito know?
Was his 'cover' blown?
Looking around in a panic Galvatron grabbed the pin and ran.
He felt more worried than intrigued or fascinated when the Rito came back for the third time.
Galvatron barely swam out of his cave, instead, waiting for the singing to stop and for its shadow to pass over the lake and into the horizon.
Quietly and with more trepidation this time Galvatron followed the routine of the previous night and found another trinket left for him.
Not another piece of Jewellery this time, just a nicely cut segment of amethyst.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit relieved, feeling stupid at his previous panic.
He shouldn't be panicked by anything damn it.
Swiping this new thing Galvatron scurried back to the water and added it to the collection.
It happened again the following day, only now Galvatron returned to listening to the Rito sing.
Silently it was like having company for the first time in years; even if he did now nothing of his presence.
It did bring a small forlorn feeling to the Zora as he paid himself no heed and continued to sit silently through the daily performances.
He was starting to build up a small collection by the time the week was nearing its end.
An emerald, a silver chain and a decorated feather-shaped badge joined the amethyst, pin and badge.
By now Galvatron was wondering, for just how long would this keep up before he was left to the silent empty lake again...