A/N: If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you.
Chapter 10: Kamaro Mask.
Romani frowned at Zak, "Please? I really want to help you out. Not just as a person cheering you on from afar, but someone who can fight."
Zak twirled his tempered Deku stick in his hand absentmindedly, "This isn't a game, Romani. These monsters are deadly. You got lucky with the bomb, last time. These creatures are out for blood."
"I don't care," Romani said bravely, "It's not right that you have to clean up our mess all alone. You need help, and I can help you. Please, let me."
Zak curled his upper lip slightly, "I've done nothing but train for years. You're a farm girl who can shoot a bow. You can't expect to fight against these monstrosities."
She crossed her arms defiantly, "Shows what you know. I saved the farm all by myself a few years ago from intruders."
Zak arched an eyebrow, "All by yourself?"
Romani looked away, "Okay, no. I had help. But still, I'm not afraid."
He sighed, "I know you're not. That's the problem. Alright, fine. If you insist on following me around, I might as well show you how to stay alive. Show me what you've got." Zak held his Deku stick up at her.
She stared at him blankly, "You mean fight you? Like, with my bow?"
He nodded, "Trust me, you're not going to hurt me. I was trained by the Gerudo in my homelands. They are the best in the land at archery. They fired at me while riding on horseback. Shoot at me."
Romani swallowed hard before holding up her bow. She aimed and fired quickly. Zak knocked the arrow out of the air effortlessly. She fired a few more times with similar results. He charged forward, smacking her arrows away while gaining on her. Romani panicked and ran away. Zak smashed the ground with the stick and flung a chunk of dirt at her. Romani coughed, the dust cloud blinding her. He tapped her softly on the hand, knocking the bow out of her hand. Romani grabbed an arrow and stabbed at him. Zak dodged back, impressed. She scrambled to grab her bow. Romani squinted while notching an arrow on the string. She fired blindly at Zak's advancing form. Zak caught the arrow seconds before it hit his eye.
"Wow," he whistled, "Alright, I think I can show you a few things. Here." He tossed her his Deku stick. She caught it, surprised at its weight. Zak grabbed another tempered Deku stick from the barn and walked back over into position. "Okay, what I will show you are basic moves. What I think you should focus on is dodging me and creating distance between us. Think you can do that?"
"Yeah, sure thing," she nodded. The two practiced Zak's drills until the sun neared the horizon. She managed to get away with only a few strikes to the head for being out of position. They felt painful when she touched them, but Romani couldn't help but think he was being purposefully gentle when he did hit her. She couldn't be too mad for him taking it easy on a neophyte such as herself. Cremia poked her head out from the door.
"Zak, there's something I need to talk to you about before dinner," she said, worried. He nodded in reply and headed inside, propping his stick on the side of the house. Once inside, he spotted the heavily tattooed Zora sitting at the table. Zak's muscles tensed up.
"Here to get your hookshot back?" Zak asked defensively.
"Not exactly," the young Zora replied, "I'm here to ask you for a favor."
"How much?" Zak asked rudely.
The Zora blinked, "Would you be willing to accept the hookshot you stole from me as payment?"
Zak shook his head, "No, but I would accept a second one if you have it."
The Zora sighed, "I think I can dig one up. I actually stole my old one from the pirates cove. I'll have it delivered here, if that's alright with you."
Zak nodded, "That's acceptable. What's your favor?"
"There has been a strange creature appearing at night on the shores of the Great Bay," the Zora said, "It hasn't come near our domain, but we'd rather not take any chances. The news of your deeds has spread to most of Termina. You are the logical choice. Will you take care of this threat?"
"I will check out your strange creature tonight," Zak replied, "but my payment is not negotiable. If it turns out to be nothing, I still want my hookshot. And if you don't deliver, I'll be coming after you."
"There's no need for threats," the Zora laughed nervously, "You'll get your weapon. I swear it." The Zora departed, glad to get out from under Zak's gaze. Cremia blinked, surprised at Zak's greed.
"Why did you extort him like that?" she asked.
"Because he let me," Zak said sternly, "That, and I need a second hookshot. It's better that I get it sooner than later. Do you mind if I take Romani with me on this mission?"
Cremia blinked, "Zak..."
"She's saved me many times, and I can tell that she's dying to help out," Zak explained, "You don't owe me anything. I'm just asking on her behalf."
Cremia bit her lip, "N-no. Romani's still too young."
That night, Zak loaded his spear, shield, sword, and hookshot into the wagon. With a smile, he pushed his weapons to the side before climbing up front. He cracked the reins and the horse headed out down Milk Road. "Does it bother you that you have to keep lying to your sister like that?" he asked out loud.
"Not really," Romani replied, pushing the brown blanket off of her before joining Zak up front. Her bow, quiver, slingshot, and bomb bag remained under the blanket. "If you weren't allowed to go out on adventures, you'd understand."
He smirked, "I think you've got me all wrong. I'd rather have stayed home and tended to the cows all day."
She put her hands behind her head, "You really are missing out, you know. Spending all day squatting over a pair of udders, squirting out milk, feeding cows heavy bails of hay, tossing bird seed to the cuccos and hoping they won't peck your legs too badly, being sent off to town every time you need something, midnight milk deliveries to the Milk Bar... It's really something."
Zak laughed, "Don't make it sound too exciting. Soon, I'll be the one doing the chores while you're off fighting monsters."
"I don't know about that," she looked at him with her left eye, her right eye closed, "I think you enjoy what you're doing. You were born to do this, at least that's what I think."
Zak guided the horse towards the Great Bay. Romani shuffled about uncomfortably in her seat. He watched her for a time, trying to gather what was bothering her. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked. The wagon bucked when the wheels hit the soft beach sand.
She swallowed hard, "Um, if it's alright, can I take on this one alone? I'd like to try to take one down."
He arched an eyebrow, "This isn't a game, you know. What are you trying to prove, exactly?"
Romani crossed her arms, "I can be just as good at this as you, you know. Just give me a chance. Please?"
He turned forward and stared out at the beach. A pale blue-skinned monster lumbered along the water's edge in the distance. "Fine," he replied after a few moments of silence, "But only because I need your help. Try not to get yourself killed."
As Zak pulled the wagon to a stop, the monster took notice of them. It stood up on its stubby legs, and four arms stretched high above its head. Romani sprang up out of the wagon, bow over her shoulder and slingshot in hand. The monster twirled around, its spinning picking up clouds of dust. Zak slipped his breathing apparatus over his face, but otherwise remained still. Romani fired a few shots at the blue-skinned monster. It danced over towards her, surprisingly graceful. She fired against, and the monster expertly dodged her attacks. It spun wildly around her, its hands slapping the feet out from underneath her. She rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the monster's slapping hand colliding with the sand where she was just moments before. Romani stood to her feet, dizzy. The monster jumped high up into the air and crashed down into the beach. A huge pillar of sand shot up, blinding Romani. She called out as the monster slapped her between two of its hands. It picked her up off of the ground and pitched her high into the air. A huge gaping mouth split open on its chubby body, large enough to eat her in one bite. Zak stood up, ready to jump in. Romani shook the sand out of her eyes, grabbed her bow while flying through the air, and fired two arrows.
She fell into the water with a heavy crash. Zak called out her name, and the monster turned on him. He narrowed his eyes at it as it danced towards him. It fell over onto its side, convulsing in pain. Zak saw the arrows stuck into its eye and leg. Romani popped out of the water and took aim with her bow. She fired a barrage of shots through the monster's hands. It turned around and bellowed at her. As it got up to try and run off, Romani fired a final arrow into its head.
The monster fell to the sand, motionless. Romani spit out a mouthful of salt water as she walked up the beach. She sang Zak's song as best as she could with her pained, shaky voice. The monster's body dissolved until all that remained was a mask with a small blue head mounted on top of it. She limped over to one of her arrows stuck into the ground, pulled it out, and stabbed it through the mask. It split in half, a glowing white light drifting up skyward before fading away. Romani collapsed. Zak rushed over to her side.