XX – Until The Dam Breaks


It was a strange sight to see a Sheikah warrior on a horse, especially one with a rotten mood on a stubborn mule, and Link couldn't hold back a snicker watching Sheik desperately trying to gain the upper hand. His horse, a dapple grey with a beautiful, almost silver coat wasn't impressed by the warrior's riding skills, and when Sheik pressed his heels a little more determined into its side, it swung its head sidewards and bit him into the tip of his boot. Link couldn't hold back a laughter when Sheik released a tirade of hearty Sheikah swear words, and even Impa's stern face distorted into something akin to a smile. He trotted up to Sheik's horse and joined his side, grinning.

"Having troubles asserting your authority?"

Sheik glared at him, his crimson eyes sparkling dangerously. "Why did you give me a stubborn mule instead of a horse?"

Link laughed. "I don't know what you're complaining about, it's just as feisty and hot-headed as you are. Should be a perfect match."

"Ha ha. Very funny."

Link kept on grinning as they rode on, feeling unusually light and a little carefree. For one thing, they could finally travel on horseback, and for another thing, the king had permitted him temporary release from his duty as Zelda's personal knight. The news of an attack on Zora's domain had reached their ears as soon as they had arrived in Akkala, and persistent heavy rainfalls along possible sightings of a beast had been reported to the king, who had decided that sending his daughter off in these conditions was too dangerous. Without the pressure of keeping the princess safe, Link felt a lot more relaxed, especially with Sheik around.

"What are you still grinning about?" Paya asked as she turned around on her bay mare and looked at the bickering pair. Sheik hadn't talked to her since the incident in the Goron hall, and she couldn't blame him.

"Nothing," Link grinned, and Sheik rolled his eyes.


The rain started when they crossed the Inogo bridge and followed the road along the Zora river, and the sudden and persistent downpour dampened the mood. Even Sheik's dapple grey had stopped fooling around and just trotted unhappily behind Impa's blue roan stallion. Zora's domain was still way ahead, and the path along the river had become slippery due to all the rain, slowing them down. Every now and then, Link could swear that he saw movement in the water, but every time he tried to get a closer look, it was gone.

"Zora scouts," Impa explained when Link asked her about it. Link had never seen a Zora, but that was about to change quicker than he could have hoped for. They had almost reached Oren bridge when someone called out for them to stop. The voice was so loud that the horses came to a stop immediately, and Link's flaxen chestnut mare bumped into Sheik's dapple grey, receiving a kick in the chest as a response. The mare reared up, whinnying unhappily and Link had to hold onto her mane to not fall off.

"What the..." he mumbled as he regained his balance.

"Excuse my entrance!" the voice said, and out of the water emerged a being unlike any Link had ever seen. They effortlessly leaped out of the river and landed elegantly on the grass right in front of the bridge. Link couldn't help but stare. The Zora was impossibly tall, towering even over the small company on horseback, and Link assumed that they were at least twice his height.

"My name is Sidon, prince of the Zora," he said and did some sort of awkward curtsey, which looked comical given his relatively short legs compared to his long torso. He flashed them a smile, showing two rows of sharp pointy teeth. "Pardon my bluntness, but are you Hylians?"

Impa cleared her throat, and looked the Zora prince up and down before answering his question. "May I ask why this is relevant? I've heard the rainfalls trouble your domain."

Sidon nodded and his red headfins slightly bobbed up and down. "I have sent word to Akkala for aid. Our domain is in grave danger. Monsters have settled in the mountains surrounding the domain and attacks have become more and more frequent. Moreover, if the heavy rain persists, I'm afraid the dams might burst and flood the domain."

Impa nodded. "The king has sent us to aid the domain, prince Sidon. Would you be so kind and guide us to king Dorephan?"

The prince nodded again, this time a lot more enthusiastically. His golden eyes sparkled with a youthful energy and when they landed on Link, they widened for a split second. "Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you on foot. I shall swim back to the domain and inform my father of your coming. I will be waiting for you at the Great Zora Bridge. Please be careful of any lurking monsters and beware of any electric attacks. Many of my kin have fallen victim to electric shocks."

Sidon looked once more at Link, smiled and then jumped gracefully back into the river. In the blink of an eye, he dived into the water masses and disappeared like a red arrow.

"What was that about?" Sheik said when they had crossed the bridge and he had managed to keep his steed halfway under control.

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"The way he looked at you. Do you know each other?"

"Of course not. Sidon is the first Zora I have ever encountered in my life. Why do you ask? Are you jealous?"

Sheik groaned. There it was again, the playful grin and the cheesy lines that made him roll his eyes, but that he also secretly enjoyed.

"Nevermind," Sheik grumbled and spurred his horse on. The gelding threw its head up in response and stubbornly refused to move any faster, remaining at Link's mare's side.

Link laughed. "He's really playing you dirty, isn't he."

"Yeah. This would have been a lot more convincing if that stupid mule had let me move away from you," Sheik sighed.

"Well, I like you better by my side," Link revealed, grinning.

"Shut up you two," Impa suddenly warned, "you're drawing far too much attention to us. Especially you should know better, Sheik."

The road now wound up into the mountains and the path became a lot narrower, forcing them to ride one behind the other. They rode in silence now and Sheik felt a rise in tension. Something was in the air, like a faint electric pulse, and Link instinctively reached out for his sword.

They stumbled upon a deserted camp, but it looked as if it had been occupied not too long ago. Impa warned them to be careful, and untied her kusarigama from her belt, winding the low end of the chain around her wrist.

They slowly moved through the camp, eyes darting back and forth. Link saw the first Lizalfos from the corner of his eye only seconds before it jumped out of a bush. He yanked his sword out of its scabbard and parried the blow, but the impact of the heavy lizard against his arm threw him off balance, and he fell off his horse. The Lizalfos was on him again in a flash, and Link had barely enough time to roll out of the way before it stabbed at him with its spear. Then it hopped away only to jump back at him with even more speed, its horn lighting up. Link lifted his sword, ready to strike. He heard Sheik's warning too late, and when his sword made contact with the Lizalfos' horn, an electric shock went through his whole body. He neither heard himself scream when he dropped the sword and clutched his arm, nor did he feel being dragged away by Sheik. White and yellow spots appeared before his eyes as his vision diminished, the noises around him reduced to muffled sounds. His back was propped against a rock and he kept his eyes closed, trying to just regain his normal breathing.

"Get away from them and shoot at their horns from a distance! Don't get too close!" Sheik shouted while taking Link's bow and nocking an arrow. The Lizalfos that had attacked Link was preparing for another attack, its horn cumulating electric energy. Sheik's arrow hit the horn just before it was ready for release, the Lizalfos shrieked and electrocuted itself and two lizards standing in a puddle of water in the close vicinity in a blinding flash. Paya's shuriken finished off two more, and the foes dropped down into the mud, face forward. Impa's kusarigama lopped off the last three heads with a clean cut before the lizards could cumulate any electric energy, and the noises died down.

"Get him on the horse," Impa said worriedly, "we need to bring him to the domain as fast as possible. Check his breathing and his pulse."


Sidon was waiting impatiently for them at the entrance to Zora's domain and when he saw the slumped rider on his chestnut horse, his optimistic expression changed to a worried one.

"What happened? Is he okay?" he asked.

"He suffered from an electric shock," Impa said, "he needs medical help."

Sidon's eyes widened. "I'll bring him to my sister right away." Turning to the Zora standing next to him, he said "Ledo, please take care of our guests in the meanwhile."

Link's mare recoiled when the tall prince approached her, but he lifted Link out of the saddle as if he was a toy, cradled him in his arms and quickly brought him away. He ran up to the throne room, skipping two stairs at once each time, and gently lowered the injured Hylian to the ground.

"Mipha," he panted, "you must heal him. He's fallen victim to a Lizalfos' electric discharge."

His sister knelt beside the knight and felt his pulse. It was weak, but it was there. As she turned his left palm upwards, she noticed the severe burns on his hand where his fingers had gripped the hilt of the sword. She then felt for his heartbeat and pressed her hands against his chest, feeling her healing powers work on the internal injuries, the Hylian's heartbeat growing stronger under her care. She then gently touched his eyelids and lay two fingers on them, erasing the blinding spots from his retina. When she removed them, the Hylian opened his eyes – and two orbs, as blue as the ocean, stared at her. She smiled shyly and reached out for his injured hand, gently holding it between her palms, and when she released it, the skin was as good as new and the burns gone.

"Who are you?" Link asked tiredly.

"This is my sister, princess Mipha," Sidon answered and his face appeared next to his sister's, "how are you feeling?"

Link sat up and looked around. Behind him, on a throne, the Zora king studied him curiously. He was huge, at least twice Sidon's size if not more, and looked down at his children and the stranger.

"My father, king Dorephan," Sidon introduced when he noticed that the Hylian was looking at him, "I would have liked to introduce you to each other under different circumstance. I really hope you are feeling better."

Link nodded. "Thank you so much," he said to both Mipha and Sidon, but the siblings simultaneously shook their heads as if to say that it was their pleasure.


"Sidon has been chosen to pilot the divine beast?" Dorephan asked, furrowing his brows – or rather the blue, scaly skin that covered his forehead.

Impa bowed again respectfully. "We have come here by order of king Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule to aid you in reclaiming the divine beast and put an end to the persistent rainfalls, which I believe find their origin in the beast's erratic behaviour. Once we bring it back under our control, it will need a Zora champion to pilot it. The situation in Hyrule is dire, and not only Lanayru is in peril."

"Father. Lady Impa is right. I am honoured to have been chosen as the Zora champion and will gladly become the divine beast's pilot," Sidon said proudly.

"I believe I have the last word in this matter?" the Zora king said and gave his son an almost deprecating stare.

"Yes, father. Excuse my enthusiasm." Sidon lowered his head and stared down at his feet.

"If I may, father," Mipha said shyly in the high voice of hers, "I believe you could find no better pilot than my dear brother."

"I would like to present to you one of the best swordsmen in all of Hyrule: our Hylian knight Link. And this is the most skilled warrior my people has to offer: Sheik. And my granddaughter Paya, who has been trained in the art of combat as well. I am putting their skills into your service, for the sake of the domain and its people. I hope you accept our services."

Link felt the Zora king's eyes on him, looking him over sceptically, and he couldn't blame him. Being knocked out by a simple Lizalfos wasn't exactly proof of his swordsmanship and he felt humiliated under Dorephan's gaze.

"Very well. I will accept your services, but do know that I'll reserve my right to decline the offer should you fail. I will not see my son and crown prince get harmed or killed. You may leave."

Impa bowed, and so did Sheik, Paya and Link. The Zora who had brought them to the throne room led them out again and showed them to the tavern, where they were – much to everyone's relief - served cooked fish and crab stew.

"Link, are you okay?" Paya asked for the tenth time that evening.

"I'm fine," he smiled, "the Zora princess healed my injuries. Look, even the gash on my tummy is gone." He lifted the hem of his tunic and showed a perfectly smooth and toned abdomen, turning Paya's face into a ripe tomato and causing Sheik to almost choke on a piece of fish.

"Please keep your clothes on, Link, you're making my compatriots nervous," Impa said sternly, ignoring Sheik's angry glare.

Link pulled the tunic back down and smiled apologetically. "I do feel very ashamed of my entrance though ," he mumbled, "almost being killed by a simple Lizalfos doesn't really speak of great swordsmanship. The king highly doubts my talents."

"Don't worry, he will change his mind about you. You acted on impulse when you were attacked. It was Sheik's quick thinking that saved you," Impa answered.

Their conversation was interrupted when Ledo entered the tavern and made his way over to their table.

"Lady Impa and Paya. Sir Link and Sheik. If you may follow me to your rooms, please."

When they arrived at the guest house, Sidon was waiting for them outside.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer you four rooms as almost all our beds are occupied. The Hylian travellers that have visited the domain have been stuck here ever since the heavy rainfalls started. Please excuse the inconvenience."

When he opened the door to the first room, Sheik noted that it was small and contained only one bed, while the other room was equipped with a small table and two beds. The prince looked visibly uncomfortable for not being able to offer them adequate sleeping solutions, but Link reassured him by saying it was more than they could hope for, and Sidon's face lightened up.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Sheik offered, "you three can take the beds."

"No, Sheik, this time I will sleep on the floor," Link interjected.

"It's fine, I'm used to it anyway."

"I don't want to interfere," Sidon interfered, "but I believe that Sir Link should have a good rest to let his body fully recover from the injuries."

"See," Sheik said, but Link shook his head.

"It's Link, prince Sidon, not Sir Link. And I thank you for your concern, but princess Mipha has done a marvellous job. I am as good as new."

The Zora prince showed his sharky smile, which was surprisingly charming, given the fact that his teeth were actually kind of scary. "Very well. Link. What a fantastic name, by the way. And it's Sidon, and not prince Sidon."

Sheik couldn't help but note that the prince was still giving the Hylian knight those intense stares, and frowned. Sidon seemed just a little too enthusiastic about Link for his liking.


Their breakfast consisted, once again, of fish and crab meat, and the taste was bland, but it was enough to fill their stomachs. Sheik tightened the warm woollen cape around his shoulders and covered his hair with the large hood, trying to protect himself at least a little from the rain. Link and Sidon were already waiting for him at the edge of Mikau Lake, happily engaged in a conversation, and Sheik didn't really know why it irked him to see them like that. When he caught up, Sidon pointed at the top of the mountain.

"The beast has last been seen on top of Ploymus Mountain. I'm afraid I cannot take the same path as you, but I will meet you on top." Sidon leaped from a stone and gracefully dived into the lake, only to emerge out of the water close to the waterfall. Another leap, and he rode the waterfall up with ease.

Link sighed as he watched him disappear into the lake on top. "Let's climb then."


"What do you mean, it's no longer here?!" Sheik exclaimed when they had finally arrived on top of Ploymus mountain. The climb had been slippery and arduous, and Sheik had fallen face first into the mud, smearing it all over his face mask and forehead. He was angry at Sidon, at the beast and at Link who had laughed at his misfortune, at their mission and the rain, at the stupid mountain and most of all at Impa and Paya who were resting in their dry chamber while he was out there in the pouring rain.

"I am truly sorry," the prince said when he eyed the muddy Sheikah, "it must have changed its direction. Let's go over there to check if we can see it from above."

Sheik sighed, but followed Link and the Zora, trying to rub the rest of the mud from his face with the back of his hand, when he suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring being drawn. He stopped abruptly and jumped back when an arrow whizzed past his nose and hit a tree to his right.

"Sheik!" Link screamed, unsheathing his sword. The thundering of hooves resounded in his ears as the creature that had drawn the bow galloped towards him. Sheik dodged the massive sword it wielded with a backflip and landed on his feet, reaching out for his kunai. The creature charged at him again, but stopped midway when an arrow buried itself into its flank, roaring angrily. Link was at Sheik's side in a second.

"It's a Lynel," he shouted, "fucking bastards are tough. Watch out for its circular swings."

Sheik nodded and readied a kunai between his knuckles. The Lynel drew its bow once more, pointing the arrow at Link this time. Link dodged the missile by rolling forward, getting back to his feet and running up to the creature. The blade of his sword only grazed the Lynel's front legs as it reared up and almost kicked Link with his hooves.

Sheik picked up the arrow that the Lynel had shot, feeling a faint electric pulse in his fingers. Shock arrows? He let his eyes wander over the grassy area, noticing that several deeper puddles had formed on the wet ground. He ran over to Link who had put some distance between himself and the Lynel. "Link, give me your bow. I need you to lure it to one of the puddles."

"What? Why?"

"Trust me. When I say run, you run, without delay."

"Understood."

Link continued to dodge the Lynel's attacks, getting a few hits here and there, but mostly driving it back to a bigger puddle in the centre of the area. When the creature's hooves finally touched the water, Link turned around to look for Sheik, but could only see a very anxious looking Zora prince standing at the far end of the mountain top.

"RUN!"

Link reacted when he heard Sheik's voice and dashed off. The arrow whizzed past him and landed the puddle, burrowing itself into the wet soil. The Lynel barely had a second to comprehend what was going on before he was fried. Its body jerked and twitched as the electricity ran through its organs and then lay still. Sheik dropped down from the branch of the tree he was cowering on and joined Link.

"What was that?!" Link asked.

Sheik removed another arrow from the trunk of a tree and waved it in the air. "Shock arrows. Don't worry, they only discharge when hitting a target. The Lynel tried to fry you with one of those. Turned out its own arrows were its downfall."

"That was brilliant!" Sidon shouted and clapped zealously, "truly outstanding. I am sorry I could not assist you in the fight. As an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to electricity and can not wield such a weapon, nor come too close to it. In fact, I wouldn't even dare touch one of those arrows."

These might come in handy, Sheik thought as he collected all the arrows the Lynel had dropped and picked up the oddly shaped steel bow, they might even shut up the chatty prince.


The beast had relocated itself to a larger body of water, namely the largest lake in all of Zora's domain, where it seemed to be momentarily sleeping.

"Are you ready?" Sidon asked, eyeing the beast suspiciously.

"How are we gonna get close?" Link asked, "it's a bit of a stretch for a human to swim all the way."

"I will bring you there," Sidon beamed, "you can ride on my back."

"Excuse me?" Link stammered, the thought of riding a prince making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, do you mind?" Sidon asked, wearing the most impossible innocent look on his face. "Unfortunately, I can only carry one person at a time."

"No, it's fine," Link cut him off before Sheik could give an answer. "I am ready."

"Link. Take these." Sheik handed him the shock arrows. "Do you see the pink orbs on the beast's back? I think they control the water flow. If you can get close enough, try to shoot them with the shock arrows. It might reduce the water masses or stop the flow altogether."

Link nodded and smiled at him. "What would I do without you?"


Sidon's body underneath him felt different than Link would have imagined. For one thing, the Zora wasn't cold like he had expected, but pleasantly warm, and for another thing, his scales barely felt like scales, but similar to human skin.

"It's responding to our presence," Sidon said, "it's waking up. I'll move away until you are ready to shoot. Please, just...don't miss or you'll get us both electrocuted."

Link took a deep breath. "I won't miss. Don't worry," he reassured the prince, feeling very unsure of himself all of a sudden. If he did miss, it might mean the end of them.

"When you're ready, I'll go at full speed and try to get close to its side. I will make use of the waterfalls to ride them up and then leap in the air. Once we're mid-air, please shoot your arrows at the orbs."

"I'm ready."

Although Link had thought he was ready, he wasn't prepared for Sidon's full speed, and had to hold onto his shoulders, gripping the tight muscles underneath. As they closed in, the beast activated its water canons and blasted powerful water jets at them. Sidon effortlessly dodged each one of them and brought Link closer.

"I am heading for the waterfall on your left right now."

Link held the bow and one of the shock arrows in his right hand while his left still grabbed on to Sidon's shoulder. The Zora prince then dived under and Link felt a strong pull as he rode up the waterfall and then leaped into the air. The Hylian knight nocked an arrow, pointed it at the orb – and missed. The arrow tumbled into the lake and Link heard Sidon shout his name, ready to be electrocuted – but nothing happened. The arrow floated harmlessly on the water surface and the pair was back in the lake.

Link let out the breath he had been holding. "Sheik said it only discharges when it hits a target. I guess he was right."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sidon moaned with relief. "Good! Let's try again. This time, try to hit."

It took Link three misses before he eventually hit the orb. When the arrow met its target, the water stopped flowing from one of the four openings on the beast's side.

"Good job! Keep going, Link. You can do it." Sidon cheered him on.

After two orbs were deactivated, the beast changed its tactic and began hurling ice blocks at them. Link could feel that the prince's movements had forfeited some of their former strength and speed, but he kept going, swimming, dodging, jumping. Link's last arrow put an end to it and the beast eventually stopped moving, lowering its body into the lake until the entrance platform was at water level. Sidon dropped Link off and gave him a tired smile.

"We made it. You made it. From the first moment I saw you I knew that you were an outstanding man. Now wait for me, I will fetch your Sheikah friend."


The inside of the divine beast was somewhat similar to Vah Rudania and yet totally different. Several waterwheels transported the water from the lake into its body to make it move and fill the tanks for the water canons. The largest wheel situated close to the head operated the moveable trunk, from which it was able to spurt water.

Sheik could feel the same evil energy than when they had entered Vah Rudania, and he kept his weapons close. The bow that he had gathered from the dead Lynel was fastened to his back, ready for use when needed.

"We need to find one of the terminals. I need to download the beast's map to the Sheikah slate."

"What do they look like?" Sidon asked.

"Like a pillar with a pedestal in front of it," Sheik answered.

"Like this thing?" The Zora prince pointed at something on the far end of the room that neither Sheik nor Link could see. His height proved to be an advantage in the maze that was the divine beast, and once Sheik had activated the terminal and the map was being distilled from the obsidian onto the slate, he could easily locate the other terminals and the main control unit.

"Can you feel this?" Sidon asked when they approached the belly of the machine, shuddering.

Link nodded. "It's an evil energy. We're getting closer."

"Closer to what?"

"To the reason why this machine has gone berserk," Sheik answered, and stopped, looking at the Sheikah slate. "According to the map, the main control unit is just beneath us. It's also where I feel the energy the strongest. Link, we should investigate. Prince Sidon, please stay here for your safety," he said coolly.

"I can fight," the prince answered in the same fashion, "maybe not as well as you, but I have won a few battles myself."

Link looked at Sidon and then Sheik, wondering why the temperature had dropped all of a sudden. While Sheik seemed totally indifferent to the matter, the Zora looked offended.

"We should just go all three," he said, trying to calm the mood, "we don't know yet what we're up against."

"Well. What are we waiting for?" Sidon asked, stepping on the raised platform that Link was already standing on. Before Sheik could follow, the platform suddenly gave in under their combined weight and collapsed along with the wall that it had been attached to. Link and Sidon plummeted, disappearing under a pile of stones and dust.

"Link!" Sheik called from up top, but he could neither see the knight's blond hair, nor the Zora's red fins. "Link!"

Link coughed when dust entered his mouth and made his eyes tear up, but apart from that, he wasn't hurt. In fact, his landing had been cushioned by the Zora prince and his body was comfortably nestled in Sidon's arms.

"Are you alright?" Sidon asked, his worried golden eyes looking down at him. Link felt like a child in the tall Zora's arms – and something else. Blushing, he squirmed free of the awkward embrace and brushed himself off. "I'm fine," he mumbled, "thank you Sidon. Are you hurt?"

"Not at all," the Zora said, grinning. He was back to his old self. "Where are we?"

Link looked around. "I think we're in the middle of the beast. Right where the main control unit is."

"Great. Not the path I would've necessarily chosen, but definitely quicker than going all the way around."

"Sidon. Be careful. Sheik and I fought a monster in Eldin that took control over the divine beast, and it was fast and vicious. Better be prepared."

"Don't worry. I have my trident. I will fight by your side, Link."


The room was empty apart from the main control unit and a shallow level of water covered the floor. Link unsheathed his sword and had his shield strapped around his arm as he slowly moved closer to the unit, and Sidon followed him, holding his trident protectively in front of his body. The evil aura in the area made Link's skin tingle.

"Where is it?" Sidon whispered, looking around anxiously.

"Sidon, behind you!" Link shouted, whirling around just in time to block the spear aimed at Sidon's back with his shield. The impact knocked him back, but he quickly regained his balance.

The creature, a spitting image of the one Link had fought inside Vah Rudania, floated above the water, spinning its spear around in anticipation. The mechanical eye in its boomerang-shaped head glowed in a intense blue light and moved in swirls.

"The range of that spear is quite impressive," Sidon stated as he dodged another lunge, "keep moving."

"Can you create an opening for me to get close?" Link asked, circling the enemy.

"Leave it to me!" Sidon called and swung his trident over his head. The creature reacted to the tall Zora and floated closer, raised the spear skywards and let it crash down. Sidon blocked the attack with his trident and then pushed it back. It stumbled and Link nocked an arrow, aiming at its eye, but the monster protected its head by quickly wielding its spear, and the arrow bounced off it.

"Dammit!" Link cursed. Either this one is smarter or they are getting smarter with experience, he thought as he tried to come up with a new strategy.

"Link, use your sword! You can do it," Sidon cheered him on and attacked, turning the enemy's attention away from the Hylian.

Link gritted his teeth as he saw the Zora prince ducking only in time to avoid having his head chopped off, but he ran underneath the creature and thrust his sword into the lower part of its body. It shrieked when the sword pierced it from underneath, but squirmed free of the blade and tried to grab the Hylian with its free hand. Link rolled away and landed on his feet, swinging his sword and almost severing its claw from its arm.

Shit, he grimaced, this isn't working either. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sidon dodge and strike, swinging his trident elegantly over his head from one hand to the other. He landed a few blows but the monster was cunning and teleported out of his range, only to appear behind him.

"Sidon! Watch out!" he shouted, ran up to the control unit, pushed off the terminal and threw himself at the foe, swinging his sword sidewards to sever its head. The blade bounced of the hard material and left a large gash on its side. Blood dripped into the shallow pool where it dissolved into a thin, pink veil. Sidon took advantage of its momentary distraction and thrust the middle tine of his trident right into the mechanical eye. The creature roared and thrashed around, sending both Link and Sidon crashing into the wall. The trident had damaged the eye, but not destroyed it, and the monster was clearly enraged.

"Are you alright, Link?" Sidon asked while he helped the Hylian stand.

"I'm fine..." Link answered. No bones seemed to be broken, but he'd probably gotten away with quite a lot of bruises. "Sidon, is it me or is the water level rising?"

Sidon grimaced. "It is. Is it trying to flood the beast?"

Link felt the floor move away from his feet as the water rose, leaving him swimming.

"Link, get on my back," Sidon urged, "if it thinks it can take advantage of you by flooding the room, it clearly doesn't know a thing about us Zora. I am unstoppable in the water!"

Link swam over to Sidon and climbed onto his back.

"Hold fast! I'll bring you close!"

Link's fingers once more curled around Sidon's shoulder as the Zora moved as swift as an arrow through the water, dodging the spear thrusts and ice attacks with ease. When he was right under the floating body, he leaped out of the water, spun around and Link swung his sword. In the blink of an eye, the foe whirled its head around and knocked Link off the Zora's back with its fist.

The blow to his head made Link see stars as he tumbled into the pool, water entering his nose and mouth as he involuntarily dived under. Sidon was under him in a second and quickly dragged him back to the surface.

"Are you okay? Quickly, hold on to me."

Link's vision swam as he climbed on Sidon's back, coughing until the water that had entered his lungs came out. He felt Sidon swim around the area zigzagways until the Hylian was stable enough to resume the fight.

"I'm fine. Bring me closer," he said, gritting his teeth as his fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. Sidon closed in on the monster once more, circling around it, then pushed himself out of the water with the strength of his fins and gave Link a good shove. The Hylian raised his sword mid-air and stabbed out, ramming the tip of the blade deep into the mechanical eye. He heard something break inside, and then the creature stopped every movement and just died down. Sidon caught Link in his arms before he could fall back into the pool and held him until the water had drained and they were standing on dry ground again. Held him a little longer than necessary.

"Sidon," he said quietly, "you can release me."

"Oh. Yes. Sorry." The Zora prince grinned his sharky grin, but it looked a little less feisty than usual and a bit more bashful.

"I can see you managed well enough without me," Sheik, having finally made it to the main control room, commented dryly.

"Sheik!" Link exclaimed and turned around, "where were you?"

"I got cut off and every possible entrance was blocked. I thought you two got buried under the pile of rocks."

"It takes more than a falling platform to kill a Zora prince," Sidon said, "or a floating one-eyed monster for that matter."

Sheik ignored the Zora and Link could feel his eyes on him. He looked...mad. Without another word, he walked past Link and Sidon and inserted the Sheikah slate into the slot of the pedestal, fiddling with the control unit.

"Is he always that grumpy?" Sidon whispered into Link's ear and Link nodded.

"90% of the time," he said, grinning.

"I can hear you," Sheik said while cracking the code of the divine beast. When he was done, he turned around and looked at Sidon.

"It's ready. Zora champion, prince Sidon. If you may be so kind to pilot us back to dry ground."


"Is it me or does the prince have his eye on Link?" Paya said unhappily, narrowing her eyes as she watched the tall Zora who was sitting next to Link during the inauguration ceremony.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it," Sheik grumbled in response. He was in a foul mood, and his temper had become even worse after seeing the Zora prince flirting with the Hylian knight. The Sheikah had been invited to the ceremony, but had to watch from afar, while Link had been asked to actively take part in it. Sheik's eyes followed Sidon's hands as they fleetingly touched Link here and there, a light touch on his shoulder or arm, a friendly smile, a joke on his lips. Sheik felt nauseated just watching them, and he motioned the Zora who was serving food to pour him another glass of splash fruit wine – a Zora speciality.

"Your coping mechanisms will ruin your liver one day," Impa commented dryly, "what are you two getting so worked up about anyway?"

"Mind your own business!" Sheik said angrily. "Just because you called me your protégé doesn't change anything. I still hate you."

Impa sighed. "Sober up, Sheik. Preserve your dignity instead of exposing yourself to ridicule. You are a Sheikah, so act like one. Now, if you excuse me."

Paya watched her grandmother leave and sighed. "She's right, Sheik. You shouldn't drink so much."

Sheik was about to verbally lash out at her, but then realised that his glass was empty and called the Zora waiter instead. "Hey, I need a refill. No, don't bother, just give me the bottle."

The Zora hesitantly held out the bottle, and Sheik grabbed it. "I'll leave. I am tired of watching this dull ceremony." With the bottle in his hand, he walked straight out the door and left the building.

It was still raining, but the persistent downpours had ceased, making way to a more natural, lighter kind of rain. Sheik pulled the hood of his cape over his head as he left the city and made for the mountainside. When he was finally alone, he sat down on a rock and rested his chin on his knees, sighing. He couldn't even explain why the sight of the Zora prince being so close to Link irked him so much, but Sidon acted so natural and friendly around him that it pained him. Link seemed to enjoy the Zora's company and to embrace his carefree nature wholeheartedly, and Sheik wondered if - being the complete opposite – Link could ever enjoy being around him or if he was just dragging him down. What was he to Link anyway? A companion? A friend? Or just the grumpy Sheikah sidekick that he dragged along on his mission?

And...what is he to me? Why am I so...jealous?

He put the bottle to his lips again, gulping down the sweet liquor. He just wanted to feel numb again. Go back to his solitary existence with no one to worry about but himself.


Link felt a little light-headed from the splash fruit wine as he went back to their room, and was disappointed to find it empty. He hadn't seen much of Sheik ever since they had left Ploymus mountain, and as much as he enjoyed Sidon's company, he had wanted to speak to the Sheikah alone. He sat on the bed and cleaned his weapons while he waited, but when Sheik still hadn't turned up after an hour, he decided to call it a night. He stored the weapons away, washed his hands and looked at the bed. He would have offered it to Sheik if the latter had shown up. If the Sheikah ever decided to come back to their room, he would have to sleep on the floor.

When he started to undress and to put his dry clothes neatly over the only chair in the room, the door flung open and Sheik was standing in the door frame, wearing an expression on his -bare- face that Link couldn't quite read.

"Sheik? Is everything okay?"

"You..." Sheik said, stumbling inside.

"Are you drunk?"

"You..." The Sheikah approached Link with slow and wonky steps until he stood before him, and punched his shoulder without much force. His fist slid down his arm and came to rest on his chest.

"Sheik?" Link asked hesitantly, "what's wrong?"

"What have you done to me?" Sheik slurred and let his head sink against Link's collarbone. "You messed me up, Link. You fucking messed me up."

"What did I do?" Link asked unsure, gently touching the Sheikah's arm.

"I...want you to hold me," Sheik whispered, pressing his cheek against the warm skin, feeling Link's heart beat underneath.

Link sighed as he wrapped his arms around him, running his fingers through the long damp hair.

"You're drunk," he noted and gently pushed Sheik away from his body, "and wet. I feel like I will never become dry again."

He smiled and when Sheik showed no intention of doing anything about his damp clothes, the Hylian loosened the knot that held the cape together and let it fall to the ground.

"Are you going to just let me undress you?"

When Sheik still didn't react, he began to remove the obi that tied the Sheikah's overcoat around his middle with slightly shaking fingers, and when it came loose, it landed next to the cape on the floor, followed by the overcoat. The tight, form-fitting black tanktop that Sheik was wearing underneath didn't leave much to the imagination and Link swallowed hard when he glanced at Sheik's face and found that he had his eyes closed.

He's drunk. Don't take advantage of him, Link reminded himself. Sheik slumped against him, and he scooped him up and carried him over to the bed like a little child. Not paying attention to the scattered clothes on the floor, his toe got tangled up in the obi and he tripped, taking Sheik down with him. The bed cushioned their fall, but Link landed right on top of Sheik, their faces only inches apart. A soft moan escaped Sheik's lips as Link's heavier body pushed him into the mattress, but then became quiet. Link propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at the Sheikah, letting out a deep sigh. Sheik had drifted off into a slumber.

"Why, Sheik," he whispered and gently brushed a few strands of long silver hair out of his face, "why are you torturing me like that? Don't you know that I want you?"

Leaning forward, he put a soft kiss on Sheik's mouth, and then his lips ghosted over the Sheikah's chin, kissed the side of his neck and finally came to rest in the hollow of his jugular notch, his hand wandering over Sheik's side to the top of his hipbone.

Link inhaled sharply when he realised that he was slowly losing himself in the lust that washed over him. He instantly let go of Sheik, and awkwardly climbed out of bed. Pulling the covers over the unconscious Sheikah, he got dressed again, left the room and went out for a walk, calming his wildly beating heart and burning desire.

And the rain was still pouring.

When he returned to the room later, cursing Lanayru for feeling, once more, uncomfortably damp, Sheik was still sleeping in the bed, curled up on one side. He briefly pondered over sleeping on the floor, but the sight of the warm bed with a handsome man in it was way more alluring than the hard floor. The mattress sank in when he sat down and removed his clothes, and then he quietly slid under the bed covers, careful to keep his distance. He looked at Sheik's back - or rather the small hill under the covers that he could recognise in the dark – and sighed, closing his eyes.

He had almost drifted off when he felt Sheik shift his position to lay down on his other side, first throwing one leg over Link's, and then scooting over so that their bodies almost touched. Well, you asked for it, Link thought as he closed the little gap and enjoyed the warmth Sheik provided.


The first thing Sheik noticed when he woke up was the heat. A comforting and soothing warmth that had lulled him into a deep sleep and had chased away the bad dreams.

The second thing Sheik detected was the pleasant scent that surrounded him. It was faint but appealing, but he could not determine its origin.

The third thing Sheik became aware of was the soft, but at the same time firm support his body was resting on.

The fourth and last thing Sheik perceived was the hand that gently stroke his back and the breath that ghosted over his face.

His eyes opened wide when realisation struck him and he was suddenly fully awake.

Link's warmth. His scent. His naked, muscular torso. His soft skin. His hand running up and down Sheik's back. His face so close to his own.

"Good morning, Sheik," Link said softly.

"Wha...what happened?" Sheik stuttered and tried to put more distance between them, almost falling out of the small bed.

"You don't remember?" Link's voice sounded unusually husky.

"N...no."

"You were very drunk." Link provocatively licked his upper lip.

"Wait...what are you implying? We...didn't...did we?"

"Hmm," Link said, pretending to try to remember, "do what?"

Sheik's face paled and then turned the colour of a ripe tomato.

Link laughed. "Relax, I am only teasing you. Didn't think it'd be so easy to unhinge you. Do you really think I would take advantage of you when you're out of it? Besides, you told me that you have no interest in romantic relationships."

"Link, this isn't funny!" Sheik hastily got out of bed and started to dress, not able to look Link in the face again.

"Sheik. Wait. What did you mean by 'I messed you up'?"

Sheik looked down at the floor, his shoulders slumped. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Link gently turned Sheik's face upwards. "You said that I messed you up and that I have done something to you. What did you mean by that?"

Sheik shirked from Link's look. "I don't remember," he lied, "I was drunk."

"When you remember, please tell me what I did wrong."

Nothing. You never did anything wrong. It's me who is doing you wrong, Sheik wanted to say, but he just nodded emptily.


Chapter 20 with 20 pages.

Poor Sheik. Whenever he is around Link, he's not only getting confused and experiences misfortune, but he's also becoming a lot more honest. At least with himself.

Let's talk about Sidon. To be honest with you, I wasn't a big fan of him when BOTW came out, but boy did that change with TOTK. Is it me, or is he just WAY better in TOTK? He's definitely different though. Also, I never planned to write anything between Link and Sidon because I am not the biggest fan of that ship, but it seems like my characters just act on their own free will.

Also, I decided to make Sidon Vah Ruta's champion because I have never really liked Mipha (sorry to all the Mipha fans) and I want to keep writing about him as the story progresses.


If you like my story, please leave a comment, I'd very much appreciate. Thank you~