Author's note
I realized some of my own tropes while writing the last chapter. Anyone who read Gigantic Optimism knows how hard it was for me to not default to a certain type of royal in this chapter. Also, all of my stories other than one prominently feature a boat.
Chapter 4 Three Queens One Crown.
'Stick the crystal back in the bag and go look for that sail! Her fingers brush an item in the process. It was thick, dry, and stretchy, felt like leather. Come on up ya go, you piece of junk.' Reams of the tent fabric from Outset Outpost flows out of the bag, tucking it under one arm she starts to tack the new sail. It was a little rigid, but the material would power her tiny boat. 'He would probably be really impressed with that, if he did not think his god stole the old one. I get why a society so close to the water believes in the Windfish he covers all their experiences. I do prefer the stars though knowing they are there comforts me.' Hopping down the girl begins to think all is well until the boat lists. She starts, clutching the small mast the girl keeps her balance. That is not what worried her. 'No was that a splash, the box! Drat! A quick look confirmed her suspicions, thinking fast the desperate woman darts around the ship. Judging by the lean and the sound it went off the starboard side! Away from the cliff. Heart beating a little faster Irene knows what she has to do. 'The water is shallow it cannot have gone far. Hitting that water is gonna hurt but a little girl needs me.' Bracing for impact Irene dives into the sea water.
Despite, its shallow depth; the sea's warm, murky, waters limits Irene's visibility. The blue tint, of the stinging water rendered everything as vague outlines. Her long hair, obstructs her view as much or more so than the ocean. Feeling with her slim digits, Irene shifts through the sand, till her lungs betray her screaming for air. Surfacing, she gulps and submerges a couple feet over, pushed by the waves. The water keeps getting warmer, then a tug pulls the lady deeper. Bubbles escaping her lips, Irene heads for a beam of light from above. Breaching with a mighty effort, water streaming from her hair, a whirlpool confronts her.
The water stills rapidly calmer now it reminds Irene of her own potions in a jar. A green head emerges, with large eyes, a red fin topping the dome of the creature. Ears stick out from the side of the skull the lips are wide with pointy teeth. Smoke begins to exit the nostrils, Irene dives again. Just in time for a stream of fire to erupt from the Zora illuminating the dank water. A good look at the monster's torso and arms is all she gets, before it swims away faster than birds can fly.
Abandoning her search Irene climbs aboard the Broomstick, just before night descends. Unable to call her fellow adventurer, Irene beats herself up for her blunder. Sleep eludes the witch her thoughts keep her awake. 'If only I had lost it before I cast the spell, we could have tried one of the alternate casting methods. The more items enchanted to find someone, the more unreliable each object becomes. Gram would have stuck it in the bag right after finishing the spell. "Tidy spots breed tidy thoughts." 'I know Gram I know.' Feeling her tears welling, Irene tries to distract herself. 'Surely Link had some success, no way he fared worse than I did tonight.'
Link had spent the first day of Irene's absence obliterating rocks for rock salt, a tough task with the spare boat oars as his only tools. On the second day Link had, hunted and fished, exclusively bagging an excessive amount of game. 'That should do us for a week, provided the lot cures in the next two days. Tis, a shame she did not talk to me after getting the box, I should hear back from her first thing in the morning. Provided all is well, she is too determined, Irene will contact me. A picture of her face breaks upon his thoughts he remembers that determined visage, it appeared when the witch said. "Link until you find your sister, I will help you." Too tired to lay awake any longer the warrior turns in for the night.
A blue background with a white moon, adorns the brown cobblestone wall. Six pillars hold up the low ceiling, in the center two women huddle, their backs hunched with age. A Hylian in a green tunic with white stockings enters the room, he is similar looking to Link, his hair blonde, rather than auburn. Dressed for battle he wore hunting boots and silver gauntlets. A blue hilt of a blade pokes up, between his shoulders. A shield ridge of red rests behind the aforementioned sword hilt. The woman with a blue gem cackles Link does not understand her, nor does he register the comments of her twin when she speaks. An armored knight appears, the armor it wears the same color as the young-man's gauntlets. An axe is snapped into existence, right into the waiting arms of the knight. Cackling again the women leave upon broomsticks, they are witches why is the Wind Fish showing me this?
Unsheathing the weapons, the blonde one marches forward, the shield is polished enough to reflect the whole room back at the disembodied observer. 'The Mirror shield like the one worn by the Waker of the Wind Fish!?' Reeling Link watches a brutal fight, the giant axe is whipped through the air like, a supple fishing rod being cast. A righthanded chop, is immediately followed by a backhanded blow in the other direction. Every time the axe lands, the warrior is sent across the room. He gets up bleeding, attacks again the battle continues for a time before the tired warrior is too slow to dodge an overhand blow. Catching him in the chest, the axe pins the hero to the floor. The witches reappear delighted at the outcome of the fight, that their monster has killed the lone warrior.
Sitting up Link's eyes snap open, either the dream or the flashing crystal ball wakes him up. Donning his pelt Link activates his crystal ball. Irene's tight lipped smile greets him for half a second. For when Irene catches sight of him her face shows concern. "Green, you look like you have seen a ghost." "No just a vision" Recapping the dream takes a few minutes, the witch keeps silent listening intently. When the tale is done, she asks him a question. "Did you enter any trance before you fell asleep? "It was a normal doze, nothing odd happened beforehand." "What were you thinking about just before you fell asleep?" Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly he answers her question. "Actually, I was worrying about you. The one thing is an item from the Wind Fish dream was in it that means the dream is important. Those two witches are up to something."
Not wanting to get into rabid speculation, Irene supervises as Link applies the poultice to his broken arm. 'When he finishes, I am gonna have to stop stalling and tell him our next step. This was nice just listening to him recount a dream, and helping Green get ready for the morning.' "Green don't get mad; I have to tell you exactly, what happened last night." Link listens to her tail of woe, without judgement.
"I know where the Zora is heading, I could direct you there or we can go together. What do you think?" "We go together if we were both on that ship none of that would have happened. I hate to lose time but we are most effective together. You need to be careful after you cast big spells otherwise you did great." 'He actually means that, he is not patronizing or placating me. If I avoid repeating that mistake then he forgives me.'
Irene's return trip, is uneventful the jury-rigged sail performs admirably. Finally, down on the beach Link waits for the Broomstick to dock. Parking the ship by the others Irene begins to swap the sail from the spare boats, to the Broomstick. Link mans the rudder, then remembers an important detail. "Where are we going again?"
"Upstream, we will come to a cave high on a cliff inside that cave are the zora. They stay by a network of hot springs inside the cave. Gram and I tried our wares there once, turns out our potions do not work on them. The race is too dissimilar physiologically to Hylians." "Do you think it breathes fire the same way a Lizalfos does?" Link excitedly asks, the witch. Literally throwing up her hands she cries out. "Were you even listening to me?" "Yeah, different physiology like breathing fire, gills, green scales. I am surprised you even tried to sell to them to be honest." Irene sits on the thwart next to the rudder. Looking in Link's eyes she explains. "We were a little desperate, I was a little girl I needed more food, Gram could only cart me around so far. This was before we found the cave, the zora were the other group in range." "I can only imagine what my grandma would have done, if it had just been her and Aryl. She would have found a way though just like you both did." Averting her gaze, Irene turns around, making a big deal out of finding the Zora cave.
It was odd of her considering the lack of cliffs in the vicinity. The landscape is dominated by grey sand on the riverbank. The ground surrounding said riverbank, consisted of soil a deep black, a shade darker than tar. In the water the riverbed is full of red volcanic rock no bigger than Link's little finger. The water was practically boiling, it was less turbulent then during Iren's first visit. The water begins to deepen, Link attends to guiding the boat putting more vigor into the task.
"Is it normally this quiet on the mainland? We have to have traveled miles downriver, nothing makes a sound. I do not like it." Irene pauses in her rowing; ostensibly to answer Link, in reality she does so, to spare her aching shoulders. "Folks keep to themselves, those who grow food keep strict watch and do not leave their fields. Foragers, moved on a long time ago to greener pastures. At most two or three families live in an area and tolerate each other." "Much different than everyone banding together, like in Outset has no one tried to rally together and stamp out these monsters?" "He must mean the Lizalfos'" "One group has cleared an entire area of monsters by relying on each other and forming a society." Eyes full of hope Link interjects. "Really who?" They are called the Zora, Green you might have heard of them." Rolling her eyes Irene returns to her rowing. Link conveniently fails to clarify that by monsters he meant the zora.
Discreetly they dock the Broomstick, just around the bend from the cave. This aperture is much bigger than the maw, Irene and Gram called home. If the river fed into it above ground rather than below, the Broomstick could have sailed directly in. With enough room for the oars to be extended fully and then some.
"Leave the talking to me Green their society is a matriarchy, they will expect me to be in charge. Besides I know how to deal with these green-gilled-guppies." "There is that false confidence again. I can do this; I just have to figure out our leverage. Without my potions or any spells, I do have Link not sure what Zora's would want with him either. Now that we are off the Broomstick, we are up a creek without a paddle."
Both travelers were glad they wore minimal clothing, the humidity of the hot springs hangs thick inside the cave. Steam billows creating mossy stalactites pools take up more of the floor-space then the actual floor does. In every pool there is at least one zora lounging yet watching the intruders. Without a stitch of clothing or a weapon, other than the ones nature had provided the onlookers traced their every move it was intimidating. Irene never falters leading the pair to the inner sanctum where the seat of power is held.
Three zora, observe the interlopers. The largest is a green Zora with pronounced ear fins, and purple eyelids. She watches beneath these heavy lashes like a child looks at a slug. The one on the left is blue in coloration with a purple head fin and dainty ear fins. She glowers at Irene her eyes committing them to memory, through careful examination. The last has no ear fins, is noticeably shorter with sharper teeth and protruding claws. Hers are the only webbed fingers visible above the water. Her claws rattle on the stone floor; creating a sweet, constant foreboding clicking noise. It would be closer to the truth to say three zora heads watched them from the water, one could deduce given their different physical attributes they were the females and in charge of their domain.
Stacked ingloriously behind them is a pile of various wooden objects, in various states of decay. Wooden walking sticks, "What would the Zora want with walking sticks." Irene gapes at the stash. Barrels lay stacked on broken down crates. Tables are overturned, legs askew or broken as if they are supposed to lay that way. There were even a couple of intact brooms peeking out of the hoard of wood.
"Oh, great ladies we have traveled far to find a lost item we heard may be in your keeping, which of you is the queen of the Zora." Irene stops just short of bowing, merely bending her knees slightly. Something told her to avoid making a definitive gesture towards any one member of her audience. "She does need to find a place to focus on other than the space between them, her un-breaking stare at their loot pile is unlikely to help." Link thinks unable to do anything but watch.
"I am." Echoes around the room in three different voices. Shocked the reclining ladies look at each other for all three had claimed to rule. Ignoring the fuming among the three potential rulers Irene sidesteps the issue.
"Your majesties we lost the item by outset island, one of your subjects found it before we could recover it. If it is returned, to us we shall be on our way. "Orey didn't the male you sent out that way bring that fascinating object back. The green Zora glares at the blue one. I know what my suitors bring to me Uundo! Yes, he showed up shortly before you barged in here. Since he found it and bequeathed it to me, I do not intend to give it up. Begone!"
"There has to be something you want, name it and we will get it for you!" Link blurts out. "He talks!" The red one exclaims stopping her steady tattoo and paying attention for the first time.
With barely a ripple the trio of women emerge from the water all standing in the cave. Link is rendered speechless again. "I have never seen anything like them. Are those clothes or part of their anatomy the males did not have the chest scales."
Link studies the females as the women inch closer and closer to him. Orey was wide figured, thick set, yet symmetrical due to her height towering over the Hylians. Uundo, is broad-shouldered, with glossy shiny scales, her tail touched the ground. The red one was shorter than the others had a slenderer neck, larger feet, Sharper claws, and was wearing clothes of a sort. Three purple cords, hang down from one shoulder draping her lissome frame. She reaches Link first, despite having the shortest legs. Irene pulls him back, "What do you mean he can talk of course Green can talk!" Uundo answers her question "Male Zora cannot communicate verbally except in roars, we assumed Hylians were the same." "How weird is that!?" The witch remembers that the male had only reached for her when he took the box.
"I would like to hear from him, Green, is it? I am Ronmy Princess of the Zora." "Nice to meet you all but Irene has put everything nicely, we just want our lost treasure back then we can be on our way." "We could come back later." Begins Irene not wanting to be left out of the decision-making process. "It would give your highness-es time to think it over?"
Orey chuckles, "We would need an hour at most to decide how to interpret' Green's offer of anything. Ronmy can show you around put you both at ease." Clapping her hands, the blue princess adds. "Yes, our younger sister was just complaining about boredom giving you both the tour is just the thing. Run along little ones we can manage the arrangements." With that the interview is over.
The tour is changing his mind the Zora were a people the men communicated after a fashion, the young ones played and laughed, there were even some carvings and statues. One Zora was strumming a fish skeleton like a guitar. Or at least that was his first thought until he heard it. They had to be very intelligent because Link could not figure out how it sounded like a guitar without strings.
Ronmy and Link are in front with Irene bringing up the rear. The tour was not very informative, their guide is too concerned with receiving information, to give any in return. Pestering the young man with a barrage of questions like. "Did you build the ship Link?" "Aren't the caverns impressive, Link?" "Do you have a brother?" What is that poking out of your pelt? Link answers each query barely keeping up with the torrential interrogation. Whenever Link finds time to ask a question, he receives a short answer. "Why would you want to see the armory, there is nothing there really." Everything said by the river Zora is light, airy enthusiastic. Yet, her excitement was only a product of meeting Link, she grew calmer as the tour progressed.
Ignored, Irene meditates on her odd morning. Dream interpretation is harder than fortunetelling for one thing was that dream set in the past, the present, or the future? Not the present and Link was the same age it must be the past! Death in the past means he saw the life of an ancestor or his own previous life. Either way, dying at the hand of two witches, should have freaked Link out more. Luckily, he was too concerned with the Mirror Shield, I have to keep him safe."
Meanwhile Link keeps a steady stream of conversation with Ronmy. "I have not been in many fights; I avoid them if I can. "Why are you all three different colors? I am curious because Hylian siblings always look very similar to each other." "Female Zora physiques, are very adaptable." On the word very she turned around stressing "adaptable" with a look over one shoulder. "It is said one of our ancestors could change her size with a special stone. Some develop special properties such as healing. Uundo can heal minor wounds with great effort. In our case we were born in different circumstances, I hatched here, growing sharper claws to go with our cave dwelling existence. Orey hatched during the time of the eruption the rough seas made her larger. Uundo is closer to the sea Zora of old or at least that is what I was told." "Surprising, I thought you all had different moms." Link observes.
Growing quiet Princess Ronmy starts to lead them back, drilling her claws on the cave wall. "No, we have the same mom, if we had different moms, maybe you and your companion would not be sent out to fight a band of monsters to get our mother's stupid crown back." She picks up her pace, the others rush to catch up.
"Green! Green! Liiink! The swordsman heeds the whispered summons dropping even further behind Ronmy. Rejoining his pale companion. "Did you really mean we would do anything? If so, that was a little boneheaded we have no leverage. I need to know you have a plan."
His blue eyes soften, the corners of his mouth lift slightly into a half smile. "There is no need to worry Irene, Princess Ronmy just let the plan slip it should be easy. Letting loose a breath she did not know she was holding she relaxes. Irene pat's Link's hand gently, reassuring both Hylians. "Good I did not want to do anything dicey to get that box. Did Clacker, say anything I should know?" She asks before Link could answer. "My name is Princess Ronmy witch, Link may not mind your insolence. I care very much about respect; you will address by my proper title. Stunned the adventurers follow the disgruntled royal silently, apparently Zoras had much better hearing than Hylians even without ear fins.
Back in the central cave the elder sisters are in the pool again Orey addresses the group, her voice booming. "You will journey up river past the rapids and retrieve a wooden crown from the Lizalfos, hiding out there." Link and Irene talk with only body language, 'Can it be the band that destroyed the outpost?' Too wrapped up in her speech the eldest zora does not notice the exchange. "We believe it is still in their possession it may be inside a metal chest with no lock." Uundo picks up the thread of the conversation "Once you have acquired mother's crown for Princess Orey and brought it here, she will return your keepsake." Ronmy trudges at her sibling claws extended. The digits make an unnerving noise echoing around the huge cavern. Link notices two smoke rings pour from her nostrils "Fire breath included, like she was not already dangerous enough."
"Now now baby sister, our guests want something of Orey's it is only right she set the terms of the deal." Suddenly at the middle sister's urging, the red Zora simmers down, "Yes as long as it is a fair trade both parties desire, however perhaps we should heal our warriors first to improve their chances!" She blows another smoke ring leaving no doubt this was a command not a suggestion." I will leave you all to discuss it further, I fail to see a need for my presence here any longer." Turning the red zora trapes out of the room her head held high. "Your highnesses are too fair we accept your terms. Provided we are accurately equipped and rested." "Spoken well swordsman. We will heal that arm of yours, and you can take anything from the armory." Uundo had taken the lead for her sister had come to an understanding. Shaking on it the parties reach an accord, without further deliberation.
Unbeknownst to the others Ronmy runs to a grotto that had not been on the tour. "You two have underestimated me for the last time. Cut me out of the deal, coddle me so I cannot steal the crown back, dimmish me in front of guests especially Link. Let's see you call me baby sister after this. When are you going to learn? Mother always said I had her temper. Having reached her destination, the Zora dives into the pool unobserved by any of the denizens of the hot springs.
Sometime later Link and Irene are back onboard the Broomstick to organize their supplies. Ronmy breaches out of the water in the cave just in time to bid them farewell. Gracefully soaring through the air, she impressively lands on the deck, unharmed. Ronmy stands up to slink out of her longest cord. "Link, I want you to hang onto this till you return for luck." Link stands there unsure what to do. "Guess there is no such thing as luck when you worship a sky fish. Unbelievable!" With a little nudging from the healer, he takes the princess's favor. Rolling his shoulders Link loops the cord over his left shoulder dangling it to his opposite waist. Sliding his new scabbard through the cord so he can draw his zora blade left handed. Ronmy helps adjust the cord around the warrior's waist. Irene watches her friend settle into the cord; he moves his restored arm in a small circle. She was just glad Link was healed; less recovery time was always a good thing. "He is much closer to the king of my vision with that sword, and a good arm, those monsters won't know what hit em." Confidently, she puts an arm on his shoulder unafraid of the dangers ahead. Ronmy returns to the cave, ideally, she would stay and fight but, her sisters would undoubtedly back out of the deal if she helped. Taking out the small glass sphere she pilfered from Link she conjures up a view of the boat.
Author's Note II
Pulling how Link died to start the fallen hero timeline still counts as fallen Hero timeline. Little different zora here I wanted to try to adhere closer to how they are in Link Between Worlds. I finished TOK expect nothing from that game in here, while the Secret Stones amplifying innate gifts are cool even Hyrule's distant past has too much tech for what I am going for.
Sincerely 4Coyote,
