SQ: This was done quicker than either of us expected. The writing tick bit one of us, but I'm not inclined to say who.
Many tales would be told in Windfall in the coming years of how, exactly, Bazz, then Captain of the Townguard, had found out the water had been poisoned and warned them before it was too late, saving countless lives. Most posited him a hero. The man who warned them of their impending doom before it could destroy them all. He, however, would have called each of these stories duplicitous at best.
They painted him in a far better light than he deserved.
It looked to be three in the afternoon according to the pocket watch he had bought off Baza the merchant, when he and Nan spotted a strange set of footsteps in the woods. One footprint was yet whole, the other, however, was missing the tip of the shoe though they still managed to walk. Upon seeing this, Nan meant his eyes.
He nodded in the affirmative. This had to be Ruuya, despite how close to the pit she had nearly lost her life last summer they had come. He had not expected her to come this way. Those events, Alysse claimed, gave the poor girl nightmares. The fact that she had hidden here of all places…
He wasn't sure if it was courage or stupidity. What had driven her to do something so unexpected, so foolish? Even with her idiosyncrasies and paranoia, he had thought her rational enough… This…
There will be time to ask questions later.
Soon, the footprints became unsteady, Ruuya having limped through the forest, unconcerned if she left an easy trail to follow. That wasn't like the Gerudo. She was overly cautious, even afraid of her everyday surroundings and people she had grown to know over the course of the last year. Instead, she was treading through the underbrush frantically, carelessly, and…had fallen, face-first into a pile of leaves in the crook between an old oak tree's roots.
"Ruuya!" Nan yelled, running to her friend's side. She knelt beside the Gerudo, but it was Bazz who turned her over onto her back so that she might breath more easily. "Is...is she alright?"
Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. He checked her pulse. It was erratic. Thus, Bazz shook his head. "She isn't dying, but I fear she might be dehydrated and we ought to clean these wounds to ward off infection. Did you bring any extra waterskins?"
"Of course!"
"Excellent. There should be a river nearby, down by the cliff, I believe."
The child cocked an eyebrow. "You're staying?"
"Someone needs to keep watch," he answered, leaning his spear against the tree. "I will cast a rudimentary healing spell on the worst of these cuts and then see if I can get some answers if she wakes."
"But Captain... isn't it... isn't it harsh to start questioning her after…?"
"That was an order, constable."
The girl glared, but still turned to leave and do as requested. Soon, the sound of her retreating feet through the forest was the only other thing he heard other than the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves. Once he was certain she was out of earshot, he took his waterskin and used the liquid within to cleanse her wounds. Then, gently, he guided a small spell to hasten the healing of the worst of these. His gift of magic would never measure up to the likes of Princess Mipha, Lord Vaati, or the Queen Zelda of old, but he would do what he could.
In this case, that was enough. Ruuya's wounds shrunk, her breathing steadied after he forced a few sips of water down her throat, and her expression softened, appearing at peace despite the numerous cuts and bruises that yet covered her from head to toe. The wound on her left thigh was still too large, he noted. He would have to snitch that closed now before Nan came back.
He had feared that might be the case. That was the real reason he had given the child her task… There were still a few things he wished to protect her from, at least until she was a less tender age. Taking needle and thread from the satchel at his waist, he began snitching up the Gerudo's wound.
And received a lively yelp for his hard work.
"I see you have chosen to wake up at long last," he said, holding the needle in one hand. Thin and sharp, it shown silver in the prickled sunlight beneath the trees. He brought it back in, ignoring her complaints as he quickly continued to stitch her wound with practice hands. "Did you run into bandits, Miss Ruuya?"
Perhaps they had stolen her horse. That would make sense, given that Jamila was nowhere to be found. Then again...that horse would probably kick them in butt, stomach, or face, instead of letting them take it away. He wouldn't be shocked if he found a few corpses at its feet one of these days.
Biting her lip, Ruuya shook her head as he continued to work.
"Wolves?"
Again, she shook her head in response.
"Monsters?"
She paused as though in thought, then carefully nodded. He tied off his work, and leaned back, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Ruuya, where did you go?"
The woman swallowed. "I…" Her voice fell silent. "Was that water...when did you get that water…?"
"This?" he said, holding up the empty waterskin so she might get a better look. "This morning from my well. Worry not, I used a simple purification spell on it. It is perfectly fine for drinking or cleansing wounds."
"Purification spell…?" she asked in a dry and raspy voice, curiosity alight in her eyes. Trust Ruuya to get distracted by either books or another form of magic she did not know even when injured and still a little dehydrated. Some things did not change.
"There is a time and place for such a tale," he said. At this, she stared, disbelief written clearly on her face. "Despite what you might believe, young lady, I do not always ramble endlessly."
That at least brought a snort.
He sighed. Really, was he all that bad? By Nayru, perhaps he truly was beginning to sound like his father… At least he wasn't as sour and grumpy as that old Zora had been.
"Miss Ruuya," he began, his voice taking on a sterner tone, "you must tell me what you were doing out here. It does not make sense. I would never have expected you to return to this place. Alysse has informed me about your nightmares concerning that night. About the dreams of being trapped in that hole and dying of frostbite, or worse, finding the corpses of all the villagers within…"
He let his voice dwindle as the Gerudo shivered, her gaze distant, her face paling to an ashen brown. As though she had seen a poe rising from its grave...
"I apologize, perhaps that was too much…"
She grasped his wrist tight despite her apparent weakness. "What else did she tattle?"
"Tattle?" he asked, alarmed. "Nothing so much as that. I believe you could say she was merely concerned...a bit of a mother hen, certainly, but…this doesn't answer the question. Why did you return to that place?"
She turned her head, staring instead at the gnarly bark of the ancient tree. Again, she shivered, sat up, and wrapped her arms around her knees, somehow managing to appear small and frail despite that she was nearly as tall as himself. For a moment, she reminded him of a child, afraid of those things which lurk in the dark.
"I...that Baza...he saw me."
"Ah…"
He lifted a hand to his chin. It made a certain kind of sense, he thought, letting his eyes slide closed. He had only heard rumors of her tribe, first from the people who had fallen into the Dark World long after him, then a hint here or there from the young Gerudo herself. Whispers that there was a cult of thieves in the desert, worshipping some ancient, malevolent god without a name. Tales that they were not only harsh to their victims, but harsher still to themselves. Certainly, the worst things he had heard were mere fabrications; Hylians sacrificed to the desert goddess and presenting the scalps of their male victims to their deity were too farfetched to be believed. Still, he thought he was beginning to see why she feared outsiders, especially those from Hyrule who might hate her if they knew the truth. Even the villagers she had befriended might detest her.
He could not say that her fears were unwarranted. Hyrule's king had banished the Zora for the mere crime of existence, and not one of the Hylians had dared to prevent it or call him out for that wrong. Given that event, he knew exactly what would happen if they found out the truth.
Bazz did not wish that on anyone, least of all someone yet so young.
"I will not let the others know, you have my word," he said with a short bow, hand to his chest. Ruuya nodded, clearly understanding what he meant. "But I doubt they suspect anything. Most likely, any of our fellow villagers or an outsider would think you hail from Gerudo Town. No one would expect otherwise, it…"
Ruuya gasped slightly, staring at something behind him. Upon seeing her shock, Bazz looked over his shoulder, biting back a curse when he spotted Nan. He had thought it would take longer. The stream running at the base of the rocky hill wasn't that close, was it?
"What...what do you mean Ruu's not…?" the girl asked, stumbling over her words as she glanced back and forth between the pair. "Maa said…"
He wondered, in that moment, if Alysse already knew. That woman had probably figured it out the first day, but Nan…
"Naneth, did you bring the water?" he said, purposefully dropping the girl's moniker in hope that he might save any explanations for later, or even better, she simply forgot. "I fear Ruuya is yet dehydrated…"
She glared at him, fiercely. It reminded him of Alysse, though more like fire and less like ice.
"You...lied to me." Not us, though he couldn't recall the Gerudo ever revealing much about her true nature to anyone, at least on purpose. Prying truth from Ruuya about her origins was like trying to steal lightning arrows from a sleeping Lynel. He guessed he should consider himself lucky, then. "You're one of them, 'em evil desert witches..."
Ruuya flinched.
"Nan, what does that matter?" he asked. "Many in our village were murderers, thieves, and wrongdoers of all types before they fell into the Dark World. Others are innocent of such things, certainly, but none of us are the people we were before those days spent in the other realm. The gods alone may pass judgement, not us; perhaps, they have chosen to give us another chance…"
But not him, Bazz knew. He had failed his king, after all, and thus deserved his lot: to live without the king he had loved and with no sign of another Zora in all of Hyrule or elsewhere, it seemed. His hands started to shake. He let out a long breath, and repeated the mantra his father had taught him long ago as a boy. The past is past, and each life a river that empties out into the same sea...
"Captain?" Nan handed him the waterskin; but her eyes, still filled with hurt and betrayal, watched Ruuya. "Here."
"Thank you." Drawing on the rest of his magical reserves, he placed a hand over the open canteen and shot a cool jet of magic within, both purifying the water from any toxins and making it nearly frigid as a result. The recent spellwork left him feeling drained, even old and worn as a cloak that had seen too many seasons, but the spell should make it safe to drink. "You'll want to drink it slowly…"
Instead, Ruuya stared at the canteen. "Was...was that purification?"
"Yeah, the Captain always insists you can't trust the water 'round here," Nan remarked, shaking her head. "I guess it's a Zora thing."
"Traditions are important."
Nan shrugged, then gave him a dramatic eye roll. "Exactly."
Ruuya nodded while taking a long drink. After a moment, she paused, eyes widened. "The water…" she said, reminding him of what she had been rambling of when she was yet delirious. "Nan… Did you fill your canteen too?"
Nan tilted her head to the side. "Yeah," she replied. "Got thirsty after climbing down all that way to get some. The stream sorta smelled funny, sure, but…"
She stopped, stumbled forward, and pressed a hand against the tree, vomiting up something black and vile onto the grass. Then purple haze arose from her skin, the white of her eyes grew dark as night and her irises turned a sickly shade of red. Ruuya stared, mouth agasp, then her gaze shifted to Bazz, who felt a dread so chill it froze him stiff. It had been centuries since he had seen this last, but he knew it all the same. The Calamity had returned, just as the Bard had warned.
"Malice poisoning...how in hell…?" he said. "We must return to the village, Ruuya."
She blinked and looked up at him, surprised to hear that he clearly knew exactly what this was. "What about Nan?"
He studied the Gerudo, finding himself unable to speak. How could he explain there was nothing they could do for the child? Few survived this ailment, and even under the best circumstances, healing magic could only relieve the symptoms not cure the disease. While there were some legends that whispered of other possibilities... The best they could do was warn the villagers, pray they listened, but if they took Nan with them…
It would be too late. It would be too late, but could he live with himself if he did nothing for his young charge…? With supportive treatment, her body could fight it off and she might still survive, though none who ever did remained unchanged.
But this was Nan. "Stay with her," he said, "see if she has any red potions inside her bag."
Ruuya nodded, and just like that, pulled out three glass bottles filled to the brim with the familiar red substance from Nan's pack. It would hopefully be enough until he could return with help.
"I will tell the villagers that they should not trust the water."
/-/
A quarter of the village grew sick in the three days after Ruuya's return, despite the warning the Captain gave them. Alysse was among the first to fall sick after Nan, and others, like Baza the merchant, refused to listen to the warning or Joshua's edict not to drink the water from the river. The only reprieve, they found, was to mix wine, water, and a purification spell before one drank. This did not help any who had fallen ill, and the Captain warned the only thing they could do for these was pray that they have strength to fight the toxin and that the gods might have mercy on their souls.
She was beginning to think those gods didn't really like them enough to listen, though. She had brought this calamity upon them, and the gods of Hyrule must hate Windfall for harboring a desert Gerudo.
This was their punishment brought about by her. She had done her best to stop it but...so many she cared about were dying already and there was nothing she could do.
"Are you even listening?" Vaati snarled, bringing her back to the present. They sat in the tavern, exhausted from creating yet another batch of safe drinks from what little wine the town still contained. There was about a week's supply left, but that was only if they were careful. The water, Bazz had warned, would still contain the residue even after so much time had passed. They were running out of options, but for now, they had to drink their allotment of purified, watered-down wine. "Girl."
"I'm sorry…" she said, taking a sip of hers. "I was worrying about the others."
He rolled his eyes dramatically. Just like him not to give a damn about others. She almost left then, she could always drink hers at the bedside of Nan or Alysse or one of the others who were now sick. Even delirious and possibly dying, they'd make better company. Or speak with the babes as they were tended by their wetnurse.
"I do not believe making a new magical artifact would work to fix our problems."
"Why not?"
"Consider the mirror. It's a sacred artifact, but its purpose was already chosen. What we would need is raw materials, but all we have are bug and monster parts around here, and neither one are that good," Vaati said with a slight sneer. "Value creates strength. Rarity is power. If you have something that people will put down a lot of money for, it will always work better than using a normal object. This is the Law of Scarcity."
Ruuya nodded, but could not find her usual enthusiasm given their terrible circumstances. His words did keep her glued to her seat in the tavern, though. "Like...using fresh strawberries instead of dry ones in red potions. It's not just that they taste better, they are better...more potent."
Vaati smirked. "You noticed that?"
"I...I could sense it."
"Good."
She did not know why, but her cheeks flushed. This was the first compliment he had ever given her...or almost compliment, as it happened to be.
"That will make this explanation easier," he said, taking a slow sip of his drink, it was notably redder than the others, the heartless bastard. He had actually demanded they serve him just wine, anyway? The pale voe wrinkled his nose in disgust at the taste. Served him right that he actually detested it. "Horrible. Basically, to construct a powerful magical item you need to keep three things in mind before you even start writing the spell and empowering the magic. First, materials. Rare and valuable is better. Second, appearance. You must make something people will see as having great value. Third, age. The older it is, the greater worth it will have. The mirror is made of silver, its wood from an ancient oak, its design, beautiful, and it is... nearly as old as the kingdom itself. All this amounts to an object with great power, a work of art…"
"But our new item can't be old. There's nothing like that in the village." Except the mirror, and Windfall still needed access to the fields in the Dark World for food and drink. Strangely enough, however, the water there was just as poisoned as it was here. Vaati claimed it was because the worlds reflected each other, but she wasn't sure if that was true. "Even the stuff in Flow's tower is useless."
"Yes, that is a problem," he replied, swishing his wine in thought. He had not taken a sip since he had begun his lecture in earnest, though that was the norm for Vaati. Ruuya believed he didn't really like wine so much as the appearance of it. "Of course, if you get a part from something we consider divine, either a god or beast, you can more or less do away with one of the other requirements…"
"So, befriend a god." Ruuya put her head in her hands, staring at the whorls of wood on their shared table near the back of the all but empty tavern. "This...this seems hopeless."
"We could leave."
"I won't go with you," she warned. "And who will fetch your ingredients then? Who would make your-"
"Girl," he hissed in warning, slamming his hands against the wood. "Not so loud."
She sighed, then slumped her shoulders. "It's just…" This was all her fault. Had she not been foolish...had she just...she would have never gone to that temple and explored it. Alysse, Nan, and so many others wouldn't be ill...and the village itself wouldn't be running out of time... "I have to make this right."
"Sometimes, you can't," Vaati said, then lowered his voice. "You must accept that at some point, fool."
Briefly, she wondered if that last bit was about her or him. No, Vaati didn't care for the village. Not really. He saw them as useful minions, not family and friends like she did. When they stopped being useful, well, he'd just move on.
Would he move on from her too when the time came? She buried that thought beneath the desert sands along with the pain and fear it had summoned.
"So, you have no solution."
"Unless you can befriend a god, no."
Someone coughed, the sound making them both jump. Had another one of the patrons gotten sick? Had someone drank the water despite the edict that they were not supposed to? They exchanged a glance, then the voe cleared his throat instead.
"I might have a suggestion," Bazz said, then drew a stool up to the table without so much as an invite. "Though my knowledge of such things is far more limited than yours, my lord."
"Thus probably useless prattle," Vaati muttered.
Ruuya glared at the old sorcerer, then nodded at Bazz. "I want to hear it. Please, Gufuu."
Vaati had not come up with a real solution, and while Bazz had been hopeless before, something in his demeanor had changed after overhearing their conversation. She...she needed something to grasp onto, even if that hope was only a frayed rope tossed to a woman sinking in quicksand because of her own foolish greed and pride. Worse, she was pulling all those she loved down with her…
"Fine," he relented, finally taking another sip of his wine. He grimaced again in distaste. "Don't expect anything, foolish girl."
"Thanks."
"There is a legend you should know, yes, but who can say if it is true?" Bazz said, staring down at his mug of warm cider, his golden eyes seemed to glow in the gloom of the tavern's common room. "The horn of Farosh, the Sacred Dragon, qualifies as an object sacred to the children of the forest. A scale can be obtained by striking its hide with an arrow, I have heard it said. Such shards are sacred, rare, and valued greatly among collectors. In the days of old, she was said to appear above Lake Floria on the night of the new moon to those who had great courage, need, and the blessing of the gods upon them."
"That last one disqualifies us," Vaati deadpanned. Then he raised his wine glass to his lips, studying the Zora with half-lidded eyes. "Did you ever see this dragon, Captain?"
Even he knew that it was the best chance they had, it seemed, blessed or not.
"No, but I have seen one of her sisters twice, once on my first patrol in the mountains near Zora Domain, and second, just before the Zora left Hyrule at the side of my king," he answered. "Naydra is her name…"
"Like Dinrael the Sacred Dragon of the Gerudo," Ruuya added. "I never saw her, but I've read the legends."
Vaati leaned back, humming to himself. "So, we are to put faith in a legend that neither of you can prove has that much merit," he said. "Lake Floria is over three days on horseback if you ride through the nights and run into no obstacles. The new moon will occur in four. I suggest you prepare, it would be absolutely dreadful if you were late... Get going, both of you."
It was, after all, the best chance they had...and better than just staying here, doing nothing.
/-/
Luck, or perhaps the blessing of the gods for once, seemed to be on her side. Jamila and one of the town's two draft horses, the only creatures large and strong enough to bear a Zora on its back, had sped towards Lake Floria, and amazingly, they did not run into any stun keese, wizzrobes bearing thunder staves, or any of the other electrifying monsters which her companion seemed to think might confront them on their way.
The worst thing that they had ran into was a raccoon that stole some cheese and bread. She made quick work of it with a well-armed arrow. After about four days on the road, Ruuya was certain of one thing: the voe's information was five centuries out-of-date.
She just hoped that wouldn't turn their mission into a fool's errand. Her friends would die, she would be to blame, and worse of all, Vaati would be proven right. What if the sacred dragons of which he spoke were no more than legends in this time? She had never known any who had seen Dinrael, and the last sightings she had read about in those old books were hundreds of years ago.
What if the dragons had left their world to never return to the realm where mortals dwelled?
She didn't mention this, however, even as they set up camp at Lake Floria after dark of the fourth day, waiting for the dragon to arise, even as the night stretched on and the stars sprinkled the sky, and even as a gentle rain moved in and dampened their campsite, dousing the fire and making her cold and miserable. Even then, she held her tongue and did not complain about their long, useless watch, though she began to tap her leg as her eyes flicked between the old bridges and the heavens from time to time. But when the first signs of grey dawn stroked the eastern sky, Ruuya had had enough.
"This is pointless," she declared, rising to her feet. "If Farosh was ever going to appear, she would have done so by now. It's not like you were right about anything else, Bazz."
That might have been too harsh and blunt and a bit too much like something Vaati would say for her liking, but she didn't care. It was wet, cold, and she was just plain bloody tired. At the very least, back in Windfall, she could have administered liquids and soup to the sick and dying. Out here… For a few moments, the only sound that passed between them was the splatter of cold rain and the distant rumble of thunder.
One long drawn out breath later, and the voe stood as well. "You might be right."
Thunder rumbled again in the distance over the jungle to the east. She turned, walked to the edge of the campsite, and blinked. There was something there. Something she hadn't spotted in the dark night when they first arrived. It laid on an island in the middle of the lake. The thing was large, black, and serpentine with dim yellow stripes and strange crystals sprouting from its back like dozens of topaz spikes. The creature was coiled in on itself and covered in a familiar purple tar lined with blinking yellow eyeballs on stalks and in flesh. They were far enough away that she could not smell the reek, but…just how long had it been laying there, infected with Malice? Was this her doing too?
"I am sorry to have-oh, dear Nayru." He covered his mouth.
"Is that Farosh?"
Standing behind her now quiet, his only reply was to hoist his spear and point it at an old rickety boat tied to a dock on the far shore. Expecting her to follow, he began to cross the bridge that would take them to the distant shore, but Ruuya stood still, her feet suddenly too heavy to lift. She curled in her remaining toes. Malice, again. A boat on a seemingly bottomless lake. The realization if that old thing sank…she'd have nothing but water beneath her feet. Water, water everywhere and all too much to drink.
"Ruuya?" She jumped at the sound of her own name. "I suppose it makes sense. You can't swim, can you?"
She swallowed. "Sim?" She was not familiar with that term, having never heard the Hylian word before, but she didn't like it. Somehow she knew it had to do with her own realization about that lake and drowning in it. "I…"
"Don't even know what it is," he said, running a hand over his face, then resting it on his chin. "No matter, you would not want to be caught swimming when we free the dragon. Electrification isn't fun no matter what my old man liked to think."
"But what about...if it has a leak…"
What if she sank and had nothing but water beneath her?
"I am a Zora," he said, and pumped his arm. "The waters are mine, are they not? The magic of my people is amplified by so much of the substance gathered in one place. Do not worry. I need an archer to help me break that dragon free."
She still did worry. She couldn't help herself for she was a daughter of the desert sands and sun, but his confidence was enough to get her into the boat. It did not sink as soon as he cut it free with the tip of his spear. Nor did it sink once he started to move the old boat forward with the strange, wooden poles he called "oars", nor was it swallowed by the depths when she felt the cold tingle of water magic gather up behind them and propel them far faster than the oars had alone.
Cold tingle...does all magic have a flavor?
"So I have heard," he answered. Ruuya blinked in surprise. She was certain she hadn't said that allowed. "Hmmm? I would think a sorcerer as powerful as Vaati would have taught his apprentice more about projecting her thoughts than…"
"He only likes practical magic." Or more like magic that was useful for him to teach her so he could achieve his goals. But she could not tell Bazz that. It was hers and Vaati's little secret. But why should I be so loyal to him?
She didn't have an answer to that question. Hopefully, Bazz hadn't heard it. So much like picturing a flame to cast Din's Fire, she envisioned a seamless fortificade that stopped thoughts from getting out. She didn't like the idea that others could hear her very mind if she were not careful.
He frowned in response. "It is practical," he said, then tsked. "Don't overdo it. Imaging a simple shield will do. You don't want to block your magical senses or completely block your ability to use other magic."
She tried to summon an ember of flame, but did not get even an ember or a smoke. Even with all the water around, she should've gotten something. So, she put up a gate and changed the stone walls to pickets. That seemed to work better, but the flame still dissipated much too quickly. So, she imagined the shield as a canvas tent, easy to enter, but providing some privacy from those outside and protection from the hot sun.
After this, she could summon a small flame, at least, though it was soon dampened by a splash of water magic. She glared heatedly at the voe.
He shot her an almost boyish smile, then, with the oar, gestured to the...coiled serpent so near she could now smell that awful reek. She hadn't noticed they had gotten here, hadn't realized how much time had passed. It might've meant that Bazz had used that lesson to distract her…
Then why not teach me before now? But perhaps she had been so wrapped up with not trusting anyone, she had accidentally created her own mental shields. That...actually made some sense. But they had bigger things to deal with than her thirst to learn more about magic.
Taking up her bow, she notched an arrow but did not yet aim. Up close, it was apparent that the malice covered the dragon like boils made of eyes and tar, each colony of malice sporting a large, open eyeball. Bile raised to her throat, then mixed with pity and disgust. This was her fault. All her fault. The dragon. The village. The water that had infected both. She shouldn't have messed with things which were not hers by right to solve.
Ruuya was no hero. Her bow rattled in her hands.
"Don't aim for the patch on her front legs," Bazz said, his voice the only calm thing in the sandstorm that raged around and within her. "Neither of us are Rito, nor do we possess the ability to fly, unless that wind sorcerer has taught you more than a few pallor tricks."
She gave him a nod, hands still shaking, but Bazz did not seem to register her distress. No, he was too focused on the task at hand to do so. With oar and a trickle of water magic, he maneuvered the boat in sight of another colony of malice, this one covering a spot on the dragon's back and clinging to her topaz spikes.
"Ruuya."
"Can't you...can't you take care of it?"
He turned around then on his bench, facing her. "I will need to calm the water beneath the boat so it will not wobble as you try to aim," he answered, despite that he bore a silver bow on his back and a quiver of arrows. Why bring those if...no, they had not expected this turn of events, that must be why. "Unless your mage…"
"He isn't my anything," she said, a flare of anger filled her chest, and she glared at the voe, who continued to contain a cool demeanor despite her rage. He crossed his arms, one of the ridges above his eyes twitched, like when a human raised an eyebrow in reply to signal doubt or amusement, she assumed. "You're wrong. We're nothing more than teacher and apprentice."
"I did not suggest it." Not vocally, at least. "Are you ready?"
She swallowed, but her hands, amazingly, had stopped shaking for the most part. "I'm not sure I can…"
"You're the best archer we have," he said, his tone somehow reminding her of Minia in those rare moments when the woman had dropped the title of matriarch of their tribe, and just simply been her mother. Rubies they had been, treasures of the truest kind, now shattered. "Better than myself, even in my prime."
That calmed her, like cool water on a hot day. Hands now steady, she lifted her bow, pulled back her arrow, and fired. Flying through the air, the arrow punctured the iris of the largest eye, and a moment later, let out a satisfying pop. It exploded, and soon, the malice withdrew, a cloud of violet haze following in its wake and dissipating in the cool rain. Ruuya let off a whoop, grinning for the first time since she had escaped the temple.
"It isn't time to celebrate yet," Bazz said, then took a bottle from her pack but the wrong one. It contained the strange pink bug she had caught in the dungeon. "Useful." How? "But you did bring green potion, correct?"
"Other pocket."
He slipped one out, downing it quickly, and standing up to get a better view of the large serpent. "There are six others," he replied. "Let's hope we can make quick work of it."
It took nearly her whole quiver of twenty arrows to do so, for most were in locations that were far harder shots that forced them to find just the right angle to snipe the giant eyes. Even a good archer had to test the wind and estimate the distance, the angle, and how the arrow would fall, and these were far from perfect conditions. It would be far easier if she were on a steady platform high above her target, if it weren't rainy and damp, and if she had gotten any sleep. Still, they made due, and after several careful shots, they returned to the first batch of malice that covered the dragon, her front feet, and the ground beneath, sticking her to the island.
Ruuya shot the eye, an easy target compared to the others, then counted to three. The thing popped, the malice withdrew and disappeared in a now familiar purple smoke, and the dragon, now freed, climbed to its feet. A moment later, she took off, the air blowing upward in impossible drifts, but the black substance which covered its form exploded with light breaking into chunks and large shards of black crystals. These fell to the island upon which Farosh had rested or splashed into the lake and melting like strange slabs of black ice. She hoped that didn't breed more trouble, but…
The dragon released a mighty roar, followed by pouring lightning, the crash of thunder, and a mighty downpour of rain and wind. Both Zora and Gerudo ducked, then hunched over in their tiny boat and covered their ears. Once the last jolt of lightning had thundered and the rain subsided down to a gentle shower, Ruuya sat up, looking at the sky and where the dragon had been.
It was nowhere to be found. "So much for befriending a god," she said. "Ungrateful bastard."
"I wouldn't speak so hastily."
As though in response to his words, she heard another roar, distant and somewhere above their small boat. Far, far up in the heavens, the dragon flew, lightning and wind flashing around it, and near its horn, something flashed. Then fell to the water beside their boat with a thunderous splash.
"What was that?"
Bazz reached over the side, then gingerly and with great care, picked up the fallen object. "I believe it is the dragon's way of saying 'thank you'." He held it up so she could see it, the thing was a rough and rigid chunk of ivory, shining brightly with an ethereal yellow light. Even with her magical senses dampened, Ruuya felt a strange static admitting from the treasure, like a heartbeat all its own. "This is a Shard of the Horn of Farosh."
"Wasn't the goal to fetch a scale?"
The voe smiled, then shook his head as though in wonder. "Perhaps…we should not question the whims of a dragon," Bazz replied, putting oar to water and pushing them away from the place said dragon had laid. Ruuya stored the shard in her bag. "We have a village to save."
Kandragon: Mental magic (i.e. like the telepathy of Zelda, the sages, and others) is something that is another segment of the franchise that was bound to come up eventually. Whether Ruuya is right and she was blocking it off by accident before, or a certain event caused it instead, weeeeell. Who knows? (We do!)