Kazul bellowed in rage and charged at Cado. From within the cage, Link watched helplessly as the Sheikah smoothly pivoted and used his bow to trip the patrolman's reckless attack, sending him face-first into the forest floor.
His breath driven from him, Kazul turned over to find the end of Cado's bow nestled firmly against his throat. The Sheikah's eyes above his balaclava were narrowed and brooked no argument as he spoke.
"Listen well, patrolman," Cado firmly issued. "I do not wish to kill you, but I will if you attempt to delay us further. The Yiga is gone, a feat achieved only by the dark magic they possess."
"If yeh speak true, the man could've escaped at any ruddy time," Kazul tightly rasped. "Why'd he wait to scarper 'til now?"
"Because the Yiga are not yet ready to reveal themselves to the world, otherwise he would not have appeared as a normal man," Cado answered calmly. "I do not yet know what they plan, but rest assured it bodes ill for all. But know this: Sir Link has done and will do more to ensure your people's survival than you can possibly know. Accept this and allow us to leave of our own free will. Or die here. The choice is yours."
Only then did Cado ease the bow end from the patrolman's throat. Kazul stood slowly, brushing the dirt and leaves from his clothes before addressing the Sheikah.
"I do no believe the lad to be a criminal, but it's a fine pickle yeh leave me in," Kazul admitted. "What do I tell the equerry when 'e finds both prisoners gone an' me still alive?"
"The truth," Cado responded readily. "The Sheikah came for both prisoners. One escaped while you tried to stop them. The other was taken. In such times, one more unpopular opinion harms my people little."
The patrolman nodded thoughtfully as he made his way toward Link's cage, hands fingering the keys looped about his belt. Then he stopped, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Oi, what did yeh do wi' the other patrolman?" Kazul demanded. "If yeh killed him, one o' us'll be decoratin' this here forest wi' his corpse afore I open this cage."
"Your friend is unconscious, but alive," Cado replied with a small gesture toward the woods behind him. "He will awake within the hour."
Shaking his head at this casually delivered information, Kazul knelt and unlocked the cage door. Link's muscles ached in relief as he climbed out and stretched for the first time in hours. Though he was grateful for Cado's ultimately necessary interference, he felt it necessary to smooth things over with the patrolman first.
"I don't know what to say, Kazul," Link began. "I wish I could tell you why I must go. All I can say is that my task is the same for which Brigo gave his life. For now, I hope that is enough."
Kazul stroked his beard as he considered the weight of Link's words.
"Like I told yeh before, Brig was a good 'un," the patrolman grunted. "I hope yeh can explain yerself proper someday, lad. Until then, may Hylia guard yer steps."
"I will," Link assured as he clasped Kazul's forearm. "In the meantime, do what you can to keep your stable safe. I fear the refugees portend what is to come. May Hylia keep you safe."
Farewells made, Kazul left to see to his fellow patrolman. Cado, meanwhile, had retrieved a large bundle from behind a nearby tree. Link was thrilled to see it contained all his supplies, including his sword, slate and Sheikah clothing.
"Change quickly," Cado said urgently. "It is a fair march to the Moor Garrison ruins, and you must reach them with strength and time enough to cross the wetlands."
Link complied, swiftly swapping his tunic, trousers and leather armor for form-fitting Sheikah garments. The dark blue fabric fit like a second skin, including the foot-shaped ends of the leggings. Small, leather greaves, vambraces and pauldrons added an efficient element of protection, but hardly enough to inhibit movement. No sooner had Link secured his possessions than he was forced to set out after Cado, who was already making his way east through the woods.
"We must risk circling the stable along the river," the Sheikah informed Link as soon as he had caught up. "Men are easier to avoid than lizardspawn, and the hills will hide us from the latter until we reach the ruins. When we exit the woods, stay low and silent."
Link did not reply, choosing to conserve his energy in order to make the journey as quickly as possible. The Sheikah garments were like nothing he had ever felt before. Though covered, his feet felt every shift, flaw and interruption in the ground as though they were bare to the earth. Somehow, the sensation did not cause any discomfort or pain, only an acute awareness of the terrain beneath him. Most important of all, his steps made no sound as he traversed the forest floor.
The moon had not yet risen above the eastern mountains when the two men emerged from the woods. Link could see the telltale light from the stable torches, but the rise between it and the river hid them well. He followed Cado down to the riverbank where the Zora had camped the previous day. From there, they followed the river's course northward.
They had only walked a short while when Cado halted Link with a restraining arm.
"The Rebonae Bridge is ahead," the Sheikah quietly informed him. "From here, we turn northeast along Crenal Peak's base and towards the ruins. Stay as low as you can. There is little cover."
Link silently obeyed, following the dark, half-crouching form in front of him as it turned slightly to the right. The moon finally appeared above the eastern ranges, casting a clear, pale light over the wetlands ahead. Link saw that Cado's warning was all too true. The gentle slopes of Crenal Peak left them all but exposed to any watchful eye near the wetlands. As quickly as they could, the pair crossed the winding road connecting the bridge to the stable. From there, they walked while hunching as best they could to use what little cover the low wild grass offered.
Moonlight glistened off the wetland water to their right, which was now much closer than Link had seen it since first descending from Kakariko. His body ached with the strain of keeping his knees bent and back hunched for so long, but he did not dare compromise himself for comfort. Besides, Cado was probably just as uncomfortable, and he wasn't-
Link stopped just in time. He had nearly run right into the Sheikah, who had halted just ahead of him. A silent, pointing hand showed Link the silhouetted ruins just ahead.
The remains of the Moor Garrison strongly reminded Link of the outpost ruins he had traversed just after leaving the Great Plateau. Tumbling walls of long-decrepit buildings thrust skyward like bony fingers even as vines and other creepers sought to tear them down. Glassless windows gaped like wounds from the tallest walls that still remained, while exposed staircases either began too late or ended too soon.
The moon was not the only thing illuminating the scene. Telltale lights of orange flickered amid ruins.
"Ganonspawn," Cado whispered. "Most if not all are likely asleep. I do not see a sentry. We do not have time to slay them. We must cross the ford, and quickly."
Nodding, Link proceeded behind the Sheikah, who was now crouch-walking around the southern side of the ruins. He mimicked Cado as closely as possible, gratefully noting the silence of his own steps. The moonlight was stronger now, a result of the silver half-orb now nearing its midnight peak. Link ignored the cramps and fatigue clamoring for respite. He could see the water ahead.
Nothing emerged from the ruins that were now at their back. Cado, however, unshouldered his horned bow and took up the position of rearguard as they arrived at the ford. Wooden stakes separated the deep northern side from the shallow south. On the other side of the ford lay Mercay Island, its central hill rising quite high despite the islet's small size.
"Go now!" Cado hissed. "I will follow."
Link acquiesced, still keeping as low as possible. The water rose no higher than his calves. The riverstones below the surface, however, forced him to take his time. He doubted the Sheikah clothes would conceal him if he stumbled face-first into the shallows.
Darkness fell like a curtain, alarming Link until he realized it was due to a bank of cloud that had covered the moon. His momentary relief gave way to apprehension at the idea of completing his journey without even the night's token light to guide him. Risking a look behind, Link could still see portions of firelight playing off the broken ruin walls.
The first crossing proved uneventful. Link reached Mercay feeling no worse for wear. Remembering what Cado and the Zora had discussed, he felt his way to the north side of the rock outcropping that dominated the island. He could only assume the Sheikah was right behind him. He would only wait so long to make sure, for the moon had been very nearly at its peak before the clouds had covered it. Fronk was surely waiting for them by now.
A soft, turquoise light bloomed to life nearby. It was Cado, holding what Link recognized as a luminous stone. The Sheikah wasted no time digesting their progress, however.
"There are surely lizardspawn on the island, but we dare not traverse it without at least this much to guide us," Cado said. "Draw your bow and be ready, for I must lead us to the channel."
Link unshouldered the large wooden bow he had obtained at Hateno and loosely nocked an arrow to its string. Then he hastened to follow Cado, who was already making his way along the base of Mercay's hill.
The island was indeed small. It did not take long for the two to circumnavigate the outcropping and behold another expanse of water. Link could tell from the sound, however, that this river ran much deeper and swifter than the forded tributary he had just crossed.
Cado stopped just ahead of him, clearly unwilling to venture beyond the hill.
"Do you see Fronk?" Link whispered.
"No," the Sheikah answered without taking his eyes off the water. "But the Zora will likely see us before we him. Their kind can stay underwater as long as they must, and he will be difficult to see at night."
Recalling Fronk's ebony skin, Link knew Cado spoke the truth.
"Then I must approach," he said firmly. "We cannot let him linger in doubt and danger."
The Sheikah turned to look over his shoulder at Link. The eyes above his balaclava were narrowed in consideration, but it was clear no better alternative was available. He finally nodded in assent.
Moving more slowly and quietly than he could ever remember doing, Link crept from behind the hill's concealing mass toward the river. The island's coast, worn fine and flat by countless years' worth of running water, offered no protection. He was now immensely grateful for the clouded sky, as the moon would have announced him to any within eyesight. As it was, Link remained in a crouching walk all the way to the water's edge, where he stopped to scan the river's rippling surface.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, to Link's left, a voice whispered in the darkness.
"Master Link?"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Link saw the vague outline of Fronk's fish-shaped head just above the surface a few strides out from the bank.
"It is me, Fronk," Link answered as loudly as he dared. "Stay there. I will come to you."
The Zora half-obeyed, exposing a third of his great height to come closer.
"The current is swift, Master Link," Fronk warned. "You will need to hold on tightly to my shoulders and-"
An arrow hissed through the darkness, thudding into the Zora's upper arm. Fronk's grunt of pain was drowned out by a bone-chilling series of throaty screeches. This was answered by a throng of guttural cries from the other side of the hill.
Another arrow loosed through the night, but this one flew toward the origin of the first. With a great hiss, a large something toppled down the side of the hill. Cado appeared as if from nowhere, another shaft already nocked to his bow.
"The lizardspawn are coming!" the Sheikah told them urgently, all efforts at secrecy discarded. "Cross now or be slain here!"
"What about you?" Link demanded. "We cannot leave you here!"
"The Zora is wounded, and even healthy could not bear both of us across!" Cado returned coldly. "See to your task, Sir Link, as I now see to mine."
"He is right," Fronk added before snapping the arrow lodged in his arm and pulling it out with a painful grunt. The Zora seized Link by the waist and tossed him on his broad back. Ensuring the Hylian's arms were secured about his shoulders, Fronk dove into the swiftly running waters. "May Hylia swim with you, Master Cado. Take a deep breath, Master Link!"
Link's desperate attempt to communicate with the Sheikah forced him to fail at Fronk's instructions. The Zora took him underwater before he was ready, forcing a rush of black liquid into his mouth. He spluttered and choked, wishing with all his might for his head to break the surface and breathe in life-giving air. When it did, Fronk reached behind and patted his charge none too gently in the middle of his back. After Link gratefully coughed up the water he had swallowed, he saw that they were already a quarter of the way across the river, well away from the bank.
Link's relief was short-lived. A charging mass of torchlight illuminated a nightmare on Mercay. Lizalfos, dozens of them, were rushing the very place Link had last seen Cado. Even as he watched, several of the lizardspawn pointed in his direction and, to Link's horror, took to the water in fast pursuit.
"Hang on, Master Link!" Fronk shouted. This time Link managed to take a great breath before the Zora took him under once again. He could feel the strength by which Fronk bore him against the current which tried to pull them north.
Now that he was not choking on the river, however, Link was aware of another sensation. Without the sun to warm it, the running water was positively freezing. He could feel his body convulsing in an involuntary effort to stay warm. Link focused all his energy on keeping his arms firmly secured to Fronk's broad shoulders, lest his quickly numbing fingers lose their grip and leave him to the river's depths.
When they broke the surface again, Link saw they were more than halfway to the other side. A quick look behind confirmed that the unburdened lizalfos were gaining despite the current's pull.
"Zora! Zora! Zora!" Fronk shouted desperately to the east bank. "A Zora is here!"
Torchlight flared to life on the opposite bank. The illuminated scene jolted Link with hope: rows of fully armored Zora, all wielding beautifully curved bows of silver. A booming male voice answered Fronk's plea.
"Zora! Zora! Zora! Shafts and spears for the lizardspawn!"
Fronk dove once more, causing Link to miss seeing two score's worth of arrows soar through the night and into the water. The broadly aimed shafts found just three lizalfos in the gloom, but that was enough to force the remaining pursuers to scatter.
Link's body nearly went limp with relief when his next emergence from the water brought with it the sensation of firm ground beneath his feet. Zora and Hylian stumbled through the shallows to the bank, where another half score of the fish-like creatures waited for them.
Mei was among them. The green-skinned Zora rushed to support her husband, who was clearly ailing from his wound. She quickly seized and slapped a fresh handful of mud on the injury to staunch the bleeding.
"Are you all right, my love?" Mei asked worriedly. "Was the shaft poisoned?"
"No, no, current of my heart," Fronk smiled through gritted teeth. "It is deep, but not mortal. Proper binding will have me right as rain. I daresay a good time out of the water will do the same for Master Link, though he held his own in the river as well as any!"
Still dripping wet and gulping in sweet air, Link merely waved a hand in reply. The night's adventure had sapped all but the last strength from his legs, leaving him wobbling over his knees.
His respite was cut short by the arrival of another half-score's worth of Zora. Their leader was impossible to miss. He was half again as tall as any of the others in attendance, the dark red of his smooth skin shining from the torches held by some of his brethren. The fins at his elbows and hips were striped in brilliant turquoise and yellow, complemented by an intricately designed belt and pauldrons of silver. His golden eyes were set beneath shark-like headfins, the tail of which fell to the small of his back. Resting atop his head and just in front of the miniature dorsal fin was a finely wrought silver headpiece, topped by a perfect teardop of turquoise. An enormous, crescent-tipped spear hung at his back.
Reaching out a massive hand that dwarfed Link's own, the Zora knelt so he was somewhat at eye level and warmly introduced himself.
"You must be Link. I am Sidon, Prince of Zora's Domain."
Link took Sidon's hand somewhat hesitantly. He simply could not get over the size and impressive nature of the Zora before him. With his dominant physique and ready smile, Sidon oozed confidence, and Link saw it affect all around him. The other Zora - all roughly the same age of their prince or close to it - were clearly uplifted with their prince in their midst.
"I am Link," was all he could think to answer.
"A fantastic name!" Sidon exclaimed so sincerely that Link could not hide his embarrassment. Then, to his alarm, the prince appeared briefly pensive. "Though I cannot help but feel I have heard it somewhere before."
To Link's relief, a pale blue Zora interrupted the introductions.
"Your Highness, the lizalfos are regrouping to attack," she informed him quickly. "I fear the bank is too wide for us to hold out here."
"Quite right," Sidon agreed decisively. "Douse your torches! We must hasten to Inogo Bridge. We can hold them there. Three of you must help Mei with Fronk. His wounds can be properly addressed once the lizardspawn are dealt with. Another must return to Zora's Domain with all speed with news of our return."
"I will go, Your Highness."
Link was none too comforted to see it was Bazz who had volunteered. The ebony-skinned Zora's voice and expression were filled with an eagerness that made him uneasy. Link tried to tell himself it was just his imagination, especially when Sidon did not hesitate to accept the offer.
"Good Zora," Sidon praised him. "Tell my father that we have found a Hylian to aid our people and that further word will be sent once we are safe. May Hylia swim with you, captain!"
Bazz inclined his head and made to leave, but not before Link seized at his rubbery-skinned arm.
"My things," Link asked none too submissively. "You have them?"
There was no mistaking it. Distaste twisted Bazz's human-like face. In the company of his prince and others, however, the Zora had no choice but to hand over the still-wrapped bundle of Link's belongings.
"Thank you," Link offered.
Bazz did not reply. His eyes simply narrowed suspiciously before quickly departing along the bank. Link knew his abrupt departure would be interpreted as haste to obey his prince. Again, he wondered what the Zora who so openly disliked about him, but there was little time to dwell on the matter. Sidon and the others were already moving.
"This way, Link!" the prince gestured before setting off himself. Sidon continued to speak quite easily despite the group's quick pace. "Fronk mentioned you had a Sheikah friend, but they failed to tell me you were one of them as well. You are a fortuitous find indeed!"
"I am a friend of the Sheikah, but I am not counted among them," Link admitted breathily. "Their garb allowed me to cross the wetlands without discovery until the very end. I can only hope my companion escaped with his life."
"I am sure Hylia swims with anyone associated with one as brave as you," Sidon reassured him. Again, Link felt his face flush. He could not remember being around anyone so willing to look to the positive, much less express it so readily. Link's spirits could not help but feel raised around the Zora prince.
"Fronk also told me of your bravery in saving his beloved," Sidon added. "You must be a gifted warrior indeed to face so many lizardspawn, much less defeat them!"
"I did no more than anyone should," Link panted.
"Spoken like the knights of old!" Sidon laughed heartily. Then he looked down and noticed Link's labored jogging. "I must apologize, Link. You have journeyed long and hard this night. And though we would prefer to swim, our strides are much longer than yours. The bridge is not far. Then you may rest and watch us do our part!"
"I will not watch you risk your lives," Link huffed determinedly. "My sword and bow are yours if you will have them, Your Highness."
"As you wish," Sidon accepted graciously. "Conserve yourself until then. You will see the Inogo Bridge - the first true sign of my people's kingdom - very soon."
Link adhered to the prince's suggestion while trying to ignore the pain in his legs and a new stitch searing in his side. The party followed the bank as it turned east. Link saw it was now becoming a formal path as they left wetlands behind. The river to their right was more defined here, narrow and swift. Trees dotted both sides of the path. The Sheikah tower reared from its perch atop the hill on the south side of the river, its orange light faintly illuminating their way. So far, nothing else disturbed the night's quiet aside from the Zoras' steady breathing.
"Where… are they?" Link panted.
"The lizardspawn?" Sidon confirmed. "No doubt they are either swimming upriver or scaling the opposite bank in an effort to head us off at the bridge. They will have a difficult time either way. The Zora's current is strong and the southern bank is steep, and we are watching both."
Link nodded in understanding before another question presented itself. The path forked ahead, its left side veering north while the right continued east along the river.
"Where… does that lead?" Link asked with a gesture to the left-most road.
"To Akkala and Death Mountain," Sidon answered readily. "There are few Zora who have taken that path. The fire mountain is too hot for us, and as for Akkala, we prefer a wetter route. Ah! Behold, Link, the Inogo Bridge!"
Just beyond the fork, the eastward path straightened enough to allow a more direct view ahead. Towers of wondrous silver and blue-glowing stone rose majestically from the near bank, marking the beginning of a gracefully curved bridge that spanned the Zora River. Battlements circled the towers halfway up their length, illuminated by what Link recognized to be carved luminous stones. The entire structure, he realized, was made visible by the wondrous rock having been incorporated throughout. The effect was peaceful and inviting, bordering on magical.
"I see you appreciate the works of my forebears. You honor us."
Sidon's words made Link realize he had come to a complete, slack-jawed halt. He shook his head ruefully at the spell the structure had woven over him.
"You need no honor from me, not when you honor yourselves with works such as this," Link gestured warmly. "Truly, Hylia has blessed your people with gifts, and they have done them justice."
Sidon's broad smile deepened. "Well said!" he said heartily. "Now, then, we had best-"
A flight of arrows hissed from high among the rocks of the opposite bank, finding at least five of the marching Zora. Sharp sprays of water shot from the river itself, causing further confusion among the closely gathered group. Hisses and unnerving clicks issued from both areas, revealing their attackers as the lizalfos they had sought to escape.
"Stay out of the water!" Sidon shouted. "To the bridge, quickly!"
En masse, the large Zora and lone Hylian raced along the path to the softly lit Inogo. Arrows continued to harry them, leaving several more Zora wounded and staggering behind the main group. At least half a dozen had fallen and would not rise again.
A high note sounded from the nearest bridge tower. Link saw several large silhouettes hurry round the battlements, unshouldering bows and rushing to aid their harassed brethren. Sidon's party dove behind the tower and the low bridge wall in an effort to seek cover from the lizalfos' volleys. Those who were still able drew their own bows, but Link saw with dismay that the lizalfos' perch on the opposite bank was much higher. The Zora were pinned, trapped on their own bridge and able to be picked off at the monsters' leisure.
"They were waiting for us!" Sidon hissed in rage. The Zora prince ripped out an arrow protruding from his shoulder and snapped it as though it were a twig. "Cowardly scum! Hylia curse the tower that allowed them this advantage!"
"What are you talking about?" Link shouted above the melee.
"The rocks on that hill were hardly so high before that Sheikah tower sprang from the ground like a weed!" Sidon explained loudly. "The earth it moved piled on top of what was already there. The Inogo was hardly a disadvantage before now! "
Link remembered back to the sight of all the Sheikah towers rising as one, relentless in their ascent from deep underground. He now understood how some would have greatly altered their immediate surroundings.
Link looked desperately to the bridge tower, where the Zora archers were having at least a modicum of success compared to those on the bridge itself. He knew that even in daylight, this would dissolve into a skirmish of sniping, one in which the lizalfos held the higher ground and upper hand. If only there was a way to dislodge the monsters from their perch…
Link's hands darted to the ties keeping his drycloth-wrapped bundle intact. Shoving aside food, wood and flint, he found the object of his search: a sealed quiver lined with thick wool. The inside was also heavily padded, leaving room for only a handful of uniquely tipped shafts.
"Are those bomb arrows?" Sidon exclaimed, his yellow eyes shining anew with realization.
"Yes, but they will do little good down here," Link quickly replied. "Can you get me up to the tower?"
"Absolutely, my friend!" the prince assured him before calling to the battlements above them. "Gruve! Our friend Link is joining you. Listen to him as you would to me! Quickly now!"
Link quickly climbed the silver-blue ladder up the bridge side of the tower. A blue-skinned Zora helped him up to the battlements, then listened intently as Link explained what was about to happen.
"As soon as the first arrow strikes, have your archers rake the water," Link instructed him. "Do the same after my second arrow. That should give us the window we need to get out of here."
With a nod of satisfaction, Gruve shouted to the remaining archers.
"On this side of the tower, all of you!" the Zora shouted. "Stay low and leave the Hylian plenty of room. Be ready to out and loose on my command!"
The Zora's momentary cease-fire produced a lull in the fighting as the lizalfos waited to see an errant limb or fin betray itself. Link belly-crawled along the circular battlements until he was on the river side. He carefully drew one of the bomb arrows, its end nothing more than a drooping sack of cloth. Fingering the fletching, Link drew a deep breath. Then, in one movement, he rose to his feet, turned, drew and loosed toward the rock outcropping. The sound of the arrow's flight sounded ominous in its solitude.
Chaos erupted in a flash of fire and smoke. Even as an orange-and-black cloud bloomed amid cracked and falling boulders, a hissing volley of Zora arrows peppered the river water. Thin streams of blood showed at least some of them had found their mark among the depths.
Another bomb arrow and Zora volley sewed further death and distraction among the lizardspawn ranks. The fire briefly illuminated several of the monsters fleeing back towards the wetlands, while those wounded or slain fell into the running currents below.
"Down and across the bridge, Zora!" Gruve bellowed.
In all, some three score of the creatures raced across the Inogo as fast as their webbed feet allowed. Link tried to keep up, but fatigue and pain seized his legs, forcing him to collapse the moment he let go of the ladder.
Without a word, Sidon picked Link up and carried him with no more effort than had he been a babe. With determined speed, the Zora ran the path's jagged course along the river, their prince bearing the now unconscious Hylian come to save them.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What is it about Sidon that makes him so many fans' favorite character? I'm sure the answer varies, but I tried to capture as many of them as I could in our first look at him from Link's perspective. I'm really looking forward to his role expanding from here on out, including in the Books 3-6. This is also our first action scene of the Zora at large. There will be others. The wetlands must be retaken, after all.
While the idea of different clothing with various abilities is fun in a game, it took a good deal of brainstorming to figure out how I could use a modest slice of that concept without seeming unrealistic. I'm not comfortable with Link switching from Sheikah to climbing to fighting gear on a whim. I did feel that the Sheikah garments worked out in this scenario, however.
Bazz is a new x-factor, and it's clear his motives may not coincide with his prince. How far those motives stray will reveal itself in the coming chapters. In the meantime, thanks so much for your readership. Whether it's passing time at work, enjoying free time at home, or snatching a quick read on the go, I appreciate you. Feel free to leave a comment/review on the latest chapter and, if you haven't already, tap that Fav/Follow button to make sure you don't miss the next one. Hope life is treating you well! - mattwrites