Link woke the next morning to Linebeck and Damien making breakfast in the cooking pot in the corner of the room. He groggily got up, noting that neither Midna nor Ghirahim were in the room and stumbled over to them. He peered over their shoulders, and muttered, "I thought you were done with being nice for the month, Linebeck."

Linebeck scowled, waving him away. "It was Damien's idea. Once we're done, go and get Ghirahim and Midna. They should be training or something. They've been up for a while. We're making omelets with some fish and onions. The eggs look like they'll be good. The general store near here is nice."

"I'll need to head out for wood around noon," Damien muttered, sounding a bit less cheery than normal. "I asked some guards, and the lizalfos are awful around here. Sounds like it'll be hell, but you can fight them off, right?"

"I'll be ready," Link informed him. "I've got records of lizalfos behavior and tactics within my memory logs. Easier than Yiga." He sat down on the other side of the pot. "We got a nice room," Link murmured, looking around at the little kitchen area, separate from the beds. "It's like an apartment. Didn't know being a carpenter got you so much money."

"I managed to sell pretty much everything in Kakariko," Damien reminded him. "Besides, I occasionally work the odd job on the side. I've got enough to spare." He added a small pinch of salt to the mixture. "Go find them. We're almost done here."

Link nodded and left the room, taking nothing extra with him. The rest of the inn was fairly large, as the island it was situated on was also one of the larger ones. He smiled at the innkeeper and left the building, walking out into the sunny morning. Fish could be seen in the clear waters of the lake, and a group of Zora on an island not far from the inn were spearing some of the bass and carp near the surface.

The largest structure, the palace of the royal family, was beautiful and near the inn. It was held up by silver swooping arches and columns with designs of Zora warriors and artisans etched carefully into the metal. High towers were set at the corners of the palace, and a large statue of some sort of fish was perched atop the roof, looking to portray some kind of guardian. During their sparring the day before, Zelda had advised him to not enter the palace without explicit direction or permission to do so.

Link crossed the bridge to the small, nearby island with a few wooden benches. A pair of Zora children were peering down at a lone frog at the water's edge. He hadn't explored the domain much besides traveling to the training grounds the day before. A lot of the kids stayed on some of the middle buildings, but adult Zora were found all around. Most of the Zora looked happy and calm, but, as Link went from section to section, he couldn't help but notice that the guards looked to be on edge. They peered around with sharp eyes, usually scanning the lake's beaches and the forest beyond the sand.

Link found the training grounds quicker than he had the day before and found Midna and Ghirahim energetically sparring with one another. They both had a frenzied sort of look in their eyes, and their hair was a mess. They were both panting heavily when Link walked over. Midna had a Zora spear in her hands, the spear they'd originally brought forgotten with their bags. Ghirahim had his saber, of course, but his red cloak was tossed aside. "Hi, you two," he pleasantly said, waving at them.

They both halted, staring at him. Link looked at them for a few seconds, noting their messy hair, rumpled clothing, and tired eyes. "You guys were up all night while training, weren't you?"

Ghirahim let out a short laugh. "Yeah. Now I know why Linebeck's such a grumpy pain in the ass all the time. But we've made progress!" He held up his hand for a moment, and a small circle made up of hovering red and black diamonds appeared. "Touch it."

Link placed a finger on the circle, finding it to be sturdy like a wall. "You figured out your magic? What about Midna?"

Ghirahim smiled weakly and let the little spot disappear. "I can only make little barriers right now, and they're like glass. I've been having Midna practice with them." He waved his hand, and a group of identical barriers appeared before him. As if on cue, Midna lunged and shattered each one with well-aimed and swift jabs. "I'm working on doing some knife summoning next, or maybe teleporting. We started with trying to figure out teleporting but ended up deciding that that was dangerous."

Link nodded. That did seem like a wise decision. "Have you figured anything out, Midna?"

She shrugged, rubbing at her eyes with a free hand. "A lot of my magic is teleportation based, so I'm stil working on it. As for the mimicry, I've managed to mimic a few people's voices and change my eye color, but that's as far as I've gotten on that. What time is it?"

"10:13. Damien told me to get you guys. He and Linebeck are making breakfast, I think."

They collected their stuff and returned to the inn just under ten minutes. Midna made a comment on the seemingly nervous guards, and Ghirahim muttered something about the lizalfos. They dumped their stuff on their beds and met the other two at the table, finishing up the food. "Give us a minute," Damien murmured, gesturing for them to sit. "It's almost done."

They put out the fire underneath the cooking pot and Linebeck gave the group plates while Damien split up five omelets. The moment they got their food, Midna and Ghirahim dug in like a pair of starved wolves, and Link subtly scooted away from them. He poked at his omelet and took a bite out of it, finding it to be tasty. Linebeck and Damien took their food and ate standing in the far corner of the room, talking to each other. Based off their periodic glances towards Link and Linebeck's concerned expression, they were most likely discussing Damien's plans to collect wood later that day.

They finished quickly enough, leaving the plates stacked up on the table by the cooking pot. Linebeck and Damien talked for a few minutes longer, and the conversation was ended with the pair of them sharing a quick kiss. Damien approached Link soon after. "We should check with the guards around the domain before heading out today. Do you have anything to do before noon? We could go a bit early."

Link shrugged. "We can go early if you want. I don't have anything planned." The pair of them agreed to set out early, and Link gathered up his sword and shield, telling the others that they were leaving. Damien had a fairly sized bag with him, and quickly told Link had he could find an axe in the domain to use.

Bazz was situated at the entrance of Zora's Domain. Damien borrowed a silver axe from the training guards, letting the weaponsmith there that it was going to be used to woodcutting. The black-scaled Zora stopped the two of them at the gates. "What are you two doing? I know you're both esteemed guests since Zelda personally met with you, but we need to know what you're planning to do."

Damien was the one to answer. "We're going to head out for a little bit so that I can do some woodcutting. Link is coming with me to fight off any lizalfos that attack." Link nodded. "Is something going on? I don't mean to pry, but some of the guards here have looked a bit nervous. I know there's some nasty business going on with the Yiga, so should we be worried about that, too?"

Bazz smiled weakly, but his eyes still showed worry. "We have a... situation going on with the lizalfos. They've been abducting Zora and others who stray too far from the Domain, and none who've been taken have returned. You can go, but I'll have one of my own go with you for extra safety."

Link and Damien nodded slowly and exchanged a concerned glance. Bazz called over a female Zora with dark brown scales and she politely introduced herself as Torfeau. Link and Damien introduced themselves, and out were on their way, halfway across the bridge. They walked a few paces in front of Torfeau. She had a different spear than most of the other Zora guards, one that some of the more skilled-looking guards had.

Once confident that Torfeau was out of earshot, Link leaned in towards Damien. "What were you and Linebeck talking about? It almost seemed like an argument. Is something wrong?"

Damien shook his head. "No, everything's fine. He had just noticed the nervous guards and heard about the lizalfos. I didn't take him seriously when he told me that it was probably a bad idea to head out today. He made a point to remind me of one time we got attacked by some stray bokoblins at the edge of the city a few months ago. I convinced him that'd it'd be fine after telling him that you were coming with me."

"That makes sense," Link mumbled. He hopped off the bridge onto the solid ground. "I get the feeling that Linebeck will kill me if you get hurt while we're out here."

Behind them, Torfeau said, "To the east, around a pool of water, is a dense part of the forest. Not many lizalfos have been seen there." Link and Damien nodded and allowed her to take the lead.

Damien sighed, continuing the first conversation. "He wouldn't. He'd probably yell at you, but he'd mostly stay quiet and wrap up any of my wounds. I've gotten hurt plenty of times. He never gets mad or anything. Just worried." He smiled brightly at Link, reaching over and playfully rubbing his shoulder. "He won't kill you."

"He can take me apart but by bit, though," Link said, adding a dramatic sigh. "I could fight Linebeck off, though. He's skinny, barely eats. Can't be too strong. Sure, he's got a knife, but I don't bleed. I win once I touch him, anyways. Anyways. How much wood are you planning to collect?"

Holding up his bag, Damien shook it and shrugged. "About this much. I don't need much. I'm teaching Linebeck to do some wood carvings, so mostly just enough for him. Rito Village is one of my better clients, so I'll actually get back to furniture once we end up there."

Torfeau fought off a pair of bold boars that had been eyeing the group for the past few minutes. Link had considered helping her out, but she simply told him to save his energy for the lizalfos. "We have a mile left," Torfeau murmured, "But it should be worth it. We don't use wooden furniture since the general humidity of the Domain ruins it, but it's good if we need to burn it or use it for trade." She shot a toothy smile at Damien. "You should get some good use from whatever you get. Killing a few lizalfos should net you two some money, too. Their parts are good for selling or for use in potions. Fair warning while you're getting wood- there's a hinox in that part of the forest. It's a good idea to locate where it is and then avoid it."

"You've never tried to kill it?" Link asked. Hinoxes were formidable monsters, but with spears and long-ranged attacks, they were manageable. "If you get rid of it, wouldn't that make that area just a little bit safer?"

A pair of deer ran across the path ahead of them, causing the three of them to jump. Checking the surrounding forest, Torfeau slowly admitted, "We have actually killed it a few times. It just... keeps coming back. Same with some of the lizalfos- we'll kill a bunch, and the next day it's like nothing happened. We once posted some guards around the hinox's usual resting place after we killed it, and they reported back with the information that it simply reappeared at midnight."

"What?" Damien asked, his voice low. "That's... impossible. I've heard of spells that can bring back a ghost or reanimate the dead for short periods of time, but... what do you guys think is going on? Do you guys suspect Yiga interference?"

Torfeau shook her head. "No. We actually set up a few sentry robots in safe parts of the forest, and none have seen any Yiga action. We have little trouble with the Yiga. Mipha actually seems to view them as possible allies, despite their attacks on the Sheikah and people in the city. She's a kind and beloved princess to us, but a few of the older Zora worry about her attitude towards the Yiga." She rested her spear against her shoulder and peered up at the unique spearhead. "I trust Mipha. This type of spear is given to the skilled guards of our Domain. Mipha awards them, not Bazz, but he recommends those of us who may be worthy of them. There's a sentry robot around here, if you guys are curious."

"Sure!" Link exclaimed. He hadn't seen many robots outside the city. Midna had told him that Kakariko would have some, but he only saw a few on his way out of the lab. Most of them in the lab had been tasked to help with inventions or test things out. "Where is it?"

It was a short detour off the path to find the robot. It was hidden well, in a bush, a small creature that could have been mistaken for a dog. Torfeau picked it up. "It's not that heavy," she mused. It twitched but didn't do anything. "Most of our sentries have no minds of their own, but a few near the path to Zora's Domain can be triggered into action if it detects a threat." She pressed something on the back of the robot's head, and a small disk popped out. "We check these periodically. We have had little to no Yiga problems for the past few years."

"Makes sense," Damien mused. "You guys are pretty well equipped to handle attacks. Did Zelda tell you guys of the possible Yiga threat right now?"

Torfeau nodded. "Yes. We believe we have little to fear, but we will be ready no matter what." She set the robot back in its bush, taking care to cover it back up. "The good trees are a little way down the path. Will you be felling whole trees, or cutting off branches? If we're too loud, the hinox may wake."

"I'll only cut off branches," Damien said. "I can only carry so much." He looked over the silver axe he brought. "Are your axes good?"

"Of course. Should be good for you. Just be sure to return it when done. We don't have too many of those."

Torfeau allowed Link and Damien to go on alone as she scouted the area. They found a good patch of trees, and Damien got to work on cutting off a few low-hanging branches. Link stood neaby, relaxed but with both his shield and sword at the ready. "So, uh. I thought you'd said that you'd never been outside the city when we were on the way to Kakariko?"

Damien leaned out on the branch he was sitting on, studying branches above him. "Oh, right, I did say that. Sorry, I didn't mean to lie. It was a slip of the tongue- I have been around the world. I guess I meant I'd never been outside with Linebeck. He's always wanted to travel the world, that I know, but he clearly never had the opportunity. I think Midna thought about it one time but was too occupied with figuring out her past." He laughed to himself. "They're a weird bunch. You included."

Link shrugged. "Well, I'm the most advanced robot right now and I might be from 200 years ago, so, yeah. The three of them are strange." He smiled to himself. "One turns out to be a lost demon lord, another a Twili, and then we've got Linebeck. He's somehow the most normal despite being well over six feet tall and with two prosthetic limbs and a personal AI."

"Y'know," Damien mused, getting to chopping off a branch. "Midna's actually a few inches taller than him. It's hard to tell because of his hair and because his boots have heels. They both tell me that Ghirahim was pissed to be the shortest until you turned up and took his place. He's still tall, though." The branch landed on the ground with a dull thud.

Link peered around for a moment, looking for any lizalfos and their jagged-edged weapons. From what he knew, they weren't the quietest of monsters, making odd grunts and loudly exploring the underbrush. They made up for their lack of stealth with speed, moving like the overgrown lizards they were, attacking with their long tails or tongues. He knew that a few spat fire or ice, but those in forests were standard, without any elementally inclined powers.

Damien dropped down from the tree and got to hacking off parts of the branch. Link watched him, then sat in the grass. He set his shield down and peered at the sectioned design on it. "How'd you come up with this design?" Link asked, pointing at each symbol in turn. "Two hearts, a key, and... this creature. It's a cool emblem, if that's what you'd call it." He glanced around again, paranoid.

Damien frowned at the emblem. He stuffed a few thick strips of wood in his bag. "Dunno. Just thought of it. I like to come up with a lot of different symbols and crests. I finish work quickly and don't get that many commissions, so I have time to mess around, carving small statues and pictures. That was a design that I've doodled a few times. A few of my other friends like it, too."

"Oh. I thought it might have some kind of cultural significance."

"Nah, just a doodle. This..." Damien rolled over the branch. He'd cut off a few smaller branches and cut away notches in the wood. He got to his feet, brushing himself off. "I think I'm good, actually. Didn't need much. Let's go and find Torfeau." Link nodded, and they set off into the forest once again.

"She should be easy to find," Link mused. "Her scales are dark, her armor is bright, she's tall and got that spear..." He frowned to himself. "Did you see where she went?"

"Further into the forest that way," Damien answered, pointing to their left. "I spotted a few lizalfos that way. I bet she decided to go and fight them off. That spear of hers looks lethal."

"It does," Link murmured, following Damien into the underbrush. "She must be skilled to properly use it. I know the Zora are renowned for their skill with a spear. Midna will find good mentors here." He stepped over a fallen spear. "Looks like she came through here," he said, indicating to the spear. "No body..."

"Monster corpses turn into smoke, I thought you knew that," Damien said.

They found more lizalfos weapons and eventually spotted Torfeau in a clearing, easily dispatching a pair of lizalfos will well-aimed thrusts at their chests. She glanced idly over to them. "Hey. You done? I'm ready to go if you are." She flipped her grip on her spear, allowing the spearhead to waver a few inches from the ground.

"We're done." Link offered her a faint smile and got nothing in return. She walked over to join them and started on her way to lead them back to Zora's Domain. Damien only shrugged at Link and followed her. The robot huffed to himself, watching them go. One of the nearby bushes rustled, and he jogged after them.

They returned safely, greeting the two guards at the main gate. They walked silently down the bridge. About halfway across, Torfeau stopped them with her arm out. "Do you see what's going on?"

Link frowned. He shifted his gaze to Zora's Domain. A crowd of people were bustling around on one of the middle islands. "What... building is that?" At his side, Damien was squinting at the same island, unable to see as well as the robot could. "What's going on?"

"That's our hospital," Torfeau hissed. "What the hell...?" She shot a glance back at Link and Damien. "Excuse me." As she finished her words, she sprinted off, dashing down the bridge. Link and Damien were at her heels, quickly understanding that something was wrong.

Torfeau ignored the bridges and dove into the water. Link and Damien sprinted from island to island. Zora going about their days looked nervous, giving the two of them little attention. They reached the island in time to see what was going on. The small island that was apparently dubbed the hospital had a small building similar to the inn. A crowd of Zora were huddled around the entrance, murmuring to themselves. Link spotted Torfeau inside the building, along with Ghirahim, Midna, and Linebeck standing near a red-scaled Zora that he didn't recognize.

They made their way through the crowd, apologizing profusely to the Zora that they accidentally shoved aside. The first room of the hospital seemed to be like a check-in room, a rather flustered Zora talking with the red-scaled Zora. Link and Damien awkwardly stumbled over to Ghirahim and the others. "What's going on?" Link quietly asked, peering around. He spotted Zelda on the opposite side of the room.

Linebeck mostly ignored him, all his attention on Damien. Midna shrugged. "We don't know. We heard some shouting and Zelda told us to follow her here. If Mipha's here, though, someone's probably hurt."

Ghirahim crossed his arms. "Soon after you two left, a group of Zora went out, apparently to check on the matter with the lizalfos. I think they got injured or something."

As he stopped talking, Zelda strode over to them. "Good," she began. "Link has returned. I apologize for not telling you what happened. Mipha wanted to tell you all once Link came back. She wishes to talk to you at some point." With an extended hand, Zelda gestured towards the red-scaled Zora with silver jewelry. "She shall be with you once done with them."

Mipha was done soon enough, and she turned around, spotting Link. Her eyes widened for a moment, then she walked over to them. "Hello," she said, speaking softly. "Are you Link? I was informed by those at Kakariko Village that you would be coming. Zelda says that you may be the hero of this era, despite your being a robot." She smiled thinly. "We should talk elsewhere. I am no longer needed here."

The Zora princess led them out of the hospital, gently letting the waiting Zora know that everything was going to be fine. The group found quiet behind the hospital. Mipha let out a long breath. "The group that we sent out got attacked by a gang of lizalfos," she said. "It's been getting worse. I... hope you can do something to help, but I suppose I shouldn't be bitter if you can't. I've healed all of the Zora that were hurt, in case you're worried..."

Link nodded. The others were silent. Damien and Midna looked the most interested, while Ghirahim's gaze didn't linger on a single thing. Linebeck looked preoccupied. Bellum was nowhere to be seen. "We can try, though. I'd like to try and help. Do you think we can?"

Mipha shrugged. "Well. Lizalfos have been capturing people, and we can't pinpoint the location of where they're being taken. I've considered joining a group of guards and intentionally getting caught, but we're all worried about getting killed the moment it happens." She paused and crossed her arms. "However, you could do that, Link."

Link frowned. Everyone else seemed to suddenly stiffed. "What do you mean?"

"You're a robot! I doubt the lizalfos would know, and you wouldn't die since you're organic." Mipha glanced nervously at Linebeck. "Right? I'm not good with technology, honestly, but am I at least partially right?"

Linebeck shrugged. "Maybe. He's... very human-like. I'm too worried that he might sustain too much damage. I could try and create a tracker to locate their hideout once he's taken, but it would take a few days." He rubbed the back of his neck, a shrewd glint entering his eyes. "I'm working on another project at the same time, but I'd be willing to speed things up if you can provide with some motivation of sorts. Payment. I'll have the tracker done and ready in three days if you'll pay me enough."

A quick glance at Midna and Ghirahim's faces told Link that they all shared the same thought- the only thing keeping them from socking Linebeck in the face was their shared care towards him, and his aphenphosmphobia. Even Damien looked miffed. Mipha, however, scowled. "Bastard. However, we're desperate." Her scowl turned into a pleasant smile, but the venom in her eyes was obvious to all. "We'll pay you after you create the working tracker. You have three days. After that, you'll get no payment." Mipha sighed heavily, looking to the side. Most of the Zora seemed to be returning to their calm daily routine. "As the princess of the Zora, I'm willing to do nearly anything to keep them safe."

Link nodded slightly. "I promise to try and help your people. I... I want to fulfill my role as a hero, or at least save some lives. Sorry about Linebeck. He's an asshole by default. Tracker or no tracker, I'll try and find out where your people have been taken."

Mipha nodded. "Thank you. I must add- we have tried following the kidnappers before but got lost along the way. It's too dangerous to trail them but watching from afar gets us lost. With the tracker, you could follow more successfully, or watch for when he stops and go there. I'd go with you if I wasn't needed here."

"I'll get started, then." Glares followed Linebeck as he walked away, but none of them stopped him.

The Zora princess sighed once again, averting her eyes. "Well, then. Ghirahim, Midna, you're learning magic, correct? If you'd like, I'd like to see if I can help you. I'm the best healer here." Mipha peered momentarily at Link and Damien. "You two may leave. Link, I thank you in advance for your help." Link nodded stiffly and turned to leave.

Damien hesitated. "Mipha?" he asked.

The princess peered over at him with a smile, familiarity glinting in her eyes. "Yes?"

"Do you want me to help, too?"

She paused. "You don't need to include yourself, and you're not a part of the team that Zelda approved. It would be safest for you to stay here."

Damien nodded, and left with Link.

"Do you know Mipha?" Link asked once they returned to the inn. "She seemed like she already knew you."

Damien tossed his bag on the table. "We've met a few times. She's not like Zelda, she talks with her people and is generally pretty social even if she is timid." He strode over to Linebeck, who had a pile of miscellaneous parts and tools on his bed. "Well, I won't be joining you guys on your great lizalfos heist, but I'd like to help before then." He went quiet as he watched Linebeck work.

Watching them, Link became more aware of his synthetic heartbeat. He zoned out slightly, thinking about his more human aspects. The lizalfos had been taking Zora, would they take something looking like a Hylian? He sighed. He had hoped to learn more about himself on this journey, and he only learned that he had a temper. A small frown tugged at the corner of his mouth. If anything, he'd learn the most about himself if Linebeck would inspect him more.

The engineer was silently scrawling notes in a notebook while Damien was murmuring to him. He picked up a few parts, setting some in one pile and others back in the large pile. Bellum had reappeared, floating around the parts. Link's best guess was that they were starting work on the tracker. However that would end up working. The strange screws and gears that Linebeck had been collecting were being taken while he looked through the pile but left in a third pile off to the side.

Asking for rewards and seemingly not caring aside, Link knew that he could be confident that Linebeck would come through with the tracker. From what Mipha had said, it seemed that the tracker would be used to follow Link to the lizalfos hideout and break out all of the captured Zora, dismantling the lizalfos threat. But then there was the problem of the monsters somehow reappearing at midnight, and the true nature of the lizalfos's plans. He sighed rather loudly to himself, getting the others' attention.

"What are you thinking about?" Linebeck asked from across the room. "That was too loud of a sigh for it to be nothing."

Link unconsciously reached up and touched at his earrings. "I'm just worried. That's all."

Linebeck laughed harshly. "The world ended 200 years ago, and no one knows why; we're all worried."