Ha! Not bad. Not bad at all.

Lucius's illuminations had flushed the rest of the rats out of the shadows, rushing them into a pathetic shamble of a confrontation. Swiftly, they were dispatched. Eliminated by the group of adventurers with a pleasing efficiency - and variety - primed as they were by the first wave.

The withdrawn and sombre (and appreciatingly sensible) Zora used patience and intellect to dispatch his threats. The engineer applied her quick wit to an even quicker, deft hand that displayed skill over both wind-magic and effective resourcefulness. While the Reneaux... Her feral bloodrage did not go unnoticed. Though whether through fortune or practice she knew when to stop drinking so deep of its power.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Another shambling corpse of smoking scrap fell to Lucius's hand. Or, well, in this scenario, his boot: a reflexive roundhouse kick had swiftly beheaded the last of the constructs. The idea did - very briefly - flit through his mind to leave it for the mysterious Rito and his drifting spears, just so he could more accurately gauge that fellow's abilities too... But well, such conduct went against his code. The thought was deleted as abruptly as it had arisen.

"If it pleases you," Lucius turned back to the cooling soldier, who still stared at him breathless and seeking. Eyes of lavender. He smiled. "I would be honoured to share stories of her achievements. We moved in very similar spheres of society, and it was my humble privilege to train many of the fine knights who came to work below her."

"But let us leave such tales for a finer time more befitting of them." His attention drifted then to Lady Purah. Her entourage of scientists and mages poured into the newly secured area, swiftly getting to work in stabilising both its security and its resting conquerors.

"You two know each other?" The engineer lady from before inquired, settling in next to her friend. It pleased him to see an ally so comfortably sat beside the young Reneaux. He was glad to see that even now her family line naturally attracted earnest companions.

"A friend of the family, perhaps." Lucius clarified, though his own smile slanted with discomfort at such a bold statement. Was that overstepping? With the Knight-Commander herself no longer walking this realm, the calculations required to run an accurate assessment on that front were lacking. Hmn. "Or a colleague, at the very least." He humbly corrected.

Nonetheless, more permanently illuminated as the room now was, the makeshift lantern in Lucius's grasp lost its lustre and dimmed back to its original, hollow rest. Its hardware and inbuilt laser may prove useful though, so at Purah's behest he handed the head off to a nearby robe who fumbled with the thing as if shocked by the gesture.

Ah.

It took Lucius a second too long to compute that it was literally too hot to handle: the structure still burning with dissipating energy! "Good Goddesses!!!" The knight exclaimed, aghast, WRENCHING it out of his stubborn mittens just as abruptly as he'd put it there. He threw the scrap aside, grabbed the scholar's wrists, and quickly set about blowing the fiercest of breaths upon the seared leathers of his palms. "My humblest apologies, Sir! Does the pain ail you greatly?!"

No. Oh no! This was no good! As Lucius looked up at him through his long, long, incredibly long and glittering eyelashes, he saw how brightly the stranger's face burned red! A fever too?! This did not bode well!

"QUICKLY!" Lucius barked to the side, summoning a mage in due haste. "Assistance here, please!"

Suffice to say it took the medic more than just a few words of assurance that the scholar was actually doing quite well. In fact, there were not even any burns below his gloves - Lucius carefully inspected the bared skin himself! And the suspected fever?

"J-just-.. Er.. well it's the... altitude. Yeah." The man himself cleared his throat, awkwardly averting his eyes under the knight's scrutinisingly beautiful stare. He did indeed appear to have trouble stringing his words together. A lack of breath? Hmn. That was another symptom then, yes.

"Very well then," He finally acquiesced. "But ensure you take good care of those fine hands so they may continue their fine work." Aiming to instill comfort in the struggling man, he gave the slender shoulder a firm squeeze. No wonder he was struggling at this altitude: the poor fellow's diet was clearly lacking in adequate levels of protein!

"...Right." The scholar squeaked.

Good heavens, he was getting redder by the moment! It was almost as if the deeper Lucius frowned the more his symptoms escalated! "And perhaps get some fresh air." He urged. "Rest assured, you have my oath no harm shall come to you." It appeared the assisting mage was of the same mind, as with an oddly amused glint to her eyes she hurriedly shepherded the poor man away. 

...Why was this situation amusing?

Lucius stared after the departing duo in puzzled contemplation. It was only after a few long moments of failed conclusions that he finally tore his attention away, noting - with a mildly surprised quirk of the brow - that the reticent Rito from earlier had been staring at him. For how long? Lucius did not know. Though it hardly mattered really.

There was work to be done!

With a polite bow of his head and a gracious smile, the knight turned away from all of his present company to instead patrol the perimeter. While all the traps in this room had been disarmed, who knew what threats lurked nearby? Eventually he stopped at the door to the left chamber. His every movement hushed into complete silence. Even his breathing animation was halted. Gently, he pressed an ear against the smooth door, a glaze of light settling across the entirety of his eyes. It remained as he listened.

A low hum.

The occasional crackle - of electricity?

Circuity, was Lucius' hypothesis. Of traps or puzzles? ...Or perhaps both. From his collected knowledge, Zonai ruins rarely did one or the other.

"How valuable is this structure, Lady Purah?" Leaning away from the door he rapped a gloved knuckle against the surface, sending a visible, rippling shockwave of his own magic through the entirety of its form. It was thick. Not insurmountably so, but substantial nonetheless. "Is reasonable destruction permitted?"

The Sheikah shrugged, adjusting her glasses against a forming frown. "As long as you don't blow the whole place up, you can do what you like really. But... please don't be stupid about it, yes? If you insist on strongarming your way through, do so in moderation: One. Room. At a time. ...Alright?"

Lucius nodded. "Affirmative."

With a sweeping glance he observed the rest of the room, ensuring all of his new companions had successfully recovered their strength and gathered their bearings. "To the sides then if you please, ladies and gentleman." Boomed the polite order, as the knight strode the entire length of the chamber - all the way to the opposite end. "...And brace yourselves for impact. There is a chance these doors are thick enough to have muffled our presence, but even so, I do not believe stealth will be a successful strategy in this instance."

His eyes narrowed, keening to fine blades of draconic chroma as they locked onto the target before him. "Let us continue the ambush."

He did not allow further input. There was no time for it. The decision had been made and already its commands were in motion, whipping a fierce gale about his form that tore at his blonde locks and swirled his cape in dramatic arcs. Crackle. Fizzle. POP and spark. As a sheen - synthetic and jewelled - washed across his entirety, the air electrified.

One second he was there.

The next, he was gone.

A beam of fierce lightning - that the quick of eye would note as Farosh in likeness - sliced the air asunder, heat and light blasting across the chamber before striking the door with an exploding, resounding, rattling BOOM. For just a second the structure resisted, whining and burning bright against the great two-handed blade which had impaled it. But it was no match for The Knight's Star. In no time at all his thunder cracked and shattered the door asunder, a cobwebbed shower of fragments left in his wake as the sentient sword soared on through - leading the charge until it struck true.

From the looks of it, Collin did not need to be told to enjoy his drink, but Yuru would do so anyway.

"Naw, thanks, I'm good," the Yiga declined, eyeing the skewer his brother in charms waved at him. "Voltfruit, apple, and.. wildberry, eh? Too fruity for me," he professed, a toothy grin plastered over his face.

"Yanno, ain't surprised there's no durian. And I'm not talking about it stinkin' up the place..." he added.
Deeper into the jungles of Faron, you'd trip over the damn things, so it was a given that the locals would know that durian and alcohol did not play nice together.
He'd only found out himself after that stakeout nearby Harker Lake.

The lads had been bored witless, soaked to their underwear and covered in insect bites, and with morale at its nadir, Yuru had turned a blind eye to the canteen being passed around among the squad. Foot-soldier Fallan had been the one who had dared the others to partake in the foul-reeking fruit, and that's how Yuru had eventually learned of the poisonous combination of spirits and durian.
And that digging in jungle soil was a bitch.

Yuru did not have a habit of injecting trivia into a conversation, but he had not taken Collin's remark as offhanded as he might have under different circumstances. Any opening for a distraction, he would take.

Gao reassured that getting the ingredients to bake focaccia wouldn't be a problem, and after listening to him talk about his usual routine and diet, Yuru decided the man had to be a monster hunter.
It would certainly explain the myriad scars. What, did he wrestle the fiends into submission? Was he an adherent of some new type of woo-woo 'humane' monster hunting?

As Micah reminisced on Goron cuisine, Yuru reflected on how even though Gorons differed vastly from the Sheikah and Hylians, some things remained the same; knowledge was passed down from one generation to the next.
That was how every Lurelinian knew not to have durian with your after-hours Noble Pursuit.
Through lived experience and advice, elders would protect the younger generation, and make sacrifices where needed to ensure a future for those who had come after. How ass-backwards his kin were, with their twisted mandates and retribution for perceived slights.

What did he do? Yuru sat back, the gentle sea breeze carressing his nape, not immediately answering Micah's question.

He had not chosen this life. Joining the ranks of the Yiga had been born of circumstance, but had soon after developed into a cause.

A transgression of an ancient edict had Yuru expelled from the mountain, the only life he had ever known, and shunned by the very people he had loved and cared about.
Back then, he had still been innocent. A kid of barely seventeen summers. Nothing to his name but the clothing on his back and the beast of burden that would carry him away from home after having been ordered to never return.

Through the Yiga clan, he at least stood a chance to aid in putting an end to those ills.

Not for himself, but for all those others who would come after. A chance to spare the many innocent lives from getting caught in the crossfire of destiny. Like his own had been. Like hers, and all the other cold darners' before her.

Only through culling the last branch of the royal family tree was there a possibility of breaking the perpetual cycle of Calamity befalling Hyrule and its people. He'd cultivate the seed of reform and nurture its budding shoot with the accursed blue blood from the throat he aspired to open.

"I'm a gardener," he stated with a twinkle in his eyes, "It was my only option when they kicked me out of the village for being a dumb kid."

It was then that the waitress returned to their table, pushing a cart decked with heaping plates, and began to serve them out.

"Now that Micah and I spilled the beans, I'm mighty curious as well as to what you two do exactly," he said as he helped Lani make room on the table and then addressed Gao, "You don't get scars like that tripping over fishing nets."

"Over there! Something's coming this way!"

At Alyson's sudden warning, Claria spun round, one hand on her sword hilt, the other held out in preparation to fire a beam if necessary. A dark shape churned the water with formidable speed, darting straight towards the beach, breaking through the surface in a hiss of foam.

"HEEEEY~!!! PLEASE DON'T SHOO-eughck-OOOT ME!!! ...eck."

A fellow Zora, one Claria was sure she'd seen somewhere before, silver scales and flowing red-purple head fins tugging at her memory. She lowered her hands, slowly approaching the shore with the others in tow as the frantic newcomer submerged once more. When the girl burst onto the shore, it was all she could do to breathe through her wide-eyed panic, her many tendrils trembling as she immediately called for Elder Rozel.

With a nod, the village elder advanced to the front of the group, his voice calm yet grave with concern as he spoke. "By Farosh, breathe. What happened?"

It was a few moments before the girl, shuffling onto the sand with swaying steps, brought herself to speak - uttering a name that made Claria's eyes widen and her stomach plummet. Despite the scale-scorching heat, her insides went cold.

Gao.

Elder Rozel's posture visibly stiffened. "Is... Is he alright?"

Claria was already moving as the other Zora sank to the ground. She crouched beside her, hesitating - don't crowd her - before gently placing a hand on her shoulder in an unspoken offer to help her up. The way the girl clawed at the sand... It didn't speak well of Gao's fate. "Stars above, what did he go and pull this time?"

Relief loosened her taut muscles at the next words. He'd taken control of a ship. An entire fucking pirate ship. How utterly reckless and brave and so, so very much like him. "Why am I not surprised..." For all the foolish risks he'd taken, he may well have turned the situation in their favour - and it seemed the new arrival would too, as she hurriedly explained her plan.

A performance. Now Claria realised where she recognised her from. The ball, the fountain, the colourful and elaborate display she'd put on. Although she sounded rather less confident in her skills than she claimed, Claria had already witnessed a glimpse of those capabilities. And if those few coral accessories were any indication... Did she happen to be of the Apsaras? A community she hadn't met in years, yet she hadn't forgotten those captivating, oft magic-infused songs and dances from those few times she and fellow researchers had stayed with them en route to deep sea expeditions.

As the dancer slumped to the side, Claria quickly caught her. "Take a deep breath, ok? Sounds like you've got a solid plan. As for monsters that can swim, I'll back you up."

She bit back a sigh. The last thing she wanted was to stress the girl out further, but the news had raised questions that needed answering. "First, though, we need to know... How many ships are there? And did any of them look like they were heading over here?"

---

The air left Alyson's lungs in a rush. Just a Zora. A somewhat familiar, panicked Zora at that, stumbling onto the beach as if her legs were about to give out any moment, vivid-hued membranes billowing around her. Was this the girl who'd danced with Axel at the ball?

"Hey! You're not hurt, are you?" She stepped forward as the newcomer toppled to her knees in the sand, but Claria was already on it, at her side in an instant. Although the silver Zora bore no visible injuries - not that it was easy to tell, with those sail-like fins draping over and obscuring much of her form - whatever had happened up ahead couldn't have been anything good.

Or so it initially seemed, the news that finally spilled from her mouth taking a surprisingly hopeful turn. They had an ally. One who, by the sound of it, would be leading several unexpected allies.

Gao... Alyson had only crossed paths with the guy briefly on a few occasions, but the incident that stood out in her mind was that time he'd knowingly taken the brunt of a sledge crash. Going by Claria's comments, this seemed to be the kind of thing he did on a regular basis. They could only hope things would turn out for the best this time... and do their darndest to make sure it happened.

"Alright, the tides are turning, so to speak!" She flashed a broad grin, even as tremors began to course through her own limbs as the weight of the dangers they'd all face pressed on her. She couldn't help but remember just how powerless she'd been as a child, amidst the dust and debris, calling for those who'd never respond... Things were different now. She'd proven herself capable of assistance, of holding her own in a pinch. Yet the sensation remained scarred into her mind.

"I can strike from above." She gestured to the aircraft parked near the docks, trying to hide the trembling in her hand. "Between all of us, we've got this!"

She started as the Zora keeled over. "Ah! Hey... hey, do ya need an energy candy?" She rummaged through a belt pouch, holding out a round golden sweet. One of a woeful four she still had on her. It reminded her how utterly unprepared she was, having had no time lately to gather elemental fruits or anything of the sort. Her toolbelt was much lighter than usual, much of her usual gear unneeded for the task ahead. All she had was her boomerang, a few tools that would help with wilderness survival and emergency vehicle repairs, basic first aid supplies, and a small amount of food and water.

And with the confrontation imminent, it wasn't as if anyone had time to further prepare. Hopefully the few tricks she'd learned from the short course at Castle Town's academy would prove useful.

Uma's voice was always so steady, so calm. "Carefully now, last step."

Ariadne tried to keep her hand from shaking as she carried the last spoonful of ground endura shroom into the cauldron. She loved making potions- of all the ways she had learned to do the work of a healer, this was by far the most rewarding. Her mind, normally like travelling with bunny ears on her brain, absorbed the recipe structure and revelled in the satisfaction of creating something beneficial to others. She could focus on her body movements, and she really enjoyed the need to go and grab things, the freestyle structure of changing ingredients or adapting to new needs on the fly. There was a rabbit hole of specifics she could go down: the hardness or softness of the water, the temperature of the water, how old the ingredients were before they were used, how dried the herbs had really become.

It was like cooking, something she also thought she'd never be interested in, but had learned to enjoy during her time here. That said, this was the first time she was making something that was actually going to be used by someone, in a medicinal way. This was a necessary potion for Nanna's health, helping to recover some of the stamina she'd been losing as her health suffered. Because it took so long to make, Ariadne was doing her best not to overthink things and mess it up.

When she'd first arrived at Zora's Domain, the Zora had put her into silent rooms to 'practise meditation'. Told her that she would be a better healer if she could gain control over her mind. It was torture. The Sheikah had shared this belief, but theirs was a different method. They had large groups who gathered once or twice per week, and they would all sit together and meditate, taking turns to guide the rest. Other Sheikah sat in the class with her, and they also occasionally snickered or sneezed or had some other form of accidental interruption that set the rest of the class laughing. And that was so helpful to getting her to relax and stop overthinking.

She stirred the cauldron with the looooooong wooden spoon, struggling against the thick, paste-like potion. Once she had finished, she leaned back, sitting on her calves, and took a breath. Thank the goddess it was over. Uma smiled, missing a tooth here and there, and leaned over the cauldron to sniff. "Very good job, Ariadne! This is a top-notch stamina restoration potion. Now," she grunted as she pushed on the side of the cauldron, allowing the metal holding it in place to swing around and deposit it off the fire, "be a dear and grab one of the cold jars."

Ariadne raised one of the trick floorboards and reached to her elbow before finding the icebox, from which she retrieved a chilled potion bottle half-filled with chunks of ice. She closed the box and floorboard before using the very long spoon to pour the thick formula over the ice. By the time the bottle was full, she was able to cap it, shake the concoction around a bit, and it not only cooled the potion, but the ice became the very water needed to make it palatable. As she did this, Ariadne noticed herself getting restless. She could already hear people out in the square, laughter and shouting accompanying amazing smells that seeped through the walls.

It was clearly very obvious on her face, as Uma cackled. "Very well, child, you have earned a little break, I would think. Deliver the potion to Nanna, and I release you to have some dinner with your friends."

Ariadne smiled. "Was I so obvious?"

"I've never seen you so dressed up."

Ariadne looked down at herself. "Oh, right, that's fair." That morning, Claree had insisted Ariadne wear one of her outfits for the event, because it would just be horrible to be seen next to someone who looked so casual all the time. There were sure to be really important people here! Come on, Ariadne! she had said.

Ariadne stood up and dusted off her knees. She was wearing a loose, flowing red shirt that ended at the mid-thigh, and trousers of the same colour that ended just below the knee. Securing the tunic around her stomach was a white cloth belt, which the Sheikah called an obi. A long, wide-sleeved and loose white jacket with red and blue flowers along the bottom covered the other clothes. She had white socks to her knee and two-toed sandals that felt kind of weird to wear. Socks weren't supposed to bunch up between your toes. But maybe they were here, who was she to judge? And her hair, which had already been somewhat long at the ball, was now past her shoulders and made up in the messy, semi-masculine style of the Sheikah.

"Do try to have fun, dear," Uma said.

"I will, Madame Uma, thank you." Ariadne rushed out the door and into Kakariko, perhaps the most perfectly temperate place she had lived in all this time. She had a lot of nostalgic affection for the Tabantha Snowfields, but you couldn't grow food there. It was too cold for that. She liked the Domain, but it was all rock and water. Kakariko had grass and trees and dirt and a gentle breeze and the bluffs surrounding the village kept it so balanced. It was paradise. It was-

Oh shit, it was all of those same people again. She noticed the Zora who Claria had talked to her about- apparently they had gone to the DEPTHS?! together?! And then later he threatened King Sidon?- then there was Micah and the old Zora she had seen at the Beaumont ball. There was Malon and there was Koko, the normal Sheikah troupe. And then there she was. Lady CiCi. Oh, how difficult she would have been to forget, if that was even possible. She almost tripped over herself exiting Uma's house upon noticing that Lady CiCi and Malon were HOLDING HANDS?! This was an unexpected development.

But despite everything, she somehow made it to Nanna's house, slipping inside quietly. She stopped at the counter near the window to prepare a cool, damp cloth so she could bring everything over to the bed at once. Nanna's eyes cracked open as Ariadne changed the cloth draped across her forehead. "Hey Nanna, how are you feeling?" she asked.

The old woman's eyes opened just a tiny bit. "Claree? Your bedside manner has improved."

Ariadne laughed. "No, Nanna, it's Ari. I've brought you something to drink, how about we get you sat up and then you can drink it and tell me how you're feeling."

"Ariadne, I'm so sorry you had to see me so ill," Nanna croaked, but allowed the doctor to help her sit up and scoot back against the headboard of her bed. "I hope it's not more carrot soup."

"It's not carrot soup-"

"I hate carrot soup."

"I know you do, Nanna. I think you'll like this, though."

"We'll see."

Ariadne fished some of the potion out on a spoon and gently fed it to the old Sheikah. Though it was liquid, the potion seemed to give her difficulty- it would have been preferable to finish and provide this yesterday, but some of the ingredients required an overnight reduction- but they got through it. After several minutes, and more than one break, Ariadne helped Nanna lay down again. "Alright, that should do it. When you wake up, you should be feeling much better."

"Next time, Ari, if you're going to torture me, at least make it interesting."

"Goodnight, Nanna."

"Goodnight, dear."

Ariadne returned the cool rag to Nanna's head before standing. She rinsed the glass with water from one of the buckets brought up that morning, placed it in front of the window so it could dry in the sun, and slipped out quietly. That was one advantage of the shoes they had here- if you could call them shoes, anyway- they were very quiet. She sighed, stretched a little in front of the door, and approached Koko's group in time to hear the young Sheikah talking about the very hot dumplings. "Those sound great, if you have any left, I'd love one. Gimme the hottest one."

Like a rather bold fairy godmother, her uncle had interrupted her libation deliberation by making a choice for her and spirited her away, back to the ball. Mabel needed that sometimes.

At Collin's directions, her attention had been swerved from an unfortunate accident involving a Goron and a handful of other guests, to, as her uncle put it, perhaps another wreck waiting to happen. That sounded a little harsh to the uninitiated, but she knew Collin had only used that description in playful jest. She exchanged a look with Collin, and her mouth quirked with amusement. It was a bit of an open secret to her family members that she had been crushing hard on Axel once upon a time.

That Zora was simply captivating. Mabel recognized her as the same one who had been dancing atop the fountain - Oh, Goddess, she still had not filled in her slate!
What would she even wish for, anyway? She and her twin had never known any kind of hardship - their parents had made certain of that.
It was for a reason that mom and dad had chosen to leave behind the squad and settle down in the quiet, safe region of Hateno, after all. The biggest problem that Mabel had to deal with in her life was picking out what to wear the next day. Not in the least because of items magically going missing from her wardrobe on the regular.

There were many who were not as lucky in life as she was. She had no right to covet, not really.
If there was anything she would wish for, it would be for the happiness of her family and friends, and of those who were less fortunate than herself. In good conscience, she could not write something down, and so she gifted the green rupee slate to a passing member of staff.
Working, on a night like this, instead of being pampered with fancy drinks and delicacies and getting to dance with a handsome stranger? That person needed a wish way more than she did.

When Mabel's attention shifted back to the dance floor, Axel had just proffered the Zora lady a hand, and that invitation did not go refused.

"Uncle Collin, if I can't find a dance partner by midnight, will you dance with me instead? I'd ask Ashley but knowing him, he's waltzing as we speak," she said quietly as she fumbled with the hem of a sleeve before taking a sip of the drink Collin had pushed into her hand at the bar. It was definitely not a virgin one.
"You can lead, I don't really know any of the steps. And stuff..."

Something green and red and predatory emerged in the periphery, a cloud of cloying cologne wafting in its wake.

"EXCUSE me, miss, mister? Would you be interested in purchasing tickets for the raffle, hmmm?" it said in its sing-song voice.

Moments later, Mabel was proud owner of a handful of tickets, to share with both her uncle and brother. And Axel, if he decided to not be a jerk.

The Zora didn't so much as reply. Paya watched him turn on his heel and stomp towards the cooking corner, her forehead creased in concern, even as the chaos that swept through the village demanded her attention. Escaped Cuccos flapped this way and that, pecking at sacks of produce, their clucks mingling with farmers' shouts. A cat scampered past with a pilfered Hyrule Bass in its mouth. More calls for her name rose up.

"Y-Yes... Just a moment," she called back, sweat beading at her nape as she glanced from one scene to another. Only once it seemed the others in the outdoor kitchen - Malon in particular - had the situation in hand did she hurry up the hill, grabbing a rolling wheel from a collapsed cart along the way, although she cast a quick look over her shoulder. She'd have to keep checking back on that guy.

---

"Oh thanks!" Micah replied to both the compliment and the gift. Someone believed he had skill enough to specialise? Even after the spice blunder? "Heh... It's worth giving them a try."

With an uneasy smile, he accepted the book. As encouraging as Nex had meant to be, the prospect of some of these dishes requiring "a certain amount of skill" intimidated him, yet they piqued his curiosity. He leafed through the tome, taking care not to crumple the delicate pages. Words like "mochi" and "miso" were unfamiliar, but... Ah, that was what this rice porridge thing was. A mushy meal intended as comfort food, traditionally served with egg or vegetables. Maybe he'd be better off making that tonight than rice cakes, since he'd already technically succeeded once before?

"I heard there was food! Where?!"

Micah startled at the snarl, eyes snapping up from the pages. That fanged face was one he hadn't forgotten - and he remembered the Zora's appetite just as well. The guy looked about to cause a ruckus if he didn't get something to eat right away. "Eheheh... Hey again!" He shuffled back across the platform. "Food prep's in progress, but there'll be plenty later on!"

Malon, being the guy's friend from what Micah recalled, kept his cool much better, his chirp as cheerful as ever as he pointed out the experimental dumplings. Micah winced internally, both at the thought of the fiery snacks further aggravating the guy's mood, and the other newcomer, unmistakeable with her coiffed blue curls and monochrome finery as she tugged at Malon's wing with a pleading stare.

Lady Ciel Beaumont?! Here? They'd all be cooking in the presence of high society? Well, that had just set the bar higher than the sky islands.

"Uh... Hello there, Lady Beaumont! Or... Lady Cici? Your Grace? What do you prefer?" Shoulders tensing, he gave a slight, stiff dip of his head. Even after his experience in the estate, the standard customs confused him. How did one go about directly addressing the Hylian upper classes? "Well this is quite the surprise! We'd better whip up something fit for the nobility, huh?"

Koko, who'd just heated and arranged the salvaged batch of dumplings, bowed with much more elegance. "Welcome! Koko can tell you, you'll like the sweets Nex here made!" A flash of a grimace crossed her face as she turned her attention to the swordsman, but she quickly stood tall in a display of youthful bravery. "And feel free to have as many dumplings as you like! Careful though, they're hot. As in, both piping hot and spicy hot, but Koko hopes the cheese wil help."

In ancient times there were scriptures describing an island that only appeared during certain lunar or celestial events. The island was said to be a land of dreams, overrun by monsters trying to hoard it all for themselves. It is said that a people once inhabited the islands and weaved reality from dreams. Remnants of this civilization remained on a site simply known as Koholit Rock and it was the goal to reach the hill where these ruins lay.

The Zora floated across the dark, grey waters of the Necluda Sea on a dilapidated raft held together with sticks, Korok leaves, and hope. He had draped his cape over the crooked log mast in order to guide the vessel along by way of some drift wood with a rotting shield serving as the rudder. He had been fishing on Tenoko Island, having swam over from Loshlo Harbor for some time away from land. He noticed a green fog surrounding the island so decided to follow his curiosity, but upon arriving all the Zora was able to locate was an abandoned Shrine. Settling in during the high tide to fish he took a walk around the island, only to find a small raft. From there he took off south, following the winds.

He landed on Toronbo Beach.

The Zora was garbed in a cloth outfit drenched with sea water. His linen, thigh length tunic was tucked into his sarouel trousers. Over the tunic he appeared to be wearing a shirt of plate mail, but in reality it was woven with light sheets of chitin that acted similar to a snake's ventral scales and served to keep him cool more so than protect him. His trousers were tucked into his boots, flippers only ever free when he decided that the boots were a burden. Over his tunic he wore a sailor's jacket. Brass buttons lined the cuffs of his sleeve and down from the neck to the hem, but he never bound up the front of the jacket, instead choosing to leave it open.

After disembarking his newly acquired raft, the wizened Zora collected his fishing pole and hoisted it over his shoulder and started along, leaving behind his wet boot-prints down the beach in a wide, snaking pattern. As he strode along the beach he noticed that there were quite a few people hither and tither on what should be a deserted island full of monsters. Perhaps times have changed. Obscure huts lined the beaches and the historical site of Koholit Rock seemed besmirched by the even tinier huts. Yes, it seems quite a lot has changed since the imprint of the reports he's read.

But he wasn't sure if it was for the better.

While Nex was someone who was fond of peace and preferred to preserve the sanctity of order over the chore of managing ruckus. It seems in time tourists have come to take over the open island like a swarm of locusts, eating away at its nature in a way, he felt, was little dissimilar to how the monsters likely managed the island. He decided to put aside the concern when he heard a commotion swell from the silence.

"PIRATES!!"

Instead of an overwhelming sense of disappointment he felt a tinge of interest swell in his heart. The organ fluttered at the remnant feelings of a nearly forgotten memory. He was nearly tempted to abandon his rod as he took off running towards the hill, where sat a rather gauche looking cabin that was across the way on the cliff that housed Koholit Rock, but for now he had to put that aside. He climbed up the nearest hill in order to observe the shore. As residents and visitors fled the normally monster infested island, he relished in the irony. Monsters had the island in full force before man even arrived. It was only a matter of time until nature returned to the way it was meant to be.

Summer cottages and spring cabins did not suit the natural landscape of the mysterious island. He angles his foot, digging his heel into the soil so he is able to slide down the hill. Once at the base he made his way across the beach to return to his raft, but he was in no rush. In fact the Zora's languid pace would leave one guessing as to the possibility of a monster raid. He wasn't afraid of a few Bokoblin or Moblin. What bothered him was the fact that there wasn't a single Gerudo among them. By the time he returned to his raft he was able to calm his heart and stepped onto the aged wood. He pushed back into the ocean, the vessel lingering around the beach before following the waves out.

After a moment he moved to seat himself on the raft, his cloak still serving as the makeshift sail. He looked as if he were lost at sea, but this ferryman was quite good at navigating the seas, especially as the pirate ships drew ever nearer....

As much as Malon enjoyed getting tasked with things that had a little action and oomph to them when it came to patrols and the like, events like this were what he lived for. Peoples from all around the different regions coming together for a shared purpose. He could only imagine that this was a microcosm of what old Castle Town festivals were like so long ago. Just with a bit less pomp and circumstance! Honestly, who says you need some big to-do to celebrate? Being alive, being with the people you care about, that was enough reason to celebrate right?

It warmed his heart to see strangers getting along so well! Even if the one who had introduced himself finally as Nex seemed to be a little... bristly... and staring at him. The Zora probably had his reasons for it, you don't grow old without making a few enemies and losing a few friends, maybe he reminded him of one? That sort of thing can jade people, something that Malon hoped he could avoid once he started getting older. Keeping your heart youthful was just as important as keeping your body healthy in Malon's book!

Speaking of youth, the Rito had endeared himself to the children in Kakariko, helping keep them entertained and out of their parents' ways when they had busywork to do. So Malon didn't even jump when he felt a delicate hand grab onto his and give a tug. No, instead he held the hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as he did, waiting a moment to make sure he wasn't going to be addressed before turning to see... Oh? Oh!

A tinge of blush hit the bird's cheeks, shining through those silver feathers. "Ah, Lady Cici!" he chimed. After their last brief meeting, Malon had been informed as to just who he had inadvertently cut in line of during the Yuletide Festival. As if he hadn't felt bad enough about it already when he didn't know! Fortunately, Malon wasn't the type to ruminate or ponder on if someone held a grudge. It certainly didn't seem like it after the little peck on the cheek he got... Or now. Hah. Either way, he beamed brightly at her! "It's great to see you, I hope you've been keeping well!" he followed the woman's gaze towards the candy and hummed. With a dip of his head to Nex, he plucked one more from the pito-pile to give to her.

"Here! They're pretty good! Though I'd say just one is hardly enough, it's a nice little treat." Malon chuckled and went to open his beak again to ask if Ciel was here for the community meal, but before he could the familiar bark of the wandering Zora cut through his thoughts and he turned his head up towards the man. "Heya! Stuff's just getting started up, folks are gonna be working up different meals soon, but if you like spicy food, there's some test dumplings there!" The Rito motioned over with a free wing towards near where Koko was putting the accidental 11-alarm-now-cooled-by-cheese stuffing to good use. He had gotten so distracted that it hadn't clicked that he was still holding Lady Cici's hand...

Nex brushed his knuckle along his smooth-scaled skin. Whenever pressure was placed against the blood rich scales, the interlocked forms shifted in color; the iridescent blue seemed to glean an almost mauve hue that made his skin almost bejeweled in the evening light, like fresh berries speckled by morning dew. Cerulean gaze focused on the Rito for several moments before he finally broke from the spell with a quiver from his nictitating membrane. A stray blossom leaf had brushed across the center of his face, where a nose should be and caused his thoughts to similarly flutter as he flicked out his fingers in order to get out from his face.

This forced him to refocus his gaze, which turned up towards the sky. The sun was not particularly harsh in the shelter of the valley,  but he felt too exposed out of the water. His slit pupils dilated as he moved to pull his hood over his brow.

"Yes, well—" He leaned back and laid the weight of his head back on his knuckles. "Don't eat too many. Preparing them is a tedious process that can go on for days. One has to roll the sugar, wait for it to dry and continue. Think of it as a sort of meditation the Sheikah practiced, a meditation in the form of an art." He glanced away. He didn't bother to glance at Micah when the youth asked his question. "Sweets are very popular." He sternly implied. "In fact I can see you getting quite popular from specializing in them because they take a certain amount of skill to produce..." Sugar was infamously difficult to work with, but maybe a hot-blooded Goron could handle such a thing.

Nex wasn't too keen on the idea of becoming someone's teacher, so he quickly opted out by turning his shoulder to the Goron. He leaned over to reach into the pile of books he had on the table beside him and pulled a leather bound, blue-colored tome out and held it out to the cook-in-training.

"This is the recipe book. You'll find some other culturally grounded Sheikah dishes, but learning the candy was enough for me." It wasn't as if he hadn't read the book from end to end multiple times already. As for his name, it was difficult to provide such a thing so easily. In the distant past he had regularly offered his given name to people, but that was when he sought connections and friendships. Such things were no longer worthwhile or fulfilling at his age. Enough betrayals and envy-induced in-fighting was enough to create a cautious caster, critically underwhelmed by other's concept of 'camaraderie'. "...you can call me Nex, if it makes it easy for you." He would have been just fine with 'hey you — listen!' "Just an old scholar who's come by to observe and document local customs."



Bolstered by Paya's responses, the easiest he's ever gotten information out of anyone (for some reason people always seemed tongue tied when he approached them), the Zora strutted his way towards the pots the community had put out with the intention of cooking together. With that knowledge in paw the Zora was sure to avoid the flames. They did well to dry out his scales and his cloak hadn't seen a good soak in days so he was starting to dry out. He would be sure to take a dip in the local waters as soon as he was able. He had noticed the paddies and many miniature rivers on his way through.

With hefty stomps he would step up behind Malon, and the now cling-clung Ciel. He put his fists on his hips, lips pulled back in a white grin. Such a pose put his fangs and chest on display, his tattooed tendrils a tertiary thought in the presence of such a boisterous bream.

"I heard there was food! Where?!" He barked, not even bothering to introduce himself, let alone disarm. Usually one removed their blades and placed them aside or, at the very least, covered them, but with his cloak thrown back over his shoulders and his scabbards on full display, the warrior was difficult to misidentify.

It struck Claria as somewhat unsettling, Gao's eager fixation on the scene straight out of a nightmare, to the point that he fumbled for the telescope without even removing his backpack. Then again, her own fascination with the Depths in general had a tendency to freak some people out. And, really, even from their concealed position, it was smartest for none of them to take their eyes off of the colossal beast - or the Yiga, for that matter, as decimated as their forces were.

In an instant, Gao's demeanour changed, his shoulders visibly tensing as he growled one word.

"Cages."

Cages of Frox, he elaborated. Baby Frox. Those Yiga had indeed gotten cocky, the crumbling pillar the very image of hubris. No wonder the larger creature, despite its injuries, kept up its assault with the fury of the Zoran hero from the famed legend, so determined to save his clutch of eggs from pirates that his spirit had persisted in the quest even after his untimely death.

An infectious fury if the sudden feral gleam in Gao's eyes was anything to go by as he handed her his telescope, turning to Sin, announcing the task ahead with a disturbing grin. A confrontation with the Yiga would be inevitable after all.

Claria's fist clenched around the device. This wouldn't be the first time she'd spill Yiga blood, such often proving unavoidable during rescue missions, and she understood the brutal necessity of making sure none got away. The Yiga were known for pursuing their targets to the ends of the earth, and they wouldn't forget the distinctive appearances of any of the three. Still, she'd hoped to avoid a conflict if possible. And venturing anywhere near Frox, especially the enraged parent, would require utmost caution.

"Well, you've got that fight you wanted," she murmured to Sin. Raising the telescope to her own eye, she surveyed what remained of the Yiga army, the few archers gathered around the hideout, the fanplanes that circled the teetering pillar and fired beams at the giant Frox.

"That pillar though..." She passed the telescope back to Gao, giving him a grim look at his mention of climbing. Even if not for the Frox's juddering blows that could shake a climber clean off, there was so, so much that could go wrong. "Gao, please tell me you know what in the Demon Realm you're doing. It looks ready to turn into a landslide any moment. And I reiterate, even tiny Frox are no joke." As she hissed the warning, she ran her thumb along a curved scar on the underside of her left forearm. As fragile as the creatures were individually, she had no doubt that a large enough swarm could devour a person alive if they let their guard down.

The set of his jaw, the fervour blazing in his eyes, said it all. There was no turning him away from this, no matter how far he'd gone to avoid such a scenario the previous day. Nor, however, was there any turning her away from sticking beside him and Sin, even as he made it clear he wouldn't blame them if they left. She shook her head. She'd signed up to assist him, and she'd damn well follow through. "Like fuck am I going back on my word," she replied, with a resolute stare even as he averted his gaze.

She glanced at the abandoned gliders. Balloons, she knew her way around, despite the heat being less than easy on her scales. The more finicky vehicles such as these fanplanes, not so much. Did Sin? She could only hope so. She thought to ask Gao if he even had a plan to get down, but the words died on her tongue. Every second spent on discussion was a second closer to the pillar's collapse. And if that happened during Gao's ascent because she'd kept him talking too long... It didn't bear thinking about.

"If we're going to do this... Might as well get to it."