A Darkening Eventide [Open: Alyson, Claria, Gao, Raemi, Nex]

[LuckyBlackCat]

Eventide Island, if Alyson did say so herself, was shaping up to be quite the tourist spot.

Well, even more of a tourist spot. With the increase in visitors to Lurelin Village and its surrounding beaches in the past few years, the jungle isle once thought to be cursed now drew its fair share of campers, which meant a call for the construction of shoreline attractions.

A small thatch-roofed hut on a rocky hill overlooking Toronbo Beach housed the latest one.

"All looks to be in good working order!" Popping a screwdriver back into her belt and pushing her goggles up, Alyson cast one more glance over the Zonai-tech conveyor belt running by the back wall, the four-pronged crane poised over dolls and trinkets moving from side to side. This recently rediscovered contraption, according to the Zonai Survey Team, had been all the rage back in the day. Time would tell if it would catch on once more.

"Beautiful!" At her side, Bolson practically sang with joy, sweeping an arm in an exaggerated flourish towards her and the two Rito present, Billson and Frita. "Any one of you, step up and give it a spin, baby! Remember, testers get to keep anything they win!"

Billson strode forward, with a confident look over his shoulder at Frita. "I'm happy to do the honours. How does a souvenir sound?" Alyson thought she caught a wink.

"I wouldn't say no to that." Trotting over, the maroon Rito met his gaze with unmistakeable affection.

"Alright, here goes!" The crane whirred to life as Billson directed it with the buttons. Spreading its prongs and descending, it closed around a Razorclaw Crab figurine, which slid in the mechanism's grasp on its way up, dangling by one set of legs. Billson leaned in, grumbling, watching it drop onto its back at the last moment. "Aw! So close!" His wingtips curled into fists. "Don't you worry, I'll make sure you have your reminder of that briny bouquet you like soon enough!" As he tried again, Frita giggled behind her pinion.

Alyson couldn't help giving a friendly chuckle along with her. Her attention turned from the two Rito to the window, the large, multi-room cabin just outside. Between the efforts of Bolson, a small team of Hudson Construction workers, and Lurelin artisans, the Mariner's Dream stood tall, its sturdy wooden beams and straw roof illuminated by the gold and pink streaks against the blue evening sky. Now to make sure it lived up to its name - a dream resort.

It was, after all, a symbol of victory, along with the other, smaller vacation areas dotted around where abandoned monster bases had once stood. The hill afforded a view of the entire island, a cluster of tiny huts only just visible on Koholit Rock's lower outcropping in the distance. At the other end of Toronbo Beach, palm trees obscured the little cabin, but its remote location would cater to those seeking a wilderness retreat.

"I must say," Bolson commented, "we BEASTS of construction have truly outdone ourselves!"

"That we have!" Alyson gave him a fist bump and spun. "Bolson! Da-da-da Bolsoooon!"

As the group laughed and sang among themselves, taking turns to try out the crane game, Hyrule's troubled past drifted further away from them... or so it seemed.

A yell from outside shattered the good cheer.

"PIRATES!!"

Alyson's blood chilled like Hebran lakewater in her veins. She sprinted outside, finding herself face-to-face with a frantic grey Rito. Mimo, the wind-rider who'd made his roost on this island long ago, his usual carefree demeanour nowhere to be seen. "What? Oh sky isles above, you can't be serious..."

"Everyone off of the island!" His voice boomed. "It's happening all over again! I saw a pirate ship heading this way, they nearly shot me out of the air with their arrows just now!" He flung open the door of the Mariner's Dream. "All of you, out! We've got ourselves an emergency!"

The few staff members and guests spilled out, faces stricken with shock and confusion as they joined the small group following Mimo. At the sight of them, Alyson froze. Her limbs went numb. Her breath caught in her throat, which suddenly tasted of smoke and ash. She'd seen those expressions too many a time.

"C'mon, we've got to get somewhere safe!" Vaguely, she was aware of someone - Bolson? - gripping her arm, pulling her along. She willed her legs into motion, hurrying down the spiral path. Images and sounds flickered over each other in her mind's eye, a different figure replacing the former company manager, different voices calling to her.

"Alyson, we have to leave! Now!" Her father's voice was as firm as his grasp, yet shook like crumbling stone.

"B-But..." Alyson stared over her shoulder, trying to wrench herself free, barely able to see through the dust, smoke and tears that stung her eyes. All she could make out were skeletal ruins of once-proud homes, glinting metallic strikes as silhouettes fought and fell. Pain-wracked screams rose up. "But Grandpa! Where's Grandpa?"

Her mother clasped a strong arm around her back, rushing her along. "I'm sorry..." The words came out choked as if someone had knocked the air from her lungs. "I'm so sorry... But we can't lose you too!"

Alyson gasped down a sob to steady her breathing. As if reaching for a landline, she made a desperate attempt to ground herself in the present, focus on the task ahead. Make sure everyone reached the shore. The docks. The boats, the Loftwing, which waited for the evacuees. A Zonai glider touched down near them, Branli the flight researcher leading a family to safety from the swampland cabin at the opposite side of the isle.

"Everyone here?" She did a quick mental count of the vacationers gathered on the beach, the couples holding hands, the parents hugging children, as Bolson paced from one side of the crowd to the other and nodded.

"You alright to fly?" he asked.

Alyson clenched her hands to still their trembling, fingernails digging into gloved palms. "Yeah... Let's book it, everyone!" She pulled her goggles down.

As they all climbed into the vehicles, Bolson taking his place next to Alyson in the aircraft, an awful thought hit her like a blow to the stomach. Was there really any getting to safety? Considering the recent history she knew of Lurelin... What if the pirates set their sights there again?

No. She couldn't think about that right now. One thing at a time. Start the plane. Escape the immediate danger. Then warn Elder Rozel.

The aircraft's wings unfurled, the sigils lighting up blue-green along their frames as it left the ground, Rito soaring alongside it. Alyson's knuckles turned white against the controls. With the efficiency of a Zonai device in emergency mode, pushing aside all non-essential functions, she maintained a laser focus on her destination.

A faint scent of burning on the wind threatened to pull her out of it. Was it a figment of her memory, or could the others smell it too? Fighting back the swell of nausea, Alyson arced towards the distant coast of the village, away from the tropical getaway that wasn't to be.

Everything they'd built there, as a testament to Hyrule's resilience... gone, like a bubble on a needle.

The dream had become a nightmare.

Word of the threat to Lurelin Village had spread fast over the following night and day, the response just as speedy.

The beachside town was different to the way Claria remembered it. Granted, it had been... how many years? Yet what struck her wasn't the line of new stores along the seafront, or the boat racecourse in the distance. She'd never known the atmosphere of this jolly little village to grow this somber and subdued.

It wasn't even due to her own lens of nostalgia replacing the eager anticipation her arrival here had always brought in the past. Very little chatter carried on the breeze, the few residents out and about unusually taciturn, the wounds from the last invasion still raw. She wouldn't be surprised if many had left for the nearest stable to keep on the safe side. The plaintive cries of seagulls above punctuated and highlighted the quiet.

Of all the places ravaged during the Upheaval, Lurelin Village, she'd heard, had been one of the hardest hit. Fearing for one's home, one's people, being forced to flee... An experience she knew too well. At the mere thought, she could almost smell the acrid sludge that had tainted the waters of Zora's Domain back then.

Like fuck would that happen again if she could help it.

By the docks, she spotted a wizened, stoop-shouldered figure she recognised. Rozel, the village elder, spoke with a young woman sporting goggles atop her head - probably a local, Claria guessed at first, going by the Hylian's hair and skin tone. However, as she approached, she realised this was yet someone else she'd met before.

"-beat 'em back in no time!" Alyson raised her fist. She looked Claria's way with a bright smile, although it didn't reach her eyes, her face ashen. "Oh hey! Claria, was it? You here to send pirates packing?"

Rozel, too, turned and tilted his head, thick eyebrows drawing together, recognition dawning in his lined features at her distinctive appearance. "Ah, yes, I remember you. Been quite some time, hm? Quiet on the diving front lately?"

Claria's lips pressed tight. To both, she gave a terse nod, flippers shuffling as she faced away from the waves foaming on the shore. "Anything we'll need to know about what we're up against?" she asked, hastily changing the subject. Best to get straight to the point anyway, even if they'd have to wait until others arrived for a full briefing.

"Last time it was Bokoblins, Moblins and Lizalfos," Rozel replied, his wrinkles deepening. "Mostly blue, so ones that pack a punch, I have to warn you. And not just here, but on Eventide, going by reports from a monster control scout."

"We're also gonna have to be careful how we approach," Alyson added. "If they reclaim their old bases... They were placed around the island's corners in such a way that it may be tricky to even get close. Not that it'll stop us finding a way!"

On reflex, Claria dulled her glow, even though the afternoon sun already offset it. "Trust them to make this as much of a pain as possible," she grumbled. Once more people arrived, they'd have to come up with a plan, and pray that it wouldn't go arse up like so many plans did.

Now to wait and see who else would show up, if anyone.

[El]

There was blood in the wind. Streaming. Dripping. Painting the deck crimson.

A muscular chest heaved with exertion, beads of sweat gliding through the red, over scars and torn skin, through old and leaking pigment, tracing the swollen brawn, the burning sinew, trickling into puddles at his feet.

The floor heaved, giving out one last, gurgling death-whine. Whatever curses the beast wished to spit instead hissed out of his throat, spilling around the shattered horn - his OWN horn - impaled deep inside his windpipe.

It was dead. No, not 'it': He was dead.

Behind stitched fabric, Gao's lips firmed into a hard line. The air inside this mask was choking - smothering - hot and rancid with the stench of his own exhaustion. Even with all the ventilation gaps and netting he'd taken care to include, it was still far from enough. Not for this. But it was a necessary sacrifice. Breathe, Gao. But take care not to lose control over it. Assume a pattern - a melody. Cool the fire in your veins, and breathe.

He's dead. You won.

Burning, stale air hissed through Gao's nostrils. With great effort the encroaching fizzle of his vision subsided.

As he fought to stabilise his gasps for air, the crowd below him shuffled in tense silence. Looks were exchanged. Overgrown nails clawed tighter over weapon hilts. One of the bokoblins snorted. Another burped, scratching its ass. Yet all of their eyes were trained upon him, wide and unblinking, pairs upon pairs of them all an illuminated, vibrant magenta - even under the glaring sunshine of Necluda Sea.

Gao would keep them waiting no longer.

Crouching downwards he swiped a broad paw of a calloused hand across the grimy - slimy - stomach of the felled Boss, lapping up a greedy stroke of his pumpkin-orange warpaint. When the Sheikah stood once more he took with him the monster's warhorn, tearing it free from the belt at his hip in a loud, quick snap.

That quieted them even further. The one in the back stopped mid finger-sniff.

They'd never seen a Lynel on the sea before. How did they get here? Why? When? How come they weren't already in the midst of slaughtering the rest of them now that the Boss was dead?

Gao could see their furious terror curdle with confused excitement as up, he lifted the warhorn, pressing it through the slim opening of a mouthpiece. He could taste the Boss's sour saliva. No matter. Slashing his own bared chest with the fiery warpaint - painting the chiselled muscle with smears of red and orange - he breathed in deep, dug his heels in hard against the corpse's hefty gut, flicked up his chin, and with a proud, fiercely-defiant flare of his chest-

----

A warhorn blared.

That was the signal! Oh Moon and Naydra above, that was the signal! THE SIGNAL!!! He'd succeeded?! He'd.... He'd really done it.

He won.

Anxious relief released a breath that almost caused her to cry. Within minutes she saw the ship's torn sails unfurl. They flapped against the fierce tidal winds, filling up wide and vast, as the bonfire at the helm relit and the oars down below re-animated. Even from here she could hear the thundering chorus of cries - monsters cheering - as a huge, obese corpse was hefted overboard. The impact was so colossal and sudden it struck the water in a spear of exploding foam, shattering the sea with tremors that stretched on for yards upon yards. She could feel its waves: almost as much as the heartbeat thundering in her ears.

The head disappeared back below the water.

----

Something was speeding through Necluda Sea, directly for Lurelin Village's beaches.

It didn't pause. It didn't veer. Its pace was startling, the trail it left in its racing wake smooth with all the powerful elegance of a native ocean-dweller. Just like a-

"HEEEEY~!!! PLEASE DON'T SHOO-eughck-OOOT ME!!! ...eck." A Zoran head abruptly bobbed up from the waves and immediately started screaming.

Raemi wasn't used to exerting such loud volume.  To-... exerting ANYTHING on this level really. But when the sudden thought of being shot dead right there and then in the water attacked her, she'd broke through the surface before she knew it and quickly flailed around to disarm her well-intentioned assailants. Having her voice crack and croak like that halfway through such a heartfelt plea was admittedly extremely embarrassing... but on the bright-side, it did allow her to look even less like an enemy.

...Right?

...........Well no arrows were coming.

Awkwardly Raemi disappeared below the water again, pausing - just a few times - on the couple of inches downwards, just to make sure it truly was OK to continue the advance.

When she re-emerged it was a few minutes later and directly on the sandy shores, a rush to her step despite the fact that she wasn't even technically walking. "I-is-....! IS-! Is Elder Rozel here?!" The dancer gasped, chest tight and the breath in her lungs thin despite not feeling physically fatigued per se. Was it the stress? The buzz of her nerves? She could feel herself shaking, an electricity that caused every fin and tendril to shudder and constrict her throat. She swore if her heart thundered any louder her eardrums would rupture!

Frantic eyes scanned the small crowd before her, bewilderment flashing through them at the sight of another Zora: but that was neither here nor there. According to the scholar's description, this smaller and greying Hylian must be the one she was searching for. Sure enough he had a wizened look about him which immediately gave her the impression of stern and collected kindness. Yes. He was the one. The leader of the village.

Raemi took a deep, bracing breath, willing herself to settle.

Finned feet finally touched the hot sand below, the flair of her exotically-colourful fins curling inwards. It was visibly apparent she wasn't a native of Zora's Domain, yet much of her usual decorative coral jewellery had been untangled and forsaken for something far more practical: braids of fisherman's ropes, strung with a multitude of bottles containing... purple goop?  Whatever the substance was it swirled with an eerie sparkle, clouding and curdling in on itself.

"GAO-!!! Gao has-.. G-gao... Gao's... Oh Moon's."

Raemi collapsed onto her knees, gasping. But while the mortification misted her eyes, the vision darkening, the world collapsing in on her, determination clawed her hands in the sand. She saw the fingers move, felt the sand burn against her dripping scales. So she clawed harder, grabbing fistfuls of the stuff to fight the fog that sought to claim her.

Gritting her teeth to just get over herself she winced and glared back up at Rozel, "Gao has seized the ship! W-well, one of the ships. A different one. But he's in charge! The one with the green sails.

"W-we-... ... we... phew.... We have a plan!" Breathe, Raemi. Breathe.

Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, desperation pitching her delicate voice several notches higher than normal, she pressed a hand to her chest and pleaded, "I realise-... I know I don't look like much right now, but I can help! I'm-... confident in my abilities. With my magic I know I can put on a performance which may well lure many of the simpler monsters on Eventide right into the water!" ...And drown them. Though Raemi couldn't quite bring herself to spell out that part, it went without saying. Lizalfos were a different story, but the other grunts - bokoblins - were notoriously bad swimmers.

"The rest-... well, I'm sure it'll be of help in distracting them. M-mean-... mean-...while, Gao is... he will be-... launching an attack of his ...own." How did that Hylian phrase go again...? Her brow puckered. "...fighting fire with fire."

What a ridiculously, stupidly handsome noble man! AN IDIOT!!! TRULY!

Oh Naydra.

She was feeling faint again.

That last rush of blood to her head sent Raemi swaying to one side, her balance knocked askew.

[Rex Draco]

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....

[LuckyBlackCat]

"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 her basic skills with combat and wind magic would prove useful.

[El]

With a searing bonfire at his back, and a horned monstrosity of a skull underfoot, a Lynel stood snarling as it peered through a telescope. Through the fierce glare of Necluda sunshine he spied upon the gleaming isle of Eventide: counting the pillars of smoke, scouring the decks of moored ships, sweeping across its coastline to take stock of bustling numbers and their restless activities.

----

"I counted the masts of... two other ships." Raemi informed, filling her lungs with her deepest breath yet. It braced her, settled her, her mind clearing as the soldier's touch and support offered her some much needed assurance. Shamelessly she leaned upon her strength, too grateful for it in the moment to second-guess the propriety of it. A Domain Zora perhaps...? Though it'd do her no good getting distracted by such wonders.

"Moored. Though... there were some much smaller boats too." Raemi's responses weren't reluctant - they were careful. Intentionally the dancer took the time to pour over her memories, squinting as she scrutinised them until she was certain of her assessment. After another moment she added, "-which I could only guess were patrolling the currents of Eventide's perimeter.

"One of the bigger ships did look especially busy, but I didn't risk getting close enough to see if they were preparing to depart in this direction."

----

"Pwheeergh?!" Squawked the guttural question of a Lizalfos. Eyelids flickering, head oscillating, the erratic swish of its tail gave away that it was more impatient than simply inquisitive. It was awaiting orders.

With a grumbling growl -  deep in the pits of his throat -  Gao clicked his tongue. Lowering his telescope he jerked a chin towards the island, jabbing a bloodied hand in the same direction to drive the point home.

...The Lizalfos gurgled with confusion. Maybe even reluctance? With a swish-SLAP of its tail it stomped upon the floor and shrieked at something in a differing direction.

A raft.

Gao had seen it, but had pretended not to.

It was a ramshackle thing, clearly still capable of use despite its dilapidation, but nonetheless strung with a cloak in the place of a proper sail. The solitary soul upon it was unmoving... but seated. Sunstroke perhaps? Maybe even... asleep? In any other situation he would've mistaken the stranger for a Lurelin elder, basking in the sounds of the sea waves as some quiet meditation before suppertime. If Farosh smiled upon them, their resting fishing rod would even snag a prize to take on home and add to their old lady's simmering paella.

But very visibly this was NOT the time for that. What sane man would float idly upon a raft amidst all of this?! ...Thought the also totally sane man who'd just stolen a pirate ship of monsters.

"Fargh-ACK?! ACKK?!" The lizalfos bounced and hopped, jabbing its spear up high. A petulant child throwing a tantrum. The longer he ignored it, the more vocal it became, finding far too much confidence in the absence of a rebuttal. Then it began to scitter off, no doubt with the intent of racing to the helm and-

Gao did not sigh, he ROARED.

Bokoblins balked, swabbers scattered, the one up in the mast-top cackled, as with a loud resounding SLAM the Lynel pounced off the figurehead and crashed onto the deck before the mutinous lizard. It screamed. Gao didn't hesitate. It tried to run. Gao won. Seizing the slippery fiend by its tail he spun and CRACKED its neck against the splintering bulwark rail. Immediately it went limp.

He tossed it overboard.

The pungent purple gas as it exploded into ether was still settling as the Lynel turned to the rest of the crew. A few snorted up some anxious snot. Another ribbed his mate in the gut to share a hearty gurgling-giggle. One half-blind oddball hadn't even noticed and was still sharpening his spear with an old chunk of flint. But as a whole it seemed the example had been made.

Good.

"FRRAAAGH-NE-NAH-NAAARRGGH!!!" Gao's bellowing howl erupted up into a warchant. Again he pointed in the direction of Eventide Isle, this time raising his own halberd to strike at a beam of searing sunlight. The Boss's warpaint was now baked upon his chest, the emblazoning orange crackling against the swelling exertion of muscle and tendon. 

The monsters joined his chorus and resumed their tasks with renewed vigor.

It wouldn't be long now.

----

"But no, no I'm not injured - thank you." Raemi shook her head, beaming a soft smile of gratitude up at the Hylian lady. A Lurelin native? Her skin was stained with much of the sun's love, her own disposition just as radiant. It was warming to see such chipper optimism, despite their situation: ...even if Raemi did suspect a shaky foundation beneath that brave smile. Yet who was she to judge? It seemed many of them were 'faking it until they made it', hoping that one day the confidence they boasted of would be forced into fruition by pure will and hope alone. They didn't have much other choice really, did they? They could only try their best and pretend it was enough.

The dancer swallowed at the lady's confident exclamation of victory, forcing down a sharp ball of bile before she could nod with firm agreement. Right. THEY have got this. She wasn't in this alone. Neither was Gao.

Then there appeared some candy.

Was it shock? Or delight? Maybe even a mix of both. Either way it was laughter rather than dread that filled Raemi's throat this time.

Hastily she slapped a decorated hand over her mouth, but the deed was already done. Eyes crinkling with mirth and guilty apology, Raemi gratefully accepted the gift. "I would love one. Thank you." She wasn't sure what to expect, but the golden gem of sugar promised a delight that didn't disappoint. After a subtle tremor of sweet pleasure, her tendrils and fins flared open in a joyful sway. A faint kiss of warmth coloured the scales of her cheeks.

Maybe she should start keeping a stash of these herself.

"If any of you feel up to the task, there is something specific I would really appreciate some assistance with." Taking care not to choke on the little ball of summer sunshine, Raemi licked clean her lips and fumbled around at the many ropes that bound her slender form. With a few deft motions of her nimble fingers, she unknotted several flasks of the mysterious liquid. She didn't offer them to anyone in particular, but rather left them in rest upon the sand - up for grabs and inspection.

"I was going to uncork these during my performance, as in all honesty there's a high chance I'll need ALL of the ink I've mixed to increase our chances of success. However-" Her brow winced, her smile sloping. "-as you can probably imagine opening them all at once is not just wasteful but distracting too. I can control the ink once it's within my vicinity, but if anyone could throw me a bunch throughout - a steady supply - that'd be much more preferable."

Yet Raemi hesitated then, concern etching a frown upon her delicate features. "But please take care not to breathe in the fumes: Muddle Bud blooms were used in its creation."

[Rex Draco]

Nex had settled himself against the spindly mast of the raft, which obscured much of his body from the harsh sun of the open ocean. His left leg laid bend on the raft floor with his right foot tucked beneath his left leg, knee to the air. His arms were tucked between his legs, the fishing rod hugged to his chest while the line was cast out to the sea. He recognized that it would be impossible to reel in a catch with the noise of ships cutting through the high waves. His own raft was churned and heaved up and down by the ebb and flow of the waves.

But it was so warm. He was unwilling to interfere with the current state of things. By their size and sheer gall to sail so close to the coast, Nex could easily identify the patched up vessels as boats of war, the specialized tubs of ransackers.

Pirates.

It was easy to come to that conclusion with just the panic laid upon the Eventide visitors. It serves them right. That land was originally a monster haven with ruins displaying the hubris of Hylian who ever attempted to step foot on its soil to stamp the mark of civilization on its banks. It had become a curiosity to him that there was a land that no Hylian, Gerudo, or Zora, could step foot in. He was sure the odd Rito or Goron may have visited, but those sorts never seemed inclined to create epitaphs of civilization across the land like the aforementioned groups.

Soon he couldn't ignore the vessels. Their wakes breached his raft's space by throwing water and turning him about. Any closer and he would have risked being pulled down by the boats into the inky depths.

"What fun is that...?" He mused to himself.

Once his raft was beneath the shadow of the massive ship he moved to stand. He pulled his cloak down from the mini mast and twirled it around his shoulders before pulling the hood over his head. He tucked his fishing pole behind his back, using his bag's strap as a makeshift holster. Once the boat was close enough he dove into the water.

After several moments the shark's webbed hand broke the dark surface of the water and latched onto the side of the ship. His claws dug deep before his right hand reached out to do the very same. Step by step Nex climbed his way up the bow of the ship, using the intricate designs of the hull and gaps between the planks to hoist himself up. With some effort the old fish pulled himself onto the bowsprit. His boots gripped against the wooden surface as he crouched down on the protrusion. He turned his gaze towards the main deck where all sorts of monsters meandered and moved.

He pushed to stand and made his way across the deck. From his satchel he pulled out a mask and settled it onto his face. It was a mask with big round eyes and fluffy cheeks. It resembled the visage of a Lynel with glowing, blue eyes. He made his way to the edge of the ship's starboard taffrail. Grabbing his fishing rod from his back, he cast his line.

[LuckyBlackCat]

At the mention of the busy ship, Claria's frown deepened. Whether the pirates planned to depart for Lurelin or not, their purpose couldn't be anything good. Elder Rozel's lips pressed together, his spindly hands balling into fists, but he kept up the stoic mask befitting of a leader.

"Thank you for your intel," he replied to the colourful Zora. "The few villagers who stayed behind... I'll have to warn them, in any case." Despite the calm and collected response, a despondent note weightened his words, the shadow of Lurelin's recent past looming large.

Claria remained crouched by the other Zora's side, although her muscles bunched with urgency. She gave her silver-scaled shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And we'll head out as soon as we're ready." It didn't sit well with her to pressure the already frantic girl, but with a ship about to leave and Gao in the thick of the conflict, time was of the essence. Once they'd discussed their plan, there'd be no waiting for backup. They'd have to get going at once, drastically outnumbered as they were.

Alyson's gift of candy, thankfully, seemed to boost the dancer's morale as well as her stamina, those bright fins spreading and rippling in the wind as she perked up. Even her voice grew steadier as she asked for help with a task, plucking several bottles from her braided rope accessories and setting them out on the sand in front of her. Murky purple liquid swirled inside each one, glimmering in the sunlight.

With a nod, Claria fit three bottles in a stretchy Octorok leather pouch on the belt of her scale mail. "Muddle Buds..." Useful little Depths-dwelling flowers against large groups of enemies, if handled right, rendering them unable to tell friend from foe. A wry smile tugged at her lips as the plan's details clicked into place - the dancer sought not just to distract the pirates, but confuse them. An invaluable trick against the ones who could swim. "So it's not just Gao turning monsters against each other?"


"No problem!" Alyson beamed as the stamina-restoring candy took effect at once, the Zora spreading her membranes like a butterfly's wings. "Not only are they good for giving you a boost when you're tuckered out, sugar helps relieve shock. Yeah, they say sweets are bad for you, but if you ask me, most everything has its place in moderation... and a little extra stamina is just what you want in a situation like this."

She was babbling, as always when nervous. With a deep breath of salt-scented air, she crouched and started gathering up bottles of cloudy violet ink, stuffing them into her belt pockets. The liquid shifted, reflecting magenta tints. "Anyway. Yep, I'm happy to help!" Despite her lack of familiarity with Muddle Buds, the name was a pretty good indicator of their effect, as was Claria's comment - some kind of hallucinogenic, most likely. The thought of such a boon against the enemy should have unclenched some of the knots in her belly. It didn't.

"And wind magic should come in handy here." With a flick of her fingers, she rippled the sand before her to demonstrate. "Not gonna lie, my precision isn't the best, but it means I can throw stuff pretty far. It'll also keep those fumes well away from us." She brushed her hand against the pocket containing the remaining three stamina candies. She'd be relying on magic far more than usual, as the coastal breeze whipping at her tunic reminded her. With this weather liable to throw off her combat style, even directing a boomerang would require spellcasting - which would drain her fast if she wasn't careful. Or get away from her. Such was the nature of elemental magic, wild and chaotic.

She jumped to her feet, heading towards the mini-plane at the docks. "Anything else to discuss, or are ya ready to kick monster butt? My name's Alyson, by the way, and yours is?" Setting her goggles in place, she turned her gaze to the one Zora whose name she didn't know.

If they had nothing more to plan, best to make a start as soon as possible, even as her heartbeat rose to a fever pitch at the mere thought. The sweat running down the back of her neck wasn't just from the Faron heat. One Yiga squad back in Akkala had been tough enough, but... two pirate ships, as well as Hylia only knew how many smaller boats?

This plan had to work. It had to.

[El]

Raemi

The gentle squeeze of her shoulder caused Raemi's heart to throb. The gesture was intended to be supportive - she could understand that much - and to an extent it was: the toughened scales of the warrior's palm communicating a life fraught with combat experience - reliable strength. And yet... that suffocating pressure bubbled up again.

The Zora's comment on 'turning monsters against each other' was also probably meant  - at least in part - as humorous, perhaps even as a tinge of praise of her strategy. And yet... Raemi winced.

She didn't want to be here. Not really. Especially not to do THIS.

But the dancer gave a silent nod in response, the set of her lips hardening into a more grim expression. It wasn't - and had never been - in her nature to get involved in any sort of situation which brought harm to another living creature. Conflict never sat well with her. Luring the monsters to their own deaths was a coward's approach - a 'loophole' in true accountability. She didn't have the courage to point a spear at another's throat, and so she'd chosen to hide in the murky waters of deception and trickery instead. Ha.

It left a sour taste in her mouth, but in seeing the Elder's feeble frame shaken by the events - the concern etched deep into his wrinkled face - she realised perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing to ease the weight upon his shoulders. What use were misguided-morals when innocent people were at risk of dying...?

She didn't want to be here. Not really. But it was the least she could do - she wouldn't be able to live with herself otherwise. These were Gao's people after all. His family and his childhood home.

"...Raemi. My name is Raemi." The dancer summoned a weak smile, though it was softened by the bumbling engineer's continuously endearing rambling. The mention of wielding wind magic piqued her curiosity - as did her quickly evident comfort in handling tech (a vague recollection of the Ball's fairy constructs flitted through her memory) - but once again, this was not the time nor place to dwell on such things. Alyson was as eager as the other Zora to get going. Understandably so.

"Thank you - again." Raemi re-iterated. "Your assistance - from both of you - is really appreciated." Clasping a tense fist to her chest, she finally stood upright again and gave them firm nods of resolution. "Remember not to breathe in the fumes, OK? I can't say what coming into direct skin-contact with the ink will do either, so try to keep your distance from the illusions themselves as well if you can help it." Yet it was undoubtedly a relief to have her load (both physical and metaphorical) lessened, and it showed in the subtle ease of her shoulders as she reflected on the successfully averted alternative.

A quiver of anticipation rippled through her fins. She drew in a deep breath, "I suppose I shall lead the way then...?"

----

Gao

The curious quibbling of monsters drew the Sheikah's attention, his stare immediately snapping to a lynel-masked individual who had chosen to board the vessel. His vessel. Wearing his same mask. And there he sat, after swaggering across an ample length of the ship, making himself comfortable at the starboard's taffrail to cast a fishing line - of all damn things!

Tension locked tight Gao's jaw, sealing scowling lips over barred teeth. Was this a joke? A taunt? Or just plain and simple stupidity? Perhaps-... perhaps not even that, but something altogether far more sinister.

He snarled, the reek of dried gore still clinging thick to the back of his throat. His blood was still running hot, pounding hard in his ears and bellowing against his ribs. Fury came quickly - easily. Violence was his first instinct. Restraint took effort.

Thank Hylia the sun was up at least. A Blood Moon would've been... problematic.

White-knuckle fists pierced chipped nails into his palms, through the fabric binding of haphazardly-stitched scraps. That tickle of pain was enough - just about - to sober his mind with a flinch of logical clarity. He drew in a deep breath. Swallowed the feral urges.

The stranger's motives were as confusing as his garb: he'd never seen an (assumedly) Zora so heavily clad in Hylian clothing. And yet there he sat, clear as day, so completely at peace - relaxed even! The decision to abandon his raft to board a ship of violent pirates was fraught with perturbing logic, the gall of it all too troublesome to commend. Gao could NOT afford to have his cover blown. Nor could he afford to have his mission jeopardised by some infuriating stranger's meddling. For now he was stationary, but the captain didn't trust him: Not. One. Bit. Maybe he was in truth some goddess-sent ally, but it would be foolish to entertain such naive notions when the risks were so high.

Nostrils flared, the 'Lynel' marched straight towards the stranger and his gaggling collection of bokoblins-

...-and continued straight past, directly to the ship's stern.

Initially, Gao had wanted to check the gundeck below to see if the vessel had any working cannons he could use in the attack. Now however, he had an unidentifiable imposter with unknown intentions who was settled far too close to the helm for his liking. He couldn't risk leaving him unattended above deck.

A muffled huff reflected off the musky leather of his mask. Whatever. Plans changed all the time, and he couldn't afford to waste anymore of it. The stranger was responsible for his own safety just as Gao had many, many more lives hinging on his own actions.

Soiled, coarse hands seized the wheel. A swinging shift of taut rope and groaning masts allowed the sails to fill anew with a fresh blast of forceful wind. Adjusting the course of the ship, a guttural barking roar of command boomed from Gao's swelling chest. Immediately those with hands to spare scuttled to gather their weapons and collect at the ready those of their comrades' too.

At the rate he was going, the ship was set to beach itself - forcefully and at full pelt - against the eastern rear of Eventide. This was intentional. If all went to plan, Raemi and any reinforcements she had managed to gather from Lurelin would have the directly-opposite side covered.

Divide and conquer.

----

Raemi

Swimming for efficiency, pure and simple, was not something the dancer was accustomed to. Her movements were never just 'practical', yet now she had to undress, reduce, stripping away all care for appearances and impressions to reach her target destination just that little bit quicker. She wasn't performing. Yet.

Weaving through the sea at full charge, Raemi's submerged form streaked colour through the shimmering water: her vibrant fins and pearled tentacles trailing behind her, tightly packed in an effort to streamline her advance. She chose to trust that her newfound allies were at her back - trust in their abilities - and focus on only that which was directly ahead. They were quickly gaining ground, and from the way she felt the tides shift so too was Gao.

When she halted, it was only because they'd arrived.

A shiver of a hum tickled at the Zora's throat. She wet her lips though they didn't need it. As she bobbed, weightless, below the waves, she spared one last moment to doublecheck her equipment and run over the idea in her head, imagining each keyframe and silently muttering to herself its main points.

A performance of this great import had NOT been practiced enough. Nowhere near it. But she hadn't the time - none of them did.

In truth... a lot of this was going to be created in the moment.

A first.

Raemi had left that part out, not just to ensure she could convince allies to join their plan, but also so that in speaking it she did not give it any weight of reality. Foolish? Absolutely. Irresponsible? ...She couldn't argue with that. But she couldn't afford to acknowledge the guilt and instead twisted that crushing force into determination instead. She could do this. She WOULD do this.

Twisting she looked back to give her fellow Zora a signalling nod. Then she raised a pearlescent hand, piercing the sea's surface to alert Alyson to the incoming opening act.

[Rex Draco]

For some reason the Zora seemed free from the monster's more crass intentions. Maybe it was because the mask incited authority among the rabble, a warning not to approach or face a Lynel's wrath or it tricked the more simple-minded creatures into believing he was one of them, an ally among the horde of Hylians and others that often othered them. But, among all that, the simplest answer may suffice. If his face was covered it was hard to discern whether he was an ally or an enemy and seeing as he bore no visible weapons and he was fairly confident in his approach, it was a little baffling, which Gao seemed to well embody in his silent fury. The whole-grain audacity presented by the fisherfish was beyond infuriating.

It wasn't as if the Zora was unaware of the other, the one among the monsters that didn't quite bleed fully into the background. His sense of self was quite commanding of attention so it was easy to feel his gaze even behind the mask. His height certainly didn't entertain the thoughts of a growth stunted Lynel or mayhaps the presence of a cub. The mage was much more clever and could spot him among the bobble of bokoblins and other notorious ne'er-do-wells among the crew. Armed to the teeth with sticks, spears, and swords it was clear that the pirates were ready to raid. Far from the wizard's concerns. When the other not-monster went straight on to manage the ship, as a good captain should, the Zora was able to relax enough to remove the mask and rest it atop his hood.

His line dragged along as the ship cut across the ocean, the feeling of the rod tingling the nerves at the ends of his fingers, down between his webs. He could feel the ship picking up speed, not only through the wind, but from how much drag his line gave him. He wouldn't catch any fish. Any proper fisher knew that fish only congregated near calm waters and the bows of speeding boats like this were limited to the barnacles cemented to the hull. His intention was hard to discern because in the one hand he seemed to have taken up the oddest station for fishing, but on the other it was a ship full of monsters that were quite fond of ripping and tearing unsuspecting sorts like him.

So what kept them and Gao at bay?

Was it the captain's busy hands or was he unsettled by the sheer incongruous instance? When Gao yanked the sails and picked up speed to shore, the Zora seemed to settle against a post and rail, crossing his legs.

"That's going to be a rough landing." It was all he spoke before slowly reeling in his line.

Something hooked!

[LuckyBlackCat]

"Always happy to help out!" It took Alyson more effort than it should have to keep the lopsided grin on her face as she climbed into the aircraft. "I'll fly a little to the side of the two of you... draw attention away."

She patted the vials in her belt pouch to make sure they were securely in place, before steeling herself and pulling at the controls, palms sweating beneath her gloves. The plane's sail-like wings spread wide, lighting up with sigils and billowing in their magical wind as it took to the air. Alyson swallowed a lump in her throat. This was it.

"Go wow the crowd!" she called, her voice carrying on the salted zephyr, trembling ever so slightly. She veered to the right, glancing down, spotting a colourful streak darting through the water, followed by a luminous one. Raemi, despite her apprehension, was already putting her all into this.

Alyson tightened her grip on the controls, the sea breeze buffeting her skin and whistling in her ears as the Loftwing accelerated. She'd do well to follow Raemi's example.


As Raemi stood, so did Claria, squaring her shoulders. She nodded back in response to the warning about potential adverse effects should anyone get too close to the illusions. "Best not to find out. And I'm Claria."

Some of the tension had left Raemi's posture, her resolve bolstered by the plan. Now to make sure not to let her down. "I'll stay close behind," Claria reassured her. "And will do my utmost not to be too... conspicuous about it." She fought back a grimace at the thought of what that would require.

Although Elder Rozel's eyes still bore that haunted expression, he gave the group a warm smile. "Best of luck, all of you. And I can't thank you enough." As he turned and headed away from the shore to inform the villagers, Claria pressed her lips together, approached the foaming waves, and slipped into them after Raemi.

For the first stretch of the journey, she kept her head above the water while she powered forward with swift sweeps of her fins and feet, fiercely hoping nobody would wonder why. Once the island came into view on the horizon, however, she had no choice but to inhale as deeply as she could and submerge. Even though she kept her lights dull, the only way to avoid casting obvious green shimmers all over the surface and ruining Raemi's ploy was to dive well below her as she followed her lead.

She held on to the air in her lungs for as long as possible, but her burning chest and limbs, her flagging motions, forced her to take breaths of water instead. Not that they did much good, not while she went all out to match the other Zora's pace, no matter how frantic her gulps. Her gills throbbed from the strain of scar tissue against delicate membranes, the pressure of water on tender spots, the cramping and seizing of damaged muscles in the flaps. Salt water, at least, was more oxygenated and easier to breathe than freshwater, but "easier" was a relative term. It took considerable willpower to keep her expression neutral in case Raemi looked back.

A good fighter never showed weakness of any kind in a combat scenario. Not to allies, lest their morale falter. And certainly not to enemies.

Nonetheless, every so often, she rose to take a gasp of air, her speed picking up as she plunged back below the surface a second later. If anyone were to ask, she readied the excuse of watching for monster activity, and properly checking on Alyson. Even while she kept up the byssal-thread fine balance between avoiding notice and replenishing her strength, she found herself falling behind Raemi, those folded fins and tendrils trailing further and further ahead.

She was a star of the sea, she reminded herself, mustering her energy, managing a brief burst of swiftness that sent porgies scattering. Through the dark spots dancing in the corners of her vision, from pain and breathlessness both, she saw Raemi turn and nod, raising a hand above the surface. The show was about to begin.

As much as she yearned to breach the waves, it wasn't time yet. Pulling a vial from her belt, she rose towards Raemi, the vibrations eddying through the water signalling Gao's nearing presence.


Alyson had mentally prepared herself for what would lay ahead, but witnessing it was a different matter. Great swathes of jungle had been reduced to blackened husks. Behind jagged spikes of wood that now encircled the top of the hill, she could only just see the smashed, charred ruin that had once been the Mariner's Dream. A tang of smoke wafted forth. The Loftwing dipped, the resolve she'd steadily pieced together coming apart in mere moments, much like the resort.

Was building a better Hyrule even worth it? How long would any victory last?

Clenching her jaw, blinking back tears that formed behind her goggles, she steadied her trajectory. Her attention kept darting between the island ahead and her comrades below, those rippling jets of colour and light muted beneath the bright blue-green of the Necluda Sea, yet visible from her vantage point. Her eyebrows furrowed at Claria's erratic swimming patterns, her lapses in speed, her frequent surfacing. Had she and her fellow Zora run into some kind of trouble underwater? No, that couldn't be it, Raemi didn't appear hindered at all, and the two would easily be able to deal with such. Even so, she descended slightly, ready to assist if such proved necessary earlier than expected.

When a webbed hand poked above the surface, Alyson tilted the plane and arced as close as was safe. She grabbed a vial - and dropped it on her lap just as quickly as an arrow streaked through the sky, forcing her to swerve. Gripping the bottle between her knees before it could roll to the aircraft's floor, she swept out a hand, sending a second arrow careening well away from herself and the others with a sharp gust.

Well, this was going to complicate matters...

[El]

She was trembling. But with a frill of her gills she sighed, breath lost to the submerged waves as her hand withdrew below the surface once more. She clenched a fist at her quaking heart and drew to a close her shaking gaze. Melodies of nature - the whispers of memories - awoke in her mind's eye.

The rustle of the wind through the grass.
The usher of the trees.
The chirping of birds.
The increasing quake of panicked hooves.
A soaring spear.
The scatter of wings.
The crackle of fire.

She breathed it all in, smoke and all.

Away she allowed herself to melt, her sense of self unfurling like a blossom which shed its petals into the deepest slumber of her consciousness. She was not Raemi. She was never Raemi. Raemi was gone. For this scene to live she must become it, from every dew-dropped blade of grass to the panted breath of a squealing boar - she was it all.

She drank it in, humid stank and all.

Tremors of emotion tickled across her scales. In the haze of her meditative state she popped open the cork of one flask as a multitude of pearled tentacles deftly uncorked many more. It was a silent motion and the liquid which spilled forth was respectful of such, the tranquil blooms of mulberry darkness expanding exponentially into all-consuming clouds graceful and soft. Raemi was gone. Lost in mind. Lost from sight.

But still the ink spilled forth, errant sparks of magenta glittering in the mass as it reached ever upwards to the ceiling of the ocean. It spread. Stretched out. Inches into meters into half a dozen yards and more. From up above the swelling darkness could be observed stretching all the way to the shore of Eventide, tracing a wide and inviting path.

Clatter. Clink. Cla-clack. A hum sweetly vibrated through the stained waves, a melody of a spring's lullaby-whisper over the growing rumble of hoof-fall. Raemi was singing. So too were her limbs, deft movements unseen plucking at the strings of countless coral chimes. Cla-clack, clickety-clack. She spun and wove the melody of dashing boars, while grass bloomed up above, a bountiful turf of luscious fields spouting from the water's surface.

BRAOOAAAAGGGGGHHHHH

A warhorn blared and the battleship crashed, the bellowing roar of hollowed bone announcing an echo of the cacophony which swiftly followed. Without remorse the vessel beached itself, tearing asunder the northern shoreline in a blast of shattered tides and splattering waves of sand. The wood creaked and screamed, the sails slapped and the oars splintered, but its calls of pain went unheard: for from the propulsion of its barbaric sacrifice were launched hordes of pirates, blotting out the sun as they piled forth. 

Some tumbled, others bumbled, but many fearlessly leapt straight into the fray, a current of monsters high on adrenaline and drunk on bloodlust. While some clambered up and over one another, the rest weaved through the thickening ranks, spears glinting and stained clubs already swinging while overhead streaks of fire-tipped arrows rained. More smoke to fuel the fires of ruin.

The 'Lynel' was at the head of it all, striding across the surface of tumult at his command with feet that stepped from heads and shoulders as if they were giant pebbles bridging a stream. He almost appeared to glide in his long lunges, each movement another powerful pounce which launched him ever further and always onwards.

Then at last, he met the greeting waves of enemy forces.

Lips peeled, grin feral, Gao tore up his trailing halberd to tear asunder the glaring sunlight and swing it-

-DOWN

Right down the middle the inviting path of once rich black now bloomed with a haze of verdant greens. This was not water. This was grass - a field! Look how it shimmered! How it waved! Lush and sweet, asway against a gentle breeze. You could smell it. The weeds and the wild Hyrule Herbs, the earthy thyme and peppery sage, the dandelions and daisies that starred its blanketing expanse. 

Thrumming clackety-clack, went the hooves, a sound which emerged from the distant centre in a billowing form which never settled and never sunk. It was no figure. Nor was it any essence of a creature. It was smoke beaten forth from the racing boars which escaped its swirling mist of candy-rose pink. Trailing sweet Muddle Bud petals the wispy cloud spun and leapt, unmasking the horde of prime meat ready for the hunting, eager to squeal and already dashing for the distant horizon one after another.

It was almost as if you could taste the roasted meat. An aroma - crushed from Stinking Iris petals - filled the summertime air, thick with the promise of a hearty satiation that wetted the tongue and dried the throat. It was so easy to imagine the crackle of the fire below it, Charred Bark smoking the seared flesh, and a warmth, subtle but persistent against your face - an elusive but persistent touch of Ruby Powder's magic.

Raemi had successfully conjured forth a rich and verdant illusion of a perfect hunting ground.

Yet any who waded into its waters raced upon its turf would find their senses spun askew, their hunger amplified into a savage hunt. They would not see comrades: they would witness only squealing boars, only to perhaps choke on their own squeals as they succumbed to the waters' merciless grasp. Monsters drowned easily. So too were their tempers easily riled.

But the illusion was relentless - Raemi was merciless.

Though masterfully masked as she was, her performance was far from its end. Forever spilling forth more clatter-hooved prey. Always whispering across the grass and budding flowers. Sprouting luscious bushes only to dash them asunder in the panicked hunt. She painted each stroke of the boars' coarse hide and stomped the daisies below their pounding feet. The wind would billow, tracing tides through the field. And all the while the tantalising heat of cooked meat would prevail, in hot pursuit of every shifting movement and spirited illusion.

Occasionally this fantastical world would flicker - ail - but the Apsara Zora had faith in her companions to cast her extra ink when such moments occurred.

And her increasingly lethal exhaustion?

And his aching limbs and tearing skin?

It was of no consequence.

A small price to pay.

For she was not Raemi

He was not Gao

She-he-THEY were the spirit of the hunt.

T̶̨͗h̴̯̿è̵͚y̶̬͗ ̵͇̇w̵̻͌o̸͙̓ũ̴͓l̸͎̒ḍ̸̎ ̵̫̌k̵̺͠i̷̭͂l̵̬̀l̵̠̃ ̵͎̽t̶̼̕h̷̟̍ḛ̸͠m̷͙̍ ̴̨͆à̴̳l̴̮͗l̶̬̐.̴̝̚

[Rex Draco]

Nex felt the tug at the end of his line, the flexible pole bending down against the force of the fish's fight. In spite of the cacophonous crash the Zora was able to reel in the catch. It was a beautifully vibrant trout. Its scales glimmered in a sheen one could almost call rainbow. Accounting for the ship's violent lurch, he adjusted his body, legs hooking around the railing as he pulled the whole of his weight back in order to get the fish across the distance between the sea and top of the hull.

He moved to stand, his left arm in the air, dangling his prize on its thin, gleaming fishing line. The fish struggled, but rightly refused to part with the bait that it had clamped its jaws down around. It didn't take long for the lack of air rushing through the fish's gills to cause it to slow down and eventually still. A few more frantic flaps of the fleshy folds on the sides of its head and it would suffocate. Once its final breath was whisked away by the stale winds of the surface, the sailing silverperch pinched the sides of the fish's jaws in order to wiggle the hook from its cheeks.

The loud, haunting bellows sounding on the drums of war called to the corner of his attention. His deep, cerulean eye drifted to the sides of his hooded sclera.The Zora watched as the horde flowed from the boat like a cash of salmon being dumped from a frozen barrel. After spooling in the remaining line he moved to set the rod on his back before hopping from the taffrail and onto the deck of the ship. Drawing the trout to his mouth he would part his jaws and bite down on its head with an audible crunch. The harsh snaps of his shark-like fangs around the neck cleanly separated the head from the neck, bones and all. Loose scales flaked from the flapping filet, its moisture slick against the Zora's gloved hands.

The hordes of fiends, upon disembarking, appeared to be consumed by a cloud of smoke and dust. Tucking the remaining fish between his jaws the Zora proceeded to climb the mast. Making use of the ship's stillness he grabbed the ropes and crossed along the paths, using the sail to hoist himself up toward the crow's nest. He was not alone. It seemed there was a slovenly Bokoblin that had missed the warcry. His boots hit the base of the nest with an audible thump that shook the sloth sailor from his slumber. The Bokoblin looked up towards the tall figure, bleary eyed and confused. Nex shrugged and not but a moment after the Bokoblin could be seen careening from the ship and landing in the ocean. Once the obstacle was out of his way the Zora continued up until he was on the tip of the mast.

Crunching away the Zora finished his snack, holding between his jaws what remained of his meal's tailfin. He watched as the hordes swarmed and swept onto the beach and right into an ambush. He hummed thoughtfully before he dropped his arms to his sides and threw back the sides of his coat, the coattail fluttering against the winds of his high perch. Resting on his waist was a long, slightly curved blade. The surface of the blade was a bright fuschia, like the blossoms of spring. Above him a few clouds began to condense in the sky, bolts of lightning lacing across the cumulus surface, lightening up the grey form. He wrapped his hand around the hilt of the blade and drew the sword from its clip.  Raising the blade to the air a snap of lightning whipped down to the ground, clipping the edge of the horde.

With a quick, downward swipe: Nex slashed his blade across the air, only for another, much larger bolt, to come crashing down into the center of the collective. Any wayward kindle would set alight and get sent flying every which way. The destruction covered at least a hundred meter wide radius, burning anything and everything in its path. After the strike the Zora tucked away the blade and lowered his coat. He slid down the mast before landing on the crow's nest. 

P I R A T E  K I L L E R

[LuckyBlackCat]

Claria backed away with a flick of her flippers as midnight-dark clouds billowed upwards. Clutching the bottle, she remained just close enough to approach Raemi fast when the time came to replenish her supply. If she drew too near right now, though, misjudging her motions in her disoriented state... Not only would the undulating mass confuse her, it would suffocate her. Even at a safe distance, it was all she could do to gasp away the fog threatening to overtake her mind just as the ink did the surface. Each flare of her overexerted gills brought a stab of agony. She kept as steady a flow of water around herself as she could with gentle stirs of her head fins and tail.

She knew her limits, knew how to utilise her remaining diving skills... and knew when she'd stretched them too far. This, even if out of sheer necessity, was one such time. And the plan had yet to take shape.

What a shape it took, however, in a literal sense, as the frenetic melody Raemi plucked and sang sent shivers through Claria's spine. The inky blanket spread out above them, blocking the sun's rays, casting the sea into darkness. Claria brightened her lights, just enough to check for any Octoroks or other aquatic monsters at first, her body alert for unusual vibrations. When she found no enemies lurking nearby, she let the illuminated radius grow a little, making Raemi's task easier. The obscured surface meant the pirates wouldn't spot her now.

It also meant, of course, that she couldn't rise for air. She kept her movements minimal, treading water with the softest of kicks and finbeats. She'd have to conserve her strength, should she need to use it.

Even so, she allowed herself a glimpse of Raemi's handiwork, with a subtle tilt of her whole body to avoid the pain of craning her neck. Rocks, corals, porgies spun around her, growing fuzzy as her vision clouded. When the dizziness passed, she found herself gazing up at a verdant canopy. She couldn't fully discern the details from below, but a breeze rippled through painstakingly rendered grass, over which hoofbeats rumbled in a rapid staccato, interspersed with porcine squeals. Herbal scents wafted through the water, along with the tang of woodsmoke and roasting meat.

A boar hunting ground. A monster paradise. The perfect distraction.

And sure enough, the monsters were falling for it. Hordes of figures plummeted and flailed up ahead, clawing in vain for illusory land, limbs slackening as the ocean claimed them. Keeping a wary eye on them, Claria drew forward and back, handing Raemi more bottles when needed and evading their fumes in a steady rhythm.

A rhythm that ended up quickly disrupted.

Amidst the shapes drifting down, some sped forth, the water no hindrance to their agile reptilian bodies. More than a few Lizalfos pursued and speared their own kind, the Muddle Buds' hallucinogenic effects at work, but others darted straight for her and Raemi. The concoction had its limits.

Claria thrust out a clenched fist, powerful beams cutting through the shadows, taking out one, two of the attackers - and shooting right past a third as her arm trembled. She struggled to form words of warning to her comrade, who remained wholly absorbed in her performance. "Wa... Watch ou-" They came out as little more than a whisper, lost in the music, cut short by searing pains. The fact that she was practically mute underwater wouldn't make the teamwork she'd promised easy. Typically, a Zora could communicate while submerged by reversing the flow of water through their gills, like a lamprey, but much of that function was lost to her.

She could only pray that the brilliant flashes had alerted Raemi to the danger - and do her utmost to draw it away from her.

Lurching in front of Raemi, she aimed once more, only for another Lizalfos' spear to glance off of her scale mail, knocking her aside. She spun, shaking off the swell of vertigo the best she could, green flares casting her surroundings into relief as her curved fin-blades formed and sliced. Too slow. The Lizalfos dodged, but not before a sharp edge caught its arm. It dropped the spear, which sank out of sight.

Well, that was something at least. She blocked the other lizard's forked sword strike with her hardlight shield. Before she could retaliate, something blunt rammed into her shoulder. She gave a strangled grunt. Even in a dense oceanic environment, a Lizalfos' tongue packed a punch. She sliced again, but no matter how aquadynamic her luminous blades, the monsters were faster, darting out of reach. A third lunged into the fray.

It took all her willpower to keep up the deadly dance, striking with beams, fin slashes, sword jabs, albeit with a stiffness to her upper body. Every movement of her shoulders made her gills burn as if shards of glass were lodged between the folds. Lizal blades grazed her scales when her dodges and blocks faltered. Crimson clouds thickened the water, blood from her own cuts mingling with that of her enemies, hampering her already laboured breaths. Shadows and spots wavered in front of her eyes, threatening to steal her consciousness. Although it helped that some of the confused lizards' blows struck each other, if she didn't end this soon, it would spell disaster for both her and Raemi...

Her entire body tingled as she gathered all her power and whirled, glowing scythes cleaving in several wide circles. The death-gurgle of at least one monster sounded oddly distant, everything tilting all around, no telling which way was up or where the jumble of vibrations came from. The hardlight blades flickered and vanished, her luminescence fading to almost nothing against her will.

Fuck.

Through the haze of afterimages, blood and shadow, a lifeless silhouette sank, dispersing into a noxious miasma. Another writhed before falling limp. The third, however, still moved. Multiple gouges all over its body oozed, but it wasn't down just yet. Willing herself to keep the grip on her sword from going slack, Claria prepared to lunge, hoping with every fibre of her being that she wouldn't pass out... and that Alyson could replenish Raemi's ink in the meantime.


Far below Alyson, the ocean darkened and shifted, but she couldn't fully take in Raemi's artwork just yet. She sent arrow after arrow soaring off course. All she needed was to hold out long enough for the display to take its full form...

Rich floral scents, stampeding hooves, the crackle and whiff of meat roasting over fire, a flourishing grassy carpet stretching to the shore, indicated its progress. Alyson's eyebrows raised. She'd expected an impressive visual performance, but the crafting of a hyper-realistic, multi-sensory world? That was something else. Raemi had truly outdone herself.

Once the onslaught of projectiles died down, the army of pirates crowding onto the field only to slip through its liquid greenery, Alyson exhaled hard and faced the now-opaque spot where the two Zora had been. The view beneath, in all its wild beauty and vibrant detail, made her gape. Sharp-tusked boars raced across the leafy landscape, squealing and grunting. Birds chirped as they flitted between trees that rustled in the breeze. Swaying daisies and buttercups dotted the grass. A perfect simulation of a springtime hunting field, spreading as far as she could see.

Yet she couldn't allow herself to get lost in its vivid rendering. She grabbed the bottle and flung it over the side of the aircraft, the jet of wind beneath it sending it further and slowing its fall so it wouldn't crack upon collision with the sea. As the gust petered out before it could disturb Raemi's handiwork, Alyson watched it drop and disappear below the painted surface, hoping she'd aimed right.

More bottles followed suit, one after the other. In the distance, a warhorn sounded. The battle cries and weapon clashes carrying through the briny air made her fingers clench, wresting childhood memories to the front of her mind, but it meant they'd done it. They'd kept the monsters captivated long enough for Gao to join the fray - and not find his army outnumbered.

And someone had another trick up their sleeve, by the look of it. Out of the corner of her eye, Alyson noticed heavy clouds begin to condense over the island, even though the rest of the sky remained as blue as ever. An almighty lightning bolt shot down, striking the island and sending monsters flying every which way, puffs of purple smoke exploding from the corpses in the scorched circle it left.

A mage. A pretty formidable one at that. It was a good thing Claria remained underwater, with such a powerful electricity wielder on the isle. Yet Raemi hadn't mentioned a lightning mage, or anyone else besides Gao for that matter. Did Gao know magic? Nature did seem to be his speciality... Movement on the mast of the beached ship, however, revealed a faraway figure descending into the crow's nest. The tension gripping Alyson's shoulders dispersed.

Gao had thought of everything, bringing along a second in-command. And the more help they had, the better. They could do this...

THUNK

"Waugh!"

The Loftwing lurched. With a desperate grip on the controls, Alyson stared at an arrow protruding from a sigil on the aircraft's wing. Another had torn right through the sail, the ragged edges fluttering. Some archers must have kept vigilant after all, defending against threats to the hunt... She deflected another arrow as she spiralled towards the shore, losing height by the second, the Muddle Bud-laced ink of the field rising ever closer.

She only just made it over the lip of the island, but evading one threat had brought her face to face with another - the rocky wall of the hill. There was only one thing for it. With only a few feet between her and the ground, she jumped from the aircraft, summoning what she could of an updraft to cushion her fall. It turned out weaker than she'd intended, blowing sand into her face and doing little to stop the impact juddering through her body, her reserves of magic running thin.

She rolled, groaned, and staggered to her feet, spitting out sand, thankful for her goggles. Her limbs ached, but nothing seemed fractured, and a quick pat of her belt pouches revealed the vials to be intact. The same couldn't be said for the Loftwing, which veered overhead and crunched against the rocks, its beak-shaped front splintering, a wheel rolling loose as it crashed to the ground in a tangle of broken sails. Alyson winced at the wreckage of her once-trusty vehicle. Well, that was air support out of the question now... and there was the matter of being stranded with pirate hordes to contend with.

Bokoblins rampaged forth. Some ignored her in favour of the hunt, but others readied blades and raised bows. Mustering as much magic as possible, Alyson swept her arm in a wide arc, whipping up a flurry of sand in their faces. They staggered back, squealing, some rubbing at their eyes.

Her knees buckled. With a grunt, she dug a stamina candy from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. Two left. As the energising sweetness coated her tongue, she gripped her boomerang. If she fended off the pirates until Gao and his crew could intervene, she may be able to send Raemi more ink from here.

[El]

Instinct had warned him of the storm, but with the swooping hisses of enemy blades and the hot splatter of inert malice evaporating off his skin, he had paid the goosebumps no second thought. Had scarcely registered the way every single hair on his body stood on end. Nor the way the air cloyed, thick and heavy with fizzling pressure: masked as his face was, already suffocated by its own insulated climate. Even the encroaching darkness had been dismissed, misinterpreted as a simple symptom of exertion as it curdled with blood-red rage.

He simply continued to fight. To kill. To slaughter and avoid being slaughtered. So when the first beam of lightning struck, Gao yelped alongside foe and friend alike. Terror rippled through the clashing hordes as his heart thundered back into his chest. But while many immediately began to flee, scampering over each other in panicked fumbled and screams, the majority unfortunately ran directly into the second, far more brutal strike.

Fire. Incineration. Ash in the wind and charcoaled flesh in his nostrils. The manufactured storm had arrived with no rain, and so the flames spread with rapid acceleration, in lethal pursuit of countless more victims. It could not burn the wet sand, but it took quickly to the countless wooden weapons, the dry cloth, the nearby foliage of once proud palm trees and the unsuspecting woodland they framed, devouring all it could and licking its hungry flames ever wider as more ocean gales whipped on through.

Fortune had favoured the Sheikahn fool - but even Hylia's grace had its limits. With hot, rapid steps, Gao hastily retreated backwards from the toe-touched perimeter of the scorched earth. But desperation was still alive and flailing in the few caught in its aftermath. Wailing the tide spread and crashed into the rest of the embroiled forces, one 'blin launching at Gao himself in the midst of his dying delirium. The blazing weapon dropped with a hard thunk as a severed head collapsed beside it. More purple fog dispersed into the choking clouds.

But there was no time to linger. To count his losses. To mark the heads of the enemy forces. For every moment they stayed apart from the rest of Lurelin's saviours, their strategy would turn against them: an effective pincer instead withering their separated powers. Divide and conquer could only reach so far and so onwards, Gao charged. With teeth gritted at the burning heat below foot - his sandals were poor protection - he dispatched with wide cleaves all who stood in his way and carved his path ever Southwards.

The source of the unnatural, freak storm would be a concern for another time. For now it had worked greatly in his favour, and that's all that mattered. So Gao set his feral sights upon the greatest threats to his remaining companions: slightly adjusting his path every few strides to ignore the more minor Bokoblins in favour of the few broad-sweeping Moblins and acrobatic Lizalfos.

He was making rapid progress towards Eventide's Western shoreline.

-----

Raemi's eyes had long since closed: to open them was to break the spell of her immersion. The events outside of her imagination - her performance - were distractions. The chaos loud but blotted out. The symptoms of her own exhaustion lost behind a fog of complete and utter detachment. Numbed.

As the swaying shrubbery she could not sweat. As a boar not yet impaled, she felt no aching throbs of pain. The weightlessness of her mind was natural, given she was the wind through the rustling field of grass. And though the unseen darkness pressed in and began to suffocate, the breath heavy in her lungs, the air about her burning hot, Raemi's eyes had long since closed: her material form was irrelevant.

As bottles of ink were flung towards the elaborate mirage, they slowed and sunk as if having hit a whirlpool of unseen gravity. The invisible force pulled them in deeper, drawing them steadily towards the central core - towards Raemi herself. She was not conscious of what she did, but she did not need to be, as one of many branching tentacles seized the vessels and promptly uncorked its fuel. In time the goop pouring forth joined the swirling mass, trailing like silken scarfs upon the breeze, cursive and aglitter with disorientating magic.

But she was running dry.

She knew this time would come - all things must end, books and songs alike - but as Raemi began to sense in the waters captured in her command an increasing purity, she trembled. Was it with relief, knowing that her self-inflicted torture was soon at an end? Or was it with terror, now that the results of her witchcraft and its carnage would be forced into her waking sight? It didn't matter. Regardless of her feelings, her performance was drawing to a close.

But rather than splutter and flicker and shatter with ugly disgrace, Raemi instead shrunk the illusion she had cast, gathering up the rest of her resources to pool it instead into one final act. The field withered smaller. The sparse foliage of budding trees and bushes burst into nothingness. Sailing birds evaporated and even the horde of boars faded into transparent phantoms of simply air.

Instead, in its place, now leapt and charged in taunting circles one gigantic boar. A beast of all beasts. The mother of its slaughtered pen. At its core glided the Apsara herself, still heavily obscured by the swirling ink of magentas and royal purples but now at far greater risk: she had become the one and only target.

Nonetheless she sensed blood in the water and in artistic reflex drew it up from the depths below to use in her performance as an extra, satisfying detail. It spun into the massive boar only to quickly trail behind it - as if it'd been wounded, shot by one of many soaring arrows.

Blood was concerning: monsters did not bleed, not in the traditional sense. But to concentrate any further on her surroundings would be to overstimulate her senses and risk losing her own mind to the same madness she spun.

Then she felt a soaring draft plummet down overhead, gently rippling the edges of her illusion as it passed. But Raemi swallowed her heart back down her throat and immediately rebuilt the frayed fringe of her animated painting.

...Were they both dead...?

Tears unbidden pooled at the corners of her closed eyes, but she simply squeezed them harder. Concentrate, Raemi. She HAD to keep concentrating. She had to keep her faith in her newfound allies, just as the noble Domain Princess had in her own companions over a hundred years ago. They'd pull through. They had to.

Not long now, and the play would end regardless. The forces which had fallen prey to her elaborate web were becoming far quieter - the cacophony of yelps and screams more sparse. The thinning of their ranks was nearing completion.

[Rex Draco]

There was no telling just how much energy was poured into the spell. From a glance it looked huge. The dark clouds were spread meters across while the massive bolt shot down with such force that even the ground shook. His intention was not to destroy all the monsters, nor was it to aid the locals. His crafty work was merely a test. It had been a while since he had used his magic. After expending the spell he had felt he was, perhaps, a little rusty. It was not as fantastical as it had once been. The fish blamed his time on ice. Normally the radius of the spell was thrice that size, but he supposed shrinkage came with age.

Sliding back down onto the crow's nest he wondered how many eyes rolled in his direction after such an audacious and flashy cast. To him it didn't matter. He had his meal and expended a spell slot in order to test the limits of his current body. He was dissatisfied. It was still a bit weak. He supposed he would have to restore his relics to their full power if he was going to face someone like the Queen of Hyrule. Though he knew little of the current incarnation, it was not uncommon for them to wield powers that fortified their authority over the whole of Hyrule, one he vehemently denied.

He slowly climbed down the mast and made his way to the deck of the ship. Walking to the bow he jumped onto the banister and walked across the bowsprit. Once at its edge he crouched down, his fishing pole across his back. Normally a wizard required a staff to weave their arts, but as a traveling mage one had to make due, so today his rod served that purpose. He could surmise that's what hampered the strength of his favorite spell, but it was something he'd work out later. His arms slung over his knees, the tail of his fish-snack clutched between his jaws and lips. He raised his head, swallowing the remaining catch, crunching it down, bones and all. He watched the swell of man and beast collide. There was no telling who fought for what, nor could he gather what they fought for at all.

With his hood pulled over his head and little of his body on display to clearly identify him as a Zora: the old fisherman pulled his eyes into a narrow pinch as a cold smile painted itself over his features. It was not because he took pleasure in war at all. No, it was because his little friend had finally swam back to shore. Nex leapt from his perch and landed in the sand, right in front of the Bokoblin. He grabbed the fellow by his scruff, the soggy sack hoisted up off the ground. The Bokoblin was a shrimp when compared to the Zora's six-plus height.

"We're friends now." He growled softly. "Right?" The Bokoblin rambled, trying to shake his head, but Nex nodded only for the Bokoblin to nod as well. "Let's go." He pulled the beast's head under his arm in a tight grip and carried him through the fray.