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Starcrossed in Hyrule (MarioxGunner)

LilGunner

LilGunner

Nonsolis radios sediouis fulmina mitto.
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Location
Michigan
A traveler's life was a strange one. Dangerous? Yes. Thrilling? Of course! In a land like Hyrule one never knew what would be encountered at the next bend. It was best to avoid central Hyrule if at all possible with the Calamity so close. Sometimes though it was best to gird yourself and gallop through as quickly as your horse's hooves could fly. The Rito were a lucky lot, they could fly over any danger. Kira envied them and their wings. She had roots once and could have stayed. There was nothing for her in Kakariko. Family of course, so she couldn't say nothing. Yet there was so much more, so much to see and explore. She couldn't imagine just staying, being a farmer, preparing for potential Yiga or the minions of the calamity attacks. It was many years ago she had bid farewell to that life and took to the open road. And what a road it had been.

Boko, her faithful steed, bore her comfortably south from Akkla. His coat a deep black, mane and tail glinted silver in the light. A sturdy stallion with feather around his hooves. He had not been the first horse she had tamed but he was the best. Brave, steadfast, quick, agile even if a little blockheaded at times. Sometimes Kira was certain his bravery was more stupidity than anything else. He plodded along the path towards Lanayru, a portion of Hyrule she had spent woefully little time in. The Rito were cool at first but warmed up quickly, some of their finest warriors had taught her archery once they settled to her presence. The Gerudo were surprisingly welcoming, then again they appreciated a woman warrior. By the Goddess they were tall and fierce. Compared to them she was a kitten. The Goron she spent only a little time with. Genial and welcoming they had been but buying fireproof elixer all the time grew expensive and it hadn't been the best for her skin. Hylians, of course, were abundant and she looked enough like them that they held nothing against her even if she wore her traditional armor. The Zora, however, were another matter entirely. She didn't know why but they were a xenophobic lot. Only once did she pass close to their domain and was quickly chased off. She didn't bother trying to return.

Honestly she didn't plan on getting near their territory as she traveled south. Too many years gone it was time to pay a visit to her home. It would be a long trek, skirting far west around Zora's Domain, through the Lanaryru Wetlands and towards home. Yet she was curious about the Zora lands. On a potentially foolish whim she deviated from the roads and headed due south towards the mountainous plateaus that surrounded Zora's Domain. It was the safest way to see one of the few places she hadn't been able to go or chose to go. She hadn't bothered with the tundra, heat was bad but Kira hated the cold. A decent climber she figured a small detour couldn't hurt. Climb up to the plateaus, see what she liked, then retrieve Boko again and head home.

Close to midday she hopped off Boko at the base of the montains and began her climb. It was strangely freeing to climb. Dangerous but she loved to feel the blood pump through her veins, how her muscles burned as she climbed higher and higher. A short point of rest then further. The traditional Sheikah armor was close fitting and left little to the imagination. It hugged her taut, lean arms and legs, accentuating her soft curves. Not as muscled as the Gerudo but far more ample than the average Hylian woman. Her silvery hair was caught up into a braid, wrapped and pinned to the back of her head. No bangs, all of her hair caught up. Bangs made a fight more difficult. Vibrant purple eyes were set in a fine, pixie-like face. Half of it obscured by a blue mask, covering her from nose to neck. The clothes allowed her to move quietly, to hunt in stealth and avoid detection. When she wanted to of course. Kira was no stranger to a fight and loved to throw herself into a battle. The soft, split toes of her shoes helped her cling to the mountainside as she climbed. As any good warrior she kept her weapons on her. An Eightfold Blade sheathed at her hip, a Falcon Bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back. No shield, it was not the way of her people. If you were not fast enough to evade an attack you were fast enough to die.

By the time she finally made it to the top it was afternoon. She was sweaty, tired, her limbs were sore but she felt alive. The air crisp and just a little chill. As with most of the land it was beautiful. She followed the flat paths further and further up. The highest vantage point would be best. While she didn't imagine there would be much of a threat so far up she kept a wary eye out. Chuchus could spring up almost anywhere. She passed by a rock and her feet skittered to a halt, her purple eyes shooting wide. A Red-maned Lynel stared at her, its expression just as surprised as her own. The pair stared one another down. While Kira was not opposed to a challenge she had only tangled with a Lynel once before. The pelt of the last one fetched a fine price but it had taken her weeks to heal up and get back to her travels. The Lynel moved and she knocked an arrow. It charged and she fired, diving and rolling out of the way just barely avoiding the massive weapons in it hands. Their dance when on and on. She shot but the arrows didn't sink deep enough. A decent archer she was no where near the expert of a Rito. One good shot to its eye and she should be able to down it. Before she could land the perfect shot she was out of arrows.

The Lynel charged again and again. Kira ducked and dodged, rolling out of the way but unable to land a solid hit on the brute. It was furious, it was ferocious and it hadn't just climbed up a mountain. Kira panted as she waited for another charge, arms shaking. Her blade was light and sharp but she was starting to struggle to hold it. It charged one again, this time Kira ran right at it. She slid beneath the beast and struck its belly. A good slice but not lethal enough. She just barely managed to roll out of the way before hooves came crashing down to stomp her to death. Scrambling back up the beast landed a solid kick right to her shoulder. Kira yelped in surprise and pain as she was sent skittering and rolling across the ground. She struggled to her feet, managing to keep hold of her sword. It might very well be the day she died. She hoped someone would find Boko and take care of him.
 
Zora's Domain had always belonged to the Zora. True, though tourism was common and visitors were tolerated and sometimes appreciated, the Zora people kept their distance from outsiders to the point of being Xenophobic. They had no hatred for the Gorons, Gerudo and Rito people, but when it came to the Hylians they were bitter and unwelcoming. Many, many years ago their favoured princess had been killed, sacrificed in vain for a lost cause while her two Hylian comrades pussyfooted about like dead weight. The Hylian princess had failed in her duty, and her chosen knight had failed to protect Mipha, or any other champion for that matter. There were doubters and compassionate soothsayers who argued for reason; some even brought up those old rumors about Mipha having feelings for that Hylian champion, but that ultimately made the grief and anger worse for those left behind after the Calamity.

Very little of that mattered to Piran. He was a tall, well-built Zora male with well-defined muscles, gleaming red eyes, dreadlocked, anenome-like tendrils for his head instead of the usual dolphin fin and a dark orange and grey colour scheme about him, and yet in a crowd with others of his kind he didn't stand out because of it. So many of his kind were fit and spry, after all. However, Piran's bulky, broad shoulders, sturdy, thick arms and powerful legs were above and beyond the typical fare of his race. Whereas so many others of his race favoured spears and halberds for reach, Piran perfered to fight with what the spirits above gave him- his limbs were swift and deadly enough on their own, and if he met a foe who couldn't be bested with blunt, heavy-handed strikes and kicks, he could always rely on his claws, teeth or a razor-sharp dagger of his own making. Though he was arrogant and overconfident in his martial arts abilities, Piran wasn't an idiot. Despite his size and stature, he made a point of picking off foes from afar with a sturdy bow.

Today was the day he would finally prove himself to the King and Prince of Zora's Domain. His race needed a new champion, a new, skilled master combatant in case Calamity Ganon seeped out from that husk of a Hylian Castle and drifted over to the land of the Zoras. Piran loaded himself up with arrows, honed his wicked dagger and set off to Ploymus Mountain to defeat that cheeky Lynel that had set up shop there. Piran was going to do it alone- anyone else would get in the way or royally fuck up. Alas, someone was getting in the way of his glory that day, something he noticed as clear as day when he heard the ferocious grunting and clanging of steel as he reached the summit of Ploymus Mountain. A good silver lining would have been knowing that another Zora was fighting this Lynel, but instead, as Piran rushed into the wet fields of this mountaintop arena, he was treated to a disgusting, humiliating sight.

A Hylian was fighting the Lynel. Sure, it was a Sheikah, but to Piran he only saw a bloody Hylian ruining his accomplishment in the making. He was tempted to let this curvy, silver-haired lass meet her end at this Lynel's blade, but in the end he relented. Piran, despite his abrasive personality, was no murderer by inaction. He nocked a few arrows onto his bow and, when the Lynel had its back turned as if to finish off the Hylian struggling before it like a mouse before a cat, Piran let his presence fly. Two arrows, no matter how well-crafted they were, were not going to penetrate the back of the Lynel's head- but it would surely piss it off and distract it!

"Get up," Piran barked to the Hylian. He stood there near a boulder a dozen or so meters away from the Lynel with his legs primed for dodging, leaping and scurrying away. "Get up and get out of here before you get yourself killed!"
 
Just before the Lynel reared for a charge, the final blow, it howled in surprise and just a little pain as sharp arrows glanced off the back of his skull. Both Kira and the Lynel looked around for the source when Piran barked his orders at her. Managing to find her feet Kira stared at the sight. Not only had the Goddess sent help...but a Zora. She didn't know what surprised her more. Deliverance from certain death or to see a real, live Zora there. The Lynel had no such thoughts.In the most basic of senses it knew the recent pain had come from the barking creature. Its sights turned on it instead.

Fury boiled in the Lynel's belly. It let out a long, challenging roar. Rather than charge a fire gathered in its belly, fueled by its rage at having another opponent. A gout of flame rushed at the Zora. Two more gout in quick succession, following wherever the Zora tried to run. It didn't hear the attack coming from the rear. With another present Kira felt herself renewed, just a little. Her right shoulder screamed in protest but she didn't run. With the Lynel distracted she ran up behind it. Just like wild horses. With an easy leap she hopped to its back. "Sheikahs don't run!" She yelled as she wound her hand into the Lynel's mane to hang on. The Lynel panicked. What was on it?! The other prey? Just like a wild horse it began bucking furiously. Kira clung on with her left hand while she tried to strike it with her right. Her movements were weakened, slowed by the screeching pain in her shoulder.

"Shoot it! Hit it! Something!" Kira shouted from its back as she held on, cutting its right arm and shoulder. Pain for pain. Though as the beast bucked furious it was moving dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Neither the Sheikah woman nor the Lynel realized how close they were getting
 
Fire wasn't much of a problem to an aquatic creature like a Zora, but no matter how ineffective it might be, a flaming fireball was still incredibly dangerous, especially when hurled at a high velocity. Piran managed to get off a couple more shots, one missing and the other glancing off the Lynel's horns, before he ducked out of the way of the advancing fireball. He cursed, as he had leaped away from the boulder and by extension his sanctuary, and scuttled back to take cover before the second fireball took off his head. The third one impacted upon the boulder he took as cover, and the force of the strike was enough to send an uncomfortable ripple down Piran's spine. Perhaps he had bitten off a bit too much than what he could chew?

If that thought had crossed the Sheikah's mind, Piran couldn't tell. In fact, as he heard her battle cry he realized that she wasn't about to back down. It was as if she was trying to show him up! The nerve of a Hylian to repay his gracious assistance by throwing her life away so carelessly! The orange Zora dashed out from cover, nocked another set of arrows and advanced upon the writhing Lynel for a closer, more acurate shot. He wasn't going to be responsible for this Sheikah's death if he missed.

"You reckless little..." Piran pulled back the string of his bow and let it sing- two more arrows whirled through the air on a colision course with the Lynel's upper body, all from close range! Why, if the Lynel so wished, it could have knocked the Shiekah off and taken a fatal swipe at the Zora with its massive hand! "Dismount! Dismount!" Piran barked again.
 
The Lynel howled as two bites stung its chest. The arrows struck true. Blood seeped from the wounds but apparently it wasn't entirely enough to kill the beast just yet. Its bucking slowed and it stumbled. Kira heard the Zora shout for her to dismount. Why would she want that? The beast was nearly...The Lynel lurched suddenly. One hoof struck the edge of the cliff. In it's stumbling attempts to regain footing it reached out for anything. A massive, clawed lunged forward for the Zora. It's fingers latching onto the fins of the Zora's arm. That lunging, lurching sent Kira stumbling forward, her left hand still clinging to the Lynel's mane. She swung around and slammed into the Lynel's chest as it scrambled to stay on the cliff. Trouble was, horse-like hooves were not meant for climbing.

Kira released the blood red mane only to have a leg trapped in the Lynel's armpit. Gravity was no one's friend that day. The two, smaller combatants were helpless as the massive beast gave way and tumbled down the cliff. The group of three. Down and down. Surging, swirling water of the east reservoir reached up to greet them. Of all of them the Zora could make it, being a creature of the water. Though such a drop, unless a proper dive executed, would smack the body nearly senseless. The Lynel still grasping the Zora's fin wouldn't help matters. Kira's heart hammered in the few moments that seemed to take an eternity. Swimming wasn't what she would call a strength.

With a might, bone jarring crash the group hit the water. Rushing currents, hungry white caps surged around them as they hit. The Lynel sank fast, kicking furiously as it tried to get to the surface. Luckily it released the Zora's fin, on its own or through fighting it didn't matter. Kira kicked and struggled her way to the surface, barely breeching water before being knocked under by the rapids. They were all being pulled towards the dam and the spill waters. The Lynel thrashing near the smaller beings didn't help with keeping anyone on the surface. It seemed every time Kira managed to break and suck in air she was pulled under again wether from the Lynel or the cruel waves. She groped and reached for absolutely anything to keep afloat.
 
Getting grabbed by the fins- the fins of all things- was such a cheap move, but Piran wasn't about to debate it with a Lynel. As he was dragged further and further towards the edge of the cliff with Kira and the Lynel, Piran did what he could to avoid getting forced into a watery grave. He struck at the fingers holding his fin to the point where he had to drop his bow just to make a good enough effort. Sure, he felt naked without his bow, but it was better to be alive than to be found dead with it clutched tight in his hands.

"Oh we are so screwed," the Zora managed to growl out before he toppled over with the rest of them.

The next few moments were a blur for Piran. True, a Zora hitting the water at such a height wouldn't have been an issue, but with one arm disabled by the Lynel and a poor angle achieved because of it, Piran smacked into the great blue waters and saw stars. The only reason he wasn't dead was thanks to the Lynel breaking the surface of the water a quarter-second before him. Listless, Piran drifted about in the churning, dastardly waters like a corpse before his senses came back to him. His limbs felt numb and his whole body pulsed with pain, and yet he couldn't let that stop him now. His ruby red eyes scanned for the struggling Lynel and caught sight of the woman.

With all the speed and skill provided to him as a Zora, Piran flew through the water on a collision course with Kira. He could only imagine the look on his face- terrified, pained, out of his element- as he reached out in an attempt to bring this woman up and out of the Lynel's grip.
 
Kira kicked and floundered as she tried to keep herself above water. With the surging foam and the Lynel's thrashing she was lucky to get a second before being dragged back down. Her lungs burned, her right shoulder howled in pain, silvery tresses had become unbound and only served to obscure her vision. This was not how a Sheikah should die. Every movement was agony and soon it felt like ever limb was a heavy and solid as a Talus, weighing her down. Maybe it would be best to take a big breath of water and let it be over with. Just as she considered stopping her fight an orange and grey blur caught her eye.

It was only seconds but they seemed to take years. Kira kicked hard to stay above the water as her eyes met with the Zora. He looked like she felt. Frightened, in agony. Both of them battered and bruised from their encounter. He was charging through the water right at her. She lost sight of him as the water yanked her once more but she felt flesh and muscle. His hand found hers and she found herself yanked up out of the water with ease. Her head at least. She was quick to reach out with her other arm and hold to his shoulder. Normally far too close for comfort with anyone but the Zora floated and floating meant not drowning. Kira panted for air, coughing between each heaving breath. She pulled her mask down for a freer flow of air. Her face was finely boned, round with a neat little nose. Not the best of times to decide how pretty a face might be.

"Thanks," she managed with a wheeze. Despite the danger of the situation she was acutely aware of how close they were. Her breasts pressed against his chest as she held onto him. Never mind that, there were more things to worry about. Both of them were injured and spent. The Lynel was thrashing nearby but was drifting faster with the current towards the dam spill point. It howled and raged, Lynels were not meant to swim. Though as it thrashed it caught sight of silver and orange. Mad, red eyes swiveled around. No matter the danger it was in its fury won over fear. It struggled against the current. It would kill even if it died. Just as the group of three were reaching the spillway the Lynel reached for its targets with a vicious snarl.
 
Yep, this one had to be a Sheikah. Were they technically Hylians but with curvier frames and enhanced agility? Piran really had no clue; he had glossed over Hyrulean History and Biology as a child. The orange and grey Zora hissed in alarm- or perhaps it was discomfort- when he felt how close this woman and, by extension, the Lynel was to him. This really, really wasn't the best time to plot out the features of another person's face or get a feel for their curves when a Lynel was still a very real, tangible threat.

"Hold on tight," Piran ordered as fear and disgust mixed in his tone. He wasn't sure if the Lynel still had a hold on the woman somehow, but with the spillway coming up quick he wasn't about to dive back down and check for sure. "I'm gonna try and-"

In hindsight, with a Lynel trashing in the waters and reaching out for something to drag down with it into a watery grave and the raging, churning current swelling over the spillway nearby, not even the best Zora swimmer was going to get out of this one. Piran was too close to the edge. There was no debating it here. The Zora just hoped that this woman would hold on tight, lest the massive drop would kill them both...
 
Hold on tight. For a change Kira was quick to obey. Disregarding the awkward position she pulled herself closer to the Zora, releasing his hand to wrap her other arm around his neck. Her strong, slender legs wrapped around his waist. Like a vine clinging to a tree she held on tightly, allowing him full use of his arms and legs. She forced herself to ignored the strong, rippling muscle his body was made up of, how lean and hard every surface was. Her breasts fully pressed into his chest, the core of her body at his navel. She tucked her face into the ball of his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. If she had her way she would never go into water any deeper than her hips from that moment on.

The Lynel went first, howling as it was flung out into the open air. However possible Kira's muscles tightened further around the Zora as they were sent out of the spill way. Back into the open air. Being lighter than the Lynel the pair were thrown further. Lucky for them. The Lynel tumbled down the side. With a sickening crunch it landed on heap of rock and boulder at the base of the dam. Piran and Kira would be flung further, missing the rocks by a scant few feet. The water was only slightly more forgiving. Another bone-jarring crash into swirling waters. The vortex of water slamming down into the river forced them both under. Kira held her breath as tightly as she held Piran. The water tumbled and raged, quickly forcing them downriver.

She gasped when finally they were able to get air. The rapids were faster in the river but slowly they subdued to a quick stream then a gentle glide. Kira finally stopped grasping the Zora so tightly and moved so he was freer to swim. They had been swept far, all the way to the Lanaryu Wetlands. It was miles back to his home, even further for her to retrieve Boko. Yet they could worry about that. First was to be grateful to be alive. "I'm never swimming again," Kira mumbled once they were safe.
 
If there was a silver lining in all this crazy action, it would be that the Lynel was dead and gone. But that only begged for looting and obtaining its head as a trophy, both things Piran couldn't do as he was being hurled downriver with some Sheikah held tight against his body. If he weren't still in danger, the Zora would have blushed a deep scarlet at how tight this woman was against him, and at how soft her body felt. A tinge of lust crept through his mind, but only for a moment before he was forced to concentrate on where the river wanted them to go. He could go back to that giant corpse when all this was over with, however long this was going to be!

It seemed like hours before the two of them reached the Lanaryu Wetlands or, more specifically, Mercay Island just past a Lizalfos encampment. Piran didn't want to have to come back to the area and face those wretched reptilian beasts, but the sores in his body coupled with the damage to his fins forced his hand. He took Kira under the various bridges and platforms until the coast was clear, and from there he waded towards the island and the sandy, grassy bank. Drenched and fatigued, the orange and grey Zora trudged out of the water and, when he was on stable, dry ground, he pulled Kira off from him with all the grace and care of a wild horse bucking off a Hylian tamer.

Once Kira found herself with her ass in the sand, she would then get a sharp finger jabbed in front of her face from the Zora. At a distance, it was clear that he was a close-range fighter, but now that he was so close there were more details to make out. Besides the ruby red eyes, anenome-like tendrils dangling from the back of his head and razor-sharp teeth, there were bits and pieces of improvised armor attached to his body at certain places. Vambraces comprised of silver and leather adorned his forearms, shinguards protected his shins and a leather harness had been fashioned for his arrows and bow, though the simple nature of this setup had been undone by the churning of the rapids to the point where the broken leather was dangling from his hips. Finally, there was a traditional, finely-crafted silver headpiece to protect Piran's frontal lobe. Further protection would have been superfluous given the rippling, sturdy muscle layered throughout Piran's body like living armor.

"You're damned lucky I found you," Piran grumbled as he lowered himself into a squat to get eye-level with Kira. He winced- he had sustained a few wounds here and there, but nothing serious. "That Lynel was my quarry. It was to be killed by me, not some-" He glanced down at Kira's outfit for a split-second. "...large-breasted exhibitionist with a death-wish!"
 
Finally safe in shallow, mucky water and then glorious dry land. In strange, sudden calm, Kira had forgotten to release the Zora. Clearly uninterested in having someone still clinging onto him he pushed and bucked suddenly. Kira's limbs released and she dropped with a wet thud onto the sandy shore. She groaned some as a shock coursed her spine from tailbone to neck and made her aching shoulder throb. Before she could speak a sharp, taloned finger was thrust into her face. She blinked a moment, staring at the pointed nail. Her eyes followed up along the vambrace and muscular arm. Now that they were safe and all was calm she was able to get a good look at the Zora. She hadn't seen one before. Not in person anyways. A strange but fascinating creature.

Her eyebrows quirked as he spoke, watching his mouth move around rows of sharp, pointed teeth. He got down to her level, almost like a parent lecturing a child. Contrition was not an option. Her brows furrowed as he lectured her but shot back up when, of all things, he mentioned her breasts. A strange instinct her arm shot up over her chest as if to cover them. It wasn't as though she were topless anyways! Her other hand jumped up and grabbed the finger that was shoved into her face. Wide purple eyes narrowed at the Zora. For a moment she had thought to thank him. Really she should have but that thought left with his accusations.

"First of all, that Lynel attack me you pretentious fish-boy so maybe you should have worked out your stupid plan with it first. Second, a person with a death wish wouldn't exactly cling to another to not drown, right? Third-" She hesitated as she stared up at the Zora. Did she really have a right to be angry with him? If it weren't for him she would have ended up a drowned, bloated corpse. Or...dead on the mountain top. She did sort of owe him. Kira growled low in her throat and released him finger. Her anger seemed to dissipate as quickly as morning dew. She huffed a sigh and looked him dead in the eye. "Third...thank you. I shouldn't be ungrateful that you saved my life...mmm...twice really."

With a groan Kira pushed herself up, dusting the sand off her butt. Her body ached and groaned at having to stand. Rest. It just wanted to rest for a little. Already late afternoon, the sun already casting warm, evening light. "We should make a fire...bandage up...hunker down for the night. I don't think either of us are in any condition to travel and certainly not through the night. Come on," she said as she offered a hand to help him up. Only slightly humorous given that with him crouching she was only a scant bit taller than him. "I'm Kira, by the way."
 
Grabbing the finger of an angry Zora was like getting in the way of a rolling, oblivious Goron. It really couldn't end well for Kira, but in hindsight, what would Piran have done at all? Harm her? No, Piran was an asshole at times, but he wasn't irredeemably so. As such, he listened to Kira with wide eyes and a stiff, twisted upper lip and found himself not only irritated and humiliated, in a sense, but proud. Proud of Kira, a mere Hylian, for having the moxxy to stand up to him. She had backbone, and that... Piran could appreciate that.

Still, fish-boy kind of hurt. A lot.

"Well, you're welcome," Piran grumbled out after a bit of awkward silence. He went to stand, ignoring Kira's help as per arrogant protocol, and looked up to the sky as Kira remarked about the night. "Yes, that would be wise."

Oh, Piran had wanted to say so much more in passing. If it weren't for this Hyli- Sheikah, yes, that's right- if it weren't for this Sheikah, Piran would have had the Lynel's head secured. But in the end the Lynel was dead, Zora's Domain was a little safer and... now he was stuck with this woman. Sure, he could just abandon her, but in his current state it was better to stick together. There was something more about this woman than her strong backbone that enticed Piran in a way he had never been enticed before. Plus, part of him actually wanted to appologize, if only to take back that part about Kira being an exhibitionist.

"I'm Piran. I have to admit, despite how things went with the Lynel, you seem to handle yourself well." The orange Zora clicked his tongue and turned towards a secluded, smooth, sandy spot just a stone's throw away from them. It seemed that someone had set up a little campsite here, though there was no wood or further supplies to scavange save for a makeshift tent of sorts. "If you find wood to burn and, uh, reinforce that campsite or whatever, I can see about getting us some bandages and food for the night, provided you don't mind the taste of fish."
 
Kira dropped her hand as the Zora stood up by himself. She shrugged it off as he stood to his full height. Her head tilted back to look up at him. He easily dwarfed her, she barely came up to his chest. Somehow she didn't think Zora were as tall this. Learn something new every day. She had learned many somethings that day actually. Kira was good on learning new somethings for a while. Her purple eyes wandered all the way to the Zora's feet then back up to his face. A fascinating creature....person. Most drawings of Zora showed them as sleeker creatures, with a large fin coming off their crown. This one was different. He was nearly as burley as a Goron, less round of course, and had strange tendrils falling from his head rather than the normal fin. A little gruff, possibly even rude but there was something interesting about the man...creature...person...standing in-front of her.


When he spoke it startled her out of her mental wanderings. Even more so his almost compliment took her by surprise. "Thanks...you too...?" She responded awkwardly. Kira was used to comments about her skills. Most folk assumed she was Hylian at first glance. As a blanket statement Hylians weren't very strong warriors. The ones that could be considered strong fighters had died out almost 100 years ago when the Calamity struck. Somehow, coming from the large Zora, the compliment struck harder. As he turned along the sandy, grassy shore she followed to a tiny encampment with an equally tiny tent. Barely a tent, more like a makeshift overhang. If it decided to rain it would barely keep her dry let alone Piran.


"Fish is good and I don't seem to be in a position to be picky," she said as she stared at the small camp with her hands on her hips. "The only thing I'd turn down is rocks and durian...can't eat rocks and durian smells like Bokoblin shit." With a short, snorting laugh she looked around. There was a tree nearby but it didn't look like there was much in the way of fallen branches to make a fire. Fresh wood made a fire too smokey and was hard to light. The vines would be useful though. Kira set to work getting vines down from the tree, leaving Piran to his own tasks. Despite an aching body she managed to gather up a good few feet of strong vine. Up on the rocks she noted a grove of trees not too far. Smaller trees with plenty of debris below them. Perfect.


She wasn't gone too long, collecting as much wood as she could possibly find. One of the trees had apples too! With those sharp teeth she wondered if Zora were primarily meat eaters. Well if she ate some apples then that would be more fish for him. With a good bundle of branches and an armful of apple she headed back to camp. There she was able to get a cheerful little fire going and straightened up the little makeshift shelter. It still wasn't much. If it rained they were going to get soaked. Though she supposed a Zora wouldn't mind that so much. On that train of thought she needed to get her clothes dry. Not a blanket between them though to cover up with. Still, spending a night in wet clothes would certainly mean catching cold.


Kira took a minute to weigh her options before huffing a sigh. She still had under clothes and it wasn't like the Zora wore clothes. Using the vine and some branches she set up a drying rack near the fire and removed her wet clothing. Cloth wrapped around her chest, mostly to arrest their usual movement but it served for some modesty given the situation. The cloth compressed them somewhat though even with the compression it was clear she had been well graced by the Goddess. Under the tights she wore a small pair of shorts that were tight on her backside and legs. It too was damp from their long swim but she had at least a small sense of modesty. Kira was lean and fit, her flat stomach neatly indented at the sides. Toned with decent muscle definition with pale skin. Mostly pale at the moment, especially her right shoulder which was blossomed with a morbidly beautiful bloom of bruising. On her front, however, a viscous scar ran from above her left breast, presumably between her clevage and all the way down to her right hip. Not fresh by any means but still a deep, vibrant, almost wet looking red.

At least it was warm near the fire and she started the apples baking while waiting for Piran to finish his own tasks for their campsite
 
'You too?'

Piran had to resist scoffing at that line. He handled himself so much better than the other Zoras, even better than the plucky Prince Sidon. With raw strength and peerless skill Piran proved himself superior in fights, and if he ever lost a sparring session, it was only because his opponent either cheated or got lucky. The orange Zora, seeing that Kira had turned away from him, rolled his eyes yet kept his tongue in check- he wasn't looking forward to tempting this woman into letting loose another humiliating remark.

"Fish it is, then."

The Sheikah was more than capable for her task, so Piran saw no need to stay and supervise. He had his own tasks to complete, so with his wicked silver dagger pulled from its sheath he gathered a few pieces of driftwood, whittled them down into stubby spears and took off into the water. With damaged/sore fins Piran couldn't make the trip all the way back to Zora's Domain, but at least he could still catch fish and gather supplies to sustain himself until he fully recovered. First he searched for the common, easy pickings- Hylian Bass, two of them to be exact. Sluggish and awkward, the bass were gathered up, stuck on the spears and positioned near the camp on the sandy shore. Piran, with his extra spear, went out again but in deeper waters and managed to nab a Staminoka Bass. Surely that would be enough food for the moment.

As for bandages, Piran was at a loss. In Zora's Domain it was a common treatment to use seaweed and other watery plants as bindings, but here there was very little to nab. Luckily that Lizalfos Encampment wasn't too far away, and knowing those nimble monsters, they were bound to have something of use. Piran wasn't looking for a fight, so he swam slowly and dipped under one of the many supports of this wood and bone structure to find an old but dry piece of cloth. On closer inspection, the cloth looked to be from a Hylian flag all the way back from before the Calamity. Piran rolled up the cloth and, with Lizalfos chatting amongst themselves up above, he drifted back to his and Kira's campsite.

Upon returning, Piran was greeted with a burning fire and Kira dressed in- He did a double-take. Kira had taken off her lightly armoured outfit and was damn-near nude there by the fire. Seeing so much skin on display took Piran by surprise and aroused something alien within him; needless to say he felt a mixture of discomfort and excitement! Most Zora females were beauties in their own right, but none of them had the kind of breasts and curves like this Sheikah had. Curves were curves to a male, no matter if they belonged to a Rito, Gerudo or, in this case, to Kira. Luckily, Piran's groin was somewhat covered by... Shit, no, it wasn't covered by anything! Well, so long as he kept calm and Kira didn't do anything, well, alluring, everything would be on the level. Holding his fish and cloth in his arms, the Zora looked her up and down from afar before coming closer with a light grimace on his lips upon noticing that bruised shoulder.

"Here. Some roasted bass and bandages ought to bring some comfort. There's more cloth out there, if you need your own tent for th-" Then Piran noticed that scar. By Hylia, that was some vicious-looking damage! Piran visibly recoiled at the sight before sitting down at the fire. "Woah! Is that- Was that from today?"
 
Piran was easy to see coming. It was a good thing he was brutishly big and strong. He was probably about as stealthy as a Moblin. Kira looked up at the orange Zora approached and noted his double take. Her eyebrows quirked as he hesitated and stared a moment before overcoming his shock and made it to the camp. Kira smirked a little. For a race that hardly wore clothes he had little right to be surprised or judge. She wasn't embarrassed in the least, neither by simply being so underdressed nor the received reaction. It was actually a little funny all things considered. She returned to pushing around a couple apple to roast them as he spoke.

His sudden exclamation took her by surprise and she jumped, snapping her head up. His eyes focused on her torso. In a stupidly common reaction she looked down to the scar. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed to a thin line. She shifted how she sat, bringing her knees up to her chest hiding the mark from view. "No," she said with a snap. "If it was from the Lynel I would have bled out and died already." Her tone was sharper than the Eightfold blade she last lost in the currents. Suddenly she was more self conscious about having removed her armor. Perhaps she should have just left it on a let herself get sick. No that was stupid.

Kira took a long, slow breath. While quick to set off she was quick to rein in her explosive emotions. She relaxed the sudden guard and pinched an apple out of the fire with pinched sticks. "So long as it doesn't rain we shouldn't need another tent. We could use the cloth as another bedroll if need be. I think we are both just bruised up, luckily," she said with a half grin, brushing her mostly purple shoulder. She looked over at the Zora who was likely as banged up as she was. What an odd pair they made.

"How good are you at climbing? My home is just up there," she said as she point d up the river to steep cliffs. The Kakariko graveyard lover looked the rive. It wasn't too difficult of a climb. "We could get some supplies there, weapons too before heading back to Zora's domain. Well...part of the way. I wouldn't be allowed there but I need to go back and get Boko. Sure hope he will be alright in those fields..." Boko wasn't always the most intelligent of creatures but he was brave and strong. Hopefully he would just spend some time cropping grass and snoozing. Wow betide the monster that pick a fight with her mighty stallion.
 
"Hmph. Well excuuuuuuuuse me, princess," Piran mumbled under his breath at Kira's snappy comeback, hoping it was soft enough to go unheard.

Piran listened to Kira's self-diagnosis as he gently cooked his caught fish over the crackling fire. Good, less wounds meant less materials used. Bruised and tired from the day's events, Piran found himself lacking the energy to argue with this woman for the moment. He could bitch up a storm if he wanted to, but tonight it was better to just let things be. Maybe he was just in a bad mood, but that could be excused given the bruises.

"I'm not the best climber, to be honest," the Zora replied as he followed Kira's finger to those steep cliffs. "But I can jump higher than most, so if I have good footing I should be able to make any climb." One of the fish were roasted just enough to bring out the natural flavor, yet Piran went one step further by sprinkling some kind of acquatic herb over it. It wasn't butter, but the herb sure smelled like it. "...Fine. We can make a detour, but only if supplies and weaponry are sure to be there."

After another minute of primitive cooking, the Zora soon had another bass roasted to near-perfection. If the fire were better constructed or roaring and uplifting, Piran thought to himself, he would have made the meal perfect. Still, he couldn't complain too much. He offered the fatter bass over to Kira with a rather uncharacteristic, friendly smile.

"Here. Take it." Then, if and when Kira did, Piran would lean back and ask, "Boko must be your horse, right? Where did you leave it, exactly?"
 
Kira tilted her head and nodded a little, staring at the cliffs. Climbing above the water might help too. If he happened to fall...well a Lynel wouldn't have him held so maybe he could dive properly and not hurt himself. The trek going around the cliffs would take far too long if they needed to get there and rest up, get weapons and supplies. The last thing she wanted was for them to get caught with their pants down. For her, that literally meant that moment. She watched as he sprinkled a strange herb on the roasted fish. Her head tilted again as the scent of butter wafted through the air.

She managed a small grin when he finally agreed. "I can guarantee it. My family...does sort of run the whole village..." she said with a partial laugh. The other bass was roasted and he handed one to her. Kira didn't fail to notice he handed her the larger bass. For a moment she blinked at the offered fish before looking up. She felt a sudden tightness in her gut and her heart gave a hard slam against her chest. That sweet, friendly smile changed everything in his face. Even the sharp teeth couldn't make it off putting. Kira was frozen a moment and felt her pointed ears burn at the tip. Luckily hidden by her tangle of silvery hair that had fallen out of its neat braid in their fight against the river.

"Thank you," she finally managed with a returned smile. Not as bright as his own, almost shy. Almost. She took the offered fish and passed over one of the apples she had baked in the fire. Baking an apple made it much sweet if a little soft. Kira settled back cross legged, her back straight as she took a few test nibbles of the fish. Kira nodded at his question and looked up to the looming cliffs they had tumbled from. "Boko is his nickname..." she said with a light little laugh. "His full name is Bokoblin Smasher of Brains." She couldn't hold back her laughter as she said his "proper" name. It was a silly name she knew but well earned. "When I first found him I followed him for miles, knowing he was special. Just when I was going to jump on to catch him a Bokoblin ran out from behind a rock. Boko completely panicked. He was trying to buck me off and fight the Bokoblin. He used all of his might to fight us but kicked the Bokoblin so hard in the head we were utterly splattered by skull and brain fragments." Morbid but still Kira laughed as she remembered. Her unbridled laughter made her whole body shake, it was high and almost musical. "He spent all his energy on that fight that he settled pretty quick to me. Some apples helped too."

"He's at the base of the plateau. We were headed home, going to take the long way...but we were so close to Zora's Domain...Not being particularly welcome I still wanted to see it. I had heard it's the most beautiful city in Hyrule from the Rito. I figured climbing up the plateau and looking down over it was the best chance I would get...and you know the rest of the story." Through the short tale Kira was nibbling away at the bass. "This is really good Piran. Probably the best traveling food I've had." There was no sarcasm or obsequious tone to the compliment. She genuinely meant it. "You said the Lynel was your prize...has it been causing a lot of trouble for your people? Those shock arrows it had seemed like nasty business. Pretty brave of you to try and go face it alone. Sorry I...got in the way," she added with a little snicker.

While trying to eat neatly it wasn't entirely fool proof. Sitting so upright made her chest the perfect sort of shelf for small drips of oil from the fish. One wrong bite and a bit of gut and skin fell right onto the soft flesh of her breasts. "Dang it...can't take me anywhere..." she said with an annoyed sigh and brushed herself off some. Sure it made the skin and guts flick away but served to only smear the oil around some, giving her chest a glittering glow in the firelight.
 
Huh. Piran wasn't expecting Kira to freeze in place looking like some buck caught in a hunter's eye. It was nearly enough to make his friendly smile falter and twist into a forced, sheepish one, but fortunately, a period of awkwardness never came to pass between them. She took the Staminoka Bass with what looked to be a shy smile while Piran scooped up one of her apples she had passed his way. Strange to see this Sheikah Spitfire looking like that when she was rather confrontational and defensive just awhile ago, but Piran wasn't going to press Kira for an explanation. He figured she just wasn't used to interacting with Zora.

Though fruit wasn't a big part of a Zora's diet, Piran took the cooked apple- so warm and smelling oh-so-sweet- and tore into it with his razor-sharp teeth. He wasn't expecting much out of an apple tossed into or near a fire, and yet the sweetness took him by storm and made his brow lurch skyward while his eyes brightened in surprise. Not bad, not bad at all. He alternated between his seasoned bass and the apple as Kira rattled off her story about her horse. Zoras did not ride horses, but Piran could understand the bond between a Hylian and their horse. The burly Zora seemed to have a morbid sense of humour as well as he chuckled with Kira on the gruesome death of that Bokoblin, though Kira's shaking body and her musical tone struck him silent and attentive.

There was something about this Sheikah's voice that enticed Piran. At first he thought it was grating, but now that Kira was in a conversational mood, Piran realized that she sounded rather nice. He could see himself listening to another story if she so wished to tell one. He wondered where this horse, Boko, really was given how poorly Piran was with maps and vague landscape descriptions, but if he were to guess, he would say somewhere in Akkala near that dammed mountain. That would be a very long journey; one Piran wasn't looking forward to. But maybe travelling with Kira wouldn't be that bad...

"I'm glad you like it," Piran hummed back as Kira seemed to double-down on that Staminoka Bass. Easily schmoozed, Piran's smile shifted into a simper while his chest puffed out in a display of pride. "We Zora know how to catch the best fish. It's all about quality. Not quantity. Plus, with a little know-how of herbs and an eye for detail, you can take the fauna growing in the water, dry it out and make good seasoning out of it." Alright, that was enough boasting for... at least half an hour. When the topic switched over to the Lynel, Piran was quick to scoff off the apology. "Oh well, don't worry yourself over it. If things had gone my way, you know, killing that Lynel by myself? I wager the others back home wouldn't believe me. Better to have a witness."

There was some kind of phenonemon called the 'Blood Moon' that was supposed to resurrect slain monsters loyal to Calamity Ganon, but Piran figured it was pure nonsense. He had never seen a Blood Moon himself and figured all the monsters out in the world today were the result of uncontrolled breeding and too few people willing to put the scum to the sword. There was no way that this red-maned Lynel was coming back, Piran thought with another scoff.

"But to answer your question... Yeah, it's been causing a bit of trouble, but that's no longer something to worry about anymore."

The broad-shouldered Zora did notice Kira's change in position, but it was only until he saw the oil dripping down her chest did he give her his full attention once again. At first, he was concerned that the oil might burn the skin, and so he reached for some of the Lizalfos cloth to rip out a rag-sized portion. But when the oil was smeared about over her chest... By Hylia, Piran froze and felt his heart skip a beat. It was a little known fact that Zoras loved oil, and though most of it was used for cooking hearty dishes, there was another use for it. The females, in private company, would spread specially distilled oil over their bodies as part of... well, to call it a 'mating ritual' would be rather poetic.

"Uh..." Piran was staring now with that cloth rag clenched tightly in his hands. Eventually, he shook himself free of the influence, blushing and stuttering as he handed the rag over to Kira. "Um, uh, h-here. Use this."
 
Only a couple hours ago she might have thought his bragging annoying. Well it was just a little. At the same time it was almost adorable that he puffed out his chest in pride as she complimented his cooking. Men often had fairly frail egos and she was sure her temper and loose tongue had bruised his as soundly as his body was bruised. He even accepted her apology at taking his kill. Kira was sure this was a different Zora that snapped orders and tossed her to the ground like week old garbage. With some luck perhaps they could find the Lynel's corpse. With extreme luck the corpse might make it to them in the river.

She managed to get the bits of fish off of her but the oil was just a mess. While delicious she didn't think she could eat fish like this too often if she was going to make a mess with it. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Piran shuffling around. She looked up from her failing task of trying to get clean and met with a set of red eyes. It was his turn to be caught and stumbling all of a sudden. What really caught her off guard was the sudden redness to his face. Was he...sick? He managed to regroup himself and offer out a bit of the flag he had scavenged to help clean herself up. Maybe she had done something wrong? Something offensive to the Zora culture. "Sorry," she said with an apologetic grin. Kira reached over and took the bit of cloth he had ripped out for her. Her oil slick fingers brushing his as she took the rag.

Turning herself a little to, hopefully, end whatever faux pas she had caused. Surprisingly he took a little while to get up most of the oil. It certainly wasn't perfect. Some soap would have been far more helpful. Worse yet she wasn't going to smell like roasted fish. Cleaned up as best as she could she turned back to Piran and his red face. She didn't know much of anything about Zoras. "You know...I...it's getting late." Kira reached up with a stretch and an exaggerated yawn. "It's been a long day...maybe we should get some sleep. Lots to do tomorrow you know. Climbing...village..." Kira tossed a couple more branches onto the fire so it would burn into the night. She didn't know how Zoras preferred to sleep but Hylians and Sheikahs needed a bit more warmth. "Goodnight Piran," she said with a quick smile for him before laying on her side, back facing him to sleep.

Sleep, however, was difficult to come by. She lay awake for a time considering this strange new companion of hers. When one thought about it they really were two Keese in a flock. A little brash and rude at times, skilled fighters...but there was a little more to them that they had each managed to discover a bit of. It was strange and yet it was pleasant. A sort of warmth in the gut. A warmth she hadn't felt in a few years. A warmth she couldn't really trust. Piran certainly couldn't be Yiga...but still....she fished for a reason to not trust Piran, no pun intended, but couldn't come up with anything really.

Kira managed to fall asleep well past midnight. Sometime in her sleep she had rolled over onto her back, sleeping with her arms and legs outspread, one arm draped over her eyes. She snored gently as the sun rose. The moment it shined light on their camp she was up in a flash. Her body gave a painful throb at the sudden movement but dampened to a small ache. Kira rubbed her eyes with a yawn. The fire was out and cold. Slowly she got to her feet and stretched her back. She actually felt a little better than she expected. Her shoulder still dark but right on the back a clear imprint of a hoof. Looking over she caught sight of Piran. Her confusion towards him in the night still unresolved. For the time being she knew she owed him a bit more than some apples. She moved over and crouched near him. "Hey...hey Piran...time to wake up," she said gently as she prodded his shoulder.
 
Sleep! Yes, sleep was good. Sleep was good for many things, including hiding boners, provided one turned themselves just enough to hide it. Ach, if Kira, a Sheikah, were to notice something so obscene and obscure, Piran would be too embarrassed and ashamed to stay with her, let alone look in her general direction. The way she dabbed at her chest, the glimmering oil in the lovely light of the fire and her voice all slammed into Piran and shook his soul to the core; enough for him to ask some hard questions about himself. He offered a soft 'goodnight' in return to Kira as he kept his body turned away from her, and when he was certain she was comfortable and distracted enough, the orange Zora went about taking care of his own sleeping arangements.

The cool sand wasn't too alien for Piran to rest on, especially if it meant keeping his distance from Kira. He wasn't sure what to think about this woman just yet in terms of a relationship, but he could safely say that he admired and respected her to some degree for standing up to not only a Lynel but himself as well. The Zora would have to sleep on all of this and make up his mind when the time came for it.

- - -

"Mhm..."

Piran, uncomfortable during the night, had dug himself a shallow hole in the riverbank where he could sit with his head just barely poking out from the surface of the water. It reminded him of the little pools he and other Zora slept in during the night, though those were constructed of stone and metal whereas Piran's little setup was susceptible to errosion. Even more humorous than a washed out sleeping position was the fact that Piran had been pushed back up onto the bank by a combination of the river's current and his own nocturnal movements. As such, he awoke to find Kira crouching near him with his form sprawled out on the sand as if he were sunbathing.

Though water 'beds' were of great comfort to Zora, this wet, sandy riverbank was only half so.

"Whaaaat?" The orange Zora propped himself up on his arms and glanced up at the morning sun before sighing and turning to regard Kira. His headplate was askew atop his forehead, but Piran either didn't notice or didn't care. "Oh. Kira. Uh, good morning, I suppose. Well, yes, I suppose it is, given we're still alive."
 
Kira gave a short, snorting laugh through her nose at Piran's reaction to being awakened. Some warrior, cranky at being woken with the sun. As he propped himself up, laying stretched out on the sand she could help her purple eyes wandering. Holding himself up his muscles were flexed just enough to show more definition in the arms, chest, and stomach. Zora were certainly very different looking...and yet still similar enough for her to appreciate his strong body. She met his eyes as he greeted her with a good morning and a small quip.

"Yes good morning to you too cranky," she said with a smirk and reaching her hands up to his head-plate. Small, gentle hands lightly brush his head as she righted the protective plate. The anemone-like...hair? Hair she supposed. It was fascinating. Any drawings of Zora she had seen had more of a fin-like appearance. While part of her wanted to touch it and examine it further she refrained. "Come on, the sooner we head out the sooner we make it." Kira got to her feet and headed back to the cold fire. Her clothes were mostly dry. She moved up to the rocks and brush her feet and legs off as best as possible before slipping on the tights. They covered from hips to toes in one, solid peace. There were still grains of sand. That was gonna chafe. She was thinking a bath was in order when getting to the village. Next the shirt which, being damp, was a struggle to roll across her chest. With some wriggling she got it on. Rather than a braid she twisted up her long, silvery hair and secured it with a pin. Not perfect but she didn't have time for much else. No mask for the time being. She didn't bother getting the fire going again, instead tossing Piran some apple for breakfast. A meal they could eat while walking.

"I misjudged our location a little," she admitted as she headed out into the murky marshlands, careful to give islands with suspiciously reptilian shaped rocks a wide berth. Between them they had only Piran's dagger and while her aches had calmed a little she didn't entirely feel up to hand-to-hand combat. "Scaling the cliff would be a little faster but we can go up those hills and get right to the main entrance for Kakariko that was." Also they'd have to swim to the cliff and Kira was done with deep waters for a while. "It'll tack on maybe an hour of walking...not too bad, right?" She said with a grin before biting into an apple.

By midday they were walking steep, grassy slopes. Kira was glad to have anything but water under her feet again. The sun was out, it was beautifully bright and pleasant. Perhaps a little hot given they were hiking up such a steep hill. On the far side of the grass slope we're some Bomoblins but they seemed to not noticed them, a bit busy apparently forging themselves on something very bloody. The short mountains before them split into a canyon with a hardpacked road. It was cooler in the canyon, they were doused in near perpetual shade. They came across tall, wooden structures with the symbol of the Sheikah on them. Ribbons of fortune and luck strung up along with wards from the creatures loyal to the Calamity.

As the approached the second arch an arrow hissed through the air and stuck in the ground in front of them. Kira was neither startled nor surprised at the arrow. From above, hiding in the ridges, two men leaped down. On landing they had blades in hand, crouched and ready to challenge. Kira cocked a hip, and rested a hand on it with her silver eyebrows raised. "Nice to see you too Dad," she said with a smirk. Both men immediately relaxed and stood. Their own silver hair caught up in identical top knots. One man had purple eyes, just like Kira, above his mask and the other had brilliant blue. The man with purple eyes pulled his mask down, eyes wide in surprise before he broke into a delighted smile. "Kira!" His blade put away he picked up Kira suddenly in a great bear hug. Kira tensed and growled her pain as he Dad seemed to try and squeeze the life out of her already battered body.

"And who is this?" Her asked, eyeing Piran suspiciously, still squeezing the life from Kira. "He's...my..." she wheezed out. Finally her dad seemed to realize he was crushing her and put her down. Kira stumbled back, gasping and cringing as her body throbbed. "Friend...Piran. Piran this is my dad, Dorian and...uh..." she hesitated as she looked at the blue eyed man. He hadn't lowered his mask but openly glared at Piran. "Cado." He said shortly. For a moment the air was rife with an awkward yet furious aura. Kira rubbed her arm a little with a grimace. "Pleased to meet you Piran," Dorian finally said to break the odd silence, extending a hand to the Zora. "Never seen a Zora in person. Thought your kind weren't fond of...well anyone not a Zora. Welcome to Kakariko village. Stop glaring Cado...a Zora can't be Yiga and you can't help the past," her said with a forced grin. "Lady Impa will be glad to see you back Kira." Kira gave a short scoff. "I'm sure she will."
 
Kakariko Village, home to the Sheikah, or at least that was what Piran had been told. It seemed so secluded; hidden away from the world and all its troubles, yet right in the thick of it if the legends were true. The valley through the mountains only confirmed the Zora's first observation and, not too keen on getting boxed in with little room to manoeuvre, he hesitated at the village threshold. This could be to Piran what Zora's Domain was to Hylians- a settlement they were barely tolerated to be in. But then Piran's thoughts drifted to this morning, to Kira and her small, smooth and gentle hands brushing against his head as she readjusted his protective headplate. And that confident smirk too... If Kira trusted Piran enough to turn her back on him, then he could trust her in turn.

The psuedo-ambush by Sheikah guards did the trick in throwing Piran off his guard. He took a few steps back and reached for his wicked dagger only to see Kira standing nearby looking calm, collected and confident. Two Sheikah guards dropped down, one of them interacting with Kira- and that one did not look like someone Piran wanted to mess with- before they turned their sights to the Zora. Again, Piran felt as if he were on pins and needles, but he needed to save face.

"Is anyone really fond of strangers?" Piran commented back in reply as he grasped Dorian's hand. He gave it a firm shake and tried to smile, though at most it ended up as a 'pleased grimace'. "Yes, I'm here with Kira, but I'm not looking to cause any trouble, Dorian. Just looking for supplies and weapons."
 
"Heard that Gorons are a gregarious group of people," Dorian replied with a smirk just like Kira's. Really her smirk would be like her father's. He nodded some was Piran explained still grinning as they walked towards the village. "If you're with Kira I'm not too concerned." He pause a moment before guffawing loudly to himself. "I meant traveling with of course." Piran towered above all three Sheikah. Dorian was the tallest of the three but still only came up to Piran's neck. Even still Dorian possessed a large presence. He was the leader, of a sorts, of the village guards. However few there were any more.

The village was small but it sprawled over layered hills. The scents of fresh breads and cooking meats filled the air alongside the earthy smells of fresh turned dirt and leaves. Nearly each building was identical, if varied in size, except for the tall temple that stood before a sweeping waterfall. Dorian didn't take them there, not yet. Instead he took them up a small hill to their family home. Inside a woman who could easily be Kira's older sister was leaning over a pot, stirring and humming. Her other hand rested on her very pregnant stomach. "Kiyo, my love, look who I found," Dorian said with a big grin. The woman looked up and her eyes went first to the towering orange Zora before dropping and settling on Kira. The ladle clattered out of her hand in shock. Kira looked no better.

"Kira!" "You're pregnant?!" The women shouted together. Kiyo smiled and rubbed her very distended belly, not even hidden in the robes Sheikah women wore. Kira went forward and embraced Kiyo, tightly yet gently. "And who is this tall, strapping Zora?" Kiyo asked with a wry smile. Deep down there was a note of sadness in the woman's eyes but she kept it as hidden as she could. "Mom...meet Piran. I have a story for you," Kira said with a laugh. "Yes, ten years of stories. Well make yourselves comfortable. We'll have some lunch and you can...freshen up a little before going to see Impa." Kira notably winced at that idea but gave no argument. The table was quickly set. It was lucky that the Sheikah ate crosslegged on the floor rather than chairs. With Piran's size he might have had to stand to eat.

As they ate Kira regaled her mother and father about the Lynel and meeting Piran. Dorian, being a warrior himself, was enthralled. He had never fought a Lynel before. Kira was animated in the story, inviting Piran to jump in as well for the story. Kiyo, however, seemed distant as the story was told. She ate her food and sipped her tea but seemed to be elsewhere mentally. Occasionally her eyes flicked to Kira, then back to space, then to Piran, and back to space again. "I was on my way to visit anyways...but our weapons were lost in the fight..." Kira said slowly, broaching the topic of needing weapons. "I have some rupees in my pouch but the rest are with Boko, my horse." Dorian waved his hand dismissively. "We have weapons of course but....you aren't staying?" His question brought any joviality to a halt. Kiyo's face became pinched and a little while while Kira cringed a little. "Just...a day or two...Piran has to get home and I have to go find Boko. I promise I'll come back. I had intended on staying a month or two but..." she glanced over to Piran. She owed it to him to see him back home at the very least. Besides she was starting to enjoy the Zora's company. Boko was great but not much of a conversationalist. It was nice to have company. Not just company but...Piran specifically.

"You know where the bath house is, go get cleaned up," her mother said shortly as she struggled to her feet. With an awkward, waddling gate she went to a chest of drawers and pulled out some clothing, handing it to Kira. She paused to look at Piran but gave a wan smile. "I suppose you are fine as you are? I'm not sure we'd have anything to fit you anyways," she said apologetically. Kira nodded before getting up. She led Piran further up the hill to a smaller sort of hut, still identical to the homes though. As soon as the door opened a waft of steam enveloped them. Inside was a pool of water, halfway segmented for privacy but allowing more than one bather. The pool was almost cloudy looking and had a feint earthy yet metallic smell. "Pretty nice right? It's nearly ancient but water is piped in from an underground hot spring. It's constantly moving so it stays clean. The water looks murky but it's full of minerals, relaxes the body and makes you feel refreshed." She said as she headed to one side of the divide to disrobe and slide into the water. It was murky enough to hide nudity so it wasn't entirely uncommon that several of the village might be in there at once and, with the half divided screen, maintain some modesty before wading into the open area of the bath.
 
It was all so, so much to take in. It couldn't be helped if Piran was stricken with Culture Shock, overtaken by multiple conversations or flat-out overstimulated. It pained the Zora to the core to know that he simply couldn't comment on everything that drifted into sight, though it didn't stop him from trying. He interjected with his own experiences, issued some compliments- both backhanded and genuine- and generally kept up with his usual Zora pride and arrogance, though in a friendly, accomodating manner. When others spoke, Piran did his best to listen, for he was a guest here and he didn't want to get kicked out by a bunch of highly-skilled, highly-trained Sheikah. Again, it was all so much to take in, and perhaps a little too much.

Piran noticed Kiyo, and he noticed her pregnancy. In hindsight this was a huge revelation, but to Piran it was an interesting development. Perhaps Kiyo was pregnant with twins, because he had never seen anyone look so uncomfortably... big. Of course, he wasn't about to point this out, and so he just kept his mouth shut. The food was good, the conversations and story was entertaining, and the prospect of supplies and weaponry was intriguing, and much appreciated. But first it seemed that the two of them were going to head to a bathhouse. Given that Piran was a Zora, nearly any water was a welcome gift to him, so he wholeheartedly accepted the offer.

When all was said and done and Piran had 'disrobed', or rather, he dropped his armor and harnesses, he slid into the water and tried to take a load off his mind. For a moment he was engrossed in his own thoughts, and for that moment he might have unintentially ignored Kira as she sat there. Things seemed to be going by so fast- he just wanted to relax and clear his head. So, he leaned back where he was sitting and gazed up at the ceiling of this bathhouse.

"It's good to just... relax," Piran mumbled. "Stop thinking about everything that's happening and instead enjoy the moment."
 
The bathouse was quiet except for the water as either of them moved. Kira sat back and rested her head on the edge of the large pool of blissfully warm water, eyes closed in the comforting warmth. Nothing like the waterfalls and river they were unceremoniously thrown down. It had been a long time since she had a proper, warm bath. There were a couple natural hot springs around Hyrule but they were few and far between. Piran's comment made her smile and nod a little, an awkward movement with her head canted back against the edge. "It is nice. I haven't found another town that has something quite like this. There are a few hot springs near the Goron's home but....when the air is already on fire the last thing you want is to jump into hot water," she said with a quiet laugh.

Kira raised her head to look at Piran as they both relaxed, sitting at ease. A world of difference from their previous sniping at one another while damp and cold. Well, she had been damp and cold. Piran was probably none worse for the wear in that regard. The warm water soothed her sore muscles and even the bruising on her shoulder. She made sure to keep herself at least collarbone deep in the water but neck deep and her sore shoulder stopped aching. Yet the soothing water couldn't entirely relax her mind. A strange sort of tightness formed in her gut as she looked at Piran. A feeling she hadn't had in a few years. Her father's words broke into her mind. Zora can't be Yiga.

"It's....too bad the Zora aren't very welcoming of Hylians," Kira said as she sidled a little closer to Piran. "And since Sheikah look like Hylians....we aren't very welcome either." Another slide closer. Her inability to swim well didn't affect her ability to stay quiet so long as she didn't have to swim. Her movements in the water were nearly silent, blending into the soft sound the water made as it cycled through the ancient piping. "Which is really too bad because I heard its beautiful there." Yet another slide closer. Rather than across the pool of water she made it to only about a foot away from his side. "Why are the Zora so opposed to Hylians? I suppose not all of them though, right? You don't seem to have a problem with me...anymore," she added with a small laugh.

So much for relaxing peace and quiet.
 
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