Champions of a Fallen Age

The Blood Moon

"You okay, Mipha?" Daruk asked. Ever since she had woken up, the Zora had been eyeing their surroundings as though she were waiting for something bad to happen. At one point, Rhoam had accidentally struck his cooking pot with a ladle while making breakfast, which had caused the Zora to nearly leap out of her skin.

While the Zora wasn't exactly the most laid back, she was far from jumpy. Seeing even the smallest sounds cause her to tense up was definitely concerning to him.

"I don't know"

He stroked his unkempt beard as he as he continued watching his paranoid companion. He couldn't see anything in their surroundings that would make her nervous. There was only one conclusion he could come to. "Is it Link and Revali?"

He was fairly certain that wasn't the problem. She had been understandably worried the night before, but she hadn't been jumpy. Now, the slightest sounds were able to set her off. He supposed that sleeping on the matter might have made it more difficult to cope with.

"No. It feels like-"

"Like an unseen enemy is poised to strike at any moment?" Rhoam offered as he spooned food into a dish for the Zora and himself.

"I suppose."

"I feel it too," the old man replied as he sat across from them. "Tonight will be a particularly unlucky night."

"What does that mean?"

"You said that Lady Urbosa had gone out to do some scouting, correct?"

"Yeah." Daruk was not entirely pleased that his question had just been ignored. Once again, the old Hylian had some knowledge of something beyond them, yet he refused to share. Instead, he deflected entirely, and likely wouldn't answer until it best suited him, even if that endangered Daruk and his companions.

"Do you know when she will return?"

"No." The Goron didn't consider himself to be rude, but he was tired of answering questions but having few to none of his answered in return. Rhoam focused on him, as though sensing his frustrations.

"When she returns, I will explain as best I can, and then we must prepare for the night ahead."

"Is something dangerous going to happen?"

"Yes."

The Goron leaned forward, searching the man for anything that might tell him what was about to happen, but everything in the man's countenance was as forthcoming as his words.

"Can you warn the other two?"

"Hmm?"

"You've got a habit of showing up before things go sideways. Do you think you can do that again and warn Link and Revali?"

"If today were a normal day, then I could. On nights such as this, my power is severely limited."

"What does that mean?"

"Surely, by now, you have guessed that I am no ordinary man," Rhoam sighed.

"Link mentioned that he didn't think you were actually a Hylian, but I didn't think anything of it," Daruk replied quietly. He had no idea what Link had meant when he'd said that, and he didn't really care to know. Even though he had no memories to go off, he was pretty sure he wasn't someone who understood the subtleties of thoughts like that.

"I assure you that I am indeed a Hylian, just not an ordinary one."

"Are you a spirit?" Mipha asked quietly.

"Huh?!" The Goron had no idea where the question had come from, or what it meant, even.

"W-well, it would explain some things," Mipha clarified nervously. "Like how you survived up here with monsters roaming around, or how you keep appearing no matter where we are. It can even explain how you beat Revali to the top of the tower.