Rum largely ignores the furless members of the group as they bathe, but his ears prick up as Greko explains the situation with Oten.

“This is good. I am not certain what use this not automaton will be, but as they received the call then they must be of some worth”.

“Are we all agreed that we will welcome Oten as a travelling companion, and give them a chance to prove themselves?”, he asks the others.

Greko nods "That would be fine. The more allies the better. It seems that more than just one evil being is on the move in this realm." Greko finishes washing and gets out to dry off

Ro responds to Greko and Rum, "If he has been acknowledged by the Empress then I have no qualms with his addition to the band. Perhaps it was within the Empress' foresight to have predicted Yam's departure and Oten seemingly filling in."

A large male Zora appears while the group is dressing.  He is armored and garmented like a soldier, a golden and sapphire emblem emblazoned on his chest.  He acknowledges Oten, then wades into the midst of the newly assembled group of warriors.  

"I am Commander Cyreus."  He says to introduce himself.  "On behalf of the people of Zora's Domain, I welcome you.  We're very grateful that you were able to destroy the Guardian that was disabled outside the gates.  Between it and the Corrupted, we've been trapped in here for nearly two weeks.  I see you have met Oten.  He has been invaluable in the fortification of our defenses."  

The Zora warrior looked around, eyeballing the heroes as well as their equipment.  He seemed impressed.  

"Hylia today is not the Hylia it was even just a few weeks ago.  I fear dark times are upon us, so it is good to see that the Childlike Empress's call has been answered by those with your fortitude.  Princess Ruto would like to see you all at once in the royal chambers."

He gives them a moment, then leads them toward the throne room.  

Rum watches the large Zora approach and address them before responding.

“Greetings, Commander Cyreus, I am Rumble of Hunger, but it is fine to simply call me Rum”, he says placing his palm over his heart and giving a short bow of the head. “In truth it was not our intention to fight here, it was forced upon us, but I am glad it benefitted you and your people. Your intervention certainly benefited us also. These do indeed seem to be dark times”, he adds with a sad shake of is furry head.

He gathers his belongings and follows along as Cryeus leads.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting Princess Ruto. Before we get there though, do you mind if I ask what it was that happened to the King and Queen and this Sacred Stone of yours, and how so many of your people became corrupted? Oten mentioned it was someone called Ganondorf, but he did not say the how or the why, only the who”, he asks, curiosity evident on his feline features.

Greko was wondering the same things and waits for The commander’s response. 

"It was forced upon us too."  Commander Cyreus replies to Rum as they get moving.  "Ganondorf came down on us in force.  There were perhaps a dozen Guardians with him.  Some of them were flying.  We initially started fighting the Guardians, and then he began to use magic and call upon things from...well, I'm not sure where they came from.  There were just black shapes darting around the beach.  Then some of our people became...inflicted...through his influence."

Cyreus stopped talking for a moment.  It seemed as though his monologue had drudged up memories that were still a little too fresh.  He resumed once he'd mastered his composure again.  

"We didn't have a chance.  We withdrew from the gates, but those things, those black shapes, they were inside the Domain too fast.  Ganondorf captured the throne room faster than we could muster an appropriate defense, and then those things tore the King to shreds when he refused to give up the Sapphire.  Queen Rutela gave in after that and handed the Sapphire over in exchange for our lives...and then they killed her too."  

The corridor led into a wide antechamber that opened up some ten yards further into the vaulted roof of the throne room.  Intricately carved columns of marble and lapis lazuli and gold studded the room, and polished marble benches sat half submerged in water on both sides of the open floor in the center of the room where water that looked at least chest deep stood.  There was a rise on the far side of the room where lapis thrones stood.  There was a beautiful Zora woman up there waiting.  

Lelith who had been largely silent over the course of their walk to meet the last living member of the Zoran royalty, this time took the initiative and stepped forward to curtsy. Her eyes met the Princess as her eyes wandered for anything that stood out, she was oddly familiar. Lelith held the silence for a few more seconds and then she spoke before anyone else could step in, in their unease at her prior action. "Her Royal Highness Ruto, Princess of the Zora Domain. We are here at your summon."

Rum was still considering the words of Cyreus as they enter the throne room. It is a very disconcerting story, and it appears that any help they may get from the Zora would likely have to be an exchange not given freely.

He looks upon the Princess Ruto and listens as Lelith speaks. He then places his palm over his heart and bows, not just his head this time but from his waist in a greater sign of respect.

He then waits for the Princess to address them.

Greko who walks with a hunch bows his head to the princess. 

Oten steps forward following the curtseys and bows and sweeps an arm out, gesturing to the new arrivals. "Princess Ruto, I present to you the band of heroes found in the surface domain mere hours ago, having defeated one of Ganondorf's guardians" 

The Zora Princess remains seated and smiles.  Her eyes are cold, but her gesture is genuine; it seems like she is struggling to convey her emotions appropriately, and who can blame her?  Her people have undergone an immense change.  The lose of her parents, the corruption of their people, the deaths, the theft of their Sacred Stone.  Ruto is beautiful, regal; she looks powerful and composed, but her eyes show that the weight on her shoulders may as well be that of all Hylia. 

"I only wish I knew what to say."  Ruto says.  Her voice is sharp, crisp, strong, and sad.  It was at this point that she rose and made her way from the thrones and down one of the half spiral stairways that led up to her position.  "We are grateful for your intervention with the Guardian, though I suspect that is not what you came here for."  

Her eyes rest longest on Lelith's face, then they move away and linger over Oten.  

"Thank you, Oten."  She smiles.  "Look at you all.  Six strangers who have put yourselves in harms way for the benefit of the Domain.  I only wish I could reward you properly, though, as of now, my assets are limited.  Tell me, heroes, why are you here, and what can I do to repay you?"

Rum smiles sympathetically at the Zora ruler. “I am sad to hear of your loss, and the plight of your people. In truth we were hoping to gather supplies here for our journey east, and possibly acquire allies in our quest”.

He looks to the others quickly before continuing. “We are in search of a goblin called Blix, who also has in his possession something that does not belong to him. He acquired the item in Eternia and we understand he is taking it to the Great Deku Tree. We mean to retrieve it before he gets there”.

He throws another quick glance at the others. “Why would this Ganondorf steal your Sacred Stone, what will he do with it?”.

Ruto stops as if struck.  Her eyes downcast, and she takes a breath, as though something has caught up with her.  

"We know about the unicorn."  Ruto says when Rum doesn't name why exactly they're interested in Blix.  She completely skips the hope for aid.  "But you are a long way from Blix.  It seems that King Hyrule was in contact for the last month or so with the Sheikah, who had been in his employ to keep an eye on the developing situation with Darkness and the slaying of the unicorn.  I can't tell you where Blix is, but from what I gather from the last intelligence we received from Hyrule, he has broken from the Lord of Darkness and intends to keep the Alicorn for himself and plans to be the sole ruler of Goblinkind."

She pauses again, giving Rum's word high regard while deciding best what to say next.  

"I have no doubt that Ganondorf plans to use the three Sacred Stones to unlock the Temple of Time.  I can't be sure for what purpose, but the Blade of Evil's Bane lies within, as well as the Pedestal of Time and the door to the Sacred Realm."  

Ruto takes a breath. 

"It seems that Ganondorf probably has all of the Sacred Stones by now, and probably the Triforce of Power.  I'm quite certain of this based on what we saw here.  He commands nearly a dozen Guardians and an army of...things...that he conjures right out of the air itself.  And when that is combined with his ability to corrupt those near him and the raw ability of the Triforce of Power..."

She stops.  It's clear from what she is saying that things are far more dire than previously thought.  

"Our reconnaissance forces followed him for awhile when he left here.  The Kokiri have suffered a fate as bad of, possibly, worse than ours..."  

She looks solemnly at Tuto.

"...and it seems that Ganondorf may be in league with the Lord of Darkness himself.  But that was as far as we could follow him overland."

That glance takes Tuto a bit off guard. He was only aware of the dark forces that have reached his lands up north. So why did she look at him when she said that? Most likely, very complex royal dealings. All things that are out of Tuto's wheelhouse. But, this somber energy has gone on long enough. The world misses his music. He can tell! He almost burst into a melody before stopping mid inhale. Tuto, you fool! You are in the presence of a high political figure. Playing without warning would have him flung to the shores! He cleared his throat as quietly as he could and took a few steps forward. He gave the princess a small wave before holding the flute up to his mask and did a single pirouette, ready to play his heart out, granted she said it was okay.

Lelith did not miss the recognition in the Princess' eyes when her gaze fell upon her. She wasn't exactly sure how much she knew about her, but now was not the moment. Lelith had so far remained silent, she felt a sense of pride and dread at the same time. The cycle is born anew, she knew it from the start when she heard the name of the Prince of Darkness. This was to be expected, she could only hope this particular cycle swung in their favour but there is only one way of knowing how. "Has Hyrule mustered their forces? I have sources telling me there's trouble in Hyrule which has put their royal family on alert. Yet this is the most crucial time where the royal priestess' divine powers will be needed." 

Greko solemnly moves to the hallway 

"I am afraid that we have not had contact with the Castle since we were attacked, though we have reason to believe that they are in dire trouble."  Ruto says to Lelith.

"And the whereabouts of the Sword that Seals the Darkness' destined wielder?" Lelith asked with some hope that there might still be good news to be heard, somewhere. If the Prince of Darkness is here wandering the world, then the Spirit of the Hero should be around somewhere as well.

Ro had been listening intently as the conversation with the princess progressed. He wasn't sure what his bandmates intended to do, nor what the Zora Domain needed most to ease their situation. So he had resolved himself to just listen.

The elf-dwarf stood firm in his plate mail armor. Even though he failed to become a knight, he knew to stand tall and confidently in the presence of royalty.  He nodded along as Rum shared the band's intentions, smiled faintly as Tuto seeked approval to play music, and listened with an even greater effort as Lelith asked about Hyrule's current state.

It was as if someone took a ball of molten steel and bore it through his stomach, when the princess said that Hyrule was likely in deep trouble. The elf-dwarf tensed up and opened his mouth as if to speak but stood silent. He was at a loss for words; nothing he could think to say felt like it would contribute to the conversation.

Finally, Ro couldn't contain his worry. Despite his internal turmoil, the elf-dwarf stepped forward, gave a firm bow and spoke with trained clarity, "It is a great pleasure to meet you Princess Ruto, though I wish it were during better conditions. My name is Ro Aleron, some know me as False Knight. I am the eldest son to Paul and Jezebel Aleron, talented knights in service to King Hyrule's elite unit. My brothers, Lyle and Jonathon, are also in service to the same king. I apologize for my selfishness, but have you heard any news of my family? It is likely that they have rallied to Hyrule's defenses."

Kazek knew Ro long enough to know that despite the elf-dwarf's calm demeanor, it was a façade and that Ro very much wanted to take his horse and ride straight for Hyrule. The spellbook simply muttered a quiet, "Ro..."