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Finally got this one done. Took a little longer than I would have liked. The next two parts will be coming out soon, I just need to actually draw the illustrations for them first.

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Dawn had not fully broken when Rook lurched awake from yet another nightmare, the same one that had been plaguing him ever since he set foot in Hateno Village. The laboratory was deathly silent, in the days since he had been interred to this wretched place all the other soldiers had recovered and returned to duty, leaving him alone amidst the maze of bookshelves and tables. A dull ache gripped his chest where the deep gash had scarred over, a small price to pay for a speedy recovery, was what he'd reasoned when an odd old lady brought him a Fairy Tonic a few days prior. Eru had objected at first, explaining that the rapid healing would be 'no substitute' for the natural healing process, but Rook had grown sick and tired of spending all day in a medical cot, and drank it without a second thought. A decision he was starting to regret.
Going back to sleep was out of the question, he was wide awake and full of adrenaline. Good leg first, he slipped carefully from his cot, then, put weight on his bad leg. Nothing. No stabbing pain, no buckling, it was as if he'd never been hit by that arrow. Natural healing process my arse. Walking unaided for the first time in several days, Rook moved slowly to the window on the far side of the laboratory. He couldn't help but think back to that night when the moon turned red, and wondered what would have happened if he'd done nothing? The village now saw him as a hero, the praise and admiration was certainly something he could get used too. Quite the change from the dismissive attitude he'd received his whole life. A faint smile tugged the side of his beak as he pictured the Elder's face on his eventual return home as “The Hero of Hateno”, it had a nice ring to it.

Hateno village itself was just as silent as the laboratory, only the faint clinking of a patrolling soldier's armour could be heard against the gentle whistle of the wind. It was almost unnerving, just how peaceful the place seemed, perhaps that was just a consequence of the fight? He remembered a conversation he'd overheard once between Heroth and one of her soldiers when he was just a fledgling. The first real battle you have, one where not only your life, but the lives of others are at risk, will change your perception of peacetime forever. Rook had always imagined his first true battle as a graceful flow of techniques, of calm, calculated combat like how the Rito warriors of eld were sung, but instead, it had been chaotic and disorderly. There was nothing Zen-like in just how hopeless the entire situation had felt, in how every swing was a desperate strike for survival. In the end, he was merely happy that everyone had lived through the ordeal, though he'd be damned if he let Pam know that.

His mind began to drift like the clouds above, now that he could walk, Pam would be eager to start traveling towards Akkala. A rather grim place by all definitions, the region was a battlefield at the onset of The Calamity, which resulted in the brutal slaughter of hundreds, if not thousands of Hyrulean soldiers. The only people that traveled the area were pilgrims, hoping to earn Hylia's favour at the Spring of Power, or merchants, hoping to peddle goods at Tarrey Town or the small settlement surrounding what was the Akkala Stable. It wasn't a place Rook was terribly eager to visit himself, but he needed the money, and despite his newfound status in Hateno Village, he wasn't content to lounge around accepting handouts, nice as they were.

From the window, the rocky spire of Rito Village was just visible between the Pillars of Levia. In the morning haze, it was little more than a faint stone tower, standing vigil over Hebra. He couldn't help but wonder at the well-being of his family, the village was full of capable warriors, and unlike Hateno, possessed its own garrison, leaving it well defended against the Blood Moon had anything tried to invade. He was certain of their safety, but what of Komogo? He was small and frail, what if he'd tried to fight...? Rook shook his head, pushing the thought far from his mind. Komogo was safe. He had to be. There was no way his parents would let him walk into danger.

Far on the horizon, the sun was finally beginning to rise, bathing Hateno Village in a beautiful golden glow. A nice place to settle down, if one was so inclined. Soon, the shrill cry of the Cucco's nearby would rouse the villagers from their sleep and usher in another new day. With a sigh, he turned back to his cot, Eru would be arriving soon, and Rook was in no mood for yet another boring lecture about resting and recovering. He'd grown to respect Eru over the last few days, but that didn't stop him from being extremely annoying, but now that walking was possible, there was no reason to keep him cooped up in the laboratory any longer. No sooner had he gotten comfortable on his cot, did the front door creaked open, and in strode the Hylian siblings.

“Hey, you're awake, that's good.” Eru chirped, setting down his usual equipment on a nearby table. “How do you feel?”

“Like someone who's being slowly bored to death in a medical cot.”

“Seems that tonic did the trick if you're well enough to joke. I don't suppose it'll fix your attitude like it fixed your leg, will it?” Pam snorted.

“And to whom do I owe the pleasure of basking in your wonderful company this time, hm? Was it Helena again?”

Pam was about to retort when Eru muscled in between them, shooting his sister a silencing glare. “Let me see your wound. I need to check the stitching.”

Rook sat still as Eru poked around his chest, it still ached, even now, which left him in an even worse mood than normal. But at the very least, he could breathe without any more pain or discomfort.

“Hrm. Yeah, that's... A nasty scar you've got there, I don't think that's going away. You should've just-”

“Let nature run its course? Yes, yes, you've said that a thousand times. I get it.”

“All I'm saying, is you shouldn't just drink a bottle of whatever you get from a total stranger. That could have been poison. Or apple juice.” Eru shuddered.

“It could have been, but it wasn't.”

“That doesn't prove anything!-”

“It proves it wasn't poison.”

“And you're damn lucky it wasn't! I don't have the equipment to make antidotes here!”

Rook threw up his arms. “Some healer you are. I could have been poisoned!”

“Rook?”

“Yes, Eru?”

“You can be really annoying to work with, you know that?”

“Oh, I know.” Rook grinned.

“You know...” Pam began. “They say you should never upset the person who tends to your wounds, else you might wake up with more.”

“Oh please! I'm not that petty. Though... I might be tempted to take some of his feathers as a souvenir next time...” Eru mused.

“You wouldn't dare!”

“Well... Let's hope your attitude improves then, hmm?” Eru chuckled. “Anyway. Besides the scarring, you seem fit and well. No more signs of internal bleeding...”

“Does this finally mean we can go?” Pam groaned behind him.

“Pam. You can't rush healing, just be patient-”

“That tonic did a good job of speeding things up.” Rook snorted.

“Do not start this up again.” Eru hissed. He moved towards the nearby table, and began carefully and expertly packing away his equipment. “Let that scar be a permanent reminder of why you should always listen to your doctor. Now, you're free to leave whenever, but I strongly suggest doing so before the Chief arrives. We'll be waiting for you at the square.”

Rook couldn't stop himself from smiling, those were the words he'd wanted to hear for far too long. With that, the Hylian siblings departed, leaving him alone again in the dusty laboratory. He leaned down beside his cot, and snatched his clothes from the floor, getting dressed would be a swift affair, but he didn't want to seem too eager to be on the move. No, he'd take his time, enjoy the last shred of silence he had left before tagging along with the ginger annoyance.

He slipped slowly, and deliberately into his cloth shirt, which had been masterfully sewn back together while he was recovering. He fiddled with his belt, taking time to make sure it sat just right on his hips, as well as meticulously adjusting the straps on his sword. Finally, he reached down underneath his cot, and carefully pulled out his long, green scarf, wrapping it carefully around his neck. There, I'll take at least a shred of dignity with me. An hour had passed by the time he was satisfied. Rook spared a quick glance at his reflection in one of the grubby display cases, his feathers were clumped and matted, which a swift ruffle with his hands, and a good shake of his head easily solved.

As he moved to leave, he couldn't help but notice the door to the Chief's office was slightly ajar. Rook knew that trespassing is quite a serious offence, but Rook also didn't care in the slightest. In the end, curiosity won out. After all, if the Chief wanted his secrets hidden, he should have locked the door.

The office door creaked open, revealing an utterly unremarkable room. For someone as self-absorbed as the Chief, the simplicity of the office seemed out of place. The walls were lined with bookshelves, though they lacked the signature dust that caked the shelves of the main laboratory. It was, however, just as unkempt. The floor was covered in discarded sheets of parchment, and in one corner, a rather poorly stacked collection of books were propped against a large box. A sturdy, but surprisingly boring-looking desk sat square in the middle of a similarly boring rug. But what caught Rook's eye, was what lay on the desk itself.
A large piece of parchment, pinned down with two ornate golden paperweights. Circling around the desk, he examined the odd drawing that dominated the sheet. It looked like a typical boat, except for the large, windmill-like structures protruding from various points of the hull. Why would a boat need windmills? It was all very confusing, which was only compounded by his inability to read any of the annotations strewn across the image.

“What are you doing in my office?!” A voice bellowed

Rook flinched. He hadn't heard the Chief enter.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?!”

“The door was unlocked.”

The Chief sputtered like a dying campfire. “And that somehow gives you the right to just walk in here?!”

“Well...” He paused. “It didn't suggest that I couldn't come in. Cute boat by the way, did you draw that?”

Lurching forwards the Chief attempted to snatch the diagram from the table, but only succeeded in adding to the tears around its edge. When Rook looked back down at him, the old man's face had gone an unhealthy shade of red. “Get out! Now!”

“Are you that eager to get back to the smell of moldy old tomes and musty old people?” Rook said with a shrug. Pushing past the abrasive old man, he made his way out of the laboratory. The Chief yelled something, but knowing him he was probably reiterating for the hundredth time that he was 'the foremost researcher in Hyrule' like it actually meant something, and that an 'upstart like him can't talk to the Chief that way'. Watch me, you ingrate.

There was something... Odd, however, about the Chief, but Rook couldn't quite put his finger on what. It wasn't like the oddness of that borderline insane Sayge fellow, he was in a whole other category of strange. This was something else, something almost insidious...

He shook his head, it was likely nothing, just his imagination. Another side effect of peacetime after a fight. Either that, or just another irritating quality he had to add to the growing list of things he disliked about scientists. Either way, he was glad to shot of the cantankerous old wretch. Being forced to listen to his lectures was tantamount to torture, though he had yet to decide if it was worse than having to listen to Pam's ramblings.

As he strode through the streets of Hateno, he was greeted by many smiling faces. People would stop and offer their praise as he passed by. Patrolling soldiers exchanged dutiful nods and clusters of children whispered hushed admiration. “I heard he killed one hundred Moblins, all by himself!” One child squeaked to his friend, certainly an exaggeration, Rook conceded, but he wasn't about to correct them. It was a pleasant sensation to be revered like this. His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. What would old Heroth think, if she could see me now?

The old bell that sat in Hateno Village's square gradually came into view, and it was only when he caught his reflection in the window of a shop that Rook realised he'd been grinning like an idiot the entire way down. The smile quickly faded when he spied a very impatient-looking pair of Hylian siblings barrelling towards him...
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