Offspring

Chapter 11: Consecration

A hundred years was a long time to be out of the loop. It was a long time to be stored away, separate from the universe, in a dreamlike state while the land he knew as home wasted away under Ganon's influence. It was a long time to leave Mira, Noelani, and Murdoch without a father. It was a long time to leave Zora's Domain in fear of an infected machine...that was supposed to be their protector. It was a long time, in general, to be absent.

However, a hundred years was also a long time for that same infected machine to lay dormant while the impending return of the Calamity sat locked in Hyrule Castle. Because of this, Link figured, rather foolishly, that the thing would at least be able to hold off its catastrophic flood powers for a few more days...until he could sort out some pressing personal matters. After all, a hundred years was a long time, and Zora's Domain had turned out to house some serious baggage concerning his past. Reuniting with his precious descendants did not seem like much to ask for, but, quite frankly...Vah Ruta did not answer to the will of mortals.

After allowing the Divine Beast too much time to fill the Eastern Reservoir, Link and Murdoch had realized the severity of the threat to the Zoras and the entire Lanayru Bay. No farther could the water levels rise, or the entire ancient legacy of the Zoras would be lost to the roaring tides. The days they had been allotted were reduced to a couple hours, and so, time could not be wasted reaching the king's chamber on foot. Therefore, as Link's scattered thoughts ran through the potentially disastrous events of the future, he glided along freely through the air on his way back to the grand staircase.

It wasn't until he landed on the halfway point of the connecting bridge, unfortunately, that he realized he didn't have a fast way back up the dam. Gliding down to the Domain was easy, but now that he was landing near the body of the Domain itself, he would have to make another lengthy trek across the bridge and up the stairs to return to the Reservoir. Sidon would certainly have to make the trip as well, since Link would need an escort to move him quickly through the lake, and Murdoch was technically still in recovery. Had they the time for such a route, with Vah Ruta rapidly closing in on the entire valley?

He was about to get some crucial answers, while also hopefully obtaining his century-old Zora armor from either Sidon or King Dorephan. It definitely would've been a useful thing to have sooner.

He barreled his way along the bridge and up the slippery steps of his father-in-law's chamber the moment his feet touched the ground. He passed by the two guards that stood resolutely at the sides of the staircase's base, and as usual, they paid him no mind. It seemed almost spooky that they, along with the rest of the Zoras in the Domain, weren't yet aware of the condition of the East Reservoir. He figured that, hopefully, they wouldn't ever have to find out.

After rushing up the rain-blanketed stairs, slipping a few times in the process, Link stumbled haphazardly into King Dorephan's chamber. True to his expectations, Mira and Prince Sidon were standing in there alongside their elder. Their backs were turned to Link, but as soon as his spongey footsteps could be heard summitting the stairs, they turned around to look at him. Mira reacted swiftly to his presence, with a question he completely expected.

"Dad!" She gasped. "M...Murdoch's okay...right?"

He wasted no time in nodding his head. "Yes, he is. Lani said tha..."

"Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!" She beamed, cutting Link off abruptly. She looked over at Sidon. "See, Uncle, I told you he'd be okay! D'oh...I'm so glad!"