Life in Zora's Domain

Chapter 56 - Underwaterblight Ganon - Part 1

Summary: Something buried deep beneath Hyrule Castle has survived Ganon's destruction and made its way to the depths of Lake Hylia. Ruta is sent to finish off the enemy, but the outcome is not as hoped. Dr. Purah's alternative leaves everyone in shock.

It was just past midnight and raining hard at Hyrule Castle. Lightning lit the sky every few moments, followed by great peals of thunder. Two guards patrolled the west passage. The guards were happy to be inside, keeping dry and not turning themselves into living lightning rods.

"This storm is sure a nasty one!" said the Private.

"Yep," said the Sergeant. "Good time to stay inside. Let's keep moving and finish checking this area."

They made their way along the tunnel.

"I wonder why they don't seal this passage up?" said the Private. "These old tracks don't seem in good repair."

"I bet they still work," said the Sergeant. "But you're right. This area isn't used anymore. Maybe they will seal it up someday. Right now, I'm glad we're inside it and not outside."

They followed the passageway until they reached a large cavern filled with partially unearthed Guardians.

"This room always gives me the creeps," said the Private. "It feels like a graveyard. What were they doing here?"

"Digging up these Guardian machines," said the Sergeant. "That was over twenty years ago, before the big victory. They were hoping to learn about these machines back then and use them to help fight the enemy. They say that's what happened over ten thousand years ago. It's amazing to me these machines are even in one piece after all that time. But in the end, they weren't used."

"Over twenty years ago, huh?" said the Private. "I wasn't even born yet."

"I was just a small child myself," said the Sergeant. "What? Do you think I saw them digging them up in person? It's information about the castle you study to pass the Sergeant's exam. If you want to move up, you should start learning about the castle."

"Yeah, you're right, Sarge. So, what do we do next? Do we wait here?"

"We might as well. Our patrol ends here. After this, we head back and make our way outside. There's certainly no hurry to do that. Let headquarters know we're staying here for now, so they don't start wondering why we stopped moving."

The Private took out his Tab and pressed a rune. When the Tab indicated the channel was open, he spoke up.

"This is patrol unit six. We're waiting out the storm in the cavern at the end of the west passage."

"Understood," said a voice from the Tab. "And we know where you are, Private, so no need to comment on location unless asked. Out."

"Is it just me, or are the people who do the communications at headquarters always so arrogant?" said the Private as he put away his Tab.

"Ha, ha, yes, they are arrogant," laughed the Sergeant. "They like to show off how smart they are and how much they know from all their sensors and equipment. They're technology people. Most of them think we should be replaced by robots patrolling the grounds, and they look down on us a bit. But leadership isn't ready for that. We use robots for some things, but leadership doesn't want to put the safety of the castle entirely in the hands of machines. Machines can be taken over by an enemy. So, just put up with their attitude and ignore it."

They sat down near a set of three small statues. Even deep inside the cavern, you could hear the thunderstorm outside.

Both of them pulled out their Tabs and started reading, catching up on some personal messages. Then the Sergeant looked at some recent pictures in his Tab and stopped to examine one of them. It was a picture from last week of his daughter's three-year-old birthday celebration. His brother had taken a picture of him and his wife sitting beside a happy looking little girl. He smiled. His daughter was so cute! She took after her mother.