Mipha's birthday was coming up, and secretly whenever he had free time Taka would prepare for his present for her. He wasn't really sure what a girl would want at first, and he didn't want to tell the queen he was searching for a present lest she accidentally tell Mipha, and he didn't want to ask Kodah because he knew she would most definitely tell Mipha. His mother hadn't come around in a while, so he had only one option. Coral had been working on polishing her husband's and Taka's armor at Tazz's request that day, and she welcomed the little changed Hylian in. "Yes, little Taka?" The lime-green Zora woman asked, surprised her father had no tasks for the boy.
"What would a girl want as a present?" Taka asked, and the woman laughed.
"And why are you asking me that?" The young warrior beckoned her to lean down, which she complied to. She laughed upon hearing why, and ruffled the boy's hair. "Ah, okay, okay. What would a girl want as a present?" Coral thought about just what the boy could provide. He had an allowance of his wage from his parents, that he kept a portion of on him and the rest hidden in Tazz and Coral's home. "A girl would love nice jewelry, and a good meal." Coral offered, and Taka nodded eagerly. She could see the cogs turning in his head, and she considered what else the princess would like. "Ah, she likes learning about other species, right?" Taka nodded wide eyed, rapt, and Coral needed to hold back her need to Aw… from the boy's innocence and legitimate interest. "So get her some Hylian attire. Or Gerudo, or Rito, or…" She paused at the thought of Goron attire. The Zora weren't particularly known for their fashion taste or clothes for that matter, but all Gorons wore was a thin set of underwear. Cheap for Taka, yes, but not a good gift. "Sheikah attire!" She quickly corrected, and Taka nodded.
"Anything else Miss Coral?" Taka asked eagerly, and Coral patted the boy on the head.
"Focus on those things for now, okay? And make sure you have your spare clothes!" Coral asked, and Taka nodded, running off. Taka ran and found a piece of rope, and went looking for Mipha. He found her in the middle of a lesson with Muzu, who glanced at the boy with slight annoyance.
Taka made signals to Muzu to keep talking, and the older Zora focused on his lesson. "The Sheikah have been the creators of great and powerful technology." Muzu said as Taka draped the rope over Mipha's neck, and pinched it when it was a good size. Mipha turned sharply at the sensation, but she saw nothing. Taka had dropped to the floor silently, and waited until Muzu called Mipha's attention back to the board to scuttle away. He sliced the extra rope off, and ran to the only person he possibly knew that could make him a necklace.
"Mr. Dento!" He said, running to the blacksmith.
"What, boy?" The older Zora asked, and he saw the boy holding a piece of rope.
"Can you make me a necklace, please, sir?" Dento ran through all the possibilities why his son's little warmonger would want a necklace, and he came across only one.
"A gift for Lady Mipha?" Dento asked, and Taka's eyes snapped open.
"No, no, sir! I just would like a necklace!" Taka quickly spat out, bowing.
"Hmph. You must take me for a fool, boy, even though I've lived your years a dozen times over." Dento remarked, turning away.
"No! No! Sir, I'm sorry, I just…" Dento looked at the sheepish boy. "I don't want her to find out." The older Zora nodded, knowing the princess's own birthday was on the horizon, and he figured the boy would feel obligated to give her something. "I asked Ms. Coral, and I thought she would like a necklace. I don't know how to make one, but I have the length of her neck for it." Taka held out the rope, which Dento took up. "I also have all the materials, and I can gather any you would need, sir."
"I bet you do have the materials. You haven't sold anything from your reaping, and you haven't even concocted an elixir." Dento remarked.
"Teacher said I should wait. Learn more about elixirs and their properties before I go mixing things at random." Taka admitted, and Dento scoffed. His son was light-hearted, but luckily some of his wisdom had transferred over.
"Fine then. Get me a diamond, two rubies, and three sapphires. You should have such, correct?" Dento asked, and Taka ran off. He returned with the materials, and was sent off after this statement; "I'll have it done before her birthday, boy." Dento said, and Taka bowed before running off.
He was given free time to hunt for the other parts of his gift. He needed to go to a nearby town, but he had to be quick. He couldn't run fast enough if he tried, but that's when he heard a sound. He looked at a nearby tree, and found a horse kicking on it's back. Taka felt bad for the creature, and got close. It looked at him, but Taka just grinned and slowly approached. He touched its head and calmed it down, and it allowed Taka to help it up. The large brown horse shook off its black mane and tail, and the animal nuzzled his savior. Taka watched as the horse pushed him to the tree, and beckoned his sight upward. He saw the apples that the horse was most likely trying to eat. Taka scaled the tree, and gathered the apples, and dropped down. He fed the horse, which happily ate the fruits. Taka wiped his hands, and went to walk off. He heard the pitter patter of hooves behind him, and found the horse following him.
It whinnied at him, and Taka considered what the horse could do. He figured a ride could be useful, so he attempted to mount the horse. In shock it bucked at first, but Taka quickly calmed it down. The new duo began to trot along, and Taka began to think of a name for his new companion. "Axel!" He said, and the horse simply kept trotting as Taka guided it by it's mane. "I'll call you Axel." Taka repeated, and the horse seemed to take a little notice. How did mama say to make a horse go? Taka thought, and then it hit him. "Yah!" The horse sped up to max speed and he held on tight. Upon arriving at a nearby town, and went into the clothing store. He wasn't exactly sure how pants and and a shirt would work with her biology, since she had explained to him once that clothes if not cut right could muffle their gills, and that was the last thing he wanted. He also knew pants would been an issue, since as she said, they hurt her hip fins when over top and felt weird underneath. So he went with the one thing that he gotten no complaints about.
"Can I have a Hylian hood, please?" The young Hylian asked. "A bit smaller than my own size?" The storekeeper checked his size, and went and retrieved one. He paid, said thank you, and ran off back to his horse. It was bumping into another tree, and Taka scaled it again to get Axel more apples. He had his horse rush back to the Domain as to not appear suspicious. Then he realized how suspicious his new horse would look, and why his pack was unusually stuffed. He checked that Mipha was still with Muzu, but found her training with Seggin. That still worked, and he went to a nearby cove he found when he was swimming. He whistled, and Axel came rushing to him.
"Okay boy, you stay here for awhile." Taka said, patting his horse's head. The horse whinnied in response, and Taka narrowed his eyes. "Stay." Taka ran off, collected plenty of apples, and came back, placing them on a Korok Leaf. "Be safe." Taka ran off, ready to go hide the cloak in his teacher's home.
"Boy!" He was called, and he recognized the voice. He knelt when the Demon Sergeant walked over, and he was dragged by the ear. "The princess needs a sword wielder to do battle against."
Taka winced, from the pain on his pointy ear and the fact that he still had the Hylian hood in his pack. He saw Mipha smiling at him, and he drew his blade. The two were holding, until Seggin commanded them to begin. Taka lunged in, this time understanding a blade much more. The two metals clashed, sparks flying as Taka slid into Mipha's guard. A little too easily… Taka had to dodge Mipha's lunge for his cloth pack, and stick his blade to his princess. "Taka…" She whined, attempting to poke the pack with her trident. "What is that?" Taka inhaled, and pulled out something. "Oh. Okay." Mipha turned back to her teacher and walked back over. "Sorry Mr. Seggin." She apologized, and the older Zora sighed.
"Milady, I told you it was nothing important." Seggin chastised, and Taka ran off before exhaling. He had pulled out his spare pants, in case he had ever gotten his current ones messed up. This had just saved him as he was confronted, and he hid the hood. All that was left was the meal for his princess. He knew she loved Voltfin Trout, so he went to fish. He hunted them down furiously, making sure to nab them fresh with no spear, rather his hands. He found out how Zora nabbed fish, with their teeth or hands. He knew Muzu wouldn't allow him to feed Mipha food with teeth marks in it, much less his own teeth marks. Of course it was harder, but it was worth it in his opinion.
He came along a pack full of trout after two hours, and he dragged it back home. Of course Bazz had to come along with another Zora Taka recognized. "Oh, hello. You're Gaddison, right?" The pale violet Zora nodded, and waved.
"Taka!" Bazz said with girth behind his voice, and Taka raised an eyebrow. "I have a request to you!"
"Teach us the way of the sword!" Gaddison cried eagerly, and she began shaking her fists.
"Why me?" Taka asked, his arms crossed after hooking his sack of fish on his right hip. His blessing was on the left hip, and he figured he could teach them both, but he wouldn't be all to good at it.
"No one else will!" Bazz cried, and Taka's head dropped.
"I guess I can, but it will have to wait." Both Zora looked at the Hylian as he sheepishly rubbed his head. "I have other things to take care of right now, so we can talk about that later." Taka ran off, and as Bazz stomped off, Gaddison tracked the Hylian. Taka placed down his pack in his bed, and ran back out of the house. He had wild boars to hunt, and as he dove off the domain, he was chased by the new Zora. Gaddison was determined to see what he was doing, and followed him out of the water. That was her first mistake, as she got Zora's Pride to her throat. "Hmph, so its you." The Zora was terrified by his native reflex with his weapon. The Hylian seemed a bit more serious than what was described to the Zora, and far more defensive.
"Sorry. I just wanted to see what you were doing…" Gaddison said, and Taka nodded.
"Okay. I'm getting food for myself. That's really it."
"Can I come?" Gaddison asked, and Taka debated. The more he deflected, the more suspicious he would appear.
"Sure, just keep up." Taka burst off into the woods, and the lighter Zora attempted to keep pace. Taka knew where to find boars, and he knew he had to be quick as the sun was starting to go down, and he didn't want to worry Tazz or Coral. Gaddison had no clue about this, and was just amazed at how frantic the boy seemed. He found his first boar, and killed with a sword to the snout. He then hunted down another, and thought about something. His earlier fight with his father would have gone much, much better if he had he something sharp on his bow. Gaddison watched as he tore off the tusks of the boar and drew his bow. He had two, his gift from Lady Miosa, and his old Duplex. He tore the tassels off, and stared at the needles that were beneath them. After sharpening the tusks with his dagger, he attached them.
"What is that for?" Gaddison asked, and Taka smirked.
"Extra offensive power if I'm out of arrows or just in case." Taka said, swiping the bow through the air. "Come on. We're heading back." Gaddison followed behind the Hylian, who dragged his tuskless game back. He went and hid them, and Gaddison met up with him again. The two shook hands, and they bumped heads. "I'll train you and Bazz soon, okay?"
"Okay, Taka." Gaddison leaned upwards and bumped heads with him again. They shared a sharky grin, and ran off in different directions.
On the day before Mipha's birthday, just as Taka visited Dento to get the necklace, the horns were heard. Dento's eyes widened. "Of all the days for them to come unannounced…" The older Zora remarked, more annoyed than angry. After a high note, Taka recognized the horns himself.
"Is that vaba?" He asked no one in particular.
"Vaba?" Dento asked, and he followed the boy out. The royals had come outside, the king with a grin and Miosa with a rather rare annoyed look. Mipha came out of the throne room as well, and the royal guards rushed to their sides.
"Sav'aaq, Milord, Milady!" A tall Gerudo woman called, waving to the royals.
"Chief Urbosa." Miosa responded, her eye twitching. "What brings you?" She asked, stepping forward. Tazz copied her movement, holding his own spear in contest to the other woman. The younger sister of chief smirked at the Zora guard, who gave no visible response.
"Ah, a few things. One, we have come because of him." Urbosa pointed to the knelt Hylian who was silent. "The little voe is the talk of the land. Even the Queen of Hyrule speaks of his passion and protective nature at his age."
A body forced itself through the crowd of Gerudo women, an older woman. "My suvehvi!" The woman cried, rushing up to Taka and lifting him up.
"Vaba! It is you!" Taka cried, and he had his hair ruffled.
"Hmph. So he is your suvehvi, Jaci." The guard of the chief said.
"Elidi, what makes you think I would lie?" The grandmother asked, holding up her seven year old grandson. Taka then saw the killing intent in Muzu's eyes, contrasting his king, queen, and princess's mirthful eyes. Taka whispered something to his grandmother. She glared at the green Zora, but placed down her grandson and backed away.
"Haha! You haven't changed a bit, Sir Muzu." Urbosa remarked, and the older Zora scoffed.
"I've changed quite a lot, if you don't mind, Lady Urbosa." Muzu responded, and Taka went back into a kneel. "Now please, finish the reasoning for your visit, please." Urbosa snapped, and many of the Gerudo rushed forward.
"To celebrate the princess's birthday of course!" The chieftain declared cheerfully, and Taka went to attack when one got close to Mipha. As they got out horns and instruments, Miosa let out a loud laugh.
"You came on the wrong day! It's tomorrow!" The women froze, and looked to their darkened chief. A hand ended up on the royal guard, and suddenly the air smelled of ozone.
"Elidi, I trust you with one simple task and you couldn't even get that correct?!" The chief demanded.
"Sister! I swear I heard it was today!" The younger of the two declared, feeling crackles of electricity ripple off her sister.
"Yes, I know, that's why we hastily threw this party together! Do you know how hard it is to convince twenty vai to make a hasty two day trek across the desert, the valley, and all the way to Lanayru Region?! All to find out that we could have done it in three!" The chief barked, Taka backing away from the smell of ozone like the other Zora. Taka knew he wasn't as vulnerable as his Zora brethren, but after watching an oak tree be felled by lightning in one concise blow, he knew it's dangers.
"Sister, please! The Zora are weak to your electricity!" Elidi practically begged, not wanting to be electrocuted.
"Oh trust me, sister, I know of my strength and how to control it! However, it'd be a shame if that poor Zora girl had to heal shock wounds of a fool who was too lazy to check their sources about what should be common knowledge!"
"Boy, go break them up." Muzu commanded, and the young Hylian guard snapped his head over to the royal adviser.
"Sir, I'll die." Taka stated flatly, knowing this was a truth. He had little prior electrical resistance training. He never even thought about bringing it up once he saw Tazz have a heart attack at some Lizalfos bearing Shock Arrows. All he had was the Shock Arrow to the leg and learning that to purge such electricity required solid ground and a metal weapon.
"Better one than many." Before anyone could speak in the boy's favor, he drew his bow. He wasn't getting close. He fired an arrow, and it was snapped out of the air.
"Vehvi!" Urbosa snapped. Taka snapped up, scaring Mipha. "Cierca!" Urbosa pointed to the place in front of her feet, and Taka rushed over and got on his knees with his head bowed. "Vehvi!" Urbosa snapped to her sister, who looked at her in confusion. "VEHVI!" She snapped louder, and Elidi instantly kneeled down and bowed her head. The Zora watched as both Gerudo and Hylian were lectured in Gerudo, which intrigued Mipha. She had no idea Taka could speak Gerudo, or even understand it. The lecture ended with both receiving a hand upon their heads. Both suddenly burst with electricity, and the Zora were terrified. Both warriors collapsed, convulsing.
"Taka!" Both Mipha and Jaci cried, rushing to the boy. Taka, in his shock stupor, rolled away and off the domain. They all heard the splash, and the shocked Gerudo went to check on him. The found the boy stumble away to dry land, and stab his spear into the ground. He purged the sparks from his body after touching the spearhead. He swam back over, and glared at the waterfall. To the shock of every non-Zora there, the Hylian boy slowly but surely scaled the waterfall. It took him much longer than the average time of a child Zora, but after stumbling over the edge, he was checked on. Mipha checked for wounds, only to find minor ones that Taka told Mipha to ignore.
His hair was frizzy, and that's about it in terms of other effects. "Strange, vehvi. Able to swim up waterfalls with no armor?" Urbosa asked, and Taka nodded, opening and closing his fists.
"How come I can move, milady?" Taka asked.
"What do you think, little voe? I held back." Urbosa said, turning away from the interesting little voe. "Did you think I was bluffing when I told my sister I had control over my power?" Urbosa asked, and Taka shook his head. Even for the small voltage, he regained decent enough motor control quick for his age. Urbosa thought quietly, and look of intrigued on her face. Her failure of a sister was still writhing, due to the fact she was hit with much higher voltage. The Zora were much more annoyed, especially the queen.
"Well, Urbosa, is that all?" Miosa asked, and the chief got a bit more serious.
"Rhoam and Zelda sent me to check on the boy's progress." Urbosa said seriously, and both king and queen narrowed their eyes. "He said something about worrying about the Zora's weapon, and Zelda just wanted to know if Mipha had a sleepover with the Myushi boy yet." Urbosa said, and the three leaders exchanged glances.
"Fine then." Dorephan said, the first words he had spoken since the Gerudo arrived. Then he put on a jovial tone with this statement; "The boy hasn't had a good test subject of his skills in a while. Go ahead, play your music and test him!" The king offered, and the Gerudo went to set up.
"Urbosa, what is the real reason you've come?" Miosa asked as the Gerudo got acquainted.
"I didn't lie when I said Rhoam considered the boy your weapon." Urbosa said, crossing her arms. "Sometimes I wonder if if he even comprehends that the world holds more than potential tools against Calamity Ganon." Urbosa said, and both royals nodded. She turned and saw Mipha coaxing Taka into allowing his wounds to be healed before combat. "You've raised your 'weapon' well."
"We have to thank his parents for that. We've only built off his base skillset." Miosa admitted.
"His training must have been relentless though." Urbosa noted, seeing the boy's indifference to his wounds.
"He was trained like a true Zora, despite his origin." Dorephan concurred.
"He struggles, but he can swim up waterfalls. Many grown Hylians and even Gerudo cannot accomplish that feat." Urbosa said.
"Look at his hands, Urbosa." Miosa said, and she went over to the boy. As Mipha finished the final electrical burn, Urbosa checked the Hylian's hands, and her eyes widened. As he dried, they were un-shriveling, but his fingers had curled naturally upon contact with liquid rather than extended exposure. She took her flask and poured the remaining water on his hands. Instantly they shriveled, and the boy looked worriedly at the chief.
"Ha! It's like he evolved!" Urbosa claimed, patting the boy's head.
"He's a Zora boy now. He spends as much time in the water as he does out of it." Miosa offered as an explanation. Urbosa laughed happily, standing.
"Come, little one, come." She gestured to a younger Gerudo with a spear. She had vibrant red hair and blue eyes, and a traditional Gerudo outfit. Taka stood to challenge her, drawing his own spear. He decided to range her out with the ruby original spear of his, and he crouched. "Now, play!" The Gerudo girl lunged, but Taka sidestepped. As the drums blasted with their vibrant music as Taka lightly danced around the next stab, and smacked the girl with a spear to the head. She stumbled, but quickly rose back up. Taka was calm, studying the circle of Gerudo around him. They had all taken up instruments, and were positioned so that neither kid could just run. He couldn't help but grin at that, a subtle display of power that his mother and grandmother were known for. That Gerudo were known for. He casually avoided the next stab with another side step, and smacked the girl down again. As she rose again, Taka gave her no rest. He stabbed and rushed her down, defeating her quickly. He was cheered for, and Elidi walked forward,
"As I told you, you ignorant little vehvi, you weren't beating him after a day of training." The royal guard said, lifting up the girl. "No, princess, it's her punishment. She'll heal naturally." Mipha nodded and backed away, checking on Taka. He had not a single scratch on him. She smiled at him and he smiled back, and as they went to leave, the music began again.
"Boy, where do you think you're heading?" Urbosa asked, rolling her wrists and stretching out.
"Milady?" Taka asked, worried, and drawing his blade and stepping in front of Mipha. Muzu came up and took the princess away, leaving the boy trapped in the circle of Gerudo.
Dorephan sighed, and Miosa narrowed her eyes. "Urbosa, why not let his teacher take his place?" She asked, and Urbosa shook her head.
"No, no, I want to test this voe myself." Urbosa said, drawing her blade. The Scimitar of the Seven glinted in the light, and Hunter's Blessing seemed tiny in comparison, and Taka appeared the same in comparison the the towering Gerudo chief. Urbosa saw Dorephan go to speak, and she raised her hand. "I shall give him an obvious weakness to my fighting style." Urbosa jumped up and down, testing the grip of her shoes against the metal floor. "If he has an ounce of Gerudo blood in his veins, he'll figure it out rather quickly." She dropped her shield and her sister took it away.
Taka, terrified but happily anxious to fight, readied his blade.
"Begin!" Elidi declared, and the music began. He was slapped away immediately, and he rolled to recover. A bang of the drums and Taka had to dodge another blade swing, and he scrambled back. The flutes went off and Taka realized his bow was basically useless in this situation. The second he took it out, he'd be destroyed by blade due to the small space. In turn he lunged in with his blade, and coinciding with the the slam of the drums, he instantly had to block, Urbosa casually beating him back with a grin on her face. He couldn't hold his guard, and was sliced on the arm. There was a loud strum of a sitar and Urbosa paused her swing, seemingly leaving her open for a free stab. Taka however, having learned his lesson, did not take the bait.
"Have you figured it out, Tazz?" Seggin asked, standing back and watching the Hylian boy commit himself to losing battle, being bashed by the flat of the blade, getting kicked in the stomach repeatedly, and being forced to deflect possibly fatal slashes to the neck with his wrist guards. Taka slowly began to comprehend the patterns of her attack strategy, but still couldn't track it down to a source.
"Yes, but I don't blame him. It's a wild cacophony right now, and he's against the leader of another race. He probably cannot analyze at his best level right now." Tazz responded, watching his student as he was knocked away one more time, falling to the floor face first. As Taka lay there in pain, he felt the pulsing of the metal beneath him. He turned his head to his light-footed opponent, and traced back his steps. Then he traced back her fighting style and noticed the the power of the pulse when she swung.
The drums! As he saw a drummer going to hit the instrument, he preemptively rolled before she swung and drew his horned Duplex Bow, swinging it in a wide arc as he leapt. Urbosa missed her swing as it coincided with the beat of the drum, and received a tiny cut on her toned abdomen. The music paused, and the chief stared at the Hylian, who rose, bow and blade at hand. As impressed as the Zora were, their worried quadrupled. Especially Miosa, who had clashed with Urbosa in this type of contest before. If she wasn't mistaken…
The Gerudo Chief let out a throaty laugh, and turned her emerald eyes to her small opponent. "Little voe! I see you've learned!" The chief grinned. "Then shall we advance the pace? I do wish to see your peak." The music picked right back up without a hitch, twice the speed and intensity. Taka barely dodged the swing of the mighty blade, backing away quick. "Why do you run little voe?! This is a battle!" The chief said, rushing down the boy. Taka picked up more and more on her attack. He lacked strength, speed, and dexterity in comparison to the chief, but he just enough to move in a way where he could see a drummer. He learned that the flute guided her steps, and they were playing fast and smooth, so her steps were frequent and fleet. He couldn't tell what the sitars guided however, and he put away his bow for now. A sneak attack and nothing more, as he figured it.
Taka rushed in, making sure to stay off beat enough so that she couldn't start reading him so easily. He barely slipped a slice to the head with his blessing, and it knocked him off his balance. He rolled, and took a sharp breath. Even with his reading, he couldn't keep up this pace. Everytime he would appear to move fast enough, the drums would blast off and send the blade swinging and him flying. He needed to find another way to tear her down, somehow.
Urbosa was having plenty of fun with the boy. He was determined, and she couldn't tell if it was prideful arrogance or courage beyond comprehension to still being moving with his bloody wounds. She was restraining herself heavily, and keeping pace with the music was rather annoying, but it helped him. So when she saw the flash of realization in his eyes, she smirked and inhaled.
Her breathing! Every strum, she breathes, so I need to make it that she can't… Taka rushed down the chief, and threw his sword. Urbosa inhaled, dodged, and swung, all in one moment. She can't effectively do all at o… Taka's face was grabbed and he was slammed into the domain's floor at max speed. The Zora were in shock at the sudden forceful maneuver, as Urbosa went flat faced. Taka, ignoring the shooting pain, drew his dagger and dragged his dagger down the chief arm. Urbosa's eyes snapped wide open in shock, the music stopped again from confusion and amazement of the Gerudo. The friend of the Hylian, who were watching from a perch, cheered for the heavily battered Hylian, as he held his blade firm in the chief's arm.
Taka was launched away, rolled, but his body couldn't move. He had taken too much damage, and Urbosa yanked out the dagger. As Taka's eyes glazed over as he left consciousness, Mipha and his friends broke into the circle and rushed to his side. Bazz and Kayden lifted him, and took him away, Kodah watching the chief with angry eyes as if to make sure she wouldn't inflict any more harm on their friend. Mipha quickly began healing the many intricate slash and stab wounds that littered her guard. His blood was pumping quickly, but that also meant his blood was flowing out. Mipha's glow coated the boy's wound quickly, and slowly the wounds closed. She focused, but this amount of wounds left her nearly unconscious. Taka was tapped awake, and he caught Mipha, holding her. Urbosa was wrapping up her arm, and grinned at the boy.
"You're something, little voe. Without a doubt! Your might is surprising, and your sneaky tactics do proudly display your heritage." Urbosa praised, and Taka thanked her. Mipha gently slept in her guard's arms, surrounded by her friends. "In fact, maybe when she's recovered, I'd love a duel with the both of you."
"How about you duel me instead, Urbosa?" Her fellow swordsmen in the king asked, stepping forward. Urbosa flinched and shook her head, backing away.
"I'd rather face your wife!" Miosa readily stepped forward, plucking Taka's enhanced Zora Spear off his back and grinning with an evil look. "Hm? So willing! Unlike last time." Urbosa said, and the queen stepped into the circle.
"But of course, because last time you won is due to the fact that you challenged me after a long winded battle!" Miosa stated, brandishing the Zora Spear. Taka's eyes widened, as he had never seen his bow teacher wield a spear.
"And the time you won before that was because it was the same day I travelled here!" Urbosa reasoned, and the Zora Queen laughed.
"Ah, such a spry youth complaining about her travels? Come, come, let this old woman teach you another lesson." Taka raised an eyebrow. His queen didn't look old, maybe around his own mother in terms of age, just a Zora.
"Miosa, you know how the world works with you. Decades are like years and centuries are like decades to you!" Urbosa said nervously, the Zora Queen deftly approaching. The music began again, and Urbosa rushed for her shield. An arrow pierced it's glory before she could pick it up. Miosa stood there, smiling.
"Relax, Urbosa. We may duel tomorrow, so my daughter can watch on her great day." Miosa proclaimed, and the Zora and Gerudo agreed. Urbosa exhaled a sigh a relief, and stood. "Muzu, allow Taka to take Mipha to her room to rest and speak with his grandmother." Miosa commanded, and Muzu nodded sharply to the boy. He, with newer developed strength, hoisted Mipha in his arms and carried her to her room, with their group of friends following close behind. He tucked her in, and turned to his friends.
"Come on, I want you all to meet vaba!" Taka said quickly, running off as if he didn't fight at all. They chased, and he found his grandmother. "Vaba!" He cried, and he was picked up again. His hair was ruffled, and she checked his previously wounded areas.
"My, my, suvehvi, you are truly healed! What a great princess you have!" The grandmother looked to the many Zora children that surrounded her. "So you are his friends?" The group nodded, and Taka was let down. And Bazz was picked up. "Haha! Sa'oten, little one, are you your mother?" In response, Taka smiled and ran off with Bazz. Jaci watched as her grandson hurled the Zora away, off the domain. Then he struck his signature pose, a grin on his face and his left arm crossed over his chest.
As Kayden laughed, Taka's grandmother pointed. Kayden burst off into a run when he saw his Hylian friend rush him down, but on land he was by far the fastest in their group, and he caught him. He held his prize over his head again, and Jaci laughed. However as Taka laughed, he realized something. First, he hadn't fed his horse today, and secondly he still needed to check his gifts. Kayden was thrown over the domain, Taka apologized to his grandmother and friends, before rushing off the domain himself. Jaci tried to watch his motions, but her grandson quickly faded into the brush. He is his mother… Jaci thought quietly while the Zora girls went to check on their thrown friends.
Taka whistled, and Axel came charging out of nowhere, and Taka hopped on. He was taken to a nearby tree, which he quickly scaled and got apples from. He dropped down, and gave the apples up. The horse trotted off, and Taka ran back to the domain. He forced himself up a waterfall, hoping the process would become easier with time, and stumbled out. He snuck past the many Zora and Gerudo, and found Dento in his shop. He was not alone, and he cowered when he found a Gerudo and the chief there.
"This is for the princess?" The other Gerudo asked, holding up the necklace.
"As the boy requested, yes." Dento responded.
"You truly are a weaponsmith. This thing would work perfectly as a a spearhead!" The Gerudo scolded the older Zora, who rolled his eyes.
"If you say so. I did my best. It's not like you had other options, did you boy?" Both Gerudo women turned to the Hylian boy, who froze in fear.
"Vehvi!" Urbosa said, and Taka prepared to run. He could swim faster, he could swim way faster than Gerudo right? His ancestors and kin came from the desert, he wasn't sure if they even knew how to swim. Apparently his mother didn't until she moved. "Come, come, I need your hands." Taka obeyed, and the other Gerudo measured his hands. "Alright. We'll fix this necklace and your smith will take care of the rest." Taka nodded, and he was kicked out. He went along, and got the rest of his gifts. When approached by Bazz and Gaddison, he whistled loudly.
"Taka, what the heck was that for?" Bazz asked, and Taka grinned. Gaddison twitched and rolled, as Axel came thundering through the domain, appearing before Taka with a hungry look on his face. Bazz was trampled, and Taka climbed aboard his horse. He picked up his grandmother, and stampeded out of domain. Tazz excused his student's actions, having been told what he was planning by his wife.
Jaci studied her grandson's Hylian cloak, and went to make it so it would be easier for Mipha to wear. Taka was thankful, and he received a pat on the head. He grinned, and inhaled. Tomorrow would be the day, so he needed to go to sleep now so he could wake up early. Axel nudged him for more apples, and Taka retrieved them, before going to bed.
Early next morning he ran to where he hid his food. It was gone! Frantic, he rushed out of the domain in the dark, and whistled for Axel. The sleepy horse stumbled along, and Taka offered apples. The horse quickly woke up, and the duo rushed off. Taka, with new vigor, got Mipha plenty of Voltfin Trout barehanded. A poor boar that came to the water was drowned quickly, and Taka quickly slaughtered another. He didn't have nearly as much trout as he did before, but he had to get back before dawn to cook. He rushed back, and hid Axel, rushing past the night guards who smirked at the little Hylian. In the kitchen, he instantly went to work. Upon finishing Mipha's plates for breakfast, and having spare leftover, he found his fish and boars. As he went to ask his teacher why, the first Gerudo chef and Coral walked in. While the Gerudo chef was shocked to find the boy there, Coral gave Taka a full on toothy grin.
"Miss Coral, you took my food?" Taka asked, and the Zora woman ruffled his hair.
"Go get the rest of your gift, I'll watch your breakfast for her." Coral said, and Taka ran off. He found Dento in the shop, and the Gerudo woman. Both were tired, as if they'd been working all night.
"Come here, boy. You're lucky they paid me well." Taka received amber gauntlets, the fit around his wrist guards. They were flexible, surprisingly, and not that heavy. "Their chief claimed you were a mad fighter, who would benefit from an ability to block blade's better with your hands." Dento said flatly, handing over a box which contained the necklace. "You have no shield, like a true Zora guard, so those should assist you." Dento turned to see Taka holding out a thousand rupees. "What?"
"You made the necklace, sir. I need to pay you." Taka said, and Dento stared at the child.
"Leave." He said, and Taka's eyes widened. "I won't take it now. I have no place to put it, get out." Taka scrambled away, holding the box close. Dento sighed, but smirked as he went back to his other request. It was almost finished, it just had a few more final touches.
Taka visited his grandmother, who awoke and handed over the now ruby accented cloak to her grandson, who thanked her and ran off. Having collected his gifts, he waited at the royal table. First the royals appeared, and the chief of the Gerudo followed suit. Mipha had a new metal chair, and Taka got her a cushion for it. When the princess awoke, she found everyone waiting for her, from her family, to friends, to the Gerudo that played her traditional birthday music. She was happy with all this, but when she reached the table, she found her guard holding out her first gift. Fresh fish and cooked trout along with a side of boar rib. The steamed curled off of it, and Mipha's mouth water. She had a glass of wild berry juice from the Gerudo, and she happily ate with everyone else. When she found out it was Taka that specifically went out and hunted down her favorite fish barehanded, through a nudge by Tazz, she tackled the boy into a hug. He hugged back, and looked to Miosa and Dorephan for the second part of his gift.
He got twin nods, and asked Mipha to close her eyes. He pulled out the box, and smirked. He locked the necklace around her neck, and Mipha's eyes slowly opened. She saw the necklace and gasped, the crowd laughing at her reaction. "This is mine?" She asked, and Taka gave a nod and a grin. "Thank you!" She tackled him into another hug, and he lifted her up. The princess claimed her spot on his back, and Taka bumped heads with her. He was given a look by Coral, and he carried her to a spot where he had hid the final part of his gift. He placed her down, and retrieved the gift. Mipha's eyes sparkled at the sight of the ruby decorated Hylian hood, which he placed on her. He fell this time when he was tackled, and then all their friends dog piled onto the duo, all of them laughing. Dorephan moved them to the circle, where the Gerudo were setting up for Miosa and Urbosa's fight. As the kids crowded together to watch the fight, Mipha asked Taka for something to drink. Taka ran off, and both leaders of their respective races bared their weapons. Urbosa had taken up her Daybreaker, knowing she would undoubtedly need it. Her use of electricity was banned, as honestly the last thing she wanted was to kill her friend, and then start a war. A war where she would instantly lose due to being on their territory with the Zora guard flanking all exits besides the water. And Urbosa wasn't even sure of most of her people knew how to swim. Miosa just had her spear and bow, and she was ready to run through Urbosa for the entertainment of her people and daughter. As they waited for Taka's return, time passed, lots of it. About ten minutes later, Muzu went off searching for the boy. Upon going to where he would find the boy getting a drink, he found Zora's Pride, Royal Regalia, and Hunter's Blessing thrown aside, blood on the floor, a writhing Yiga footsoldier body, with Taka's enhanced Zora Spear lodged in his thigh.
Suvehvi - Granchild
Cierca - Come