Authors Note it is time for our first look at Dragon's Rest. As this is one of if not the first of my original locations, I can be a bit more descriptive here, hopefully that comes through. And the death mentioned in the title is from BOTW so no need to panic and it is not a spoiler.
Disclaimer I do not own the legend of Zelda and if I did it would be about Sidon but since Link is the main character Nintendo must own it he is in Super Smash Brothers so they must own him riiight? In case that was not clear Nintendo owns Zelda with all its cool stuff.
Gigantic Optimism Chapter XXI The Joy of Life and the Despair of Death
Boon could not swim in fact, he is so bad at it he would sink like a rock an uncommonly big rock but, still a rock. Despite this he made his living on water and had stood steadfast against squalls that shook the timbers of the Gentle Breeze to the utmost of their endurance. Given the choice between one of those lake storms and his current predicament he would choose the former and welcome it gladly. Those storms were a form of rain, familiar in some vague sense the birth of a Hylian baby was completely alien to him. The poor Goron could hardly register what was happening thus he crossed the thin boundary that separates wonder and fear into that timorous country.
Mercifully the Goron brother was placed outside the room where the miracle of birth is taking place from the hall he hears "it's a boy" "Wooh! it's over the little tyke is here now what was his name? Rhoam, Gaepora, Rauru, nah they did not like any of those," Slowly the goron realizes they have not picked a name yet. He enters the room hoping to assist with this more manageable and familiar problem.
Within that room Zelda is holding the newborn future king of Hyrule a pink wrinkled bald mass of tissue. Stefano is across from the bed his hand churning up and down repeatedly, trapped in a congratulatory handshake from his brother. After finally disengaging from his overly enthusiastic kin Stefano straitens his askew crown while gazing at his family."Did you decide on a name yet?" Inquires Boon his resolve to pick out the prince's name, bolstered by seeing the infant. "Nope the only name my nephew can lay claim to is Hyrule, maybe Lumkin though his mom has never admired the proud family name." Sounding hurt and dignified the captain waits for a reply the only response is the cry of the baby which Zelda deems a better response than anything she could come up with. Glancing behind him Stefano sees a figure in the door, surprised he exclaims "Oh dear!"He exits the room to bar the herald admittance lest he ask for the child's name. Once the babe is breathing normally a whisper shatters the silence "We could always name him the Goron way."
Meanwhile Sidon is staring at a large wicker basket with two outward facing handles, this unassuming container draws Sidon's focus singularly even with Karlovaa standing next to him." I know it looks unsafe your highness, we would never let anything happen to you. My brother and I can carry you quite easily in the basket you are too large to ride or for us to carry without some sort of conveyance tool. This remark comes from a large pink male Rito whose pale blue brother is preparing to offer to tie Sidon to the basket for some extra support. Sidon eventually allows himself to be cajoled into the basket his date for the evening is riding comfortably on Arli the Rito who had participated in the scanner experiments. The yellow Rito chats amicably while Sidon tries to keep the contents of his sensitive stomach from plastering his conveyors.
Shortly after their meeting with Dorephan Sidon had decided to propose his coronation drew ever closer and he wanted to be honest and explain why he wanted to make her queen of the zora before his ever hectic schedule got in the way. Sidon was too familiar with important questions being sacrificed for the good of the kingdom to make that mistake. Tonight was the night if he did not fall to an untimely demise before he turned two-hundred and fifty. "At least it would be a spectacular and painless death." Thinks the ever-optimistic prince. No conversation takes place between the two brothers and their uncooperative passenger they are too winded from holding Sidon to exchange pleasantries with their charge.
The nerve-wracking flight ends when Arli suggests they put the pair down within walking distance of the town to spare her two helpers the rigorous flight to the top of the hill. Walking five abreast the travelers round the bend of passenger hill espying a town whose very construction is a beautiful engineering/architectural marvel.
Dragon's Rest resembles tufts of grass on an otherwise barren hill top. Scattered all across the top of Passer Hill were wooden buildings standing on pine stilts giving the already high bluff even more elevation. The travelers can just make out small rope bridges stretching between structures each secured to the stilts by lengthy strands of rope. While the top of the hill looks organized soldered into the sides of the cliff face are even more wooden residences complete with small landing platforms. Beneath the city on a hill the ground is barren, nary a twig or shrub to be seen the lack of foliage draws the companion's attention to a wooden contraption sitting under Dragon's Rest. It was a wooden platform set in a metal frame coveres with sheikah ruins, Sidon had an inkling of what it could be Link had told him much of his adventures and the structure reminded him of an ancient technology the hero had described. As progress is made to the structure Karlovaa asks about the scent of the town. Tasting the air Sidon detects a clear refreshing yet sharp odor. "Pine they must have cleared it from the nearby mountains." Arli corroborates his guess the clearing of the forest had taken a lot of Rito power. " Can you and the others go ahead Arli I would like to walk around the hill and see the rest of the city from below Sidon." Following the Gerudo's lead Sidon seconds the suggestion, " We can take the lift up afterwards." "don't dawdle too long you two if you miss the ceremony, I will be in a lot of trouble. Let's go guys they obviously need some alone time."
True to her word Karlovaa merely drags her prince around the back of the hill to see the entire city. When they come around a rock wall, they see a tar pit filed with bones giant, bleached white bones. Here is the dragon for which the city is named and Karlovaa cries out a doleful sound echoing down the ravine. Sidon rushes closer to her ready to support her, he should have known the animal loving Karlovaa would be shook by the simple story told by the bones. Trapped in the tar this dragon a mighty beast had been unable to escape and succumbed to starvation or possibly drowned in the mire. Reaching out for the zora Karlovaa embraces the comforting prince, and they sit in silence sorrowful for a few brief but, memorable moments. They return to town as Karlovaa dries her eyes. Sidon forgets about proposing and thinks of how to cheer her up getting in the lift they ascend into town. Karlovaa ponders how she can be so distraught over a long dead creature with no name?
Meanwhile the royal family has finally come up with suggestions according to Goron tradition. Each person in the room has picked one name, after all the candidates are heard they will vote. There is one goron tradition that does not apply to this situation, any Goron can name his child after his sworn brother without the need for a vote. Boon was unsure how that worked with two parents and had failed to mention that fact, to avoid complications. Boon began with his choice "Rauru" Zelda mentions a name her mother had adored it being the name of a famous scholar of antiquity, "Shad is what I would like to name him." "I have been partial to Morrison myself" Visibly wincing Aliquis contributes his choice "Maurice is a fine name yur highnesses!" The captain declares, emphatically covering his loathing of being the uncle of any nephew or niece whose name ends in the suffix 'son'. "Right we need a fifth then we close our eyes and raise hands to cast votes the new person will count the votes. Normally this is done in a cave so the eye closing is the best we can do, Hylian babies likely do not enjoy caves like goron tykes." Not knowing what to say a butler is sent for and Boon relays the instructions. When the results are read immediately after the necessary awkward hand raising. There is one vote for Shad, one for Morrison, zero for Boon's suggestion, and two for Maurice. Zelda is smiling at the absurd situation her and Stefano had picked their own favorites and cancelled the other out. "Well that settles it. Read the proclamation that the Prince is born and his name is Maurice, Morrison, Shad, Hyrule." The butler runs from the room to inform the herald trying to remember the last time the royal child's birth name had not been Zelda.
Author's note II The name ritual was inspired by a cousin of mine who had such a hard time agreeing with his wife on a name for their firstborn. (or maybe it was the other way around) That the hospital told them they had to pick a name because something had to go on the birth certificate, before the parents could take him home. I thought it was also a humorous way to explain the long names for Hylian kings. Next week we do the date and properly introduce our Rito Champion Vestus teased in the chapter to Rule Well.
Sincerely 4Coyote