A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 73: Truth of the Matter

The blazing sun was high above the desert once again, its dry, sweltering heat like a physical force. The surface of the desert had been completely shrouded by the raging sandstorm, with no end in sight. Even the high walls of Gerudo Town couldn't fully protect those inside from the tainted winds blowing through the sandstone buildings, threatening to yank down shop fabric and rip wooden stalls from their usual spots, the trees swaying dangerously in the gusts and obscuring the colorful culture in dusty darkness.

While this alone was enough to stress out the Gerudo civilians, what they feared most were the occasional violent shudders, strong enough to knock them off their feet. Sometimes, it would be the shaking of the ground, as if a beast heavy enough to shake the desert itself was stomping about, and when it wasn't the ground, the air itself would vibrate at the monster's sorrowful wail. Unfortunately for Gerudo Town, this beast wasn't one of fantasy but ancient, mechanical origin stomping unsteadily across the dunes nearby; a hazardous giant of gears and electricity that could crush them if it so chose.

Though the monster's wails were loud enough to be heard from the farthest reaches of the desert, its cries could be heard most clearly by the one in charge of leading the Gerudo.

She was the recently-turned twelve-year-old Gerudo girl sitting upon a throne of sandstone her body couldn't properly fill yet; a girl so little compared to the previous rulers, the heels she wore didn't fully reach the stool placed at the foot of the throne to assist her climbing onto it. As lightning flashed outside the town's walls, the child closed her eyes, unsure of what to do, the responsibilities around her crushing her very spirit. The only thing that could snap her out of her anxious trance was the sharp call of her trusted bodyguard, who stood beside the throne.

"My chief, you have a visitor," she said sternly. "Another one."

Slowly, the chief opened her eyes to see a vai—a pale-skinned Hylian, short enough to match her size—walking down the red carpet of the throne room toward her. Tiredly, she sighed.

"Yet another traveler..." she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "How did you get in here? I thought I made it clear I wasn't seeing any more trivial visitors today... Hm?"

Sitting up, she gave the vai a closer look. Though she wore the light, silky clothing of the Gerudo people, she was heavily armed with a bow, a sword, and a shield on her back, along with a quiver of arrows behind her waist. At this, the chief hummed in thought as she leaned back on her throne.

"It seems you have quite the interesting arsenal there..." she said. "If you're skilled in such a variety of weapons, then I'm not dealing with anyone trivial, am I?"

As the vai approached the short stairs leading to the throne, the sudden clank of the muscular bodyguard's claymore slamming on the ground stopped her.

"You stand before Lady Riju, Chief of the Gerudo! Declare your business, but come no closer!" she said threateningly. "Do not think I haven't taken note of your weaponry! If you so much as twitch toward that sword of yours, you will be considered aligned with those Yiga scum—"

"Hold on, Buliara..." Chief Riju intervened. "Look at what's on her hip."

"Hm?" The guard named Buliara raised an eyebrow and looked down at the vai's hip to see a small, rectangular device clearly of ancient Sheikah origin, glowing as if it were still functional. "Interesting. No Yiga would have such a functional piece of ancient technology."

"You there—! What is your name?" the chief asked.

"My name is Link, uh..." the traveler answered in an off-putting feminine tone. "Ma'am? Your chiefliness?"