Winds Of Change

XII: Desert Heat Is Bad

It had been two weeks since Link, Meilen, and Aithne had freed Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Afterwards, they had made their way to the Spring of Wisdom, where Meilen had freed Naydru. Now, they were on their way to Divine Beast Vah Naboris. They had already retrieved the map from the tower and spent two days making their way to the road. They had stopped at the stable for the night and set out the next morning, only to find that their horses could not enter the desert due to the heat. They also found the heat unbearable, so they purchased Chilly Elixirs to keep their body temperatures stable. About halfway across the desert, they came across an oasis, called the Kara Kara Bazaar, but they did not stop for long. As they made their way to the town, they noticed a variety of males standing scattered around the outside of Gerudo Town. There, they discovered that males, or "voe", were not allowed inside the town. Meilen refused to enter without Link, so instead, they made small talk with the men.

"Excuse me!" Meilen called to the man standing next to the shrine. Link had taken a moment to activate the travel gate on the shrine, and was now walking back.

"Oh, I was so focused just now..." The man muttered, turning to face Meilen and Link. "Do you have business with me?"

"Are you spying?" Meilen asked, staring blankly at the man. He looked panicked for moment, but then put on a surprised and offended face that wasn't fooling either youth.

"What? N-No, I'm not a spy!" The man spluttered, "I'm a merchant! I may not look like it, but I'm actually the leader of a caravan! I've traveled all the way here, but this town doesn't allow men to go in. So... that's why I... had to... um..." Meilen raised a eyebrow and repeated her question. "It's research! RESEARCH!"

"Uhuh, I'm sure the Gerudo would appreciate being 'researched', as you put it. I'm outta here!" Meilen scoffed, heading towards the shrine. Aithne perched themselves on Link's shoulder as the man continued.

"Think what you want, but I've finally found some key info on how to sneak into Gerudo Town!" The man declared.

"What info?" Link asked quietly.

"Heheheh, well allow me to fill you in on my heroic tale!" The man boasted, knowing full well that he had caught Link's attention. "It's been close to a week now. The guards have kicked me out more times than I can count. I almost gave up hope. However! I have recently learned of a man who slipped into this well-guarded town! I heard that man is frequently travelling between Kara Kara Bazaar and Gerudo Town. I've been waiting here, trying to spot him as he travels." Link thanked the man and made his way to Meilen.

"That guy says that there is a man who has been successful in sneaking into Gerudo Town. If we find him, he may be able to help." Link reported softly. Meilen nodded, and the trio walked back to the Bazaar. There, they asked around if anyone had seen a mysterious merchant around anywhere. They all said that the only strange thing they had seen was the Hylian girl who was selling Gerudo garb. They learned that the girl, or "vai", was on the roof of the inn. They climbed to the top and there they found the man.

"Oh, my, what a lovely young pair that you are. Do you need something from me? My name is Villa." Villa greeted as they approached.

"We heard about a man who snuck into Gerudo Town. Made me wonder if you knew anything about it." Meilen replied coyly, twirling a small twig in her hand.

"Oh, I don't know anything about this man. Sorry I couldn't be of more help." Villa replied. Meilen narrowed her eyes and Link studied 'her' face. "You're making my cheeks warm looking at me like that."

"You're a man." Meilen deadpanned. Villa placed a had to 'her' chest.

"Oh, my! You say the funniest things, young lady! Anyway, if you don't need anything, you should be off then." Villa replied.

"Oh, we never said anything about not needing something. Where'd you get those clothes? They are very pretty." Meilen commented, smirking because she'd caught him.

"You agree that my clothes help my looks right?" Villa said, winking at the pair. Link caught on about Meilen's plan and stifled a groan. "Now that I think about it, the clothing would look quite fetching on you both. I'd have to charge you, of course, but people would look at you completely different if you wore them. Here's what I'll say: I'll sell you both some clothes for 600 rupees. That should be fair."

"It's a deal then! Here are your rupees." Meilen confirmed, handing the money to Villa. Villa chuckled and turned to give the pair some privacy. They turned from each other and changed. Meilen had received a royal blue Gerudo outfit, with a veil included. After putting it on, she checked to see if Link was still changing, which to her relief, he was just now struggling to put the veil on correctly. Laughing, Meilen turned and helped the boy. Giving Villa a signal they were done, 'she' turned around, and let out the most ear-piercing shriek Meilen had ever heard.

"You look adorable!" Villa shrieked, putting 'her' hands to her chest. "Just as I thought! You two make for some quite good-looking gals. Those are traditional Gerudo outfits. It's such a striking look around here. I doubt anyone would even suspect that one of you is a man! On top of that, it breathes so well that it's sure to help with the awful desert heat, at least a little. I'm so glad I was able to help you out. If you're free to grab something to eat sometime, keep me in mind. Oh, and, be careful that the veil doesn't come off. Ta-ta~" Meilen thanked Villa, and the newly clothed trio headed off to Gerudo Town.

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*EDITED ON 1/2/18*

Chapter Inspiration Song: Gerudo Valley

Just got out of school, so expect more updates than usual!

~Cypher