Winds Of Change

XIV: Yiga Clan

The journey to Karusa Valley wasn't too difficult thanks to Meilen's idea to rent sand seals. It had taken a full day, which left Meilen and Link to camp out for the night. The next morning, the two had a small, but filling breakfast before continuing the final stretch of their journey. However, it was made difficult by the guards of the hideout. Unfortunately, those same guards stood no chance against the duo that was comprised of the Champions. All it took was one blow to take the guards out, meaning none of the Yiga were aware of their approach. Meilen thought it best to just go through the base from the entrance, searching for the Thunder Helm. They entered a small entrance chamber, each pathway blocked off by a piece of cloth. Taking note of the flame symbol on each cloth, Link grabbed a torch and lit each cloth in the room. One of them revealed an entrance to the rest of the hideout, where they discovered an imprisoned Gerudo soldier. As they approached, the soldier's eyes widened.

"What are you doing here?" The vai whispered, sitting up. "This is the hideout of those Yiga thieves who stole the Thunder Helm. If they spot you, they'll call their friends for sure. There's no way you can take them all on." Meilen smirked, snapping her fingers. Her outfit transformed into the Sheikah one she had received upon waking in the Shrine of Resurrection. Link's clothes were changed into a Sheikah's clothes as well.

"That, my friend, is exactly why we don't plan on getting caught." Meilen murmured. Link smiled underneath the mask that covered the bottom half of his face. Meilen pulled mask on as well and together they carefully walked down the stairs. They snuck up behind one of the strongmen and took him out. Link pulled Meilen around a pillar as another guard came around. Meilen whacked him on the head, knocking him out as well. Meilen signaled Link to hide behind a pillar down the small set of stairs where a guard stood motionless in front of the entryway to the next room. Jumping up and crawling through the rafters, Meilen dropped down behind a pillar on the other side. Slowly and as quietly as she could, the girl picked a rock and shattered a vase that stood in the vision of the guard. The guard snapped his head to the shattered pot and approached slowly. Meilen and Link took that opportunity to run through the doorway. They made their way up the ladder and ended up in the rafters in the room above. Meilen found two vases and decided to use them as a distraction. She shattered the two pots in the middle of the room, drawing the attention of all the guards in the room, even the one standing in front of the door. Jumping down and entering the large room through the doorway. The pair was startled as bars appeared in the door, preventing them from escape.

"Crap." Aithne said, once more startling the pair as they hadn't realized the wisp was awake.

"Hey!" A voice called out. Immediately on guard, weapons were drawn, intent ears listening for the voice's origin. A puffing sound was heard as a *ahem* large man appeared next to the trio. "Who the heck are you two? And what are you doing in my napping spot?!" The man seemed to peer at them closer.

"Wait a minute...." The man drawled. "That thing on your hip... Is that- Could it be a Sheikah Slate? If it's a Sheikah Slate, then that means it's you! You're those Meilen and Link people I've been looking for! What luck! My scouts are out in the field looking high and low, but you just wander into my hideout! Oh, excuse me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am the leader of the Yiga Clan! The strong, the burly, the one, the only, Master Kohga!"

"Yeah, that thing about 'wandering' into your hideout is cute and all, but," Meilen scoffed, desperately hiding how much she wanted to laugh. "You've stolen a precious heirloom, calamity-scum, and I want it back. Preferably without force, but I'll use any means necessary." Kohga had the audacity to laugh in her face right after she made a blatant threat. Which was a bad move on his part. The master spun away and constructed a blue barrier around himself. It lowered as he created a spiked ball and prepared to send it at them. Playing a wild card, Meilen drew her bow and fired, knocking Master Kohga off balance as the ball landed on his head.The pair took the chance to slash at the master, while Aithne fired small jets of fire to further injure him. The man stood and began to float over a large pit, creating metallic spiked orbs around himself. He sent them at the duo who dodged as best they could. Link grazed one of the spikes, his sword arm now bleeding. The master, seeing he had injured one of them, summoned a larger version of the metallic spiked ball. He threw it, using Magnesis to chase them around. With difficulty, Link sheathed his sword and shield, and drew out his Sheikah Slate. He forcefully pushed the orb towards Kohga, who had to dodge. In his anger, he summoned a flurry of spiked spheres and sent them towards Link, who couldn't dodge all of them. He was slammed back, and was too dizzy to stand. Kohga smirked and readied another attack, but before he could unleash it on the weakened boy, an angry yell rang out across them room. Thunder boomed, and a lightning strike hit Kohga head on. The man was thrown to the ground. He looked fearfully up at the enraged Champion. She was in her full Sheikah garb, mask and all, and her eyes were blazing with light. Her irises were no longer visible.

"No..." Master Kohga coughed. "He told me that you.... didn't have the strength... to pull that off." The light left the man's eyes as he fell, dead. Meilen calmed and snapped her head over to where Link lay, not hesitating to run to him. Summoning her strength, Meilen used Nayru's Love, healing Link's wounds. As her companion lay there, recovering the strength to stand, Meilen made her way to the Thunder Helm, which was displayed on the opposite side of the pit. As she returned, Aithne was helping Link to his feet.

"What, was that?" Link inquired, drawing out his Sheikah Slate.

"That was Hylia's Wrath. It is a type of lightning that can only be summoned through pure rage" Meilen said, the words popping into her head as she spoke them.

With no more words spoken after that, Link gripped onto Meilen, who grabbed Aithne, and teleported to the shrine outside Gerudo Town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*EDITED ON 1/2/18*

Chapter Inspiration Song: Midna's Desperation

My fingers hurt. I've been writing all day. And not just specifically on this book, either.

~Cypher