Breath of the Wild: Link and Friends

Chapter 39

   Elijah waited outside Gerudo Town anxiously with Kenton. Link hadn't come out yet, at least that they had seen. They had had to walk here. The sun was up and they'd sat there all night; Elijah wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. Not with his sister and cousin out there somewhere. The only comfort that Elijah had was he knew they could take care of themselves. He knew that.
   It didn't make him feel any better.
   Elijah set his head against the stone wall. Kenton was sitting next to him, tapping his finger. His worry was appearing as impatience and irritability. He lashed out if Elijah spoke to him so Elijah was content to stay silent. But keeping his worries inside only made them worse. 
   What was keeping Link? It was nearly 10 o'clock and he wasn't back yet. The day was getting hotter and that would be the worst time to head out into the desert. Not to mention Elijah thought he'd seen more than one sandstorm out in the desert. Hopefully they didn't have to go in the direction of the Divine Beast. That would be problematic, and they would have to wait until Link defeated Vah Naboris.
   They'd be fine. They had to be. Because Elijah didn't know what he would do if they weren't.
   He couldn't lose anyone else.
      ——Elyza POV (not for very long)——
   Elyza put her hand over eyes, trying to shield herself from the sandstorm. It didn't work well, and the fine grains of sand slipped through her tight fingers. Her eyes stung from the sand, and she couldn't see very far in front of her. She didn't have any idea where she was. She had seen the mountains in the canyon so she knew she was near the outskirts of the desert. All she could do was to head inward and hope for the best. She'd been walking for an hour maybe already, but her stumbling steps from the wind were small and criss-cross, so she didn't know if she was walking in the right direction.
    Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.
    How ironic it would be if she died, stumbling through an unknown desert, because she escaped a secure—if hostile—base where she could've lived to have been saved. Maybe she should have stayed at the mouth of the valley.  
   Too late. She was out here and she would keep moving. The sandstorm couldn't last forever. Shelter. She needed shelter. Then she could go on.
   Elyza looked around as best she could. For anything to shield her from the sandy wind. She thought she saw something but it's didn't look like much.
   She started in that direction anyway. Something was better than nothing. Some shade would be nice too. It was still very hot and the sand stuck to her sweaty face. Elyza put her hand out to feel it, with her vision so poor. As soon as she felt it, she dropped to her knees and crawled next to it. She covered her head as best she could and promptly passed out.
               ——Elijah again——
   Elijah was pacing by the time Link came back. Except he wasn't in the city because he came from the shrine off to the side. He was wearing...the stealth gear? From Kakariko Village? When had he gotten that? Kenton looked up from the ground as Link ran over to them.
   "Ok, I know where they are. Sort of. Karusa Valley. It's to the north. I was gone a little long because I needed a map to find this valley," Link said, talking quickly. He pulled out his Sheikah Slate and the map and showed them the valley. "The Yiga base is up there and that's where the girls will be."
   "Then let's get going!" Kenton snapped.
   Link nodded. "It'll take forever if we go on foot though. I suggest sand seals."
   "You can ride those?" Elijah asked.
   "Yes. You can rent them in town or you can get wild ones but they're skittish. You'll need a shield though," Link said. He pulled two out (from his magic bag) and handed them over. "We'll take the wild ones. C'mon."
   Link waved for them to follow him and walked a little ways where three sand seals were laying. He crouched down and Elijah and Kenton followed suit. They approached quietly and Link caught one and hopped onto his shield. Elijah and Kenton caught theirs and did the same.
   They followed Link and he sped up and turned to head to the north. They were on their way now.
   They made quick progress northward and saw the sandstorm ahead of them. But they showed no signs of stopping or hesitation. Link checked to make sure they were going to right way and the sandy winds consumed them.
    ——Zalie PoV——(we jumpin' around)
   The Yiga moved her out of the cell with the Gerudo woman.
   Zalie had more room now, but she was in a bigger place. Not a cell certainly but there was a guard at the entrance. She was alone inside. It almost looked like conference room with all the stray papers—some that looked like maps. Except there was a bed. It certainly looked like one.
   The only apparent way out was through the stone hallway with that guard. She must have been taken farther in the base. The Yiga Clan wouldn't want her to escape but it looked like Elyza had actually gotten away. Strange. Perhaps they only need one person. Zalie must have been brought to this room for more than one reason.
   Zalie wandered around the room. She found a bow and had a fleeting thought of using it to escape but quickly discarded that. She didn't even have arrows, and she'd be horribly outnumbered with a weapon she couldn't use. It seemed like a taunt.
   She put her hands on her hips. This was a base for criminals. It seemed ridiculous that they'd only have one way out. There had to be some secret passage or something like that. Zalie inspected the walls, searching for anything. A button or maybe a book to pull. But, she found nothing.
   Zalie felt at the wall. He finger found something her eyes couldn't see. A thin slit in the stone. She looked closer. It looked long. Perhaps this was another entrance? Zalie pushed as hard as she could against the wall but it didn't move. She sighed. It didn't seem like there was some magical door she could escape from.
   Zalie sat down on a table, leaning back against the wall. Perhaps she should've been more panicked to have been kidnapped, but she had faith in Link and the rest too. Who knew? Perhaps they were coming after her at that very moment. Besides, as imprisonment went, this hadn't been so bad. She was hungry but she hadn't been beaten or anything like that. She wasn't chained up either. Not even an interrogation. It just meant she was bait. Nothing more.
   Well, not that she thought she'd ever be kidnapped by the Yiga Clan, but she kinda expected something more to happen. Either way, she wanted to get out. She was worried for Elyza—how far could she have gotten without knowing where she was?
                  ——Elijah POV——
    With the sand seals, traveling across the sandy dunes was much faster than walking. The sandstorm was thick and they'd been riding for a while now so Elijah wasn't sure they were going in the right direction anymore.
   "Link! Are we going in the right direction?!" Elijah called over the wind.
   "I think so! We haven't turned but my map is all fuzzy and isn't working! So
I can't check!" Link yelled back. "But I'm pretty sure!"
   Elijah nodded. Preferably, this sandstorm would dissipate soon. He could only see shadows. Hopefully no one else was out in this storm. It was hot on top of all the rough sand. It was slightly cooler than it had been before though.
    Elijah saw shadows of stuff through and some looked like rib cages. Enormous ones but Elijah didn't have time to ponder them. His sister and cousin were the priority right now.
   As quick as the sandstorm had appeared, Elijah and the others broke free of the storm into open air after some more sliding. The storm had moved on. Now that Elijah could see ahead of him, he saw the plateau mountains and an entrance to a valley. Karusa Valley.
   Link sped up and weaved through pillars of rock, riding up a increasingly steep incline. Elijah and Kenton followed.
   Elijah noticed banners as the rode farther in, as well as little statues on the high ledges. It was kinda creepy. This was definitely where the Yiga Clan were hiding.
   Suddenly a bunch of boulders came crashing down, rolling towards them. They all scattered, swerving off to the sides next to the wall to avoid them. Perhaps the Yiga Clan knew they were there. Elijah hoped not. It would make rescuing Elyza  and Zalie that much harder.
   As they rode onward, more boulders were dropped on them so they had to scatter again. And soon after that, the sand stopped and it was all rock for the rest of the way. The three of them let the seals go. It would be a long way home.
   They climbed up to the rock and started jogging up the steep incline. There were more statues that looked like the Sheikah ones that Elijah had seen in Kakariko only these ones had a cloth overtop the symbol that had the Yiga Clan mark. They were definitely in the right place.
   The valley had outcroppings above with holes that dropped sand like an hourglass on their heads. It was eerily quiet aside from the sand. Too quiet.
   But the three of them pressed onward, wary. They all had their weapons in hand, just in case of an ambush which seemed likely. Elijah didn't believe that the Yiga Clan didn't have anyone watching the entrance to their base. That'd be stupid.
   As they neared the top, Elijah could see an opening into the rock. The entrance. They started towards it when suddenly they heard the rustling and pop of Yiga Clan scouts along with their mocking laugh.
   They appeared, all holding bows. One for each of them. Elijah rushed one that teleported out of his line of sight. He whirled around in time to dodge its arrow.
   Elijah heard Kenton growl and loaded two arrows onto his bow—that should've only held one. He waited, and in the mean time Elijah managed to catch up to the scout and kill them. Kenton shot the other two in the head so they dropped and Link made sure they were both dead.
   "They probably know we're here. We have to be stealthy from here on out. If we get caught, it'll be extra hard to fight that many Yiga Clan and we'll never be able to rescue Zalie and Elyza. If need be, I'll go alone," Link said, talking quietly.
   Elijah nodded. He'd be quiet. Kenton nodded too, face dark. He had murder written all over his face. Elijah would hate to be on the receiving end.
   Link led the way inside, his footsteps silent. The room they entered was seemingly empty of people. It had big statues with the Yiga Symbol draped over the faces, and long banners having all around. There looked to be an altar type thing in the middle that held a bow and the room was lit with a bunch of torches. It held nothing else.
   "This can't be it," Kenton whispered, looking around. "This can't be the entire base." He looked like he was about to break.
   Link narrowed his eyes. "This definitely isn't it. There's gonna be a hidden passage." That seemed like forced hope. Elijah nodded though. He didn't want to believe this was it.
   Elijah walked up the steps to one of the banners and moved it. He found some boxes in the small cave. "Check behind the banners." Elijah picked up a torch and lit it then held it up to the banner.
   It caught fire and shriveled up, revealing the boxes. Kenton and Link lit torches to and started burning all the banners in the room. They had to kill a couple keese but they found a hidden staircase.   
   "Guys, here," Elijah whispered, voice echoing. They joined Elijah. "They'll be in here."
   "Then we have to be silent. Maybe they don't know we're here after all," Link said quietly.
   Elijah pulled off his boots and set his bag down. They'd cause too much noise. He kept his sword and sheath though. Kenton did the same but kept his bow. Link pulled up the face mask of his stealth gear and led to way up the stairs. It was dark and Elijah had to have his eyes adjust to the dim light.
   The stairs turned and the cautiously peered around it and found no guards but they did see a cell. It was occupied. And there were some random bananas.
   Link walked quietly up to the cage, Elijah and Kenton following eagerly. His heart fell when he saw it wasn't Elyza or Zalie but a Gerudo soldier.
   "Hey, what're you doing here? This is the hideout of those Yiga thieves who stole the Thunder helm?" the woman whispered. "If they spot you, they'll call their friends for sure. There's no way you can take them all on. If only you had a way of distracting them...but I don't know how. All I ever see them do is patrol and eat bananas. I haven't seen anything else that you could exploit as a weakness."
   "We'll find a way. Is your name Barta?" Link asked quietly. She nodded. "Have you seen two other Hylian girls? Their our friends and they were captured."
   "Elyza and Zalie? Yes, I have. They moved Zalie farther in the base and the other ran away. She must have escaped because I haven't seen her come back," Barta whispered. "Are you Link? They mentioned you."
   Link nodded. "We'll get you out. Don't worry."
   "I'll be fine. Focus on your friends and don't be seen," Barta said.
   Link thanked her quietly and turned to Kenton and Elijah. "We missed Elyza. She not here."
   Elijah felt cold. His sister was out there, probably lost. He had to go after her. He turned to go back the way they came but Link caught his arm.
   "Elijah, she'll be fine. We'll find her. Let's get Zalie first," Link whispered.
   Elijah looked away and nodded. Link let go.
   The room was big and they were above the ground floor. There were big Yiga Clan guys walking around with torches in hand. There were only two in the room. One was near them.
   Link pushed one of the bananas off as the Yiga came around the corner. They crouched down and watched as the Yiga noticed the banana and walked weirdly over the the bananas and picked it up happily. It looked around and resumed its patrol. Link waved for them to stay and he quietly jumped off and glided over to the raised platform that the Yiga was patrolling around, two clusters of bananas with him. Kenton pulled his bow out silently and strung an arrow and pulled it back to wait. Link dropped a banana before the Yiga rounded the corner and waited.   
   The Yiga walked over to the banana and Link glided down behind it and stabbed it in the back while it was distracted and Kenton shot it in the head to make sure it was dead. Elijah and Kenton went down the stairs and climbed up the platform with Link. Kenton shot a wooden thing that held a banana for some reason and it dropped and the guard that was standing by the door walked over to it while Link glided behind it and stabbed it in the back. It crumpled. Kenton and Elijah climbed down and followed Link through the door cautiously.
   It was a hallway that opened into another room and also continued to a ladder. Link went to the ladder and so Elijah followed along with Kenton.
   There was no one up there but they could see the large room below. Link grabbed some bananas of which there were a lot and opened the chest up there and pulled out a topaz. Link put it in his pouch which he still carried.
   They did the same thing they did in the last room with the 5 Yiga that were in this room.
                ——Zalie POV——
   Zalie perked up as she heard sounds outside of her room. She picked up the bow she'd found and held it. If she needed to wack someone, she would. She walked quietly over to the doorway, hiding next to it. No way was she gonna let them touch her again. She heard quiet footsteps.
   "Link, I don't see anyone in here," a voice said.
   Zalie froze. She knew that voice. The bowed tumbled from her fingers and she dashed around the corner to hug Kenton.
   Kenton stumbled in surprise and dropped his bow and hugged her back. "Zalie!"
   Zalie felt her eyes start to water and she buried her face in his chest. "You came." She looked up at him. He looked relieved and like he was gonna cry too. Zalie let go and gave Link and Elijah a hug who had run over.
   "I'm glad you're ok," Link said, smiling.
   "Zalie, where's Elyza?" Elijah asked, looking both relieved and worried.
   "She's not with you?" Zalie asked, concerned. "She ran hours ago. She hasn't been gone that long."
   "You guys can go. I have to find the Thunder Helm," Link said. "Go find Elyza. I need the Helm to defeat Vah Naboris."
   "Are you sure?" Zalie asked.
   Link nodded. "I'll be fine. I can teleport back. I'll probably beat you back, since you'll have to walk. I wouldn't recommend going while it's super hot."
   Zalie nodded. "Ok. There's something over by the wall. Might be a door. I think it leads outside. I couldn't push it open so you'll need you Sheikah Slate."
   "Thanks." Link pulled out his Slate and pushed a button and walked to the wall, pushing it and it swerved open. It led out to a giant hole in the ground. "I'll see you guys later."
   Link left and the rest went back through the base and out to go find Elyza.