Another Hat!

Waking of Saturday, August 4, 2018 ~ 2

Another Hat!

I sand-sealed back to Gerudo Town and found Barta again. As we visited in the barracks, she confided to me that when I’d shown up out there in the desert, she thought the voe of her dreams had appeared.

....Heh.

I also spoke to Liana, and she was so happy I’d found Barta, she said, “Here, take this,” and handed me a hundred rupees, “Go buy yourself something nice at the market.”

Aww, thanks, Liana. ^_^

I said hi to Captain Teake on my way into the palace, where I saw that young Chief Riju had a certain red exclamation mark above her head.... Had I really already....?

I spoke to her.

“You’ve brought back the smiles to my people,” she said, “I know that you more than anyone else will be able to use this helm to its full potential.”

Or some.... such.... words.... Ah, that wonderful little ITEM GET song played, and I found myself in brand new possession of the Thunder Helm.

I was now LIGHTNING PROOF.

SWEET.

Would it make the same bubble-effect in a large radius around me? Would it glow?

I almost tried it on right then and there, but I remembered myself, and where I was.... I would have to leave town first.

I took my leave of the palace and jogged outside to put it on and have a look at myself!

....

There was no glowing or magical effect. Which wasn’t completely unexpected. I was sure it would still protect me well enough....

It did make me look just as buggy-eyed as it had done the Chief, but it was otherwise very shiny and ornate!

Cool. ^_^

Agh but I did not want to stop—I warped to Dueling Peaks to check with Hino just one more time.

But Hino wasn’t there.

I blinked and turned to gather Swift Violets from around the waterfall behind the shrine for a bit.... and after I had plucked as many as I could, then Hino made an appearance.

But there was no Blood Moon tonight.

Hhhhh.

It was in the three o’clock hour in the afternoon. A bit later for myself on the couch.

....

I just went to bed, and slept until morning.

Good night.

Friendly Neighborhood Hylian

Waking of Saturday, July 28, 2018 ~ 7

Friendly Neighborhood Hylian

I came back down just outside Gerudo Town.

They could all rest easy now that the Hero had subdued the imminent danger stomping around out in the desert.

But they still wouldn’t let a voe come into town.

....Eh. I had wondered.

I changed clothes right in front of them and jogged through the gate.

Actually all the townsfolk kept talking about how Chief Riju had been the one to put the danger down.... which.... I guess I was okay with. She had been right out there with me, surfing behind Patricia. Right under the Divine Beast’s feet. And I had been in disguise after all. Just some lowly common Hylian vai, assisting the Chief....

I had just imagined some moment when I would be recognized and accepted and able to walk around freely in this place.... No exception even for the Hero of Legend....?

Nope.

Still no boys allowed.

Ah well.

Chief Riju was waiting for me in her throne room. She gave an outpouring of gratitude at my appearance—her people were happy again, and relieved. Stress had been reduced all through the town—“Stress”. Lol, women. XD

As thanks for my help in calming Vah Naboris and saving her people, she offered me the Scimitar of the Seven, along with the Daybreaker, the sword and shield wielded by the Champion Urbosa herself. Riju could think of no more appropriate use for them than to be wielded by the Hero of Hyrule against the Calamity that had claimed their original owner.

Unfortunately there was no room for them in my inventory.

There was something else in the room, however, which rather caught my eye....

Mounted handsomely on a pedestal a little to Riju’s right was the Thunder Helm.

When I examined it, and Riju reacted, there was only one unbecomingly brazen option I was given to say: “I want the Thunder Helm.”

Both Riju and Buliara voiced a polite but firm opposition to this—well, maybe not so polite on Buliara’s account. The helm was an heirloom of the Gerudo; it belonged here.

But.... considering all that I had done for them.... and all that I had yet to do, for all of Hyrule....

Riju agreed to lend me the Thunder Helm. If.... I could continue to live up to the title of Hero, and resolve all the town’s ills. The Divine Beast was no longer a threat, but that didn’t make life automatically perfect. If I could solve the whole town’s problems, and bring the smiles back to her people.... then and only then would Chief Riju lend me the Thunder Helm.

Well....

Hero work was what I did best.

I left the palace and heard from the garrison that Barta.... was in trouble again.

But I had seen her! She had escaped from the Yiga Nest since I had last been there, and I had seen her here in the barracks! Getting raked by her superiors....

But now.... her fellow warriors told me she was in Dragon’s Exile. Home of Moldugas. Mmmm but I was more confident against Moldugas.... but.... Well I had gathered she was kind of reckless, but.... what in the world was she doing down there? Part of me could only wonder, and part of me was.... hungrily delighted at an excuse to venture down to investigate the Great Skeleton....

Wandering further around Gerudo Town I drifted into the canteen, but could still find no clues about the password, and so threw the barrel at the ladies again.

What other ills were there around town for me to solve....? I was quite out of ideas, but at length I did find one little vai to rescue: a child named Dalia.

Dalia wanted to plant an orchard in an unused, obscure corner of town. But so much litter kept flowing down the aqueducts into the water trough....

!! D8<

“CalybaaAAANN!” I huffed as I turned to crawl up the wall.

I found her, and I told her what her face-stuffing rind-waste was doing to poor little Dalia’s orchard plans—the kid had been crying....

Upon hearing of the child’s plight, Calyban agreed to quit chucking her rinds down the stream—but she wouldn’t do it for free. She wasn’t that kind of person. She enjoyed her Hydromelons for sure, but what she really wanted to taste were Wildberries. The kind that grew high up on the freezing cold steps of the Gerudo Highlands. If I could bring her some of those—like ten—then she would quit from her little rind-chucking hidey-hole.

Fortunately I just happened to have enough Wildberries in my pockets; I gave her some.

“Oh! Oh they’re so delicious!” Calyban remarked, or something like it. So juicy and flavorful, sweeter than anything she’d ever tasted.

Evidently it put her in a very good mood, for she then decided that, in addition to stopping her littering, she would even go help little Dalia clean up!

Well that was just dandy. ^_^

The screen faded out and back in, and I was alone on top of the wall.

Time to check up on Dalia!

I followed the course of the aqueduct back the way I had come—there were so many paths.... But I found the one path I was looking for, and dropped down into Dalia’s little shaded corner.

I have to admit, it looked much nicer than when I had left it!

And Dalia was smiling again—she was so happy that her ground was now properly prepared. And she was delighted to relate to me that a vai she’d never met had come and helped her clean it up! And given her some Wilberries to boot!

For my help, Dalia gave me a Hydromelon she had gotten from the other vai as well. Aww.... ^_^

And then.... she said I could come get Wildberries from her little orchard whenever I wanted! 8D

And I did, later, when her bushes were planted and growing—three bushes of two berries each. I plucked the bush on the right clean, but.... I left the rest for Dalia.

It was her orchard, after all.

The Bravest

Waking of Saturday, July 28, 2018 ~ 3

The Bravest

I was still dressed as a vai when I pulled up to the island of rock in the desert sands—the Eastern Lookout Post. I wanted to look around a bit myself first, and found a Gerudo named Sudrey inside. Guess she was there to man the place.

She said she hadn’t expected the Chief would call for the help of someone so.... short.... as I was.

Ouch. XD

Maybe it was this affront to my physique that reminded me to change into something a bit stronger—I ditched the girl clothes, and decked myself out for maximum strength.

Outside the outpost was a ladder up to a high platform. I found Riju up there and spoke to her as the late sun cast everything into red fire.

“So that’s what you really look like,” she said upon seeing me. And I don’t know why it should have, but it took me by surprise—she had only seen me as a vai before then after all!

Riju set to explaining her plan, and I wondered.... Would it be hard and fast with speed on our side, like with Prince Sidon? An approach on foot from a safe distance, and a volley of heavy ranged attacks, like with Yunobo?

What would Riju’s plan be?

Vah Naboris drew energy from the earth through its feet, she explained. If we could disrupt that process, we could subdue it. We would go out by sand seal, Riju wearing the Thunder Helm to protect herself and anyone near her, and I employing Bomb Arrows—Riju supplied these as well, twenty of them—and they would be for Vah Naboris’ feet.

The Divine Beast would rain lightning down on us once we drew near. But if I could stay close enough to Riju I would be safe. However, if at any point I felt it would be better to retreat and regroup, Riju told me not to hesitate to say so.

....So that was it then. Just....

Up close and personal.

We readied our sand seals back down on the ground; I was afforded one of the redder, tamer, faster ones to use. But before we got going, Riju asked me to back up a bit first.

She was wearing the Thunder Helm (which was a little big, she had conceded). But she wore it confidently now and offered aloud an unashamed prayer to her ancestors and the great Champion Urbosa. She called on their aid in her time of need—her people’s time of need—and asked for their protection in the dangerous endeavor we were about to undertake....

And a crackling, shimmering field emanated from the Thunder Helm—pale, energetic yellow—a wide, protective bubble.

And then....

We started.

“Stay close,” Riju had told me, and I tried to now. Our sand seals plunged ahead through ancient ruins and between tottering towers of stone—easy enough to dodge. But it was more difficult to stay inside the Thunder Helm’s protective circle. The conflicted weavings of our passage aside, it seemed that Patricia was slightly faster than my own sand seal....

And then we entered the dust cloud.

Arizona Fog I would have called it.

The horizon vanished, distance disappeared, and we were inside the night.

I could only stay close to Riju; at least she seemed to know where she was going.

What were we doing? We couldn’t see anything, the world had closed around us, we were shooting off into the oblivious blank of an ocean of tiny grit, all the while nearing a Divine Beast that was FREE ROAMING where it would—

Brreep-brreep! Brreep-brreep!

I shut off my shrine detector.

The boundaries of the universe only swirled darkly around us in an impenetrable sphere.

What were we doing?

Chief Riju stopped by the ruin of an ancient stone wall, and I followed suit. The dust thinned a bit and we could see Vah Naboris tromping gigantic through the gloom.

So big....

We started our run—it was so difficult to make my seal keep pace with Patricia—too far forward, too far back—A chill burst over the screen in a cloud of cold and I switched to my Ruby Circlet—blasted desert climate—The Divine Beast walked, left legs, right legs, left legs, right legs, paying such little regard to two insects like us—but as we pursued after its massive, slow meandering with all our tiny and furious might, we could feel its attack charging and incoming—a powerful, precise reticle centering on my position—my position—come on, seal—and still the Divine Beast walked and we two tiny worms dared to charge closer—

Kra-KKAAOOWwww! Lightning shattered down—but at that very moment I was safe inside the Chief’s protective aura. Nothing happened. We were untouched. Invulnerable.

Excellent.

But it wasn’t always so easy.

I was pulling backward and forward of Chief Riju’s position as if connected to her by a yo-yo. Vah Naboris tromped ahead so slowly, so deliberately—so hugely—I couldn’t keep up unless I made a dash for it with my seal, but Riju held Patricia in reserve—The Divine Beast was gaining—

And the lightning loomed again and I had to fall back—and I didn’t always make it.

Kra-KKAAOOWwww!

My hearts vanished by more than half. Gone. In a flash.

Lost my sand seal—it popped up out of the sand a little way ahead and stood still, waiting.

Riju wheeled round and came back to me—the protective field was there.

“Link! Do you want to fall back for now?” Or some such words she said.

But I never gave up.

My stocks were plentiul; a few well-prepared dishes saw me strong and on my feet again—and then it was the rush of reality back in my face as I dashed beyond the Thunder Helm’s protection to reclaim my sand seal once more.

Riju and I charged closer, and closer.... and I fired Bomb Arrow after Bomb Arrow—but I was a poor judge of distance and my shots always came up short—the monumentality of this thing—how far did I have to dash toward it before it stopped growing in my view?

But some of my shots connected—in the rushing, tumbling push-and-pull between me and Riju, I let fly my explosives and two of Vah Naboris’ house-sized feet went dark—please tell me they wouldn’t regenerate if I delayed....

And lightning reduced me to a sizzling heap again.

How many times did it strike me down like that?

“Do you want to fall back for now?”

No.

This Divine Beast....

This Chief....

What were we doing?

We two humans—well one human, one Gerudo—but she was short enough—but technically I was a Hylian—

WE TWO tiny things.

We were using what was at our disposal.

The Chief was using what was at her disposal. And what was at her disposal were sand seals and nerve.

She felt like that shot from the old Xena opening sequence, standing unafraid on the rocky shore and crying defiance at the rising Poseidon, the Force that could crush her in a heartbeat....

We two tiny things.

She was surely the bravest child I had ever met.

Vah Naboris was far away now, but I came back to my sand seal, and we surfed through the dark sand once more, in pursuit.

I stayed close to Riju and waited this time for lightning to strike.... and only after it did, and immediately at that, did I shoot my sand seal forward, stopping for nothing and spurring it onward until I was at the monster’s very feet—not house-sized—HILL-sized—They pounded into the earth all around me, the sand exploded, one step equalled death, and they moved—so far and fast they moved at one stride from the beast—but my arrows caught them—

Kra-KKAAOOWWwww!

Riju circled to my position and kept me safe until I could regain my feet....

The strategy was sound.... but.... and I had the meals to spare.

One more run waiting for the Divine Beast’s attack to deplete itself of energy, and another mad dash forward.... another brush with ten thousand tons of crushing, beigebronzy death.... Bomb Arrows away....

And the last foot went out, and the mighty Divine Beast Vah Naboris sank to the earth—we had literally brought it to its knees.

....It had the same face as that on the Thunder Helm....

What followed then were some of the most beautifully animated and charged cutscenes I had seen thus far: the two of us, the Chief and I, surging the final distance to the subdued Divine Beast, Link swinging off his sliding shield as his sand seal came to a halt, leaping deftly into a run to join the Chief where she stood, and imparted a few final words.... There was only so much Chief Riju the leader of the Gerudo could do—the rest was up to Link now.  And Link as he hurried to board Vah Naboris.... clinging fingers and toes in a kneeling position to that slanted surface as the beast began to rise again.... I could feel the strain and balance in his muscles oh if he could just hold on....

These were the best cinematics.

In The Breezy Shades Of Night

Waking of Saturday, July 28, 2018 ~ 2

In The Breezy Shades Of Night

I warped to the southern steps of the Gerudo Highlands to dig into that weapons cache I had found so long ago. Found and then left buried behind a mass of boulders like a big expensive squirrel-horde. Those blades were shiny....

!

I shall call it....

Magpie Rock.

Yes.

Armed with the good stuff, I then warped to Gerudo Town, and proceeded to cook up a few extra meals in one of a couple of unused woks just off the square.

After that....

The only thing left was the Throne Room.

I entered slowly. Buliara was there. But Riju was not. However, the bodyguard informed me that I had been given special permission to visit the Chief in her sleeping quarters, upstairs.

I took the stairs on the left (there were two staircases), and the guard on the halfway landing remarked that the Chief must have thought pretty highly of me, a foreign vai, to be allowed up there.

I continued up to where the staircases met, on an outer balcony overlooking the city. Riju stood there.

“You needn’t say a thing,” she started, “As Chief of my people, I can feel my heirloom’s power radiating from you.”

Or some such words.

She went on to explain that she could feel worry, in the eyes of all her people. She was such a young chief. And to have lost the Thunder Helm in the first place....

It must be hard to have so many expectant eyes upon you.

I handed over the helm, and Riju put it on, then turned to face me.

Her eyes could not be seen; the helm seemed more like a mask. Six embossed tendrils sprang over the front before ending in little blue-jeweled spots like eyes, gleaming in two columns of three apiece. The ornamental vertical halo cresting the back radiated with lightning motifs.

“Well, how do I look?” she asked.

Like a spider, I thought, and lost myself to memory....

Vah Naboris towered still and quiet in the desert of the night. Link’s tiny figure walked across one of its expansive decks, toward a low huddle of.... nondescript humanity....

Then the camera caught up and took better note, and I saw the Champion Urbosa turn her head slightly at my approach, and take the most.... beautifully animated regard of me as I drew near.

But she moved softly, and spoke more softly still—she wasn’t alone where she sat on the deck, on a makeshift throw of rug and pillow. Princess Zelda leaned, dead asleep, against her left side.

“Well you got here fast,” Urbosa said to me, “She’s been out on a survey all day today.”

What did Urbosa ask me then? Whether I noticed something in the princess? The exhaustion? The frustration? I don’t remember.... and because I was Link, I didn’t answer either.

“Your silence speaks volumes,” said Urbosa.

Hurr. |D

She went on to explain, in her low and lilting voice, how the Princess just got frustrated whenever she saw me wearing that sword on my back. “Don’t worry, it’s not as if you have any fault in any of this,” she added. Or some such words.

The Princess had just been working so hard.... “She once passed out in the freezing waters searching for this sealing power,” Urbosa said, “That’s the kind of motivation that drives her research.” The Gerudo stroked the little Hylian lightly on the cheek. “She really is special.”

And yet she felt like a failure....

Hhhh.... why? I didn’t understand....

“The night brings a chill; it’s time we bring her in,” said Urbosa, but then she paused. “Or....” she said, this singular floating conjunction running a rogue operation outside the ever-present text-boxes.... what?

And rising in Urbosa’s green eyes came a light just as mischievous....

What...? o__o

Urbosa extended her right arm out toward the desert.... and snapped her fingers.

The sound came loud and crisp in the silence before being immediately dwarfed by the shattering Kra-KAOWWww of a bolt of lightning! Right out in the desert next to us!

Zelda gasped and sat bolt upright. “What was that?” she panted, “Urbosa? Did you feel that?”

And as she turned about on the rug her eyes fell on me.

“What are you doing here?” she shrieked. She sounded embarrassed.

But Urbosa threw back her head and let out a low and HEARTY laugh.... for honorary contralto points.... while Zelda’s head continued to spin between the two of us....

“What?” said Riju, “You’re just staring...”

There were two choices. I tried to be nice, and said, “It looks good!” ....instead of “It’s a little big...”

Riju smiled.... and shifted the large helmet to a more secure position as she moved her head.

The Chief aimed to stop the Divine Beast. She had researched its power, and confided to me that her people would be entirely helpless if it made it to the town.... And she once again asked for my aid. “Will you help me?” she said.

Sometimes I feel like the contrast between the yes-answers and the no-answers can be a little bit extreme. That wasn’t quite the steady, manly, heroic response I felt like giving, but.... I wasn’t gonna leave this girl in the dust.

“I will!” I said.

And Riju gave a shaky laugh, “Who knew that just a simple, confident pledge of support from you was all I needed to set my mind at ease?”

Heh, she could disguise it so well, though.... Even so, that felt good. <3

Chief Riju asked me to meet her at the Lookout Post, east of town. “Take a sand seal,” she advised, “You can get in some practice with them that way.”

And so I did....

. . . .

But not before I gave myself a proper tour of the Chief’s bedroom. Oh my gosh so many cartoon sand seal prints everywhere and the stuffed sand seals on her bed were so cute!!

Unsaved Again

Waking of Wednesday, June 20, 2018 ~ 6

Unsaved Again

There was nothing else for me to do on Zirco Mesa; I needed to get back to Gerudo Town. I could see it, far, far below on the desert plain, and I had half a mind to try paragliding as far as I could toward it, just a long flight down the hill....

But, almost as if the game were trying to hurry me on toward my destination, a star fragment fell just around that moment, landing almost within spitting distance of those ruins between the town and the Ice House—

Oh dratblast it what are those called? Do they have a name? I can’t keep saying the ruins between Gerudo Town and the Northern Ice House I’m going to call themmmm.... the Iceway Pillars.

At any rate, that fallen star was fresh, and daylight was impending, and that was a risk of losing it. Dear me.... it’s tough to abandon being king of the mountain.... Hmm, hmhhmmm, hmm, hmmm, HMMM I jumped.

I flew in a high, cold beeline through the frigid sky for a while, until I saw that my stamina was half gone and my distance only quarter covered giving myself another Call of the Wild flashback—And the ground was really beginning to warm with the approaching dawn—there wasn’t enough time—

I warped in midair back to town, changed right away into my Hylian Tunic, Sand Boots and a Lizalfos Mask, sprinted out north-northwest towards the shimmering pillar of light even as it was fading and dying—Kilton was over there but I couldn’t visit with him right now—

And I got it. Got the Star Fragment just as the sun crept over the horizon, claimed the sky for his own, and declared all other lights null and void.

Excellent.

I turned.

Kilton was gone.

....

Well....

That was fine.

I went to Gerudo Town’s gate, momentarily forgetting myself.... and remembering again as soon as Merina and Dorrah reminded me that no voe were allowed in the city.

Oh.... right.

So I went back to the shrine to change.... That needs to be a picture, really. I can see that artwork in my head: Link changing into girls’ clothes under the shade of the shrine’s overhang. He’d be leaning against the.... that would be the southeast inner wall. Far back. The hassled look on his face would make me want to title it something like.... ‘This is / Ridiculous....’ or some variation.... Morning lighting would be best, so the city wall glares bright and the shade is deep and obscured. Wonder if the angle could be worked to include Merina and/or Dorrah in the deep background.... just for added context....

Hm, I cut a previous instance of artistic musings that cropped up in the log.

....

Maybe I’ll go back and reinsert it for the blog.

Wearing the proper attire once more, I walked into town as a vai.

Frita bade me good morning—she still felt unsure about using the Gerudo words; she said she didn’t want to go blurting them around and seem as if she were saying “Look at me! I can speak another language!”

“I understand,” I said.

I love this game.

I bought some more Bomb Arrows, for I’d used quite a few of them on Kohga, and then it was straight on into the palace.

But Riju wasn’t there. So I spoke to Buliara.

She said Riju was.... upstairs? And I’d been given permission to go up to speak with her, which I did. I gave back the Thunder Helm; a memory ensued....

But I didn’t save it.

The Young Chief

Evening of Sunday, June 10, 2018

The Young Chief

When the night was cool I walked out from the Gerudo Canyon Stable to Kara Kara Bazaar to go arrow-shopping. Then it was off to Gerudo Town for more of the same, chased by Lizalfos all night....

My goodness, that arrow-stall in town.... It’s like a candy store. A very expensive candy store where the sweets come with fletching and they oftentimes explode. I bought most of the lady’s stock, spending thousands of rupees I am sure. But I got a little of it back when, after I was done purchasing, I sold the lady my spare Gerudo attire. I don’t need it.

I met Jules in passing on the street again—“Sav’otta!” she said, “Instead of ‘good morning’.” She said she wanted to practice using Gerudo words.

So Sav’otta meant good morning....

Well, that was one phrase I could translate, then!

I approached the palace. The guards maintained a fierce manner (“. . . or else you and my spear will have a very personal conversation!” Link flinched at threatened retribution for bad behavior!) but they let me in. Evidently Chief Riju was still up to entertaining visitors.

The throne room was wide, with gently-flowing, shallow aqueducts lining the way to the throne. Riju sat leaning to one side upon it, her cheek resting lightly on delicate knuckles. Her clothes were exquisitely beautiful, and an ornate headdress nestled perfectly in her fiery hair. She certainly had the air of a Chief, but she was still so young—short in the midst of all these towering women. To her left stood her protector Buliara, an enormous guard with intimidating armor. She looked down at me with wideset eyes flanking a broad nosebridge....

“Just another traveler....” Riju started, but then seemed to subtly notice something, and added that perhaps there was more to this one that met the eye.

It was that thing on my hip....

The Chief seemed to have a soft-spoken way. So young but so collected. Calm. Her blue lipstick only ever bent her mouth between a coolly disconnected concern, mirrored by her brow.... and a quiet, intelligent smile, beneath eyes that could see a thousand miles.

They asked me what I wanted. I told them I could calm Vah Naboris. And as I saw Link gesticulating in his Gerudo Attire I just imagined him talking in a girly voice, and laughed.

Somehow it felt relatable to a contralto like me.... |D

Buliara scoffed that only Champions like Lady Urbosa could possibly stand a chance at such a venture. And she didn’t recall any Hylian vai among the Champions.

Riju asked me my name.

“Link.”

There was one Hylian among the Champions, too, Riju reminded Buliara. The Chief remembered hearing that the Princess Zelda had put the fallen warrior into an enchanted sleep. And his name was Link, too.

Chief Riju opened her eyes from thought and looked at me.

“You’re a voe.”

Oh they found me out.

Buliara became incensed at this incursion!

But Riju directed her protector’s attentions to the object hanging on my hip: “A treasured relic of the Sheikah,” she said, “You don’t think, Buliara, that they’d entrust it to just some drifter, do you?”

I think Riju knew who I was....

Though her face and demeanor were so well masked.

I suppose it came from dwelling in a city of all women.

Still, Buliara had limited faith in me, and suggested—perhaps not entirely out of good will.... “Why not have him prove himself by retrieving the stolen Thunder Helm?”

Riju softly considered this and hmmm.... agreed to it. “Go through that arch,” she directed me to my right, “It leads to the barracks. Talk to Captain Teake.” The Captain and her subordinates, Riju suggested, would be able to give me any information I needed on the whereabouts of the thieves....

And so I took my leave.

I remembered these barracks—I walked down the stairs and visited with all the Gerudo in training again, gleaning what tidbits they could give me, until I came to Captain Teake on her higher platform in the back.

Captain Teake stood strong and solid with her arms crossed, overseeing the exercises of her soldiers. I’d forgotten that she had the lightest complexion of any Gerudo I’d ever met. I wondered if she burned in the sun....

The Captain and her women seemed to have been made aware that they were to cooperate with me, and they did. I asked around, collected some clues, and wouldn’t you know it.... It seemed the thieves who had stolen the Thunder Helm were nestled away in Karusa Valley.

Or as I had become wont to refer to it....

SATAN CANYON.

Yup.

There was nothing for it then but a quick warp to the Sho Dantu Shrine in that valley, a little bit of a hike up the way—worked my way up, killed some Yiga—and before I knew it I had once again come to the end of the canyon.

But this time.... the doorway into the sandstone was wide open.

....

So I called my brother David.

He sounded busy. “What’s up?” he asked, or some variant thereof.

“Well I am about to enter the Yiga Nest and I wondered if you wanted me to wait for you.”

I heard him gasp.

Seemed like a real dilemma.

I knew this was the part he’d said he was most excited to watch me play.

“Where are you?” I asked him.

“Shara’s house.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just talking.”

“What are you talking about?”

“. . . .”

Sometimes I feel like such a family dog.

Not that I guess I’d know at all—we’ve never had a dog.

David hemmed and hawed and huffed and hmmmed but.... in the end he said he just couldn’t make me wait, when he knew where I was, when he knew what I was playing. He was too far away to be back any time soon . . . . though if I felt like waiting for him at all.... that.... would be cool.... Oh but he couldn’t, not really. I should just go ahead....

I should just go ahead....

I should just go ahead....

. . . .

Mmmm ehhhhhh I would just....

Forbidden City, Take One

Waking of Friday, January 19, 2018 ~ 6

Forbidden City, Take One

Did you know that if you press jump repeatedly while running, Link will put alternating feet forward on every leap?

Like you’re skipping.

I skipped over the rocks beside the oasis at Kara Kara Bazaar, in my Gerudo outfit.

....

I’m so pretty.

Upon arriving back at Kara Kara Bazaar, I’d fooled Rhondson. “What a cute vai. Are you out seeking the love of your life, as well?” she had asked. I had answered in the affirmative and she had wished us both good luck.

My pretty disguise seemed to be working all right, and dusk was falling—prime time for traveling in this dangerously hot desert.

It was time to head to Gerudo Town.

I was quickly discovering that the distance between the town and the bazaar was not so great after all. I covered the distance in a trice, but not before running into the brusque and imposing Kyra once again on the way.

She complimented my clothes.

Huh, how warm and genuine she was.

....

Yes, this was a very good disguise.

I arrived at the town well before dawn, but.... I wanted to enter it in the daytime, and so passed the hours by exploring some ruins to the north until sunup. Tons of Warm and Electric Safflina. A Korok. And no shortage of Lizalfos by any means. They followed chittering after me as I searched the ruins in my mask....

But I did not finish combing the structures before the sky began to lighten. It was going to get hot soon.

I would explore the rest of the ruins later.

Dashing back to town, I ducked into the shrine to remove the Lizalfos Mask and put my Gerudo outfit back on.

Man the defense was so low. Just 1 for each of the three pieces.

When lightning struck my brain.

I warped to Cotera’s spring—it was raining in Kakariko—and asked for her help, but.... there was nothing she could do about my Gerudo clothes.

Oh. Never mind. >_<

Back to Gerudo Town.

I approached the gate. Merina and Dorrah still stood sentinel on either side.

....

I calmly walked in without a word like I owned the place.

And I was IN.

Some part of me had expected the view through the gate to be a flat, painted backdrop, a la the entrance into the desert city of Nasrad. But I just watched in only slightly jarring astonishment, as the already-rendered depth took me in, the paved ground opened wide around me, and an enormous plaza springing with palm trees burst into colorful life.

Oh my gosh this town was BIG.

One Fegran told about Chief Riju and her worry about the Divine Beast. A little girl Gerudo ran around at play. There was a clothing shop! I bought a set.... and found them to be little different from what I already had, except in color.

I liked my original ones better.

THERE WAS A GORON! “Are you a lady Goron?” I asked as I ran up to.... her??

Lyndae was her name. But her voice was as low as any other Goron’s. “Sa...botta? You really have to bite your lip to get that V sound out clearly.”

More linguistical delights. XD

“A little kid made fun of me yesterday for not being able to get the pronunciation right,” she went on, “I don’t know why, but it sounds the same to me no matter what I do...”

Someone named Ms. Ashai taught classes on relationships and cooking—AND I SAW A RITO LADY! :D Frita was her name, she had a rosy tint to her plumage, and she was looking for some good meats. But she complained that they didn’t seem to have any poultry....

I’d seen a joke about that somewhere on the internet. XD

The place was too big, too tangled—how far did it go?

I ran around, taking it all in in a flurry. The inn, run by Romah, had a spa plan, instead of a soft bed. (Come to think of it I wonder if that would have blown my cover!) Rima, a retired palace guard whom I found out toward the back, felt like she’d met me before. But she’d never been outside the city. Well she looked old enough—did she know me from a hundred years ago?

I heard gossip and rumors: Some thieves had snuck in and stolen the heirloom of the chief, the Thunder Helm—Oh my, that sounded like something I wanted.... The chief’s sand seal had spooked and pulled her close to Vah Naboris! But she got away. But it never would have happened if Buliara had been there. Who’s Buliara?

New captain of the guard?

And then there was Isha. She made accessories—

OUT OF GEMSTONES?  D8

THAT TRANSFER THEIR POWER TO WHOEVER WEARS THEM?  ತдತ

“YOU ARE THE DROIDS I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!” I shouted through the screen.

She just needed ten pieces of flint to kickstart her business—I gave them. And she offered me my choice of accessory in return: a Ruby Circlet, a Sapphire Circlet, or Topaz Earrings. Cold resistance, heat resistance, and electricity resistance respectively.

I chose the Sapphire Circlet, since I was in a desert.

“Heehee, I thought you’d pick that one,” Isha smiled.

You did?

“Wait just a moment.”

The screen darkened and there were craftsmanly noises while she made it for me.... and then she handed it over! Ah! Thank you, Isha! ^__^

And since I’d gotten her business up and running for her, she said I could come back any time for a special discount! “Just...don’t tell my other customers, OK?”

“Don’t tell your other customers what?” I said. ;)

I walked into the shop and spoke to Isha’s associate, Cara. “Vas’aaq,” she said, “I heard you brought some flint for us, little vai. You’re a lifesaver!” And then in small font: “How about...I tell you one of the owner’s secrets as my way of saying sarqso?”

“Tell me!” I say. :D

“I heard the owner... sleeps wearing nothing... but accessories...”

Oh dear! Ó༤Ò

“I wonder if she gets cold...”

Haha, yeah, I wonder, Cara! ^_^;;

She gave me a few other secrets—it seemed they varied—before I bought two more accessories: Ruby and Topaz.

Back outside and the city was as large and sprawling and confusing as ever, so I started climbing the walls—and found that there were aqueducts up on top! All nicely tiled and everything! Wow!

I was certainly enjoying the bird’s eye view—and there were still so many ways to go up here! I dashed along edges and looked and climbed until—

I was momentarily bemused by a melon rind floating down the current; it spilled over an edge and into a rubbish heap.

I looked upstream: another melon rind came drifting after the first.

What the heck?

I followed these mysterious rinds up the aqueduct until I climbed up over a high ledge and discovered.... a single, solitary Gerudo, sitting cross-legged on top of the wall, pigging out on melons and tossing the rinds into the water.

Her name was Calyban, and she didn’t really care for my company or my conversation, but only continued eating, up here in her sequestered hideaway.

....

I hoped she was not named for her father.

Though if that were the case the city might have been peopled with Calybans by then.

*

In climbing higher up the aqueducts I had come closer to the enormous central stone formation from which all the water seemed to be flowing. It came down in great, cascading falls that spilled into an encompassing, beautifully tiled channel before draining out to the rest of the city.

I wanted up there.

But the rocks looked . . . . difficult. The formation flared outward before the top came to its crest—would I even be able to hold on? And I couldn’t wear my Climber’s Bandana; that would leave my man-face exposed....

Hmmmm....

! The Zora Suit! I could swim up the waterfall in my Zora Armor!

I ran around the central water channel until I found a place where I was sure no one could see me, and ducked down for good measure.

I wonder why I didn’t think to just put on the chest piece.

As soon as I unpaused, wearing the complete Zora Set—

“Sound the alarm! A voe has been detected,” said Dorrah.

And the screen faded to black and they threw me out of town.