It seems like common knowledge, but I don't think you can ever truly realize just how hot the desert gets until you're in it. Or how dangerous it can be.
Not that the danger was anything particularly new; I've been fighting a one-on-one war with a Demon King, for Nayru's sake.
But there's a difference between the danger I'm now facing and the danger I left behind that's as wide as the chasm that separates Gerudo Valley from the rest of Hyrule.
And the heat is something else, entirely.
The wind that rushes to greet me as I take my first few steps in the ground that's more gravel than sand is hot, and dry, and it sucks the life out of me. Just standing takes such an enormous amount of energy that I have to wonder if I'm even on Earth anymore, and not in some other dimension that just happens to look like Earth.
Epona whinnies behind me, and I knowingly pat her mane, her straps in my other hand. It wouldn't be fair of me to make her carry my weight through this place that I'm quickly coming to associate with hell. I pull her forward, silently resigning myself to the long walk ahead of me.
I swear this place is going to be the death of me. As if the shadow temple weren't enough.
Thankfully, though, only three hours of sweltering heat and sow travel pass by before we reach the aforementioned chasm. Unthankfully, the bridge that connects both sides of said chasm (that probably looks more like a gorge or a canyon) is down. And not just down, but cut in the middle, with both sides hanging limply over their respective edges.
How in the hell does this always happen to me?
I moan loudly, glaring at the broken shambles that barely resemble the remains of a bridge, as if it'll just come to life and fix itself for me. Because I won't lie, that would be nice.
In the midst of my self-pity, however, Epona nudges me in the small of my back.
I slowly come to realize what she wants, and the oppressive heat suddenly becomes a million times heavier.
That's a large jump; comparatively, we're pretty small and breakable. If we miss, we both turn into pancakes.
But on the other hand, it's pretty much the only way to get across. And according to Sheik, there's a medal on that side that I really need, otherwise the entire world's better off being as flat as a pancake.
I steel myself, desperately clinging to the fact that Epona's the fastest horse there is (not to mention most intelligent), and the hope that her speed will be enough to get us over (at least mostly unharmed), and climb on to her saddle.
She turns around and begins walking back the way we had come, as if calculating how much distance she should give herself before she makes the leap. Have I mentioned that she's the smartest horse in all of Hyrule?
Finally she faces the gorge that's starting to look more like a black whole, ready to suck us in to it's never-ending darkness, and takes off at a faster speed than I think she's ever reached before. At least she gets to hit one more milestone before we die.
Before I know it, she's in the air, and I'm practically strangling her, with my arms around her neck. Please, Din, Nayru, Farore, Anyone, don't let me die don't let me die don't let me die!
Her hooves touch back down heavily, and she runs a little further, to equalize the pressure before stopping. I more or less fall out of the saddle sideways, landing harshly on the rough desert ground. At least there is ground, now.
I lay there on the floor, taking stock of the limbs still attached my body, when two large hands fasten themselves around my torso, and I twist around, shocked, as they lift me up off the ground.
"Sweet Din; are you alright, son? Are you hurt? Any bones broken?" He gasps, his eyes wider than the fancy bowls they serve food in at Hyrule Castle, and I swat him away, vaguely aware of a pinching sensation somewhere in my body that I can't pinpoint.
"I'm fine, I'm fine… What happened?" I manage to choke out, winded and slightly dazed. The way he's staring at me kind of creeps me out, and I fidget under the weight of it. Suddenly he bursts out laughing, and the only reasonable response I have is to glare daggers at him.
"I never would of thought, just by looking at that scrawny, little thing! I'll be damned; it made it across Gerudo Gorge!" Confusion sweeps through me before his words begin to come together in my head; he's talking about Epona. Suddenly my confusion is replaced by indignant pride, and I fold my arms at him with a grunt.
"Darn right; she's the best horse you'll ever see." To his credit, he honestly looks convinced, before turning a smirk on me.
"Whatever you say, kid. Let's get you in the tent, just to give me some peace of mind, huh?" I climb on to his back slowly, just now realizing the sharp pain in my right arm and ribs.
For a place that's supposed to be the breeding ground of the toughest people known to Hylian, they're surprisingly kind. I reflect on this as the world around me fades to black, and I sink in to the comforts of what feels like a sleeping bag.
It looks like the Goddesses are looking out for me, after all.
A/N:
I honestly did not mean to write this… It kind of just came out while I was listening to Gerudo Valley.
I'm not completely happy with the lack of the coherence in this, but to be honest, this is probably the most coherent thing I've written in nearly three months. And that, if nothing else, is something to be proud of. Consistent plot is not something that's easy to come by when you're crowded with homework from two AP classes that both involve a lot of writing. Your brain gets really frazzled after about a month or so.
Either way, though, I do hope you enjoyed. I'm considering this practice for NaNoWriMo, as it's only a couple months away.