It is almost sunrise with the chill of night still lingering while Aloy and Link stand at the end of the canyon road gazing out over the sea of sand known as the Gerudo Desert. Off in the distance is the oasis called the Kara Kara Bazaar, and even further beyond it are what look to be clouds but is actually a sandstorm.
Yesterday, the duo had reached the canyon floor and began their journey southwestward, having to go through twists in the canyon and all while needing to fight enemies along the way. The canyon walls above them have wooden walkways and ramps built into them. There are even natural bridges that link one side of the canyon to the other. They had encountered a man at one point who was looking for a horse. Having none, they continued onward. Boulders at times fell, and at one point their way was blocked by a pile of boulders at a narrowed pass. Aloy and Link had to climb over those boulders so that they could continue their journey. As for the Sheikah Tower in this area, it loomed over them from atop the canyon and they knew that they were going to have to climb up there, but the sheer walls and lack of quick access was going to make that difficult. It was in the evening as they saw a stable up ahead when they had encountered their opportunity to get up there in the form of a simple elevator, made up of dual crane platforms with metal crates upon them, which Link had knocked off using Magnesis. At the top, they noticed a Sheikah Shrine and entered it to learn that it is called Kay Non. Inside, it involved having to move spheres made from stripes of metal placed at a gap to reveal electricity within them so that he could open a barred door, operate a treadmill to drop a huge stone block to get at a key that would unlock a door, then pass through and manipulate metal objects in a pool of water to open the door and get to the monk. Back outside, the duo ventured upward toward the Sheikah tower, having to go across a long thin wooden bridge, all while needing to kill off black Bokoblins and Moblins. The duo reached the Wasteland Sheikah Tower. It was within a moat of mud with white square pillars leaning toward it and surrounding it at various intervals with a strong wind that would prevent them from jumping toward it. So they had to get to where there were three of those pillars in front of the other closest to it. Link had to use Cryosis so that he and Aloy could get to them, then climb up the tower to activate it. Throughout it all, it got to be very late in the evening, so they warped back down to the Kay Non Shrine and simply dropped down to the stable just below that was called Gerudo Valley Stable. It is there that they encountered Kass once again, along with Pikango who asked Link if he had any more pictures to show him. Link showed him the picture of an oasis and Pikango told him that it was a place called the Kara Kara Bazaar near Gerudo Town. Aloy and Link paid for a bed and to be awakened the next morning.
And now here they are.
"There is a desert in my world," Aloy said. "But it is nothing like this."
Link asks Aloy if she is ready.
"You betcha. Now let's do this."
They step down onto the still cold sand and walk forward. They do not get far before they start to hear noises from behind some dunes and go over to discover a pit with a huge yellow Chuchu in it, along with a yellow Lizalfos armed with a scimitar and round bronze shield with a large round ruby in its center. There are also three black Bokoblins, two of which are armed with Lizal forked boomerangs and the other with a rusty claymore.
The duo are quick to duck down before they are spotted. Aloy takes out her hunter bow and a corruption arrow, then cautiously rises as she focuses on who she wants to make their temporary ally. That being the Lizalfos.
Aloy takes aim and fires, hitting the Lizalfos. The lizard monster quickly goes to work attacking its comrades. First hitting them with a blast of electricty, which does not affect the Chuchu, and attacks them with its sword. The Bokoblins react as they squeal and squawk, as if demanding what it was doing.
Aloy and Link continue watching as the Lizalfos alternates between shocking and attacking its comrades. With its sword, it manages to kill the Chuchu since it could only attack with electric shocks, which in turn had no effect upon the corrupted Lizalfos. The Lizalfos manages to kill two of the Bokoblins, only to finally succumb to the attack of the third one that is armed with the rusty claymore.
Link tells Aloy that he can handle it as he rises with a scimitar that he had found in a chest in the Kay Non Shrine and a knight shield. Link rushes forward and viciously smacks it with his shield, then follows through with an equally vicious downward slash, killing it. He next notices a chest half buried in the sand and takes out the Sheikah Slate to use Magnesis to pull the chest out. He opens it to find a Radiant Shield, it resembles a Gerudo Shield except it is pointed at one end, done in high relief, and is painted purple.
Aloy and Link continue their trek toward the Kara Kara Bazaar. Along the way, Link uses Magnesis to pull another chest out of the sand to find ten arrows. As they get closer to the Bazaar, a loud groaning roar fills the air and they look to see where it had come from. To their left off in the distance they can see something moving about inside it. Something massive walking around on four legs with a bestial shape to it. Bolts of lightening occur around it.
"So that is what we have to get onto next," Aloy said in a tone of finality.
They duo continue their walk and reach the edge of the oasis as the sun is over the canyon far behind them. Already, they can feel its heat as it banishes the last tendrils of coolness. They see a strange woman armed with a spear that resembles a trident as she stands next to a barrel.
"Let's go ask that woman what she knows," Aloy said to Link, and he agrees.
They walk up to the strange woman in question. She has brown skin, but is a redhead like Aloy and has her hair done up in a high ponytail. A veil covers the lower half of the woman's face, but it is very thin so that one can easily see her convex face and prominent aquiline nose. The woman has pointed ears and disproportionately wide hips that give her a seemingly pinched waist. Her outfit consists of an armored brassiere that leaves most of her lean muscular torso uncovered, along with her equally muscular arms; a pair of billowing light knee-length pants called a sirwal that is white with flowing fleur-de-lis of gold thread, with purple covering her lower abdomen that is held in place by a golden belt; and high heel shoes of golden detail.
"Whoa, she's really tall!" Aloy drawled to Link in astonishment over the most noticable feature of the strange woman who stands head and shoulders taller than either of the duo.
"Sav'saaba!" The Gerudo greeted them in a smooth husky tone. "This is Kara Kara Bazaar. Gerudo Town is still a fair distance southwest of here. If you're both headed there, you both should consider resting a bit. Though, you are a voe," emphasizing that part while staring at Link. "Even if you make it to town, you won't be able to get in . . . Now you on the other hand, little vai, may."
"What are you talking about?" Aloy asked.
"All voe are forbidden to enter Gerudo Town," the guard answered.
"Voe?"
"It means male in our language, while vai means female."
"Why are males forbidden to enter your town?"
"It's because we are discouraged from permanently settling down there, and must go live elsewhere if we desire to have a husband."
"What do your menfolk think about that?"
The guard laughs.
"Is something amusing?" Aloy asked
The guard recollects herself with a sigh. "You are definitely not from around here, aren't you, little vai. Granted, you have hair like a Gerudo, but you are much smaller with smaller hips, white skin, flat face with small nose, and small round ears. Come to think of it, I've never heard of any Hylians having small round ears. Where are you from, little vai?"
"Ah . . . I'm from very far away," Aloy answered deceptively.
"I see," the guard mused. "Anyway, we do not give birth to voe."
"Are you saying all Gerudo are female?" Aloy mused with bewilderment.
"Yes. Male Gerudo are extremely rare. So in order for us to reproduce, we have to mate with Hylian voes, and that means having to leave Gerudo Town."
"Wow, that must be pretty hard on your kind," Aloy said in a mixture of sympathy and bewilderment. "And I bet Hylian females are not fond of you Gerudo."
The guard sighs. "They do tend to get jealous of us. Accusing us of stealing their men and such. But what else can we do? It's the only way we can have children."
"You just said that male Gerudos are extremely rare. When was the last time a male was born to your kind?"
"There was suppose to have been one."
"Who was it?"
But the guard remains silent, and already Aloy feels that she has trespassed on something taboo.
"All the same," The guard next said to change the subject, "the Divine Beast is kicking up a storm right now, so I don't recommend going to Gerudo Town."
Link asks about Gerudo Town.
"Gerudo Town is to the southwest." the guard answered. "It's the biggest town in the area! It's famous for trade and also for staying active and vibrant all night long. However, there is a law forbidding voe-males-from entering the city."
Link next asks about the Divine Beast.
"You don't know about Divine Beast Vah Naboris?" The guard asked wryly. "Supposedly, it is the guardian deity for the Gerudo people, but it suddenly started acting up a while back. There's nothing we can do to stop it, either . . . it's protected by a fierce sandstorm and intense lightening. Thought it hasn't yet, it could easily head toward Gerudo Town or this oasis. I do my best to keep an eye on it from here."
Link thanks her.
"Yeah, good job," Aloy added.
"Hah, I don't need thanks. This is my job after all," the guard scoffed gratefully. "You know, the desert is hot during the day and cold at night. It'll take the energy out of you in no time. If you plan to head out into the desert, make sure you're prepared."
Aloy and Link leave the guard to her duty and head into the oasis. That is when Aloy notices Link staring off to one side and he begins walking over. She follows after him. She watches as Link takes out the Sheikah Slate and stares at it, then zones out. He remains that way for a minute before he snaps out of it.
"Did you remember something else?" Aloy asked.
Link nods and shows her the picture of the oasis, saying that this is where he saved Princess Zelda from being attacked by Yiga assassins.
"That's good," Aloy said.
They enter the oasis proper. Aloy notices the strange trees about the place. They are tall and straight with no branches on their smooth yet rough bark, but up at the top as large ferns. There are large fruit hanging about them. There are other such trees, but they are much shorter and squat with a more ringed bark. What look to be crates of goods with tarps lashed over them surround the oasis, but they are actually shelters with other Gerudo at them. There is also a building carved from a mesa, with a ladder on it that leads up to its the top where large square pieces of cloth hang as decoration.
Aloy and Link walk to the oasis and get a drink of water. They next fill up their bottles, knowing that they will need them in this desert. They walk along the shoreside and encounter a Rito sitting upon a rock. Unlike Kass this one is smaller with purple plumage. They can see that he is asleep.
They are about to pass him, when the Rito awakens.
"Looks like I fell asleep," he groaned. "Good morning . . . Though it's 'sav'otta' in Gerudo, isn't it? But before I say any more . . . Have we . . . met before?"
"Nope, don't think I have," Aloy answered. "What about you, Link?"
Link answers no.
"Hmm, I guess not," the Rito said. "Anyway, I came from Rito Village."
Link inquires about Rito Village.
"Yes, Rito Village," the Rito answered. "Far to the north of here . . . It's a modest village on the Tabantha Frontier . . . I had a great plan, you know. I left Rito Village to try to earn some money out in the world . . . But it's so incredibly hot here during the day. It's been tough to work up the will to go any further. I would like to see what Gerudo Town looks like, even if I can't go inside . . . "
"And it's because you're a male, right?" Aloy asked.
"Right," the Rito answered. "It doesn't matter if it's a Hylian, Goron, Zora, or Rito. No male is permitted to enter Gerudo Town. I could understand if it's a Hylian because that is who they mate with. But they don't mate with my kind or Gorons or Zoras, so it just doesn't make any sense."
Kinda like how the Nora law forbids Nora from leaving the Sacred Land. Aloy mused inwardly. Though there were two moments when it was bent, but only to save the Nora.
"It's just so hot," the Rito whined. "I heard there's an elixir that can help beat the heat. It's made from insects with cooling effects and monster parts. But they don't seem to be selling the elixir anywhere . . . I've heard insects with these cooling effects live in the cold parts of the Gerudo Highlands, but . . . Well, the monsters there are rough, to say the least, so I'm not having a lot of success getting myself motivated . . . "
"Um, here's an idea," Aloy said. "Why not go at night when it's cooler?"
The Rito stares at her for a moment.
"Too dark," he finally answered with a wince of his eyes.
Aloy sighs with frustration. "Okay, listen Rito."
"Guy . . . My name is Guy."
"Okay, listen Guy." Her tone firm and no-nonsense. "You have got to make the effort when the opportunity presents itself. If you just continue staying here, you will waste away and die. So when night comes, you will have two choices . . . either go to these Gerudo Highlands and look for those insects, or return to Rito Village."
Guy sighs with frustation. "Fine . . . Fine! When night comes, I'll do it."
"Good bird," Aloy said.
They leave him and go up to the Goron next. But not before Link takes notice of a chest in the water and uses Magnesis to pull it out, then opens it to find a silver rupee. Once at the Goron, he speaks to them.
"I'm watching the sandstorm. Want to join me?"
"Sandstorm?" Aloy asked.
"Sandstorms are pretty common out in the desert," the Goron answered. "If you get caught in one, you'll get lost for sure . . . But I heard that sandstorms over there will die down for a few hours each day, clearing a path. I want to visit that huge tower but the sandstorm is in the way so . . . I'll just sit here and wait for it to die down."
Link and Aloy stare at the Sheikah Tower off in the distance on a mountain as the sandstorm beneath it rages.
"You think we'll be able to visit that when we're finished with that other Divine Beast?" Aloy asked.
Link tells her if it is a part of where Rito Village is located, then they may have to. He next looks to the building and tells Aloy to follow him into it. Near the entrance is Beedle, who Link sells some minerals to for rupees, as does Aloy with her ruby.
Aloy and Link go inside. The interior is spacy and there are arrows for sale along the wall to their left and a counter is at the front. There are three Gerudo inside. The one behind the counter is sitting on a sofa reading a yellow book and has her hair done up in a high ponytail. The second one near her is pacing and has lank hanging hair that is cut into a bob. The third one is in the back behind another counter, but is thicker waisted than the other two and has her hair cut short and shaped upward to give it a peak at the back of her crown. Both are wearing similar clothing that consists of white billowing sirwals, gold colored high heeled shoes, and a top that exposes their arms and midriff.
Link buys some arrows of different types. Aloy checks her own arrow batch to see that she is low on tearblast arrows, of which she only has ten left. She also has only one corruption arrow left. Worse, she does not have the materials on her person that are necessary to make more of either, nor does this world either.
"It looks like I may have to purchase some of those bomb arrows," Aloy sighed.
Aloy purchases three bomb arrows to suppliment her tearblast arrows and the duo are soon out of the store. They are about to leave when she takes notice of the bunkbeds in the back, then understands the presence of the Gerudo behind the counter in the back.
"So this place also doubles as an inn?" Aloy asked.
"Yes it does," the arrow clerk answered. "Although at the present business is terrible due to Divine Beast Vah Naboris trampling around out there."
"Yeah," the bobcut answered from nearby. "It feels like it gets a little bit closer every day. I wonder how long it will be before I can get back to Gerudo Town . . . I don't want to be stuck here, but I don't want to be zapped by an angry creature's lightening either." She then sighs. "If only someone, perhaps a hero just passing through town, could take care of the Divine Beast."
Aloy and Link look at each other, then thank them and leave.
"Link, come with me." As Aloy leads him away to behind the building so that they are far enough away from listening ears. "How about you stay here and I go to Gerudo Town and find out what I can? Then, I'll return and tell you what I've learned."
Link thinks on that and tells her that they should first go and get a good look at the town.
"Across the desert?" Aloy winced. "It's already getting hot. Can you imagine how hot it's gonna get while we're crossing the desert?"
Link tells her that they have to find out together, even if he cannot enter the town. Along with also telling her that they might also encounter a Sheikah Shrine along the way as well.
"Really, Link, you're basing it on a leap of faith," Aloy sighed. "I'd hate for us to get there and there would be no place for you to hide from the sun and you end up dying from heat stroke."
They walk out to the threshold of the bazaar, giving them an unobstructed view of distant Gerudo Town. It is laid out in a square fashion as the front wall can be seen, with two towers on either side that were carved from mesas. In the middle is a larger mesa carved into a building that looks to be a palace. They see what looks to be a Sheikah Shrine next to the wall of Gerudo Town.
"So there really is a Sheikah Shrine out there," Aloy said. "Very well. I suppose you can take shelter inside it while I-"
"Hey," someone behind them called out. Aloy and Link turn to see a man with longish black hair standing near a pile of crates covered by a tarp, along with two large jars next to it.
Aloy and Link walk over to the man.
"Um . . . You're . . . ?" The man ventured.
Link tells him that he and Aloy are travelers.
"Oh, I see," the man answered. "Well, we're merchants."
"We?" Aloy asked.
"We wanted to make it to Gerudo Town to sell our goods," the man continued as he points to Gerudo Town, "but we were stopped before we could go in. They only let women into that town."
"So we were told," Aloy said dryly.
"And to think we came all the way out here," the man sighed then turns to face Link and Aloy once again. "Our leader went to Gerudo Town to try to figure out how we can get inside . . . But he hasn't come back yet. I imagine he isn't having a ton of luck . . ."
"Or maybe he got caught and thrown into a dungeon," Aloy suggested.
"No, they'll only throw you out of town," the man answered.
"And he hasn't come back yet," Aloy noted.
Link then suggests that they go and find his leader to see what he knows so far.
"Okay," Aloy sighed.
As they begin their walk toward Gerudo Town, another Gerudo runs past them.
"Ah, it looks like that voe has a vai of his own," they heard her say with regret.
