Camouflage

by The Gossip Stone

On their return to Hyrule, three travellers find themselves in the land of Zinzuri; a wild savanna filled with fantastical beasts, under the authority of the militant Zinzuri Wildlife Protection Agency. But when Gerudo poachers threaten the lives of the animals under their protection, the organisation are forced to take action. (Set as a sequel to 'The Knight And The Ninja').

34. Chapter 34

All is still on the Zinzuri savanna. Not an animal, bird nor insect stirs as everyone awaits the inevitable.

Indy and Ningan crouch low in the grass of Zone D, just a few metres away from the tree which Laurel highlighted on the map. Indy is situated so uncomfortably close that some of Ningan's paint rubs off on his uniform.

"You ever used a Slingshot before, Recruit?" Indy asks.

Ningan hushes him by flapping his hands. "Shut up! Don't you know the first thing about stealth?"

"Just being friendly, Sir." he shrugs. "We've been sitting in silence for almost two hours now."

"And it's gonna stay that way until the Gerudo arrive." Ningan says firmly.

They continue to stare at the fence separating the lush savanna grasslands from the dusty wastelands of the desert. Indy fidgets and shuffles and about restlessly, testing Ningan's patience with every subtle movement.

"I must say I'm impressed with your face-paint, Sir. You look like quite the character-"

Ningan scowls. "I swear by the goddesses and all that is holy, if you make another sound, I'm gonna punch you across the-"

"-Look!" Indy interjects, frantically pointing to the fence. "Over there! Over there!"

Ningan follows his finger and gazes in the direction of the tree. A tall and slim silhouette aims its hand to the tree branch and propels itself upward. From there, it retrieves a rope from around its belt and loops it around the branch.

Indy loads one of the poisoned darts into his Slingshot and aims it up to the tree. Ningan's hand pulls it back down just before he let's go of the drawstring.

"What are you doing?" he protests with a hiss. "I had my target locked and loaded!"

"A single kill isn't an achievement." Ningan tells him. "And it sure as hell isn't gonna stop them from coming back. Why not wait for some more of the bitch brigade to show up?"

Indy reluctantly returns the dart into his bag and retreats back into the grass. One by one, more and more silhouettes appear. The one in the tree throws her rope down and lets the others climb. They gradually descend the tree and reveal themselves in the open: ten red-haired slender figures, armed with spears and menacing snarls. These were Gerudo alright.