2. Molduga Attack!

Vah Naboris was a huge, camel-shaped machine, as far as Meister understood. One that only Urbosa could navigate. After the group got some rest and regrouped in the morning, the plan was as follows:

Urbosa, with the Gerudo soldiers, Meister, and Monica, would all venture out to where the Moldugas were. Urbosa would pilot Vah Naboris to shoot down the Moldugas, while Meister, Monica and the guards would act as 'bait' for the Moldugas. Riju would keep watch from where she was in Gerudo Town to keep a lookout in case things went sour and/or if the group needed backup.

Navigating his way through the sandy desert wasn't easy, for Meister, and it didn't help that he only had the Voe Trousers to wear along with the rest of his Gerudo outfit, since he was among guards that presumed he was a woman by the way he dressed. He felt a bit bad about deceiving them while helping them, but he did also need to get the Molduga guts.

Maybe he would have been better waiting off in town, he thought, rather than hanging around with them. Then again, it wouldn't hurt to have extra helping hands…

No. He shook his head lightly, thinking of what Revali told him once. I need to stop overthinking. It's not going to help us right now, especially if we end up in combat.

"It's coming!" He heard one of the Gerudo soldiers call out, and he looked up and ahead. The sand trembled from a distance, as if something were about to burst from the ground, but it didn't quite do so. Instead, the trembling sand started making its way towards him, Monica, and the other Gerudo soldiers.

He took a deep breath, holding his paraglider tight in one hand, before he and the others started running. The plan was to get to the closest rock formation and climb up on it so the Molduga couldn't get to them.

It wasn't hard to get to said rock formation and climb on it, just as the Molduga emerged. But as it did so, booming footsteps shook the air.

A roar shook the air, and Monica looked around to see a giant, camel-like automaton step into view. It was bigger than even the Molduga, towering above its own beastly body, and there was no telling how tall it exactly was. Monica betted that Urbosa rode the Divine Beast from the inside, given that she didn't see her standing on said beast herself.

Vah Naboris roared, before shooting a laser at the Molduga that emerged. It had no chance to dodge, instantly blown into smithereens.

Some of the soldiers cheered a bit in support of the Gerudo Champion and its Divine Beast, but they didn't hesitate to get crossbows and/or arrows out as needed. Three Moldugas suddenly popped out of the sand with a roar, heading for Vah Naboris, but a fourth one also emerged shortly after, heading for the group instead. Even though they weren't on the sand, it could still see them.

The soldiers shot their arrows, and Monica noticed that they sparked as they flew through the air. As they hit the Molduga with booming resounding through the desert, the Molduga fell down, stunned.

"Now I wish I brought a bow and arrow with me," Monica murmured as she noticed Meister draw a bomb arrow, aiming it at the downed Molduga before firing.

"I do think it would be useful in the long run." Meister noted. "Especially if there are more monsters like these things."

Before either of them could converse further, a sixth Molduga suddenly emerged from the sand, roaring at the entire group.

Monica swallowed. "Wasn't there only supposed to be five!?"

Before anyone could answer, the Molduga roared, before diving down towards them, its massive jaws first.

Riju winced as she saw the sixth Molduga emerge from a distance, before diving down at the soldiers, Monica and Meister. Urbosa was too busy fighting three other Moldugas on her Divine Beast, and the situation didn't look so good.

"Buliara," Riju started, looking towards her much-taller advisor and bodyguard, "I'm going in to help them. Keep watch from here for me."

She noticed Buliara's eyes widen, but she nodded. Riju knew that Buliara would likely protest in worries for her safety, and for good reason, but the situation was dire.

It didn't take long for Riju, the current Chieftan of the Gerudo, to assemble a small team of soldiers to accompany her, sand seals included, before they went out into the desert and towards the Moldugas. Riju just hoped that she and the others wouldn't be too late.

Monica remembered diving out the way of the one Molduga's attack, hitting the sand. She noticed Meister hit the sand beside her as the rocks where they once stood were destroyed, rolling a bit before getting up. His paraglider wasn't damaged, miraculously, but he looked a little bruised.

"You okay?" Monica called, and Meister turned to face her, nodding as he adjusted his veil with a hand.

"I am. You?"

"Could be better." She winced as she got up, feeling a slight pain in her ankle. Hopefully she hadn't rolled on it while avoiding the Molduga just now. She noticed the sand tremble a short distance away from her and Meister, and her eyes widened.

"Run!" She called, just as the Molduga burst out from the sand, launching itself at them.

Meister already started booking it out from the Molduga's proximity as fast as he could, but as Monica turned to run, she tripped, hitting the sand. Her ankle stung, and she cursed, realizing that she must have sprained it during the earlier fall.

"No!"

She wasn't sure who screamed for her. One of the Gerudo soldiers? It was hard to tell after landing face-first into sand. Dread filled her lungs as she tried to stand up and run, struggling due to sinking into the sand underneath her. She couldn't go down like this! Not this way!

She almost lost hope completely before Riju, the current Chieftan of the Gerudo, swept into the scene, grabbing Monica by an arm and dragging her out of there. Riju drove a small chariot, pulled by one trusty sand seal. From the corner of her eye, as Monica grabbed onto the chariot's side with a hand, she noticed several other Gerudo soldiers riding similar chariots pulled by sand seals, too.

"Good job, Patricia!" Riju called to her sand seal, before looking back towards Monica. "Hold on! It's going to be a rough ride!"

Monica could tell that the Molduga was hot on her, Riju, and the sand seal's (Patricia was the name of the seal?) heels. Riju definitely saved her, for now, and Monica knew that she owed her one later.

But what could she do to help? There was a Molduga still chasing her and Riju, she had no bows and arrows, and…

Wait.

She had a spear on her right now. What if…?

Monica quickly took it out, carefully trying to aim with one hand while holding onto the side of the chariot with the other.

"What are you doing!?" She heard Riju cry out, but Monica didn't hesitate to throw the spear at the Molduga, just as it opened its jaws.

The spear landed within the Molduga's large mouth, keeping it propped open and unable to close. The Molduga shrieked, retreating back as it writhed about from side to side, trying to get the spear out of its jaws. Unfortunately for the beast, it was stuck tight, and Monica thought she noticed the tip of the spear sticking out of the bottom of the Molduga's jaws.

A blast of light hit the Molduga, blowing it up, and Monica ducked her head away before any of the debris or remains of the beast could get in her eyes, focusing on staying in the chariot.

"You did it!" Monica heard Riju hear. "That was a smart decision, Monica."

"Really?" She looked towards the Chieftan, eyes widening. "You think so?"

"Yes." Riju kept her eyes on the desert ahead of her as she continued driving the sand seal chariot, but kept speaking. "By forcing the Molduga's jaws to stay open like that, it couldn't consume anyone. A good enough distraction, at least.

"Then I did a good job distracting, then." Monica chuckled, before looking around. There were no new Molduga emerging at this point, and it also looked like the other Moldugas Urbosa fought with Vah Naboris were also now down. "Is that all of them?"

"I think so." Riju directed for Patricia the sand seal to slow down and stop.

The pâtissier heaved a relieved sigh. Hopefully this wasn't something they'd have to deal with sometime soon.

As everyone regrouped and tended to any injuries as best as they could, Meister looked around. Thankfully, his disguise hadn't been ruined during the Molduga attack, but he definitely needed some rest as soon as he could, even with the food offered to him to regain his strength. He noticed Urbosa approach the group by herself, after waving at Vah Naboris as a sign of thanks, and she held something in her hands.

"I believe we have what you need." Urbosa held up a handful of green, wet intestines of some sort – if they could be called that, that is. "Fresh Molduga guts."

Monica scrunched up her nose as she waved a hand in front of her face, trying to ward off the scent, but it did little to help. "Eugh…do we have any spare jars or a bag for this stuff? I don't think we can carry it back to the castle as is…"

A weak chuckle left Meister as he eyed the guts, then Monica's disgusted expression. "At least we have what we need, and hopefully we don't have to deal with live Molduga too soon again. What do Molduga guts taste like when cooked?"

He and the others hadn't eaten any actual monsters, though they did consider it on the way to Hyrule Castle, back when everyone was together. He hoped that the others hadn't resorted to eating monster yet, but It never hurt to ask about the edibility of said beings just in case, for future reference.

"I never tried it myself, so I don't know. However, it's not poisonous." Urbosa frowned. "People mostly use things like these guts to make elixirs and potions, rather than actual, edible food…unless you're Link."

"Didn't he almost eat roasted rocks one time?" Monica asked, brows furrowing.

Urbosa nodded, a bemused chuckle leaving her. "He did. It was…interesting to watch."

"Now that we defeated the Moldugas, Gerudo town should be safe for now." Riju offered Meister, Monica and Urbosa a grin. "Thank you for helping with this. We appreciate it very much."

"It's thanks to you that I'm even still alive!" Monica burst out, before she looked between Riju, Urbosa and Meister with a grin. "You know what? How about we celebrate back in Gerudo Town? You have a bar there for a reason, right!?"

Meister swallowed. "I think I'll refrain from drinking." He managed quickly. It wouldn't do him good to accidentally mention he was a voe, if drunk, or anything worse than that. "And I'd like to send a message to the others about our progress, too, with the Shiekah Slate."

"That's a good point." Urbosa noted, nodding. "It does make me wonder how they're doing with their missions."

"What are you going to do?" Riju asked, raising a brow, her voice taking a teasing tone to it. "Send a message to Sidon?"

Meister's face flushed a soft pink, and it wasn't from the desert heat. "Where'd you get that idea from?"

"You two dancing together at Princess Zelda's ball might've given it away." Urbosa chuckled softly at that. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," Meister mumbled, just as Monica turned her attention away from the Molduga guts, and up at Urbosa and Riju, beaming.

"That does it, then. Once we get back, let's celebrate!"

With that being said, the group made their way back to Gerudo Town, eager for a night of rest, recuperation, and a little bit of relaxation before their eventual return to Hyrule Castle with their ingredients, Molduga guts included.