Hello guys, chapter 107 is finally here! This time around, Link and Reirousa are on their way to Gerudo Fortress to save Nabooru, but how will they find her, and what surprises will they see along the way?
"Hello Lady Nabooru, are you finding the accommodations to your liking?"
"..."
"Oh dear, nothing to say? That's not very grateful of you."
Nabooru was in a dark prison, her arms and legs chained against a wall. Despite her strength she was unable to break the chains, it didn't help she was still somewhat injured from her defeat against the Elite Rebel Asaeku. She had made at least some effort to try and sleep, but was woken up just a moment ago by a visitor.
Standing before her on the other side of the prison bars was Mother Eclipsis, the leader of the Ebony Sisterhood. While Nabooru couldn't see her face due to the white featureless porcelain mask she wore, the Gerudo leader could still feel the rebel master staring intently at her.
"To think the day would finally come that you would fall, former Grand Corporal Nabooru." Eclipsis spoke, "There was once a time that you were the greatest warrior in our tribe. But you've grown weak and subdued by your pursuit of 'peace' with the Hyrulian scum. You look so pathetic right now."
"..."
Eclipsis continued, "You've led your people down a path that made them just as weak and pitiful, our victory over you all has proven that. My people are as we speak, working to reform them into the powerful and merciless warriors that Gerudo should be. Those who refuse shall simply be put to death. Everything you've done to desecrate the pride of our people has been for naught."
"..."
"It's only a matter of time before we declare war on Hyrule Castle and reclaim the great King Ganondorf from his imprisonment. The Hylians will have no choice but to surrender or die to us." Eclipsis stated, "Soon the blood of the royal family shall be split, and King Ganondorf and the Gerudo will conquer Hyrule."
There was dead silence for a longest time, until Nabooru smirked lightly.
"...heh... are you done bitching at me yet?" spoke Nabooru.
"...?" Eclipsis stared at her.
"You think you've won against us, when all my people have had was a minor setback. Don't underestimate them Eclipsis, they'll strike back before you know it." Nabooru stated. "Me and my people will never surrender to you or that monster Ganondorf. Kill me if you have to, but as long as the true Gerudo King Link breathes, he'll never allow you bastards to win."
"...that will of yours is strong, strong but foolish. It's a shame you had to walk the path you did." Eclipsis spoke, "I'm not going to kill you, at least not right away. I have something much better planned for you."
Eclipsis brought up her hand and clicked her fingers, prompting some guards to open the cell door and detain Nabooru...
"There it is, we finally made it."
Link and Reirousa were standing on a path that led out to the giant stone complex that was Gerudo Fortress. Years ago it used to be the place where the majority of the Gerudo tribe lived, back when the demon king Ganondorf Dragmire ruled over them, and they were infamously known throughout the land as savage desert thieves and killers.
After the war with Hyrule, Nabooru convinced her people to move with her to the canyon and establish Gerudo Town, while those that stayed loyal to Ganondorf remained in the fortress. One day the mysterious Mother Eclipsis arrived and convinced them to join her to strike back against Hyrule and save Ganondorf from his prison, and they became known as the Ebony Sisterhood.
Link and Reirousa looked up at the stronghold before them. From their secluded position they saw numerous Gerudo guards in black clothes patrolling around the area.
"This place used to be my home up until I joined the war." Reirousa commented, "Never thought I'd come back here again."
"Doesn't look like it's changed much at all over the years, but there's guards everywhere." Link observed, "I think simply trying to sneak in won't be an option..."
"So how do you know this place so well anyway?" Reirousa asked, "If they had seen you here they woulda just thrown you in prison."
"It's... difficult to explain." Link said, "But I promise that I'll tell you and everyone else when this is all over..."
"..." Reirousa stared down at Link, seeing a hint of sadness in his eyes, "Alright then, let's just focus on saving Lady Nabooru then."
Link nodded, "Right."
"King Link, we've returned." spoke a hushed voice, as the two turned to see two Gerudo spies leap down from a rock and bow to him.
"Good to see you two made it back okay, did you get any info on Nabooru and where she is?" Link asked.
"Yes, from what we overheard in conversations, it seems Lady Nabooru was previously detained in prison, but is now being led off to the fortress arena." the spy said.
"Arena?" Link asked, "I didn't know this place even had one."
"It's been there for ages from what I remember." Reirousa said, "Heard they modeled it after the war goddess' temple in the east."
"The Ruins of Hotaig, that's the place where I went with Sarami to heal that poisoned woman." Link recalled, "But why would they take Nabooru to the arena?"
"From what I heard, they used to use that place for gladiatorial matches, and..." Reirousa grimaced. "...to punish lawbreakers."
"Nabooru..." Link spoke softly as he clenched at his chest, "This is all my fault. All of this happened because I gave into that anger and was too weak to control it, and she had to suffer for it in the end..."
His thoughts turned to a time where he stood in a blue fountain room in the dark future, seeing Nabooru before him, and the last words she said to him...
Reirousa saw the pained look in Link's eyes as he spoke. In that moment she wanted to hug him like they did before to comfort him, but held herself back from doing so.
Link clenched his fists and looked up at the fortress, "We have to save her. I'm not going to lose her again!"
"We tried to find an opening, but the entire fortress is under heavy guard." spoke one spy, "Not even a cute little squeaky mouse could get in at this point!"
"There's got to be some other way..." Link spoke, looking around for a potential place he could shoot his Longshot without being seen.
"A mouse, huh...?" Reirousa muttered, "Hang on, I just remembered somethin', come on!"
Link and the spies curiously followed Reirousa as she led them through a rocky area some distance from the fortress. She led the group to a small flat stone structure with a wooden trap door.
"Where does this go?" Link asked, not remembering seeing it in the dark future.
"This leads to an underground sewer system underneath Gerudo Fortress." Reirousa said, "And this path does right below the arena!"
"You're kidding me, that's real convenient!" a spy gasped out.
"Great work Reirousa!" Link said, he turned to the spies, "You girls stand guard here and give us a holler if any rebels come. Me and Reirousa will go in, grab Nabooru, and get out before they even know what happened!"
"Of course, your highness!" the spies bowed.
Reirousa lifted up the door, and the two went down the stairwell, making sure to close the door behind them so as not to draw attention to it.
"Welcome my sisters! Tonight is a special show that I think you'll all love!"
A guard shouted out as a large group of women clad in black all cheered wildly from the stands of the Gerudo Fortress arena. Among the front seats of the audience was two large thrones, and sitting at one of the thrones was Mother Eclipsis, staring down at the lone person standing in the center of the arena.
It was Nabooru, wielding her twin scimitars. She had been granted her weapons back after being escorted into the arena. She looked left and right at the crowd of cheering and booing rebels, before looking up and narrowing her eyes at Mother Eclipsis sitting at the throne. There was a steel fence set up and over the arena to prevent anyone or anything from getting out or attacking the audience.
Also sitting in the audience stands was the Elite Rebels that had previously defeated her and Link's other fiances. They were all watching in anticipation of what was to come. The sniper Hetoma was waving a small flag in one hand while the child Niani was eating a sausage wrapped in a bread roll.
"Yuck, I told those chefs I didn't want a pickle on this thing!" Niani said in disgust, looking inside the sandwich, "Hmph, I should have them put to death!"
"It can't be helped Niani," Hetoma said shrugging, "The head chef Mamouta is busy workin' to bring food over here from Gerudo Town."
"Then you eat it!" Niani said in a fit, trying to stuffing it into the woman's mouth.
"Mmph! Hey you little twerp!" Hetoma shouted, "I'm gonna pop you one for that!"
"Quiet all of you." the war brigadier Asaeku said, leaning forward, "I want to see this for myself."
"Tonight's participant is the former grand colonel of the Gerudo army, Lady Nabooru!" spoke the announcer, "She was once second in command to our army, but she lost her way as a Gerudo and turned her back to Ganondorf. And now she's sworn loyalty to the false king Link, the one who had King Ganondorf captured to begin with!"
The crowd started booing out and throwing junk through the bars of the steel fence at Nabooru. The Gerudo leader just stood motionless, trying to ignore the taunts from the crowd.
"Traitor!"
"I used to look up to you!"
"You lick the boots of the false king ad royal family!"
"We lost our mothers and sisters to that war!"
"You suck!"
"Death to Nabooru!"
"Yeah! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!" the crowd started chanting at her.
But Nabooru had to admit a few of their comments were getting under her skin, mainly that of those who lost loved ones in the war. She closed her eyes to try and tune them out, but then a sausage roll went flying through the air and hit her on the head. She looked down to see a pickle sticking out of it.
"Boo, you stink!" she heard a small high-pitched girl shout out.
Mother Eclipsis stood up from her throne and extended out her arm to her people, "My sisters, it's been nearly a decade since the great King Ganondorf's capture by the hands of the wretched Hylians, as well as the tragic war that resulted in the deaths of so many of our people..."
Nabooru narrowed her eyes at Eclipsis' words as she spoke out. She recalled doing everything in her power to convince the War Commander Imono, the first wife of Ganondorf, to pull back from going to war, but she didn't listen. Nabooru had rebelled against Ganondorf for quite some time before his capture, so her pleas to Imono fell on deaf ears. She had to bare witness to her people going to war and losing their lives without being able to do anything for them...
"...but tonight, you shall see a demonstration of just what awaits the Hylian scum who hold our great king captive. Lady Nabooru shall face a challenge from a number of our greatest tamed beasts in a battle to the death!" Eclipsis shouted out, as the crowd cheered wildly.
"Yeeeaaaahh! Death to Nabooru!" the crowd shouted, "Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!"
Eclipsis sat back down on the throne and leaned her head against her fist, raising up her other hand and speaking to a guard beside, "Have them release the first challenger."
"RELEASE THE FIRST CHALLENGEEEEER!" shouted out the guard right into the ear of a guard beside the switch to the gates, making her cringe. But she flipped the switch to open it.
Nabooru looked to one gate as it shifted, and slowly opened up. She could see red demonic eyes from the shadows, and slowly lurching out from the gate was a large monster. It appeared to be a giant green crab creature with big snapping claws, bearing multiple eyes on it's head, and wearing a gigantic red shell on it's back with large spikes sticking out from it.
"Oh my, they're sending in the Crayk against her." the elite rebel Kiraila spoke, as she was holding a small pot with one of her mushroom creatures in it. She turned to the wild woman Zuzoc as she fed her mushroom a fly, "You're the one who captured that thing, right?"
"Yes. Mighty monster of the coast, but easy prey for Zuzoc." nodded the wild woman who was squatting on the bench on her hands and knees like a four-legged animal. She brought up her back leg and scratched behind her ear, "Beast tamers have been strengthening it to use in war. Nabooru going to be crustation food soon."
"Hee hee hee... this is gonna get real messy!" Niani giggled, quickly leaning forward as her hair flew up a bit, expos her forehead which gave off a gleam of light from the moon overhead.
"For which side I wonder...?" muttered the engineer Meokuro, laying back. She stared down at Nabooru. For whatever reason, she had been finding herself deep in thought about the things she heard from Link, Kesuta and Korume before...
Meanwhile Asaeku sat staring at Nabooru with her arms folded, "Go on Grand Colonel, let's see what you're capable of..."
"Heh... this is what you've been keeping me waiting for, a crab battle? Too bad I don't have any drawn butter." Nabooru chuckled, looking up at the large monster before her, she gripped at her scimitars and went into a battle poise, "Bring it on."
The Crayk screeched out and swung it's claws at Nabooru, who leaped backwards to evade the attack, then ran forward and swung out her swords. The monster tried to snap at the Gerudo leader with it's claws, but she was able to deflect the attacks. When Nabooru found an opening, she swung down her right blade and sliced off the monster's arm at its joint, making it screech out in pain. It sunk itself into it's shell to defend itself and started spinning.
Nabooru kept her distance as the monster started moving around the arena, while the spikes on it's shell started to fire off of it. Nabooru jumped and dodged through the spikes coming down, trying to keep her distance so as not to get hit by it's spinning attack. The Crayk eventually began to slow down and get woozy from it's barrage, so Nabooru shot forward and leaped into the air, performing a flying kick against the side of the shell, managing to knock the monster over and giving Nabooru a chance to slice rapidly at it's underbelly.
The crowd gasped out in surprise at how effectively Nabooru was fighting against the monster. The Cryak eventually got itself back up and tried to swipe at Nabooru with it's other claw, but she sliced that off too. The creature screeched out again in pain, but before it could recede into it's shell again, Nabooru shot forward and plunged her blade into the center of it's head, causing the creature to screech out in pain one last time before falling over dead.
Nabooru took a breath and dusted herself off as the crowd all sat in shock of how easily she defeated the monster. She stood tall and looked up to Eclipsis with a confident grin.
"What's done is done." Nabooru said, "So was that all you got?"
"Oh believe me, this is just the beginning." spoke Eclipsis, snapping her fingers.
Nabooru looked as more gates opened up, and she saw more angry red eyes staring at her from the shadows of each one. She didn't allow this to intimidate her though, and she prepared herself for her next opponents...
Back with Link and Reirousa, the two went down a ladder into the depths of the underground water way. There was torches lighting up the walkway down the route, and there was a canal to their right where water was flowing through rapidly into a small tunnel. It was presumed the water came from the river that eventually led to the giant waterfall at the border birdge.
"You sure this will get us to the arena?" Link asked as they started walking down the path.
"Yep, I used ta go down here all the time back when I was a kid." Reirousa said, "It's kind of a maze in here, but I still remember where to go. Turn left here, and be careful about falling into that water. Anything that falls in ain't gonna come out."
"So why'd you come down here of all places?" Link asked as they turned left into one tunnel, seeing a rat scurrying alongside the wall into a small hole.
"...well like I told ya before, when I was young I didn't really get along with people much. I used to come down here to play and get away from everyone... or sometimes when I'd have a fight with my mom." Reirousa muttered.
Link frowned, seeing the sad look in Reirousa's eyes. He was about to reach out to hug her like they usually did when they were feeling down, but she took a step away to avoid it, confusing him. Instead the two just went silently down the path of the water way.
"Hey wait," Reirousa spoke up, as she looked to one small tunnel, "There's something in here I wanna see."
"We should really get a move on." Link said, "Nabooru's in trouble, you know."
"I said just gimmie a sec!" Reirousa shouted, she turned away and leaned down to make it through the passage, and started walking down the tunnel, her voice echoed out, "You wanna go then fine, I'll catch up in a bit!"
Link sighed out in defeat and followed Reirousa down the tunnel. They soon arrived in a small room that was dark at first until Reirousa lit a torch nearby.
"What is this?" Link asked looking around.
"This is my little hideaway." Reirousa said, she stood up straight but bonked her head on the ceiling, "Uh, back when I was smaller." she added rubbing her head.
The room had a table, a bed, and a stool. The cloth on the bed was old and torn, and probably moldy from years of being down there. The table had a bowl with a rotting apple in it. Some rats were scurrying around the place, and cobwebs where everywhere. A slim green tentacle emerged out from the bed to grab the rotted apple and pull it under the bed.
"Uh, cozy." Link said sweatdropping.
"It wasn't much, but it was my place to hang out when I needed peace and quiet." Reirousa said, she started rummaging through some things, like the papers on the table and the sheets of the bed, "Damnit, where is it...?"
Link glanced down at one corner and saw some cobwebs over what appeared to be a picture frame. He picked it up and dusted off the webs. He stared at the picture and called out to Reirousa.
"Hey is this what you're looking for?" Link asked holding it up and waving it.
"Wha- h-hey! That's personal!" Reirousa said standing upright, only to bonk her head on the ceiling again.
Link stared back down at the picture; it was a Picto Box photo of an adult Gerudo grinning ear-to-ear as she held a child in one arm, and using her other arm to make a 'V for victory' gesture. The child was clearly fussy and struggling to get free of her grip.
Reirousa snatched the picture from Link and hid it away, "D-Don't go rooting through my stuff, got it?"
Link just walked over and looked at the picture again, "Reirousa, is this your mother?"
"...m-maybe..." Reirousa muttered looking away, "Back when I was a kid a lady traveler came by the fortress selling Picto Box photos and Mom paid her to do a family picture of us..."
"Your mom was really beautiful." Link spoke, happy to get to finally see Reirousa's mother, "And you were a pretty cute kid too."
"Shad up... I didn't wanna to be in the picture but she pulled me into it." Reirousa muttered.
"Yet you saved it this whole time. You even brought it down here to your hideaway." Link said with a smile, "So this is why you wanted to come this way."
"I wasn't able to pick it up before since I left with Sovan and the Vipers to Gerudo Wastes," Reirousa said, folding up the photo and putting it away in her vest pocket, "It's all I got left of her after she died in the war..."
"You mentioned before that you think she was forced into it?" Link asked.
"I don't got proof, but I always thought it was weird Mom just decided to go to war out of nowhere. I don't think she even cared that much about Ganondorf to save him." Reirousa said.
Link thought deeply on that note, how Commander Imono, the first-in-command of the Gerudo army and the first wife of Ganondorf, had convinced Reirousa to join the war to avenge her mother. Reirousa had also mentioned how she met Sovan and the Sandstorm Vipers after the war was over, and how they had all been forced at a young age to go to war, by Imono threatening to draft their families.
"I used to have a lotta respect for Commander Imono back when she gave me the chance to stick it to the Hylian knight bastards, and it really hurt me when I saw her die to that captain..." Reirousa spoke, "But after hearin' from Sovan what she had done to her and the others... I sometimes wonder if the reason Mom went to war was just to protect me from doing it..."
"Reirousa..." Link spoke, he put his arm up to the muscular woman but she pulled herself away.
"L-Let's just go... we gotta go help Lady Nabooru..." Reirousa said, turning and leaving out the room, but bonked her head on the passage on her way out.
Link sighed and followed after her.
As Link and Reirousa were exploring the water way, Nabooru was fighting off monsters that Eclipsis sent after her in the arena. She skidded backwards across the arena floor and let out a gasp, looking up and narrowing her eyes at the monster before her.
It was a giant bird creature with an armored head called a Helmaroc King. It had one of those strange headgear pieces on top of it's head that the other monsters wore. Nabooru assumed it was one of the mind-controlling devices like what Meokuro made Sheeva wear back at the laboratory. The giant bird leered down at Nabooru, spreading out it's wings and screeching loudly.
"Ugh, this one a little tougher than the others." Nabooru whispered.
"What's the matter Nabooru, feeling tired?" Eclipsis called out from her throne.
Nabooru looked up at Eclipsis and narrowed her eyes, "...heh, just keep them coming." she said with a smirk, standing upright and gripping her scimitars.
"Who wouldn't be tired, after everything she's destroyed already?" spoke one rebel watching the arena battle in awe, seeing all the giant monster corpses now strewn around the place that were slowly disintegrating into purple mist.
"I still can't believe she's already defeated nearly thirty of the monsters Mother Eclipsis sent out at her. She's just as powerful as people say!" gasped out another.
Meanwhile, standing not too far away from Mother Eclipsis was a certain individual, Prince Ghilmarelm, the son of Ganondorf. He stared out at the arena, having been watching the fights Nabooru was pitted against. By his side was five Gerudo women all fawning over him.
"She's doing quite well for herself." Ghilmarelm said grinning, "I'd love to have a match with her sometime at her full power."
"Oooh... Prince Ghilmarelm is so brave!" squealed out one of the girls, "We wanna see you fight her too!"
"We'll see about that." Eclipsis spoke, "From the looks of things this might not end well for her."
The Helmaroc King screeched out and thrust it's razor-edged beak down at the ground at Nabooru, so she flipped our of the way of the impact. It continued to stab it's beak down at her with mighty thrusts, but she quickly jumped and evaded each attack. She tried to strike the beast's head when it slammed down, but it's armor protected it. The bird managed to swat Nabooru away with it's large wing, before running right at her to pierce her with the tip of it's beak. Nabooru quickly dived down just as it lunged it's beak forward, giving Nabooru a chance to thrust her sword up and stab the bird in it's throat.
The monster gagged out and coughed out some blood, before spreading it's wings and taking to the air. It swooped down at Nabooru with flying dives, but she rolled away to avoid them. The bird fired off a barrage of feathers from it's body that impaled into the ground like arrows. As they came at Nabooru, she brought up her scimitars and spun them in her hand to deflect away the feathers.
Helmaroc King screeched out and came down at her again with a swoop attack. Nabooru observed the bird as she stepped to the left and saw it lean in her direction, she stepped to her right and saw the bird follow her to the right. Nabooru then grinned and started shifting her body left and right in a quick motion. The Helmaroc King was trying to follow her motions, but getting a bit disorientated from it. Just as the bird was close, Nabooru stepped to the right again, but then took another right step, the bird accidentally turned left assuming she was going to go that way and crashed right into the wall, falling to the ground.
Nabooru took that chance and ran right up to the bird, delivering a powerful kick into the mind-control headgear, causing it to let off some static through the bird's head and made it's armored head crack a bit. Nabooru then jumped up onto the bird and drove her scimitars into it's forehead, causing it's armor to crack off entirely, before slashing it rapidly across the face. The bird got itself up and thrust its beak out again in a desperate effort to kill Nabooru. The Gerudo took a slight scratch across her side, but then ran up and jammed both her scimitars into the bird's chest, making it stop in it's attacks.
The Helmaroc King got up in a daze and screeched out one last time, before it staggered and collapsed to the ground, disintegrating into purple mist.
"And that's another one down, whew." Nabooru sighed out, falling to one knee to take a breath.
"Heh, nice." Prince Ghilmarelm nodded.
"S-She won again..." a rebel spoke in shock.
"Is she a monster... or a war goddess?" asked another.
Even the Elite Rebels were all looking down at Nabooru rather surprised at her victory themselves.
"Pogarosa?! Nabooru es muterdo de Helmarocky? Dun sekah de muervo!" the masked wrestler Lae Sahvasu exclaimed in fury, gripping onto the steel bars of the fence.
"Oh dear, that bird was sort of a pet to Lae Sahvasu. She doesn't seem very happy about this..." Kiraila giggled at the muscular woman's anger.
"Well golly, I remember me and Sahvasu having a hard time taking that thing down just to capture it back in the day." Hetoma said scratching at the side of her head, "And Lady Nabooru just took it down completely like it was nothin'."
Asaeku said nothing, but continued to stare down at Nabooru, carefully observing her battle skills.
"So stubborn..." Mother Eclipsis spoke, "How much longer do you think you can continue doing this?"
"I'll keep going as long as I need to." Nabooru said, pointing out her scimitar, "I'll never stop fighting for my people's freedom!"
"Freedom...?" Mother Eclipsis spoke, "Tell me something Nabooru, how can you truly claim that you're fighting for the right side? You say you're fighting for the Gerudo's freedom, but to do so means kneeling before the scum of the Hylian Parliament and begging for that 'freedom' instead."
"Heh... again, don't underestimate us, we'll never bow to them." Nabooru smirked, "With the help of our allies, we intend to secure a place within the Hylian Parliament, so that we'll stand alongside them as equals, and if they refuse to understand us, we'll work with the Hyrule royal family to fix that, even if it means kicking the Parliament out from their positions."
Eclipsis paused and spoke, "...so even you understand that you'll need force to deal with the bloated monarchs of the Parliament. It appears the true ways of the Gerudo have not been completely lost on you. Perhaps you and I aren't too different after all Lady Nabooru."
Nabooru stared up at the mysterious woman in the mask, thinking about that time she considered hypnosis on the rebels and getting yelled at by Link for it back when he had been turned into a child. But she recalled something else he said to her after that and smirked slightly.
"Heh... you know, sometimes I used to think that way, that I may have lost enough options, that I may have become desperate enough to achieve our goals that I would have ended up the same as you Eclipsis..." Nabooru said.
"But I've been observing how your rebellion is being run, you're treating your people like slaves, capturing wild creatures to fight for you, using dangerous experiments to try and strengthen your army, keeping information from your own people to maintain the power you have... and I think I've come to learn there's a rather major difference between you and I."
"Oh, what is that...?" Mother Eclipsis spoke, growing more irritated at Nabooru's words.
"It's simple, we're fighting for peace, and you're fighting for control. People always fight for what they have less of." Nabooru said.
Eclipsis just stared down at Nabooru, squeezing the armrests of her throne. She thought she had heard a brief chuckle coming from Prince Ghilmarelm, but when she turned to see him he was now busy making out with one of the girls crowded around him, who was practically melting in his arms.
"Tsk...that's it, I'm done arguing with you and your traitorous attitude." Eclipsis said to Nabooru, "I hope for your sake you're prepared to keep fighting."
"Bring it on, I'll take down anything you send at me!" Nabooru shouted.
"...anything, huh?" Eclipsis spoke. She gestured to her guard and whispered into her ear something that alarmed her.
"What? But Great Mother, are you sure?" the guard asked.
"Do it." Eclipsis spoke.
The guard seemed hesitant, but nodded as she made preparations. Nabooru stood still, waiting patiently for her next opponent. Suddenly one gate shifted and rose up, and Nabooru watched as her next opponents came out. But upon seeing what exactly they were, she was rather startled.
"What...?"
It was three Gerudo rebels, all wielding swords. Nabooru noted they looked rather frail, like they haven't eaten in a long while, and they didn't have much in the way of muscle. She noted one rebel seemed to be holding her sword in the wrong position.
The crowd was just as confused as Nabooru was, and started talking among each other.
"What? Our own sisters?" asked one rebel.
"What is Mother Eclipsis trying to do?" asked another.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Nabooru asked, "These girls are hardly fit for battle!"
"A joke? Not at all. You said you could take down anything I send at you, so these are your opponents I'm sending at you." Eclipsis said.
Nabooru gulped a bit and stared at the three girls, they all looked terrified to be in this situation.
"Hey! That's my sister Amela down there!" shouted one rebel, running up and banging on the steel cage protecting the audience stands, "What are you doing to her?!"
"So that's what you plan to do..." Prince Ghilmarelm muttered, and looked to Eclipsis, "That's rather cruel of you Mother..."
"Now girls, in the past you've shown yourselves to be too weak and unwilling to fight, so we had you confined in prison." Eclipsis spoke out to the three girls, "To prove yourselves to me and the Sisterhood, you must kill Lady Nabooru, and only then can you leave the arena!"
The three girls all nervously looked to Nabooru, who was still standing tall despite all the battles she fought and injuries she sustained.
"Lady Nabooru..." spoke one of the three girls, before turning to Eclipsis and shouting out, "There's no way we can do something like that! She's way too strong!"
"Yeah, I don't wanna fight her anyway..." said another.
The third didn't say anything, but just looked up at the girl calling out to her, and Nabooru assumed she was Amela.
"None of you are leaving this arena until one side dies; either Lady Nabooru... or you." spoke Eclipsis, "Make your choice."
The three girls all shivered, looking over at Nabooru. One stepped up and put out her sword nervously, "W-We're sorry for this Lady Nabooru..."
"It's okay girls," Nabooru whispered, as she readied her scimitars, "I understand."
Back in the underground water way, Link and Reirousa turned a corner and saw some moonlight coming down into the next room. It was a tall wide area compared to the short and narrow tunnels they were going through. There was a ladder that led up to a metal grate at the ceiling. In the middle of the room was the canal with water rapidly flowing through. They could hear some cheering from outside, as well as some monsters roaring out. There was also a large tunnel passage to the left.
"There it is, that ladder leads up to the arena!" Reirousa said.
"Alright, hopefully Nabooru is up there. We'll bust through the grate, grab Nabooru and escape out the way we came." Link nodded, "Good thing you knew this place so well."
"I used to watch the fights from down here. It was pretty awesome seeing all those warriors cut loose." Reirousa nodded, "It made me wanna get big and tough so I could fight in the arena battles too. But I stopped going goin' to this spot after a while."
"Why's that?" Link asked.
"After I figured out why the arena was built over this water way, and what that grate in the arena is for..." Reirousa muttered, "...getting rid of the biggest losers."
Link's eyes widened, as he took another look in the water and noticed the bricks were lightly stained with red streaks.
"Oh..."
"A-Anyway, I'll go up first. I can probably push the grate open with one arm." Reirousa said.
They were about to start heading towards the ladder when they heard an echoed grunting sound. The two of them looked to see a large figure walking out of the side tunnel.
It was a huge muscular Gerudo, far wider and muscular than even Reirousa. Her skin had a small gray tint to it, she wore strapped armor plating over her chest, had multiple stitched up wounds across her body, and was wearing a large black hood over her head. She was carrying a battleaxe in one arm and pulling a large bag with the other.
"I swear these bags just keep getting heavier and heavier." muttered the woman in a dark, gruff voice. She came to a stop when she saw Link and Reirousa staring at her, "Huh? What are you doing here?"
"Uh oh, didn't think anyone came down here..." Reirousa said, about to reach for her warhammer.
"Wait, you're the false king Mother Eclipsis told us about. She was right that you'd try to take back the traitor Nabooru." spoke the woman, "Didn't think you'd try going through here of all places though."
"So who are you, and what are you doing here?" Link asked.
"I'm the head executioner of the Ebony Sisterhood." the woman said, leering at Link through the black hood she wore, she gestured to the bag she was dragging, "I'm just here to dump off some garbage."
The executioner lifted up the bag, and Link and Reirousa both saw with alarm that it was dipping with red liquid, as the overly-muscular woman hurled the bag into the rushing water. They watched as the bag was quickly carried off through the passage and into a low tunnel by the water that was flowing into it. The bag left behind a stream of red into the water.
"Were those... Gerudo?" Reirousa muttered.
The hooded Gerudo nodded, "Yeah, former members of the Sisterhood, but they wanted to quit and leave the rebellion, so Mother Eclipsis deemed them traitors and had them dealt with..."
She tapped her battleaxe against her shoulder, "...by me. Just as I intend to do to you, false king."
Link clenched his fists, feeling an anger rising up within him. But then he remembered what he had done back at the canyon and forced himself to hold back, not wanting to lose himself at that moment. Reirousa stepped up in front of him and held her warhammer.
"Link, you let me handle this, alight?" Reirousa spoke, "Save your strength for helpin' Lady Nabooru."
"...okay Reirousa, good luck." Link nodded, taking a step back and sitting down to watch.
"Alright lady, put em up!" Reirousa said, gripping her warhammer, "I ain't gonna let you hurt Link!"
"Wait, what did he say your name was?" the executioner asked.
"Reirousa, what about it?" she asked.
"... … ...unbelievable, to think I'd end up seeing you again." she spoke. She reached up and pulled off her hood, revealing her face to them. She bore a straight face with a scowling look in her eyes.
"Wait..." Reirosua said with wide eyes, "Kieleru? It's you?!"
"Yeah, that's right. Been a long time, rookie." Kieleru the executioner spoke, still maintaining the straight face.
"You know this woman?" Link asked.
"She's a lot buffer then she used to be, but yeah. She was part of the army group I worked in along with Hira." Reirousa said, "She was one the higher ranked girls on my squad under Commander Imono!"
"Hira... can't believe it's been nine years since that war, how quickly does time go?" Kieleru spoke, looking upwards at the ceiling.
'Hira' was short for Hiraemo, a soldier in the Gerudo army, and a sort of mentor figure and friend to Reirousa. She had managed to save Reirousa during the war after she was captured by the Hylian army, but it came at the cost of her own life. She had encouraged Reirousa not to mourn for the dead and keep living, even in her final moments of living.
Kieleru continued, "I remember those days; me and the others all treated you like trash when you first started. But not Hira... she saw something in you, she wanted to help you get strong... protect you..."
"She did big time... I'd be dead if it weren't for her." Reirousa nodded.
"Yes... I know full well what she did for you..." Kieleru spoke, then narrowed her eyes coldly at Reirousa, "And what you did to us."
"Huh?"
Kieleru rushed forward with her executioner's ax and swung it down at Reirousa, but she quickly blocked it with her warhammer. The two started swinging and bashing their weapons back and forth. While Kieleru had the upper hand in strength, Reirousa's more blunt weapon combined with her skilled positioning helped her stay in the fight.
Kieleru shoved her backwards and rose her ax into the air to slash at her, but Reirousa stepped to the side to avoid it. Kieleru then brought her ax to the side and bashed it into Reirousa's warhammer which knocked it away, before the executioner swung again and the training general got slashed by the ax.
"Grk!" Reirousa cringed from the pain, but swung out her warhammer and managed to bash Kieleru across the face. Despite the impact though, the executioner didn't even seem the slightest bit phased.
"...didn't even feel that." Kieleru said with her straight face, bashing Reirousa away with her battleaxe.
"Ugh... I don't get it, what the hell happened to you?" Reirousa asked, "You said you became a soldier to protect your people right? How can you just go around executing them like that now?!"
"When I was defeated during the war, the knight who defeated me left me for dead. While I couldn't move, I could still see and hear the pain of all our people dying to the knights, even though there was nothing I could for them." Kieleru muttered, "I realized how much of a crime weakness is, to not be able to save those important to you is like abiding to murder."
Link stared out at the woman, in particular taking in the words of her not being strong enough to protect those she cared about. He then thought about a certain woman in a quaint happy little village...
Kieleru continued, "After it was all over, I was saved by some war survivors, and we eventually joined the Ebony Sisterhood. I vowed to make myself stronger, and realized those who give in to their weaknesses are better off dead. Now as the head executioner, I take the lives of criminals and traitors." she swung her battleaxe around her and slammed it to the ground, "And thus, I'll take yours as well."
"Just try it." Reirousa said narrowing her eyes, the two came at each other and bashed their weapons together again. The two struggled for a while, before Kieleru kicked Reirousa backwards, and then slashed at her with her battleaxe, before bashing her across the face with the blunt end of it.
"Aaargh!" Reirousa shouted out as she went flying backwards and skidded across the ground, she slowly stood herself up using one knee and her warhammer and glared at Kieleru.
"Reirousa, do you need a hand?" Link called out, about to attack the executioner himself.
"No! Don't try to help me!" Reirousa shouted, "Lady Nabooru needs yer help more than me! Save yer strength!"
"He's right you know, you're too weak to beat me." Kieleru spoke, "You were always weak, Hira tried to make you into a great warrior, but you lost to those Hylians and got yourself captured."
She bashed Reirousa across the face with a blunt side of her battleaxe again and sent her falling back to the ground.
"Now tell me something Reirousa; On the last day of the war, Commander Imono, Hira, and our people launched a surprise final assault on the Hylians, but somehow the knights found out our strategy in advance and formed a counter attack that slaughtered our people. Just how could they have found out about that I wonder...?" Kieleru spoke.
"..." Reirousa stared at Kieleru, before looking to the side, "...I told them. I was beaten and tortured until I gave up and confessed. They even took me out to the battlefield so I could see you all die..."
"...just as I thought." Kieleru nodded, "You truly are a traitor to all Gerudo, even worse than Lady Nabooru. A true Gerudo would have endured the torture until their death, but you caved in to the knights due to how weak you are. Your weakness got so many of our people killed, including Commander Imono... and Hira."
"N-No... I..." Reirousa stammered.
"Your crimes are unforgivable, and therefore, you should pay with your life." Kieleru said bringing up her battleaxe.
"..." Reirousa shut her eyes tightly, she had tried to move on from her guilt about the past, but it kept coming back to haunt her.
Just as Kieleru was about to slash her again, an arrow shot through the air and knocked back her battleaxe. The executioner turned to see Link holding out his Fairy Bow.
"Alright that's enough, I'm getting sick of what you're saying!" Link shouted, stepped up to his friend's side, "'A true Gerudo would have endured the torture until their death.'? Don't give me that crap! What's so weak about wanting to live?"
"...?" Reirousa was in silence as she looked over at Link.
"Reirousa's beaten herself up enough about what happened as it is! I should know, I've been doing what I can help her through that pain!" Link said, "But even after all she suffered, she found a group of her sisters and took them in, protecting them all! Someone who can manage to do that is anything but weak!"
Link thought about Sovan and the rest of the Sandstorm Vipers, how she would go out of her way to watch out for them against rebels and monsters, how she'd help maintain their Spinner devices, and despite how grumpy she could be to all of them, they stuck by her side.
"Even the strongest of us need someone to support them, and I'm happy to be that support!" Link said.
"Link..." Reirousa muttered.
"Hmph... no matter what flowery words you might say, Reirousa needs to pay for her crimes of the past, as will you false king." Kieleru said, before charging at Link and swinging out with her battleaxe, but it was suddenly deflected away by the training general swinging her warhammer at it.
"What'd I tell you before? I said I can handle it!" Reirousa shouted at Link, "Now back off so I can finish this!"
"Heh, all right." Link grinned, "Go for it!"
Reirousa stared at Link for a second and nodded, before she went charging at Kieleru again and the two started clashing with their weapons. Reirousa deflected away the ax and took that opportunity to swung and bash her hammer against Kieleru's legs, making her flinch. The executioner swung her ax to the side to try and lop off Reirousa's head, but the general brought up her hand and grabbed the ax by it's handle, shocking Kieleru.
Reirousa then grabbed the battleaxe with both arms and, summoning all her strength, swung it so hard that she managed to fling Kieleru away and sent her crashing to the ground. Before the executioner could even get herself up halfway she saw Reirousa running forward and shoulder charged into her, before bashing Kieleru across the face with her warhammer again. Kieleru backed off from Reirousa, gasping out in pain from the brutal blows.
'What...? She didn't fight this hard before... where is she getting... this new strength from...?' Kieleru thought to herself, just before Reirousa bashed into her side with another powerful swung.
Kieleru then swung her battleaxe to block another attack, then quickly slashed at Reirousa again with her weapon. Reirousa cringed, seeing another mark across her body that would probably scar, but she pid it no further thought and lunged forward, bashing and smashing against Kieleru using her weapon. The mighty swings of Reirousa's hammer were getting to be too much for the executioner, and she was driven back by another attack.
The executioner gasped out and looked up just as Reirousa came at her with another attack. Kieleru reached out and managed to grab onto the hammer's head itself as it was swung at her, she cringed from the pain of the impact and felt the bones in her hand breaking, but used that opportunity to slash Reirousa again with her battleaxe before bashing her away with the handle.
"This ends your traitor, I'll take your head tonight!" Kieleru shouted, bringing up her ax and running at Reirousa to finish her, but the general managed to recover from her injury and swing her hammer out at the last minute, bashing it right into the battleaxe as it came down, and hitting it with such force that the blade actually broke off at the end, "What?! My ax!"
"Why don't ya take this instead?" Reirousa shouted, smashing her hammer into Kieleru once more.
"GRAAAAAH!" shouted out Kieleru, flailing backwards until she was at the edge of the water way. She tried to regain her footing, but due to her massive bulk Kieleru lost her balance and fell into the sewer water. She was about to be carried away by the current into the narrow water passage, but was stopped by someone grabbing her huge muscular arm.
"Huh...?"
Kieleru looked up weakly to see Reirousa gripping her arm with both hands, though even with Reirousa's great strength Kieleru was too heavy, and the water flowing against her was too much for her to lift the executioner up.
"Hang on Kieleru, I got ya!" Reirousa shouted out.
"What...? Why are you trying to save me?" Kieleru asked.
"Cause I ain't gonna let my fellow soldier drown and die!" Reirousa shouted out at her, leaving the executioner surprised.
"Don't worry, we both got you!" Link said, running up and gripping at Kieleru's arm too. The two of them pulled as hard as they could to try and lift her up, but they were having trouble with it.
"..." Kieleru looked up at Reirousa and the false king Link in stunned silence. She lowered her head, and for the first time in years, she smiled slightly.
"So that's it... now I see where you get your strength from Reirousa."
Kieleru then took her arm and yanked it out of Reirousa and Link's grip, causing her to get carried away into the rapid current.
"NO!" Reirousa shouted, reaching out to try and grab her again, but Link held her back.
"Don't do it, or you'll fall in too!" Link shouted at his friend.
The two could only watch helplessly as the rebel executioner Kieleru was carried away by the water into the same tunnel she had dropped the bag of rebel bodies into, disappearing into the deep darkness...
"..." Reirousa said nothing, but hung her head down.
"Reirousa, I'm sorry." Link said, putting a hand to her arm. She wanted to pull away from Link again like she had been recently, but recalled his words from earlier, and stayed still to let him comfort her.
"It... it's okay... Let's just go help Lady Nabooru now..." Reirousa eventually said, walking over to the ladder and starting to climb up it to get to the arena grate.
Link took one last look at the tunnel, before nodding and following afterwards to go save Nabooru.
And that ends the chapter. Next time, Link and Reirousa make it to the arena to save Nabooru, but does Eclipsis have a deadly surprise for them? Stayed tuned for next time and find out!
And yes, this chapter title is a callback to Chapter 1, man it's been a long time hasn't it?
Thanks everyone for you continued support! Drop me a like, follow, comment or even send a PM if you desire. I generally make an effort to respond to all my comments and messages as your feedback is very important!