57th Entry: Renado

While escorting Illia and the children out of the Yiga Clan's hideout, Zelda found a storeroom that had a bunch of stolen items inside. Among these items lay the Master Sword, which Zelda took while the Yiga guards weren't looking. Outside the underground hideout, the sky was miraculously blue again over the Gerudo Highlands though it was still orange everywhere else. The Yiga guards stationed near the hideout entrance were momentarily distracted by this, allowing Zelda to freeze them with the Stasis Rune and escort the children outside with Illia and Wolf Link following.

It seems the Twilight has left the Gerudo Province somehow, Zelda realized as they made their way down the sandy slope outside the hideout entrance. The only thing that could combat against the Twilight's effects on this world are…the Light Spirits!

Just then, Paya's Sheikah Slate vibrated and Riju's name appeared on the slate's front. Immediately, Zelda answered it and saw Riju smiling at Vah Naboris' main terminal with Buliara and other female Gerudo bodyguards with a message below it.

Dear Paya,

You're not going to believe this, but I actually managed to take control of Vah Naboris after not being able to for several months. The other Champions are having similar problems, and we want to tell Zelda but our Province Leaders thought it best that she didn't know in case this distracted her from unlocking the Sealing Power. But on a related note, the Arbiter's Grounds have arisen in the Gerudo Desert and the Twilight Realm is merging with ours because of a Twili usurper named Zant. All of this was told to me by the spirit of Nabooru, who was informed by Lana, and she prevented me from succumbing to the Twilight Realm's effect while I awakened a Light Spirit that was in Vah Naboris.

According to her, the Light Spirits were summoned by Lana and placed inside the Divine Beasts. So it's up to the other Champions to rid the world of Twilight from their areas. In the meantime, I'm going to reconvene with my grandmother in Gerudo Town and we're going to secure the Arbiter's Grounds to destroy the presumably reconstructed Mirror of Twilight. Hopefully you get this message and warn Zelda about what is happening.

Sincerely,

Your friend, Riju

Zelda almost dropped Paya's Sheikah Slate from all this new information she was receiving. But looking at the confused and concerned children, she realized that she had to get her priorities straight. Wolf Link suddenly barked, which got Zelda's attention as a bunch of Yiga Clan members suddenly appeared in a flurry of red paper. Not saying anything, they pulled out their bows and aimed arrows at them from all sides.

"Thought you escape our hideout easily, didn't you?"

Turning around, Zelda saw the Yiga Clan Leader Master Kohga himself emerging from the hideout entrance. But due to his large figure, he had to squeeze himself out and walk slowly toward Zelda and the others.

"I knew Premier Rhoam would send the Sheikah to find our hideout while seemingly giving into my demands from the ransom," Kohga continued. "But I'm surprised he only sent one Sheikah. Unless, you're a scout! And the other Sheikah are waiting to ambush me."

"Yeah, I am a scout," Zelda claimed, trying to play along with Kohga's assumption. "And the other Sheikah are actually surrounding you guys right now."

The other Yiga Clan members winced and looked around nervously.

Kohga didn't seem concerned and laughed. "You must be bluffing!"

"I'm not!" Zelda lied and quickly took out Paya's Sheikah Slate. "I'll call the leader of our squad to prove it."

On the Sheikah Slate, Zelda activated the Remote Bomb Rune and threw it towards Kohga. As soon as the bomb exploded, she led the children in the opposite direction with Wolf Link attacking the Yiga Clan members in front of them. Unfortunately, the younger children like Malo and Kinov couldn't run very far. So Zelda picked them up and carried them while the others kept running. They eventually came into the eastern edge of Gerudo Desert, where the sun was setting on the horizon. In the shade of a nearby rock was a horse-drawn wagon where a dark-haired man in a tan robe stood next to a little girl with bowl-cut black hair.

"Renado!" Colin cried, waving his hands frantically. "Luda!"

The dark-haired man and girl heard Colin's cries, looking genuinely surprised as he and the other children ran to him with Zelda, Illia, and Wolf Link bringing up the rear.

"How did you children get here?" The dark-haired man Renado demanded.

"We thought you were kidnapped by the Yiga Clan," said the little girl Luda.

"That did happen," Illia said and glanced over at Zelda. "But this Sheikah boy rescued us, along with this strange wolf named Link."

In response, Wolf Link barked.

"You're a very brave young lad," Renado said to Zelda. "Are you alone?"

"Unfortunately, I am," Zelda admitted as she put Malo and Kinov down. "Our world is currently merging with the Twilight Realm, just like what happened during the Time of Twilight. And when that happened, my squad got affected and turned into Spirits. I was the only one who escaped."

Renado's brow furrowed. "That would explain a lot of things. I was just leaving Gerudo Town with my daughter Luda after performing my shamanic services for a special client, when the sky suddenly darkened. So we thought it best to take shelter behind this rock in case it rained, and now it's cleared up."

"That's because one of the Light Spirits got freed from the Divine Beast Vah Naboris," Zelda said, though Renado looked confused. "It would take too long to explain. Could you take Illia and the children to Gerudo Town in your wagon? They'll be safer there in case the Yiga Clan shows up to capture them again."

"Of course," Renado agreed. "And I'll try to let their parents know that they're okay, though the Hyrule Network doesn't seem to be working in some areas."

"It's because of interference from the Twilight Realm," Zelda claimed. "That's what I think, anyway. But for extra protection, I'll give you Riju's contact information and she can let Lady Urbosa know what's going on."

Renado didn't question where Zelda got this information as she exchanged Riju's contact info into Renado's Sheikah Slate. Though because he wasn't familiar with how to use it, his daughter Luda helped him. After that, the children were loaded into the wagon with Illia helping out.

"Thank you for everything, Sheik," Illia said, and kissed Zelda on the cheek before getting into the wagon.

Zelda was at a loss for words, and said nothing as Renado's wagon trudged along the Gerudo Desert with the children waving back while Wolf Link gave her an indifferent look. But his shadow, which was shaped like Midna, seemed mildly amused.

To be continued…