I don't own Zelda or any of its characters… I own all original characters.. Blah Blah Yadda Yadda Bang.
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Four days.
"Impa and Link will not return in time."
Four days to make it to the Gerudo's Fortress.
"You must go to the wastelands Sheik. Four days. From the north of the Desert Colossus. The Sowka must not be allowed to fall."
Four days to find a race that supposedly never existed to begin with. Normally Sheik would have enjoyed getting out of the castle, especially on his own. To be free to go where he pleased when he pleased was something he couldn't do anymore. Impa and Link where probably already on there way back from Lake Hylia, but the Zelda had insisted on him leaving immediately. The dreams had began about a week ago, and unlike the prophecies she'd seen before this one was too vague for the Queen to understand what this new evil was after. Of course one would guess the Triforce, but if this darkness did get a hold of the secret city of the goddess's why would it need the Triforce?
If it can bring the Sowka to there knees what hope does Hyrule have?
Sheik frowned behind his white cowl, jabbing his horse making it gallop as fast as the animal could. In a few hours he would arrive at the Gerudo's hide out. How would he explain himself? Would Nabooru even believe him? Not that he really had to explain.
Would four days be enough?
Ruby eyes narrowed as his mind raced. So many questions he wanted answers for, none of which Zelda could answer, or wouldn't. The Sowka was the stuff of Sheikah bed time stories. Which where true and which were just myth no one seemed to know. The only thing that most the stories had in common was that the race was a powerful race made of female warriors, much like the Gerudo, that protected temples that where said to be made by the goddess themselves.
What exactly was in the temples was unknown even to the wisest Sheikah. Some would say the Sowka were the reincarnations of the goddess's, others that they where an ancient form of Sheikah who abandoned their duties as protectors of the royal family. None of these stories could be considered as truth though, since both ended in the death of all Sowka.
If their that powerful why do I have to race to the middle of the desert to stop one from dieing?
Apparently the Sowka where meant to be nearly invincible, or was it immortal? The later had seemed to make more sense, how could a race made up solely of women survive if not immortal?
It had been 3 years since the dreams had stopped. Ten years since the Gerudo king had tried to take hold of Hyrule. Already the peace might be threatened again. A shiver went down Sheik's spine as memories returned to him. The Sheikah reached up to tighten his cowl, trying to keep out the cold night air.
Why couldn't I forget, just like everyone else?
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Four more days.
Nyx stood beside the black horse, gently stroking its back as it drank from a small pool of water. Wind gently weaving through the trees, and rustling threw Nyx's hair and the stallions mane. They had been travelling for five days, only resting once since leaving the ruins that was once Mecca. The only reason they had stopped now was to let the horse rest. Her eyes staring off into the centre of the pool.
Will I even make it past the wasteland?
A sigh escaped Nyx's lips which was followed by a frown. She cursed herself for not caring provisions with her.
Of all the Sowka, they call me.
Names and faces flashed in front of her eyes. The ones that could have been spared and put in her place. Wiser, stronger, faster, more courageous Sowka that might have been half way through the desert by now.
Sowka that didn't stop because there was no need to, and not to keep their mind off what was left behind. Sowka that didn't have to worry about breaking down and letting a tear fall. She couldn't remember the last time she didn't have to put on a facade.
By now their bodies would no longer be their own.
The pressure in Nyx's chest grew, her knees weakened as she felt her eyes burn. She squeezed them shut. Shame filled her heart as the sound of her own uneven gasps reached her ears, making Nyx's tears fall harder. Tired gloved hands hide her face, her mind races with memories of her sister Sowka's. She couldn't help but laugh bitterly through her tears.
Forgive me for my weakness.
"If I was caught crying a month ago I would go without food for a week" she said, laughing bitterly looking to to the black stallion to her side.
"Cha-ka would have my head" she mumbled as the horse next to her lowed its head to her shoulder. It silent movement brought an even deeper sadness to Nyx's eyes.
"I'll do my best Nyx, but I can't promise anything" the redhead mumbled. She stood behind a seated Nyx, resting her tan hands on the others shoulders. Her bright red hair and matching eyes glowing in the darkness. Nyx's waist length dark blue hair hung neatly along on her back.
"Just do it, I doubt I will live to worry about it" she replied dryly, staring into a cracking fire. The woman behind reaches for a small blade, and with her other hand holds out a small section of hair. Then with sigh starts cutting the hair off.
"Don't talk like that. In a few years from now we'll look back and laugh at how badly I butchered your hair"
Silent tears now slid down Nyx's face as the memory came to her. Weak hands pushed back her hood and touched her hair. Her fingers touching the jaggedly cut hair, that now ended just above her neck in back but fell below her jaw in the front. She then let her hand trace the mark on the base of her neck. An Eye without the pupil, with three lines running through it that curved at the ends. It was a mark all the Sowka where given the day their being was dedicated to the goddess's. Their lives and souls no longer there own, to serves the three even after death for the rest of eternity.
Nyx shook her head, breaking her train of thought as she leant forward and stared at her reflect in the pool. The lack of light made her hair look as black as the horse beside her. Her pale skin hidden behind her hair and black cloths which where badly torn and covered in blood. Her eyes studied the mark that was left by the goddess. Three thin lines in the middle of her cheek. Dark red, blue and green all of which looked black due to the lack of light. Idly she wondered if any more marks had been added to her collection of scars.
She sat down with a tired sigh, shut her eyes and listened to the silence, slowly searching the area around her. Nothing. No birds, no animals, even the wind had stopped. Nyx rose to her feet.
Not far enough.
"Hienaha vawta yeishiva, maydeo hann " she whispered to the horse as she climbed onto its back.
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"Leaving already?" Nabooru teased as she approached the Sheikah. "You get here in the dead of night and are about to leave before even saying hello. What's could be so important that would stop you form greeting an old friend?"
"We will find out soon enough." Sheik said, his words slightly muffled by his scarf. His nibble fingers finished securing a bottle of red potion within a pocket on his saddle. The Desert took at least a week to cross, and that if you don't loss you way which is highly unlikely even for a Gerudo.
"I am sorry. I wish I had time for small pleasantries but unfortunately I don't" Sheik said as he turn to look at the woman who stood with him. Her bright red hair was down, and fell around her waist, swaying with the wind. Nabooru was in her normal attire except that she hadn't had any jewellery on, making it obvious that she had just woken up. Her yellow eyes looked tired, but seemed to have a smile hidden within them.
"Well maybe some other time."
"I promise. Now go back to bed before your spotted without any gold on" he said with a smirk, thanking the goddess for his cowl. Nabooru left out a small laugh and gave his horse a smack to the rear, sending it into a gallop catching the young man by surprise. She ignored the profanities that followed and watched until the rider was but a black smudge against the horizon.
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Sheik narrowed his eyes, scanning the desert for any sign of life. He had made it to the Sprit Temple in just under three days. He had been lucky, the spirits that usually haunted the wasteland seemed to be preoccupied. This worried him somewhat but pushed it out of his mind. To the east he could sense a sand storm was coming. With one graceful movement the Sheikah jumped from his perch in front of the Temple and made his way to his horse.
Soon enough he was on his way north. He wasn't sure how long he would have to search for, or if he really had to look in the first place. The Queen didn't say anything about scouring the desert, nor did she say just sit around and a Sowka will fall into his lap. Slowly the hours past, and the moon cleared the horizon.
Sheik let out a rough sigh and brought a hand up to massage the sore muscles in the back of his neck. He tilted his head up and watched the stars. He missed watching the sky, and the sereneness that came with it. As much as he liked the hero of time, Link could never stay quiet for too long. Whether he felt awkward in the silence or just around Sheik was unknown to him. He just enjoyed silence, maybe it was a Sheikah thing. Just being was enough for him. The throbbing of his back brought him back to reality, making a mental note not to let riding four days straight become a habit.
Din, give me strength
No sooner did the silence prayer pass through his mind something caught his eye. To the north a figure emerged from the darkness. The Sheikah watched it come closer at an alarming rate. It took him a minute to realise the figure was a large horse with something sprawled over its back. Sheiks stomach turned as alarm bells went off in his head. He slapped his horse cause it to race over the sand. The closer he more the feeling in his stomach grew.
Please let it not be too late
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R&R and I'll send you a cookie.