Author's note:
I'm uploading this one again! I made some little tweaks here and there, and overall double checked for spelling and grammar mistakes. Hopefully this version is up to the standards of the previous 19 chapters.
Apologies to anyone that already read this one.
Also, yay! I'm back! Im sorry for the long hiatus! I had very stressful days at work and then just had no energy whatsoever to write once I got home. But as all things in life, work is now a bit less eventful and I have mustered all my energy to commit to this story.
I have rough drafts for at least two chapters.
In my head this story consists of three parts. We're nearing the end of part I. I will not be splitting this in separate stories, since I hate when anyone does that. Even if we end up with 60+ chapters haha!
SO! Enough of my usual rambling. Off you go:
Chapter XX
The Nomad
Part I
He had walked across the barren desert for three days, with nothing more than a few drops of water inside his old and dusty canteen. He had already downed the last crumbs of bread he had saved for a trip that should have lasted only a day. His limbs started to feel numb with each step, as the soles of his shoes had finally given away and the scorching sand was burning his feet.
The sand began to crawl inside his toes, and after a few minutes, he felt the soles of his feet stinging.
"It's no use now", he said to no one as he cast his shoes aside and walked barefoot through the hellish wasteland.
As the sun began to set on the horizon, he felt his stomach turn onto itself with hunger. He patted his belly as if he were petting a dog.
"I know, I know. I'm hungry too", he said to his grumbling stomach.
He had stripped from his tunic, using it as a turban, and had lifted his pants up to his knees. He had resorted to drinking his own sweat and, had been seriously thinking of drinking his own piss.
As the moon appeared on the night sky, he thought of his now long-lost shoes. He had to put his clothes on again. With no fire and no food, he expected to have a very cold and miserable night, to say the least.
He had found an enormous rock that protruded from the sand at an angle that protected him from the icy wind of the night, and thankfully, from the sun in the morning. He took a glimpse at the scenery in front of him as he rested his head against the cool rough surface.
Some hours later, he felt something moving between his legs, he opened his eyes, and began to feel for his legs, groggily waking up, his right finger touched something with numerous protuberances, but still felt slick and humid at the same time, and it was writhing and sliding upwards, -a snake. With a loud yelp he got up as fast as he could, effectively hurting his head as he felt the very hard stone above him.
"Oh, for fuck's sake!", he yelled to the stone. "Fucking stones, fucking sand", he said kicking sand over the snake as he leapt outside his natural refuge.
"I'm sick and tired of this fucking desert, with its fucking intolerable sun, and impossible cold", he said shivering.
"And of course, there'd be a snake, a fucking snake on top of everything!", he said looking to the mound he'd made kicking the sand over the snake. It started to move.
"I hope you're having a good fucking laugh up there, Din." he said out loud. The snake seemed to stop for the briefest moment at his remark, but he thought nothing of it, other than sheer panic. He was unable to move. Had the thing bitten him while he was asleep?
The snake lifted its head and started to slither out from the sand, and towards him, it was really long, about his size in length, and he couldn't make out the color of its scales, but it was definitely dark. The snake lazily began rounding his left leg, slithering upwards, he felt it's weight, but it made no attempt to bite him. In fact, they locked in some sort of gaze conversation, with the occasional tongue showing from said reptile.
"Well, do your thing, you half-assed Lizalfos!" he shouted. The snake merely replied sticking it´s tongue a few times and then, slowly, slid down and slithered to the giant rock, where it curled into a small circle, resting its face over its slender body, facing towards him.
"Fuck", he whispered. He slowly walked to the rock, sitting as far as he could from the snake. The night seemed to have some hours left in it and he didn't want to wake up roasting under the sun.
"You better leave in the morning", he whispered, feeling his eyelids getting heavier. Both of them shared a tense, but otherwise uneventful silence, until the snake hid its head under its coiled body.
When he woke up, he was resting on his back and the snake had found comfort over his belly. A pair of blackish shining eyes was the first thing he saw as he woke up.
"Fucking-", he yelped, tossing the snake away as he started to run as fast as his weak legs allowed him to.
The snake chased him for what felt an eternity, -until, as if it were some act of providence, he found a rather small body of water with a couple of palm trees. He forgot about the snake instantly and dived head-first into the small oasis drinking mouthfuls of water until he felt he could start throwing up. As he lifted his head out of the water, a glorious view greeted him, a few small fish were swimming placidly. Without any second thoughts he launched himself into the water, scaring all of them away.
It was after his tenth attempt that he understood he was never getting any of the fish. The thought was merely crossing his mind as he saw out of the corner of his eye a very long something swimming gracefully past him.
The goddess must have been mocking him, because the snake caught a fish in no time and swallowed it whole, then another and then another...
"Having fun, are you?", he yelled at it. He got out of the water and sat on the edge, watching the snake killing and eating. He had the feeling that the animal was enjoying itself, which only made him angrier. When the snake had it's full, it too swam to the shore of the little pond, and rested a few palms away from him, this time laying in a perfectly straight position, looking like a very disgusting stick. A few bumps along its body indicating the fish it had caught.
A few moments later he finally felt like life had given him an opportunity. The snake had stopped moving.
"Looks like snake and fish is on the menu", he said with a malicious grin. He looked for a stone to crush its head, just to be sure. When he found the one, he felt would do the job, the snake began to twitch and writhe. As if some sort of unholy ritual were taking place, a fish started to come out of the snake's mouth, covered in saliva. It still had a few drops of life in it, with a few slaps of its tail, the fish finally died. Then another one came out of the reptile's mouth, and then a third one and a fourth one after that.
He dared not move. He even realized he had been holding his breath.
The snake seemed to come out of a lull and slowly turned its head to him, then to the fish, and then to him again.
He blinked five times in a row, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming or seeing things.
"What?", he asked the snake. Feeling all logic and sense leaving the scene.
It looked at him for a long time, and then at the fish, then back at him. He still couldn't believe what was happening. When he did not grab a fish, the snake pushed one of them with its snout. The fish was at a grabbing distance now.
"This... can't be happening to me", he said in disbelief.
The snake coiled itself and waited. Watching.
"O-okay", he said, doubtful. "You want me to eat these, right?"; he asked. The snake kept looking at him. He thought he saw it nod but couldn't be sure.
"O-kay", he whispered with a mixture of hunger and disgust. "Fish and saliva are on the menu, it seems", and with one last look at the snake he took a bite at the fish. Naturally it tasted horribly, as it was raw, and he hated raw meat, but he didn't want to be rude to the snake.
What? Are you seriously thinking about a stupid snake's feelings?
Not to mention it also tasted something he could only assume were the snake's gastric fluids. He forced himself to down the raw fish. Fighting the urge to vomit, he powered through as much fish as he could eat, until he felt full.
"Th- er... thanks", he said in an ushered whisper. This time, the snake definitely nodded.
"Right... er- what- never mind", he stuttered. He got up and walked to the nearest palm tree he found. He sat under it, feeling its shade comfort him. The snake had followed him and was resting beside him too.
"You're one weird son-of-a-bitch, aren´t you?", he said with a tint of humor in his voice. For some reason he thought the snake found the situation amusing too.
"A hundred rupees is a theft!", the old geezer wheezed at him.
"Take it or leave it old man, a line is starting to form behind you, so buy the damned thing or get lost!", he said. The old man took out the money and tossed it at the floor.
"Yeah, you too, asshole!" he said red in the face. Only to greet his next customer with the most pleasant smile.
"Yes, my dear, what will you be buying from this humble merchant?", as he said this, Vawatai slithered down his neck and onto the floor, making the lady a bit anxious.
"Don't worry about her my dear, she's quite harmless", he said looking at the snake at his feet.
"Er- how much for that Tabantha rice?", she asked nervously. Vawatai never took its beady eyes from her. A rich one. Good.
"Fifty rupees, my dearest, but if you take the whole set of four, you'll be paying only three hundred rupees!", he said showing her the rather average rice. She eyed him anxiously.
"I assure you, love, there is no better merchandise in all of Gerudo". The woman eyed the snake again. Vawatai coiled and kept the pressure on.
"I've been told tabantha rice is a rather powerful aphrodisiac", he said slyly. The woman looked at him and blushed furiously.
"Okay!", she said hurriedly. She produced the crystals from a small pouch and almost ran from him, turning her head back once to look at Vawatai.
"Something about sex always gets customers going!" he said congratulating himself.
"Yes, my dear. What can I help you with?", he said to the next customer.
That day alone they had made almost five thousand rupees selling third-hand merchandise.
He had built a small enough fortune to start an oasis emporium, with a small inn, a fishing pond (five rupees for five minutes of fishing, no fish guaranteed), a restaurant and a small brothel (Oddly enough, the gorons were regulars there, he didn't want the particulars, if he made good money).
He liked to count his rupees every night after a day's work, Vawatai always watched him, kept him company. She was his only friend.
"We're disgustingly rich, and it's all thanks to you my slippery friend!", he always said. Vawatai always nodded. This night however, Vawatai spoke for the first time in five years.
As if snakes could talk and Vawatai was a mute, you dense bastard!
"Oh sssswee, ssssswee Draggggg-mirhhhh", she hissed. He dropped the wallet, its contents spilling on the floor.
"What the- what?!" he yelled pointing at the snake. "You can talk?!"
"Yesssssss", the snake replied. "We are friends, yessssssss", the snake asked without any inflection.
"We- we... you can talk?!", he asked again.
"I ... will nottt harrrrrm youuuu", Vawatai hissed again.
The snake began coiling and thrashing violently, getting thicker and heavier, Dragmire couldn't even move. The shock was just too big.
A woman about twice his stature stood before him. She had big brown eyes, almost amber-colored. Her hair was red, but not as fiery as the Gerudo, it was a dark shade of red and her skin was as dark as his. It wasn't until he paid attention to her skin that he noticed it- she, was naked.
Her lips had twisted in a very odd grin, as if she had forgotten how to smile properly. Her eyes however knew how to do it.
"I AM VAWATAI. YOU ARE CORRRECT", she bellowed in the thickest accent he had ever heard.
He was in awe; silence was all he could reply with. He noticed her hips, her breasts...
He tossed a moldy empty potato sack to her.
"Cover yourself!", he said urgently, turning away from her. She seemed to be remembering how to behave like a proper Gerudo, this time she spoke instead of yelling.
"You are hungry", she stated, pointing at his lower body, her accent receding with each word. "It has been centuries since a man looked at me with hunger. I am hungry too", she said. "I am a Goddess, Dragmire. You would have me wear these rags?", Vawatai asked in a cold voice. Her voice and demeanor were commanding. Dragmire heard the sound of cloth falling lazily to the ground. He finally dared to turn around and face her again.
A strange feeling of pressure against his left arm woke him up in the middle of the night. He was laying on his back. Somehow an arm and a leg were wrapped around his body, not unlike...
He turned his head to the left, and surely enough, an unnervingly huge woman was lying beside him. His shoulder was squashed against her bosom, and his hand...
"Someone's not asleep", she heard her whisper. The scent of her breathing was intoxicating. The Gerudo Goddess had her way with him a second time. He fell asleep collapsing over her chest. Faintly and at a distance, he heard her chuckle. Someone was stroking his balding head...
He couldn´t be sure, because he was certain he had never felt itm but all he could think of was one word:
Love.
A full year after that night, saw the odd couple sitting inside a stranger's tent. A very old, frail and quite strange old lady was speaking to Vawatai:
"I am sorry, but it is the will of the Gods. I have done everything in my power", the old one said, almost whispering. Dragmire turned to his love.
"We did everything you said old hag!", Vawatai shrieked, covering her face with her hands. The merchant looked at the old lady in an apologetic way. She smiled sweetly at him.
"Are you certain there is nothing more that could be done?", he asked, placing his hand over hers. Her hand was almost twice the size of his.
"There is... another path you could walk. I would never suggest such a thing-", she said, but Vawatai cut her through.
"We'll do it!", she held the frail sage by the shoulders, lifting her from the ground. "I don't care what it is, we'll do it!". The little woman looked at the Gerudo with pity and understanding.
"They live in the southernmost part of this desert. The oldest of my kin, they are the most powerful healers and sorcerers of my order", she was speaking in hurried whispers, and suddenly behaved as if the trinkets on her tent would spring to life anytime now.
"What are they called?", Dragmire said as calm as he could, eyeing her love. She looked as eager as he felt.
"I cannot pronounce their names. Our sisters and I simply call them Rova - The ancient". She barely even mouthed the last words. "Walk for ten days due south, until you see the bones of the giant beast. Their hut is underneath the skull.", she stood up and started to push them outside of her tent.
"Do not come back. Do not tell anyone you've been here. Never speak my name again!", she said as she ushered them outside, she closed her tent without another word. Vawatai opened the curtain again, but the only thing she found was a vast sandy landscape. The tent had vanished and all that was left was a rickety wooden frame and an old canvas curtain.
"Veran..." Vawatai whispered into the cool night air.
"Come on", Dragmire said, putting on his cape and scarf, his particularly big nose sniffing the cool night air. His wife followed suit, as they marched to the southern reaches of the world.
As the days went by, Dragmire started to doubt the words of the sage Veran. They had walked due south as she had told them, but there were no 'bones of the giant' in sight. Vawatai´s determined expression had not changed in the ten days they had endured the desert's extreme climate.
"It is the only thing I have ever truly wanted. I will have my child, Dragmire!", she protested anytime he told her to sit down and rest. "I will bear a child no matter the cost!".
The night of the tenth day was a silent one. There were no wind currents, no animal noises, and not a single cloud in the sky. He fell asleep just beside his loved one.
The scorching sun burning his ankle woke him up. A huge shadow was cast over them, save his feet and her legs.
"My love", he said as he gently woke her up. "Look".
Vawatai opened her eyes slowly, and her expression slowly changed into sheer happiness. They had spent the night under what they thought was a cave. Turned out to be an enormous ribcage. They could see a small tent just below a very elongated and odd shaped skull. Not unlike some creatures of legend he had once heard of…
"We made it!", she said. As they parted from the embrace, he noticed her face had numerous cuts. Not even her strong Gerudo body could withstand the power of the desert. Was it madness that brought them here? After all, only a year ago she was a snake, and he was an honest merchant.
They approached the tent with caution. She entered it first.
"Hello?", she said. But no one answered.
"Maybe they´re gone for the day?", he suggested.
"What if they're long dead?", she said panicking.
"PHA! DEAD! Can you believe that Koume!", a very sharp and old voice shrieked from the back of the tent, making them both jump and scream.
"We'd outlive death herself if we wanted to, child", another voice, just as old but not as sharp replied.
"Maybe she wants that too, Koume", the first voice grew clearer and louder, the owner of the first voice was approaching them.
"Now, now, Kotake. Manners". She spoke.
Out of thin air, a pair of old ladies appeared in front of them. They were as small as a child, and as frail as a dry leaf.
"Who are you calling a dry leaf, you insolent!", the sharp voiced one shrieked. The other one giggled at her reaction.
"Please, do forgive my sister. It's been too long since we had living-… visitors".
"Well, it's been more than two centuries, you dumb donkey!", she replied. "Spit it out! What do you want! They always want something from us, Koume!"
Kotake motioned them to sit down with them.
"Oh, but where are my manners. Would you like a fresh glass of water?" She said, and with a wave of her hand, a clay jar full of pristine water appeared, along with four clay cups. Vawatai curtly nodded and gulped four cups of water. Dragmire was thirsty too, but only drank half his cup.
"Oh dear, I understand you might be wary of us. It is not every day you meet old mind-reading witches", she said grabbing a cup and downing its contents in one gulp, "right?". He half smiled and drank the rest of his cup.
"I take it one of our younger sisters has told you about us?", Kotake said. The way she spoke reminded him of his own mother. She eyed him and gave him a sweet smile and a wink.
"Yes... yes, your... sister", Vawatai stuttered. She was trying hard not to mention her name. For some reason both had the same feeling.
"Ah... Veran. That mischievous little minx", Koume coughed loudly, hiding the word 'bitch' between coughs. Kotake turned to her sister, and she shut up instantly. He felt the temperature on the room plummeting.
"Yes, yes. Do not worry, Veran is our sister, although she's not... entirely there. Is she?", Koume shook her head at the remark of her sister.
"So", Kotake spoke in a very business-like manner, "You want to have a baby". Vawatai merely nodded, awestruck. They had barely crossed words with them.
"I am truly sorry my dear!", she said clasping her hands over her mouth. Her beady eyes looked bigger for some reason. "My sister and I barely have to speak to one another, since we know what the other is thinking". Dragmire nodded again.
"It's fine", he said in a very low whisper. "It's fine!", he repeated, louder this time. Kotake smiled at him.
"It is my dear". The nicest of the witches said. "You can leave now".
Dragmire looked at her wife, she was as shocked as he was. "But we haven´t... you haven't!", she said desperately.
"Now, now", Kotake said patting her on her hand, the highest point she could reach, as they stood up. "Not everything is the way it seems", the old lady held her hand the way only a mother could do so. "Go now. You will have your wish fulfilled". The tall Gerudo was at a loss for words.
"We've also taken the liberty of placing our small business next to your oasis, so you won't have to walk the agonizing way back".
"But, you've hardly done anything!", Dragmire exclaimed. The sister named Koume shot him one nasty look that seemed to glue his lips together.
"Not all magic is flashy lights and weird words, my dear", said Kotake in a calm and steady voice, that resembled nothing to a frail, old woman. "Our magic has worked, make no mistake".
"What do we owe you, wise one?", Dragmire said. Koume scoffed at this, but Kotake spoke first.
"Nothing dear, we are, as of now. Even." She said looking at him straight in the eye.
As of now…
Vawatai had embraced both witches, like she was hugging a bunch of puppies, kissing them on their huge foreheads, on their bony cheeks, and noses.
"I will never forget about this! You have made me the happiest woman in the world!"
"We know dear", Kotake said.
Vawatai kissed them both on the cheek one more time, for good luck, and Dragmire bowed to them both as they exited the tent.
They hadn't lied about their whereabouts. They were just across their tent in the oasis.
"We're having a child!", she said pulling him to their own tent.
A nagging sensation latched onto Dragmire's mind like a leech and never left him.
As of now…
Author's note II:
Well, ok. Now it's getting interesting. Also, there's bits of inner dialogue that hopefully make it more clear that Koume and Kotake were up to no good, in case anyone here is wondering if they were once good. NO. NO SIRS AND MADAMS, TWINROVA ARE JUST EVIL OLD HAGS AND WE LOVE THEM FOR IT.
Next up, part II.
