Okay, time to kick off the next major arc. Sorry if this one took a while, I hope it was worth the wait!
It was late night in Gerudo Town, the Festival of the Desert Goddess had ended, and all the residents were either packing everything up or resting. Everything was quaint and calm in the slowly growing and strengthening town of the Gerudo.
In the palace, Link was sleeping soundly on the pillows that made up his bed, and besides him was his future wife, the Zora princess Ruto. The two had just shared a great night at the festival together, which ended with a passionate round of love-making. Link had used his past experience with Nabooru to the test, and made Ruto by her own verdict, feel amazing the whole time.
Speaking of the Zora, Ruto's eyes slowly opened. She yawned a little and looked over to her husband-to-be, sleeping soundly. She smiled lightly, remembering the amazing night the two had.
"You've grown so much, my love..." Ruto whispered running her hand along Link's cheek, who continued to sleep through it. Ruto then paused and stroked at her scaly skin "Hm, I need to get to the pool and moisturize myself a little..." She stood up and brushed herself off.
Before she left however, she turned back to Link, watching him sleeping. "How cute." she said to herself, before giving him a gentle kiss on the lips, then turning and leaving for the pool.
Shortly after Ruto left, a mysterious figure slowly sneaked into Link's bedroom. They walked over to where Link slept and gazed down at him.
It was Korume, the ice elemental mystic of the Gerudo staring down at him. She watched as Link slept contently, though she could see a trickle of sweat going down his head, likely from the warm night. She found her icy hand moving down to his face and stroking it ever-so slowly. Link shivered a little at her touch, but didn't waken. Korume smiled softly, a smile that was blissful... yet sad at the same time.
She traced her finger along his chin, closed her eyes, and slowly brought her lips closer and closer towards Link's...
"AH-HA! I knew it!" shouted a voice.
Korume surprised by the loud voice, staggered backwards She turned in the direction of the voice to see her twin sister, the fire elemental Kesuta standing there with her broom, puffing her cheeks out in anger.
"Oh, dear sister... so good to see you." Korume said, trying to cover her nervousness.
"Don't 'good to see you' me!" shouted Kesuta, "I thought we agreed neither of us do that kind of stuff with King Link until after tonight!"
"I couldn't help myself... I didn't want to miss my chance if..." Korume muttered, looking down at Link, then said coldly to her sister, "Why don't you go get carried away in the wind like the ember you are?"
"Grrrr... you're so selfish!" shouted Kesuta.
"Hmph, I'm already committed to going through with what we have to do, I at least deserve to grace my king's lips." Korume retorted, then smirked, "Or perhaps you're just jealous he favors me?"
"Why you little, that's it!" Kesuta shouted, engulfing herself in flames, "I'll roast you!"
"I'll freeze you solid first." Korume said, engulfing herself in an icy aura.
The two stood, staring each other down, until the tension was broken by a loud yawning.
"Ugh... what's all the yelling about?" Link groaned, forcing himself up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes., "Korume? Kesuta? What're you two doing here?"
"Um..." Korume muttered, she and her sister were at a loss for words.
"We were uh... gonna..." Kesuta looked over to Korume, the ice mystic thought for a second, then did a motion like a ghost wiggling it's fingers, "Uh, right! We were gonna spook you with our trick spirits, like last time!" Ketsuta clarified, conjuring one of her hollow-faced flame spirits and grinned widely, "We were just gonna prank you! So sorry, your highness!"
"Boo." Korume said, conjuring her own ice wisp.
"Really..." Link said in a deadpan voice while sweatdropping.
"Yes, so... um... we just remembered we have something urgent to do! We'll take a rain check on the prank! W-We should head off now, sister!" Kesuta said.
"Y-Yes..." Korume nodded and started to leave. Before she did though, Korume paused, turned to Link and gazed into his eyes.
Link couldn't help but see something off about her in that moment. Her eyes were just full of... sadness...
"Well, g-goodbye your highness!" Kesuta said, "I'm... going to do my best for you! Now come on already Korume!" she then shouted in anger at her sister, getting on her broom and flying off out the window.
"Korume, what's going on exactly?" Link asked.
"We... have to do an important task we must do..." Korume said. She walked up and embraced Link, holding onto him tightly for a moment, before getting on her own broom. She took one last look at Link and muttered a "Farewell, my king..." before flying out the window herself.
"Korume!" Link shouted, running up to the balcony of his bedroom and watching as the two mystics flew off into the vast desert.
He stood there staring out at the desert, at a loss of what just happened.
"Hello husband, did you miss me?" Ruto called out, walking up and hugging him from behind. Noticing the concern in his eyes she asked, "Something the matter?"
"I... think something is wrong with Korume and Kesuta..." Link said.
Across the desert wasteland of Gerudo Valley, Kesuta and Korume were flying through the desert night sky on their broomsticks. Korume took a pause and gazed up at the full moon overhead, her hands were shaking in that moment, making her almost lose balance on her broom a few times.
"Sure you're ready for this?" Kesuta said with an annoyed voice, "You look like you're going to fall and shatter like an icicle."
"Hmph, I-I can handle it..." Korume stuck up her nose, "Just don't freeze to death before we even get there..."
"Grr... you don't know how long I've waited for this!" Kesuta yelled, "I'll finally be rid of such a pain in my side, and I'll have my precious King Link as my husband."
"...and I'll take pleasure having his children while you watch on in helpless agony..." Korume scowled.
The two sisters glared daggers at each other, then turned their heads away, concentrating on arriving at their destination.
"Kesuta and Korume...?" Nabooru groaned, waiting up from her bed in a guest room, having taken the bed there so Link and Ruto could have some private time to themselves, but she found herself woken up in the middle of the night by Link, Ruto, Nemisa and a sleepy Aviel, "What have those two done this time...?"
"I'm not sure." Link said, "But I think they're in trouble somehow. They just flew off into the desert."
"That's odd, at this time of night?" Nabooru pondered to herself.
"Are we sure this isn't just another one of their pranks?" Nemisa asked, yawning loudly.
Aviel meanwhile was felling asleep against Nemisa's arm with a bit of drool hanging out of her mouth, causing Nemisa to swat her away.
"Somehow, I don't think so..." Link said. "Just before they left, Korume seemed incredibly sad about something... I could see it in her eyes."
"I have to say I'm worried about them myself..." Ruto nodded, "We should try to find out what's going on."
"Okay then, if you say so." Nabooru forced herself out of bed and stretched, "Let's go check their mystic tent to see if there's any clues to where they went."
"Can we take a nap first?" Aviel asked yawning, only to be yanked off by Nemisa.
Far away from Gerudo Town, was the sacred area known as the Desert Colossus, where the Spirit Temple stood, built to honor Aifet, the Goddess of the Desert.
Standing at the entrance was an older Gerudo woman, around her late 30s, holding a broomstick and wearing a blue robe. She gazed up at the large statue engraved into the front of the temple, made into the likeness of the goddess Aifet, and squeezed her broomstick. The look in her eyes was of sadness, and at the same time a bit of loathing.
"Mother!" called out a voice. The Gerudo woman closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, before turning around and looking up to see Kesuta and Korume flying down to her on their brooms.
Upon the two of them landing, the Gerudo woman walked up to the two of them and smiled warmly.
"I see you two are ready then." she said, "What you're doing a great service to the Gerudo. I'm so proud of you both."
"We'll do what's necessary for the future of our people." Kesuta nodded, glancing at her sister, "Even if ONE of us is slacking off..."
"Mother... is this truly what needs to be done?" Korume asked, ignoring Kesuta's remark.
"It must." her mother nodded, "This has been our family's burden for four generations now, I had to do this, your grandmother had to, and so on."
"...very well." Korume nodded, "Then I shall perform my task and not look back."
"Good luck, to the both of you. No matter what happens..." their mother, said, as she took the two girls and hugged them tightly, "You'll always be my precious daughters..."
Korume held her arms around her mother, while Kesuta simply patted her back. The three of them held that for what felt like hours, but was just a minute or two. Their mother eventually and hesitantly stepped back to allow them to enter the Spirit Temple.
"Now enter, and fulfill your duty." she said.
"Thank you mother." they both said, and with that the two slowly walked into the temple until they were completely out of their mother's sight.
"...goodbye, my children." their mother whispered, as tears started falling down her face. She took a deep breath, before getting onto her broomstick and began her journey back to Gerudo Town. She took a second to look back at the Spirit Temple and the statue of Aifet. She lowered her head sadly before turning back and continuing onward.
"Ugh, couldn't find anything there." Nabooru said, walking out of Kesuta and Korume's mystic tent.
"You would think they would at least left a note." Ruto said with a huff.
"All I found was books I couldn't read, weird statues, and whatever this is in Kesuta's room." Aviel said, holding up a flat and round pink rubber object.
"What the heck is that?" Link asked.
"I dunno, but when I sat on it thinking it was a pillow it deflated and I thought someone had passed gas," Aviel said, a little red.
"Oooh, so that's what that sound was." Ruto said.
"Thank the goddess, and here I thought your highness was having after effects from those hot cucco wings he ate earlier today." Nemisa said.
"Okay, enough of that," snapped Nabootu, desperate to change the subject.
"Well I'm still bothered by the two of them leaving." Link said, "I can't stop thinking about the way Korume looked..."
"I could try flying around to find them, but the desert is too big... I wish we had some idea of which direction they went..." Aviel muttered, now wearing the pink rubber thing on her head.
"Oh, it's Lady Nabooru, and the king! What are you doing here at this time of night?" said a new voice.
Everyone looked to see Kesuta and Korume's mother walk up to them. While she was putting on a pleasant smile, Link couldn't help but notice her face was stained with dry tears.
"Ah, Koleima. It's you." Nabooru stated.
"Who is she?" Link asked.
"Ah, forgive my manners..." Koleima said, bowing to Nabooru and Link, "I'm Mystic Koleima, mother of Kesuta and Korume. A pleasure to finally meet you, my king, and thank you for looking after the two of them."
"Uh, likewise." Link nodded, doing a bow back, "Thank you for your services to our people."
"Hee hee, such a gentleman. It's no wonder my daughters took such a liking to you..."
"Please Mystic Koleima, we're searching for your daughters, do you have nay idea where they went?" Nabooru asked.
"They..." Koleima hesitated, gripping her wrist tightly. This didn't go unnoticed by Link in particular, "They're on an important journey and.. I..."
"Mystic Koleima," Nemisa said, "Tell us where they went, perhaps we can help them."
"I... I can't... " Koleima said, her eyes watering up and her body trembling, "They can't have any interference... or they'll... she'll... It goes against what we of our mystic bloodline's duty... and..."
Link just stared at Koleima, he could tell she wanted so much to tell them, but couldn't for whatever reason. It looked as if it was tearing herself up inside, and he couldn't take it anymore.
With that, Link walked up to Koleima and took her hand, startling her. Link held up her hand and gripped it gently but firmly, and looked into her golden eyes with his blue ones.
"Please, if your daughters are in trouble you have to tell me, they're important to us as well. Don't think as a mystic... but as their mother."
Koleima's eyes widened, her face slightly flushed, as she saw into Link's eyes. Her own eyes teared up and she hugged Link tightly around his arms, weeping on his shoulder.
"My daughters... they've... gone to the Spirit Temple in the Desert Colossus..."
"You mean where Link met Nabooru?" Aviel asked.
"What on earth are they doing all the way out there?" Nemisa asked.
"They... they need to please the Desert Goddess Aifet, by taking part in a ritual..."
Koleima sniffled as she spoke.
"A ritual of sacrifice..."
"W-What?!" exclaimed Link.
"Are you serious?!" Nabooru gasped.
"Yes... as part of our bloodline, they must offer tribute to Aifet by battling each other at the grand sanctum of the Spirit Temple, in the presence of the great interior statue. The winner will be spared and allowed to live on and reproduce... while the loser will forfeit their life..."
"How horrible..." Ruto said with her hands over her mouth.
"But why would they need to do something like this?!" Nabooru shouted furiously.
"According to my mother..." Koleima explained, "Many centuries ago, our ancestors, the witch twins Koume and Kotake had stolen an important treasure from the Spirit Temple, one most sacred to the Desert Goddess. It angered her so much that she demanded that our bloodline must pay for their crime."
"Koume and Kotake... Twinrova..." Link muttered, narrowing his eyes coldly.
"Ugh, those two again..." Nabooru scowled.
"But Kesuta and Korume didn't do it! It was those stupid witches!" Aviel exclaimed.
"Regardless, we of their bloodline have been contacted by Aifet through our mystic work, that in order to please her we must battle our sister in the Spirit Temple to the death. Only the winner may pass on our bloodline." Koleima continued.
"But what if the mystic doesn't have a sister?" Ruto asked.
"That wouldn't happen. Since the beginning, my direct bloodline ensures that each us shall bear twins with each conception, and that the night of the Festival of The Desert Goddess after they turn 17, the twins must battle. It's something Twinrova's daughters had to do, and the winner of that battle went on to have twins who would battle as well, and so on and so forth..."
"Then..." Nemisa realized, "You're telling us you had to take the life of your own sister?"
"Y-Yes..." sobbed Koleima, "I didn't want to... but our mother insisted we had no choice, and we got the same calling from Aifet herself that it must be done..."
"But why do you have to do it?" Link asked, "What worth could it be to battle to the death?"
"It's... for the good of the people." Koleima said, "If the Desert Goddess isn't satisfied, she'll bring down a deadly plague on the Gerudo people as a whole. She'll call upon her fellow goddesses to invoke their wrath...
From the Insect Goddess Ikulia will come a swarm of locust to devour our crops...
The Sand Goddess Sofuria will call forth sandstorms will tear part our town and destroy our homes...
...and for those who still survive, the Death Goddess of the Gerudo, Nerif will bring down an incurable disease that will finish them all off..." she concluded.
Link and the others were at a loss upon hearing this, and hearing Koleima speak these words without even a hint of hesitation, that what she said was pure truth, and clearly full of fear and sadness...
"There's no way this can be true..." Nabooru said, "Aifet is a kind and benevolent goddess, she would never hurt her people like this! She's nothing like..." she trailed off as she spoke that last part
"Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?!" Link asked.
"If there was, I would had done it before I had to strike down my own sister..." Koleima muttered as tears were going down her face.
Link closed his eyes, thinking deeply about the situation, before opening his eyes, filled with determination, he turned to Nabooru, Aviel, Nemisa and Ruto and said, "We have to stop them!"
"What?!" exclaimed Nemisa, taking a step back, "Are you serious? If what Koleima says is true, then that means confronting the Goddess of the Desert herself! We can't do something like that!"
"Yeah... I'm.. really scared of the idea of challenging the will of Desert Goddess Aifet..." Aviel said shaking, "But... ...I don't want Kesuta or Korume to die... What should we do...?"
"I'm... not sure.." Nemisa muttered, "I do wish to help them, but.."
"It's okay you guys." Link said, "I won't hold it against you if you can't do this. If I need to, I'll go after them myself!"
Nabooru then put a hand on Link's shoulder , "Don't worry, you won't be alone. I have a hard time believing this to be Aifet's doing, but regardless we can't let either of them die!"
"But you can't!" Koleima said, "Did you not hear me just now what the consequences are if they fail to do the ritual?! Everything they're doing is for the good of our people and-"
That was when Link walked forward and embraced Koleima, surprising her.
"That's the very reason I'm going to put an end to this." Link said, "If your daughters are willing to go this far to save the Gerudo, then it just motivates me more to save them from doing it."
"My king..." gasped Koleima, her face slightly red, "But to defy the goddess Aifet..."
"It doesn't matter what you've been told, we're going to save them, and if Aifet does try anything, we'll just convince her otherwise!" Link said, pumping his fist, "I say it not just as king, but as Kesuta and Korume's friend as well!"
"Y-Yeah..." Aviel said, before thrusting her fist into the air, "Yeah! We're not about to turn our backs on our sisters!" Aviel exclaimed.
"...agreed," Nemisa nodded, "The two of them are willing to go this far to help us all, it's only fitting we help them."
"You're all serious about this...?" Koleima said shocked, "You'll save my daughters from this fate...?"
"Of course we will, I swear it." Link nodded.
"...t-thank you, my king... Lady Nabooru, and all of you... I have faith in you to save them." Koleima said, with a small smile, "We're truly blessed to have you with us King Link, it's no wonder my daughters have fallen for you..."
"Ah ha... that's uh..." Link blushed a little, scratching his cheek.
"So the two of them are next in line to marry my husband?" sighed Ruto, "I swear, the bedroom is going to get crowded at this rate."
"Alright, let's prepare and get going, post haste!" Nabooru said to the others.
Meanwhile, in the center of the Spirit Temple's interior at the grand sanctum, Kesuta and Korume were working on the preparations for the ritual. They were doing as their mother instructed them long ago, drawing circles engraved with Gerudo markings on the ground and setting up torches of fire and small ice sculptures in the form of sacred symbols and deities.
As Korume finished one of her designs, she paused, and took a look up at the giant statue of the Desert Goddess Aifet towering over them. It almost seemed like it was looking down at them, observing what they had to do. It unnerved even someone like her, who was normally a calm and collected person in touch with the mystic arts, to say the least.
"Hey Korume, you messed up on this circle!" shouted Kesuta angerly. Korume looked to see her sister pointing down at one of the circles which was smudged, "The goddess isn't going to tolerate something like this!"
"Oh, of course..." Korume said, going to make the changes to the drawing.
"Honestly, you need to take this more seriously! If we fail to appease Desert Goddess Aifet, then she'll bring her wrath on everyone, our ancestor's sacrifices will be for nothing, and not even King Link could survive such a thing!" Kesuta exclaimed in annoyance.
While finishing up the circle, Korume flinched at Kesuta's words, but then muttered coldly, "Do I need to freeze your big mouth shut so we can finish this...?"
"Raaah! I've had it! I'm looking forward to this ritual, no matter who loses tonight, either way I won't have to deal with YOU anymore!" Kesuta shouted angerly.
There was an awkward silence between the two at that point. Kesuta stormed off to continue the ritual, while Korume stared down at the circle. She looked down and realized her tears were messing up the circle's design like last time, so she went back to fixing it.
Thanks to their experience traveling the desert, it wasn't long before Link, Aviel, Nemisa and Nabooru arrived at the Desert Colossus, and saw the Spirit Temple not far away.
"Well we made it. I hope we're not too late." Link said.
"Too bad we couldn't bring Ruto with us." Aviel said.
"The weather's too dry for her all the way out here, the four of us should suffice anyway." Nemisa said.
"Say, you sure you're okay coming back here, after what happened last time?" Link asked Nabooru.
"I... should be fine." Nabooru said with a nod, "Now let's hurry!"
And with that, the four of them rushed into the temple.
"There, regardless of your incompetency, we're ready for the ritual." Kesuta said, stepping back from the last torch being lit.
"Than let us begin the praying ceremony." Korume said, ignoring Kesuta's comment.
The two girls got on their knees in front of the giant Aifet statue, put the palms of their hands together, and started chanting in ancient Gerudo words.
It was then that felt a strange sensation through the room, as a strange voice started to be heard throughout it.
"...mystics of the Gerudo, and descendants of the dark witches..." the mysterious voice said, "You have done as expected, now it is time for your both to perform your final task, only then shall I spare the Gerudo race from my wrath once more."
The two girls were in shock of hearing the mighty voice of the Desert Goddess Aifet acknowledging them, they had been contacted by her frequently over the past months through their mystic crystal ball, but never did they feel it so powerfully.
"As you wish, my goddess." Kesuta said.
"Of course, my goddess." Korume said.
"Fear not, for your sacrifice shall help ensure the safety of your people. This is your purpose in this life." Aifet said. "Now, go and fight, for your right to carry on the bloodline of your people."
"At once, my goddess." the two said, before standing and walking over to the opposite sides of the sanctum square.
A small trickle of sweat ran down Korume's head, as she looked to her sister, who was hanging her head down with her eyes closed, before rising up her head, opening her eyes, and grinning maliciously.
"Let's go, 'dear sister'."
And that concludes the first part of Kesuta and Korume's arc. I'll have chapter 21 out soon!