Part II – Evil Sands

Chapter IX – Escort

Water was, is, and always will be the most important resource in the desert. Because of this, groups that were sent to the desert to collect barrels of it were given only the most skilled and trustworthy of guards. Not only was the trek perilous, but it was never the same. The shifting sands kept the route to the oasis ever changing. Tower guards, on clear days, would try and spot an oasis, mark the spot and route if one is found, and run that map to the outgoing party before the sands could make it untraversable. The route had to be as flat as possible as the Gerudo-sized barrels were made out of wood and were leak proof, or at least that's how the trading caravans sold them. Even so, the Gerudo still reinforced them with heavier metal bands and plastered the outside so that they were sure each barrel was 100% sealed. Their lives depended on it.

Nabooru's squad had been assigned this kind of escort duty and they used the time to get to know their newest team member. The entire trek to the oasis took a day and a half and, in that time, Ganondorf had felt that his standing with the squad had increased dramatically. He told them of his ordeal in the desert, conveniently omitting the twins and their training. On the way back, the group shared their own adventures as a squad for the last year and a half. From swarms of guay to multiple leever queens, their squad had faced everything that could be fought and killed. Halfway through the trek back, Ganondorf told of his fateful encounter with the lizalfos. It was the only story he told that the women couldn't bring themselves to believe.

"All I'm saying is that we've been out on more missions than any other outfit and we've seen nothing even resembling a 'walking lizard' and you're saying you've seen two all on your own?" Manju pressed, "Excuse me if I don't take your word for it."

"His sword fucking glows, Manju," Devika said from the other side of the barrel rollers, "that has to count for something. Strange things have been happening more and more often recently. The caravans, the water, the food for Din's sake! I think a couple of bipedal lizard people are just as plausible."

"Wait," Ganondorf stopped them, "caravans, food, what are you talking about?"

The women all looked at each other as they walked.

"Well, after you left," Nabooru broke the awkward silence, "things began happening that nobody could explain. Gita's the oldest, she remembers them more clearly."

"Two or three years after you disappeared," Gita began, "our rations started to be reduced. The farms behind the mountains say that the soil is somehow producing less yield and sandstorms are becoming more frequent. Thank Din we haven't had one on our journey. Because of these sandstorms, water has been harder to collect from the oases. The more the sands change the less safe it is to send gatherers. And lastly, the most recent, the scheduled caravans that trade with us are coming later and some have vanished entirely. We need that trade as they provide a lot of materials that the desert does not. Which is why it makes no sense to waste time raiding ruins when-"

"Gita," Nabooru interrupted, "that's enough."

Gita huffed but continued her escort.

"The birthrate is also low." Kanta suddenly spoke uncharacteristically loudly, "My mother says that miscarriages and stillbirth are becoming more common, though she cannot say why."

"Your mother is a nurse?" Ganondorf asked.

"Yes, one of the best. Which is why it is very strange."

Ganondorf couldn't believe what he was hearing. If this was really how bad the state of the Gerudo was, he would've postponed every part of his initiation as king so that these issues could be resolved. Why hadn't his mother brought this up? What has been done so far to counteract them? Why was effort still being spent trying to reclaim relics in the desert? Scheduling missions and troop deployment fell to-

"Oh shit!" Devika yelled from behind the group.

The barrel rollers stopped and everyone spun around to see what Devika was shouting about. A huge sandstorm looming over the horizon was moving alarmingly fast and heading straight for them.

"Move!" Nabooru yelled from the front of them all, "Now!"

Ganondorf ran to the barrel he was escorting and began helping to roll the large burden faster. Everyone followed suit save for Gita who put her barrel roller on her shoulders and pushed the water herself. The roller became a lookout to keep an eye on the storm, and Gita, though two hands short, still kept pace with the others through sheer strength alone. The compound gate had been in view for a while now but they were still a few hours away from it.

"15 minutes 'till it overtakes us!" the lookout called. Ganondorf suppressed the desire to look behind him at the storm and, instead, pushed harder. The barrel rolled pretty easily but it was their feet digging into the loose sand that cost them the most time and effort. It was also painfully obvious that just a little bit of magic could make the job so much easier. But Ganondorf knew that showing such control over that power would not only risk his squadmates leaving him out of fear, but also give Naberna even more reason to deny him the throne. So, pushing was the only way to outrun the storm.

"10 minutes until we're leever bait!" the lookout called again, but it couldn't have been right. Ganondorf could've sworn it had only been a minute at best since her last update. But looking at the suns position, he realized that time was becoming distorted from the effort and the gate hadn't moved at all. He finally chanced a glance back at the storm and it had grown exponentially. The sand now took up the entire horizon and could now be heard. The roiling wind and sand made a low roaring sound that would make the fiercest warrior tremble before it. Ganondorf's adrenaline kicked in and he began rolling the barrel even harder. The sky was already getting darker as the wind began to get faster, picking up sand and throwing it in their faces. The wind hit hardest on their south side making the barrels even harder to keep control of.

"5 minutes! Let's go people!" the lookout yelled, panic apparent in her voice. Ganondorf's arms had since gone numb and his legs were on the constant threat of giving out. But the gate was right in front of them now and they could see the guard on top jumping up and down, waiving her arms, and likely shouting for them to hurry up. Her voice, however, was completely drowned out by the roar of the storm engulfing them. Any exposed skin began to scream in irritation to the violent sands whipping around them, slowly signifying the storms overtake. The group had long before put on their storm veils that shielded their noses and mouths but the sand still infiltrated their clothes and the small cloths did little to keep their eyes safe. Breathing became difficult and visibility rapidly fell towards zero as roiling winds filled every inch of space with suffocating and burning sand. Everything disappeared from view as they came upon the compound. All they would need to do is keep moving forward to end up inside the safety of the gates. However, with their eyes barely open and hearing seriously impaired, there was little indication which direction was exactly forward. A little drift could shift them clear of the gate and they'd be buried by the storm.

Then the familiar sound of metal slamming into stone cut through the storm's cacophonous rumbling. At that glorious sound the squad abandoned their burdens and made a break for the safety of the mountainside compound. Despite the reduced visibility and extreme fatigue, the squad was able to find each other's silhouettes and somehow make it to one of the hidden entrances.

The sudden silence after the door's close highlighted everyone's panting and coughing. Kanta seemed to have gotten the worst of it as she heaved with every harsh sound her lungs produced. Once they had caught their breath and the barrel rollers, all accounted for, had gone to record their haul, the six squadmates began dusting themselves off, shaking sand from their skin and clothes. Then Devika chuckled. The smallest huff escaped her nose as if she couldn't believe they'd all gotten out alive. Then Gita, done with a fresh coughing fit, returned with an equally brief snort. The two snorted and chuckled with increasing volume catching Devika and Manju in their hilarity. Nabooru looked up with a raised eyebrow and a thinly concealed grin as she tried to keep her laughing in. It was so contagious that even Ganondorf started to chime in.

Then Gita broke her hushed giggling to say, "We almost died."

The group fell to the ground in fits of uncontrollable laughter. Gita stood against the far wall to keep herself up as she convulsed, Devika had collapsed next to Manju and the two of them almost harmonized their giggling, and Ganondorf was shoulder to shoulder with Nabooru, the two of them laughing against the wall opposite Gita. After a while they began to calm down, slowly getting their sanity back, but then all eyes turned to Kanta who was still leaning on the door she had closed behind them. She hadn't even cracked a grin since the laughter started and her stare looked more disappointed rather than jovial. Then her sneer twitched and eventually dissolved into a very loud and happy snort. At this the group erupted into a new cacophonous explosion of laughter.

It took a good long while before they calmed down enough to pick themselves up and make for their rooms for some much-needed rest. They all patted Ganondorf on the back to congratulate him on not dying and Ganondorf smiled and thanked them all in turn. He was now part of the squad.