In the morning, Sepria opted to sit at the Practice Tree. The rest of the Yiga bustled around inside the hideout sharing their morning meal, but she didn't bother joining. She didn't think it really mattered anyway.
She stared at a tiny wildflower she had plucked from the grass where she sat, slowly counting the petals over and over again in an attempt to ignore most of her thoughts. She barely lifted her head when she heard the soft pat of footsteps on the grass behind her.
"It's breakfast, y'know." Master Kohga's voice was a bit softer than usual as he walked over to meet her. Perhaps he had only just woken up himself; he did like his sleep, after all. "You know what they say about a good breakfast. Most important meal of the day keeps the healer away, or… something like that."
Though she wanted to laugh at his antics, a weak smile was about all she had the energy to do at the moment. "…I'm sorry, Master Kohga. I'm not really hungry."
"You mean you haven't eaten?" He almost sounded offended.
"No." Her voice felt smaller than she intended for it to sound.
It was quiet for a moment, but then Master Kohga suddenly turned to walk back inside the hideout. "Alright."
Sepria lowered her head again and furrowed her brow, a bit surprised at how easy that conversation was. She half-expected him to protest or lecture her on the importance of nutrition for her job. The thought was short-lived, however, when Master Kohga's footsteps approached her once more. This time, when she lifted her head, she was met with her leader expectantly presenting to her a wooden basket in one of his hands. Inside were a couple pieces of bread, some fresh greens, and of course, a single Mighty Banana. In his other hand was a large cup, nearly spilling over with cold water.
"You're lucky I like you, Sep," he says in a playful tone. "Not many here that get their breakfast hand-delivered to them by their devilishly handsome leader."
She eyed the basket and then her leader, surprised. No normal Hylian would guess that the chief of the vicious Yiga would treat his clan like his own kin, and yet here he was, trying to ensure that she was fed and happy. It was oddly comforting to Sepria to know that he had this side to him. She quietly thanked him and took the basket gently from his hands, while he sat beside her.
"…You look worn-out," he said after a while, in the most affectionate manner possible. "You okay?"
She took a piece of bread and held it near her mouth. "I… didn't get much sleep last night," she confessed, nibbling slightly.
"You sure you're up for an assignment today? You're not sick or anything, are you?"
Sepria paused for a moment, trying to pick her words carefully. "I'm fine. I just… needed a little time to think is all."
Master Kohga looked at her for a moment, and she could only assume he was raising an eyebrow beneath his mask. "…If you say so," he replied. "I just don't want you out and about without some food in ya. Gotta have at least some energy for the day."
She finished her first piece of bread. "…Thank you, Master Kohga."
"Heh. It's the least I could do."
The two sat quiet for most of the time, until Sepria finished eating.
"So," he began. "I have an important task for you today. So important, in fact, that you'll be tagging along with me the whole time."
"W-With you?" she said hesitantly.
"With me!" he repeated boldly. "Yesterday I got some intel about the ceremonial grounds in front of Hyrule Castle. Heard it's a place that the hero used to frequent. You and I are gonna go check it out and see what the buzz is about. Maybe see if it'll be easy to catch him if he goes there again." He looked down at his scout and tilted his head. "Think you're up for it?"
Sepria was quiet for a moment. "I still can't fight as well as the others," she reminded him.
"I know," he said. "I'll have a couple of Blademasters on watch, too, in case anything big happens. But this'll be good practice for you, staying alert to protect your leader and all!"
She closed her eyes and took a moment to think. Things seemed to be falling into place rather well. She eventually gave him a nod. "Let me grab a couple things first."
"Oh, shoot. Right now?" Master Kohga darted his gaze around. "Uh, I mean, yeah! I'm ready, so I'll just be waiting for you. Go do your thing," he said with a wave.
In her quarters, Sepria retrieved her mask, securing it over her mouth. She figured she wouldn't be doing much talking, anyway. On the way back, she picked up a Demon Carver resting against the wall of a storage room. No one would miss it for a day, she figured.
When she returned, Master Kohga extended a hand toward her. "Ready now?" She nodded, but then looked at his hand quizzically. "You haven't been near the castle before, right?" Her face lifted in realization, and she shook her head. "Alright. Hold onto me, then. I can get us there."
Tentatively, she did as requested, taking hold of his arm. He put his hands together and vanished, and Sepria was surprised to see that he was able to bring her with him.
In the next moment, she saw before her a lush field, strung with a few small paths. They stood in the middle of one of them, and far in the distance, she saw a fountain sculpted in the shape of the Hylian Crest.
"We're here," Master Kohga said. Sepria looked around and took in the scenery. Vast green fields, overlooked by a nearly cloudless sky, made for a serene landscape.
"Luckily, because of all of the Sheikah technology surrounding the castle," Master Kohga began, holding out his arm to the wide-open field, "no regular traveler really comes out to Hyrule Field anymore. They're too wary of the machines. But we're no regular travelers, are we?"
Sepria simply nodded in response. She wasn't really sure what to say, as she was absorbed in her own thoughts. She thought about what she might tell him – if she should tell him anything at all – but nothing came to mind. Planning some sort of well-written speech was just going to make it harder, she reminded herself. It was best to just let it happen, and have that be all.
Master Kohga began walking forward along the path, and his scout followed closely behind. She took in the sights as they traveled. Such a shame, she thought, that such a gorgeous country could be so cruel, and in such quiet ways. The lush grass danced in waves as the wind swept over the plains. Trees dotted the vast field, some clusters holding fruits, and small, dilapidated buildings were spread scarcely throughout.
Master Kohga himself didn't say much. He mostly focused on making his way towards the fountain, but occasionally he commented on the surrounding area or the security about the castle, to which Sepria simply nodded in acknowledgment. Even if she wanted to say something in return, she was certain that her voice would fail her. She touched her mask, ensuring it was still tight so that he wouldn't hear her tics become worse with her nerves.
And then, she saw it.
Far behind her, in the distance, stalked a beast on six spider-like legs, scanning the fields as if searching for something. The blue lines that ran throughout its body were tinted in a bright magenta. Sepria stopped walking to stare at it for a moment, while Master Kohga continued ahead unaware. She recognized it as a Sheikah-made Guardian, though from what she knew, the discoloration wasn't normal.
She could barely finish her thought before she was nearly blinded by a strong, thin red light.
The Guardian quickly turned itself towards the Hylian, its singular eye flashing in alert. The light centered just above her eyes, denoting her as its target.
Her heart pounded as the mechanical beast crawled its way towards her at an alarmingly quick pace. Adrenaline pumped through her blood and raced to her head, but she found herself frozen. She had heard of the ways that Guardian lasers practically evaporated whatever they hit. Should it fire at her, there was no way she would survive.
Her body relaxed at the thought.
Sepria closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her legs quaking reflexively but staying rooted to her spot. Her instincts screamed for her to run, to hide, to merely attempt to avoid certain death. She didn't even flinch when the beeps became louder and higher-pitched as the automaton closed in on her, ready to fire.
A final tone sounded, and a beam of energy burst forth from the Guardian's eye. The world seemed to slow.
"SEPRIA!"
The Hylian was met with a strong, heavy shove from behind her, forcing her to the ground and causing the Guardian's laser to sail just over her. Her head throbbed and her thoughts became a scrambled mess as Master Kohga grabbed her arm tightly. He focused hard and muttered loudly as the Guardian adjusted itself for another shot. He managed to vanish the both of them with only one of his hands, just before the machine could fire again. Sepria could hear the explosion happen from two distances.
In his panic, he could only transport them to a nearby cluster of trees, but it was considerably thick – dense enough to cause the Guardian to lose sight of them both. Though her vision was still blurred from the impact, Sepria caught a glimpse of the machine frantically searching for them, before it eventually gave up and scurried away.
The two of them had stumbled to the ground in such a way that Sepria's back was against one of the trees, and Master Kohga knelt above her. He looked about in a panic, ensuring that they were safe from the immediate mechanical threat. Before he could even fully catch his breath, and before Sepria could even begin to fathom what had just happened, he gripped her tightly by the shoulders.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" he shouted between gasps. "You nearly got yourself killed!"
He pulled down her mask to hear her response, and was met with an expression of shock and distress. He saw her wide-eyed face slowly contort as she desperately tried to hold back her tears in front of him, but there was nothing for it. She suddenly felt so vulnerable. She couldn't lie to him, and yet telling him the truth seemed like the worst idea in the world.
"I…" Sepria weakly grasped blades of grass between her fingers in frustration, biting her tongue to prevent herself from sobbing aloud. She stared at her lap as tears blurred her vision anyway, her voice weak as she found herself unable to speak anymore. Why would he save her? Why didn't he just keep walking? This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to push her out of the way. He wasn't supposed to take her to safety.
Master Kohga simply gave her shoulders a squeeze and sighed in frustration. The two Blademasters he had brought along suddenly appeared behind him, having panicked themselves after losing sight of their master, but were thankful to have found him again.
"Sepria…" he began, but shook his head. He thought of waiting until they had returned to the hideout to scold her properly, but he was far more clever than he led on. He could tell there was something else going on, and it needed to be addressed now before anything else could happen.
He turned to one of the Blademasters. "Give us some space," he barked. "But make sure we're in the clear, got it?" Both of the soldiers immediately straightened up, bowed, and vanished just out of earshot.
Master Kohga shook his head again before suddenly turning back up to his scout.
"You mind telling me what the hell that was all about, Sepria?" She had heard him upset before, but his tone now was leagues different. It wasn't his usual loud and comical frustration – it was much more intense. "If I had kept my back turned for a second longer, you would have been vaporized. Poof! Gone! Kaput! Goodbye!" His grip on her shoulders tightened. "Were you trying to get yourself fried back there?!"
Sepria couldn't even bring herself to look at him. The silence was deafening.
He waited for a moment. And then his tense posture loosened in realization.
It took a long time before he said anything else.
"…You…"
It was difficult for her to speak, but there was no point in trying to hide it now that he was aware. Master Kohga stared at her, waiting for either of them to find some words.
"I lied to you," she finally managed to say. "About… why I wanted to join."
"To join the Yiga?" he asked.
"I was just biding my time. Waiting for an opportunity." Her quiet voice cracked between her words. "…I wanted it to be on my terms."
He continued to look at her, barely moving save for the occasional glance aside from her. Eventually, he broke the silence again.
"I thought that this," he gestured to the symbol of the Yiga on his mask, "was your terms. I thought you were, y'know, sticking it to Hyrulean society because you hated the standards they set for you."
"I do hate them," she retorted quickly. "That's why I… I wanted to go."
Master Kohga finally let go of her shoulders, getting into a comfortable sitting position in front of her. The simple gesture of him settling down to listen was enough to get her to spill.
"When I told you the reason I joined... I said it was because I was born in a place where rupees mean everything, and nothing I'm capable of doing even gave me crumbs to thrive off of. I said it was because I didn't get the chances that everyone else had growing up, and the world made it harder for me because of it," she continued. "Those were my real feelings, and they still are.
"This world doesn't help you unless you're already ahead. It doesn't care if you get dealt a garbage hand. It expects you to stand on two legs like everyone else when both of yours are broken, and it spits on you when you can't. It's miserable, and I would rather just… not exist than be reminded of that every single day of my life." The dirt beneath her gave way from the weak, frustrated thumping of her fists as she ranted. Master Kohga had never seen her this upset. He put his hands together in front of him as he continued to listen.
Sepria took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her gloved hands. She didn't want to sound angry at him.
"...We all know the Great Calamity is supposed to happen soon. I figured... if we were going to die from it anyway... I'd at least have accomplished something by joining the Yiga. Some semblance of control in my life despite my circumstances." She took another deep breath and further averted his gaze. "Even if the only thing I ended up being good at was dirty, underhanded work like this. At least I could say I did something before I... died."
She let out a long, quiet and shaky sigh. The weight was finally off her shoulders, but her chest still felt tight. She still felt the pit in her stomach tightening, fearful that this was all a horrible mistake. She didn't know what else to say.
"…But you're good at this," Master Kohga finally said.
Sepria lifter her head slightly to look at him. He lowered his own, then reached his hands up and slowly removed his mask. He held it in his lap before looking back into her eyes. She was surprised to see that his appearance was nearly identical to what she saw in her dream the night prior.
"When you joined, you told me that you weren't strong enough, or smart enough, or talented enough to get an honest job." He put a hand on her shoulder again, with a much softer grip than before. "But maybe that's because an honest job isn't what you were meant to have."
The Hylian gave him a puzzled look, but he continued. "You definitely have the stamina, the cunning, and the stealth for a place in the Yiga Clan. Heck, you're not even Sheikah and you've gathered some of the best intel for me since you've been here," he said, a light excitement in his tone. "You went undetected in Kakariko, you came back unscathed during that recon assignment at the Hyrule Castle lockup - where some of our best guys had been caught and held, if you recall!"
She couldn't help but avert his gaze, embarrassed at his praise, though a thought still lingered in her mind.
"Still, it's such…" She paused. "Shady work…"
His other hand found its way to her other shoulder. "Then embrace it!" He told her. "Embrace what you are good at, because hoo boy, are you good at this!" She could only blush at his words. "You know how great it is to have someone this competent at my side and to enjoy it as much as I do? Actually, it's insulting that you don't know that – and I don't know if you know me, but I don't like being insulted."
Master Kohga gave Sepria a small, playful smile at his own words, taking one of his hands and tilting her head to meet his eyes. He softened considerably at her bashful, disbelieving expression. "This self-absorbed world can kiss the business end of a Bokoblin for not seeing your value, Sepria. Because... damn it all, I do."
She couldn't help but stare at him, completely speechless at his words. Not only did she not expect Master Kohga, of all people, to ever give a sincere speech like this, but the fact that these were clearly his genuine feelings left her awestruck.
Her mind was a mess of thoughts. The praise from her leader, the comfort of knowing that she had his support, the realization – slow but sure – that her place in life didn't have to align with what was demanded of her, his words, his smile, his face… Sepria couldn't think to do anything but lower her head and let her tears fall freely.
To her surprise, Master Kohga's hands moved to embrace her. As quiet sobs escaped her while she clutched to him, the only thought she could process was how his words rang true.
Perhaps this was where she needed to be after all.
