So last we left off, Link was heading to Gerudo Desert, the home of the Gerudo, and his next destination, the Savage Pillar. And not only that, but Meredith gave off the impression that it wasn't the best of places. Which makes sense, especially when you add in criminals, Lynels, and a special Molduga. Yeah, Link's got his work cut out for him.

Chapter 22

Gerudo Desert

"So, what should we do first?" Marze asked from atop Link's shoulder.

"Well, if what Tensa said is any indication, then we should head to the Bazaar," Link reasoned. "Dying in the desert won't exactly get me anywhere..."

"True," Marze agreed. "Now, let's get going. To the desert."

Link sighed and nodded, as he knew he had to get going. Not only that, but due to the desert sand, he wouldn't even be able to take Epona, as she might get trapped...

"Look's like I'm gonna have to walk..." he said, hanging his head in despair as he walked towards Gerudo Desert, heading out the Western Gate from Castle Town. He knew that from there it was a long trip, especially without a horse.

Exiting Castle Town, he looked west, and was even more disheartened by the fact that he couldn't see Gerudo Desert, or even the Savage Pillar, which was supposed to be huge.

"This'll be a while..." Link said as he continued walking. He would have taken Epona, but from what he understood, its turned to sand rather quickly, so he'd maybe only spare a few minutes, and he wasn't going to have Epona do something as simple as a few minute ride. He could make it himself, it would just take a little longer.

Exiting Hyrule Field, he looked at how quickly the eastern plains turned to the sands of the Desert Province. Somehow, the desert sands had overtaken some of Hyrule Field's eastern plains, turning this very tiny section into a part of the desert itself. Heading into where grass turned to sand, he was surprised when the temperature was noticeably higher when he got a few feet into the sands. Snapping into his Flamebreaker Armor, he was distressed when he found that it didn't reduce the heat at all.

"I guess it only works with flames," he said before switching back to his engineer's clothes, as they were the lightest things he owned, and they wouldn't heat him up as quickly. "Which is weird, since they made it feel almost cold when I wasn't in the volcano."

"It may have just been that you had grown used to the volcano heat," Marze said.

"True," Link said, trying to take a few steps but finding that his feet were somewhat buried in the sand. "What the? Oh, so unless I keep moving, I'll get stuck... Good to know."

And with that, Link started making his way deeper into the desert sands, natural rock formations disappearing and being claimed by it the further he made his way in. Not only did it look more and more like the desert, it also got hotter and hotter the more he walked. He was already sweating at this point, too.

Looking off in the distance, he saw three things. The first he saw was the Bazaar that Tensa had told him off, and it was close to the natural entrance to the desert. The second was Gerudo Town, the home of Shaagos and his people, easily several miles into the desert. They must have been a very hardy people to be able to tolerate such heat so easily. And the third thing was the main reason he was out in the desert in the first place.

The Savage Pillar.

Though it was much, much, MUCH further into the desert than Gerudo Town, it was easily visible due to its towering height. It was primarily a deep brown color with faded golden accents, though it was covered in strange orange lights. The structure itself was also covered in ornate gears and pistons with several massive gears at the top acting as a sort of roof.

"I have a really bad feeling about this..." Link said as he walked over to the Bazaar, looking around at some of the vendors to see what they had for sale, seeing many exotic fruits, medicinal plants, and meats from many rare animals.

"I should come here more often... There's a lot of nice stuff here."

"That big green fruit looks pretty good..." Marze said, eyeing a large bin filled with large green fruits. Link walked up to the vendor, a male desert dweller distinct from the Gerudo, and asked what they were as he pointed to the bin.

"These?" the man asked, having a Gerudo-esque accent. "Oh, my friend, these are hydromelons. The juices in these beauties can re hydrate you in no time, making them a must-have whilst in the grueling desert heat. But, might I also interest you in some nice Warm Safflina? With a potion made grinding up and boiling the petals, it makes even the bitter cold of the desert bearable. I would recommend both to you, each for but 20 Rupees. But, if you buy three of each, I will charge only 100 Rupees. Quite a deal, right?"

Link looked at the melons and flowers, grabbing one of the melons to see how heavy it was, and it weighted more than a few pounds.

"That sounds fine to me," Link said as he got the money he needed out, handing it to the vendor.

"Thank you very much!" he said, flashing Link a wide grin as he put his new purchases into his pouch.

Heading away from the stand, Link sat down behind a wall where no one could see him and grabbed a hydromelon out from his pouch, as well as a knife, cutting it open to reveal its juicy red interior.

"Oh, that looks good," Link said as he cut off a small piece, handing it to Marze, who took a careful bite before nodding in approval and eating the rest as link took a bite of a large chunk he cut off, chewing it with a content smile on his mouth.

"This is really good," he said, cutting off another piece. "And really juicy... I see why he recommended this. I don't even feel hot anymore. But I'll hang onto this for later, it'll come in handy."

Getting back up and placing the melon, wrapped in a cloth to keep it fresh, back into his pouch, he started looking around to try and find an armor shop, but to his dismay, he didn't see anything similar.

"Maybe in Gerudo Town? I'll definitely need it then... These won't last me all the way to the pillar. I better hope I can find some good armor there... I won't be able to just rush it to the Savage Pillar... I'll need to take my time, especially with criminals, Lynels, and a Molduga. I'll need armor as soon as possible."

"Then you'd better get going," Marze said. "The sun will set soon, and you don't have and of those potions made yet."

"Yeah, and the sand will slow me down..." Link said, eating another chunk of melon before getting a light jog going through the sand. Slowly but surely, he made his way to Gerudo Town.

OOO

It took him a while, but he managed to arrive in Gerudo Town around sunset.

Or rather, make it to the gates.

When he walked up to the main gate, he was stopped by a pair of guards armed with spears standing watch.

"Halt!" one of them said, the pair of them aiming their spears at him. "No Voe allowed!"

"Voe..." Link said. "Oh, male. I was asked to come here."

"By whom?" they asked, lowering their spears. "No one other than the King has the authority to allow Voe into this town. And he isn't very fond of outsiders."

And with that, they raised their spears once again. "So, why are you here, really?"

Link held up his finger and reached into his pouch, grabbing the letter he had received from Shaagos, handing it to the guard.

"What is this?" she said, snapping it away from Link. "What the...? This is..."

"What is it?" the other guard asked, moving over to her companion. "Wait..."

"I woke one day to find this letter, telling me to come to the Gerudo Variety Market, and on that day Shaagos was there. I bought a pocket apothecary from him. He left once he was informed of bandits. Also... What happened with that? Everyone looks fine."

"I think this Voe actually has permission to enter..." one guard said, ignoring Link and still looking at the letter.

"I will check. You stay with the Voe," the other said, heading off to a large building deeper in town. It took a few minutes, but she returned, stepping to the side.

"The King has allowed this Voe entry. But he gave me a message. He wishes to know how the pocket apothecary is treating you."

Link smiled. "I'll let him know."

With that, the other guard stepped aside, allowing Link in.

"Though you are allowed in, it does not mean that you are exempt from our other laws. Be cautious such as to not break them. Our King may have taken a liking to you, but our laws are absolute."

"Can do," Link said as he walked in, noting how the town was thankfully warmer than outside, as the sun had set and he was starting to shiver.

Looking around, he saw that there were many shops around town, including an inn, thankfully. Not only that, but he saw an armor shop... that wasn't an armor shop. It only sold clothes for females.

Of course.

Therefore, due to the lack of what he was looking for, he made his way to the largest building in town. This was of course because that is where Shaagos Ramil, the King of the Gerudo, lived.

As he walked through town, Link noticed how many of the Gerudo that saw him more or less stared at him, some without expression, but others looked at him with anger.

"Why is that Voe here?"

"How did he get in?"

"Why won't the guards get him out?"

"He's cute..."

Needless to say, comments like that made Link blush, and there was a surprising number of them. However, the vast majority consisted of confused and angry glares.

"Looks like you aren't very welcome here," Marze whispered.

"Yeah..." Link said as he walked up the stairs to Shaagos' home, the guards stepping out of the way. Evidently, they had already gotten the message that he was allowed in.

Walking in, he looked around to see that the room was very well decorated, the Gerudo emblem displayed prominently throughout. And sitting on a large throne in the center of the room was none other than Shaagos, a large smile on his face.

"Sav'saaba, Young Voe! You did come to visit! I just didn't think it would be so soon," he said.

Link walked up closer, standing in front of Shaagos' throne, which was flanked on either side both by guards, and two large statues of wolves.

"I needed to come out here anyway, so I saw no reason not to," Link replied.

"Might I ask what you're here for?" Shaagos asked.

"Well," Link said, glancing over his shoulder to look at the town below them, "when you left your store, it was because of bandits. But everyone looks fine. What happened?"

"If you wish to discuss that, the follow me," Shaagos said, rising from his throne and leading Link to a balcony that overlooked the town.

"You see, bandits have their eyes set on my beautiful town. We have food, water, money, many things that they desire but cannot get easily. Therefore, they plan raids on my home. But, they can only strike when I have left," Shaagos explained.

"Why's that?" Link asked the taller man.

"You may not be able to tell, but I myself am the bulk of the Gerudo's might. I have mastered use of dual swords, spears, and magic."

"Oh, you use magic?" Link asked, intrigued.

"Yes," Shaagos said, smiling. "Do you?"

"A little," Link admitted. "I'm not too good though. I only use them when I absolutely have to."

"Might I see?" Shaagos asked. He knew Link impressed him, but now he wanted to see how much he did.

"Sure," Link said as he raised his hand, snapping his fingers and creating a small amount of orange sparks. This action brought a smile to Shaagos' face.

"Impressive! But I must ask, is that all you can do? Not only the size of the flames themselves, but spells in total."

"No, not at all. I can create much larger flames, and I have a spell that can change my clothes. It gets really useful considering how much armor I have."

"Very interesting. I myself have mastered lightning and light magic. They're even imbued into my weapons to get similar effects," Shaagos said.

Link nodded. "That's very cool."

"Cool? Is that what you Hylians say?" Shaagos asked.

"I don't know about other Hylians, but I do," Link said. "Anyway, you were saying?"

"Ah, yes, the bandits," Shaagos said, nodding. "I received word about the bandits, and I rushed to the desert entrance on my steed, getting off and walking the rest of the way here. Once they saw me, most fled, but the ones who must not have known the threat I posed to them stayed and fell in battle. My only regret is that I could not return in time to save the guards that were slain."

"I'm sorry to hear that... But that isn't the only reason I'm here," Link said.

"Then why else have you come to the desert?" Shaagos asked, turning to Link.

"I need armor that will make it so I can make it to the Savage Pillar."

Shaagos' smile left.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Shaagos said.

"Why not?" Link asked.

"That land is the sacred ground of the Gerudo. The thieves there are breaking my laws. The only reason they remain is because we lack the strength to wipe them out."

"I could drive them out," Link said.

"No. You may be skilled, but skill doesn't matter in a place like that," Shaagos said, shaking his head.

"What would I have to do to prove that I could go?" Link asked.

"You can't be serio-" Shaagos said, though he stopped when he saw Link's face. "Goddesses, you are."

"I have too much at stake not to try," Link said, his determined glare ever-present.

"Very well. You wish to know what you must do to be granted access to the sacred lands of my people?"

"Yes," Link said.

"You must best me in one-on-one combat."

Link clenched his fist.

"I'll do it."

"So," Shaagos said, "you really wish to go through with this? Very well. Stay at the inn in town, tell them that I will pay for your stay. Sav'orr, Hylian Voe. We will fight in the morning. You will meet with the guards at the south gate, they will take you to the battleground."

Link nodded and headed down the stairs, turning to what he knew as the inn, stepping inside.

"Ah, the Voe. Why are you here?"

"Your King has offered to pay for a night. I'd like to get my sleep," Link said.

"Hmph. To your left," she said, Link turning to the room with the bed he was to sleep in. Finding the softest one, he removed his gear and climbed in, Marze once again making a bed out of Link's clothes.

"So, you're fighting the King of the Gerudo? That doesn't sound too good," Marze said.

"I'll do what I have to in order to save my sister. If I don't beat him and instead have to simply sneak my way there, then I will," Link said, never taking his eyes away from the ceiling.

"You'd better get your rest then," Marze said, burying himself in Link's clothes.

Link stared at the ceiling for a moment longer before closing his eyes, letting sleep claim him. He had quite the day ahead of him.

OOO

"Wake up, sun's up."

Link awake to Marze on his chest, shaking him such as to get him up. Climbing out of the bed and cracking basically every bone in his back, Link donned his gear and snapped his fingers, changing into his Flamebreaker Armor. He was fighting a man who alone was the bulk of the Gerudo's might, and as such he needed armor that would absorb as much damage as possible.

Exiting his room, he was greeted by two guards.

"Are you prepared?" one of them asked, Link nodding. "Then follow us," she said, walking out of the room with Link following after them. The headed out of town, leading Link to a large mesa with stone stairs carved into the side to allow people to climb it more easily. Reaching the top, he saw Shaagos there, sitting in the middle of the mesa and facing away from him.

"So, you truly did come," he said, neither turning around nor standing. "I commend your bravery. Or is it foolishness? Only our battle will tell us."

Shaagos finally rose, Link seeing his spear and swords on his person. Link drew his own sword and shield, more than ready for a fight with the strongest Gerudo in Hyrule.

"You sound ready. Good. I won't fight someone who isn't ready," he said as he drew his own two swords, one having a more golden hue than its twin's white hue. "I am Shaagos Ramil, 217th King of the Gerudo. And I accept your challenge, Link Valion."

Link merely tightened his grip on the Antares Edge, raising his Sirius Shield. He was going to have to give this fight everything that he had if he wanted to get into the Savage Pillar, to save his sister.

Shaagos then turned around, his smile having been replaced by a menacing glare.

"In the name of the Seven, I offer this Hylian Voe a chance to enter our sacred lands through combat," he said, raising one sword over his head, holding the other out in front of him. Lowering himself closer to the ground and getting into a fighting stance, he spoke once again.

"Come at me, Hylian Voe."

Ho boy, now Link's got some problems. Not only was the pillar itself going to be challenging enough, but now he's gotta fight ol' King Shaagos in order to prove he's ready to go there. I wonder how that's gonna pan out... Oh well, we'll find out next chapter.

OniHelix out!