Aloy stands there with mouth slightly agap.
"I," she began slowly. "I really . . . don't know what to say."
Link tells Aloy that he got it from a man who disguished himself as a Gerudo and that he was standing atop of the inn back in Kara Kara Bazaar after asking around about anyone strange. He next tells her that is going to try and get an audience with whoever is in charge.
That is when he gives a start and asks where her focus is.
"I wasn't in this town for long before four Gerudo guards took me captive and marched me up into that palace over there and down into their barracks," Aloy explained with a brief gesture at the palace. "Then they striped me down in front of their leader, a girl named Riju who looks to be no more than thirteen. One of the guards plucked my focus off last of all and wore it. Naturally, she was startled by what she saw on it and removed it. Then Riju asked about it and got to wear it as well. I told her about myself and my world. I told her about you and how we wanted to help them deal with that Divine Beast out there. She told me that the only way we can get aboard it is with something called a Thunder Helm. It's a Gerudo heirloom that was stolen by the Yiga. It turns out that the Gerudo thought I was one of them in disguise, but I think it's because they singled me out for my ears. Anyway, she tasked us to go to their hideout and get it back for her if we are ever to try and free the Divine Beast Vah Naboris . . . So she's keeping my focus to insure our honesty."
Link stands there for a moment blinking in thought. His expression turns grim and he next whispers that he will get her focus back, then turns and walks toward the palace. Aloy gives a start for a moment, then chases after Link.
"What're you doing?!" She hissed into his ear. "They'll discover what you are and throw you out!"
Link answers that they can do that but not before he gets her focus back.
"So be it," Aloy said, then rummages around in her satchels. "But first, drink this." Taking out a chilly elixir. "Riju gave me two of these and I just drank one. It's called a chilly elixir and it will protect against the heat."
Link takes the bottle and drinks it. He thanks Aloy, saying that he feels cooler now. He then turns and goes toward the palace, with Aloy following after him. They go up the stairs and into the throne room unopposed, up to Riju as she sits casually upon her throne while engrossed in the focus as her bodyguard Buliara stands nearby. Riju snaps out of her engrossment upon noticing Aloy.
"Aloy, what are you doing back already? And who is this you bought?"
Link answers instead by stating that he is Link and was Urbosa's friend.
"So this is the voe Aloy told us about!" Buliara stated, then jabs her swordtip into the floor. "A voe entering this place is a serious offence!"
"Indeed it is," Riju said. "But . . . he is the hero Link himself."
"Impossible!" Buliara said. "That was a hundred years ago!"
"He was asleep for all that time," Aloy said. "The Sheikah put him as such."
"Mother did tell me the story about how the hero Link was taken by the Sheikah and hidden away somewhere," Riju said while in a pondering pose.
"But he does not have the sword that cuts the darkness on him," Buliara said.
"No, he doesn't," Riju said. "But that doesn't mean that he cannot help us. Very well. As I had told Aloy, I can now tell you. Go north into the Gerudo Highlands and infiltrate the Yiga Clan hideout to get back the Thunder Helm that they had stolen from us. It was Lady Urbosa's favorite helm. With it, you will be able to approach Naboris."
Link thanks Riju and next tells her that she can give Aloy her focus back because they have no intention of failing this mission.
"Insolence!" Buliara exclaimed as she stabs her swordtip into the floor.
"Since he is the hero Link himself and was friends with Urbosa," Riju said, "we were ignorant in mistreating his friend, Aloy."
Riju removes the focus and holds it out for Link to take. He takes it and hands it back to Aloy, who takes it and puts it back onto the side of her own face and feels relieved to have it back.
"Thank you," Aloy said. "We'll be back with that Thunder Helm. Now which direction is north?"
"When you leave through the entrance, go left," Riju answered. "Towards the Sheikah Shrine. Oh, and sandstorms are common out there. So you'll need to ride a sand seal to get there quicker."
"A sand seal?" Aloy inquired.
"They are creatures that swim through the sand. I have one called Patricia," Riju answered. "As you are heading toward the exit, take a right and you will come upon a sand seal pen. There, you can rent a sand seal. You will need a shield to ride behind them though. Just go and see for yourself."
Link thanks her and they leave, following the directions that Riju had told them. They find the sand seal pen. Aloy finds them to be cute yet bizarre as they have fat missle-like bodies with a head. They have neither legs nor arms, but tail and fins like a fish.
"Excuse us," Aloy said to a Gerudo watching over them. "But how do you use these sand seals?"
"You simply tie a rope on them and let them go," the Gerudo answered. "They will drag you over the sand as they swim through it. But you will need a shield and rope to ride them."
Link and Aloy look at each other, with Link agreeing to it. The duo are soon behind their own sand seal holding onto a rope and standing upon a shield, with Aloy standing upon the Gerudo shield that Link had given her.
"So how does this go?" Aloy mused as she stares at the rope whimsically.
"To make the sand seal go, just flick your wrist to create a wave through the rope," the Gerudo said with manual demonstration. "Flicking your wrist will compel it to swim faster, but careful not to tire it out. To slow or even stop, pull back on the rope." While making a pulling motion. "To make it go left, pull the rope to the left." As she positions her right arm over to her left. "To make it go right, pull the rope to the right." As she positions her right arm over to her right and away from herself. "You think you got all that?"
"I think so," Aloy said with uncertainty.
"The most important thing is balance," the Gerudo said. "And being able to keep your feet on the shield as its pulling you along. But the sand of the Gerudo Desert is very fine, so there'll be very little friction against the shield. Also, don't worry about having to return them. They know the way back."
The duo thank her and ready themselves to leave. Link is the first as he flicks his wrist, sending a wave down the rope that causes the sand seal to dive into the sand with a bark and swim along. Aloy takes a deep breath and tenses, then flicks her wrist and is jerked forward by her sand seal as it dives into the sand with a bark and pulls her along. Years of training that included jogging over tightwires prove to be a valuable asset to Aloy as she very easily finds her balance. Another flick of her wrist and she is going faster, catching up to Link. She watches him make a sharp turn to the left as his hands are over to his left side. Aloy follows suit by doing the same thing, making her sand seal turn left, keeping Link in her sight. Another flick of her wrist and the sand seal goes faster, so that she is close behind Link. It turned out that Gerudo was right about the sand as it seemingly flows underneath the shield.
They continue surfing over the sand as their sand seals bark and pull them along. The cliff face of the Gerudo Highlands continue to loom ever larger. They can make out a passage through them. Off to their left are the sight of huge bones belonging to some sort of creature. Just behind it, the massive cloud of sand kicked up by the high winds threatens to engulf them as they can feel the breeze of it overwhelming the air that flows over them. Bits of sand blow their way. The closer they get to the passage, the closer the sandstorm gets. It is as they are about to enter the passageway that the sandstorm is almost upon them, reducing the visibility and causing them to squint their left eye and turn their face to the right in order to see where they are going.
It is only for the moment though as the canyon walls that jut out suddenly protect them from the sand. They are relieved to be able to see again and see rock columns with rope strung out between them that have red streamers on them.
They continue to make use of the sand seals that pull them all the way up the trail, which narrows and starts to rise. Boulders suddenly come rolling down and the duo are quick to pull to whatever side that will help them avoid those boulders. The trail gets progressively narrower.
That is when they see a stone ridge up ahead going the full width of the trail. Link first pulls on his sand seal, causing Aloy to do so with hers as well. They get off their shields and walk up to the ridge that is some ten feet high.
"Okay, it looks like we'll have to go the rest of the way on foot," Aloy said. "But before we do that . . . could you please change back into what you had been wearing when we first arrived in the Gerudo Desert."
Link smirks and begins to change back into the blue tunic.
"Now let's get up there," she said as she kneels down to steady herself with her hands on her knee to hoist him up. But Link starts climbing up the sheer rock face.
"How are you able to do that?!" Aloy mused. "Not even I can climb like that!"
Link reaches the top, then turns and leans over with his arm down. Aloy steps back and takes a running start then leaps and grabs Link's hand, helping to pull her up. Once at the top, they get up and continue on up the ever rising trail.
"Hey Link, are you getting that we're about to be attacked feeling?"
No sooner had she finished saying that when a ball of light appears up ahead, to be followed by a puff of smoke and red notes, and a Yiga with a bow is there before them. Aloy quickly takes out her war bow and launches arrows at the Yiga, since it is the bow with the fastest reload. Link has his scimitar and Gerudo shield out, then rushes the Yiga after being injuried enough by the arrows stuck into him. Link rams the edge of his shield into the Yiga's face, knocking him down and skewers the Yiga through the chest, killing him so that the Yiga disappears in a puff of smoke and flurry of red notes. A Duplex Bow, rupees, and Mighty Bananas are left behind.
"We better stay sharp because I get the feeling that there will be more of them up ahead," Aloy said.
With their bows out an an arrow nocked, they continue their climb ever upward and the trail finally levels out. They come upon a rock that has the Yiga Eye, both as painted onto the rock and on the white cloth tied to it. Up past it are more such rocks, even in lines side-by-side.
That is when three more Yiga appear, both armed with bows, but two of them get skewered because Link and Aloy were quicker on the defense. The duo repeatedly launch arrow after arrow at their adversaries.
After managing to kill all three Yiga and collect their spoils, the duo enter a large room up ahead that looked to have been carved out of the mountainside. They enter to stand within the rounded room that has a platform in the center with stairs leading up to another platform surrounded by lamp braziers. On that smaller platform is another Duplex Bow. Around the room and into the walls are seven stairs that go up to a white tapestry with a row of Yiga Eyes on them, but their ends at the bottom are black with a dark red flame. On either side of those tapestries are lit lamp braziers.
"Why do I get the feeling that there are rooms behind those curtains?" Aloy mused, not understanding tapestries.
Link directs her attention to one of two torches on the ground and they each take one, then each walk up to a tapestry. They light their torch and burn a tapestry. Behind one, Link discovers a chest that contains a rupee. Behind another, Aloy merely discovers Keese that she smacks away with her torch on a reflex.
"Okay," Aloy gasped. "I think it best we light a curtain, then run away to have plenty of space between us and whatever else decides to pop out to attack us."
And with that they pick another tapestry and light it, then quickly hurry back down the stairs and put their torch away and take out their weapon. Sure enough, the one Aloy had lit reveals more Keese and she slashes them down. Taking out her torch again, she goes up to another tapestry and lights it, and hurries away.
This time, a hallway is revealed.
"Hey Link, I found something."
He looks and congratulates Aloy. They drop their torches and walk up into the hallway.
They turn right and go up another flight of stairs and come upon a wooden platform over a large room where a huge stone block is located to their left. Across the platform is a cell with thick wooden square bars criss crossed over it, with glowing cards pasted around its edges.
Behind it is a Gerudo.
"Hey!" Aloy called quietly as she and Link walk up to the cell. "What are you doing here, Gerudo?!"
"I could ask you the same thing," the Gerudo answered. "This is the hideout of those Yiga thieves who stole the Thunder Helm."
"We know," Aloy whispered. "And Riju sent us to get it back."
"Lady Riju sent you?!" the Gerudo gasped.
"Yes, but she didn't mention anything about a captured Gerudo."
"That's probably because she doesn't know I'm here." The Gerudo then sighs. "I doubt anyone knows I'm here."
"What's your name?" Aloy asked.
"Barta. My name is Barta."
"I'm Aloy and he's Link. Don't worry, Barta, we'll get you out of here too. But what are those things on the ends?"
"Those are special locks that the Yiga use to keep cells closed," Barta answered. "Listen . . . Aloy, Link . . . If they spot you, they'll call their friends for sure. There's no way you can take them all on. If only you had some way of distracting them."
"How?" Aloy asked.
"I don't know how," Barta admitted. "All I ever see them do is patrol and eat bananas. I haven't seen anything else that you could exploit as a weakness. Listen, this place is dangerous. You should get out of here while you can."
"Sorry, but we're not leaving until we get that Thunder Helm back, and you too," Aloy said.
"Fine, do what you want," Barta sighed. "But as for me, I can take care of myself."
"After we get rid of the Yiga and get that Thunder Helm back, we will be coming back for you, regardless of what you just said," Aloy answered. "Let's go, Link."
Aloy and Link jump down from the platform to face the challenge of the Yiga. Up ahead they see a bright flickering light from around the corner of that huge stone block. Aloy scans with her focus to see through it a muscular Yiga carrying a torch and walking toward the wall. Aloy casually walks up to the stone block along the side that faces the wall. She can see that the Yiga is oblivious to her presence. Years of sneaking up on animals and machines has honed her stealth to the point that moving quietly comes almost effortlessly to her, and crouches with her back pressed against the stone with her spear out. Like a coiled rattlesnake, she is ready to strike as the torch that the Yiga is carrying comes into view.
In a flash Aloy darts upward with her spear lunging and the sound of the Yiga getting punctured is heard after being stabbed underneath the chin; the sound of bone being struck immediately follows as it was the inside of his skull that was being struck. Aloy had stabbed the Yiga up through the brain, slicing the Yiga's brainstem so that he immediately goes limp like a marionette that has had its strings cut. She pulls the Yiga back around so that the Yiga will be out of casual view. That is when Aloy notices something as she stares down at the now dead Yiga.
"How is it that he's not disappearing like the last ones we fought?" Aloy asked.
Link speculates that it may be due to their falling in battle, whereas this one was attacked suddenly and without warning, preventing him from making himself disappear properly.
"I see," Aloy answered, then turns and looks toward where they must go, but using her focus to see through the stone.
She sees a railing with stairs going down. Beyond it she sees a doorway going down a hallway and another Yiga coming up it.
"This way," Aloy whispered as she turns back and rounds the side of the huge stone block facing the direction they had come from. Aloy ducks low and crawls, as does Link. They crawl up to the wooden railing. Aloy watches through her focus as the Yiga emerges from the doorway with torch in hand.
Why do they use torches when there are lights around? Aloy mused inwardly while taking note of the lit lanterns around on the walls.
The Yiga turns away from them and walks toward the end of that area. There are stone objects that reminds Aloy of fallen pillars, but that would not be their purpose. There are also more of those Yiga rocks along the side of one wall.
Aloy takes out her sharpshot bow, since it hits the hardest, and an arrow. Carefully, she rises and takes aim at the Yiga's head, then releases. The arrow hits true as it sticks in the Yiga's head, puncturing his brain so that he falls and goes dead like the previous one.
The duo are quick to hurry down the stairs to go through the now unguarded doorway, but not before Link has to open a nearby chest to find a sapphire within it.
They enter a corridor and come to a dead end, but turn left and see a corridor with a tall ladder way in the back. Link is about to go, when Aloy puts her hand on him to stop him and she is using her focus to see through the walls. Link quietly asks her what she sees.
"There is a larger room off to the right with stone pillars in it and four Yiga patroling it. Though one of them continues standing with his back to a doorway we have to get through," Aloy answered quietly. "That ladder goes up to a long narrow corridor that leads to a room. But as for the Yiga, if there were only one, we could simply sneak in there and take him out. But four . . . ?"
Aloy then takes out her war bow and the last corruption arrow. "I think it's time to use the last one."
Aloy stalks down the hallway and looks around a corner. She spies a Yiga walking by and all he would have to do is turn around and see her. Aloy quickly takes aim and releases. The arrow strikes true and she hurries back to Link.
"Now all we have to do is wait," Aloy whispered to Link in a deadpan as the rants and raves of that Yiga are heard, to be followed by the clashing of swords.
