ESRB Rated 'M' for Mature.


It was just before sundown on a stormy day in Kakariko Village. Despite the cold and rainy weather, Cado remained on guard at the foot of the steps leading to Impa's home. It was the very least he could do... given his recent profound failure.

A bluish glow emanated from the nearby hilltop which was home to the ancient Sheikah Shrine.

It seems Impa was right, Cado thought to himself. A figure ran from the shrine and leapt off the hill, gliding swiftly with his paraglider straight towards him.

Link has returned to us after all-

He paused.

The young Hylian hero landed on the ground near Cado, sprinting right up to him. Link's bright flowery shirt contrasted sharply with the gray backdrop of rain. His tights were… exceptionally form-fitting.

The bewildered sheikah guard looked him up and down, started to ask, thought better of it. He buried his face in his hands.

"Just...just go," he said.

Link gave a nod in response and ran straight up the stairs to Impa's home, his gorgeous long hair flowing majestically in the stormy wind...


"Impa!" Link shouted, as he burst through the double-doors that served as the entrance to her home. "Where's Dorian?!"

"I'm… right here," said a voice from upstairs. The elderly Sheikah guard made his way down the steps from the second floor. He looked like he'd seen better days. Large, dark bags were present below his eyes. He looked malnourished, as if he hadn't eaten anything in some time.

Impa spoke to Link as Dorian approached.

"I can see from your getup…" she said, "That you have finally made it to Gerudo Town..."

Impa's usual calm, cheery attitude was tarnished by an undercurrent of subtle lamentation. Link decided it would be best to simply cut to the chase.

"Is it true?" Link asked. "About… Dorian's children-"

"Yes." Dorian interjected. "Koko and Cottla… I…. I failed them. They've been taken."

Link heard a quiet sob nearby. He glanced over, saw Paya sitting by a Sheikah orb - the ancient heirloom she'd been sworn to protect all her life. To his surprise, she didn't hesitate to speak.

"It...it's all our fault!" She suddenly burst into uncontrollable tears, as Impa hopped off from her stack of pillows and placed a hand on Paya's shoulder. Dorian attempted to compose himself, knowing he needed to explain things clearly to Link.

"It happened while we were out searching for you. They… appeared to have been watching us for some time. The Yiga Clan, that is. They struck when Cado was alone, and at his most vulnerable-"

"They were seeking the heirloom!" Paya cried out, pointing towards the orb. "B-but… we hid it carefully before we left. And when Cado wouldn't reveal its location to them… they… well, they took Dorian's children instead!"

"I'm so sorry…" Link said. "If I hadn't disappeared like I did… then maybe..."

But Dorian shook his head. "We made our choice, Link. None of us could have foreseen their plans. It is not your fault… it's mine. " He pulled a note out from his back pocket and sighed as he showed it to Link. "They've left us an ultimatum. Either we deliver the Sheikah heirloom… and you …" he paused. "...Or they kill Koko and Cottla."

At this, Paya lost her composure entirely. She stood up and quickly made her way upstairs, sobbing as she did. Link wanted nothing more than to follow her up to her room, to embrace her and comfort her. But he knew it wouldn't be much help.

"We were waiting for your return." Impa said, as she walked up to Link and grasped his hand. "We need your help."

"Absolutely." Link said without hesitating. "Though… if you're expecting me to turn myself and the heirloom in as exchange, I don't think that's going to work out in our favor. Not with the Yiga Clan."

"You're absolutely right." said Dorian, dully. "The moment we arrive for the deal, they will capture the both of us, torture us… and then kill my children while we watch. That's how they operate. I know this, because I-" he frowned.

"Well, I'm ...nevermind."

From the moment he'd met Dorian, Link had his suspicions about the man. He'd known all along he was hiding something.

But now he needed to hear the truth from Dorian's own mouth.

"Spit it out." Link suddenly said. His voice was cold, stoic. He hated the sound of it. But he carried on.

"There's something you're not telling us. We need to know precisely what we're getting into. For my safety, and especially for your own. So just say it."

Dorian glanced at Link, then at Impa, then he sighed loudly. "...Very well. I shall tell you."

He began to remove his jacket, pulled off his undershirt to reveal his chest. Tattooed straight across it… was an upside-down Sheikah symbol.

The emblem of the Yiga Clan.


"As you've probably gathered by now… I was not always allied with the Sheikah tribe," Dorian explained. "I… am part of the Yiga. Or at least, I used to be."

Impa appeared nonplussed by this revelation, while Dorian continued.

"One day, I met the most incredible woman who blessed me with my two children. And so I tried to change my ways. Tried to leave the clan. But the Yiga... they took my wife's life as punishment!"

Link cringed at the thought of this, knowing full well the pain of losing someone he loved. He nodded mournfully.

"I couldn't let them hurt my children, so I used my position as gatekeeper to gather information for the Yiga. In exchange for safety... I told them about you and the village. But my grief over losing my wife consumed me, and I finally decided to cut ties with the Yiga completely! And though I forfeited my life the moment I left their organization, I decided I could protect my children from the Yiga. I wasn't afraid of them." He began to tear up again.

"But I should have been! I should not have underestimated their cruelty. I'm… so sorry Lady Impa. I've let you down…"

Link shook his head as he placed a hand on Dorian's shoulder. "We all make mistakes Dorian. We all do things we later regret, in order to protect those we care about the most. We... all have ghosts that come back to haunt us..."

Impa also approached Dorian, nodding in his direction. "I had my suspicions myself when you first came to us. But I trusted you. And I still do!" She suddenly smiled. "So what matters now… is what you intend to do about it."

Link nodded. "We have no choice but to attack," he said. "If what you say is true then we need to strike immediately, before they know what hit them."

Dorian wiped the tears from his eyes, smiled at Link. "I... was hoping you'd say that. We prayed for your return. I had intended to make my way to Gerudo Desert on my own tomorrow… but with you here, we can teleport there instantly."

Link raised an eyebrow. "But I thought it was dangerous to use the slate's warp functionality with multiple people…" he said.

"I understand the risks… but we do not have any time to lose…" said Dorian. "The alternative would have far worse consequences." He walked over to a nearby cabinet, retrieved a set of weapons from its interior. "We depart immediately-"

"Not without me!" Paya yelled from upstairs. Link's eyes widened as the young Sheikah girl descended the staircase... armed to the teeth with weapons and armor.

Link held his hand up in disapproval.

"No way. I can't allow it. It's dangerous enough to have Dorian accompanying me. And besides," he gestured at the Sheikah heirloom nearby, "aren't you responsible for guarding this?"

Paya shrugged. "A s-silly heirloom is nothing when weighed against the value of a life. I cannot forgive the Yiga for what they've done. S-such a crime is… well, it's unforgivable!" Her arms fell to her sides as she yelled, and a set of throwing knives were scattered across Impa's floor from her open hands. She bent over and scrambled to pick them up.

Link had never seen Paya in such a determined, angry state. He had no idea she was even capable of any semblance of pent-up rage. But having experienced her strength firsthand... he wasn't about to argue with her. He closed his eyes, stood in silence for a time. And after dwelling on his thoughts for a moment, he hesitantly gave her his answer.

"...Very well then. Let's move."

Link changed out of his female attire, once again donning his old Sheikah armored top. He kept his tights on however, feeling that they offered him the best flexibility for the mission they were about the undertake. Dorian and Paya lent him a Sheikah stealth mask to complete the ensemble as well. This mission was, after all, quite personal for the Sheikah Clan - and Link fully intended to honor that.

The trio stood in a circle in Impa's room, ready to warp back to Gerudo Desert.

"May the goddess protect you," Impa said, as Link tapped around on his Sheikah Slate.

Link looked up, smiled.

"Likewise."

In a burst of blue light, the trio disappeared from Impa's eyes.


Night had firmly settled in Gerudo Desert as the group arrived at the shrine just outside of Gerudo Town. After examining themselves to ensure they'd arrived in one piece, they began to make their way north to the hideout of the Yiga clan.

"I've memorized this entire area," Dorian explained. "It should take us several hours to reach the canyon on foot, so I suggest we bundle up now." He produced a set of coats from his bag, offered one to Paya and Link.

The night air was already growing frigid, but Link wasn't particularly bothered by it. So he declined the offer. As he glanced over, he noticed Paya shivering violently. He grabbed one of the coats from Dorian and draped it over her shoulders.

"Are you… sure that you're up for this?" Link asked, as Paya thanked him for his gesture. "I understand if you want to turn back..."

"Y-y-you mustn't worry about me...Link…." Paya said. "I have nothing to fear if… well, if you're around anyway." She trembled violently, as if she were trying to shake all of her emotions out of her system. Her voice suddenly turned cold and stoic as she continued to speak. "Besides. I... have been trained since birth for this, for the very moment my skills would be needed for the benefit of the Sheikah clan. For the very day I would become a tool to destroy evil." She paused, her eyes narrowed. "Th-they murdered… my parents long ago. They killed Dorian's wife. They've tortured and killed countless innocents. Now, they've kidnapped children ! Hylia knows what they might have done to them by now..." She shook her head again. "But they must pay for what they have done! Their crimes cannot go unpunished. And so... I promise you this..."

Link was mildly startled as Paya flashed him a serene, confident grin.

"...we will destroy them all before the sun rises."


The freezing, dark desert night wore on, illuminated only by the eerie yellow glow of the half-moon in the sky. In the deep canyon which lead to the entrance of the mighty Yiga Clan, foot soldiers made their usual patrols along the cliffs, careful to watch out for any intruders.

It had been some time since the Gerudo army had made any significant efforts to penetrate their fortress to retrieve their stolen item, so the Yiga Clan remained quite lax. Aside from a few random travelers that had strayed into the canyon in the previous week - who were promptly slaughtered upon arrival - the recent days had been rather uneventful.

One particular Yiga footsoldier, dressed in his red and brown jumpsuit and single-eyed mask, strolled carefully down the canyon wall. His ears perked up as he heard a painful shriek echo across the canyon.

But it was promptly silenced.

The soldier figured it was simply yet another unfortunate traveler who had met his quick demise. No cause for alarm. Still, he found it necessary to check out the scene - if only to revel in the sight of the bloody, brutal kill. As he approached the source of the scream, he heard a quiet noise from behind. He spun around, drew his sword, saw nothing.

"Who goes there?" he said.

No response.

He shrugged and turned once more, continuing on to the site of the expected kill. In the dull moonlight he was able to just make out what appeared to be a corpse lying atop the desert sands. The body's blood pooled around it, reflecting the moon's glow on its surface. The soldier gave a sinister smile as he approached; but the smile quickly faded as he arrived ever closer to the site.

It wasn't a random intruder.

It was one of his fellow guards.

He reached behind himself, prepared to sound the horn to alert his clan members of the incident-

SHUNK.

A long curved Sheikah blade erupted through his chest from behind him. He felt his heart shudder. He struggled to breath as the blade was pulled straight back out from where it came.

The soldier immediately collapsed on the ground in agony, but managed to roll onto his back to catch a glimpse of his killer.

...But there was no one there.

Choking on his own blood and with his life slowly leaving him, he stared at the moon above and laughed silently to himself.


Further down the canyon, another pair of Yiga footsoldiers stood watch. They were waiting for their lead patrolman to return. But he was ten minutes late now.

Confused and angry, one of them began to leave her post to investigate. But before she could take even a single step, a shock arrow whistled through the cool night air and struck her straight in her left eye. She died before she even hit the ground.

Alarmed, her partner drew his own bow and took cover, scanning the horizon for the source of the arrow. He dared not shout or scream, hoping to stay hidden - at least until he could figure out just who or what was attacking him. His eyes were well-trained for night patrols, so he figured he could easily make out any strange visitors in the distance.

Yet he felt something, deep down in his heart. Something he hadn't felt in some time; the slightest twinge of fear.

He did his best to shake it off.

As he continued to peer down the canyon, he finally spotted movement - a small silhouette leaping from the wall in front of him. With his duplex bow in-hand, he let a pair of arrows fly, striking the distant figure square in the chest. He heard a grunt and a small thud. Grinning to himself, he drew his knife and sprinted down the canyon wall to finish the job.

But as he leapt from the wall and descended upon the figure below, he realized his grave mistake.

He'd struck a coat.

He landed on the ground, spun around, prepared to retreat from the exposed desert surface. But he was too late. He let out a fearful yelp as he came face-to-face with the cold, dead eyes of the mysterious intruder.

The encounter was brief. A flash of a sword, a sickening sound of blade meeting flesh, and the Yiga soldier collapsed on the ground. His severed head landed nearby, still bearing a twisted evil smile.


Throughout the canyon, Yiga clan members were steadily dropping like flies. And though the lack of communication from their fellow guards was worrying, the rate at which they were slain offered no time to sound an alarm.

Before long, Link, Paya, and Dorian had quickly and efficiently finished off the last of the canyon's patrols. They reached the end of the canyon and began to carefully make their way through a narrow pathway, eventually arriving at a tall cavern. In its center stood a strange shrine, surrounded by torches. The trio made quick work of a lone Yiga archer and began to examine their surroundings.

"This is the entrance to the clan hideout," Dorian said. He pointed at the large tapestries draped along the walls, each bearing the mark of the Yiga Clan. A set of stairs led to each one.

"The doorway should be hidden behind one of these tapestries, although I cannot recall which one. We'll want to be very cautious here. There are sure to be traps hidden behind each of these-"

Link retrieved an arrow from his quiver and set it on fire, shooting one of the tapestries in one smooth motion. It immediately burst into flames.

"What in Hylia's name are you thinking?!" Dorian shouted.

"Not wasting any time…" Link said. The tapestry disintegrated, revealing a hidden passageway behind it. He shrugged, and began to make his way there. Paya quickly sprinted after him without a second thought.

Dorian shook his head. "How this boy has survived all this time, is beyond me." he muttered, as he followed them up the stairway leading to the hideout of the Yiga Clan.

They made their way down a torchlit hall, and Link took the opportunity to take stock of his weaponry. His trusty Ceremonial trident remained fastened to his back. His quiver was full of an assortment of arrows - along with a new set of bomb arrows courtesy of Paya. He also had an Eightfold Sheikah blade on his waist. Dorian had insisted he take it with him, just in case.

He wasn't near as over-prepared for this mission as Paya was. But it would suffice.

Up ahead they spotted a set of small cells along the walls. They were surprised to find them unguarded, but they proceeded cautiously nonetheless. And as they peered through the bars of each of the dimly-lit holding cells, they finally spotted one of the captives.

A Gerudo soldier sat in the center of one of the cells, lying on her side. She was in rough shape, malnourished and bruised. She was bleeding from her head, and from the looks of her hands it appeared that each of her fingernails had been ripped out one after another. She stared weakly through the bars of the cell, then laughed.

"Back for more, eh?" she rasped. "Well bring it on. I can take it. I-"

She paused when she caught sight of the trio's uniforms.

"Wait a minute... are you... Sheikah? What are you doing here? This is the hideout of those Yiga scum who stole our Thunder Helm. If they spot you… there's no telling what they'll do."

Link pulled his mask down to speak, but Dorian cut him off.

"My name is Dorian. I am part of the Sheikah Clan. Please, tell me… my- my children have been captured by the Yiga. Have you perhaps… seen them?"

The Gerudo prisoner laughed once more, though a bit stronger this time. Link noticed that she was clutching a bundle of blankets between her arms.

"Ha! Children you say? Yes. They're right here." She began to unwrap the bundle in her arms. "Or at least… what's left of them anyway."

Dorian cried out mournfully as a bundle of white hair emerged from the blankets. A pair of bruised and black-eyed faces popped out from inside, and they lit up as they recognized their father's concerned expression.

Dorian curled his fists, drew his own large Sheikah blade, and sliced open the wooden bars of the cell. He dropped his weapon and entered the cell, snatching up his kids as he did.

Paya let out a small gasp when Dorian emerged into the torchlight, finally offering a clear glimpse of the Sheikah children. They were sickly, pale, bruised. Their ribs were visible on the surface of their scarred and starving bodies. They winced painfully in their father's welcomed embrace. Link and Paya both began to visibly shake with pure rage at the sight of this, while Dorian maintained his composure. But just barely.

"As you can see…" said the Gerudo prisoner, "our stay has been… less than pleasant." She limped from her cell and pointed down the dark hallway leading further into the hideout. "We've managed to survive on rats and insects that find their way in here on occasion. Every day… they pulled us from our cell and beat us mercilessly. Your children were no exception. I did my best to protect them, I really did... but… well…"

Dorian turned back to face her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He smiled grimly.

"You have my thanks. Truly. And fear not, we'll be out of here in no time. Link, Paya, I suggest we proceed quietly." He spun around to face them. "Be careful not to be seen, or else-"

He froze.

They were already gone.

Dorian sighed loudly, somberly whispering to himself.

"Oh, Hylia…

...please forgive them…"


A large, muscular Yiga guard patrolled the first room next to the jail cells of the clan hideout. Before he could react, a wave of throwing knives punctured him all across his body. An ornate trident sailed through the air and pierced him straight through the chest. Link sprinted across the room and kicked the clan member in the face as he ripped his trident back out. He hit the ground running and continued on to the next guard.

With rapid speed, Paya made it there first. The second guard swung blindly with his windcleaver sword in her direction, sending a piercing gust of wind in her direction. She rolled under the strike, leapt to her feet, then quietly slit the guard's throat as Link spun past her and drew his bow. The final guard had her own bow and arrow trained on Paya, but Link was simply too fast for her. He'd fired off three arrows in rapid succession before she had time to even think about firing her own. All three arrows made contact with her head, piercing her brain and killing her instantly.

The first room was already clear. But there was no time to waste.

Twenty Yiga footsoldiers patrolled the main room of the hideout, guarding a bounty of bananas and stolen treasure. Despite hearing a commotion in the next room they remained at their posts. It was unlikely that anyone could have penetrated this far into their sacred fortress; surely the noise was the other soldiers having another 'session' with their captives.

One lone Yiga archer stood in front of the doorway leading into the main room. He trained his head to the door, eager to overhear the pained and tortured screams of their Gerudo captive. Music to his ears.

A massive blue explosion suddenly rocked the entrance, launching the archer across the room. Link and Paya burst through the doorway and charged the room without a second thought. A nearby guard drew his sword, just in time for Link to stab through him with his trident. Several panicked archers stood atop the high scaffolding of the main room, preparing to shoot arrows down on these surprising intruders.

Link thought quickly. Using the Yiga patrolman's body as a shield, he ducked down and continued on towards the center of the room as a volley of arrows rained down on the body of the archers' fellow clan member. Paya leapt up the scaffolding, drawing her own sword as she did. In seconds the bodies of each archer were sliced into ribbons.

Another distant archer across the room fired off a single arrow, which buried itself into Paya's shoulder. She took no notice. As Link tossed the arrow-riddled Yiga body to the ground, his eyes focused on another large Yiga warrior - a blademaster - in front of him. He drew a bomb arrow from his quiver and let it fly. Paya vaulted from the scaffolding and prepared to embed her sword into the head of the blademaster below, but her target suddenly exploded violently just before she landed. She stared wild-eyed at Link in mild irritation, but shook the emotions off. There were still many more clan members for them to dispatch after all.

By this time a loud alarm had been sounded throughout the fortress. Link could only hope that Dorian had retreated by now, as a dozen more Yiga clan members appeared on the platforms above the main room of the hideout. Paya produced a smoke bomb from her pouch, tossed it on the ground in front of herself and Link, and waited.

"Bahahahahahaha! It does not matter how many of us you kill!" one of the clan members taunted. His laugh echoed across the walls of the large room.

"So long as we remain in our great lord Ganon's favor, you will never-"

A shock arrow flew out from the center of the smoke, just missing the taunting Yiga warrior. He laughed maniacally once more at the missed shot. That is, until the shock arrow exploded behind him and fried his nervous system.

Link and Paya exited the smoke cloud in separate directions, each scaling the distant walls to reach the platforms above. Now on opposite sides of the room, Yiga clan members charged them one after another. And though these fighters were more skilled than the previous footsoldiers, the end result was still the same - they were cut down with little trouble. Blood began to stain the walls and floors of the upper platforms like a smattering of finger paint. Angry screams and shouts of pain reverberated throughout the hidden fortress. And as bodies plummeted to the ground below, slaughtered easily by this pair of presumed Sheikah intruders, a large figure suddenly entered the main room from the back. It was yet another blademaster - but this one was even more muscular than the previous ones. He wielded a pair of swords in each hand.

"You've been sent by that coward, Dorian, haven't you?" the blademaster called out. Link spared a glance at the figure and sighed.

He was starting to get sick of these dramatic monologues.

After dispatching the final Yiga warrior in front of him, Link dropped down to the floor below to confront this new enemy. Across the room, Paya did the same. And as Link drew closer, it became obvious to him that this particular blademaster was one of the clan leaders.

"I am Baron, Master Kohga's second-in-command," the swordsman said. "Try as you might, you two will never be able to-"

"Let's not drag this out." Link coldly interrupted. He trained his bow at the Yiga's head and fired immediately.

"...As you wish."

Baron ducked. The explosive arrow sailed just past his head, blowing up a statue behind him. He rolled to his left and began to engage Paya in a swordfight.

Based on the ease and efficiency of his attacks, the man was clearly a disciplined swordsman. But so was Paya.

Link drew his trident and chased after Baron, marveling at Paya's impressive speed as she dodged each of Baron's lightning-fast sword swipes. Though considerably weaker than her opponent, Paya parried and dodged his strikes effortlessly.

Link sprinted forward and lashed out with his trident with one hand - one of Mipha's classic techniques - but he only struck the air. Baron had disappeared in a puff of red smoke.

The pair stood back-to-back and scanned the room carefully. Despite the ease with which they had slaughtered his comrades, they weren't taking any chances with this wily Yiga leader.

As Link expected, another puff of smoke erupted in the air above them. He and Paya both rolled out of the way as Baron materialized above them and swiped in their direction with his swords, both of which now glowed with power. Piercing gusts of air bounced off the ground where the pair had once stood, ricocheting towards them. The gusts sliced their torsos, drawing blood and briefly bringing them to their knees in pain.

Baron landed on the ground and bounded towards Link in a split second. Link barely had time to draw his Sheikah sword to parry Baron's strike, but he managed to hold his footing. As their blades clashed, another gust of wind exploded out of the sword and gashed Link's face. He shrugged it off. Using his opponent's own weight against him, Link pulled his sword back, spun on his heels, and sliced Baron's stomach with his sword. Baron gasped loudly and took another blind swipe at Link - but this time he was ready. He rolled to his left just as Paya leapt into the air behind Baron, extended her sword, and stabbed him straight through the chest.

She just barely missed his heart.

Grinning widely, Baron clutched the protruding Sheikah blade and spun quickly, launching Paya to the ground beside him. He was on her in a flash, swiping madly with his windcleaver blades at the now-unarmed Sheikah girl. Her clothes were being torn to shreds, exposing the deep gashes in her flesh that only seemed to grow in number with each of Baron's strikes. She was losing a lot of blood, growing dizzier by the second. But she did her best to dodge his swipes as she finally drew a pair of knives from her waist to counter him.

Link drew his bow once more, trained an arrow on Baron's head, and let it fly. The arrow struck Baron in the nape of his neck, but he was unaffected. Link fired off four more arrows, each one making contact with Baron; yet he still continued his relentless attack on Paya unabated. Link gritted his teeth in frustration, drew his trident and chased after this seemingly unkillable enemy in an effort to ward him off.

Fortunately, Link's assistance was unneeded. Paya had seen enough.

She crossed her knives together, catching the blademaster's downward sword strikes. One last gust of cutting wind gashed her face severely, but she held on. With a quiet grunt she ripped her knives apart, completely shattering both windcleaver blades in Baron's hands.

Seeing an opening, she pulled her knives together again and stabbed upward towards the blademaster's chest. This time her aim was true. Both knives pierced Baron's heart simultaneously.

They stood there quietly for some time, neither one moving from their position. Link kept his trident aimed at Baron's head, ready to strike him if he made any more moves.

But the Yiga leader began to laugh maniacally. He coughed up blood on Paya's face as she finally withdrew her knives. He collapsed on the ground, rolled on his back, and closed his eyes.

"Two-on-one…" he gasped. "...is a bit dishonorable for the Sheikah Clan, is it not?"

But neither Link nor Paya responded. Link shrugged, lifted his trident high into the air, and delivered the final blow.

It was finished.

For a brief moment, Link's eyes met Paya's. Her left eye was swollen completely shut, gashed deeply by one of Baron's wind strikes. It was very likely that she would never see out of that eye again.

Link began to approach her, but she held up her hand to stop him.

The job was still yet unfinished.


The Yiga hideout was like a maze, with traps and tricks greeting the pair with every turn. They managed to retrieve a map from one of the fallen clan members, but it was of little help to them. The map only marked the main rooms of the facility, and displayed none of the hideout's hidden passageways and catacombs. Even a secret treasure room, where Link had expected the Thunder Helm to be housed, held nothing but chests full of bananas and exploding spikes. As they proceeded cautiously from room to room, bandaging their wounds as they did, they found themselves eerily alone in the dead silence. Still, neither one dared to speak. They were dead-focused, still pumping with adrenaline, still intensely angry.

So they carried on exploring, loosely using their map as a guide. And before long, they realized there was only one room left to survey: the training grounds of the Yiga Master Kohga.

It was the only remaining room marked on the map which they had not yet explored. The entrance, however, seemed impossible to find. Frustrated, Link turned to using the magnesis rune of his Sheikah slate to scan for any metallic objects or doors they may have missed. Sure enough, a hidden rotating wall was revealed in the treasure room of the Yiga hideout.

Link took a deep breath, nodded at Paya, and pushed the doorway open with magnesis.

A gust of cold mountain air greeted them as they entered, stinging their exposed skin and throbbing wounds. They found themselves walking into yet another massive canyon, dimly lit by red and yellow lanterns. Ropes and streamers were tied across across the canyon in decorative fashion, and an enormous ceremonial pit stood directly in the center.

A small chest sat directly in front of them, just waiting to be opened. Link had a hunch that the Thunder Helm was housed inside of it. And he was correct - from inside, he produced a golden helmet with six glowing eyes in the front. Just like in his vision.

His objective in-hand, Link knew it was just a matter of time before Master Kohga himself -

"Wahahahahahahahahaha!"

-finally arrived.

A puff of smoke and red papers appeared next to them. And when the dust settled, an overweight Yiga clan member stood before them. He grasped at his shoulder, rolled it around with a large creak, and groaned loudly. "So... who the heck are you guys? And what are you doing in my napping spot?!"

He suddenly paused, shaking his head in disbelief.

"...Wait a minute." He rubbed his mask vigorously and peered closer at Link's hip. "That thing on your hip... is that... could it be a Sheikah Slate? If it's a Sheikah Slate, then that means..."

"...It means I'm Link. The guy you've been searching for." Link drew his trident and held it loosely at his side. "And based on your tone… you must be Kohga."

"The one and only!" Kohga posed dramatically. "I am the leader of the Yiga clan!" He began to dance and point in every direction. "The strong! The burly! Master Kohga!"

He took a battle stance and pointed his finger at Link. "I can't believe my luck!" he said. "I've sent scouts all over Hyrule searching for you. And you wander straight into my hideout! Speaking of which… how did you even make it this far?"

Link glanced down at his bloodstained clothes. He shrugged.

"No matter! I will destroy you myself. Personally…"

A throwing knife soared through the air next to Link and pierced Kohga straight in the forehead.

Link glanced over at Paya, who was already reaching for a second knife as Kohga suddenly disappeared from before them, reappearing at a distance. He held his hands out in the air, summoning a large stone decorated with Yiga Clan symbols. Link wasted no time. He pulled out his bow and struck Kohga in the face with an arrow.

He and Paya both charged in his direction as the stone he'd summoned suddenly plummeted to the ground and squished him beneath it. When the stone rolled away, Paya pounced on top of Kohga with both daggers in hand. She stabbed at his stomach rapidly as he screamed and yelped in pain. He disappeared once again, this time materializing in the air just above the large pit at the center of the canyon. Paya raised an eyebrow at Link, shook her head, and charged in Kohga's direction once more.

Kohga began reciting strange incantations, and this time two spiked boulders appeared in the air next to him, each spinning rapidly in a circle. Link decided to simply ignore the boulders, instead aiming a bomb arrow at Kohga's center. It exploded right in his face and launched him towards the back rim of the pit. Paya leapt over the hole in a single bound and once again rapidly struck the Yiga master with her daggers.

Kohga teleported away from Paya, appearing on the ground just in front of the pit. He turned to face Link, clutching his chest in pain. Link almost scoffed loudly at the pitiful sight.

"Who would've thought... I'd be done in like this..." Kohga gasped. "You... you think I'm just going to let this stand?!" He began to stomp his foot on the ground in frustration. "Do you?!"

Link nodded.

"Ahem! Sorry, I almost lost my temper there…" Kohga said. "Argh, what a pain... I can't go out this way. What to do, what to do..."

Paya hobbled over to where Link stood. She seemed to be just as a confused as Link was with the sheer ridiculousness of Master Kohga's behavior.

"Ha! I got it! Mehehehehehe..." Kohga grabbed at his mask as he laughed manically. "Ahahahahahahaha!" He crossed his arms and took a step forward. "I need to bust out my serious moves... a secret technique taught by my father's mother's father! It will... destroy you! This is the end!"

He clasped his hands together, reciting yet another incantation. And as he did, a gigantic spiked ball appeared in the air in front of him and collapsed on the ground, blocking his view of Link and Paya. "Ahahahaha-uh... Huh. Maybe it's... just a tad too big. Are you still over there?"

Link didn't bother to respond.

"Well, no matter. Pretty soon you'll be gone! And not just from my line of sight!" Kohga shut his eyes and chuckled to himself.

"Only the leader of the Yiga Clan... can use this secret technique..." The gigantic spiked ball began to roll in Kohga's direction as he continued his dramatic monologue. "It is... the ultimate... oof!"

The ball collided with him, knocking him backwards and straight into the large pit behind him. His high-pitched screams echoed across the canyon as he fell.

"Coward!" he yelled. "I shall be remembered! I swear to you, I will-"

THUD.

With a pathetic thump, Master Kohga's body smashed into the bottom of the large pit. The spiked ball followed swiftly behind, completely crushing his ruined body.

A moment of confused silence slowly passed. And after some time, the pair of exhausted warriors finally exhaled in relief.

In the most ludicrous of fashions, their battle was finally over.

Link glanced over at Paya. She was completely covered head-to-toe in blood. She wiped the tears from her good eye, turned, and smiled grimly at Link. He smiled back as he quickly pulled her into his comforting embrace. Unlike before, she confidently returned the favor.

The sun finally began to peek its way over the horizon, its warm light slowly revealing the bloody carnage that now decorated the canyon walls.

Burned and torn tapestries, ruined bodies, and scattered weapons were all that remained - a ghost of the mighty Yiga Clan.


Next is Chapter 26: Grains.

Just a note: I really took liberties with Paya's character here, and I suppose I should expect some mixed reactions. Nevertheless, she's a girl raised by a clan of assassins and warriors so I don't find it too off-base to assume that she's been trained in the ways of the Sheikah by Impa and others. And so I found it necessary to expand on this tragically underutilized character, who just happens to be a personal favorite of mine. Hope you enjoyed.

Bonus note:
In my very first playthrough I attempted to complete this segment using only stealth. After finally making it into the main room and accidentally falling right in front of a Yiga blademaster, I gave up and proceeded to slaughter the entire clan. Definitely made it a lot easier to search for the Thunder Helm. Haha.
It's a true story, I swear. Arrows are your friend...