"GASP!"

Link abruptly shot awake and sat straight up in his bed. His heart pounding, he examined the inn's candlelit interior around him and then quickly relaxed. There was no imminent danger as far as he could see.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. It wasn't unusual for him to be roused awake like this by a false sense of danger. Probably just a bad dream, no cause for alarm. Laying back in bed, he crossed his arms and frowned. The wind howled wildly outside the inn window, and it still seemed quite dark out.

Looks like I've only been out for a couple of hours at the most, he lamented. Going to be a long, long day...

With the sudden adrenaline rush, he knew there was no way he'd be getting back to sleep any time soon. So he grabbed his Sheikah Slate and powered it on, hoping to pass the time. And perhaps to find a distraction from the strange sense of danger still lingering at the edge of his psyche.

The slate's familiar ring chimed in his ear when it started up. And as the faint bluish glow of its map feature filled Link's eyes, he sighed. The map was, of course, totally blank.

With all the chaos surrounding his arrival in Gerudo Desert, he'd had no real opportunity to seek out a Sheikah Tower to fill in his map data. Thus, there was no way to track the movements of Vah Naboris. He reached to turn his slate back off when something suddenly caught his eye: the clock at the bottom corner of the screen.

He cried out in shock. It was six o'clock in the morning, well-past dawn.

He was late for his rendezvous with Riju.

In a panic, he leapt out of bed and quickly got dressed. Zora armor, Sheikah Tights, Hylian hood, weapons and gear.

How in the world is it six o'clock? He wondered, glancing at the window once more as he changed. It's still dark outside-

THOOOOM!

The earth shook violently around Link, knocking him flat on his rear. A large gust of air burst open the inn windows, letting in a swirl of sand and dust. The Sheikah Slate fell from the bed and onto the floor, right into Link's line of sight. Fuzzy dots of static flickered and danced around the screen, growing more and more intense with the passing seconds.

This can only mean one thing… he thought, as the earth shook violently around him once more.

...Vah Naboris is here.

"Paya!" he yelled, sprinting through the inn, "We have to move!" Shrieks of surprise and terror began to fill the air around him. By now, all of the inn's residents were awake, frantically making their way to the entrance in a state of confusion. As the doors flew open, another massive gust of dirt and debris flooded the interior of the building.

"Paya!" Link repeated. "Where are y-"

ROOOOOOOOAAARRR!

Naboris let out a deep bellowing cry as its enormous, glowing hoof smashed through the inn's roof, collapsing half of the building. At the same moment, Link felt a figure collide with his body, knocking him off to the side. A large chunk of debris landed in the spot he had just been standing in. When the dust cleared, the figure looked up at him and smiled grimly. It was Paya.

"Link! Are you hurt?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Link muttered, as she grabbed his hand and pulled him around the divine beast's hoof and out of the entrance of the inn.

"It's Vah Naboris," Paya explained. "It's attacking the-"

"I know!" The pair turned to face the ruined inn. Vah Naboris let out another tremendous roar as it lifted its hoof from the ruins and began to slowly make its way to the next building. Link took a deep breath, his survival instincts giving way to a familiar sense of calm responsibility. He spared a quick glance around the oasis. Even in the middle of the dark dust storm, he could still make out the ruined buildings and broken bodies around him. Link cringed at the sight of it all, but brushed the feeling off. He had a job to do.

"We need to evacuate, get everyone as far away from here as possible!" He pointed towards the entrance of the oasis and down the desert path leading back to the distant canyons. "That way is our best bet! I'll hold Naboris off for now."

Paya nodded, departing from Link's side as he drew his bow. Link knew it would be dangerous to approach Vah Naboris closely without the Thunder Helm. But in this situation, he had no choice but to take the chance.

As the beast's hoof slammed into the next building, Link sprung into action, firing a bomb arrow straight at its back leg as he charged after it. His arrow made contact, and it even seemed to briefly rattle the divine beast as the tip of the arrow exploded violently against the leg's stonelike surface. Naboris shuddered for a second, letting out a furious roar as if it were in pain.

As Link drew closer to it, he immediately regretted his hasty attack. Through the dust storm, he could just make out the faint purple glow of electricity arcing across the back of Vah Naboris. A purple glowing circle appeared on the ground beneath him as it targeted him with an electrical strike. Link quickly changed directions, hoping to at least draw the fire towards himself and away from the panicking crowds.

This… is going to hurt...

"Get behind me!" someone shouted from nearby. Link spun around to view the source of the voice. It was Riju, clad in ornate Gerudo armor - and her comically oversized Thunder Helm. She was gliding across the desert on her dark-blue sand seal Patricia.

The divine beast roared again, and large purple lightning bolts shot immediately in their direction. Riju leapt from her sandboard and extended her arms around her, and a bright green force field appeared around them just in the nick of time. With a thundrous crackle, the force field deflected the lethal lightning bolts in a semi circle around them. Riju pumped her fist, then turned to face Link.

"Sav'otta! Lucky break, voe. I was on my way here to wake you up! But it appears Naboris has beaten me to the punch…"

A stunned Link began to thank Riju for her assistance, but she held up a hand to interrupt him.

"Don't thank me," she replied. "It's not over yet!"

Riju's guard, Buliara, arrived next on her own sand seal. And the trio set their sights on Vah Naboris, continuing to draw its attention away from the frenzied populace.

"Aim for its feet!" Riju said. Link did as he was told, and began peppering the beast's hooves with bomb arrows as they circled from a safe distance. It seemed to be working, each strike producing a roar of anger and a flare of lightning in the trio's direction. But each lethal bolt was deflected with ease by Riju's Thunder Helm. After a series of attacks, the divine beast seemed to give up its rampage. It turned away from the oasis, knocking over yet another building in the process, and began to gallop steadily away. Straight in the direction of Gerudo Town.

The trio regrouped on the village outskirts, with Riju and Buliara towing their sand seals behind them. The divine beast's dust storm finally settled, revealing the full extent of its destruction. Kara Kara Bazaar was now nothing more than a pile of rubble and debris.

"We were too late…" Link said, shaking his head. "It's my fault, I should've-"

"Oh, enough with the frivolous self-reproach..." Riju said. "It was only a matter of time before Naboris struck. What's done is done - we must focus on moving forward…"

From the corner of his eye, Link saw his friend Asha, darting back and forth amongst the injured, offering medical assistance to those who needed it. Paya was right there with her and helping out however she could, while Epona galloped dutifully alongside them both to assist in carrying the wounded. A look of profound fear was present in the eyes of all the Gerudo there, and Link still felt a tremendous sense of guilt welling up inside of him. But Riju spoke up once more.

"People of Kara Kara Bazaar," she yelled, removing the Thunder Helm and climbing up on Buliara's shoulders. The crowd turned to face them, then let out a thunderous cry of cheers and adulation at the presence of their esteemed leader.

"Our greatest fear has come to pass. Vah Naboris has struck. But fear not!" Riju pointed in Link's direction and smiled. "The Hylian champion of legend has returned to us! And together, we shall appease the divine beast!" The crowd cheered again, and Link found himself marveling at Riju's leadership ability. It seemed he truly had underestimated her after all…

"We are a resilient people," she continued. "Strong, determined, tough. We will rise from the ashes, just as we always have. This... I swear to you." She leapt down from Buliara's shoulders and smiled at Link. "And now, we have a divine beast to catch." She glanced at the ruins of the oasis and crossed her arms. "Where… may I ask, is your sand seal?"

Link pointed his finger at a nearby tree. It was totally flattened by the divine beast's hoof - along with the remains of what used to be Link's sand seal.

"That… is a rather unpleasant sight..." Riju murmured.

"Take mine, voe." Buliara said. "I will stay behind and help with the wounded…" she turned to face the crowd of worried faces behind them. Asha was still scrambling about, dealing with the injured people in their midst. Meanwhile, Paya had broken away from her side, running up to the trio after hearing Riju's inspiring speech. Link nodded at Paya in acknowledgement as she approached.

"How is everyone doing?" Link asked her.

"We were… fortunate," Paya replied, catching her breath. "A lot of terrible injuries, but no deaths as far as we could see."

Link felt quite relieved at the revelation, though her words did little to restrain his guilt. "We'd better get a move on," Link said, as Buliara handed him the reins to her sand seal. He stepped on her sand board and fastened the reins around his waist. Paya took her place behind Link on the board, hesitantly grasping his waist as they prepared to set off. Buliara glanced at the pair, prepared to say something to them, thought better of it. Instead, she turned to face her Chief. "Take care, my liege," she said, bowing in respect before turning and running into the crowd.

A bemused look appears on Riju's face as she stared after Link and Paya. "I see we have an uninvited guest…" she said, pointing in Paya's direction. "Is she... your girlfriend or something?"

Paya blushed slightly at this, but Link remained stoic. "If you mean that she's a girl who happens to be my friend, then you're entirely correct."

"H-He has a fiance!" Paya suddenly blurted out. Riju raised an eyebrow, then offered the pair a teasing smile as she fastened herself to her own sand seal.

"So he does..." She looked out in the distance, peering at the looming dust cloud making its way in the direction of Gerudo Town.

"Let's ride."


A thunderous, mechanical howl echoed across the desert sands as Naboris continued to gallop in the direction of Gerudo Town. Just behind it, Riju's sand seal skimmed the sand's surface with grace and ease, though Buliara's seal seemed to labor a bit with both Link and Paya in tow. Nevertheless, the two seals continued their pursuit of the divine beast, drawing from their considerable amount of stamina and strength.

"At this pace," Riju shouted at Link from behind her mask, "I would say we have roughly an hour before it reaches Gerudo Town. We must do everything we can to stop it - or at least slow it down enough to get inside and regain control..."

Link attempted to respond but was met with a mouthful of dust and sand kicked up from his seal. So he simply nodded in agreement. "Stay close, and follow my lead," Riju continued. "Yah!" She whipped the reigns of her sand seal, and Link followed suit. Their seals picked up their pace, and before long they were right on the tail of Naboris. Sensing their approach, the divine beast's steady gallop accelerated. Link quickly drew his bow and took aim at the beast's rear-left hoof, striking it with a bomb arrow. The divine beast shuddered and slowed down briefly. Several cracks appeared on the hoof's outer shell.

"Just like that!" Riju said. Predictably, Vah Naboris attempted a lightning strike against its pursuers as a deterrent - but to no avail. Riju activated the Thunder Helm's force field and deflected the bolts with ease yet again. Angered and damaged, Naboris tried to pick up its pace. But the undaunted sand seals maintained their speed, eventually drawing the trio alongside their target. A few more explosive arrows, a handful of failed lightning strikes, and it seemed the Divine Beast was already on its last legs.

"Too easy!" Riju shouted. "I think one more strike on its foot ought to do it-"

THOOOOOM!

Sensing its defeat, Naboris had leapt in place, stomping the ground with tremendous force. Despite the damage it had taken, the beast's limping trot suddenly changed into a thundering gallop. It seemed to be pouring every ounce of its energy into escaping now. Meanwhile, the vibrations from the stomp reverberated across the landscape - though it appeared to Link that their only purpose was to kick up an even larger sandstorm than before in order to hinder their vision...

BOOOM!

...Or not.

An explosive rumble suddenly sounded up from behind the trio. They spared a glance through the sandstorm around them, and Link groaned. A mound of sand was rapidly moving through the desert surface in their direction. Link had seen this before, when he'd first arrived in Gerudo Desert. Summoned by Naboris... an absolutely gargantuan molduga was now joining in on the pursuit - this one far larger than any of the ones Link had previously encountered.

I just can't catch a break… can I?! Link thought to himself.

"We just can't catch a break, can we?" Riju said out loud. She turned towards Link and scowled lightly. "That…" she explained, "...is the Molduking."

The creature's mouth poked up from under the sand, revealing a snout that was peppered with spears and arrows from its countless battles with would-be monster slayers. The creature roared menacingly at its targets before burying itself deep in the sand as it accelerated its chase.

"Lady Urbosa fought one of these during her Divine Beast trials," Riju said. "Seems that history is repeating itself…"

"Allow me!" Paya suddenly shouted. She let go of Link's waist, rolled along the sand nearby, then hopped to her feet. She drew her own bow and bomb arrows and prepared herself for the monster's approach. Link had told her of his previous encounters with these creatures, so he knew she was well aware of their weaknesses. Nevertheless, he began to peel off from the pursuit to assist Paya. But she waved him off. After hesitating a brief moment, Link shook his head and circled back around to continue the chase with Riju. A series of explosions and monstrous shrieks echoed behind them, but Link dared not look back.

"That's quite the vai you've got there…" Riju yelled to Link as he drew alongside her again. She turned her attention back to Naboris. "Let's finish this now. On my mark..."

The dark dust storm was growing so intense that Link could barely make out the silhouette of the galloping divine beast ahead of them. What he could see, however, was a cluster of smaller shadows lurking in the sandy clouds ahead of them. Drawn to the commotion, a group of lizalfos were apparently joining in on the battle, armed with bows and spears. Almost immediately Riju and Link were met with an intense volley of shock arrows from these new attackers. The pair began to swerve around them, Link drawing his sheikah sword from his back in order to conserve his arrows for Naboris.

Link leaned over the side of his sand board and swiped widely at a nearby Lizalfos warrior, decapitating it instantly. As he did so, another electrical charge began to glow in the distance as Vah Naboris shot yet another burst of lightning at the pair. Like a routine, Riju activated her Thunder Helm and deflected the charge at a nearby cluster of attacking Lizalfos. The monsters were instantly killed by the electric shock.

Riju turned to Link as they rode, flashing him a thumbs-up. But he shook his head back and began to signal wildly at her in panic. She tilted her head in confusion then turned her attention ahead once more. But she was too late. A lone lizal warrior stood directly in her path, ready to take down Riju's charging sand seal. They collided with tremendous force, knocking Patricia onto her side and flinging Riju directly off her sandboard. Both she and her sand seal bounced and rolled along the desert sands. Link pulled back on his reigns to circle back to assist, but as he did another Lizalfos leapt through the air, stabbing Buliara's sand seal with its spear on its way down. Now Link too was rolling painfully along the desert sands, finally coming to a stop alongside Riju and the shellshocked Patricia.

"Ugh... are you all right?!" Link asked, as he disconnected Riju's harness and pulled her to her feet.
"I've been through worse," she replied, clutching her arm with a grimace. Link scowled at her injury, but maintained his cool. He drew his trident from his back and held his Sheikah sword out to Riju. "Can you fight?"

The group of pursuing Lizalfos quickly converged on the pair. Riju scanned the area around them, then shrugged.
"I don't think I've ever been asked a sillier question," she said, grabbing the sword from Link's hand.

Link rolled to his left as the first lizal creature swiped the air next to him with its razor-sharp boomerang. Riju quickly leaped towards it, striking it down from behind with a series of rapid slashes from her Sheikah blade. Two more spear-wielding monsters struck next, but Link was too fast for them. He parried their stabs then countered with a wide-sweeping spin attack, breaking their legs with his trident. They collapsed on the ground in a heap, lashing their tongues out in fury. Riju finished them off with a pair of quick jabs then turned her attention to the next set of attackers.

Behind the pair, Patricia was surprisingly holding her own. Despite their docile appearance, it seemed sand seals could be quite brutal in a fight. She was swinging her head side to side, gouging countless lizalfos with her enormous tusks before crushing their heads swiftly with her powerful tail.

I'd... better stay out of her way for now... Link thought to himself, as he caught a leaping monster with the tip of his trident. He slammed it into the ground and finished it off before moving onto the next one. Nearby, Riju seemed to be holding up just fine in spite of her injured arm. And after a few moments, the three made quick work of these attacking monsters. Riju returned Link's sword to him, then ran over to check up on Patricia after she finally calmed down.

"A few deep scratches, but I think she will be just fine," Riju said, as she patted her sand seal on the head to soothe it. "Good girl..." She glanced up in the distance, saw the dust cloud of Vah Naboris getting farther away with each passing second. She then noticed Buliara's lifeless sand seal nearby - still drenching the sands below with an outpouring of blood.

"That makes two of them today," Riju said, pointing at it with her good arm. "Your reputation with sand seals is certainly taking a hit..."

And my reputation with horses is already bad enough as it is... Link thought bitterly.

"No time to lose!" Riju exclaimed, mounting her sand board and fastening her harness once more. "Hop on."

Link stepped on her sand board and grabbed her waist, and Patricia was once again off in pursuit of Naboris. With the divine beast now far off in the distance, the dust storm had cleared in their immediate area. Link glanced behind them, hoping to catch a glimpse of how Paya was faring against the Molduking. Riju sensed Link's concern and shrugged her shoulders at him.

"I'm sure she's fine," Riju said. "She seems like a tough vai. I'd imagine she's-"

"She... she failed," Link said.

"What?!"

Riju glanced behind them as well, then uttered a strange obscenity in her native tongue. Far back in the distance, the smaller dust cloud of the Molduking was once again rapidly gaining on them.

Link fought off a pang of tremendous guilt. He feared the worst for Paya... but they had to press on. Riju snapped at Patricia's reins with her good arm, and the sand seal picked up speed. They soon re-entered Naboris's dust cloud as Link drew his bow and prepared for what he hoped would be their final strike. But with the Molduking already right on their tail, Riju was forced to swerve to and fro, dodging lightning strikes as well as the gaping mouth of the giant molduga.

"Link!"

A loud, female voice rose up from the roar of sand and heavy stomps around them.

Paya's voice! Link recognized. But where is she-

"Up here!" Link looked back at the pursuing creature, now skimming the sands just a few feet behind them, and found himself suppressing a relieved laugh.

Paya was riding right on top of the Molduking.

You've got to be kidding me...

"I couldn't stop it!" Paya shouted, as Riju swerved to her left to dodge a surge from the molduga's open mouth. "I'm sorry Link!"

"It's fine!" Link shouted back. "Can you hold on?"

"For now, yes!" Paya said. "But I think-" she gripped the Molduking's fin tightly as it leaped in the air and dove in Link and Riju's direction. It hit the ground with incredible force, just missing them, then continued its rapid pursuit. "-I think it's attracted to Riju's Thunder Helm!"

"Well, either we get zapped by Naboris, or we get torn to shreds by a gigantic molduga," Riju said. "Let's try a third option. Yah!" She whipped at Patricia's reins, and the sand seal mustered up every bit of energy it could as it finally closed in on Vah Naboris again. Link set his sights on the back hoof of the divine beast, but each time he prepared to let an arrow fly Riju was forced to swerve awkwardly to dodge the pursuing Molduga. Several missed attacks later, and their supply of bomb arrows was nearly depleted.

"Can't you keep her steady for just a second?!" Link shouted, in a rare burst of rage and frustration.

"I'm trying!" Riju yelled back. "Or perhaps you'd prefer to be eaten by the Molduking after all?!"

Link opened his mouth to unleash a bit of his own sass in return, but he suddenly paused at her words. The creative gears were swiftly turning in his head.

"Perhaps... I would..." he finally said.

A faint purple glow illuminated the air around them, Naboris preparing itself for another lightning strike. A wide grin spread across Link's face as he turned to shout at Paya, who was still clinging for her life on the Molduking's dorsal fin.

"Get ready to jump off!" Link shouted at her.

"When?!" she asked.

"You'll know when!" Link placed his bow on his back and began to unclip the reigns from Riju's waist as a glowing purple circle appeared below the pair, signaling the imminent electrical strike from Naboris.

"Wait, Link," Riju said. "What in Hylia's name are you-"

Link suddenly grabbed Riju's waist and leapt backwards from the sandboard, straight into the open mouth of the Molduking. At the same time, Paya dove off from the monster's back, just as Vah Naboris unleashed another incredible lightning blast from its back in their direction. Paya rolled painfully across the desert sands at rapid speed, climbing to her feet in time to see a large explosion of energy burst directly against the hide of the giant molduga. The creature writhed and thrashed in terrible agony. Purple streams of electricity arced across its broken body, which skidded and rolled across the desert sands before finally coming to a stop.

The Molduking's mouth gurgled and sputtered as Paya ran over and attempted to pry it open. When she'd finally opened up a sufficient gap, she reached her hand inside and felt around the now-steaming insides of the dead creature's mouth. After a moment she finally grasped something. A hand.

Link's hand!

She pulled as hard as she could, and Link slowly began to emerge. His arm... his head... his torso... and finally his other arm, which still clung tightly to Riju's waist. The pair exploded out of the molduga's mouth in a spew of blood and saliva. Link scrambled to his feet and drew his bow again. He reached for his bomb arrows - only to realize they were now completely useless, soaked with the guts of the large molduga's insides.

Paya helped Riju to her feet. "We were so close…" the Gerudo chief said, clutching her right arm in pain. "Now what do we do?"

Link started to wrack his brain in an effort to come up with a solution. But Paya interrupted his thoughts.

"Here!" she said, holding out a single bomb arrow. "It's... all I have left, I'm sorry-"

"It'll have to do!" Link said, snatching it from her hand. He nocked the arrow in place then leaped atop the head of the Molduking's corpse. He trained his bow in the direction of Vah Naboris, closed an eye, and sighed. The beast's dust storm continued to rage before him, still filling the air around it. There was no way he'd have a clear shot - not with his visuals impaired by the dust cloud surrounding his target.

But as he considered this, Link suddenly smiled. His mind flashed back to his little archery competition with Revali, all those many years before.

That blind shot. Maybe I could…?

Link peered carefully through the dust cloud, his mind recalling the shape and size of Vah Naboris. Purple arcs of lightning still arced across its back, lighting the cloud around it with its menacing glow. Link closed his eyes, imagined the beast's steady gallop, its legs stepping forward in a predictable pattern. His ears trained themselves on the sound of each stomp, his senses finally entered a state of hyperactivity as he pulled back on his final explosive arrow and let it fly in the direction of his target: the rear left hoof.

A final, pained cry rumbled across the desert as Link's arrow detonated in the distance, letting him know he'd struck his target. The dust storm settled, the divine beast's legs collapsed underneath it, the air was filled with the sounds of grinding gears and heavy stone crashing down to the earth.

The trio jumped in the air and shouted in triumph at the sight of the fallen Sheikah relic before them.

It was only a small victory. But their first battle with Vah Naboris was finally won.


Riju gritted her teeth as Link put the finishing touches on a tourniquet for her broken arm.

"I'll ride ahead to… warn Gerudo Town… of Naboris' approach," she said through grunts of pain. She glanced up at the stalled divine beast above them as she spoke. "We have a brief head start… so I intend to take advantage of this."

Link simply stepped back and nodded, and Riju mounted up on her sand board and prepared to ride away with Patricia. She spared another glance at the divine beast and shook her head.

"Back there... with the Molduking..." she paused. "What made you think that would work?"

Link shrugged. "Just call it... a voe's intuition."

Riju looked on, stifling a laugh as Link and Paya quickly scaled up the large ramp on the front chest of Naboris. The beast shuddered and clanged as it struggled to bring itself to its feet once more.

"I leave the rest to you," Riju called out. "Don't let us down." She waved at Link and Paya with her good arm, whipped at Patricia's reins, and before long was far off in the horizon in the direction of the Gerudo capital. Link scanned his Sheikah Slate on the pedestal at the entrance of the divine beast, and immediately an ethereal voice echoed from the beast's interior.

"Well, well, well..." The voice was confident, sassy, respectful; and very much Urbosa's. "You sure do know how to keep a woman waiting." Link could only grin to himself at the familiar sound of his old friend, and said nothing. Based on his experience with Mipha in Vah Ruta, he knew there was no use in responding anyway.

"Seems you had a bit of a rough time slowing this tough old thing down!" Urbosa said. Link could already imagine the sly grin spreading across the Gerudo Champion's face. "I can't wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon," she continued. "But, one thing at a time…"

The objective was clear once again. To retake Vah Naboris, Link would need to recapture its control panels with his Sheikah Slate. He turned to Paya, who glanced around in bewilderment after hearing the disembodied voice.

"That, was Urbosa." Link explained. "The Gerudo champion…" But Paya just nodded, deciding it better not to press any questions. By now, Vah Naboris had already resumed its steady trot once more - this time, with two intruders inside. Link grabbed Paya's hand and they quickly ascended the walkway leading up to the entrance of the main chamber of the divine beast, the door firmly slamming shut behind them. Paya's eyes were wide open with curiosity as soon as they entered. Her arms crossed her chest sheepishly in a loose self-embrace. "I-I've… heard the legends of the ancient beasts…" she murmured. "But I never imagined how enormous… and tough they were." She seemed to glow with admiration as she spoke. "The technology of my ancestors is truly something to behold..."

"We sadly do not have the luxury of taking the time to appreciate it," Link replied flatly. "There's five control panels we need to recapture. Let's not get distracted."

At this, Paya immediately broke from her stupor and the pair got to work. They quickly reached one of the main control panels, which upon being scanned by Link's slate provided the duo with a map of the divine beast. And only then did Link allow himself a brief chance to examine the interior around him. Aesthetically it was rather similar to that of Vah Ruta, with brown and tan colored stone surfaces decorating the walls and floor. Ancient Sheikah markings decorated the walls and corridors, and even the sounds of ancient gears turning and grinding were not quite unlike those found in Mipha's divine beast.

But this was where the similarities ended. The main area was dominated by an enormous cylinder which, according to the three-dimensional map Link acquired, could be rotated in order to access every control panel inside. And as he painstakingly maneuvered sections the giant cylinder with his Sheikah Slate, the convoluted interior of Naboris began to frustrate Link. He openly wondered why the Sheikah would go through such great lengths to make accessing each room as difficult as possible. Traps and puzzles were everywhere, usually involving the bridging of electrical connections or dodging dangerous rotating spikes. Like everything else in this world, it felt to Link that this place was designed almost entirely for the purpose of killing him outright. That they were in the middle of a race against time did little to ease his frustration and impatience.

Fortunately for Link, Paya's natural curiosity proved to be quite useful as they proceeded through each room. She had an inquisitive, analytical nature - surely a result of her introverted tendencies - which made puzzle-solving a relative breeze. These traits served as a great counter to Link's own general aversion to technology. And despite his initial fear at putting her life in danger at every turn, he was quite glad that she'd insisted on joining him after all.

As they made their way through to recapture each terminal, Urbosa confidently addressed the pair with each successful activation, offering her support. Unlike Mipha in Vah Ruta, Urbosa's instructions carried no sense of incredible longing or wistfulness - only her sheer determination and desire for vengeance. It was incredibly typical of Urbosa, and Link's heart was filled both with pride and sadness at the Gerudo champion's confident guidance.

Meanwhile, he also found the sheer lack of resistance to be quite unnerving.

Surely whatever blight Ganon had unleashed upon this divine beast was already aware of their presence. Yet the only enemies Link and Paya encountered were the familiar purplish-red glowing blobs of malice and the strange floating skull creatures they produced. A handful of miniature guardian robots also offered them little trouble at all. So as they hurriedly approached the main control panel in the center of the main cylindrical chamber, Link just knew that they had to be walking right into a trap.

But with the seconds ticking by, and with Vah Naboris drawing ever-closer to Gerudo town, they had no real choice but to fight their way through whatever was coming.

Link turned to Paya, nodded quietly, and held his slate out to the final control panel. A gush of smokey malice immediately erupted from the pedestal. Vah Naboris shuddered, and every window and door inside the divine beast began to seal them away inside the main chamber. Streams of bright-blue light swirled in a whirlwind around Link and Paya, before condensing into solid form directly behind them.

And in that spot, a creature emerged from thin air. Another blight.

This one was not unlike the waterblight that Link had fought inside of Vah Ruta before. But rather than a massive trident, this one wielded a holographic sword and shield set - both of which glowed ominously in contrast with the sparks of purple and red malice making up the creature's flesh. On its head, the red mane once belonging to the ancient demon king Ganondorf whipped and thrashed around the blight as it unleashed an otherworldly shriek of anger. The awful sound reverberated throughout the interior of Naboris, and Link and Paya fought off the urge to cover their ears in response.

"Stay on your edge, Link!" Urbosa's ethereal voice said. The dot in the center of the blight's mechanical mask flashed to life, staring at Link and Paya like a single, eery glowing eye. "This formidable adversary was made by Ganon, and brought me to a warrior's demise one hundred years ago..."

Paya spared a glance at Link. He drew his trident from his back and took up a tense battle pose, pointing his weapon directly at the phantom's face. Paya drew her own sheikah sword in return, awaiting their enemy's first move.

"Do not allow this to be your end," Urbosa continued. "Fight for your life...

...and its death!"

As she said this, thunderblight instantly attacked. It crossed the short gap between itself and its opponents at lightning speed, zig-zagging across the platform so fast that neither Link nor Paya had any time to react. It closed on them immediately, swinging widely across the pair with its glowing blue blade. Paya's natural defensive pose deflected the blow, but Link was struck across the shoulder and face which caused him to roll to his side and topple off the center platform to the floor below.

Paya immediately leaped off from the platform to Link's side below. But as she fell, a glowing blur flew through the air behind her. She gasped in pain as the blight split open her back with a quick swing of its sword. It re-materialized in the air above them while Paya fell straight to the ground, just managing to land on her feet.

Despite the intense pain from her wound, she quickly made her way over to Link. She offered a hand to help him up, but he pulled her aside and drew his bow, releasing a volley of regular arrows in the blight's direction. As expected, the floating creature's lightning-fast reflexes allowed it to dodge each projectile with little effort. Link began to grit his teeth in frustration as he climbed to his feet and picked up his trident.

The blight already knew it was infinitely faster than its two opponents. It was simply toying with them right now.

Link wiped the blood from the open wound on his scalp, staring furiously at the blight. The pulsating, writhing creature cackled loudly but remained floating in the air above them. It lifted its sword, formed a glowing green ball of lightning, which it sent flying directly towards them.

Link rolled to his left to escape the blast while Paya began to sprint the opposite way in hopes of drawing the phantom's attention away from Link. When she was safely out of range of the blast, Paya spun on her feet to scan the area, only for the blight to surge directly at her with a rapid series of sword slashes. She parried a handful of these strikes, but was swiftly cut down. Its speed was simply too overwhelming.

Satisfied, the creature turned and disappeared from before her, just in time to dodge another volley of arrows from Link. It descended upon him next in a split-second, easily outpacing Link's counterattacks with his trident.

Link and Paya were already both bloody, angry, and exhausted. And we haven't even landed a single blow yet, Link bemoaned, as the blight continued to unleash its series of attacks on him. But while he thought this, a small blur moved in from behind the creature. Paya had already recovered from the attack, setting her sights on the monster as it focused all of its attention on Link for the time being. Link caught sight of her, gave a nod, then suddenly moved into the creature's attacks. He absorbed a couple of blows and fell to his knees. But it was enough.

Paya leaped through the air, embedding a pair of Sheikah throwing knives into the blight's spine. It shrieked loudly in pain before teleporting away to regroup once more.

"This is our chance," Link said through gritted teeth. Paya nodded, and together they bounded after the reeling creature as soon as it re-appeared across the room. Link arrived first, dashing and stabbing out with his trident then spinning back on his feet to unleash a vicious flurry of stabs at the phantom. It parried every single strike. Meanwhile, Paya arrived next, flipping over Link and behind the monster in hopes of catching it off-guard. Her own strikes on the creature also failed; it was now parrying strikes from both of them simultaneously with an incredible, impossible blur of rapid movements.

Just how fast is this stupid thing?! Link thought angrily as he picked up the pace of his attacks. In his furious impatience, Link's movements were growing more predictable, more forced. Even Paya became more and more agitated, as each of her attacks with her Sheikah blade were bounced back with incredible ease. After several moments of this seemingly endless defensive stand by Ganon's blight, it finally spotted an opening. Link winded up a powerful strike with his trident, hesitating just enough for the blight to prepare for a powerful attack of its own. Link attempted to strike first but the blight was ready. Link's hasty attack bounced off the monster's glowing shield, cracking the trident. In the same move the creature spun around and brought its sword straight down across Link's chest.

It just barely missed the fatal blow. The chest of Mipha's zora armor split open down the middle, a spatter of blood sprayed across the floor. Link recoiled, dropped his cracked trident, and collapsed backwards onto the ground. The blight spared no hesitation, appearing in front of him in another quick blur of speed. Link drew his sword to counter it; but before it could do anything else, Paya leaped up and tackled the beast from behind, dropping her own sword next to Link as she did. She drew her knives and began to stab rapidly at the creatures head, pocking its rotting flesh with gaping wounds. In anger, it reached behind itself and threw Paya to the ground in front of it. It snarled furiously at her before lunging quickly in her direction with its outstretched sword to finish her.

Sensing the attack, Paya spun on her heels, lifted her knives, and stabbed downward straight into the single, glowing, robotic eye of thunderblight's mask. In the same moment, Link had snatched up Paya's dropped weapon and dashed at the distracted creature, gashing it across its back with both swords. The creature teleported across the interior of Naboris, clutching its face and body and screeching with incredible pain.

Link stumbled over to Paya, screaming in anguish and fury as she collapsed face-first to the floor. They'd finally hit their target, sure. They'd done their damage.

But so had the blight.

A pool of blood began to form under Paya's lifeless body. A jagged hole was visible in the center of her back. She'd been stabbed straight through the chest by the blight's lunging attack.

She was slowly dying.


"Are the preparations ready?" Riju asked.

"Yes my lady," Captain Teake replied. "Our army is stationed all along the outer walls, awaiting the arrival of Naboris."

"What about the recovery team?"

Teake nodded. "Geared up and on their way to Kara Kara Bazaar as we speak."

"Excellent. And the evacuations?"

"..."

"Captain Teake?"

"...I'm sorry my lady, but the evacuations are... well, they're..." She paused. "...They're not happening."

"What?!" Riju peered out from her watchtower on the southeast side of Gerudo Town. She scanned the center of the city, but saw nobody milling about as they would usually be. She raised an eyebrow at Teake. "Looks to me that there's no one here, Captain."

"Look down, Chief."

Riju poked her head out out of the window, staring straight down to the roads directly beneath the tower. And she gasped. Nearly every woman and child was gathering together, flocking towards the entrance of Gerudo Town. And nearly each one was armed to the teeth with bows, bomb arrows, and other weaponry.

"I don't think we can ever question their loyalty, or their devotion to you," Teake said. "I couldn't convince them otherwise. They have promised to defend this city at any cost. And it's all due to your leadership-"

"No, it's not." Riju said, grinning. "It's all due to the strength of the Gerudo spirit!" She marched over to the doorway leading to the staircase descending down the watchtower. "If our own citizens intend to stand in defense of this city, then I must be right there on the ground alongside them!"

"Wait!" Teake cried, running alongside her as she descended the stairs. "It's not safe!"

But Riju waved off her concern. Her broken arm bounced and throbbed with pain with each step, but she did her best to conceal it. "Safe or not, it is my duty as a leader. I've made my decision, and I stand by it." She opened the bottom door of the tower, spilling out into the crowds of people milling about in the street. They immediately nodded and cheered with respect for their youthful leader.

"And besides," Riju said, as she and Teake began to make their way to the city entrance. "I believe that we truly have nothing to fear. Our army is strong and well-trained. For the most part." She nodded at the entrance guards, then made her way to their army's position just outside the fortress walls. Hundreds of soldiers gathered in neat rows, standing at the ready. Captain Teake beamed at their devotion, but still felt a sense of incredible unease at Riju's nonchalant attitude to the situation.

"This is all more of a precaution than anything else, anyway." Riju explained. "I have faith in our hero. He will stop Vah Naboris in time."

A look of confusion spread on Teake's face. "...Hero...? Wait, you mean that Hylian... the one from earlier?"

Riju nodded.

"...The one that was obviously a voe, but everyone was too ignorant to notice?"

Riju nodded.

"I see, I see..." she peered out across the hazy desert sands towards the looming dust cloud in the distance. It drew ever-closer with each passing moment, yet the Gerudo people stood defiant and strong despite its ominous approach. As a leader, Riju could not have been more proud.

Teake crossed her arms and shrugged as she gazed out in the distant horizon. "And how, praytell, can you be so sure that the voe will be successful?" she asked.

Riju winked. "Easy. Just call it... a vai's intuition!"


Another slash, another gush of blood, another gasp of pain.

Link staggered backwards, angry, feral, frustrated. Ganon's blight arced across the interior of Vah Naboris, flickering menacingly before Link's eyes.

It's not working… He spared a glance at Paya's unmoving body near him and cringed solemnly.

I've failed you, Paya. I'm sorry…

With a bright flash of light the blight materialized before Link again. He swiped at the creature with anger and haste, cleanly missing his mark as it teleported away again. It appeared behind him, slashing him across the back before disappearing yet again. Link stumbled forward, fell to his knees. His armor was soaked with his blood, which trickled and flowed to the ground beneath him. A familiar darkness tunneled his vision as he started to lose consciousness.

He attempted to regain his footing once more, when a shrill cackle suddenly rang out through Vah Naboris, piercing Link's ears.

The blight was taunting him again.

Link coughed up blood, shook his sweaty and bloody head. He tried to let out a scream of pure rage, failed, coughed once more. His vision fogged. His eyes were clouded with red.

"Too tense…"

He held both Sheikah blades loosely at his sides as the blight descended upon him again. Link's movements grew incredibly sluggish as he fruitlessly attempted to parry the blight's attacks with both weapons. His arms felt like dead weights, his energy seemed to be draining completely from his body…

"You are too tense…"

Time seemed to slow down around Link. The blight hovered high in the air in front of him, holding its sword in the air and charging up one final electrical blast to finish the job. Link once again fell to his knees in pain, glanced at his cracked trident still gleaming on the ground near him. Despite himself, a feeling of warmth entered his spirit as his thoughts turned to Mipha...

"You are still too tense..."

He could feel her loose embrace from behind him, could feel the warmth of her silky hands on his own. Could still feel the touch of her gentle voice behind him...

"You must roll with the tide…"

In a bright flash of blue light, Link's mind was right back in Zora's Domain. He was but a child, so young, so inexperienced, so bright-eyed and happy. In his hands was a Zora spear, silver and gleaming in the sunlight. Mipha's hands clutched him from behind as she guided his movement yet again.

"It appears," she said, "That old habits are hard to break! You know you cannot always force these things…" Mipha's melodic voice filled Link's heart with comfort as she guided his spear thrusts back and forth in front of him. Link spun around, blue eyes shining as he glanced up at his instructor.

"I know!" he said. "You already told me that, but-" He spun around and stabbed forcefully at the air in front of him, "-I have to be powerful if I want to defeat my enemies right?" His innocent smile pulled at Mipha's heartstrings, but she remained defiant.

"Even the largest boat is still subject to the will of the waves," she explained. "Even the toughest rock in a river can be weathered to dust over time." She grabbed his arms from behind again, a little bit tighter now.

"So! You have a choice... Will you resist the waves?

...Or will you be like water...?"

She released her grasp, and Link's movements began to smooth out once more. His movements were fluid, his tension was gone. It seemed he had made his choice for now...

Link snapped back from his vision, staring at his own reflection in the pool of blood below him. He tried to cough again, expecting another spatter. But nothing came out.

A blue-green glow emanated from the scale on the shoulder of his Zora armor, and he felt the last drop of pain and tension leaving his body. His wounds were completely gone. His energy was restored. His heart was happy, proud. The vision had only lasted a split second. But it was more than enough.

"Thanks, Mipha," he said aloud, as the thunderous blight unleashed its lightning attack in his direction. "Old habits indeed…" A serene grin spread across Link's face, and he easily rolled backwards and out of the way of the blast. The blight disappeared, arcing rapidly in a zigzag pattern in his direction.

Link held both swords out at the ready, preparing to parry the attack. The blight appeared in front of him, swiping hastily at lightning speed. But before it struck, Link rolled to his side. The attack whiffed above him, its momentum causing the blight to spin in a complete circle as Link continued to roll. He spun around in a single motion, stabbing backwards behind himself with both blades. A loud piercing shriek let Link know that he'd struck it cleanly.

And now, it was his turn to go on the offensive.

The sword fight continued, and Link began to use thunderblight's moves against it. His attacks flowed smoothly, with him carefully predicting and dodging the phantom's moves one moment then swiftly striking back the next as it recoiled away from his advancing attack. This push-and-pull battle was wearing down the terrible creature, which was now having trouble seeing out of its damaged single eye - courtesy of Paya's attack.

An eye for an eye...

With the tables now turned, the blight attempted one last-gasp attack at the rejuvenated Link. It altered its attack pattern, teleporting rapidly in a circle around Link as it looked for an opening. Its sword and shield sparked with green electrical energy as a deterrent.

But Link was ready. He didn't bother following it with his eyes, instead keeping his ears tuned into the sounds of the monster's movements around him. He knew if he attempted to parry this next strike that he would surely be electrocuted in the process. He needed to be patient, needed to wait for the exact moment when he could-

There.

Thunderblight lunged in from Link's left side in an instant, ready to cut him down. Link spun to his left, dropping the sword in his left hand and catching the blight's own sword-wielding hand with a firm grasp. In the same motion, he stabbed upward at its throat with his other sword, piercing it straight through its head.

Got him.

They stood there, frozen, for what seemed like hours. And for a moment Link wondered if he'd finally slain this awful beast.

Finally, the blight dropped its weapons. A horrible squeal erupted from its mouth and it floated high above the the main chamber of Naboris, its body dripping and pouring malice to the floor like great drops of blood. This time, a new weapon appeared in the creature's hands - a lightning rod, which it pointed up towards the sky.

And yet, there's more...

Bright-green streams of energy streamed upwards all around thunderblight, and then a bolt of lightning struck the rod from the ceiling of Naboris. Electrically-charged pillars began raining down around the it, arcing electricity around them in an effort to kill Link from a distance. Link dropped his swords and drew his Sheikah Slate from his hip.

These things better be made of metal, he thought to himself as he activated magnesis.

It was just as he hoped. A glowing blue hook-shaped magnet materialized out of his slate, releasing a stream of yellow energy which latched directly onto one of the phantom's pillars. Link lifted his slate, maneuvering the stream of energy to lift the pillar straight out of the ground and straight in the direction of thunderblight. An enormous bolt of lightning struck from the heavens, bouncing off of the electrified pillar and zapping the phantom with all of its lethal energy. Now stunned, the blight fell straight to the floor of Van Naboris with a loud thud.

With a primal scream, Link suddenly swung his slate down in front of him with all his might. The stream of yellow energy emanating from magnesis followed suit, pulling the levitating pillar straight down after the monster with tremendous speed and force. The sharp tip of the metal pillar slammed straight into the chest of thunderblight. This time, there was no scream of pain, no reaction.

The creature died instantly. The battle was over.


"I'm dead. I must be dead.

Oh, Link... I'm so sorry..."

Paya's life began to flash before her eyes. She remembered her birth in Kakariko Village. She remembered the death of her parents, whom she barely knew.

She remembered the sadness in Impa's eyes as she dutifully raised the young orphan, trained her, and loved her. She remembered the oath she took to protect her guardian's homestead at any cost.

And she remembered Link. The man who gave her hope once more. She longed to be by his side again... but she knew it could no longer be so. And she knew that she had to accept that.

Strangely, there were other memories there too - memories which did not belong to her. She saw Link's tragic upbringing in the watery utopia of Zora's Domain. She saw the love he held for its people, his respect for their king, and his brotherly relationship with the infant Prince Sidon.

Even back then, Link was courageous and selfless, confident and handsome...

And finally, she saw her. Lady Mipha.

Her face was obscured by the brilliant sunshine overhead, but it was clear to Paya that she had been quite beautiful indeed. She saw the way she adored Link, and how Link adored her in kind, their bond strengthening with each moment spent together. She saw Link himself grow with the passage of time, his outgoing demeanor devolving into the attitude of a silent warrior - unfeeling, unemotional. She saw the pain on Mipha's face as she witnessed the boy she loved become so overburdened by the task set forth before him-

"You love him, don't you?"

The stream of memories shattered abruptly around Paya. She could feel herself floating, surrounded by endless walls of the purest white, brilliant and blinding. And before her stood the source of the voice: one beautiful, elegant, red-finned Zora princess.

A sensation of warmth entered Paya's spirit as she addressed Mipha.

"I do."

Mipha smiled back happily. "As do I," she said, laughing to herself. "A difficult thing to avoid, it would seem..."

Paya gave no response. She opened her mouth to ask Mipha where they were, but the words just wouldn't come.

"I have a request for you, if you would." Mipha said.

Paya nodded, and room began to dissolve around her, first to gray, then blue, then black. She could feel her energy, her life, returning to her, could feel her wounds beginning to heal...

"Please... watch over Link for me..."

Paya gasped awake, her eyes filled with tears as she clasped her fists tightly in her lap. Her heart was filled with incredible sorrow, sincere regret for the loss of the one Link had loved so much...

She looked up, and nearly recoiled in shock. Link was crouched over her, hand on her chest, a faint blue afterglow slowly fading from his outstretched palm. He pulled it back to himself, collapsed to his rear in relief, and smiled. "Thanks again, Mipha" he said, closing his eyes. "It worked..."

Paya felt around her chest for the open wound, but it was completely gone. All that remained of her injury was a jagged hole through both ends of her Sheikah top, and the drying pool of blood on the ground around her. She grasped at her once-ruined eye and smiled. It was in great shape - only a faded scar remained. She made an effort to stand, but Link grasped her shoulder and forced her back down.

"No sudden movements!" Link said. "I want to be sure you're fully healed before we move on..."

Paya blushed slightly as Link moved behind her, investigating the exit wound on her back. She nearly leaped to her feet from his gentle touch. "I-I... saw her," she said. "I saw Mipha."

Link's hand froze against her back, but he said nothing. Paya turned to face him, climbing to her feet despite his protests.

"She was... beautiful. And incredibly kind." She smiled warmly. "I can see why you loved her... why you still love her."

Link stood up himself, staring down solemnly at his broken, bloodied Zora armor - the proof of his devotion to the late Lady Mipha.

Paya coughed. "Ahem... Isn't there something you need to do?" she said, giggling.

Link's eyes widened. "The control panel! I totally forgot..." He sprinted up the nearby walkway to the main pedestal at the center of Vah Naboris, grabbing the cracked ceremonial trident on the way. He whipped out his Sheikah Slate and scanned it on the pedestal's surface. Its orange-color glow immediately gleamed to blue, and the strange Sheikah monument it was attached to did the same. Vah Naboris shuddered, then unleashed a triumphant roar as it slowed to a halt with a tremendous crash of stone and sand. Its legs slowly collapsed underneath it, its stomach slamming against the ground below.

Paya joined Link on the main platform and wrapped him in a friendly hug. Link returned the embrace. "It's over," he said. "We did it. We finally finished it-"

"Still popular with the vai, even after all this time..." a voice interjected from nearby. Link and Paya turned to their side, and Link smiled.

"Though I suppose..." Urbosa continued, "That after a hundred years one could be forgiven for two-timing..." Her ghostly visage descended a nearby staircase in their direction. On Urbosa's face was her usual, confident stare. Each deliberate step exuded control and dominance as she descended. "I knew you wouldn't let us down, Link. Thanks to your valor and skill, my soul is free and Naboris is ours once again. Which means that finally... we can complete what we started years ago." Urbosa's hand found its place on her waist, and she tilted her head and smiled. "We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business..."

Link wasn't much of a conversationalist when it came to Urbosa. So he found it appropriate to allow her to speak uninhibited for the time being.

"I've waited so long for the moment to see you finally rush Hyrule Castle..." she said. "As well as for the moment when I incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash. Which reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something... something that I believe will come in handy for you in the battles to come..." She reached out her left hand, and a glowing ball of energy emerged from it. "Please accept this, the embodiment of my vengeance, which has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury." With her right hand she released her trademark snap as the energy soared across the room and filled Link's body. Link held his own hand skyward, returning her snap in kind. A flash of lightning roared from the heavens, exploding in an arc immediately around him and Paya.

Like Mipha before her, Urbosa had gifted Link with her most prized skill. "Thank you, Urbosa." He finally said. "I will be sure to channel your awful temper each time I use it..."

Urbosa roared with laughter at Link's response. "Ha ha! It's so good to see you again, my old friend." She held out her ghostly hand, and Link grasped it and shook it firmly. "Same to you, Lady Urbosa." He nodded respectfully. They released their grasp, and Urbosa turned towards Paya.

"And look at you! You've either aged as well as Link has... or..." she leaned in to examine Paya more closely. "Or, perhaps you're Impa's descendant?"

Paya still appeared to be quite shocked at the entire experience, reverting back to her usual, timid self. "I-I-I, I'm her granddaughter!" she stammered.

Link rolled his eyes. It seemed Urbosa was still the master at making people feel uncomfortable...
Urbosa roared with laughter again, pulling her face away from Paya's. "Definitely not Impa. Far too timid." She winked. "But just as talented a warrior, evidently."

She spun on her heels and sighed to herself. "Link... both you and the princess... I know you have suffered much regarding what happened to us Champions. Especially with... well, you know. But I believe this is simply how things had to happen. No one need carry blame. So please, make it clear so Zelda understands that."

Urbosa paused, staring wistfully at a distant wall. "She's just like her mother, the princess. Always shouldering the blame on her own. Always looking to protect those she loved by shielding them from the hurt." She turned to face Link again. "But she need not carry that same burden. Tell her that."

"I will." Link said. "I promise."

Urbosa paused for a brief moment, crossed her arms, and finally grinned.

"Sorry Link," she said. "Sometimes I forget myself... and get lost in the past."

A glow of yellow surrounded both Link and Paya as Urbosa began to teleport them out of Vah Naboris. They disappeared in a flash of light - yet Urbosa's words still echoed inside Link's mind.

"Link... save the kingdom. Save Hyrule.

...and please, take care of my little bird..."


A flash of light gleamed at the ruined front entrance of Gerudo Town. From thin air, Link and Paya suddenly materialized beneath Vah Naboris to a raucous chorus of cheers and shouts from a relieved populace.

"Congratulations, Link," Riju said, grinning. "And sarqso! Thank you! Just in the nick of time as well!" Link raised an eyebrow, then glanced up at Vah Naboris. He palmed his forehead as he finally saw the aftermath of the beast's attempted strike on Gerudo Town. The entire front entrance of the city had been penetrated by its front carapace, and several tall buildings had been toppled. Naboris's legs were also riddled with soot from bomb arrows as well as a massive tangle of cables, all of which had been used by the Gerudo in an effort to slow it down.

"You had me worried there for a moment," Riju said. "Captain Teake thought maybe you'd both died in there or something!"

Link and Paya looked at each other, rubbing the backs of their heads sheepishly.

"I'm... sorry for the mess." Link finally said. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Not to worry, my dear friend," Riju said, patting Link on the back with her good arm as she spoke. "Not a single injury here. Never underestimate the spirit of the Gerudo!"

The crowd roared with delight at Riju's words, moving in closer to Link and Paya as they did.

"We have quite a bit of rebuilding ahead of us, to be sure," Riju continued. "But we Gerudo are tough. We'll persevere, as we always do." She held her fist up in triumph. "Isn't that right?!" The crowd roared and cheered once again in response, grouping around Link and Paya and lifting them on their shoulders as they paraded the pair around the market square in celebration. Extra attention in particular was given to Link, and he could swear that some of these ladies were... copping a feel as they carried him around. He looked back at Riju with desperate eyes, practically begging her for assistance. But Riju simply crossed her arms and smiled as she spoke with Teake.

"...And the keese is out of the cave, so to speak," Riju said. "The savior of Gerudo Town... is a rather handsome young voe."

Teake scratched at her arm nervously as she observed the scene. "...I don't think he'll survive the night," she said, only half-joking. Riju burst into laughter, partly in response to Teake's comment, and partly in sincere relief at the conclusion of this intense battle. She glanced over at Paya. The young Sheikah warrior's arms were crossed as she was paraded around herself, and a minor scowl was quite evident on her face.

And Riju instantly knew why.

"Well, well!" Riju yelled towards Link from across the square. "I never thought you'd be such a glutton for female attention!"

Link heard her loud teasing, frowning slightly. He couldn't quite put his finger on when... but he swore he had once heard those exact same words, long long ago...


And we're finally, mercifully, finished with the Gerudo Arc! (And before you ask... no, this is not going to become a LinkXPaya fic!)

Coming soon will be the short but sweet Goron Arc - but with a nice little detour along the way.

In the meantime, next up is Memories of Mipha Part 7: Hylian Guard. See you then.