TEARS OF THE KINGDOM: THE SAGES FINAL STAND
PT.2
"That probably wasn't the best idea now that I think about it," Riju said, chuckling as she sat on top of a brown crate. "We really should have waited for Link to show up." She said looking up at the blazing sun that was now lowering in the west, getting ready to hide behind the tall mountains that were off in the distance. It was almost impossible to look at as the orange setting sun made the clean white snow on the mountainside shine with a blinding light.
The Ritos and her guards were still at the oasis even though all the supplies had been delivered and moved to the city. With how hot the sun had gotten and the Rito's warm fluffy feathers already warming them up, since they were built to be flying around the snowy cold mountains surrounding their village, they decided to wait for nightfall to come before they left. The last thing Riju needed was for the bird people to get heat strokes after flying to and from her homeland to deliver her supplies.
"We'll hindsight is always twenty-twenty," Tulin said, leaning against the crate with his wings resting behind his head. "But it's the thought that counts, right?" He asked, looking at her with a smirk. "But yeah I agree, we should have definitely waited for him. Or at least talked the other sages into coming with us." He said, one of his wings moving to his face as he flicked an imaginary bug off of his face. "But hey we made it out alive didn't we?"
"I suppose we did." She said, a soft smile on her face, glad that at the end of the day, they did make it out alive after their bold charge at the once ruler of her people. She couldn't think of anything more foolish than what they had that day and she had yet to top the events of that day in terms of how dumb it was. "Oh while you are here you must try some of our cuisine." The chief said as she pushed off and led the way to the large yellow stone building at the oasis. It was the only actual building at the place as most everyone else stayed in tents and did their business out of them. They were easy to set up and take down as a lot of the people there were traveling merchants there to get some desert goods to sell elsewhere. But the giant stone building was an inn and mini-restaurant-like area. You wouldn't get the best selection of what the Gerudos ate daily, but it would give you a tiny taste of what the desert people had to eat.
"Ah, Lady Riju." The tall, tan-skinned Gerudo Lady said as she and Tulin entered the building. The lady had her cut extremely short, almost to her scalp and had a light blue lipstick painted on her lips, which wasn't an uncommon color for their Gerudo to have their lips colored. "It is good to see you Chief!" She said leaning on the brownish stone counter as she smiled down at the girl. "What can I do for you today?"
"Yes, Kachoo it is good to see you as well." Riju said, "Do you have the materials for a Noble Pursuit?" She asked, knowing that the stock at the Oasis area could be a bit iffy. It really depended on what the people in the bazaar area were selling. But for how hot the sun was, the little chief would find it hard to believe they wouldn't have the ingredients in stock to prepare the refreshing drink.
"You're in luck." The lady said, nodding her head and moving back out of the counter, "We just got a shipment of Volfruits today. So, yes we can make them." She said,
"VolFruit?" Tulin asked her, not familiar with the desert flower. He was used to things like Chillshroms and the Cold Safflina, the things that grew in the bitter snowy cold.
"It is a very tasty fruit," The Gerudo girl promised him, turning with a smile on her face and pointing up at him. "Trust me, have I ever led you wrong?" She asked him, crossing her arms- challenging him to try and argue with that.
"I guess not." He admitted as Kachoo came back around, her arms full. A dark green round hydro melon, an oval lime green palm fruit, a red flower-looking thing that Tulin assumed was the Volfruit, and a pink lump of Salt Rock. The lady laid the fruits and salt down on a light brown cutting. Though there was very little cutting in this dish apparently, as the lady tore open the fruits with her bare hands. Pulling them open as if they were bananas, she then took a spoon and scooped the red insides of the melon and the yellow mushy fruit inside the palm fruit into a large cup. Then squeeze the Voltfruit, making a white liquid pour from the center of the plant into the cup. She then took a small hammer and tapped the rock, making salt snow into the cup. With all the ingredients in the cup, the Gerudo lady put a lid on it before picking it and shaking it, making her tan skin and brown cup turn into an orange and brown blur. After a few seconds, she slammed the cup down with a THUD and she pulled two clear glasses out from underneath the stool, which had a couple of ice cubes in them. She then put an orange wedge on the side of the cup and dropped different colored berries into the cup. Taking the large cup she poured the insides into the other smaller glasses. Filling them up to the brim with a sunburst orange liquid.
"Enjoy." The lady said, giving a slight bow as she took a step away from them. Riju took both of the drinks, making sure not to spill any of the drinks out.
"I am sure we shall," Riju said as she handed Tulin his drink and walked back outside, intently being bathed in the heat of the outside. "This is one of my favorites." She informed the boy, as she pulled the orange off the side of the glass and bit into it. The sweet citrus instantly stung her tongue as the juice exploded and filled her mouth. The pulp from the fruit got stuck in her teeth. She dropped the remaining skin of the fruit in her drink and looked at her Rito pal. Who had taken a different approach to the orange slice, tossing it in the air, catching it in his mouth, chewing the entire thing, and swallowing it.
"Mm!" He chirped, "Well if the rest of the drink is as refreshing as the fruit is, then it must be good." He informed her as he brought the cup to his lips and started to drink it. Chugging the entire thing down in a few seconds and letting out a refreshed ah, taking his wing and wiping his face clear. "That was great!" He said, his body instantly cooled from the drink.
"Now imagine how good it would have tasted if you had drank it slowly and enjoyed it." She said, taking a sip of her drink. The fruity taste made her tongue tingle as she drank it, moving the liquid from one side of her mouth to the other as she tried to get the pulp out of her teeth. She hated the feeling of the weird stem things stuck in between her teeth and would drive her crazy until they got out. "Much more refreshing if you take it one sip at a time." She informed him as they started to walk around some more, Tulin kicking up sand with every step he took.
"Yeah yeah, I hear ya." He said with an eye roll, "So where did we leave off in the story? I think I was heroically flying us to our enemy."
"Your games end here, Ganon!" Riju yelled, Tulin, letting go of her and she landed on the ground, rolling on the ground and she got back to her feet. Both of her blades were drawn, one held above her head and the other pointed at their opponent. The sun makes the silver blades seemingly glow even in the sunlight.
"Yeah!" Tulin said, landing beside her, his bow drawn and an arrow pointed. Sitting with his legs crossed a man as large as a goron had his eyes closed. Both his hands laid on a sheathed blade that looked long enough to rival the length of spears, though it was a thin blade only about half the width of the sword the Link used. His red hair was combed back into a small short bun and he had a beard that followed his chin line and stuck out a few inches. He wore a much larger form of the Voe Gerudo clothing that Link wore. A black chest plate covered the left side of his chest, a pair of black pair of shorts with a kilt over it, and sandals hugged his legs. The clothing showing the man's muscular form, from his chest down to his feet, muscles twitched and pulsed as he took a deep breath in.
"Hey, we're talking to you!" Tulin said, letting the arrow fly, not happy that the man was seemingly ignoring their presence. The wooded shaft flew through the air, aimed at his head, going almost faster than either of the two sages could keep track of. But before it the point could reach its mark, the man's left hand shot up and he caught the arrow's shaft in between his middle and pointer finger. Which seeing this made the two gasp, Riju taking a step back in surprise.
"Is this it?" The man asked, his voice deep and gravely, seemingly making the ground shake a bit as he talked. His eyes shot open and shot at the sage. The pure malice and hatred pouring out of them felt like a wall of air being pushed at them, making Tulin jump back and ready another arrow. "All these years of waiting for the chosen hero with the sword and the only thing I got is children trying to oppose me?" He said, chuckling, though the bitterness in it turned the air around them sour. It was clear he didn't find this funny but was insulted by it. "A little bird boy and a little girl that they had given the authority of my people to?!" He asked, yelling the last few words, directing them at Riju.
"We are not just some children! We are-!" Riju started but was cut off.
"Sages?" Ganon finished, the arrow suddenly snapping in two between his fingers. "Please don't waste my time with that. You are less qualified to be called sages than the last group of fools that tried to oppose me. You children simply have gotten a toy that you don't understand how to truly use, and then given some title to make you feel better about yourselves." He spat at them, making them glare back at him. "But if you must try and fight me then I guess you can try." He said, taking the sword, holding it up, and planting it into the ground, using it to help him stand up. His bones cracked loudly as he stood up to his full height. "To show you how pathetic this is, I challenge you to move me from this spot." He said, drawing his blade out, the pitched black steel seemingly sucking away the light, and making three lightning flash slashes, marking a triangle around him. He then held the sword in both his hands and up to the side of his head, frowning at the two of them.
"Fine, let us do this then," Riju said, rushing towards the green-skinned man, holding her swords at her sides. Spinning in a circle the chief jumped up into the air before balancing herself out in the air, looking down at the man. She held her swords up in the air, making the sun glitter off of them, as slashed forward, making herself spin forward towards Ganon, "Take this!" She yelled, her blade instantly coming down at the man.
"Pathetic," Ganon said, dropping one hand, and twirling the hilt in his hand so the hilt was pointed up, and slashed to the side so the black blade met the girl's silver blades. Instantly stopping her in the air, sparks flying off their swords. Riju tried to press forward, hoping to maybe break the man's sword, but soon gravity remembered that she shouldn't be in the air, and she started to go down. So she pushed forward, making herself launch backward to a safe distance away from the man. "Is that really it?" He scoffed at her. "When I was the leader of our people I made sure no one would ever be able to shrug off an attack by me. How could I lead if I couldn't carve a way for my people to go forward? Has the Gerudo grown so… soft that this is acceptable?" He asked her, making Riju grit her teeth
"Heya, ugly!" Tulin yelled from behind Ganon, releasing another arrow pointed at the back of his orange-haired head. Taking a shot from behind wasn't exactly a noble strategy, but Tulin knew that it would be better if the battle ended quickly. So if he could win like that, how could he not take the shot? So he smirked, flapping his wings and pushing back.
"Not much better boy," Ganon said, spinning in a circle and bashing the arrow with the hilt of his sword. Making the arrow go flying back, buzzing by Tulin's head, clipping his white feathers, and embedding into the stone bricks of the castle behind him. "You should have just stayed in your little village boy. At least your father was actually a threat to my blight." He spat, making the white Rito growl before flying up in the air.
"Come on Zappy, it's two against one," Tulin said, landing next to the girl, his feathers ruffled in annoyance "We shouldn't be losing this!"
"Yes, you are correct." She mused, her thumb and finger against her chin as she studied their opponent. "We can't exactly use my electric shock on him. If he's too fast for an arrow to even land on him. And I fear only a direct strike will do anything to him." She sighed.
"Are you realizing how pointless this is?" Ganon asked, closing his eyes as he slid his sword back into its sleeve.
"No!" Tulin growled, "It's not pointless!" He promised the green man, fire burning in his eyes. He was the son of the Chief of Ritos and the Sage of Winds, he wasn't going to tuck his tail feathers and run just because he hadn't been able to hit him with a couple of arrows. "Come on, Zappy! He can't take us both on at once." He said, squatting down and flapping his winds. Pushing off with a gust of wind the boy flew right of at Ganon. Pulling his bow out he fired three arrows at once, and spun in a circle, making the projectiles spin in a circle around him.
But if that seemed like an issue to the Gerudo warrior he didn't show it. He just shook his head in disapproval as he pulled his blade back, slashing his blade and cutting the arrows in the air. But before he could make some sort of remark, suddenly saw a blade coming down at him. He swung his sword up, meeting Riju's Scimitar in the air, making a shower of sparks fly through the air. But unlike last time, Riju pushed off almost immediately, sliding back but charging at him again. Her eyes pulsed yellow as sparks of electricity crawled on her skin, sparking through her blades. Holding both her swords to the left of her body, she spun around, trying to get some moment for her attack, swinging with everything she had at the man's leg. Her blades met Ganon's sword once again.
"Gah!" She yelled, her eyes opening wide as she let the electricity move from her blades to Ganon's. Looking up at him his eyes also grew wide as the yellow streaks of lightning started to wrap around the man, hugging him and shocking him. She smirked as she concentrated on trying to continue the flow of electricity out of herself to the man. She looked anywhere in her body to supply it, from deep in herself she drew all the energy she could. But Ganon still pushed against her blades, meaning that the shock wasn't enough to stop him from fighting. "Nn…" She whimpered as her legs began to shake, the man's sword moving closer to her. With his other hand, he was knocking away the arrows Tulin was shooting at him, though as his body twitched Riju knew that some of the arrows were making their mark. So she drew her swords back, dodging down, feeling the wing of Ganon's sword swing move her hair to the side. She quickly did a backflip back to get out of the way of the man, who slashed his sword down at where the girl had just been standing.
Tulin shot more arrows, making them land everywhere around Ganon's feet, and flew higher in the air. Riju knew the boy was going up so he could dive bomb and move faster, so he needed a distraction. So she pointed her sword at one of the arrows, and flicked her wrist, making a bolt of lightning strike down at it, making the ground shake.
"Take this Ganon!" She spat, charging again, her blades scraping against the ground. Slashing at the man, her blade was deflected again, but this time, she spun around the dark sword and got close to him. Flipping her sword around so her hilt was sticking up she jumped up and threw a punch at his face. Hit Ganon square in the nose, making his head jerk back, and she used her other sword to slash at the man. Sadly he bend further back before he could be hit, making her blade cut off a few strands of hair from his beard. Then before she could do anything he stood straight, bashing his head against hers.
"Ah!" Riju cried, a ringing instantly filling her ears as she went flying back, rolling across the rocky ground. She winced but opened her eyes, not going to be taken out with one hit. But when she looked forward she saw two of Ganon, each spinning in a circle.
"I'll give you that one, child," Ganon grumbled, twisting his neck from side to side making it crack, "It's been a long time since anyone has laid a hit on me. Not even your ancestors could say they managed that." He praised, "But you're going to have to try a lot harder than that to defeat me."
"Fine… by… me." She groaned as she stood up, holding her hand to her head, her sword in her other hand. "Allow me to atone for the wrongdoings of the Gerudos who followed you. Even if I have to do so by giving my life here and now!" She yelled as she ran forward, pointing her sword at another arrow, flicking her wrist, and making a bolt of lightning strike down on it. Thankfully that electric strike didn't drain her like the electricity coming out of her body did. But the blast made the man flinch and look in the direction of the strike. "Gah!" Riju cried, shaking her head as her vision started to stabilize and only one Ganon was in her view again. Running up she slashed the man's leg, sliding on her knees between his legs, getting hit against his leg making him growl as he tried to kick at her. But by the time he did, she had already slid away from his kick range. And planting her sword on the ground, she stopped herself and used it to help herself up before running at him again. Making lightning strike another arrow before running up and jumping and slashing him across the back, kicking off him with her heel, moving out of the way for him to turn and throw a punch.
She continued this pattern for as long as she could. Using the arrows to direct her lightning to make the man think it was coming at him, and when he was distracted she would slay him wherever she could, and get away. And soon the man had white marks across in arms, back, and legs. But other than that, there was no sign that Riju was even hurting him! It was like his skin was made out of steel. But she couldn't let that stop her, huffing and puffing she charged again. "Grrrraaaa!" She cried, holding her sword up in the air with both hands, ready to plunge it into her opponent.
"Enough!" Ganon yelled, turning and sweeping his head sideways, hitting her sword and knocking it out of her hands. Which may have been the fact her hands were soaked with sweat or the fact the man's slap was like a meteor crashing into some, but her sword flew out of her hands and off the side of their battlefield. Riju gasped as she watched the sword go over the edge, not needing to see where it was to know it was going down the seemingly bottomless pit that surrounded Hyrule. "I've had it with you child." He spat, his hand grabbing her around her neck. "You are just a pest buzzing around my ear. And I'll show you what I do to the pest that won't stay their distance." He whispered to the girl, slowly tightening his grip on Riju's neck.
"Gah, ca, ba!" The girl babbled out, her fingers wrapping around her captor's hand, trying to pull his fingers loose. But instead of escaping his grip the man tightened his grip around her neck, clicks and cracks popping from his hand. But she wasn't going to just give in and pass out in the man's hand after just a few seconds. She felt her face start to grow warm as she felt lighted, her face turning red from the lack of oxygen. Her vision dimmed as her hands slumped down to her sides. She figured that this was going to be it, her last moments of life stuck in her enemies hand. Didn't seem like much of a glorious ending, but at least she would go out knowing that she had gone toe to toe with her foe and not running away.
BOOM! An explosion boomed up high filling the sky, making her attention return for a moment and looking up. In the sky there was a giant circle in the middle of the clouds with a high pitched whistling sound following, as did a volley of arrows suddenly raining down, hitting Ganon, but somehow missing her completely.
"Blah! Gah!" The Gerudo man spat and swatted his free hand in the air, loosening his grip on Rijus neck. She tried to be subtle about taking a breath of air, not wanting to remind Ganon what he was doing. But her body acted on its own as she took a deep breath in with a chorus of coughs following as she started to squirm again. Looking at Ganon as arrows started to spark against his steel like skin.
"Yoink!" Tuling said, as a gust of wind hit Ganon, and Riju felt something grab her and yank her out of Ganon's hand, tossing her to the ground. The girl scrambled to her feet, though she had to stay bent over and bracing herself against her leg as she looked in the sky. Darting her eyes around she tried to find her Rito friend, which was almost impossible at the speed he was going. But she managed to track him down in the air, seeing his white feather pressed all the way back as he flew as fast as an arrow through the sky. Slowing down as he aimed his arrow, this one having a small round blue flower tied to it, aimed it at Ganon and let it go. Hitting Ganon on the side of the head, making an explosion, and making the man lurch over to the side, and then the Rito boy went back to flying at his full speed. Flying behind Ganon with three arrows with Bomb Flowers tied to them, shooting them around Ganon feet. The explosions kicked up the dirt around Ganon's feet, making a wall of dust surrounding him. Looking down at Riju Tulin gave a nod, silently telling her to get ready, before nose diving down.
"You may think you're good, Ganon," Tulin said, diving into the dust cloud. Ganon, hearing the bird boy, slashed his sword at him, but Tulin was faster and was able to dodge the blade. Flipping around the blade Tulin looked at Ganon, now currently upside down, one more arrow drawn and pointed at the man's head. Since Ganon turned when he swung his blade it was pointed at the back of his head. "But we're better!" He said with a smirk ready to let the arrow go. But in the silence Tulin heard the man grunt as his sword glowed with a purple energy and suddenly it changed. The handle turned into a purple shaft, the entire weapon growing three times, and the blade shrinking to a third of its size but becoming wider. The sword turning into a spear, the long weapon reaching out, the sharp end going at Tulin, slicing the arrow in the bow and digging into the body of his bow. It didn't break it but it took a huge chunk out of the top of the bow. "Ah!" Tulin yelped, trying to fly back, but suddenly a bolt of lightning struck right beside him, since his arrow didn't land, Riju's strike didn't have an anchor to pull it in. Tulin flew to the side trying to not get fried.
"Pest!" Ganon yelled, making Tulin look at the man, seeing his spear swinging right at him. The flat side of the tip pushed against Tulin, pushing him to the ground making him push the ground down. "YAH!" Ganon spat, pushing the spear harder, making Tulin drag against the ground, spinning in a circle. Then he pulled the spear up and stabbed Tulin's tunic and lifted him up. Then the man grabbed the boy's wing and spat at the ground. "You two have more bite than I had assumed." He said with a slight head not. "Not that it means anything to you since we're fighting on two different sides, but I respect the effort you put in. But it's time to end this little charade." He said, Tulin taking a deep breath as he hung in the man's hand. And hearing the popping and cracking from the man's knuckles Riju's eyes went wide. But before she could do anything and new cracking sound filled the air as Tulin's eyes grew wide.
"Ah!" The Rito cried out in pain, squirming in Ganon's grasp, his other wing flapping like crazy. Tears instantly filled his eyes as he kicked his clawed feet. But if it proved to be any kind of challenge for Ganon he didn't show it. He held his spear up, the weapon turning purple again, shrinking in size as it transformed into a black spiked club. Lifting high up Ganon then dropped the club onto the ground. Making the ground start to rumble under Riju's feet and the ground shot up, sending her flying. Ganon let go of his weapon as he caught Riju in his other hand. "You should have run while you had the chance." He grumbled as a wispy red and black fog wrapped around and up his arms, like a snake moving around a branch. It was the gloom, a weird evil fog that made whoever breathed it in deadly sickness and both of the Sages knew that if they started breathing it in their deaths wouldn't be a swift painless one. No, it would be slow and tortuous as their bodies slowly succumbed to the effects of the smog.
"N-No!" Riju yelled, kicking her feet and twisting and turning her body trying to get away. Tulin scratched at his captors arms, but he let out a sharp wince every time his injured wing moved even a little. But their efforts to struggle and slip away were fruitless as the red smoke climbed up their necks. It stung and burned their skin, feeling like lemon juice being poured onto an open cut. But it climbed further up over their mouths and to their noses making it so they had no choice to breathe it in. Riju shook her head furiously as she tried to make it go away, but it didn't help and eventually she had to take a breath in.
Her eyes instantly started to water as she coughed and hacked. Her mouth instantly turned drier than the sands of the desert and her throat felt like a cat was using it as a scratching post. As she coughed she took more deep gulps of air and gloom in, making her vision go blurry as the world around her just morphed into a blob of green and brown and her skin felt like beetles were crawling over her skin biting her. She tried scratching them off, slapping her hand against her legs but the invisible bugs wouldn't leave her alone. But suddenly her body felt so… light? Like it was getting ready to float away, the itchiness suddenly disappeared, her throat didn't feel dry, and the world was growing dark. A nice pitch black to take a nap in, maybe that's what she needed, a nap. Just a quick one anyways, then she would be refreshed and ready to do whatever it was she needed to do? What was she doing again anyways? Was it important? Well if it was important then it could wait until she woke back up.
"Put them down!" A deep voice with a thick accent demanded, stirring Riju a bit. But suddenly her body was showered with a blast of cool water.
"Ah!" She yelped, her mind focusing again as she shot her eyes open, the mix of colors pouring back into her vision. But now a red blob, light brown, and white blob joined in. Taking deep breaths of fresh air in the girl coughed more, the blobs rushed forward and the white one stopped at her.
"You kids, don't you know how to listen?!" A young woman chided her as she was suddenly bathed in a golden light. The warmth of the sun intensified on her, making her vision return to her and she saw Purah standing over her, holding some weird yellow piece of glass. Whatever it was, the sun's light hit her harder than normal, clearing her body of the gloom sickness faster than normal and after a few seconds. Sitting up she looked around and saw she was on the ground pulled away from Ganon with Tulin beside her. Behind her Sidon and Yunobo had taken over trying to defeat Ganon. "You could've died!" Purah continued to scold them, poking Riju on the chest and pushed her down. "If we had been a few minutes- SECONDS longer you might not be sitting up." She said, her brown eyes staring right into Riju's. "Now sit there and recover."
"Sorry," Riju said to the Sage of Spirits, planting her hands on the ground and pushing herself up. "But I am not sitting this battle out." She informed Purah, having to pause halfway up as her legs wobbled. After catching herself she stood up on her feet and looked at Purah, silently telling her she wasn't going to sit down.
"Fine." She said looking at Tulin, "He's not getting up though. I think he's ok, but he's in less of a position to fight than you are." She said, sitting the yellow glass down as she reached down to her side and grabbed her gun that had a canon head on it. The Sage of Spirits was pretty adept with machines and had figured out how to take different Zonai parts and attack them to the holster of her gun, making it so she would have a wide variety of weapons. But the canon was the thing that packed the biggest punch.
"Take a break Feather-Brain." Riju said to the boy, limping over and grabbing one of her swords that was lying on the ground. Its clean blade now covered in a brownish rust, an effect that the gloom had on weapons. The sword wouldn't ever be as strong as it once was now that the gloom was on it, but it was better than not having any weapon.
Charging forward Riju made sure to be extra careful with how she was attacking now, since she was certain a strong wind would be enough to knock her over now. But she took every opportunity to attack Ganon, who was deflecting all of their attacks. His weapon changed to counter their attacks, using his spear and club. The spear to deflect and stab at her and Sidon's jabs, swing it to knock them back. Then using the club ti knock away Yunobo's attacks with his giant Boulder Crusher and whack Purah's canons blast like they were baseballs. Even their teaming didn't work. Sidon tried to push Ganon's weapon away to leave an opening. But the man simply twisted his body and knocked Yunobo's weapon away again.
"Why won't you just quit?!" Ganon spat at them, scowling at them as his amber eyes glowed with fire. "It's clear you can't win, look at all of you." He spat. Riju looked around and saw her fellow Sages already winded as if they just ran a marathon. While Ganon himself looked to see if he hadn't done anything.
"Because you took my sister from me." Sidon said, standing tall as he spun his spear in his hands. "I won't stop until you fall." He said looking down at the weapon in his hand. Riju slowly nodded her head towards him realizing what he was using. Normally the prince would use the Zora Ceremonial Trident, a powerful weapon in its own right. But in his hands was none other than his sister's personal weapon, the Lightscale Trident. The two weapons looked almost identical, but Riju had studied the picture of the Champions and could tell from the teal colored handle and the rounded end of the spear what weapon it was.
"My friends are counting on me, goro!" Yunobo said, stomping his foot and making the ground shake, "I-I'll protect everyone!" He said spinning the Boulder Crusher.
"It's always been the duty of the Shekiah to protect Hyrule castle." Purah said, pulling her golden mask over her face, pointing her gun at him, "And I believe you're trespassing right now. I'd hate for the princess to return home to see some trash littering her home."
"We do it," Riju said, smirking as she braced herself to attack, "Because you need to go down." She said and darted forward giving off her battle cry as she thrusted her blade forward, her energy renewed, and her fellow Sages followed. Her sword clashing against Ganons, the recoil knocking her back, but Yunobo was right behind her swinging his weapon, Sidon following her, the two pressing their weapons against Ganon, pushing the green man down. But he stood firm in his triangle.
"Hey, ugly." Purah said smiling as she pulled the trigger, making a ball covered in a blue aura hit the man in the back, making him lurch forward and growl, and Purah chuckling.
"We fight." A high pitch voice said from behind them all, the voice cracking and in pain. Looking over they all saw the Rito bow standing, bow drawn with an arrow knocked, his eyes pulsing from pain. He was using his arm that had snapped, either broken or sprain, to hold his bow up, "Because we…are…better…." He spat, letting go of the bowstring and falling down onto his bottom. The arrow wobbled in the air as it flew towards the man. It wasn't the cleanest shot the boy had ever made, but Riju watched it in slow motion as it soared across the air. She knitted her eyebrows, pointing her sword at it.
"No!" Ganon yelled, looking at the arrow, but was too busy with blocking the attacks of the Zora and Goron. So he was helpless to stop the arrow from embedding itself into the man's knees.
"Get back!" She yelled, flicking her wrist as the Sages jumped back in time for a lightning to stick down. Bits of rock from the ground flew all over the place as the dust kicked up, blocking their view from the man and everything was dead silent other than the Sages heavy breathing.
"D-did we do it?" Yunobo asked after a solid ten seconds of silence, no one lowering their guard though. But as soon as he asked, a red light in the shape of a tear started to glow in the dust.
"No." Ganon said before letting out a deep chuckle as the dust started to disappear, realing Ganon, who had been pushed back a couple feet from the blast. The spot where he had been standing in the triangle was burned black with a gaping hole where the man once stood. But they had managed to move him from his spot. "Now this is what I've been waiting for." He said, a smirk on his face as he had his arms crossed. Sitting on the middle of his head a secret stone burned a deep shade of red. "A warm up for me to stretch the old bones so I'm ready for the swordsman."
"A warm-up?" Sidon asked growling as he held his weapon tight. How could this all just be a warm up for the man, how was he still standing? They attacked him with everything they had to throw at him. The Gerudo had been struck by a bolt of lightning and was still standing, what else could they throw at him.
"Yes, but feel honored." He said, as he clenched his fist, "It's not just anyone who can make me try." He said as he held his hands out to the side, closing his eyes, and letting out a cry. "GaaaaaaAAAAAH!" He yelled as his hair started to glow a neon orange, growing three times its size, white horns growing out of his forehead, and fangs popping out of his mouth. His lime green skin turned a dark murky green, and his eyes glowing red. The power radiating off him like a tidal wave crashing onto the shore, making all the Sages gasp. "I didn't come here to kill you today." He mused, lowering his hand, his head snapping down and looking right at Riju. "But if you have a death wish, let me fulfill it!" He yelled and with blind flew at Riju, punching the girl square in the nose.
"Ah!" She yelled as she went flying across the battleground. And before anyone could do anything Ganon dashed to Purah, grabbing her gun and breaking it like it was dry biscuit in his hand. He grabbed the Sheikah lady by her arm and spun her around, lifting her in the air, and spiking her down on the ground.
"No!" Sidon yelled, running at Ganon and thrusting his spear at Ganon's chest. But Ganon grabbed the top of the spear with his bare hands, stopping it. He then yanked it forward, pulling Sidon closer, and he grabbed the King of the Sidon by his neck.
"If your sister was somehow stronger than you, it still wouldn't have been enough to stop me." He hissed in Sidons ear, "Her death will be in vain, and so will yours." He said, a wide smile on his face. Cocking his arm back he slammed his fist into Zora's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He let go of Sidons neck, watching the man drop to his knees gasping for breath.
"Heyayaya!" Yunobo yelled, curled up in a ball, and rolled at Ganon. His body sparking with blazes as rocketed towards Ganon. But the man simply held his hand out and as soon as Yunobo hit his hand the Goron stopped dead in his tracks. Then grabbing Yunobo by his rocky back he lifted the Goron up and tossed him into a wall. "Ow, goro." Yunobo whined, uncurling and hanging upside down on the wall.
"Hehehehehehe." Ganon laughed as he snapped his fingers and black and red hands made of gloom grew out of the ground and grabbed all of the Sage, and piled them up together in front of the man. "Tell your ancestors that they failed again." He instructed the Sages, his blade suddenly in his hand and raising it up. "Goodbye, pest!" He yelled, lifting his sword up and bringing it down. They all closed their eyes and looked away, not wanting to look at their killer after their failure. But after a few seconds of them not dying, they all looked up and saw Ganon looking behind them. "Well it's about time." He said as they all looked back, and saw him. "Link." Ganon said with a chuckle.
The Hylian swordsman stood with his blade drawn, a gust of wind making his long golden blond hair wave. The Master Swords white blade glowed as he held it off to the side, and his blue tunic covered with a brown leather breastplate covering his heart. In his other hand the Hylian shield, a special item only bestowed to the bravest warriors in Hyrule, was ready to be used. The sun reflects its blue color.
"And Zelda." He said, looking beside the hero of Hyrule where the princess stood dressed in the white Zonai dress, her face painted like it had been a thousand years ago when Ganon last saw her, and a yellow secret stone shining around her neck. "I've waited 1,000 years for this." He laughed, stepping over the Sages as he got closer to his true targets. "Make it worth my time." He requested as he raised his sword, smiling as he locked eyes with Link.
"And we know how the rest of the story goes." Tulin said, "Link kicked Ganon's butt and we all lived happily ever after." He said taking a deep breath in as he looked up in the sky. The hot desert sun was gone now and a clear night sky hovered above them. Millions of stars twinkling high in the sky. The Rito people were getting ready to set off back home now that the temperature wasn't going to cook them in the air.
"Yep that about sums it up." Riju said, standing up from the blanket she had been sitting on. "We almost died and Link came in the nick of time to save us all." The tan skinned girl said smiling. "It was good to see you again Tulin. Next time maybe I'll visit you at Rito village, would that be ok?" She asked him.
"Of course Zappy," He said to her, "Though you'll need some warm clothes so you don't freeze in the mountains. I'd hate to have to deliver a Chief Riju ice sculpture back to your town." He said with a smirk as someone walked next to him. An older Rito man with matching feathers and eyes of Tulin. Though he had the cloth of the Rito Chief on, revealing that he was the one who was in charge.
"Tulin, are you ready to go?" Tulin's dad Chief Teba asked the boy. Not really asking but letting the boy know that they were getting ready to leave. "Chief Riju, I thank you for the accommodations you have made for us today." He said, giving a small bow to the girl.
"It was no problem, Chief Teba." She said returning the bow, "I thank you for delivering the supplies to us."
"If you need more, you only need to ask." He said to the girl before looking at his son, "Put it in your letter to my son. He always makes sure to get your letters personally and usually before I can get any letters." He said, making his son's cheeks flush red and simply turned and walked away, and Riju giggled a little.
"A-anyways, I gotta go." Tulin said, opening his wings up and Riju gave the Rito boy one final hug, burying her face into his fluffy soft feathers one final time. "I'll see ya later, Zappy." He said to her as she let go.
"Yep see you later, Feather-Head." She said to him, waving goodbye as the boy squatting down as a wind cyclone appeared under him and he shot up into the sky with the other Ritos following. The tribe of bird people quickly disappears into the dark night sky. "Ok Gerudos, move out!" Riju said, snapping her fingers and her soldiers falling into formation. They had all their supplies to continue the reconstruction. But that was going to have to wait until tomorrow, as her bed and Patricia plushies were calling her name.
