XVII – Electric Storm


The once colourful Kara-Kara bazaar had been turned into a cramped settlement, with tents and hastily built huts strewn across the sand. Sorren brought Sheik to the main stone building which used to be an inn for travellers but had been repurposed to house the Gerudo commanders and the little princess.

Sheik wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his left arm. He didn't remember the desert to be that hot from the last time he visited, but his tight Sheikah suit made him wish he was wearing something light and loose. When he entered the building, the temperatures were a little more tolerable and it was dim inside. At the far end of the main room, he spotted the first Gerudo commander named Urbosa and Valen sitting at her side. Valen's eyes met Sheik's as Sorren brought him before them, but he remained silent. Urbosa's grandeur had suffered a great deal, and she looked very tired. She gave Valen a nod, and he got up from his seat, joined Sheik and put his hand on his shoulder, leading him outside. "We need to talk."

"What happened here?" Sheik asked as he let his eyes wander over the tents and huts.

"After Ganondorf's disappearance, two old hags appeared in Gerudo Town, carrying a letter that contained the king's handwritten signature and claimed sovereignty over the Gerudo. Everyone who opposed the new queens was exiled from the city, and Urbosa and Buliara had to snatch the princess from under their noses and bring her to safety. That's why most of the people you find here are commanders and warriors. The elderly and women with children remained in the city."

"What about Ganondorf though?"

Valen shrugged. "Urbosa is certain that the hags are linked to his disappearance, and that he has been tricked into consenting to such madness. Furthermore, ever since he went missing, a beast has appeared in the desert, making it a very unsafe territory. Thunder- and sandstorms have become almost daily fare."

"Valen...why did you bring me here?"

"You have sworn fealty to the Yiga. Your little Sheikah friend has sold us out, and she will be sentenced for that when the time comes, but you...you will stay true to the cause."

"With all due respect, is there even still a cause? Ganondorf is missing, the Gerudo forces are falling apart and Castle Town is being occupied by a nameless evil. I haven't signed up to save the Gerudo."

"While that is certainly true, we have reasons to believe that the king is still alive. Weren't you the one who's dead-set on revenge? As long as he lives and breathes, our mission is not complete. Don't try to worm your way out, Sheik. Have you been spending too much time with your Hylian companions? The blond knight?"

Sheik, as much as he tried to conceal his emotions, couldn't hide his astonishment and Valen noticed his bewilderment with a smirk.

"You still underestimate us. I have spies everywhere."

"Then what do you want from me?"

"You will find out what happened to Ganondorf. I'll have you sneak into the city in disguise. You're the only one who could pass as a woman, with your long silver hair and those high cheekbones." Valen laughed when Sheik's face lost all colour. "Don't give me that look. You have no say in the matter. Remember: stay true to the cause."


The night was calm and the oppressive heat from the day had given way to a slight chill. Sheik pulled the cloak around his shoulders and stared into the black water of the oasis. The muscles in his jaw felt tense and he gently massaged his stiff neck, letting out a sigh. It felt good to be alone at last and in the safety of darkness, and his thoughts led him to places he had now left behind. To the ancient shrine in the forest at the edge of Kakariko, to the abandoned hut behind the temple of time ruins, to the top of the Sheikah tower. He closed his eyes and an image formed in his mind; a face with striking blue eyes and a playful smile, and then his body recalled that feeling of warmth as Link wrapped his arm around his shoulder, holding him awkwardly until he could breathe again. Sheik tried to search his brain for a memory of a similar feeling, but could find none. For as long as he could remember, Link had been the first person to ever offer him comfort and physical closeness. It had felt good and strange at the same time, and Sheik wasn't quite sure yet if he could handle it. It had felt overwhelming. And then his cheeks heated up when his memory brought him back to the moment when he fell on Link atop the Sheikah tower. It had been an accident, so why had he become so flustered?

"May I sit with you?"

Sheik opened his eyes, the images of Link floating out of his field of vision, replaced by a beautiful Gerudo. He nodded, and Urbosa sat down on the rock beside him, resting her head on her knees while gazing at him.

"Who were you thinking of?"

"Huh?"

She smiled and Sheik felt a blush creep upon his cheeks. Dammit Sheik, get a grip.

"You had this dreamy look on your face," she said. "I remember you. You blew up those watchtowers."

"I am surprised you would even remember me," he answered, looking down at his hands.

"Your name is Sheik, isn't it? Sheik of the Sheikah. Not of the Yiga. Are you fine with helping us out?"

"Do I have a choice?"

She smiled, but it was the saddest smile Sheik had ever seen.

"What is going on between you and the Yiga? Where do you stand?"

"Does it matter?" he asked quietly, and Urbosa shook her head.

"As long as you do not stab us in the back."

"I didn't sell you out if that's what you mean. Nor did the Sheikah girl."

Urbosa hummed in response, and Sheik didn't know whether she believed him or not.

"You know," she continued then, "Ganondorf was acting weird days before his disappearance. He would hunker down in his private chambers, was acting very irate at everyone, and then he was gone into the desert for a day, and when he returned, he was suddenly very secretive, but also very caring. I didn't dare ask, but it seemed like he had this all planned out."

"Did you ever check his chambers?"

Urbosa shook her head. "Oh no. I wouldn't. If he ever found out..."

"And now you want me to check it out for you, right?"

"I would go myself, but they won't let me in. Those old witches haven taken over the capital and have declared us outlaws for staying loyal to Ganondorf and for opposing their reign. I am sure they are responsible for his disappearance, too."

"Valen said something about a disguise..."

"Oh. Yeah," she chuckled, "you might not be too fond of the idea, but no men are allowed in the city, so I have prepared a little something for you."


"Hold still. Let me just fasten this and you're done," Urbosa said while bending down and securing the straps of the veil behind his head. Sheik could feel her breath on his face even through the fabric and it made him feel uneasy. "There, go check yourself in the mirror," she said, holding back a giggle.

Sheik didn't like it, not a tiny bit, but he courageously took a deep breath and walked towards the mirror.

"There is no way I am gonna wear this," he protested when he checked himself in the mirror. The orange bustier barely covered his chest and left his whole midsection completely free, showing off his trained abs and shoulders. It was held in place by a golden neck- and two armpieces, adorned with tiny rubies. His arms were covered in a red cloth that matched his eyes and partly covered his hands as well, fastened around his middle finger by a golden ring. The dark red sirwal ended just below his knees and had a very low waist cut, allowing the tips of his hipbones to show as well as the V-shaped lines of his obliques, getting lost somewhere below the cloth. The outfit, though meant to be worn by Hylian women, made him feel very conscious about his own body and he was thankful for the thin but opaque veil that covered the lower part of his face.

"Hold on, something is missing...ah wait," Urbosa said and then proceeded to loosen his braid and let his long silver hair flow down his back. "I think you look very handsome...err...pretty. And you definitely have a nice body, Sheik. Not as buff as us Gerudo, but very defined muscles." She winked at him and he died a hundred deaths inside.

He then caught sight of a small bundle with red hair sticking out of underneath a bedcover, and Urbosa followed his gaze.

"My little bird got her wings clipped before she could learn to fly," she said sadly, "but I will do everything in my power to protect her and let her have the future she deserves."

"She is lucky to have people like you who care for her and protect her with all of their might," he said quietly and Urbosa couldn't help but notice the bitter tone in his voice.

"You know," she started, "I think I get it now. You are different from the Yiga. In fact, I think I like you better." She smiled. "And I believe that you are destined for something more. Something bigger."


"Ready?" Urbosa asked, and Sheik shook his head.

"Not really," he muttered, fiddling with the lower part of the bustier that stubbornly refused to stay in place.

"You'll be fine," she smiled and handed him a bundle, "Here. Take this. It contains your warrior suit. Once inside the palace, you might wanna change into something more suited for your mission. I've heard a great deal about the quality of the noise-suppressing cloth used by your people."

Sheik gratefully took the bundle and already couldn't wait to change back. The two Gerudo standing beside him only waited for Urbosa's order to set out, and Sheik was thankful that no Yiga was lurking around.

"Fancy!" Valen laughed, as he, much to Sheik's dismay, turned up unexpectedly.

Sheik groaned. "Don't. Say. A. Word."

"A pity your former company can't see you now," Valen said and winked, making Sheik wish he'd just turn into ash.

Thank Hylia they can't, he thought, already mortified at the notion of Link seeing him in this ridiculous attire. The Gerudo standing to his left put two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle, and before long, three sand seals appeared from under the sand. When she was done putting the harness around their round backs, she handed Sheik one of the ropes.

"Ready when you are," she said, and Sheik fastened it around the ring on his belt, stepping onto the metal plate.

When the sand seals dashed off, he saw Urbosa wave at him and wish him good luck, and before long, the Gerudo settlement disappeared from view and they were surrounded by nothing but sand, stones and some dry grass. Sheik's night vision allowed him to make out shapes in the distance, but the sand that whirled up with every move of the seal made it hard to discern details.

One of the Gerudo manoeuvred her seal closer to Sheik, pointing with her finger into the distance. Sheik narrowed his eyes in order to see what she was pointing at, but could see nothing but swirls and swirls of sand and dark shadows.

"It's the beast," she shouted against the wind, "we must be careful. It's close to the city."

And then he saw it. A huge shadow moving through the sand on four long legs, bending its long neck to the left and right as if it was scanning the desert for anything that moved. Where it trampled, clouds of sand hazed one's vision, but Sheik had seen enough of its shape and build to recognise that it wasn't an actual living thing. The glossy black material, the segmented legs, the pink-red glow on its spine – it was all too reminiscent of ancient Sheikah war machines, and Sheik knew that they were in real trouble.

They steered the seals into the opposite direction, trying to stay as far away from the beast as possible without losing track of their destination. The outer fortification walls of the city then came into sight and Sheik estimated that it would take them at most another fifteen minutes to actually reach it, when the Gerudo to his right suddenly lifted her hand and motioned them to stop. Sheik pulled at the rope to signal the seal to halt and turned his head into the direction the Gerudo was pointing at. The beast had changed its course and was now walking directly towards them. Sheik felt the wind pick up and whirl up gusts of sand, and in the close distance, a rumbling thunder and lightning.

"Quick! We need to find shelter!" the Gerudo shouted against the wind, and her companion pointed at a ruin close by, giving her seal a sign to press ahead. The other seals followed and changed course, heading west towards an old decayed building.

The withered walls didn't provide much shelter, but they managed to find a partly covered alcove which they squeezed into, using their cloaks to shield them from the upcoming sandstorm. Sheik felt the vibrations in the sand with each step of the beast's massive feet and a slight prickling in his skin as lightning and thunder crashed around them. He pressed his back closer against the stone wall behind him and the veil tighter against his face, closing his eyes to prevent the fine grains of sand from entering any body orifices. And in the midst of the electric storm, Sheik lost all sense of time and space.


Sheik's warrior suit clung to his body like a second skin and felt comfortable and strangely soothing. He stuffed the Gerudo clothing into the bundle and hid it behind a wooden barrel in a dark, narrow alley. He would come back for it later. He braided his long hair and felt like himself once again, letting out a sigh of relief.

He looked up at the wall before him. The alley had led him directly to the back of the palace, but the walls were smooth and hard to climb. Sheik scanned them for any uneven or slightly protruding stones or openings, and found a narrow window a little higher up. He detached the grappling hook from his belt, opened the mechanism and attached a rope to its end. With a last glance to the left and right, he let the rope circle and then swung it upwards. The hook got caught behind the small window sill and Sheik gave the rope a tug to make sure it would stay in place. He took a short run-up from the side and pushed himself off, leaping up the wall. The grappling hook held the rope taut and in place, and Sheik put all of his strength into his arms and legs to move up the wall. His fingers then found an opening in the wall and he put his foot onto the window sill, going into a crouch. It wasn't big enough to fit him as a whole, but it gave him the opportunity to release the hook and swing the rope anew. This time, the hook attached itself to the upper part of the wall and Sheik climbed the last stretch until he could swing his legs over the wall and land on the ground below. According to Urbosa's description, Ganondorf's chambers and private study were situated at the far end of the main palace building, and Sheik was already halfway there. He sneaked through the upper palace garden, hiding behind dry bushes and pillars whenever he heard voices or saw movement, and soon reached another outer wall.

Sheik entered the study through a window from the back in the same fashion he had climbed the first wall. It was dark inside and looked unused, books and papers strewn all over the floor as if Ganondorf had left in a hurry, not caring to conceal what he had been doing. Sheik picked up a few pieces of paper, but the notes had all been scribbled down in the Gerudo language which he couldn't read. He stuffed them in a small bag he had brought along and continued to browse through the books that had been carelessly tossed to the floor. Aware that he couldn't take all of them, he decided to pick out the ones that somehow stuck out, put them in the bag next to the notes, walked over to the desk – and froze. He could hear voices and footsteps outside the study and when they stopped right before the door, he held his breath. He heard them fiddle with something and then the clinking of a key ring. He quickly shouldered the bag, ran over to the window and squeezed through. Before he could vanish, the door flung open and two surprised guards bolted in. They leaped at the window and grabbed the rope Sheik was still holding on to, starting to pull at it. Sheik had no choice but to let go. The fall wasn't too high, but Sheik hit the bottom below with his hip and had to suppress a moan when pain shot through his body. He quickly picked himself up and started running, the guard's screaming voices raising the alarm. Dammit, he thought as he ran through the palace garden and realised that he could no longer depend on his grappling hook to get him over walls. As he reached the end of the garden and heard heavy footsteps and more loud voices coming towards him, he scanned the place for any possible escape route. He took a leap forward, jumped and his fingertips grabbed the rim of the walls high above him. The impact of his body as it crashed against the wall made him wince, but he managed to pull himself up and jump down on the other side. Landing safely in the upper waterway, he made his way through the shallow rivulet, ignoring his aching hip. Like a shadow, he ran and jumped from the waterway to a protruding wall, and from there leaped from roof to roof until he could see, in an alley beneath him, his two Gerudo companions motioning him to jump down. In the safety of darkness, he swung down from the roof and landed in a narrow side street like a cat on all four.


The ice in his glass had watered down his drink and Sheik wondered how they managed to even produce ice in the middle of the desert. Kotta and Katta (Sheik had only learned his companions' names after they had plucked him from the dark street and brought him into a secret bar) were bent over the documents Sheik had retrieved from Ganondorf's private study, and Furosa, the owner of the renowned Noble Canteen was preparing yet another drink. Sheik learned, through broken Hylian, that inside the city walls, a resistance group had formed that opposed the new reign and that they were operating in secret in small rooms like this. The once glorious city had lost a lot of its former splendour since Koume and Kotake had replaced Ganondorf, and everyone was mourning their king and the exiled warriors.

"You did well," Kotta said, "let's bring this to Urbosa before darkness leaves us."

Sheik nodded. He was tired and his body was hurting and demanding sleep, but he didn't feel at ease in a city full of women who wanted his head for stealing from the king's chambers. Katta handed him the bundle she had picked up on their way.

"I am sorry," she said, "but it's safer if you put this on."

With an unhappy grunt, Sheik did as he was told.


Urbosa's caramel complexion looked unusually greyish, her emerald green eyes had lost their sparkle. Lines of worry crossed her forehead and her lower lip was caught between her teeth.

"It is as I feared," she said as she lowered the book in her hands onto the table.

Valen tucked a strand of his silky black hair that was constantly falling into his eyes behind his ear and cleared his throat.

"I am afraid I can't follow," he said, looking at Urbosa, Aveil and finally Sheik, who was standing in the corner of the room, arms crossed over his chest.

"The Arbiter's Grounds," Urbosa started, "is an ancient prison built by the royal family thousands of years ago. It held Hyrule's most ruthless and most dangerous criminals while they awaited trial or execution. It is said that in ancient times, it contained a magical mirror that acted as a gateway to another dimension – the Twilight Realm. After their execution by the Sages, their bodies were buried in tombs, heavily sealed by Sheikah talismans to ward off evil and prevent their spirits to escape back into the world. All these notes that Ganondorf scribbled down talk about one particular tomb." She swallowed.

"Let me guess," Valen mumbled, "the tomb of some of the most dangerous criminals?"

Urbosa nodded. "Two evil and very powerful witches from the era of time. Their names were Koume and Kotake."

"The hags from Gerudo Town?" Sheik asked.

Urbosa nodded again. "What was he thinking..." she said more to herself than to the others, "if this is true, we are in even bigger trouble than I assumed."

"Urbosa," Sheik started, "do you think it's possible that the thing that has invaded Castle Town and the castle itself is linked to Ganondorf and the witches?"

Valen gave Sheik a surprised look, but Urbosa's facial expression confirmed his suspicion.

"I need to find out what happened. I will go to the Arbiter's Grounds myself to check if the seals are broken and the tomb empty. Sheik, I thank you for your cooperation."

"This is a matter for the Gerudo then," Valen said, "but if it's true that Hyrule Castle has been invaded by Ganondorf, we have nothing to fear. We are allies and assassins after all. Let's finish that rotten king and leave that barren land behind once and for all."

"Have you even understood a single word of what Urbosa is trying to tell you?" Sheik said angrily, "we have no idea what we are dealing with."

"Why are you being such a coward? Afraid to get your hands dirty or are you scared that your cover will be blown?"

Sheik wanted to protest, but Valen cut him off.

"I already told you, Sheikah, you have no say in the matter. Or do you want to see Paya's head on a stick so badly?"

"Your threats are pathetic," Sheik answered and left the building.


Urbosa caught Sheik alone while Valen was making the last preparations for their journey, and pulled him behind a fruit stand.

"Sheik, this is madness. It's a suicide mission."

Sheik looked up into her concerned eyes and nodded. "I know. But Valen can't be argued with. And he still has leverage over me."

"Why though? Are you concerned for the Sheikah girl?"

Sheik shook his head. "It's much more than that, but Valen will see that even crossing Hyrule field with all those guardians crawling around is impossible. There is something I need to tell you, though."

"What is it?"

"I saw the beast from up close. It's man-made. Sheikah-made to be precise."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a war machine, Urbosa. Built by my ancestors. Just like the guardians, but way more powerful. Someone or something has taken hold of it, just like with the rogue guardians. I need to get back to Kakariko, find out more about them. As for now, try to steer clear of it, and don't tell anyone."

Urbosa nodded. "Thank you Sheik," she said, pulling him into an unexpected hug. "Take care of yourself. I hope we'll meet again under better circumstances."

And for the second time in his life, he felt a connection with a stranger.