The Yiga duo waited by the fire while their add-on slowly prepared for the day's trek ahead. Sooga stood with his eyes over the horizon, watching the sun crest for dawn. His elbow rested on the swords at his hip with his head cocked against the wall. His breath is calm and silent, while his companion is chatting to no one and eating a heavy breakfast. Idri gulped her helping of bananas and looked back at him.
"You weren't listening to me at all." She huffed. Sooga stepped away from the wall and straightened his back as Pire left the inn with a large bag on her back. Idri rolled her eyes at his lack of response.
"Let's get going. It'll get too hot soon." Sooga said.
"Of course. Lead on." Pire nodded and followed behind them out of the bazaar. Idri walked beside her superior and glanced back at the Sheikah as they entered the deeper desert sands. She made no indication she was anything more than a traveler. She wondered what Sooga was planning with their extra.
Too lost in thought, Sooga keeps his eyes forward. His hands in tight fists, tension keeping his body rigid and on edge. The sand slowed them down to a crawl. Idri walked beside him with an eye on the shifting sands. Packs of Lizalfos commonly hid in plain sight with their camouflage and ambushed both Yiga and common travelers alike. Sooga would surely notice them anyway, but he had that odd thousand-yard stare. Annoying, but she was used to it.
The wind carried granules into their faces and caused Pire to stop often, rubbing the sand out of her eyes. She grumbled and dug through her bag. Idri sighed angrily at the constant lag in the walk.
"What are you doing? Come on, already." She said, folding her arms. Her foot-tapping silenced by the sand. After a moment, Pire put on a pair of sunglasses and closed her bag back up.
"Just making it easier," Pire said simply.
"How long are you planning on being in the desert?" Sooga chimed suddenly. Pire adjusted the glasses and thought it over.
"A good while. Maybe a month, 3 months." Pire guessed as she stepped up to the other side of him.
"You'll get used to it by then." He nodded.
"I hope so. And soon. You're barely affected by it like some kinda Lizalfos-man." Pire laughed. Idri grimaced at her formality. Sooga didn't seem too offended by it. She didn't know who he was after all. Nor would she have to know. It seemed increasingly obvious that she wasn't the person they were looking for. Idri reached slowly for the curved sword hidden on her hip. They had no time for distractions. She would dispatch her quietly.
A piercing gaze broke the clouds of dust and struck Idri, causing her to freeze. She scanned the yellow horizon and turned away from her partner. Sooga felt her hesitation and took Pire's arm to halt her. Hissing broke the tense silence as the sand shifted underneath them.
"Speak of the devil…" Sooga grumbled.
Several Lizalfos breached from below, kicking up sand everywhere and blinding them. They surrounded the group with gnashing teeth and dangerously close blades. Sooga and Idri drew their scimitars with their backs together. A rogue tongue lashed at the defenseless member, snagging her arm. A swift cut detached it from her arm. He steps in front of her and holds his sword out to the Lizalfos.
"Stay back." He warned. Pire wiped the saliva off and opened her mouth to respond, but he wasn't waiting for a response. He lunged at them, slicing through their scales. Idri pounced onto the shoulders of her opponents and steered them into each other. She got them to attack each other before dispatching each on their own. Pire was tucked behind the more practiced fighters. Mostly covered until a Lizalfos breached from the sand and screeched in her face.
Sooga glanced back to find a stray monster going after Pire. His swords were crossed with a lance coming dangerously close to him. The owner of which was getting help from another lizard to try and stab Sooga with it. He gritted his teeth and put full focus on throwing the lizards aside. Idri was too preoccupied with her own half of the horde to aid him or their little add-on.
A Lizalfos flew over his shoulder and battered his opponents to the ground, the spear flinging away from him. He turned to give Idri a short nod of thanks but saw instead Pire with a metal frame wrapped around her body ending at the gauntlets on her hands. Sooga raised a brow at the sight.
Pire raced past Sooga and decked a lizard in the jaw. Idri finished off her opponents and joined Sooga's side, watching the Sheikah woman pulverize the last couple of Lizalfos on her own. They glance at each other.
"We found her."