Arc V: Path of the Hero
Chapter 57: Desert Fury
Give a hungry man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Show a broken man the light, and he'd starve to death to see it one last time.
Though the Triforce of Courage faded, his eye burned fiercer than the torches beyond his rusty prison door. Passion, spite, tempered resolve - enough time passed since his capture that the days blended into one, where only the hourly guard inspection and their biting glares reminded him he was still alive. That, along with those three aspects, a base reflection of power, wisdom and courage.
Yet even Heroes, save for some shades, were mortal, and darkness chipped away his sanity. It grew difficult to discern whether he smelled salt from the sea or if his friends' cries echoed from nearby cells.
When it reached a fevered pitch, a single word cut through the oppressive silence.
Jaune.
Quiet, loud, and decisive. He exhaled and everything vanished in an instant. In the absence of noise, he heard the tail end of voices and approaching footsteps bouncing down the hall.
From the corner, Jaune sat up on his straw mattress and squinted in the face of two Kerutah jailers. Between their green breastplates and dual scimitars, they would've been a tough challenge for any other prisoner.
"So this is the infamous blonde voe," one quipped as the other knelt by the bars. "I wonder just how he bested our sisters. Maybe that's why the Chief was merciful instead of executing him on the spot like another trespasser."
Jaune stared at her blankly.
The second guard scoffed. "Well, I'm not impressed. He's so...scrawny. It's a miracle the desert winds didn't blow him away. I've seen tougher vai from other tribes, and no voe ever lasted here longer than a week. Not that any have ever been allowed inside the greater Fortress."
"Let me go, and you'll see why Urbosa kept me alive..."
...was what he was tempted to say, and ultimately didn't. It would've been so satisfying, and the guards would know he was cracking like lightning through a thundercloud. Instead, as they slid a clay bowl of curried rice through the bars and left, Jaune focused on their parting words.
After all this time, I see some things have not changed.
"Didn't you say they were protective of their home?"
Yes, for several reasons, one of the most important being that the desert is such a harsh place, and one must be harsher to survive. Sparing even a single bandit invites further competition for what scant resources remain.
"And the other one being a certain demon king. This might mean they're aware of the past. I intend to find out how much," he replied, scarfing down his lunch. Or dinner. Or breakfast. It was one of those times somewhere in Remnant unless he was in the Sacred Realm and time didn't exist. "Maybe there is a silver lining to being captured."
We will not learn by staying behind bars. There must be something in the cell that can help us escape.
Jaune nodded. It didn't matter he had nothing to show after days of searching. He would not become the first Hero to be defeated by a locked door. Save for an inventory confiscated upon capture and his Aura hampered by exhaustion, he still had the clothes on his back: a turquoise tunic, loose red-brown pants and boots, and Pyrrha's sash. Thanks to the guards, he was now armed with an empty clay bowl.
Break time was over. First, the door - it wouldn't hurt to check a final time. As expected, it held firm and he'd rather save what little Aura remained than blow through via Bombos attack and summon a Kerutah horde. There would be no escape since his cell was the only one on this side of the hall - the only way back would be in. Thank you, solitary confinement.
Second option, the walls. They proved crumbly and fruitless since the few loose bricks he wedged free revealed no signs of tunnels or the outside world. The ceiling seemed to stretch forever, and climbing up a void without proper support was too risky.
By process of elimination, that left the floor. It was a rigid mudbrick where every turned stone yielded nothing underneath. After several minutes, every inch of his cell seemed clear.
"...except one. What if it was underneath me all along?"
Jaune shoved the mattress aside. More mudbrick, and this time, pulling them apart revealed a patch of soft sand.
His grin was almost bright enough to illuminate the room.
Bowl in hand, Jaune proceeded to dig his way down -
And tumbled out of the sand moments later into a chest-height tunnel that forked in two - one shrouded in darkness and the other, illuminated by torchlight at the distant end. The sand seemed deliberately placed to disguise the hole, so Jaune pulled the mattress back over.
"Thank you to whoever dug this. Your sacrifice was not in vain."
Let us ensure it stays that way. If there's torchlight, there's the chance for roving patrols. Take your time. The guards will find you escaped regardless, so better remain undetected than get caught rushing.
Soon enough, more voices echoed down the tunnel. Jaune soon found himself on the rafters of a break room for the guards; pots obscured the exit, so he peeked over to see two guards leaving through a door on his left. Armour stands and mostly-empty weapon racks were straight ahead, and a cauldron in a hearth to his right wafted an aromatic scent. In the centre was a square table with bowls of hot soup.
Nodding to himself, Jaune swung over, almost knocking over a pot in the process -
Wait, behind you!
- and Jaune landed with little more than a soft pumf, testament to his skill and experience. Nailed it...
"Wha-?"
...or so he thought, for Jaune overlooked an enclave under the rafters with a dozen bunk beds. Most were empty. Two were not. The previous guards were halfway through removing their armour, and now they stared back with dumbfounded expressions.
So naturally, the first thing that came to mind was to look away.
"Um. My bad. I'll, uh, leave you to it."
The guards traded looks before stepping forward. "Voe!"
Yes, he was. Said voe's first instinct was to grab the first thing he felt off the table, which turned out to be an empty bowl, and lob it at the closest guard's forehead. She tumbled onto her bed as the second guard charged, and Jaune backflipped over the table so he could kick it at her. She bounced back with a hearty thud, buying enough time for him to grab a spear from the rack and knock her unconscious.
But the first guard recovered quickly, and Jaune flinched as she approached with death in her eyes -
And walked into the rafter pot when it finally teetered off the edge. Hearing the last guard fall limp was relieving. The noise of the fight and shattering porcelain, however, was deafening.
So were the angry shouts echoing down the hallway.
Panic mode, initiate. Jaune traded his spear for a scimitar and headed outside, only to find a dozen Kerutah guards charging him from the left. He sprinted in the opposite direction, which proved futile after finding a locked set of double doors. Outnumbered, out-Aura'd and with nowhere else to go, Jaune dropped his scimitar when the guards arrived.
"Defeated by locked doors...dammit."
"I surrender," came out instead.
A sharp whack to his head put him to sleep.
(==|======-
When he woke up, he was in an all-too-familiar place, surrounded by all-too-familiar darkness.
"Ugh. They could've at least tossed me on the mattress."
I doubt they were feeling gracious after you attacked them.
"No kidding. I feel like my head's gonna explode," Jaune groaned, crawling atop his bed to escape the cold embrace of the floor. "At least I'm back in the same cell. If I escaped from here before, I can do it again."
They underestimate you. Do not assume they will make the same mistake twice.
Then this one had to count. Jaune re-entered the tunnel and forked left into the darkness, hoping he wouldn't fall prey to an invisible hole or rats with a penchant for rupees. After what felt like three times the distance to the guard room, faint orange light reflected off the walls, and Jaune grinned as he emerged in the sacred realm of any prison: the storeroom. Cold and supported by an arched ceiling, it wasn't far off from a decrepit wine cellar as torches at the bottom of each arch cast long shadows through rows of boxes, chests and racks. On the opposite end was the only exit, and it was locked.
In the centre, two guards restocked the shelves from a large bag while conversing loud enough to mask his movement.
"Okay, so one of them should have a key. Question is, which one?"
Jaune checked below to prevent a repeat of last time and dropped down behind some barrels.
"...the rate of monsters surging from the temple grows each day..."
"...rumours the Chief will pull everyone back to defend the Fortress. And I mean everyone."
A shattering sound, followed by a gasp. Jaune crept closer to see one of the guards had dropped a now-broken glass bottle. "The outposts, hidden oases, traditional hunting grounds...we're already running low on supplies, Marta. We'd be exiling ourselves from our homes into starvation. Do you want to wander aimlessly in the desert like our ancestors once did?"
"Listen, Smaude. Captain Teake leads a host of our finest sisters and they keep the monsters at bay...for now. And don't forget that we survived the Night of Red Skies because of the Chief. It would've been a different story if Aveil, not Urbosa, was at the helm..."
Marta's confidence disarmed her spear sister. "Then we would've become like the big city," Smaude agreed. "If only Urbosa was here when the Chief's Heirloom was stolen...I can't imagine anyone who can match her in a fight."
"What about the voe?"
Smaude's face adopted a...was that an abashed expression? The torchlight made it hard to tell, so Jaune snuck closer.
"You know, I heard he was kind of...cute. Scrawny, but lean. Weak, but ferocious. Almost handsome...and cute."
"Ohhh. Heh. I see Ashai's classes helped you accept what your type is, eh?"
"What? No! Or...well, I..."
Marta chuckled as Smaude pouted. "Tell you what. Once we're done inventory, let's ask if we can bring dinner to the prisoner. Then you can judge for yourself."
"Hmph. You just want to see him, too."
More laughter, and the two split into opposite ends of the room. Jaune knelt to take it in; not only was he eager to gather supplies, he also gleaned some interesting information. It was also good that Urbosa didn't give him the run-around and took him back to Kerutah Fortress despite her people on the brink of starvation.
The rest...well, his glowing red cheeks could've outed him in the darkness.
Focus.
"Sorry. Lots to unpack here. Considering they're in this situation because of another temple - I'd bet rupees this is where the next Spirit Guardian is. It's Kakariko Village and the Shrouded Shrine all over again."
Hmm. Then it seems the Kerutah, initial hostility aside, are not your true enemies. If you can escape and make your case to Urbosa...
A solid idea, rebuffed by even more solid obstacles. The only way out was through Marta and Smaude, followed by locked doors, winding tunnels and even more guards, so it was time to even the odds. He spent a little more of that slithering left past shelves until Marta was too far to notice, then hefted his clay bowl in preparation for a sneakstrike.
"I, uh, appreciate what you said earlier. Sorry about this."
"...huh? Marta, is that -"
Jaune delivered a rather loud thwack to her skull, caught the unconscious Kerutah and laid her gently on the floor. One down, two to go.
"Hey, Smaude, you alright? I heard something fall."
Not good. Jaune dove behind a shelf and watched the last guard make her way over. Moments later, the distinct ring of steel announced that she was done playing games.
"Hello? Smaude...?"
Wait for it.
He crouched low as Marta stalked down the aisle on the opposite side, scimitar in hand -
Now!
And Jaune shoved the shelf over, masking Marta's startled yelp in an almighty crash. When the dust settled, he retrieved the key, scimitar and searched the fallen grab bag. To his immense disappointment, the only thing of value was a pair of green potions. Would've been a third, too, if Smaude hadn't dropped it. Downing them both was awful but necessary trade to feel much of his Aura return.
Would they have stored the rest of your inventory somewhere else?
It was likely since searching the storeroom yielded no masks, mirrors or sacred instruments. "All I have left are the Fireshield Earrings. Nice of them not to rip them from my ears."
It would've been different if they knew what they did. Is there at least a map in the storeroom to help us navigate our way out?
"Not when I checked," Jaune mentally replied, glancing at the unconscious Kerutah. The latter snored away, though Marta began to stir at Link's mention. "And I'd rather not stay for much longer."
After shooting them a final apologetic glance, Jaune unlocked the door to find a T-junction hallway. Fifty feet to his left was a locked pair of double doors - most likely the same ones that foiled his first escape attempt - and a guard fast asleep on a chair beside them.
That meant he could only go right, up a tall flight of stairs. At the top was a four-way intersection; left and right were pitch-black, so Jaune went straight into the only option with light. Torches in the hands of Kerutah warrior statues along the wall provided warm comfort, and in the centre, a crystal switch might be the key to unlocking a heavy stone door on the other side.
So Jaune hit it on instinct like any other self-respecting adventurer.
"..."
"..."
The door stayed shut, and while the switch shone a brilliant gold, the telltale airy sound of light revealed a beam travelling left to right in the hallway.
"All this to keep me in solitary confinement? I don't know if I should feel flattered or annoyed."
He decided to follow where the light went first. Heading right, it dipped at a slight angle as he entered a room full of dense, stagnant green gas. Above it stood a sun switch with closed eyes - the light wasn't just at the wrong angle to hit it, the gas was too thick to let it through...but not enough that he couldn't see the mirror within.
Above you. There is another.
Jaune glanced between the two and realized if there was no gas to block the light...
"Gotta find a way to either remove the gas or strengthen the beam."
So it did, back to its source. It came from a square room with a column of six square depressions in the centre, six opaque hard light dust obelisks in the right and a plain dark wall across a sand pit to his left. Now at eye level, the light was borderline blinding since it beamed down from a hole in the ceiling to be magnified from a seventh obelisk.
Jaune slid the first obelisk with surprising ease into the hole, and the light beam intensified enough to brighten the rest of the room. Stylized carvings were carved on the once-dark wall, aligned with the obelisks: a boar, wolf, fire, thunderbolt, trident and morningstar. The first rune now glowed deep orange, like a neon bar sign.
"Ohhh. I see."
He wasted no time moving the second and third obelisks, activating the wolf and fire -
And all three glowing runes went dark, followed by the obelisks shifting back to the wall.
His reward? A group of Leevers bursting out of the sand patch.
When the last one was dispatched he took cover behind the furthest obelisk anyway, hoping that the returning silence would signal someone was coming.
"..."
"..."
Nothing...for now. Jaune sighed.
"That was close. Can't afford to make mistakes here - it's already been a while since I escaped, and who knows what else will happen if get this wrong again."
Jaune analyzed the runes in depth. It couldn't have been all obelisks depressed since just three triggered a trap, and he lacked the time to try every possible combo. The activated runes also glowed the same colour, so the others would likely have as well.
"Maybe there's a pattern in the runes themselves?"
The first two were animals, followed by elements and weapons. How did a boar relate to fire, or thunderbolts to heavy spiked maces? Come to think of it, he'd never seen any Kerutah wield a morningstar before, only swords, bows and -
The proverbial lightbulb was as bright as the beam of light behind him.
Jaune pushed the fifth obelisk into its hole, lighting up the trident rune -
And heard the faint clanking of armour and alarmed radio chatter echoing from the hall. The words 'escaped', 'reinforcements' and 'unlock' were chief among them.
"Okay, okay. Um, fire or thunder. I mean, they're both powerful and destructive, and the Kerutah aren't exactly gentlest of people..."
And the ancient races of Hyrule were usually bound to or thrived in environments dominated by certain elements.
"Yeah, like the Necluda and shadow or Skygors...and fire."
Kerutah and thunder.
Jaune moved the fourth monument forward. All that was left were rapidly approaching footsteps and the two animals - one, a symbol of courage, protection and loyalty. Twilight would not have transformed his predecessor into one if that wasn't the case.
The boar, on the other hand...
He had no time to finish the puzzle, ducking behind the first obelisk when a familiar guard stormed into the room.
"...if I see that...that man again, I'll fry him harder than Urbosa's lightning," Smaude grumbled. "And now I have to go through this annoying process just to go outside...hmm?"
Jaune gripped his sword's handle -
"Two of the switches are already in place -"
And Jaune leapt out of cover to knock her out again, but she was quicker and caught his gut in her elbow.
"I learned my lesson the first time. I knew you were hiding somewhere," Smaude spat. Jaune groaned back. "Devious voe. You wouldn't last long in a fair fight."
"Well, when you're trying to stay alive, I don't think being fair tops my list of priorities."
Smaude unsheathed dual scimitars, which bestowed no defence when he kicked the final spire into its hole and bowled her over. With the right three in place, they magnified the sunbeam into a veritable laser that blasted down the hall.
The runes soon flashed green, and to Jaune's horror, the trident's light began to wane.
"Oh, yes, it's timed," Smaude sputtered. "Win or lose, as long as I delay you -"
"- no thank you!" Jaune hissed as he dashed towards the exit, grunting when Smaude caught his ankle and tripped him. The two deftly leapt to their feet; Smaude struck first, a horizontal slice Jaune ducked to counter with a diagonal cross-slice, though that also missed since he accidentally blinded himself with the light beam. Smaude seized the moment and swung wide, which Jaune parried so he could land an elbow strike of his own. She fell onto the sand with a pained cry...just as the trident went dark.
No time to lose! Go!
He bolted down the hallway.
Behind you, duck!
Jaune did so and a scimitar sailed through where his head once was, so he spun into another diagonal slice to catch Smaude's jump attack. Swords locked together, Smaude forced him to kneel as she vaulted over to land behind and stab him in the back. His Aura bore the brunt of the damage, not so much the pain, so the resulting adrenaline surge allowed Jaune to deflect another thrust and retaliate with an uppercut. Smaude responded with a vertical slice, a blocked attack that morphed into thrusts and close-quarter limb strikes before locking steel once more.
"I now see why Urbosa spared you," Smaude growled. Somewhere in her voice was a hint of what seemed like begrudging respect. "If not for your trickery, I'd say you fight well."
He felt a little bad for the idea that came to mind.
Jaune mustered the most piercing gaze he could manage. Perhaps the eyepatch helped, for she looked somewhat taken aback. "Well, you see, that's what kept me going. Like you said, I'm scrawny but weak, lean but ferocious, and...what was the last part? Handsome and cute?"
Smaude's blush rivalled his when he heard her say those exact words. "I...how did -"
"- that's right, I heard everything." Jaune's expression became sheepish. Smaude's, even more so. "And for the record, I, uh, really appreciate that. You're kind of pretty yourself. Anyway, sorry about this, gotta go!"
He ducked and there was a cry as the light beam blinded Smaude, allowing Jaune to trip her.
You truly are a Hero of courage, Link quipped. Keep running and don't look back.
"Oh, I heard ya!" Jaune gritted as he reached the four-way intersection. Arrows sailed past his head, and a troop of guards charged him from up the stairs.
To his right, sunlight beamed from a door now two-thirds closed.
With a cry, Jaune sprinted as fast as he could - ignoring the few arrows that ricocheted off his Aura - and slid underneath the door. The last he saw before it slammed shut was the crystal going dark and the multitude of angry Kerutah realizing they were trapped inside.
"That buys me time since they gotta go through all the obelisks," Jaune panted, squinting against the sunlight. "So where do I go from here?"
Or rather, where could he hide from his captors in a maze-like fortress that his captors called home?
Behind him, the prison was little more than a cave on a hilltop rocky outcropping whose entrance was a fortified brick arch with carvings of Kerutah script. Sharp mountains and cliffs slashed the sky to his left, though it settled into the familiar shifting dunes of the Toruma Barrens as his gaze tracked right. There, a massive sandstorm blanketed the horizon like a sandy tsunami, and the winds it blew over were hot, grating and whipped against his skin.
Before him lay the jewel of the desert: a city inside an oval-shaped valley formed by natural crags and made defensible by stone walls between them. It lay in the shadow of a taller crag shaped like a petrified tidal wave, and nestled beneath its peak was Kerutah Fortress proper - a citadel that gazed over the desert and protected the homes beneath. When viewed at a certain angle, the arrangement of the citadel's buildings resembled the face of a Kerutah warrior, and the outer city walls, like arms; a guardian that cradled her people. Concurrently, cannons and other modern artillery were evenly spaced along the battlements. Beneath their watchful eye, aqueducts built alongside the walls carried water through them and into the city proper, feeding the city's canals and bisecting it like a grid before emptying into a deep gorge.
Kerutah Town itself was a metropolis of homes built with an industrial mix of mudbrick and metal sheets, all on a slope descending from the fortress. Seven miniature buttes dotted the valley, each sporting larger hard light dust spires similar to the prison obelisks. Solar power, most likely, judging from power lines that spread out like a spiderweb. It didn't stop people from carving homes into the buttes to create a dense network of winding streets like Taafei's Bazaar, and a prevalence of tan-coloured awnings camouflaged the city while giving people a little bit of shade.
It was here he'd lose his pursuers and head for the Chief. Jaune down the hill to find several Kerutah charging up from a fortified bridge and gatehouse.
Thankfully, he didn't have to fight them all. He just had to make it through.
Jaune sprinted past the first several Kerutah, gradually picking up more until a squad of guards cornered him against the gorge. A few archers even trained their bows on him from the gatehouse.
"Stop! You've nowhere to run!"
"Drop your weapon!"
"Don't make any sudden moves, voe!"
To that, he turned slowly and held his arms out -
- and plummeted backwards into the river below.
(==|======-
A few minutes later, Jaune gasped for air as he broke the water's surface while hiding beneath a pier.
Thankfully, the rapids masked every noise below shouting volume, so the patrol passed by none-the-wiser. The river carried him to a port inside a small cave that was busier than any in the desert had a right to be. Beneath its stalactite-encrusted ceiling, a few dinghies were tied to old, rotten jetties that should've crumbled long ago while alcoves were strengthened with stone arches for storage. They surrounded a central square with little cover aside from rows of crates and barrels, on the other side of which was the exit - a tall doorway atop a mezzanine, accessible only by a road that wound up the cave wall.
"...okay, there are way too many people for me to sneak through undetected. At least...as a person."
With a deep breath, Jaune let go and swam to shore, diving beneath the surface or other jetties when a patrol came too close for comfort. After making landfall behind a warehouse, he pilfered the perfect disguise for smuggling himself to freedom.
...if only he could cast off that fishy smell once he was done with it.
While slow, time, patience and an iron stomach ensured the walking barrel stayed inconspicuous to the distracted eye. He was almost discovered when a Kerutah child bumped into him, though it was a close call, not a failure, and he eventually made it behind some boulders near the exit.
Jaune ditched the barrel and surveyed the scene. "There's dozens of people coming in and out. No way people won't see a walking barrel."
Who said you had to be a walking one?
He raised an eyebrow, then hid when something clacked up the road. When he peeked around a few seconds later, Jaune found himself face-to-face with...a camel. He froze, wide-eyed, for the fate of the world now lay with a six-foot-tall dromedary -
"Baaahh."
That continued onwards, pulling an open wagon with barrels of fish. The camel ain't no snitch. If anything, it distracted the driver, who focused on soothing the animal instead of noticing him sneak aboard. Now that he was incognito, Jaune settled in between some barrels as they entered a lantern-lit tunnel, where the humid air gradually dried until they reached the exit.
For a moment, Jaune thought he stepped onto the set of an old western movie. With a colour palette of brown, tan and grey, houses were tall enough to create dark alleys with sunrays that shifted from the awnings and clouds above. Most were also abandoned and dilapidated - cracked walls of stone, rusty metal or broken, empty ruins. Only a few had people nearby or lights inside, usually next to a fountain, canal or small market square. Combined with power lines teetering on the edge of collapse, the line between city and ghost town blurred like a mirage.
That image sharpened when they rounded a bend, and the shadows of shuttered houses parted before a market square with a central fountain. But just because the neighbourhood was inhabited didn't mean it was alive; the fountain was almost dry, shops were boarded up and there were no crowds, only small groups of people who skirted the open centre while keeping to themselves. There were even a few Vacuans clad in traditional Kerutah clothing, yet the most striking was the weight of distrust in the eyes of those who glanced at the wagon.
Those eyes stuck with him as he left the plaza. Like a silent car ride after school, the wagon carried him down the street to a gatehouse that crawled with guards like the cliff he leapt off to avoid. To Jaune's chagrin, it was also the only way inside the Fortress.
No excuses now. All he could do was hope they'd pass inspection.
Luck, however, seemed as plentiful as snow in the desert, for when the guards flagged them down, he heard the dreaded words of every frequent traveller.
"Sav'aaq, sister. You've been randomly selected for additional screening."
Jaune sighed, and he swore the driver did too. He had to think quickly as a guard began rifling through the barrels from his left, putting him seconds away from being discovered -
"Sisters, on me! We have a situation!"
Several sentries ran to a Kerutah warrior with a holstered scimitar, shield, red breastplate and helmet with gold trim. Their captain's arrival threw the guard into a panic, for she stared at the wagon indecisively before waving them through and joining the others.
"Close. Way too close."
I also doubt you have any more leeway. It seems word of your...excursion has finally begun to spread.
"Then it's good I don't plan on getting discovered anytime soon," Jaune quipped as the wagon crossed the parade square to the central keep. It was shaped like a step pyramid sliced in half and slotted below the mountain's summit, surmounted by another spire like a lightning rod. The wagon parked inside a storehouse at its base, a square room, where empty wagons were parked alongside his in the receiving bay while boxes, barrels and sacks were neatly stacked along the edges. Double doors stood closed to the exit's right, though maybe he should devise a plan before charging inside. He didn't have to fight a whole fortress just to get to Urbosa.
The driver walked over to a guard outside, allowing Jaune to hide behind some boxes in a secluded corner. "I'm gonna get caught even before I make past whatever's on the other side," Jaune grumbled. Amongst the boxes was a covered mirror, so Jaune ripped off the shroud amidst a cloud of dust. The camel paid him no mind. "I'm too distinct not to be. I'm tall, pale, blonde and a dude to boot. Who else would fit that description?"
Factors that neither the Goron Mask, Fierce Deity Mask nor any item you previously collected can fully remedy. I will say, however, only one is an actual issue -
Jaune perked up.
- the fact you are a man.
"..."
"..."
Wait.
Did he really mean -
I am sure you can pass as a traveller like the Vacuans you spotted in the city.
Jaune blushed. Furiously. "A-and what if a guard stops me and I gotta talk back? My voice may not be the...uh, manliest, per se, but -"
- if you don't try, you are...what's the term? Ah, yes. You're screwed, Link replied. You also cannot hide that you are foreign, even if the Kerutah seem fairly tolerant. To the overly nosy, you are a simple merchant on an errand, and if the guards get suspicious, there is a city's worth of abandoned neighbourhoods you can retreat to.
The fact Link was making sense made him feel even more embarrassed.
As for acting like a girl, you have seven sisters and two teams worth of friends. Pick a persona.
"Oh, sure, like a live-action character selection screen..."
Well, he hadn't any better ideas, so might as well consider it. Unsurprisingly, the first girl that came to mind was Pyrrha, whom the thought of emulating did not sit right and was thus promptly banished. Ruby, Yang and Nora were also scratched off since they were either too bubbly or gregarious enough to be approachable, and that was the last thing he wanted. Being quiet and aloof was key.
"Blake? I guess I can pull off the quiet introvert since I'm kinda like that myself, though we're also polite enough to keep talking with people instead of brushing them off. I need someone...icy."
And who was icier than the Ice Queen herself?
The thought of imitating her sent a chill down his spine. "Weiss must never know."
My lips are sealed. I cannot afford to lose you.
Before he could hesitate further, Jaune rummaged through several boxes until he found the perfect disguise: a turquoise blue veil, top and purple sirwal. When he returned to the mirror, Jaune's first instinct was to hide his face in his hands.
"I-I can't believe I'm doing this."
This is for the fate of the world, Jaune, Link chimed in. Was that a hint of amusement in his voice? If it makes you feel better, this is not the first time.
He peeked out between his hands. To his immense embarrassment, the reflection really sold the part. "You too?"
One of our wilder incarnations. I would also suggest that you hide your eyepatch. It is too striking. Oh, and keep your chin up. 'Weiss' and 'docile' do not belong in the same sentence.
He promptly did so while untying his ponytail beneath the veil, allowing golden hair to flow freely like wheat in the wind. It also masked his blind eye since it was long enough to reach his shoulder blades. Two birds with one stone. Jaune then grabbed a case filled with orange bulb-like fruits he'd never seen before and fed one to his humpbacked chauffeur, who snorted in what sounded like gratitude. He pet it anyway.
Breathe in, breathe out, and be fabulous.
The doors opened to reveal another storehouse, albeit busier as people sorted through cargo from other wagons. Alas, he was here to deliver, not to sightsee. Jaune mustered his inner Weiss and strode forward with purpose - no one could stop him from delivering fruits for Urbosa. Even if they weren't intended for her in the first place.
Then it finally happened. A pair of Kerutah - one worker, one guard - fixed him with their steely gazes. Jaune's became icy, reminiscent of Weiss' demeanour. This was it. The moment of truth -
And they continued arguing with each other over a clipboard. Jaune didn't stop to ask what about, and no one questioned him when he reached another pair of double doors.
"Holy shit, that worked. Okay, I think I got this. Let's see what's on the other side."
It was a T-junction hallway reminiscent of the prison. Left ended at a larger pair of double doors, which after recent experiences, might've led him to another place where he couldn't escape. So he went right, where a pair of guards stood before a spiral staircase. Jaune paused when they crossed their tridents.
"You, with the face! You have a problem!"
"Whoa, right off the bat? I didn't do anything!"
Jaune tilted his head in a Weiss-like fashion. The guard approached while her partner stayed back with an amused glint in her eyes. "And you know what that is...?"
She suddenly leaned forward to an inch of his face. Jaune stood firm and hoped she didn't see the drop of sweat trail down his temple.
"The problem, little vai, is that you're way too short! Your hair is the wrong colour!" She poked his abdomen. "And I can barely see your abs!"
Jaune...was flabbergasted. He raised an eyebrow.
"Don't mind Ploka here," the other guard chuckled. "We're just on the verge of losing it since our shift's almost over. Our relief's coming any minute now."
"I'm so hungry, Reeza..."
"So am I, but we gotta wait. And these voltfruits are for the drinks Urbosa requested." Reeza shot him a curious glance. "Right?"
Jaune nodded with absolute confidence.
"Um, are, you okay? Can you not...you know..."
Jaune nodded with absolute confidence again. He also pointed to his neck for good measure.
"Ah! I get it. Sorry. It's my job to ask questions," Reeza nodded as footsteps echoed behind him. Two more guards emerged from the storehouse. "And it'll be theirs for the next little while. Go ahead, little vai."
"Ugh, finally! What took you two so long?" Ploka complained as she and Reeza greeted their sisters. Jaune introduced himself to the stairs instead by power-walking it up until the sounds of human activity faded to black.
The staircase led to a brightly lit hallway, and when he was sure he was alone, Jaune leaned against the wall relieved.
Weiss' confidence and Neo's silence. Not bad. If you weren't fated to save the world, you could've capitalized on those acting talents. Perhaps star in a show or voice a character.
"I feel like my heart's about to blast off Remnant and tour the shattered moon. Think I'll stay a huntsman unless it was a show about being one."
The idea weirdly felt right, but for now, he had a Chief to confront. Flanked by windows or dark, locked rooms, Jaune headed down the strangely empty hall to a fork. One led to a large staircase leading downstairs. The other, a large, arched doorway that bore the Kerutah crest.
Exhaling, Jaune hid the voltfruit box behind a potted plant and opened the already partially ajar door just enough to peek in. Urbosa's room was spacious; a fountain poured fresh water into a canal that tracked the room's edges while the actual washroom remained dark in the room's top left. A stone canopy protected a queen-sized bed in the centre, the right wall was a giant stone shelf of scrolls and books, and the left was the exact opposite with a vanity, dresser, weapon rack and holographic TV. Across the bed was a desk and a door to a balcony.
He circled over to the windows. "Hmm. Not here...view's to die for, though."
Crunch.
Jaune froze.
"I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes, I think I can even see Vacuo from here."
He turned to find the Kerutah chieftain munching on some voltfruit by the door. Crunch. "Where were you -"
"Oh, you know, coffee break," Urbosa replied dismissively. Crunch. "Don't mind me. Enjoy the view. That is why you broke out of prison, correct? It will be moons until you see sunlight again, so please take your time."
"..."
Crunch.
"..."
She tossed the empty husk into a garbage can. "Have you anything to say for yourself, vai?"
Jaune racked his brain until an answer finally came that seemed smart enough.
"Um...sav'otta?"
Urbosa sighed, drawing her scimitar.
"It's two in the afternoon."
(==|======-
And she already wished the day was over.
It all started in the early morning hours when the first thing she did after waking was stub her toe and bang her head on the bunk bed right. As if that wasn't enough, Captain Babi led her platoon on a ten-kilometre run through the desert as punishment for failing the previous night's inspection. The barking still rang in her head. "Better sweat in training than bleed in battle! Huntsmen train harder than this!"
If only she could go back in time and tell her one-year-old self to trade her toys for a spear. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, for she joined two decades later to help her family earn some money. Maybe even kick some ass and meet some of these legendary voe along the way -
Hmm. Weird. Her heart was...beating faster, for some reason. Never before had she seen hair that blonde before, nor an eye so fiercely blue. She almost forgave him for knocking her out when she remembered locking blades against his piercing gaze and being called pretty -
"Ugh, focus! This Jaune of Arc is the enemy! It doesn't matter that he's as tall as I am, and just as fit...maybe not scrawny. Is lean the better term?"
She snapped out of it when the wagon halted in the parade square, for she and the other prison guards now must answer to the Daybreaker for their failure.
"What would I say? That this voe was stronger than expected? Not that...it's a bad thing...hmm..."
"Someone made an impression," Marta quipped, eliciting another blush from the distracted Kerutah. "You know we're about to get punished to the ocean and back, right?"
Oh, yeah. That's why she was here.
"Let's just get this over with," she grunted as the others approached the double doors...then stopped when something weighty boomed through the walls. That was no quake. That was an explosion.
Instincts taking over, Smaude joined an entire garrison's worth of soldiers in drawing their weapons and rushing inside -
"...!"
And froze when that same voe emerged from the dust and confronted the Chief before her throne.
(==|======-
He had slain resurrected dragons, purified cursed souls and gone toe-to-toe with shadows of the past.
To Jaune, it was Tuesday.
Urbosa was the first to strike, forcing him on the defensive until a powerful slash blew him out of the hall and down a few stories. After knocking out a few guards, he could now appreciate the acre-sized great hall and the multitude of rooms and windows carved out of the mountain itself. The same went for the second floor, accessible by staircases on either side of the hall. It was topped by a ceiling flush with natural stalactites, curtains of various colours tied between them and lanterns that burned incense.
The star of the show, however, was an eighty-foot statue of a Kerutah woman with arms by her sides, as if welcoming guests to her home. The ceiling around her head featured a circle of spires like an inverse crown that channelled the outside light, illuminating the hall while a pair of waterfalls poured from the ceiling into the statue's open hands. From there, they flowed down the hall via tiled canals leading to the parade square. Urbosa stood front and centre, shield and scimitar brandished as befitted the champion of her people.
And what would a champion be, if not fast and relentless? Urbosa dashed over in the blink of an eye, and Jaune barely had time to parry her scimitar with his own. She then dodged his retaliatory strikes before kicking his knee out and punching his temple with the Daybreaker Shield. Thankfully, he recovered by rolling behind her and loosing a flurry of Aural energy blasts at a distance.
"You already lost to me once, voe," Urbosa called out, drawing shocked gasps from the crowd on the sidelines. Jaune wobbled to his feet, spat out some blood and ripped off his veil. "Admirable your resolve may be, it does not resolve your crimes against my people."
"I...am not...your enemy, Urbosa," Jaune panted, raising his scimitar. "This...is a misunderstanding. Stop before your people get caught in the crossfire."
Fury filled Urbosa's eyes. "Crossfire...? When animals like you brought death to us all!?"
She near-instantly crossed the distance, zigzagging to throw him off and slash across his back. Jaune's counter-spin attack missed, enticing her to close in once more, though he stepped in at the last second and delivered a pommel strike to her bare abs. Urbosa grunted, and with golden Aura flickering, she attacked with fast slices meant to overwhelm his defences. She moved gracefully like a deadly dancer, forcing Jaune to weather them through careful parries and dodges until exhaustion finally caught up to him.
Urbosa banked on that...and so did he, for the moment she disarmed him, Jaune grabbed her elbow in a Yang-inspired armbar. Urbosa's surprise was evident when he locked her sword arm -
"My turn."
- and Jaune threw her to the ground before kicking her away. Grabbing an unconscious guard's trident, he rushed to Urbosa and missed since she recovered deftly, but this time, the momentum shifted in his favour as Jaune went on the offensive. He ducked a wide swing, anticipated the following cross slice and retaliated with an uppercut that grazed her face. Jaune punted her face with the shaft to stun her, then slammed the spear down to unleash a Bombos attack that blew her into the throne.
A second of silence...until her Daybreaker shield rocketed out of the dust cloud. Jaune smacked it away and met the Urbosa in an evenly matched iron whirlwind, despite his stamina dropping faster than hers. To his relief, their dance paused when they locked blades and gazes.
"The village from earlier wasn't me," Jaune grunted. Urbosa pushed harder. "I came to warn the Kerutah about the coming danger, not to fight them on it. We need to talk about -"
"You are a trespasser. Raider. You burn our villages, steal our relics and slaughter our spear sisters," Urbosa growled, eyes beginning to glow gold. "It is you who is the danger!"
Jaune growled back, encouraged by the emerging heat in his left hand.
"No, I'm not! Ganon is!"
It felt like time itself froze at that name. Urbosa's face became expressionless, and Jaune was about to continue until he heard something crackle, so he backflipped on instinct to avoid the thunderbolt that suddenly struck where he was. Jaune immediately followed up with a flurry rush, whose thrusts were all blocked as expected until he infused the last one with Aural energy and fired a beam that hit her in the shoulder. Urbosa turned the force into a spin attack, and by the time he noticed her scimitar sparkle with electricity, it was too late. Jaune screamed as he was shocked, and so did Urbosa when the soulfire scorched her.
The two hopped away from each other. Light from the ceiling spires dimmed, and a single clap of thunder warned him of what was about to come. He maintained his gaze despite hearing people evacuate the hall and wind unnaturally pick up indoors.
"Dammit, nothing I say is getting through!"
Careful, Jaune. I sense tremendous power gathering before her -
"Never before has any tongue has ever uttered the name of the banished one since ancient days..." she intoned with closed eyes. The air stilled for a moment. "And as long as I breathe, I will ensure justice comes swift to those who would venerate calamity."
Urbosa suddenly levitated atop an electrified vortex. Thunder boomed inside and out. She opened her eyes to reveal her normally green irises resonating amidst gold like an aurora, followed by similarly coloured Aural flames burning from her irises.
...!
The realization hit Link and Jaune like a thunderbolt. Only a select few - four, to be precise - held such elemental power in the world. Cinder was Fall, and RWBY had fought Spring.
"Urbosa, you're -"
"- the Chief of the Kerutah Tribe." She raised the Scimitar of the Seven and a thunderbolt pierced through a light dust fire, electrifying her blade once more. "And by the love given to me by my mother, the previous Chieftain...I am also the Summer Maiden."
Jaune dodged just in time as she fired a thunderbolt at him, and he sprinted behind a staircase as lightning struck all around the now-empty hall. The now gale-force winds made it difficult to see anywhere past cover, so Jaune dashed blindly down an arched corridor beneath the second floor, granting him some cover against the electrified onslaught.
"Shit, I didn't account for this! How the hell do I fight someone who'll damage me from every hit I land? Splash her with the fountain water?
Calm yourself. Focus, Link calmly replied as hid behind a pillar and changed out of his Kerutah disguise and back into his desert travelling gear. He peeked around to find Urbosa stalking towards him, lightning striking around her like a wrathful deity. Yes, she is powerful enough that a frontal assault is unwise, compounded by your near-empty Aura reserves...but we will find a way.
Heat flared in his left hand. Jaune glanced down to see Courage glowing steadily against the rushing wind.
"I think I found one."
...Jaune, what are you -
"I draw strength from Courage. Power...is dangerous. I don't want it..."
Lightning struck beside him.
"...yet for the sake of others and that she'd see reason, I cannot lose."
The die was cast. Jaune steadied his breathing and focused only on his Triforce's warmth, feeling it surge as if casting a Bombos attack.
"The courage to use power...to take control or lose it..."
Careful, Jaune. You must -
"- win. I need to win. Teach me to use my power."
Link was silent for a long few seconds, speaking up only when Jaune stepped out of cover to face Urbosa.
...you have proven yourself capable of mimicking abilities unique to the Master Sword, such as the Bombos attack - a concentrated burst of Aural fire that requires the utmost control until the last moment. But what if you were to let loose? Unleash the flood?
She held out her arms as if to challenge him, and the lightning storm around them intensified.
The fluidity of water with the force of a hurricane.
Jaune infused the trident with his last remaining Aura. The fire solidified and sparked into pale green electricity.
Bombos is an explosion.
Urbosa raised a hand to snap her fingers -
Aether is a thunderstorm.
And Jaune rocketed towards Urbosa before she could do so, unleashing an uppercut that launched himself and Urbosa high before slamming back down with an electrified jump strike. The shockwave burst through the courtyard, shattering windows and blowing doors off hinges. Multiple light dust spires crashed to the ground, and a distant, weak clap of natural thunder boomed through the hole in the ceiling.
Out of the dust stumbled a soot-covered Urbosa, who knelt while clutching her shoulder. A single bead of blood trailed down her forehead.
Jaune panted as he resisted the urge to pass out -
And it went away. Everything. The exhaustion, the pain...even the desire for self-restraint. Nothing mattered anymore except ending his vulnerable enemy.
He robotically approached Urbosa with a blank expression, though hers was more mixed - there was defiance, anger...and the smallest twinge of resignation. Not that it mattered; Jaune held his trident aloft as if to skewer a boar -
"...?"
That was weird. Why was his Triforce glowing green? The Goddesses' gift was gold, and he vaguely remembered fighting in the desert with a green-clad Hero -
The ringing vanished in an instant, followed by the same searing pain he felt only once before, when Link acted through the Triforce to seize control. Jaune couldn't even scream, only grunt when he fell to his knees and twitched as if electrocuted. It receded after a few moments, and Jaune held up his hand to see the golden light of Courage fade away.
"That symbol...I...now finally see. The stories...were true...all along. I...I am..." Urbosa whispered as they locked eyes, though darkness began obscuring his vision. Jaune wanted to say that he was glad, for there was so much to talk about, but he no longer had the strength. All that came out was a gravelly sigh.
Jaune caught Urbosa as the latter passed out. He followed suit seconds later.
The clouds outside parted for a single ray of sunlight that graced the fallen victor and defeated champion.
- AN -
Welcome back to A Descendant of Legends! Sorry for the long wait once again, but thank you for sticking around thus far and for the reviews as well. Hope to see you all next time!
- Reviews -
Super heavy weapons guy: Yes, it does!
Monster King: Thank you! It continues here, and with more chapters to come.
jeremiahkelley93: Thank you!
Fyr RedNight: Thank you! And I know, right? Sometimes I still can't believe it's 2024, much less halfway through the calendar year. Writing the Ghost Ship was something I've been looking forward to since the ancient days of Arc II - can't have Zelda and oceans without pirates, much less the Ghost Ship, after all. It was also satisfying to have Ember participate more and grow along the way, and it was difficult not to expand further on the dungeon since it was, at most, a mini-dungeon. But that can be a "good" problem to have, lol. Thanks for sticking around, more chapters are on their way!
Guest: Thanks for sticking it out! I felt that splitting up the crew into three helped me divide and conquer the different plot lines, especially since Jaune is now solo for his - a journey now more reminiscent of the traditional Zelda experience. I hope so as well, but while life happens, I will certainly try!
- Stats -
Upload Date: 17 July 2024
Chapter Word Count: 8583
Approximate Page Length (Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced): 21.6
- Disclaimer -
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are the respective properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth.