A/N: Readers should expect a blanket trigger warning on everything I write. Themes of dubious- or non-consenting sex, domination, violence, gore, and character death- including major characters- exist in many of them. I do not condone such activities in real life, but unfortunately they are real in our world, and I don't feel that I could write fiction fairly without including them.
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Ch. 21
Kakariko
"Kakariko Village is beautiful," Zelda exhaled a few hours later. She had spent a good portion of the night simply walking the streets while most of the people slept. Fireflies fluttered around the water's edge from the several streams and pools that irrigated the farmlands, gardens, and even streets of the idyllic town, while moths performed their deadly aerial dance around every lantern and light-post she saw.
At night, the streets, hard-packed dirt but occasionally lined with logs where there were hills to provide traction when it was wet, were mostly empty of Sheikah. There were still a few she saw, though, and each gave her a respectful nod before, at least in most cases, they glanced back in surprise once they realized who she was. She did not feel unwelcome in the slightest though most didn't do more than nod or bow in her direction, though the only person she really had a conversation with that night was Nanna, the same old woman who'd first greeted her when she entered the Village.
Nanna had been resting in the same place, a weapon at her side, but this time Zelda also noticed a fine, ivory horn on her belt. "Blood Moons always mean larger attacks," Nanna had explained when she saw Zelda's curious look, "so the few days after, the outer guards always carry a horn to sound the alarm if it's more than we can handle. We're really supposed to carry them at all times, but..."
"I see," Zelda had told her seriously, "Well, if... if there's an attack, I'll come running. I have a bone to pick with several of the Bokoblins in the canyon."
Nanna followed Zelda's fingers as they brushed over her jaw and belly as her expression fell into a dour look that seemed quite out of place on the normally genial woman's face. "I see. Well, you aren't the first, and I daresay not the last... but I reckon you can handle yourself better than most. So I'll be expecting you if I'm the one to sound the horn."
"I'll be there as soon as I can," the princess said with an eager smile. It wasn't that she enjoyed violence or the risk of injury and death, but she would do all she could to protect these people from the same monsters that had captured her.
She was rewarded with another Korok seed for simply donating a little food to the Sheikah's ancestors (or so she presumed) at a mid-sized shrine below Impa's house as she crossed back that way in her exploring, and the old man (at least, he was more lined in the face than most Sheikah she'd met, though not as much as Nanna) who had been tending the little frog statues with a hand-held brush had given her a gratified smile as well, even if he seemed to completely overlook the Korok's interactions that happened right in front of him.
She took note of several other shops, most near the Shut Eye Inn in the center of the Village as she walked, but they were by and large closed for the night, so eventually Zelda settled at the very center of the valley. In a town that felt peaceful, safe, and secure, the lowest point felt somehow even more-so. Because it was there she found the Shrine to the Goddess Hylia.
Her ancestor, or perhaps herself, if Impa's story was true. The histories and tapestries she had been shone said that they were...
Could she believe them?
Did she want to?
Was she a Goddess made Flesh? Or was she just a princess, out of her time, with no kingdom and barely a scrap of coin to support the lifestyle she must have once been used to? A priestess, perhaps?
Or a warrior? A killer?
A victim?
Zelda did not know the answers to any of those questions. They tore and tumbled at her mind, as always, but while resting on the pastoral island in the center of the small pond where the streams met before draining underground, Zelda found...
It just didn't matter. They were questions that needed answering in some form, yes. But it- they- could all wait. What she was, who she was, did not change what she was going to do. Whether she was a nobody, a princess, or even a goddess did not change that she would do all she could for Hyrule. That she was no huge, muscular knight did not change anything, either. She would do what she could, she'd already promised herself and others that much.
So even though she was wracked with uncertainty, nerves, and no small amount of abject terror, Zelda felt herself largely at peace as she knelt before the worn, weather-damaged, and moss-covered statue of the winged woman. Like the smaller statues that had surrounded the larger one in the great Cathedral on the plateau, it was more stylized than detailed, shadowed areas creating the impression of eyes and nose, but no mouth (either that or it had worn away with time, for this statue looked if anything older than those on the Plateau, and more exposed to the elements), while the wings that protruded from the back only stuck out as far as two of Zelda's open hands. A red-dyed apron was hung from the statue's neck like a baby's bib almost, and it hid the statue's hands, but Zelda thought it was a nice touch. If anything, it made the statue look more matronly, motherly.
Pink and purple lilies and lilacs grew from the small plot of land and the pond around it, and even at night four lanterns on posts rose from the water beyond the statue, providing a bit of back lighting.
As she knelt to pray, the beauty and serenity of the village, the peace granted by seeing an old friend for the first time in a century, of meeting new ones (she hoped), and of the relative safety all seemed to fall away. Even the gentle night breeze, cool with the altitude but still smelling of cherry blossoms and rice-fields with a hint of pumpkin and carrot thrown in from the gardens a little way up the hillside to the west, vanished in Zelda's mind as it settled on just one thing.
Hylia.
There was no image of the Goddess in Zelda's mind, no great mother-figure, or colossal, powerful being descending from the heavens. No tapestry-woven representation of divinity filled her. No, unbidden by her conscious mind, what came to Zelda as she began to pray was none of those... but an image of herself. Yet, not herself.
Younger, older, the same age. Indeterminate. Blonde, green-eyed, those orbs full of wisdom and grace, kindness, knowledge, and a fierce, burning desire to... something. Several somethings, perhaps, but something. The image that popped into Zelda's mind half-formed and stuck there was, as far as she could tell, a Zelda that was not, that did not exist, or had not, or maybe never would be, but was still her all the same, as if she was looking through a mirror into another version of reality.
Yet still, the image responded the moment Zelda finished taking it in, the voice so very much like her own, "Yes, my child?"
She started even in her prayer and meditation. Zelda even felt herself blush, and cast her eyes down, unwilling to even look at the other Zelda's sandaled feet. "I... I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect, your... Divine Holiness. I did not truly... intend to call you."
"And yet I always answer the prayers of those who do," Hylia responded softly, "Rise, Zelda, child of my heart and my flesh. Look at me."
She hated the order, for order it was, because Zelda did not feel herself worthy. Her gaze did rise, though, and as it did Zelda saw herself yet again, reflected in a hundred, a thousand ways, in every instant of time as she did. "Yes, great Goddess?"
"Hylia will do," the other her said with a kind, amused smiled, and offered a hand, which Zelda took in amazement. Hylia pulled her to her feet, then stepped forward and embraced the princess in a tight, warm hug.
She could not remember feeling more secure, more safe, more happy, than in that moment. So much so that, even though her conscious mind railed at her for her sheer presumption, her arms closed around the goddess' slim waist too.
Too soon, Hylia pulled back, the same amused smile on her face, though now her eyes held a glimmer of profound sadness and sorrow. "I am sorry, my child, for what you must do. If I could have taken the burden long ages past, I would have."
Without any details, Zelda nodded, her lower lip trembling as she fought to hold back tears suddenly. "I know."
"Walk with me."
Hand in hand, they were suddenly walking through the fields and gardens of Kakariko, though there were no houses or people to tend them. For what seemed like hours, that was all they did: just walk, and spend time in each other's company. Then, "You will suffer a great deal before your journey in this life is over, my child. For that, I am sorry as well."
"I know," Zelda whispered.
"But there will be light to equal the darkness, though at times it may not seem so."
"I know," she repeated, giving a side-long look at the goddess who looked so much like her they could be twins, if only Hylia did not look so terribly sad.
"Your pain will be nearly unmeasured... your joy, the same. It will be a hard road, but I know you are capable of walking it. You are my child, my descendant, my heir, myself."
"I am... truly your reincarnation, then?" Zelda could not believe it, though she had to admit to herself that hearing it from the Goddess herself- or so she imagined, because Zelda did not think she was prone to flights of fancy powerful enough to hallucinate or even dream this sequence of events- lent a great deal of credence to the old tales.
"You are, in a manner of speaking," Hylia nodded with a pleased smile, "and now that your connection has been restored thanks to the Sheikah- and a bit of my own doing, I'll add- we can speak once again. Yet, you are also not."
Mid-step, Zelda paused, and Hylia turned to face her in turn. "I don't understand. You're a Goddess. How come it had to take the Sheikah to... do whatever it was? I know the Slate said something about repairing some damage to a Seal... and no one can see this mark on my forehead."
Hylia's eyes rose for the first time to see it, and she smiled brightly, one that reassured and calmed Zelda's racing heart, "Yes, that Seal. It was no ordinary blade that cut you. The Yiga who inflicted the wound was indeed a servant of the Calamity, and wielded a weapon capable of damaging your very soul. It was that which severed the connection with me, not the mere physical scar. The mark on your forehead is invisible to most simply for expediency. If everyone knows who you are, then it will be harder to do what you must. Thus, I hid it. In times of need, of crisis, or when you wish someone to see, they will see."
Hylia seemed to heave a great sigh, and Zelda found herself blushing as she looked down at the Goddess' bosom, "As for your second question... you both are my reincarnation, and you are not. The cycle of time, the cycle of rebirth, they are not static. When I gave up my divinity to save humankind and all mortals during the First War, I knew what would follow. The three aspects of my mothers- Power, Wisdom, Courage- were already in motion, set in place, and I was never a match for any of their power, much less all three. I was the last, you see. The last to imbue a bloodline with my spark of divinity. Din's chosen at the time, the Fallen one, had already given themselves over to Demise, and become one with that foul creature. Since then, Ganondorf has grown more corrupt, more evil, more powerful, with every cycle of rebirth.
"Farore had already given her disciple, the first Hero in Green, the power to combat Demise and his minions when I chose my side in the conflict. I had always been closest to the chosen of Lanayru, and in her bloodline I found kin after giving up my divinity. Mind you, in doing so I abandoned my Great Goddess-given duty. I was set to guard the Holy Realm and the last symbol of the Three Goddess' power in this world... and in doing so I set the world on a path they would have chosen."
"You mean...?"
Hylia nodded and turned away, her voice quiet, "I failed. Because I gave up my duty, Ganondorf was able to reach the Holy Realm again and again, and each time he obtained the Triforce, he grew stronger. Each time he was beaten back, destroyed or sealed away... and each time he returned. The destruction of Hyrule is as much my fault as his, for I allowed it to happen, knowing that it would."
"I don't understand," Zelda whispered, aghast, "How...? Why would you...? If all this...?"
Her gesture out at the world that faded into mist around the empty fields told the story she needed it to. But Hylia ignored the gesture, and took Zelda's hand in hers, resuming their slow paced walk. "The Goddesses had intended the Cycle of Rebirth to be eternal, to last as long as this world would. Constant chaos, death, then life again. I... I foolishly thought there was a better way. Even so, I believe I was right."
"What is that way?" Zelda asked, forgetting for the moment how impertinent it might be to ask a question like that of a Goddess.
"You will see. I cannot tell you yet, my child," Hylia replied, "but know that you will know when the time is right. Know that I believe in humanity, and all the peoples of Hyrule. I believe in the Hero and his bloodline, and I believe in you. When the time is ready, you will be ready... though it will be the hardship that makes you strong."
"I see," Zelda whispered, and before she could say anything else, or formulate another question, the world swam around her.
Then, in a blink, she was kneeling in front of the weather-worn statue again, as the first crows of Cuccos began to ring throughout the valley.
Her knees were so sore, but Zelda felt as if she had slept for days. She was a little groggy now, but even then her memory of walking with and speaking to the Goddess Hylia was crisp and fresh in her mind, burned there as if it was writing on a page, indelible. She pushed herself to her feet, swaying once with the blood rushing out of her head, and then looked about.
She felt...
Energized.
In a way similar to how the Goddess had gifted her more vitality, or essence, or whatever it truly was, this time Zelda felt ready to take on the world, as if her body were stronger, fitter, healthier, than it had ever been...
And she felt horny, too. That was... strange.
She blushed once again as the memory of checking out the Goddess' cleavage as she breathed filtered through her mind, along with a foggy, amused and even pleased smile, and a high, tinkling laugh. Yes, we are beautiful, the Goddess seemed to say in her mind as Zelda turned away, unwilling to even look at the statue at that moment.
To distract herself from her bodily needs, which were rather obnoxiously poignant, Zelda set herself to shopping. She wasn't all that wealthy in coin, but she did still carry a good supply of ore to trade, most of it in small enough chunks the merchants of Kakariko were happy to take them in lieu of Rupees. Some even traded them flat-out, buying the gemstones from her for a modest fee.
At The Curious Quiver, Zelda met a dark-skinned woman with black hair, dressed in the normal Sheikah garb. Surprised by the difference in appearance, she struck up a conversation.
Rola, it turned out, had come from Lurelin Village, far to the southeast, to meet up with her husband, too impressed with his archery skills to pass him up as a spouse.
She bought thirty arrows to refill her expansive quiver- bringing her up to more than two hundred and thirty, which almost felt like an adequate supply- but even more importantly, she found a stash of thirty enchanted Fire arrows tucked away in a case, which she was happy to pay nearly four hundred Rupees' worth of gems for.
After making the purchase, Rola had another short conversation with Zelda, "So, I can tell just by the way you carry yourself and inspect the merchandise you're a good archer. So... care to show me how good you are? It's easy... If you're as good as I think."
"What would it take?" Zelda asked, her eyes narrowing.
Rola only smiled, "Nothing too much- just light the four torches over by the Goddess Statue. That's all. I'll put them out for our little contest, but if you relight them, no one will even notice."
"What do I get out of doing it?" Zelda asked next, "if I'm going to be taking a challenge there should be a prize, right?"
"Sure is," Rola promised, "but I'm not spoiling it. Just trust me- it'll be worth a few arrows. My husband used to be the best archer in the Sheikah Tribe, and now all he cares about is his stupid Cuccos. He's lost all his nerve... he and I don't even live together anymore. If you were a man I'd be all over you, but even a woman shooting is a sight to see."
"So... you're doing this to... what, see how I look?"
Rola shrugged, "Not like that, 'cause I'm not into women, but sure. I like watching people shoot."
Zelda sighed, "Fine, fine... as long as the prize is worth it."
"It will be."
It took nearly half an hour for Rola and Zelda to make their way back to the little park where the Shrine sat and douse the torches, but Zelda took only a moment to light a fire, then use her normal arrows (no use wasting the magical ones, she reasoned) with it and spark off the already-hot fuel in the torches themselves.
Unfortunately, as easy as it was, ("Child's play," Zelda told the dark-skinned woman), it still cost her a frayed bowstring and cracked loop on one of her bows, and several arrows that were too charred to fire again. At least it had only been the already well-used traveler's bow that had broken beyond her ability to repair, and she still had two others of the same kind.
"That was pretty amazing," Rola said with a wistful sigh and smile, "a true shot in the heart... I wish my husband was still shooting. Still, you've earned this. Thanks, Miss."
Zelda fought to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the red Rupee the woman dropped into her hand. She'd lost three arrows, having recovered one, lighting the torches. In net cost after buying all of Rola's arrows, she'd made exactly five Rupees on the contest. Hardly worth my time, Zelda grumbled internally. Externally, however, she painted a smile on her face, "Well, thanks, Rola. It was... good to meet you. When I've need I'll come back and stock up on arrows again. Thanks again."
"You have a nice day, sweetie! Come back and shoot for me any time, too!"
"I'll... consider it," Zelda told her, unwilling to commit at all to such a waste of time.
While shopping and meandering the streets by daylight, Zelda picked up another Korok seed after shooting a target over the western gate of the city, much like she had on the one coming into town shortly before meeting Nanna. Then, a little while later, at High Spirits Produce, she traded several more uncut gems to stock up on cooking supplies like Swift Carrots, Goat Butter, Eggs, and even rarer ingredients like... "Bokoblin guts? You're selling Bokoblin guts?"
The old woman who manned the counter chuckled, "Yes, indeed. Useful for elixirs. The stronger and rarer the monster part, the longer the Elixir will have an effect, you know? Say it's a cough remedy- if you use only a tooth, it might last a few hours. But guts like that will last all day!"
Zelda's eyes widened, "I didn't know that. That's... actually really interesting. Well... I'll take the lot then, I suppose."
Once she left the shop with a much more laden satchel, Zelda stopped by for lunch at the small eating area outside. There, a young girl who must have been twelve or thirteen at most was stirring something inside an outdoor cooking pot. The girl waved at Zelda as she approached, "Hey, lady! You're old, you know how to cook, right?"
At first, Zelda was offended at being called old (even if she was over a century at this point), but the innocent expression on the girl's face disarmed her in moments. "W- Well, I know some things," she admitted, "but I'm not very good, I'm afraid."
The girl's face fell, "Oh... Well... I'm trying to make veggie cream soup, like my mom used to make. It's really nourishing and four-tree-fying, she said. It takes carrots, salt, and some milk... and you stir... but I'm all out of carrots. I was hoping maybe you would be the kind of lady that cooks, so you would have a carrot I could have."
"Oh, is that all?" Zelda asked with a smile, and bent a little to boop the girl's nose. "I actually do have a few carrots on me. How many did you need?"
"Y- You do? Koko needs three! And Koko will share her soup with Cottla, and Daddy, and you, lady!"
"Alright, that sounds like a fair trade," Zelda chuckled, and reached into her satchel to pull out a trio of the long, orange vegetables.
Zelda watched the girl chop the carrots smoothly and quickly, then add a bit more milk to her pot and stir for another twenty minutes. Finally, Koko pronounced it done and ladled some into one of Zelda's larger jars for her to carry with her after offering a taste-test. "It's delicious," Zelda moaned, already wishing she had more of the sweet, creamy soup.
"Well, I gave you the recipe," Koko giggled, "so you can make more whenever you want, lady! I've gotta practice different things, so I can be a great chef like mother was, heh heh..."
Zelda left the creepy, strange girl (who was a good chef regardless, in her opinion) behind a little while later and soon after arrived at what must have been Rola's husband's house, judging by the number of Cuccos in and around the little paddock and hut outside the house itself. There, she saw one of the same guards who'd stopped her the previous day sobbing as he leaned against the fence.
"Excuse me," she asked, "Are you alright sir? Cado, wasn't it...?"
"O- Oh, P- Princess Zelda," the man hiccupped, "I... I'm sorry you have to see me in this state... it's just, my- my precious Cuccos... they've flown the coop! Now that my wife wants nothing to do with me, my Cuccos are my only emotional support..."
"R- Rola? Rola's your wife?"
Cado nodded, "Yes... but she says I only care about the Cuccos now. It's not true, but they're all I have left, and now of my precious flock I only have two left!"
"Well, you could go find them," Zelda tried to reason.
Cado shook his head vehemently, staring at her with wide, shocked eyes, "I couldn't! I couldn't leave the precious two I have left! But- but you could! Please, Princess! Please bring my Cuccos back to me!"
It was pathetic, shameful, to see a grown man acting that way, and she felt a great wash of sympathy for Rola even if she'd basically stiffed her out of a decent prize for her 'contest'. Still, Zelda felt she couldn't just leave him to suffer, and it wasn't like she minded getting her hands dirty from time to time. "Fine," she sighed, "I'll... see what I can do. Just stay here, then."
She didn't comment, and he didn't seem to notice, that her right eye was twitching with annoyance as she walked away from the Sheikah man, who was openly sobbing again seconds later. "Lazy idiot," she grumbled.
It wasn't even that hard to find most of them, they hadn't wandered far. The first one Zelda found was literally across the lane from Cado's house, just around the corner, pecking away at the ground for worms or insects.
The hardest to reach was up on a rooftop nearby, but even that Zelda was able to get to fairly easily with her paraglider. At least the reward the overjoyed Sheikah guard gave her was worth the work in this case; fifty Rupees, ten times what his wife had given for her 'challenge'.
Eventually, Zelda turned her attention to clothing. Fashion seemed like a horrid waste considering the state of Hyrule, and it truly was not the reason for her desire for a new outfit. Even the well-made red shirt she wore beneath her father's gifted parka was becoming threadbare and worn, while the parka itself would need darning in several places. Not to mention that it was rather warm to wear on most days. Zelda preferred the sun on her skin, but she had been wearing the overcoat because it was the most protective piece of equipment she had, at least able to cushion her enemy's blows a little. Her trousers were in even worse shape, the soft doeskin splitting in several places, not to mention the gashes from several weapons on every piece she had.
Thankfully, she found a sign quickly enough that simply read: Enchanted. The shirt traced below it at least suggested what the shop sold, if the name had not.
She was walking toward it when a Sheikah woman with a heart-shaped face and full lips beneath dark blue eyes waved and called out, "Hey, you! Yes, you, the pretty young lady with the golden hair! You should come shop here, at Enchanted! We have all your fashion needs, from the latest Kakariko styles, to traditional Sheikah wear!"
Intrigued and glad that the store she was looking for had practically fallen into her lap, Zelda smiled back at the jovial, white-haired woman who looked to be just a year or two older than Zelda's physical age despite the white hair. The form-fitting black dress beneath the white outer layer, at least, showed a firm chest and not a lot of excess.
Not that any of the Sheikah were overweight, Zelda realized. If anything, they tended toward lean, compact muscle. "It's actually clothing I'm looking for," Zelda replied by way of greeting, gesturing down at herself, "I'm getting a little thread-bare."
"I can see that," the woman said with a giggle, "and a pretty lady like yourself should definitely carry style to match! And a fighter, too? We do have some unique armors you won't find anywhere else, too!"
"Clothes and armor both?" Zelda asked, surprised.
"That's right! Enchanted is your one-stop for outfitting and dress in Kakariko, the only tailor and armorer in town. I'm the tailor, actually, while my partner makes our armor. I'm Lasli."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Zelda replied, giving the woman a bow in return to her own, "I'm Zina."
"It's good to meet you, Zina," Lasli replied, giving Zelda a meaningful look, "very good to meet you. You're just gorgeous! Just my type- once we get you outfitted in some fresh duds, anyway. Go on in, I've got to stay out here barking for a bit longer... but maybe I'll see you inside in a bit?"
Zelda felt herself heat in response to the older woman's pointed, almost hungry look, but found herself nodding. "M- Maybe. I'll do that. It was good to meet you, Lasli."
"You too, Zina!"
Inside, Zelda was much relieved to find that yes, there were in fact a number of clothing items on display. From the exact same sort of simple but functional inner and outer layers the Sheikah wore, to clothing much like she had seen on several travelers or the residents of the Dueling Peaks Stable, thicker or reinforced for occasional danger but not enough to intrude overmuch on comfort.
Then, toward the back, amid swaths of cloth in various colors for custom jobs, Zelda found a woman who was a year or two older than Lasli, but still probably less than a decade beyond Zelda herself, stitching shin guards engraved with the Sheikah Eye onto some strange material of dark gray. "Um, hi," Zelda greeted, and the other woman jumped as she looked up from her sewing, "Lasli told me you were an armorer? I also need some regular clothes, and... well, a lot. I've got some Rupees and gems to trade, if you'll do that."
"Ooh, I can see why Lasli called out to you in particular," the other woman said as she gave Zelda an appraising eye too, "You're very much her type. A young woman like you would certainly catch her eye! Hm... you're a little slender... what, a meter and a half...? Yes, I think we actually have several things that should fit you just fine with minimal modifications."
"Great," Zelda replied, blushing, "Um... what do you mean about 'her type', though?"
The other woman laughed as she stood, setting the piece she was working on next to a full-body form that was currently pulled apart. The top section and head were covered in some sort of form-hugging, elastic material in several shades of gray with the same Sheikah Eye in red across the chest, reinforced with belts, and plates at the shoulders and over the lower arm to match the shin-guards of some sort of brown and brass-like metal that was too light for bronze and too dark for the latter, while the head nearby was swathed in a scarf and mask with a pair of rune-engraved and bejeweled sticks through the back of it. "I'm Claree," the woman said with another bow, and she smiled as Zelda gave her alias once more. "And what I mean is, she prefers the company of women, as do I. You're not my type, but you are definitely hers. Of course, there aren't that many of us in the Village, so we tend to take care of each other... but we aren't together, really, so if you want to spend an evening with her, don't think I'll be offended."
Zelda turned scarlet, and looked away, unable to stop herself. "N- No, I... well, I d- don't see anything wrong with that, and I... I mean, I think you're both beautiful, but... I'm not, um, not looking. For that kind of companionship. Or... or any. Of that nature."
"Don't worry about it, then," Claree said easily, waving off her embarrassment with a hand, "Lasli hits on anyone younger than her that comes through, but especially the pretty ones. I'm a little more professional- that's why I'm in here most days. Come on, let's get your measurements for real..."
What followed, Zelda felt should have been uncomfortable. For nearly twenty minutes a thick strip of thread marked at regular intervals was held up to various parts of her body, with Claree taking careful notes of each one, including around her bust, waist, and even between her legs. Yet, she wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, Zelda had the distinct impression that the same sort of thing had happened to her dozens of times in her life, even if she couldn't remember it.
When it was over, Claree simply stood up from her last measurement- Zelda's inseam- and noted it down too, then nodded thoughtfully to herself as she looked around the shop. "So... depending on your budget, darker colors would look amazing with your hair and complexion, or something bright, like a white or yellow... Hm. Royal blue, perhaps, but that's expensive to make these days..."
"Um... I appreciate the thought," Zelda interrupted, "but I really would prefer simple colors. I'm trying not to- to stand out, too much."
What she had meant, of course, was that she didn't want to be extremely visible to any monster that came within a mile of her.
Fortunately, Claree seemed to catch the hint, and grinned wider if anything. "Well, then I've just the thing. First, let's get you some casual clothing though, the kind of thing you can wear around a town or village. That red shirt's eye-catching, but it's clearly seen better days... what about a soft eggshell blue? And new trousers..."
It took thirty minutes for Claree to be satisfied with the half-armful of clothing laying on the counter, which thankfully included some much more comfortable underthings than the simple wraps she had woken up in, though Zelda could have done without the emphasis they put on her chest.
At least there were spares, just in case.
"Alright, clothing done," the armorer said with a happy smile, "now... your armor. As you've seen, we've got the basic traveler's gear right here, but if you're in the mood to not attract attention, as you said, you might want to look into a piece like what I was working on before. I don't have one for a woman's build, but they're fairly easy to alter."
"I'll definitely need the simple traveler's gear and leathers," Zelda nodded, looking at the red and green layers underneath a leather breastplate, and short-backed cloak that would, hopefully, help in the rain more than even the hood on her parka. The trousers were essentially the exact same as the doeskin ones she wore currently, but were in far better condition. "But what's special about this piece you'd have to alter?"
Claree's eyes widened along with her smile at the possibility of such a good sale. "Well, it's special. We- Lady Impa and myself- recently re-discovered, with Paya's help, a method of enchanting smaller bits of clothing. With that, we've reverse-engineered a style of armor our ancestors once used. It's similar in some ways to the Yiga's Clan's accursed combat armors, but far more useful for those not wanting to pass themselves off as servants of the Calamity."
"Indeed?" Zelda asked, very much intrigued, "What does it do, then?"
"Well," Claree said, leaning in conspiratorially despite them being the only pair in the shop, "It provides a modicum of protection- a little better than regular clothing, anyway- but it's quiet. Barely makes a peep. A skilled Sheikah warrior using this armor could run at a full sprint with nary a sound."
Her eyes widened, and Zelda gasped. "Truly?"
Claree nodded, "Yes! It's fascinating how it works, but it would take a while to explain. Each joint is enchanted to muffle impact, rubbing, or vibration, so that in every place the armor would come into contact with a piece of itself- or exterior plates of course, so your other gear won't make noise against it either- muffles sound down to a fraction of what it should be. It's very well-suited to an adventurer who likes to strike from the shadows, move with precision, and not alert their foes."
"That sounds very much like something I'd like," Zelda exhaled.
"Well... they're not exactly on the market yet," Claree demurred, knowing it would only help her get a better price. "So I'd have to charge a premium. Plus the alterations... and I assume a rush job, right?"
"Yes, yes," Zelda nodded eagerly. She knew the woman was trying to fleece her, but she didn't care. That armor was, if it performed as the proprietress claimed, was something she needed, and needed badly. "As long as it's a fair price, I don't care. How much?"
Barely able to contain her glee, Claree shivered as she suppressed a sudden urge to clap. "Well, your clothes will come out to sixty-nine Rupees. The traveler's leathers in a set is discounted to two hundred and seventy. The Sheikah Armor set doesn't have a discount since it's not on the market yet- you understand- of two thousand Rupees. That's including your rush job and alterations, of course. Same with the traveler's garb. Of course, I'll throw in alterations and repairs on your existing clothing, at no extra cost, given such a large purchase, hee, hee... Does that sound fair?"
Zelda's mind boggled at the amount of money the woman expected. All-told, that was two thousand, three hundred and thirty-nine Rupees. "I... I don't think I have that much on me," she whispered. "I do have some gems to trade, and can perhaps sell some of my rations or other things..."
"In that case, I'll package these up for you if you'd like," Claree said cheerfully, though she was fighting to keep the smile given how her hopes had been dashed, "and you can return in a day or so with the funds? Or... Or, I suppose, you can just purchase what you're able to get now and come back later...?"
"N- No, I'll do the first," Zelda said determinedly, casting another glance at the Sheikah Armor. "I really, really want that set. I'll- I think I've got enough. It will just take some doing. I'll be back soon."
In the end, she was forced to sell off more than half of her unprepared food stores, most of her amber chunks, and even the last couple rare rubies and the lone sapphire she had found in the mountains of Hyrule, but before the day was out she hurried back into Enchanted, quite breathless in her haste. "I've got it," she cried to Claree as she was putting several items from the display racks into their storage containers, no doubt in preparation to close. "I've got enough. Two thousand, three hundred, right? I'll make it an even four hundred if you can have it done tomorrow morning."
It would break her bank, leaving her only ten amber chunks, ten opals, and three topaz left along with a meager fifty-nine rupees, but...it was worth it. It had to be.
"R- Really? Alright, well, I've still got everything ready to go- your basic clothes, of course. I haven't started altering the armor yet. I can get both sets done though, no problem- it's worth staying up all night for a rush job! Yes, hah... alright, one, two, seven, eighteen..."
It took nearly twenty minutes for Claree to count out the Rupees since so many of them were in small denominations, but when she gave the bill of sale to Zelda, it was one of the happiest- if simple- memories she had since waking.
After sharing 'Tough Meat-Stuffed Pumpkin' and a desert of hot buttered apples with Koko for dinner, a night's rest at the Shut Eye Inn, and then a pair of honeyed apples (quite energizing) with Koko for breakfast, Zelda skipped back to Enchanted just as most of the shops were opening for business the next day.
Of course, Claree was not there that early, but Lasli was more than happy to help Zelda take off her clothing. She was, at least, mostly professional aside from a few eager glances at Zelda's half-dressed body as she helped her slip on and then tighten the various straps of her altered Stealth Armor. "Oh, you have to wear that around town," Lasli giggled, "Claree will love the increased business! Also it's just gorgeous on you, girl!"
Zelda shuddered as the woman ran her hands over her body, following the curve of her waist and then under her rear, then back up to cup and slide over her breasts, "It fits your form just perfectly. I could just eat you up!"
"I... I app- appreciate the thought," Zelda murmured, unable to meet the pushy saleswoman's eyes after she had just been groped, "but I... I'm not, um, av- available."
"Aww, well that's a shame," Lasli giggled, a far more childish and girly sound than Claree's had been the day before, "I guess I'll just have to be satisfied in seeing you wear that delightful set around town, won't I? Just remember- you got it at Enchanted!"
"I'll remember," Zelda murmured, trying not to let the woman notice how her nipples had stiffened at Lasli's touch. The armor was tight enough, hugged her body close enough, that she did not and could not comfortably wear underthings. That was part of the design, Lasli had explained, but it wasn't like it wasn't comfortable.
If anything, they felt like the most comfortable of satin or even silk pajamas against her skin, aside from the armor pieces which were astoundingly light. With her hair done up in a roll at the back like Paya wore hers with the rune-covered sticks, Zelda thought she looked very much like the Sheikah Warriors depicted in the old books, scrolls, and tapestries in Impa's house.
If they were drop-dead sexy.
Because Zelda had to admit to herself that she was. Maybe it was just the feelings she had been fighting since she had spoken with Hylia the previous day, or Lasli's hungry gaze and touches, or maybe all of it together, but she felt a distinct wetness between her thighs as she looked at herself, imagined someone- someone less pushy than Lasli, anyway, more like... like Mina, or Paya, or maybe Sagessa- running their hands over her instead.
She... she would need to find a quiet place to take care of herself, and fast, Zelda decided. Before she did something foolish, like take Lasli up on her offer of a night's companionship.
For the rest of the morning, Zelda did as Impa had asked her to do, and simply strolled around the village, meeting dozens of the inhabitants. As Lasli had said would be the case, Zelda did indeed catch the eye of several of the Sheikah with her armor, and she was happy to direct them to the shop for any updates they needed to their own gear.
Largely, she found, because Claree had not been lying about the armor's properties. She had no idea how it worked, but despite the armor plates it was as thin and light as her parka, perhaps even lighter, but far easier to move in. The comfort level and the breathability afforded by the fine materials of the two-piece body suit and scarf was such that, in some ways, Zelda felt she was almost naked, for she felt every breeze upon her skin. It wasn't overly cold, nor overly hot. In fact, it felt great, though the light, stretchy material did little to satisfy the burning in her loins she was still fighting to suppress.
After having lunch again with Koko, this time a bean and rice stew flavored with pumpkin chunks and carrots both, she was invited by the little chef to join her sister and father for an afternoon of relaxation. Curious to meet the family Koko had jabbered on about while they traded tips and tricks for making a good meal (far more one-sided than Zelda would have suspected given Koko's age of thirteen, and not in her favor), Zelda agreed to accompany them.
She regretted it only a little when she arrived: the other guard who had accosted her before meeting Impa, Dorian, was Koko's father. His demeanor was most apologetic, however, though she caught him giving her a few looks that made her a little uncomfortable (but did nothing to quell the heat in her loins). Bot Cottla, Koko's older twin sister, was an absolute delight. Intelligent and fearless, Cottla wasted no time in proving to Zelda that, no matter how smart she was, someone was smarter.
Not that it was Cottla, of course, but she gave her a run for her money after teaching her to play one of the Sheikah's traditional strategy games using white and black colored stones, winning more often than she lost. Even if some of that was due to Zelda's clear inexperience with the rules.
Still, she was delighted to join in listening to a rather embarrassed Dorian's tale about a mystical Shrine high on the hill above them- the same one she had noticed coming into the Village- where, in the game-rich woods behind it, one could sometimes hear a mysterious woman sobbing.
Later, after Koko had gone to sleep on her father's lap and Cottla had wandered back down into the village proper to play with 'uncle Cado's Cuccos', the robust Sheikah man explained quietly that the sobbing was actually said to be the village's 'guardian spirit'. Her sobbing, he continued, was because the monsters recently prevented the Villagers from paying her homage any longer. He told them the 'ghost story' version of the tale purely to keep his daughters from straying into the forest. "Though," he explained morosely, "while Koko is terrified of ghosts... the same stories only seem to excite Cottla."
After finally whiling away a couple of hours chatting with the older guard, who Zelda learned was a good conversationalist thanks to his years of experience as the Sheikah guard's Captain not to mention his former wife who was very much a talker before she was killed, she made her way up the disused road Dorian had pointed her toward, heading for the Shrine.
Once she was inside the Ta'loh Naeg Shrine, Zelda wasted no time.
Not to look around, not to listen to the words of the Sage that echoed across time, none of it. She simply stepped out of the elevator, and pressed both hands against her groin.
She was alone, as alone as she could be, and she had to orgasm. Orgasm now. Her body sighed and went limp, and she collapsed to her knees against the hard, uniform surface of the plates that made up the Shrine's interior as she made contact with the swollen, aching flesh beneath her clothing. "Oh, Hylia," she moaned, wondering why calling out to the Goddess in a moment of passion seemed both blasphemous and entirely right to do. Her fingers were already flexing and squeezing on her nether lips, and Zelda leaned back, as if presenting herself to the heavens and some lover she faced at the same time while on her knees.
With green eyes rolling in sudden, desperate need she had been stifling for too long already, Zelda tore one hand away to pull up the hem of her armor's top and shove it down into her pants themselves. She shuddered again at the contact, and immediately resumed rubbing herself, while the hand that had been on the outside moved to push her trousers down, baring her rear, pussy, and upper thighs to the air.
"Hylia," she groaned again, "I need... I need to cum. Why am I so- so horny?"
Of course no answer came, neither from the Goddess (who so far had really only spoken to her at the statues that bore her likeness), nor from the Slate, or any other source.
The only answer she got was a spike of pleasure as one slender finger dipped inside her vagina, and then a second. Soon she was plunging both in and out, two knuckles deep, as images flashed through her mind.
Some of the faceless blonde man who had... taught her to fight, she knew. To kiss. To caress, and be caressed. Of Sagessa, who had taken Hino with apparent relish though she admitted she felt neutral at best afterward. Of Mina and Mils, both of whom Zelda had briefly fantasized about intimacy with before.
Of Lasli, who had all-but molested Zelda with both eyes and hands while dressing her in the armor she currently wore.
Even the tentacled Octorok as it squirmed about her sensitive flesh, even in her mouth, no doubt trying to deposit some monstrous egg or seed inside her warm body to act as a host.
But this time, those images were all fleeting.
What her lusty imaginings most centered on surprised Zelda as she masturbated furiously: Impa's grand-daughter, Paya.
The woman was stunning, shy, reserved, and so beautiful. And she reminded Zelda very much of another Sheikah she had once kissed, held tight: Impa herself in her youth.
Had she and Impa truly been lovers?
Not for the first time, Zelda wished she knew. She wished she dared ask, but the woman's age would no doubt make that awkward.
She didn't care right now. She just wanted to climax! She wanted to see what Paya looked like beneath her form-hugging, skin-tight black bodysuit. She wanted to strip her naked, feast upon her pale skin, while Paya herself kissed her mouth, her breasts, and lower still.
She wanted a cock, any cock, to plunge in and out of her, to satisfy that burning, aching need.
Her fingers were helping, but it just was not enough.
She could not climax.
Even though her clit soon burned with the heat of friction and her tender folds were aching, it was just not enough.
So frustrated, with tears running down her face, Zelda forced her hands off her body with a whimper and pulled her trousers back up, uncaring that liquid ran down both of her legs.
Maybe, just maybe, the Sage's healing magic would take care of the need. She had to hope.
Dimly, she remembered what the voice, a masculine, deep one, had said: "Ta'loh Naeg's Teachings".
Talon Egg, maybe, her mind supplied... bird's egg? Perhaps it was a test of flight, or speed, or agility?
But it was not like the fan-filled one she had solved before. This Shrine was side open, a vast space filled with only vaguely misty air, a small amount of airborne dust, and ten columns with large light crystals on them, with more lining the walls in high alcoves. Three on each side made an outer line, and two inner, with the open space in the center of the room taken up by a square hole that dropped into who knew what depths, four plates on a side.
Near her, just there for the taking, two chests stood as well, just inside the large chamber past the alcove where she had been trying to orgasm. Beyond that and a portcullis as she had come to expect, another chest and the sage's resting place sat.
Teaching... which meant she was a student. This time, anyway.
"Very well," she said to the empty Shrine through gritted teeth, "if I must be taught, then let's get to it. The sooner I can get out of here and find something- even Dorian or Lasli if I must- to satisfy myself, the better."
Inside the two chests were treasures she considered quite valuable, though, and it was enough to momentarily distract her from her body's need. A strangely-shaped kite shield with a rounded top half and a narrow lower half, as if it was to be mounted against a thigh on either side perhaps, made of the same light, dark, but sturdy metal the plates on her new armor was fashioned of. It, too, was emblazoned with the emblem of the Sheikah, in a deep rose-gold color.
The other, perhaps an even greater treasure: a thin, flexible, but fragile-looking sword of ancient Sheikah make, one of their famous Eightfold Blades, a shorter, one-handed version of the longblade she had found shortly before entering Kakariko.
With a shield and a single-handed sword readily available, Zelda felt she knew what was coming, so she dropped the extra axe she carried for the time being and pulled out her soldier's sword and traveler's shield. They might be inadequate for a real fight, but they would last until she pulled the draws on her better equipment. At least, that was the hope.
If nothing else, she would be wasting a cheaper piece of equipment first... if she lived through it, anyway.
Her body tensed in caution as a miniature Guardian, much like the one she had faced in the Cryonis trial, appeared from the center floor as she stepped further into the room. This one did not simply stare at her and fire beams of white energy, however. Its domed head rose further, towering three or more feet over her own on a large, piston-filled stalk that seemed like it should never have fit in the squat body that wasn't even as tall as she was normally. Then it extended two damaged arms, and one intact one... an intact one that wielded a blade made of blue light identical to that of her remote Bombs.
"Oh, shit," she swore, bringing her shield up in desperate speed and dropping into a guarded stance.
But the Guardian did not move, at least not beyond waving the sword threateningly. Instead, she heard a sound come from it, as if an artificial voice called, "Stage One: Side-step. When an enemy makes a straightforward or overhead attack, leap quickly to the side to avoid being struck. Timed correctly, this allows a combatant to quickly strike back while the enemy is extended and vulnerable. This unit will commence practical examination in three... two... one..."
Then, just as Zelda finished parsing what it said, the Guardian scurried forward on three legs, its body shining with red and blue pulsing lights. It was, she saw as it closed, not black as the other little Guardian or the big ones she had seen so far, but egg-shell white. It still carried the same scrollwork and moved in the same way, somewhere between artificial and alive, or between insect and octopus, but it was quite fast.
Thankfully, she was easily able to read the sword raising high over her head, and did jump to the side with plenty of time to spare.
Of course, it kept coming, and Zelda found herself furious jumping left, right, left again, and then another right, always moving back. But the Guardian was relentless, one strike after another every ten seconds or so.
It gave her just enough time to reset her posture and stance before trying again. As she realized that, Zelda let out a yelp as the blade, impossibly sharp, cut downward. It sparked against her new wrist-guard, the blow hard enough to break bone if it hadn't severed the hand. Fortunately, her armor helped, and Zelda was able to lower her weapon and retreat long enough to quickly down one of her healing potions.
The Guardian skittered around, seeking a new attack angle, then raised its arm again just as she was flexing her fingers- yes, she could still move, her arm wasn't broken.
This time, wide-eyed, Zelda waited until the last moment. Just as its lightning-fast movement brought the shining blue blade of energy toward her masked face, Zelda leaped to the side, drawing her sword in one motion.
With the shield-hand on the pommel to help brace it, Zelda drove the weapon beneath the domed head, stabbing upward as the blade passed harmlessly by an inch from her sword-arm. Sparks flew, metal shrieked, and her arms shuddered as the point of her weapon caught in some hidden gear-works, and the Guardian jumped back in turn, clearing a full ten feet in one pounce.
Zelda braced herself again, but the same sound came from the distant Guardian again along with a chime-like tone. "Success. Stage two: Back Flip. When the enemy makes a side-to-side or sweeping attack, jump backward, flipping if able for extra stability and speed, and to present a narrower profile. Timed correctly, your enemy will be more vulnerable to attack as they overextend. This unit will begin practical examination in three... two... one..."
This time, Zelda was more ready. She was not entirely prepared for the hatchet-like weapon with a blade as large as her torso, formed from the same blue light as the sword had been, but she was still able to evade its wide arc of attack easily enough. It was the timing that was hard- no to mention the acrobatics.
Zelda knew she was flexible, but performing back flips while burdened with all of her cumbersome gear was not easy! She pulled it off once almost by accident on the third attempt as she bent backward, the axe-blade passing close enough to her nose to take a few golden hairs with it.
Of course, knowing that she could by accident didn't make it easier to do so on purpose.
Thankfully, Zelda was able to fool the machine by dropping to a near-prone position on the floor underneath its sixth wide, pre-programmed swing, and unleash a flurry of swipes with her own blade before it recovered.
The third stage was something Zelda felt should have been harder, for it was something a more trained knight or soldier than herself might have used: a shield party. Any fool could put a barrier between themselves and an enemy, but a skilled warrior could actively deflect an opponents attack with the same barrier, creating recoil and thus and opportunity for counter-attack.
Yet, somehow Zelda succeeded on on her second attempt at that stage. The first blow, back to a sword, had deflected off her shield harmlessly aside from digging a gouge in it she could see through. The second had barely harmed even the relatively flimsy wooden shield at all as she stroke the energy blade from the side hard enough to cause the domed head to spin a quarter-turn around. Vulnerable, Zelda took a few more swings before it could re-center itself, awarding her the third chime indicating her success.
Charged attacks, however, were something new.
"As a wielder of the reincarnated power of the Goddess," the Guardian said, "you, like the Hero and the Calamity, possess the ability to imbue your strikes with magic."
"Wait," she gasped, eyes wide even as her guard stayed up, "How- how do you know I'm Zelda? No other Shrine has known I'm not the Hero!"
Of course, this time the Guardian did not respond. Instead, it only continued to explain, "By forcing your will and magic into your blade through focus, faith, and desire, you can unleash more powerful, devastating strikes on your enemy. Doing so takes time to prepare, as magic is not effortless for mortal beings to use. Done properly, even the mightiest of foes may fall quickly as the magic inherent in your soul tears their own to shreds. This unit will commence practical examination in..."
The largely tuned out the counting this time. Magic...? How could she use magic, and in a blade? She was no sorceress! Her father might have a bit of skill with enchanting, and perhaps she did once too, if she had truly made those precious Fire Arrows, but... but using magic in combat was beyond her!
Of course, the Guardian did not care. It chased after her relentlessly, using only the same side-swipes it had been using on second and third stages. Zelda replayed all that she knew, all the information she had heard about magic, enchanting, alchemy, or the Goddess Hylia she could recall... and came up blank.
She supposedly had her connection to the Goddess restored, Hylia herself had told her so (unless she was dreaming, Zelda could not help but reason with herself). But how could she use magic? She had no idea!
The blade came close, swishing through the end of her white scarf as she jumped away.
Again.
Again!
She was growing tired.
Wearing down. Even the increased stamina and health she'd gotten from speaking to Hylia (along with arousal) was not enough for this.
She was slowing down.
Soon, Zelda would not be able to keep up.
But she could... could not fall.
Could not give up!
She could not give up!
There was a way.
The Sheikah did not want her to fail.
None of them did!
There had to be a way, and if this Shrine knew she was the reincarnation of Hylia rather than the Hero, it- it had to know what it was talking about. She had to have faith.
There was a way.
She just had to find it!
As new resolve filled her, Zelda lifted her shield, slamming away another blow. She didn't strike in the blind spot this time, though. Instead, she jumped back on aching legs again to clear a little more distance as strange, not-vigor filled her trembling, sore arms.
Energy, strength, but not physical strength. What else to call it, then? Power.
Not unlimited... barely a trickle of what was possible, Zelda felt.
But power all the same. Magic.
It swelled from somewhere deep within her, stroking against her soul as a lover might her body, rushing in a great fountain outward, upward, and then down her right arm.
And beyond, into her blade, which began to shimmer with a blue light very much like the Sheikah's own weapons, only brighter, more white.
Before Zelda could consciously process what she was doing, how it had happened, she realized her worn, nicked soldier's weapon was thrumming, vibrating with power.
Her eyes narrowed, and she crouched low. The shield came down to bring her other hand to the hild as well. This would be it: her final attack. If this didn't drop the thing, then... then she didn't know what else to do.
Its weapon came up in the ready position again as the Guardian neared... and just as it began to move, she lunged.
Her left knee faltered, slowing her advance, as the blade blurred toward her.
Just as it passed by the center of her face, Zelda grinned: her feint had been successful. "Got you," she whispered, and then lunged forward again, stabbing with both arms once more.
This time, with the magic in her weapon, it stabbed straight through the thick, spinning column at the center of the thing's 'neck'. More sparks flew, her sword snapped in half as it was caught between metallic shafts and rods and pistons, tearing the handle from her grip with no small amount of pain as it was yanked from her fingers.
But the Guardian jumped back again. This time, when it landed to the accompanying chime, it staggered, stumbled, and fell.
Then, like one of the Calamity's minions, it largely vanished in moments. Not into shadow and foul magics, but light and thin smoke quick quickly dissipated in the ever-circulating air of the Shrine.
Zelda did not care for the words praising her for learning the 'teachings', even if the magic blow would be most useful.
No, she cared that one of the things left behind was the Guardian's weapon, though it was deactivated and only the strangely-crafted handle was present. A little.
The ancient spring, while useful, didn't hold her interest.
But the screw...
It was nine inches long, and the ridges were soft, rounded, while the shaft was about an inch thick.
She stared. Using magic had made her so horny once again, or maybe just brought the emotion, the feelings, back once more.
That was... oddly phallic.
Zelda didn't hesitate.
She was beyond reason.
She didn't even think to lubricate the shaft as she pushed down her Sheikah Armor once more, this time to her ankles, sank to her knees, and then plunged the screw into her waiting, eager pussy as far as it would go.
"Oh, fuck, yes," she moaned, uncaring that she sounded like a cheap harlot. There was no one to hear her but a long-dead Sage anyway.
Dimly, as she screw began to move in and out of her twat with what should have been a painful speed, she realized that meant she had not, in fact, been a virgin: there was no blood, no pain.
She'd been with someone before, or at least badly torn her hymen riding.
But that was information for later, for thinking about when she didn't want to- didn't have to- cum as fast and as hard as she could.
She didn't worry about caressing her breasts through the thin cloth. She didn't worry about foreplay. Instead, Zelda only pinched or pushed on her clit with one hand, rubbing it gently because it was still sore from several minutes earlier, while the other gripped the lower four inches or so of the Ancient Screw, driving the rest of its ribbed length into and out of her at a gut-wrenching pace.
Fortunately, this time, with something filling her, it was enough to tip the scales, and Zelda climaxed in under a minute. She sprayed liquid outward, covering the sacred panels of the Sheikah Shrine with her lubricating orgasmic juice, and kept pumping while more came out. Higher and higher she rode the pleasure, until a second, and then a third peak blasted through her.
Finally, exhausted, Zelda let herself collapse back onto the cool floor, the screw still buried inside her while her body twitched in post-orgasm bliss.
Half an hour later, Zelda regained full consciousness feeling almost satisfied. She was no more horny, at least, than she had been after praying at the Goddess Statue two days earlier. High arousal, in other words, but bearable. With a shiver, she reached down and pulled the still-wet screw from her body. Unable to help herself, Zelda licked it, struck by a sudden, perverse desire to taste herself.
Numb, unfeeling to anything but a need to continue, Zelda continued until the screw was covered not in her vaginal secretions, but her saliva, before she shuddered once more and let it fall to the stone floor with a clatter.
"What am I doing?" she whispered to the empty Shrine. "I... what's happening to me? Is something happening, or is this just... normal, for a woman my age?"
Zelda didn't know, had no answers at all, nor even anyone she dared ask.
Wearily, she pushed herself to her feet, straightened her clothing back up and fluffed out her hair in an attempt to hide how disheveled it probably was, then started gathering up her loot.
The Guardian Sword was, as she had suspected, a most potent weapon indeed. It did not quite, according to the Sheikah Slate's analysis, have quite the striking power of her two-handed Sheikah weapon, though it was roughly equivalent to her soldier's claymore. It was strangely heavy for only being a handle, and back-heavy for the blade itself had no weight when she pressed the button that extended it (nearly spearing her leg in the process, as she had it aimed backwards at first), but sharp and agile. Unfortunately, the Slate also told her that the power supply was quite limited without the cores that powered the Guardians, so it would be useless in a protracted battle. Still, it went on to say, against another Guardian or other ancient technology, it would be most useful: as hard as the shells of the creature-devices could be, the blades and weaponry were designed to pierce even them.
With the finely-cut opal in the final treasure chest as her reward, Zelda was far more grateful for the weapon and shield she had obtained, as well as the impromptu lesson in imbuing her weapon with magic (for all that it had a strange side-effect), and then to have her fatigue removed along with her minor injuries as she left the Shrine than for the treasure itself.
