Chapter 15: Turbulent Waters

The iron gate screeched shut, mimicking the dread coiling in the stomachs of the three figures huddled within its shadow. Each harboured their own reasons for despair, a tangled tapestry woven by fate. Noah, fresh from King Rhoam's crumbled hope, felt the fragile seed he'd nurtured ruthlessly ripped from his grasp. Hope, he realized could be a cruel mistress.

His scream of frustration died on his lips however as his gaze fell on the two girls beside him. Their faces were etched with a despair deeper than his own, mirrored the shattered dreams he held. Perhaps reaching this gate had been their salvation from their own dreams, only to find themselves still trapped in the nightmare.

Silence descended, punctuated only by the wind whistling through the bars. Finally, Noah's voice, heavy with desperation, broke the spell. "Is there another way into the Eastern region?" he pleaded, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes.

Neph, her shoulders slumped beneath the weight of their predicament, shook her head slowly. "No," she rasped, her voice thick with gloom. "The mountains stretch all the way to Zora's domain."

A tense silence followed as Noah grappled with the bleak reality. His mind raced, searching for any shred of hope. Then, his eyes lit up. "Climbing equipment" he whispered, his voice tinged with newfound excitement. "The cultist at the Great Plateau left some behind. We could use it to scale the mountains."

Neph closed her eyes, her face drawn. "We can't go back," she said, her voice firm but laced with fear. "Too much time has passed, especially after the chaos we left behind in Hyrule Field."

Noah frowned; confusion etched on his brow. Was she worried about Monsters? Noah had seen these two fight, both were rather skilled what could they possibly fear more than the beasts roaming the plains?

Christa, her gaze finally meeting his, spoke softly, perhaps sensing his confusion. "The longer we stay in Hyrule Field, the higher the chance of encountering a Guardian, and if that happens.. may Hylia guide us through the darkness," she murmured softly

The name sent a shiver down Noah's spine. He remembered the colossal relic Sheikah constructs guarding the Temple of Time, their cold, unwavering gaze, their relentless power. He understood their fear. While agile, he knew his skills were no match for a machine that knew no fatigue, no fear, no mercy.

Defeated, Noah slumped back, the silence pressing down on them like a physical weight. Then, Neph, her expression hardening with resolve, tightened her grip on her Boko Club. "We have no choice," she declared, her voice steely. "We have to fight."

Neph's plan, a direct assault, sent a tremor through him as he raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Isn't that riskier than climbing the mountains? We have no clue how many monsters are inside, or how strong." He gestured towards the imposing wall. "Three against a whole fortress? We'd be throwing ourselves at spears."

"We would be better off going south and figuring another way." Noah suggested earnestly.

Neph whirled on him, frustration simmering in her eyes. "Don't you get it? Time is critical, we can't afford detours."

Noah frowned, trying to decipher the urgency behind Neph's words. "I understand your haste, but charging in blind isn't the answer."

Christa interjected, her voice softer, "It's not just about us. This is 'The Wall', a fortification that serves as the first line of defence for the Eastern Region. If it's fallen…"

She trailed off, but the implication she made hung heavy in the air. "Kakariko and the other cities are exposed. What's worse, the monsters inside don't seem to be on guard, suggesting the towns are oblivious…."

A dawning realization washed over Noah. "You guys want to warn them before disaster strikes."

Neph's slow nod confirmed his hunch. "The increasing monster population… the unusual intelligence from the Bokoblin's and the upcoming blood moon and now this… it can't be a coincidence."

Christa raised an eyebrow. "A coordinated invasion during the Blood Moon? Monsters lack the organization for an army." Her gaze flickered, a glint of doubt entering her eyes. "And why were we captured then?"

Neph, her voice tight, ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I'm grasping at straws, but this… the Wall has fallen and everyone is unaware… we have to do something."

As the girls debated, Noah retreated into his own thoughts. He was with them for a common goal, but did he have to share their suicidal charge? Lizalfos and pointy objects weren't exactly his idea of a good time.

And what about the mountain? Christa's point about Guardians held merit, with three of them, it was dicey. Alone, however, retrieving the climbing gear undetected wasn't impossible. He hadn't seen any Guardians yet.

He believed Christa about the monsters, but that was with three of them. Solo, he was semi-confident. He could be quick, silent, and back with the gear before anyone, or anything noticed. The mountains were calling to him, a safer, solo route.

As Noah's mind whirred with escape routes, a cold prickle crawled down his spine. He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto Neph and Christa, their smiles unsettlingly wide, like predators eyeing their prey.

"Your combat skills are quite impressive, Noah," Neph purred, her voice honeyed but laced with something sharper than honey.

Noah's throat constricted. He mimicked their smiles, but his felt strained and unconvincing. "I appreciate the...compliment," he stammered, holding a bad feeling on where this was heading. "But I believe you considered it only to be adequate, did you not?"

"How strange" Christa chimed in, her smile softer but no less unsettling, "I don't think we gave you enough credit."

Noah's unease grew. "What is your reasoning behind such change?"

"Simple, not many people can take down a Moblin singlehandedly, usually you need a group of 3 to reliably deal with them" Neph added

A frown emerged on Noah's face, it wasn't singlehandedly as Christa had assisted him, but it appeared the two of them coincidently forgot that bit of detail

"Well it's just," Neph said, her predatory grin widening. "We could use someone like you. Someone with your skills."

A knot of dread tightened in Noah's stomach. "For what?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Neph's smile remained, but her gaze were casted by a steely cold glint. "The Wall has fallen," she said, her voice cold. "Monsters have overrun it, and it's a threat to the entire region."

Christa added, "We need to get past, to warn the settlements before it's too late. But we can't do it alone."

Noah stared at them, his mind reeling. They were trying to drag him into something far bigger and more dangerous than he would've liked.

"And you think I can help you with that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Neph's eyes bored into his. "We know you can,"

Noah's gaze returned to Neph. "The 'Wall' was supposedly maintained by Knights and yet it was still overrun by Monsters, how do you expect us 3 to take it back while being in a disadvantaged position?"

Noah, finally finding his voice, spoke in a hushed tone. "Why don't we try talking. It's a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, we can reason with it."

A beat of stunned silence followed. Neph snorted. "Reason with a lizard? You've been reading too many fairytales, they lack the intelligence to be reasoned with."

Noah rolled his shoulders, "Enough to guard a gate."

Neph's bite into her lip was audible, a crack in the facade of their fragile alliance. Noah saw it, understood it. He knew she needed him, his skills. He wasn't about to play the hero, not without at least some guarantee.

"So spill it," he said, his voice calm but firm. "What's this plan of yours? And remember, I'm not throwing myself into another blind gamble."

Neph exhaled; the tension evident. "Mercenaries like us, we've had to smuggle monster parts into Eastern Hyrule before. Bribe the knights, you know the drill. They use a network of tunnels within the Wall. We find one, sneak in, sneak out through another."

A smirk touched her lips. "Just so happens, I know where one is."

Noah remained silent, his gaze fixed on the imposing wall. He knew it wouldn't be as easy as she made it sound. Still, Christa hadn't spoken up, and she wouldn't endorse a suicide mission. He had to trust that.

But he wouldn't forget his previous near-disaster with the Moblin carriage. Caution gnawed at him.

Then he considered them. He'd seen what they could do. Christa, a marksman despite her small stature, taking down Bokoblins with ease. Neph, quiet but deadly in her own way. And himself, not exactly helpless against mindless monsters. Plus, Christa could heal. They'd taken down another Moblin together just before.

Suddenly, the plan didn't seem so outlandish. All his own ideas had led to dead ends. He needed to reach Kakariko Village, and fast.

As shadows danced across the wall, Noah's gaze flickered, then fixed on a distant point. Christa's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

His hand instinctively went to his sword hilt. A plan, audacious yet potentially brilliant, began to form. He turned to Neph, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Lucky day for you," he announced. "I'm in."

Relief washed over the girls, but Neph's eyes remained narrowed. "Something tells me this offer isn't out of the kindness of your heart."

His smile widened, a touch of mischief in his eyes. "Nothing ever is, is it? But this is simple, and it benefits you both."

Noah pushed through the undergrowth, his cloak rustling against the leaves. He stopped in front of the girls, his face grim.

"There's no easy way to get through the Wall," he said, his voice low. "But I have an idea to make it easier."

He gestured towards the distant Sheikah Tower, its silhouette stark against the twilight sky. "One of you needs to come with me to that Tower. I need to do something there, something I can't explain right now. The other needs to stay here, gather intel on the enemy's strength within the Wall."

Christa's brow furrowed. "May I ask what needs doing at the Tower, why the secrecy?"

"Trust me," he said, his gaze flickering between them. "But that's the other condition of my assistance, no questions about my actions."

Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the chirping of crickets. Neph's eyes glinted with suspicion, while Christa hesitated.

Neph, stoic and calculating, remained silent. She understood the gamble. The Tower was a distance, across the treacherous Squabble River. At best, they'd be back by afternoon. A delay, yes, but to someone with urgency like Neph who was desperate to warn Kakariko Village it was almost unbearable.

Neph sighed, a long, weary breath. "Deal. But remember, Noah, if this is some kind of trick..."

"No tricks," he interrupted, his voice firm. "Just a desperate gamble."

A glimmer of satisfaction flickered in Noah's eyes. For once, he wasn't offering help for free.

After a brief discussion, they decided Christa would accompany him, her archery skills invaluable. Neph, reluctantly, agreed to scout the Wall. While having Neph would be advantageous, Noah lacked ranged combat, and Christa could fill that gap.

The only risk is that Noah would need to strain himself to protect her if something got too close, but if he did his job that shouldn't happen.

As they parted ways, Christa suggested moving away from the Wall before crossing the river, avoiding detection. They detoured westward through the forest, emerging onto the road bathed in the afternoon sun.

"Clear coast," Noah announced, scanning the path ahead.

Neph emerged from the bush, her Boko Bow clutched tightly. Her expression was tense, perhaps lingering anger from their negotiations?

Not that he overly cared of course, well… he cared but only slightly. After a few battles and shared hardships, a strange sense of companionship had blossomed between them, despite their differences. The sight of her troubled demeanour mirrored his own unease, casting a shadow over his already gloomy mood.

As they descended the slope towards the river, Noah couldn't help but ask, his voice laced with concern, "Are you second-guessing our decision to come with me?"

Christa, caught off guard, blushed furiously. "N-no, not at all! It's just… I can't help but feel like this is some kind of test from her grace."

It was right at that moment the two reached the riverbank, and Noah's initial optimism evaporated. The river was a beast compared to its calm counterpart in Breath of the Wild. Its raging current and formidable depth and size mocked any attempt to swim across.

Defeated, Noah sighed, "Yeah, me too." The absence of the Cryonis rune made their situation even more precarious, snice Noah could've made a bridge of some kind.

But the prospect of playing leapfrog over some ice blocks in the middle of a raging lake didn't really appeal to him either.

"Maybe we should follow the river downstream and see if we can find something to cross with," Christa suggested, a spark of hope flickering in her eyes.

Noah nodded, their options limited. They began their trek along the riverbank, the silence punctuated only by the gurgling water and the rustling of leaves. Soon enough, they stumbled upon a small Bokoblin camp. Three Bokoblin's, two blue and one red, roasted an unknown creature over a crackling fire. But it was something else that caught Noah's eye - a makeshift boat resting precariously on the shore.

"A gift from her grace," Christa muttered, Noah mirrored her determination and nodded

The boat was simple and makeshift but it was most likely stolen as Noah didn't think monsters had the intelligence to build them, it was more of a raft with several logs kept together with string and a single white mast held up to catch the wind.

"Ready?" Noah turned around to Christa, as she nodded back in confirmation.

Abandoning stealth, Noah charged towards the nearest blue Bokoblin. The red one spotted him, raising the alarm with a guttural roar. The Bokoblins scrambled for their weapons, but Noah was a whirlwind of steel.

He aimed for the blue Bokoblin's head with his Traveller's Sword intending to decapitate it, but it met unexpected resistance. The once-sharp blade, dulled by countless battles, merely sliced the creature's throat, sending it scrambling and gurgling in pain.

Noah immediately parried a spear attack from the red Bokoblin, rolling and dodging to create distance. As he prepared to counter, an arrow whizzed past him, burying itself squarely in the red Bokoblin's forehead. Christa, ever vigilant, stood ready with another arrow, a silent guardian angel.

His momentary distraction proved costly. A heavy blow sent him sprawling to the ground. A blue Bokoblin, wielding a Boko Shield, loomed over him, its weapon poised to strike. In a desperate move, Noah rolled away, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.

He retaliated, aiming for the Bokoblin's leg with his sword, mimicking the technique he used against the Moblin. The tendon severed, the Bokoblin toppled, but not before grabbing Noah and pinning him down.

A tense struggle ensued, both locked in a desperate stalemate. Just as Noah feared the worst, the blue Bokoblin stiffened and slumped forward, an arrow protruding from its back. Christa, ever the sharpshooter, had delivered the final blow.

Noah shoved the lifeless Bokoblin aside, his chest heaving as the adrenaline ebbed away. Christa rushed to his side, her eyes scanning him for injuries.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Noah met her gaze, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Just a lapse in judgement, I guess. Got lost in the fight and lost my footing."

The near miss sent a shiver down his spine. He was lucky Christa had his back, but what if she hadn't been there? Fighting was still a foreign language to him, and every mistake felt like a brush with death.

"You need to stay focused," Christa chided gently, her concern evident.

"Learning that the hard way," Noah admitted, his voice low. Although confused, he thought he had seen a smile on Christa's face when she appeared beside him.

'Must be imagining things.' He muttered

They didn't linger to examine the fallen Bokoblin. Time was of the essence, and the rickety raft on the shore beckoned. It wasn't much, but it was enough to carry them across the raging current. Noah grabbed the confiscated Boko Spear and Club, handing one to Christa. He hesitated before picking up the Boko Shield, a sense of unease gnawing at him.

"What about the meat?" Noah asked, eyeing the sizzling creature over the fire. "We were getting low, weren't we?"

Christa's gaze flickered to the meat, a flicker of something complex crossing her face. "It would be a sin against Hylia to consume her children," she said cryptically.

'Her children?' Noah thought, confused. They had eaten plenty of creatures on their journey. He didn't press the issue, though. Hunger gnawed at him, but desperation hadn't arrived yet.

With combined effort, they pushed the raft into the churning water and clambered aboard.

"Ever rowed a raft before?" Christa asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Noah shook his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Not exactly a common activity where I lived, you know, with all the frozen rivers and stuff."

Christa chuckled. "You can't cook, you can't row... what other surprises are you hiding?"

"Hey!" Noah protested playfully. "The rivers were frozen, alright? Not my fault I didn't have a chance to practice!"

"Alright, alright," Christa laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Allow me."

And with that, she transformed into a patient instructor, guiding Noah through the art of navigating the raft using the Boko Spear. They battled the current, skilfully avoiding treacherous rocks and seaweed, until finally, the Sheikah Tower loomed ahead.

"You're going to climb that?" Christa asked, her voice laced with concern.

Noah sighed, his gaze fixed on the towering structure. "Not much of a choice, is there?"

"May Hylia grant you the strength to face the challenge ahead," she prayed, her eyes fixed on the Sheikah Tower.

Oddly enough her prays sent no relief to him.

They secured the raft at the base of the tower before Noah began his ascent, fingers finding purchase in the narrow handholds.

Noah's fingers dug into the rough stone, the texture a harsh contrast to the cool sweat slicking his palms. Next to him, Christa's worried face tilted upwards, dwarfed by the imposing shadow of the Sheikah Tower. He forced a smile down, "Don't worry, I've done this before."

It wasn't a lie, exactly. He had climbed trees as a child, scaled fences as a teenager. But this wasn't a backyard oak or a neighbour's chain-link fence. This was a Sheikah Tower, slick with moss and rugged surface from being buried for so long. Each handhold, each foothold, felt precariously small, the drop below a dizzying eternity.

He started to pull himself up, muscles straining, every movement echoing with the ominous creak of the tower. Christa's voice, becoming faint, was a lifeline in the vast silence. He imagined her worry, and the benefits he'll gain which for some reason spurred him on.

The wind whipped at his face, carrying the damp scent of the river and the distant tang of the sea. He squinted against the sun, its glare painting the world in stark contrasts. Below, the river snaked like a silver ribbon, the boat a tiny speck at its edge. He was a spider on the face of a giant, clinging to its stony skin.

Doubt gnawed at him. What if he slipped? What if the stone crumbled beneath his grip? Panic clawed at his throat, hot and tight. But then he saw it: a glint of a platform higher up, the faint outline of a Sheikah symbol etched into the stone. A handhold, a promise.

He focused on that, channelling his fear into determination. Each breath became a mantra, each pull a victory. The rhythm of his climb became a heartbeat, a testament to his will. Slowly, painstakingly, he ascended.

Eventually, Noah found himself on a narrow platform which extended off the spine of the tower which gave him some time to recover himself. He wanted to look down, but the sheer scale of the climb and the distance to the ground prevented that.

Noah wasn't entirely sure it was possible to climb the tower, usually he would need to rely on Stamina Hearts from the Shrines to increase Link's stamina and climb but that didn't exist here.

The only small comfort would be if he fell, death wasn't certain since the river was under him… assuming he didn't land onto a rock.

Recovering his breath, Noah forced himself to grab hold of the tower once more and climb.

The world narrowed to the stone beneath his fingers, the sky above him. Time blurred, measured only by the ache in his arms and the burn in his lungs. But then, finally, his fingers brushed against the metal which curved upwards.

Seeing he was approaching the top, Noah's determination only exceeded.

Reaching the top with a final heave, Noah's legs trembled beneath him. But he'd made it. There, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, stood the Sheikah Terminal

Noah couldn't help but feel a little emotional, the last time he was here, it was a time when he very much thought it was to be his last, only to be unexpectedly saved by Zelda. He was happy to be here in better straits.

With a deep breath, he approached the Terminal, inserting the Sheikah Slate. Its familiar chime resonated

"Sheikah Tower activated."

instead of the expected rise, the platform remained firm since it had already risen, instead a deep rumble echoed from above, followed by a grinding groan. Noah glanced up, imagining the intricate mechanism unfolding within the tower's metallic heart.

He also didn't miss the circular tile behind Noah suddenly igniting in a colourful blue hue

His attention was then snagged by a sudden illumination behind him. A circular tile glowed with an ethereal blue light, its purpose unknown. "Can I...transport to other towers now?" he wondered aloud, a flicker of fear and excitement warring within him.

A shiver went down Noah's spine imaging his body breaking down into mysterious blue lights and rearranging themselves somewhere else, what if something gone wrong? Would he find his right leg sitting where his left arm was supposed to be?

He was in no rush to find out.

But the Sheikah terminal continued on, indifferent about his fears.

As the silence stretched, another voice filled the air. "Scanning area... distilling ruin..." The pillar above the Terminal hummed, bathing the platform in an azure glow. Symbols cascaded down, coalescing into a single, shimmering teardrop.

Noah suddenly had a bizarre thought

"What happened if I was to drink that?"

The temptation, absurd yet enticing, tugged at him but alas common sense prevailed. Poisoning himself wouldn't exactly advance his quest. "Maybe Purah will know," he muttered, his mind already formulating a question for the eccentric scientist.

He stepped back as the tear descended, its essence fracturing into radiant fragments before merging with the Sheikah Slate. The tower hummed once more, then ejected the Slate as if satisfied.

The first thing Noah did upon grabbing it was investigating the regional map, something he neglected to do the last time.

The landscape unfolded before him in intricate detail, rivalling anything he'd seen in his own world. Even the smallest landmarks were meticulously mapped, a testament to the Sheikah's ingenuity. It was almost like he had a satellite google maps sitting in his back pocket now. A sense of satisfaction washed over him; navigating this vast world would be much easier now.

But the real prize lay elsewhere. He switched tabs, his excitement building as he watched an unfamiliar string of words appear in his 'Ruins' tab. Then, disbelief stopped him in his tracks. "What the hell is this?" he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the silent chamber.