The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 32 - A Night Under the Stars

It was dark by the time they reached the desert colossus. It was unknown how long the monolith had stood at the edge of the desert, guarding the realm from an unseen menace. The Gerudo had made pilgrimages yearly to worship the Goddesses and perform rituals to increase their crops, fertility or anything else they needed assistance with. The loathsome Kotake and Koume presided over these gatherings and made their residence within the temple.

The colossus had been carved with meticulous detail into the immense pillar of stone. it was shaped into a woman sitting cross-legged with her arms outstretched with palms upwards welcoming all who came to her. The carcass of a snake draped over her head as its tail meandered down her torso covering her left breast, leaving the other bare to the elements. Link and the group had to stop briefly to admire the impressive sight. It simply took Malon's breath away at its sheer magnitude.

Despite the initial cursing and complaining of Apolloni over Malon's inclusion into their expedition, she ultimately had to concede that the girl's skills were acceptable. Leevers were a prevalent hazard in these shifting sands; malignant plants that emerged from the soil with thorns adorning their bodies like a crown. They preferred to attack in groups and encircle their victims before slicing them to shreds with their sharp spikes. Some Hylian scientists had made the theory that they were an offshoot of the Peahat and that they could even be related by genus. Malon had proven her mettle to stand amongst the rest of the women as she plunged her spear deep into the quivering mass of leaves and thorns.

Apolloni surveyed the scene as she gazed down across the sands before the colossus. She spied an escarpment with a visible path that scaled its heights. She nodded her head as she pointed in the direction of their destination. Leaping down off the rocky knoll they had decided to rest on for a time, they followed their navigator towards the far crag. They carefully rationed the water canteens between the seven of them, especially now that they had an additional person to account for in their supplies.

Within the hour they were almost upon the steep pathway that would lead them up and over into the marshlands. A tinkling of rock alerted Zelda's attention to the ledge above them, she thought she saw some shadows against the clear night sky before they darted out of sight. She surged ahead to the front of the group to warn Apolloni of the possible threat.

Without even looking up where Zander was pointing, Apolloni spoke with some irritation, "Yes, I've known we were being followed since before we came to the desert colossus. We are being tracked."

Zelda questioned fearfully, "Why are they not attacking?"

Apolloni shrugged before hefting herself onto the rock face, searching purchase for her limbs, "I've no idea. They are probably only there to keep tabs on us. If they were a threat, they would have attacked by now. Now get climbing."

Sweat rolled off their bodies in waves as they slowly scrabbled up the treacherous cliff face. Several times Zelda or Malon lost their footing or missed a precious handhold and nearly fell several hundred feet to almost certain death, if not incapacitation. It seemed like hours before they finally heaved themselves over the ledge and onto flatter ground.

Apolloni was impatiently tapping her foot as Link, Zelda and Malon attempted to recover from the arduous climb. They had trained for combat, not for acrobatics up steep mountains. The other three women merely smirked at their exhaustion. At length, she finally decided to set up camp a bit further up the sloped path underneath an overhang. With their backs to the rock wall, they could view the environs from a place of strategic comfort.

They quickly erected the two tents and placed them towards the back of the overhang. The three Gerudo warriors had instigated a fire from the scant pieces of wood they were able to find in the local area, it was crackling heartily by the time they settled down near its heat. Malon and Zelda sat on either side of Link; more for comfort than anything else, they hardly knew the other four women. Aveil, Lorva and Merin looked at Link and Zander in longing but dared not sit any closer to the trio for fear of Apolloni's wrath. They opted to sit closer to their leader directly opposite Link and the others past the fire.