The two Gerudo guards by the entrance stood firm, keeping their weapons pointed at him. They seemed ready to kill if Link made another step.
The young Hylian's expression didn't change, as he commanded in his usual expressionless tone: "Let me pass."
"No voe may ever set foot in our town!" declared one guard.
"If you wish to buy or sell, then return to the bazaar." the other said.
"I must speak to your chief immediately." Link explained.
"No excuses! If you do not wish for harm to come upon you, I suggest you leave now and not return."
Link took one step forward, only to get immediately hit back by one of the guards with the blunt end of her spear. Taima barked at the guard, as she got ready to pounce at her.
"Stay down." Link commanded her.
"That was a warning. Next time, I will not hesitate to use the sharp end, young voe. Now leave."
Getting to his feet, Link walked away from the gate. Seeing a shrine right by the wall, he headed to that. As he was walking, he started examining the wall, wondering if maybe he could sneak in via climbing.
"I wouldn't try that buddy." someone said behind him.
Link turned to see a rather fat man in purple clothing standing nearby.
"I've tried sneaking in so many times now. I've lost track of how many times I've gotten thrown out." he explained. "Name's Benja by the way, travelling merchant, and leader of a caravan. I left my group back at the bazaar to try and do some business here, but this town doesn't allow men so... yeah... that's why I'm here..."
"Is there another way inside?" asked Link.
"Nope. Security is extremely tight nowadays. Since the last chief got offed, they're all on edge. Every single way in is guarded to the tooth."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Ah! Well, you see, I'll let you in on a secret." Benja told him, as he began whispering. "I found key info on how to get into Gerudo Town! After a week of getting kicked out over and over again, I had almost given up hope. But then! I learned that a man had managed to slip into this well-guarded town."
"Where can I find him?" questioned the Champion.
"Curious now are you? Well, he frequently travels between Kara Kara Bazaar and Gerudo Town. I'm keeping an eye out for when he travels here."
"Hmm..." Link thought for a moment. With his orders being to accomplish his mission no matter what, the laws of the Gerudo had to be broken. A plan quickly formulated in his head.
First, he went to the shrine, leaving Benja behind.
"You're always welcome to wait around with me!" he called out.
Link went in, finished the shrine puzzle and collected the spirit orb. After leaving, he went up to Benja.
"Is there a faster way than the road to get to the bazaar?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? Of course, right over there." the merchant answered, pointing to a Gerudo tending to some sand-seal, all of them seeming to be domesticated, with bridles of their own.
"You can rent a sand-seal from her. They're really fast and can get you anywhere in the desert in a jiffy."
"Very well. Can you take care of my wolf?"
"Wait what? Uh... Sure, I can do that. Are you gonna be gone for long?"
Link shook his head.
"Oh, alright, I guess I can do that..."
As Link began to walk away, Taima tried to follow him. However, the Champion soon ordered her to stay. The wolf obeyed, lying down on the sand as she watched her master walk away.
"... Well he sure was in a hurry." Benja commented. "Hey don't worry boy, I'm sure he'll be back soo-" As he was leaning in to pet her, the wolf snarled at him with her teeth. The merchant quickly pulled his hand back as he stood aside. "No no, not one who likes to be touched, got it."
After quickly paying for the seal, Link followed the gerudo's instructions on how to ride them.
"Tether yourself well to the bridle now. Stand on your shield, and try to keep your balance. You can order the seal to dash forward, and lean back if you want it to slow down. Am I clear?"
Link nodded.
"Good. Sav'aaq to you sir."
He gave the order for the sand-seal as it dashed forward. Riding a sand-seal proved of little difficulty, as Link seemed to feel as though he had done it before. After a quick ride all the way back to the bazaar, Link dismounted the seal, grabbed his shield, and left his mount behind.
Not knowing where exactly he should find the mystery man he was looking for, he had to resort to asking around, in spite of how strange his questions sounded. It had the same outcome most of the time.
"Have you seen a man who has been able to sneak into Gerudo town?" Link would ask.
"No." the people he was questioning would reply.
After asking almost everyone, he eventually came to the bazaar's general store. Upon asking the head clerk, to his surprise, the question got a different answer, though not entirely what he was looking for.
"A sneaky what? You mean a voe sneaking around town?" asked the shop clerk. "No I have not. There's a Hylian vai however who acts very strangely though. She likes to relax up on the roof, though it's probably too hot up there."
Curious, Link went outside and found a ladder that led up. After climbing up to the top, he saw what appeared to be a rather tanned Hylian woman, with red hair. She wore a pink traditional Gerudo outfit, with a veil to cover her face. She was sitting by the edge of the roof, looking out into the distance.
Link quickly tapped her shoulder, alerting her to his presence.
The woman got up and turned around. "Oh my, what a lovely young lad you are. Do you need something from me?" she asked.
"I've heard of a man who was able to sneak into Gerudo Town. Do you know anything about him?"
"No, I don't. Sorry I can't be of more help..."
Link studied her face suspiciously. It was strange, the way she talked sounded as if it were more an impression than her actual voice. He suddenly began to put the pieces together. How could one enter Gerudo Town without being caught? Only women could enter, which meant that most likely, the only way in was...
"You're a man!" Link realized.
"Oh my! You say the funniest things, young man. Anyway, if you don't need anything, you should be off then." "she" simply responded.
The Champion soon realized that him calling "her" out would be of no use. If he was going to get answers, then he'd have to play by "her" rules.
Trying to sound as convincing as possible, he said: "You're... very beautiful."
"Oh! Such a nice thing to say! And I'm sure you'd agree that these clothes only help my looks, right? Now that I think about it, this style would look quite fetching on you... I'd have to charge you of course, but I bet people would see you completely differently if you wore them! Tell you what, I can give a set, for only 600 rupees."
Knowing what he had to do, Link immediately pulled out his pouch and took out the amount, which was almost all of what he had. He handed them over to "her" and "she" quickly pocketed the money.
"Heehee... I have the perfect outfit for you! Go ahead and change into it right now. Don't worry, I'll look away."
"She" handed him the clothes, before turning her back to Link. After giving an internal sigh, Link reluctantly changed into the outfit.
"♪Eeeeeee!♪ You look adorable!" exclaimed the "woman" as she turned around, "Ahhh heeheehee... Just as I thought! You make for quite a good looking gal."
Link said nothing as he tried to hold back the redness on his face and the increasing sense of embarrassment he was getting.
"Focus. This is necessary. I have to do whatever it takes to get inside. ... These are actually very comfortable though, honestly." he said to himself in his head.
"It's such a striking look around here, I doubt anyone would even suspect you're a man! On top of that, it breathes so well that it's sure to help you deal a little with the desert heat." "she" explained.
Suddenly, a strong breeze blew by, unclipping part of the "woman"'s veil, revealing a short grey beard underneath. Link's assumption had been correct, as he hastily made sure to clip the veil back on.
"... Heh... Make sure to watch out for the wind. Oh, little tip. If you, let's say, happen to find yourself in Gerudo Town, head to the backdoor of the clothes shop called the Fashion Passion. Knock twice and give the person at the door this password: GSC⯁. I think you'll find what they sell there to be... More fitting for you."
"Very well." said Link, as he began to walk away.
"If anyone asks, you never met me!" he told him as the young Hylian walked away.
Later
Link returned to Gerudo Town, now with his disguise on, and headed to the front entrance.
He turned to see Taima asleep and resting on the sand and Benja still standing by, watching. Even as the two made eye contact, the merchant's expression didn't seem to change. The disguise worked on him, but would the guards be convinced?
As he stood in front of the entrance, the two guards looked at him. After scanning him from top to bottom, one of them smiled.
"Vasaaq, little vai!" she said. "Enjoy your time here in our town."
The other guard frowned at her. "We are guards Dorrah, not a welcoming committee. Get back on duty!"
"Oh, right. Proceed."
Link sighed in relief internally as he walked in. It had worked, they didn't suspect a thing.
Now inside, the young Hylian finally could see the town in all its glory. Square buildings made of sandstone filled it, as the place was teeming with life. Clothing stores, food stands, arrows shops, a sand-seal ranch, a bar, and many other places. Water flowed from several built in canals atop the walls to all the nearby buildings, supplying the entire town.
Link saw how tight their security was. Every single entrance he saw had guards posted near them, and patrols passed by him every now and then. At the other side of the town was a large palace, bigger than all the other buildings.
Acting as casually as possible, ignoring a few glances shot at him by the women of the town, he walked hastily past them to the palace, heading up the stone stairs to the entrance. The guards standing by were occupied with talking to two other women, both explaining why they couldn't enter. Taking advantage of their distraction, the Champion entered the palace.
Link walked across the room, between two statuettes of Gerudo warriors and across a bright red carpet. The main room of the palace was mostly empty, all except for two people on the other side.
A young Gerudo girl, about 12 years old, was sitting on a throne made of gold and sandstone. She wore a bright, golden crown, a black dress, and her bright red hair was tied in a braid. The girl was busy speaking with a tall, burly Gerudo warrior in golden armor, claymore in both her hands, standing beside her.
"Has there been any change in Naboris' behavior?"
"Every day the Divine beast comes closer to our town, bringing its storm along with it. Aside from that, nothing has changed."
Suddenly spotting the young Hylian in front of her, the girl turned her head to face him.
"Yet another traveler. How did you get here?" she asked. As she studied the newcomer, she suddenly spotted the Sheikah Slate on his hip.
"Oh. It seems you have something interesting there..."
As Link was about to step forward, the warrior beside the girl suddenly struck the ground with the tip of her greatsword.
"You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo! Declare your business, but come no closer." she ordered.
"Hold on Buliara..." intervened the chief, "This one appears to be more than a common traveler. You there, what is your name?"
"Link." said the Hylian briefly, doing his best to sound as feminine as possible.
"Link... And what is it you've come all the way to tell me here, Link?"
"I have come here to calm the Divine Beast Vah Naboris."
"You think you have what it takes to subdue something so powerful as a Divine Beast? The only ones who could ever control them were Champions like Lady Urbosa. And all of the Champions died in the Calamity 100 years ago." Buliara scoffed.
"But Buliara, haven't you been listening to the rumors? Both Vah Ruta and Medoh were calmed down by a young Hylian swordsman." Riiju pointed out.
"Rumors my lady, rumors. Information from the rest of Hyrule has been difficult to come by now, we cannot trust everything we hear."
"I understand... Hmm... A memory just jumped into my head, something my mother spoke of."
"... Sahira? What did she tell you?"
"It was so closely similar to what the travelers have been talking about. During the Calamity, the princess of Hyrule placed a fallen swordsman into a deep slumber. Much like our new friend here, his name was Link... though it seemed more legend than fact."
"I am well aware of the legends of old, Lady Riju. But, do those same stories not also say that the Hylian Champion carried a legendary sword? I see no such weapon in this person's care."
"They do indeed... If I recall correctly, it was called the sword that seals the darkness. The princess supposedly hid it away in the Lost Woods... But what about the device on his hip? From the markings, it appears to be a precious relic of the Sheikah. I can't imagine they'd give something so valuable to a simple drifter, can you?" Riju asked her bodyguard.
"Hmm... Perhaps what you say is true. But, I do not recall there being a Hylian vai among the Champions- " she suddenly paused for a moment, as her eyes shot open. "Wait a moment, you're a voe!" she cried as she raised her claymore threateningly, ready to attack.
Link was about to draw his weapon when Riju intervened.
"Stay your blade, Buliara!" she called out to her guard, before turning to Link. "A voe within our walls is a great crime. But a voe who is a Champion..."
"Lady Riju, the laws must be followed." interjected Buliara.
"Some rules need to be bent a little. We'd never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa. And if you're here to help us with Naboris, we are allies."
Link lowered his guard. That name of the Champion they spoke of, it sounded familiar to him. Unfortunately, no memory of the person came to mind.
"Very well. What must I do?" Link requested.
"You saw it on your way to town." Riju told him, "Divine Beast Vah Naboris, cloaked in a massive sandstorm, hurling lightning at any who dare to approach. We have to do something to stop it, but we have yet to find any way to appease the Divine Beast on our own. If you truly are a Champion, perhaps you will be able to enter Naboris and calm its anger."
Buliara however, interjected once again: "Lady Riju! I don't see how you can trust a complete stranger with something as important as this task. Perhaps, it would be wiser to test him first. Have him retrieve what was stolen from us weeks ago."
"Ah, yes... An interesting suggestion." Riju answered.
Link stood there, awaiting what their test would be.
"To prove yourself, you must retrieve the Thunder Helm, a family heirloom and Gerudo relic, from the vile clutches of the Yiga Clan."
It was then that the Champion suddenly realized that this test would be harder than any he had faced before.
(To be continued...)
(Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you later, bye!)