Blighted Memories

Chapter 35. Saviors of Hyrule

The warmth of the tiny, vigilant flame that flickered in the globe of the lantern was left unfelt by the large group, for the grip of the icy coldness of the Gerudo Desert was simply too strong. Link was on his last Spicy Potion left over from when he and Kilton had crashed into the Hebra Mountains. He hoped it would be enough. He wasn't exactly planning on Dark Link to freeze time and plunge the world into an abyssal darkness.

Izichi led the group further into the desert. Link had returned his lantern to him and joined him at the front using his sword as a secondary light source, the rest of the Yiga hanging behind them. Due to the group's size, they made slow progress, slower than Link would've preferred at least. Their goal was simple: get everyone to safety. They were hoping for help in Gerudo Town. At least half of the group couldn't enter due to a law of theirs that barred men from entry, but they were hoping to at least get medical supplies or a place to stay at the nearby Kara Kara Bazaar—a small oasis that visitors, especially men, frequently stayed at.

Link just wondered how willing they would be to help Yiga clansmen. After all, they truly were Hyrule's most infamous villains besides Ganon. He was certain they'd be arrested on the spot...although he supposed prison was a safe haven of sorts as well, at least in comparison to the horrors Dark Link had unleashed.

At least they wouldn't be saving them like he was.

Link was still mulling over Astor's comments three hours after they were made. There was just something about them that had wriggled into his mind and tore through it like a ravenous, parasitic worm. Dark Link's origin as his own dark thoughts, him losing his temper, him saving villains when they didn't deserve it...those points of Astor's just ate at him. Was he really doing the right thing? He just didn't want anyone else to die, how was that so wrong? Then again, they were villains. But they'd lost most of their people already, what did more killings accomplish? But he cared about their victims too, did sparing them insult those they'd harmed?

He clutched the right side of his face. His head was pounding. Astor was walking close behind him, almost looming over him, and Link wished he could get away.

"D-d-d-don't worry, f-f-f-ellas, g-g-g-gals and other p-p-p-pals!" Kohga said to the group of Yiga, shivering from the cold. "O-o-once we get to the t-t-t-town, the Gerudo w-will s-surely help us! They've got no reason not t-to!"

"We kidnapped two women from their town, attempted to sabotage their water supply, set a building on fire, and stole one of their precious heirlooms," one of the grunts pointed out. "And that was just last month."

"F-f-for the record," Kohga began, "th-th-those two women somehow escaped completely unsc-sc-scathed, so it's no big deal. I-i-it was only an ATTEMPT to sabotage it, m-meaning it didn't work, so nothing happened at all. Th-the building we set on f-fire was a jail, s-s-so e-everyone inside probably deserved it anyway, so we really did them a favor for doing it. And the heirloom was st-stolen back by th-th-those women we kidnapped. So really, no harm done! I-if anything, they'd be o-o-overreacting if they held that against us!"

"Sp-speaking of holding, give me your body heat, minions," Kohga said. "I-it's so damn freezing!"

Some of the group surrounded Master Kohga. Most didn't mind, mainly because it meant they would get warmer as well.

"Ah, much better!" Kohga said.

Link just wondered why the Yiga had such a terrible record when it came to competent leaders.

The group continued on into the dark desert. Link realized just how much he'd taken the stars and moon for granted at night. Everything, from the rocks, the cactuses and the nearby ruins blended into the darkness, disappearing until they came into close proximity to the light of his sword or Izichi's lantern. They couldn't see at all where they were headed.