#botr32

[katedoesfics]

Breath of the Resistance: Chapter 32

“Do you know where he is?”

Riju was singing loudly to the music on the radio. Her left arm dangled out the window, occasionally tapping against the door of the car with the beat of the song. She glanced at Zelda and grinned before turning back to the road. She let her hand move up and down against the breeze as they sped along the interstate.

“I know where they dropped him,” she said.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at Riju. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Riju started, “that I know where they like to drop anyone who has been banished from Hyrule. I also know that it was quite a few hours ago, and I know that the weather in the wastelands are...” She paused and put her hand to her chin for a moment, as if trying to choose her next words carefully. “Well, let's just say no one would survive out there for very long. It's way more unpredictable than in the desert, even when Vah Naboris was tramping about all pissed off. It's called a wasteland for a reason, Princess.”

“Thanks for the clarification,” Zelda muttered. Her heart sank in her chest as she turned her gaze out her window.

“But you don't need to worry,” Riju continued on. “I mean, considering he can withstand the below freezing temperatures, and as long as no sandstorms kick up, I'd say he has a pretty good chance at surviving a couple of days. He's pretty tough.” She turned her gaze to Zelda and a wide grin split her face. “Did you know he took out a horde of Yiga foot soldiers with just his fists?”

Zelda raised a brow. “Really?”

Riju laughed. “I don't know, but it sounds like something he'd do!”

Zelda slunk back into her seat.

“Oh, come on,” Riju said. “Loosen up. Link's fine out there, and he's got a rescue crew coming his way. Not that he'd need us. I'm sure once we get there, he'll be walking out of a sandstorm, guns blazing!”

“Guns blazing?”

“Yeah,” Riju started excitedly as she imagined the scene. “Those Sheikah would have tried to kick him off, but he would have been all like, 'Oh, hell no!' And he would have kicked their guns out of their hands and the helicopter would have exploded and he would have taken out all the nasties in the wasteland and -”

“Nasties?” Zelda interrupted. “What exactly is out there?”

“Oh, all kinds of mean things,” Riju said with a grin. “Rumor has it, there's even a dragon out there!”

Zelda sighed. “I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into.”

Riju met Zelda's gaze once more, but this time, her expression was more serious. “I've seen the blights that took the Divine Beasts from us. I saw what they did to the Champions. To Urbosa. No one knows better than me.” Her smiled returned. “And I couldn't be more eager to fight against the evil with everything I've got.” She turned her gaze back to the road. “And maybe you haven't realized it yourself, but Link's pretty much a bad ass. If he can walk away from a fight with Ganon, he can walk away from anything.”

Zelda turned to look back out her window. “What about us?” she asked. “How do we survive the wastelands?”

“Well,” she started. “We pray we don't get lost and fucked up by whatever's out there.”

*****

Riju and Zelda waited outside of Gerudo City. It was almost an hour before Teba, Sidon, and Yunobo finally showed up, and Zelda's patience was wearing thin. She kept her gaze focused on the horizon behind the city, tapping her foot against the sand. The night was cold; colder than Zelda would have predicted, and she pulled her jacket tighter. She turned around as the oversized SUV pulled up in front of them and she breathed a warm sigh of relief in the cold night air.

“What took you so long?” Riju said, her hands on her hips. “It's damn cold out here.”

Teba was the first to step out from the passenger side. He narrowed his eyes as Riju as Sidon stepped out next, then Yunobo from the back seat.

“We had to dispose of them,” Teba said simply.

“What do you mean you had to dispose of them?” Zelda hissed.

Teba smiled. “Relax,” he said. “We locked 'em up.”

“Cuffed 'em!” Yunobo said.

Teba strode towards Zelda and handed her two guns. “We came prepared, too.”

Zelda hesitated but took the weapons from him. “They're Sheikah,” she said. “It's unlikely that that will hold them back.”

“I guess we better get moving, then,” Sidon said. “Before they beat us to it.”

“Do you have any idea where you're taking us?” Teba asked, his eyes narrowed on Riju.

Riju smiled and waved at hand at him. “Of course I do,” she said. “Just stick close or,” she leaned forward and wiggled her fingers at them, trying her best to look frightening, “be lost in the wastelands forever.”

Yunobo's eyes moved between them hesitantly. “Lost?” he gulped. “Forever?”

Riju grinned and straightened. “Let's go!” And she slid into the driver's seat. She started the ignition and raised the volumed of the radio.

Zelda slid in beside her, and as soon as the others were back in the SUV, Riju slammed on the gas and they flew through the desert. Sidon followed closely behind as Riju navigated around the city and left the road behind as they sped out into the open desert. The full moon was bright against the dark, starlit sky, hovering just above the horizon, providing more light than the headlights could even attempt in the vast, endless desert.

“How far out is this place?” Zelda asked.

“Almost a hundred miles,” Riju said. “It'll take us just under a couple hours to get there.” She turned her gaze to Zelda. “They're serious when they banish people out there.”

“Apparently,” Zelda muttered.

“We'll find him,” Riju assured her. “Hell, he might even find us, first.” She began to sing along cheerfully to the song playing on the radio.

Zelda turned her gaze to the guns in her lap. She turned one of them over slowly in her hands. They looked like the ones that belonged to Link, perhaps plucked right out of Dorian's hands. She slid out the magazine; it was loaded. She slid it in carefully, listening for the click, and sighed through her nose.

“Ever shot one before?” Riju asked, glancing at her.

“Once,” Zelda said. She closed her eyes and relaxed against the seat. “Link showed me.”

“Good,” Riju said with a nod. “A woman ought to know how to defend herself.”

Zelda smiled and looked at the gun once more. She could recall the feeling of Link's hands around hers, strong and warm and comforting.

“So, what's the deal, anyway?” Riju said, bringing Zelda out of her thoughts. “Why did they banish him?”

Zelda sucked in a breath. “It's a long story,” she said.

“We have a long drive.” Riju winked at her.

“Link has been... suspicious... of Dorian, for a long time. He believes that he was working with the Yiga Clan.”

“The rogue Sheikah,” Riju said with a nod. “Dorian is one of them?”

“Yes,” Zelda said. “We weren't positive before, but I think it's safe to say that he is. Apparently Link destroyed the Yiga Clan and their leader, and when Dorian found it, he convinced Impa to have him banished. He has the Master Sword, now, and I'm afraid he'll use it to bring back Ganon.”

“Shit,” Riju muttered. “But you and Link just sealed him away, right?”

Zelda nodded.

“I'm just glad you were still in Kakariko,” Riju said. “Saved us from having to hunt you down, too.”

Zelda smiled to Riju. “I appreciate your help,” she said. “I really didn't have much of a plan myself.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I don't have much of a plan, either. I just knew that something was wrong and you were probably in trouble.” Riju offered a smile to Zelda. “But we'll figure out.”

Worn thin from the emotional roller coaster that had been the last few days, Zelda wasn't up for chatting, but she listened as Riju babbled on and offered the necessary head nods and responses at the appropriate times. Her gaze was out the window, watching the empty desert move by, desperately searching for some sign of Link.

They had driven just over two hours when Riju finally stopped the car. She had grown quiet over the last half hour, and now she let herself lean back into the seat, staring out the windshield. Sidon pulled up beside them and Teba rolled down a window, catching Riju's attention.

“Well?” Teba asked when Riju rolled down her own window. “What's going on?”

“We passed the drop a half an hour ago,” Riju said, her expression more serious than it had ever been. “And there's no sign of Link.”