Chapter Text
"Pssst."
Link flinches and looks behind him. Hiding halfway-behind a banner, he spots a Yiga Blademaster beckoning him over. Kela, he's pretty sure. The flickering torchlight barely reaches this corner, granting them the cover of darkness.
"Listen, kid. I have a big opportunity for you. You want a promotion, yes? Everyone wants a promotion."
Link straightens his mask nervously, eventually nodding. The other Yiga completely towers over him.
"Everyone wants a promotion," Kela repeats to himself, "anyway, you're what, sixteen?"
"Twelve."
"Whatever. No difference. Listen, you're a very skilled fighter. More than skilled enough to go on actual missions."
"Really?"
"Shh. Let's keep this on the down-low. You're going to steal that Thunder Helm from the Gerudo."
"But -- Master Kohga said -"
"Promotion, remember? Anyway, Kohga is a coward. The signs are all there. Hyrule's Princess is going to drop her stasis spell soon, and when that happens we're going to need to be ready for the thunder. Kohga is going to squander this opportunity by trying to keep a low profile, just like his grandfather completely blew it when Ganon emerged."
"Okay, fine. How… do I…?"
"Go get a disguise and get going. You'll figure it out. Learn on the job."
Kela grabs Link by the shoulders and swivels him around, pushing him forwards. "The others already know what's up. Chop-chop!"
Despite Kela's annoyingly casual attitude about the whole idea, Link is shaking a little as he hurries through the passageways. This is an immense weight on his shoulders, one that would have him killed by the Gerudo or Kohga himself if he found out. He's lucky he doesn't stand out; ever since he started dyeing his hair black he can just blend into the crowd of Footsoldiers.
He finds his way to the armoury, and has barely stepped across the threshold when a roll of cards is pressed into his hands and he's ushered back out.
Looking back over his shoulder as the attendant pushes him, he can see why. Kohga is already in the room, staring over the developers' shoulders as they pen the spells on the cards. Kohga glances up and Link's breath catches. Even though neither of them can see each other's faces, Link is sure that Kohga has him figured out. The inverted eye stares directly at him, the man's head slightly tilted.
Link keeps moving, shoving through the milling crowd and leaving the armoury behind. He's much shorter than everyone else, so disappearing out of sight is incredibly easy, so long as someone doesn't -
He's grabbed by an earring, forcing him to stop in his tracks to avoid tearing his uniform. "Hey!"
Link swipes at the hand holding his accessory, turning as much as he can to see his accoster. It's one of the initiates, of course. They all have it out for him for some reason. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" Ikki taunts, one hand on his hip.
With no other weapons on hand, Link lifts his arm, threatening to cut him with his guard-spikes. "Kela wanted me to fetch something. Durians."
Ikki quickly releases him before he can cut his hand, holding his hands up in mock-surrender and rotating his entire face to make it clear he's rolling his eyes. "Of course. You do everything Kela tells you to. Grow a spine, loser."
The surrounding initiates laugh, but nobody blocks his path.
The roll of cards has a hastily written set of instructions stuffed into its centre. Most of the cards are for a disguise as a Hylian girl, with a couple to summon a sickle or Longblade if things go south. Link has a small knife sheathed at the small of his back, but he won't be able to use that without dispelling the disguise.
Link crumples the small paper, lifting his mask slightly to shove it into his mouth and swallow. There's no such thing as taking too many precautions. Kela has already implicated him into the mildly-treasonous scheme, whether or not he actually goes through with it. He might as well follow it to its end.
He quickly unrolls the cards. They're twice the length of traditional playing cards, coloured a deep, shiny red with golden sigils. The disguises are easy enough to use, just slap a card on your masked forehead, and wrap the others around your upper arms, wrists and ankles. With a quick set of hand motions, the array of cards activates with a puff of smoke.
When it clears, he's an entirely different person. A Hylian girl, with soft red hair that reaches down to her back. Dressed in an ankle-length Hateno dress, they make for a very unremarkable traveller, especially in Gerudo Town.
The cards are the culmination of centuries of Yiga technological development. The complex spells make a disguise even feel real to the touch. There's no trace of their Yiga armour or mask, only the bright eyes of a cheerful girl.
Link leans forward slightly, peering over the edge of the outcropping to the Gerudo Canyon Stable. They can spot a disguised Yiga soldier down there, chatting up a group of travellers. Yiga masks allow members of the clan to identify each other, showing glowing red lines where the cards that make up a disguise are hidden. It's a strange sensation, to have your vision augmented by a mask that you cannot feel yourself wearing.
Nobody is looking Link's way, so they can climb down unseen and join the crowd. They're not used to the illusory dress, and almost trip over a couple of times.
"Do you need something?" the Yiga soldier asks, turning from his conversation to look down at them. "You look like you might be lost." He flicks his illusory hair confidently.
Link sees his eyes dart from their forehead to wrists, utterly failing to hide his knowing look. Link can't recognise his voice through the disguise, but they have a few guesses as to who this might be. "I, uh… yeah. I'm looking for my aunt."
"If I you need me to, I'd be happy to escort you to Gerudo Town," the towering Gerudo woman beside him muses, "but, it is a long journey, and I'm actually wanting to meet someone at Outskirt Stable in a few days."
"Oh, it's okay…" Link says nervously. Staying in character is a bit too much of a task when you're stuck with one person for days. Instead, he points at the disguised Yiga solider. "He can go with me."
"What?" the soldier startles, and tries to smile through his annoyed grimace. "I guess I am going that way."
The Gerudo woman laughs, and wanders away to talk to a merchant.
"Seriously?" the Yiga soldier hisses. "I was doing something. I don't have time to follow you across the desert."
Link shrugs. "Kela's orders."
The Gerudo Desert isn't too bad at this time of year. The wet season -- or as close as you can get to one -- has almost finished, leaving the desert lush with transient oases and the faintest touch of humidity.
After a couple days of travel, they bid Kabanda, who is clearly still annoyed, goodbye. The guards at the gates let them in with no thought.
Gerudo Town is bustling with activity. Merchants call out to passers-by, and a busker plays a tune on a lyre. A pair of innocuous travellers leaning against a wall are unmistakably Yiga, cards slapped lopsidedly across their foreheads. Children run about, seemingly without a care in the world.
Link had heard that the current chief is a child, but none of the young girls stand out from each other. They're dressed more or less the same, and no leader would stoop so low as to dress the same as their subjects. There's no crown in sight. The chieftain is most likely in the throne room, or one of the inner chambers of her palace.
They need to somehow gather information without garnering any unwanted attention. Fiddling with a lock of illusionary hair, they survey the town. Guards are a bad idea in general, since they're trained to remember faces. The shopkeepers probably won't remember them in the endless stream of customers, but won't be all that talkative.
A lone girl is sitting on top of a wall, resting her head in her hands and staring distantly across the desert. Atop her head is the unmistakable crown of their chief. Well, that was easy.
Link runs over and scales the wall, hauling themself up the sandstone and almost falling face-first into the canal. With careful steps, they walk along the rim of the canal, hands held out to the sides even though they have no trouble balancing. The girl glances over at them, but turns away again.
This calls for dramatic attention-grabbing measures.
Link takes a few more slow steps forward and leans slightly over the water. With a flurry of over-exaggerated hand waving, they let themself fall backwards into the stream. "Ah!"
The girl turns to look again, letting out a giggle. "Do be careful. It can be slippery at this time of year."
Link laughs, shaking out their soggy sleeve. "I'd noticed! This is a pretty cool spot, sorry if I splashed you. I'm Malon, by the way."
"It's alright. Riju."
Link tries to stand, but the underwater tiles are slippery. Leaning into the difficulty, they scramble a few times and fall back again. Riju stands, stepping into the water to help them up.
"Thanks." They take her hand and pull themself to their feet. "You can really see a lot from up here. Have you been watching something cool?" Riju is a little younger than them, but not by much. She's probably about ten.
"Not really. I've just been thinking," she sweeps her long braid over her shoulder, swiping water droplets off it.
"Thinking's boring," Link proclaims, hands on their hips, "I'd much rather go look at sand seals."
"Sand seals are awesome." Riju agrees.
Link pauses. The bracelet they'd swiped from Kabanda is not around their wrist anymore. "Where'd-" they take a couple of steps downstream, carefully examining the blue tiles. "Did it wash away?"
"…Did you drop something?" Riju asks carefully.
"Yes, my bracelet! I hope it didn't go down a drain." That thing had to have been worth at least ten rupees.
"Is this it?" Riju asks, unexpectedly holding it, "it was -"
"Wow! You're like magic!" Link proclaims, taking it back, "thank you so much, Riju." The turn it over in their hands, thinking. "…It doesn't look like much, but was my mother's."
Riju stays silent, but they spot her expression minutely soften. Perfect.
"It's a special charm bracelet. Each one represents a place she's been." Kabanda's amateur woodcarving makes this a bit difficult, but they single out a bead that might be a cucco if you squint. "This one is for Rito village."
One… two… three…
"Here, do you want a look at it?" They hand the bracelet to Riju, who takes it reverently. "I think I'm going to add to it with my own travels, now that it's mine. It's a way to keep us connected, you know?"
Riju sighs. "I wish I felt the same way. Everything I have of my mother only emphasises how… far apart we are now." She scrubs at her eye with the back of her hand, "…what's this one supposed to be?"
Some kind of spikey blob. It doesn't look like anything. "Uh, it's a… Korok. They're mythical creatures, but my mother always said she saw one. She always loved magical things. I do too."
Riju carefully hands the bracelet back. "Would you like to meet my sand seal? Her name is Patricia."
Link slips the ugly bracelet back onto their wrist, "you have your own sand seal? That's so cool!"
"Of course! Every chief needs her own seal." Riju leads Link across the walls and towards the palace.
"I didn't know you were the chief!" Link lies easily.
"Doesn't the crown made it obvious?"
"I haven't been to Gerudo Town before! I guess I just thought you were really fashionable!"
Riju laughs loudly, surprising the guards stationed at the palace door as they pass them. Link hears them whisper to each other, clearly moved by the poor little chief being happy for once.
Walking past the throne and into the next room, Riju shoos her guards away. "Give us some space!"
Laying leisurely in the middle of the courtyard is a massive bulk of fur and ribbons. With a huff, the immense sand seal sits up. Riju pats the long fur on the side of its face affectionately. "Malon, this is Patricia. She's something of an oracle, but I haven't been able to understand her myself just yet."
"That's a lot of ribbons." Link observes blankly. "Did you say she can tell the future?"
Patricia turns to glare at them, snorting loudly. She thuds her tail repeatedly, stirring up a small cloud of dust.
"Not the future." Riju says, burying her face in the seal's sandy fluff. "Just the present. She sees things exactly as they are, in a way that others cannot."
That doesn't sound good. The sand seal still hasn't stopped staring at Link. A deep, menacing rumble emanates from its throat. Its tusks look very long, and really sharp…
"Oh, why are you growling? Don't be rude." Riju admonishes, "Are you hungry? Would you like a melon?"
The seal is quickly distracted by the promise of food. She slaps on the ground again, and Riju happily throws her a fruit.
"Do you want to go seal surfing with me tomorrow?"
Link drops the mosaic in front of Kabanda. A piece is dislodged by the impact and skitters across the table. Nobody in the workshop pays any mind, more than used to the sound of things breaking. It's the Yiga Clan hideout, after all.
"What is this?" the other Yiga asks, picking up the shattered tiles.
"The chief of the Gerudo broke it while playing with her toys. I offered to fix it." Link announces, "She didn't want her servants finding out."
"Alright then," Kabanda says, "it won't be too hard. There's glue under the table."
Link leans over the table, "No. You're going to do it. I don't have time for these things. You love crafting, so you might as well make yourself useful for once."
"Not unless you ask nicely. And I know you've been stealing my stuff."
"What are you going to do about it? Fight me? You know who'd win." With that, Link turns and leaves the room. Despite being six years older than Link, Kabanda is an unskilled coward. Worst of all, he's actually friendly, which just means he's even more of a pushover.
Kela is leaning against the wall just outside, not even trying to pretend he wasn't eavesdropping.
"What exactly are you doing? Are you helping the enemy?"
"I'm getting her to trust me."
"Hmm. Clever thinking. You clearly haven't been learning from Kohga's finest. Seriously, these guys keep wasting their disguises by using them to commit crimes in broad daylight. It may help keep the Clan in the shadows, but disguises are expensive! We can't keep wasting them like this."
Link nods curtly. He can just barely hear Kohga screaming at his agents across the hideout.
"Anyway, keep it up champ. I'd like the Helm before next month."
Kela strides away, humming to himself.
With that meeting smoothly dealt with and Kabanda working on the mosaic, Link naturally has time to kill. Hopefully no-one's touched his stuff. He keeps it in the rafters above one of the training rooms, but there's no guarantee of privacy even up there; the Yiga are famously nosey.
He avoids any confrontations with other Clan members, and climbs up his ladder as quickly as possible. Crossing the thin rafters to his little nook in the wall is as easy as breathing. The ledge is barely larger than a coffin, but it's his spot, which is what matters. Hidden up here, there's some actual privacy.
Link's blankets and collection of cool rocks and other trinkets is undisturbed, but a quick rummage through his bag reveals that most of his food is missing.
Oh well, aside from the candied honey, most of the stuff would have gone bad. He just wonders who would want to loot his uncooked rice of all things. Whoever it was had better actually cook it before they try to eat it.
There's some commotion in the room below. He lifts off his mask and sticks his legs over the edge to spectate. Seems like Kohga hasn't cooled off his temper yet, and is now yelling at the Blademasters who had just been innocently using the training room to lift weights.
"What happened to the sense of order around this place!?" Kogha shouts, pacing in a circle. "Nobody here knows any discipline."
Kohga slams his fist against a post, shaking cards loose. "Not ready… None of you are ready…" He mutters.
He looks up at the rafters and spots Link. While Link fumbles to put his mask back on, Kohga snaps a finger. A ball of blue light forms around Link's foot. It suddenly shoots down, pulling Link with it to crash onto the dusty floor.
Ignoring a sharp pain in his ankle, Link jumps to his feet.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks."
"Kela sent me on a mission. Sir!" Link drops into a bow.
"On what authority? He's not Master, I am! You are not doing anything without my say-so." The anger is practically emanating from Kohga. The Blademasters are standing as still as possible, seemingly in hope that Kohga forgets they were there.
Kela sighs dramatically, appearing in a puff of smoke. "It's short-sighted to not utilize Link. He's the perfect age to be underestimated, but he'd be able to beat anyone in a fight, easily."
"Bah! Blatant favouritism! If that's so, then why don't we put him to the test? If he's able to match me in a duel, then maybe I will tolerate your judgement."
Kohga turns on his heel, and starts barking orders to the Blademasters to clear out the obstacles in the area.
"Wooo!" Kohga yells. "Am I good or what!" A few members of the crowd cheer along with him.
Link just lies there, trying to catch his breath. He's pelted with banana peels from the audience.
Kela squats down next to him. "Well, that was rough. You were doing great! Until he decided to use magic. A little unfair, that one. But don't let that get you down, you're only nine years old, you've got plenty of time to hone your skills."
"…Twelve." Link groans, but Kela isn't paying attention.
"Well, go find someone to patch you up. I still expect you to get the Thunder Helm." Kela's voice fades away as he leaves. The room grows very quiet, enough for Link to hear the echoes of his own breaths.
Link sighs. Some part of his face is bleeding, stinking up the inside of his mask with the unpleasant odour of metal. That's going to be an annoying stain to clean out. He tries to sit up, but decides against it and lays back down. His ribs sting a bit.
Someone grabs his hand, and he doesn't resist as he's dragged across the floor. He really had been doing pretty well, until Kohga had started ranting about his mother's father and summoning way too many spiked metal balls. If he'd focused more on dodging straight away, he probably wouldn't have shattered his sword and doomed any chance of winning.
"Oh dear." Kabanda says. Link is somehow in the workshops now, scraps of wood chips right in his face. He doesn't remember how he got here. The older Yiga sits him up despite his protests and starts trying to wrap his wounds. "I finished the mosaic, if you still care about that. It was missing a couple of pieces so I just used some polished wood."
Link really doesn't care. Gerudo Town and Riju feel like an entire world away. All he wants to do is curl up into a ball and fall asleep forever.
Kabanda hands him some rice balls. "I won't force you to, but you should eat something. It's probably best if you can stay out of Kohga's sight for the next few days, I'll cover for you if you need… Anyway, I'll be going now. Nobody's supposed to be talking to you until the end of the week."
Link doesn't feel like lifting his arms, so he just sits there for a while, staring at the gift in his hands. Sometimes…
He won't finish that thought. Eventually, he lifts his mask and takes a bite of rice. It doesn't do much to get the taste of blood out of his mouth.
"Do you ever feel like you just want to run away from all your problems?" Link idly asks, staring out to the desert. From the Gerudo palace, they can see across the endless dunes to the Divine Beast, impossibly huge yet so small on the horizon.
Riju looks at them funny from the corner of her eye. "Sometimes… yes. Of course I do. For the past few months, I've been wishing that somehow, Lady Urbosa escapes her stasis and takes over as chief from me. I have so much responsibility to my people, though, that I cannot spend my time with such fantasies. Gerudo Town needs me, no matter much I'd rather it not be true."
"You're very wise. And brave." Link runs their hand their hand through their long red hair. Whatever scratches are still on their face are hidden underneath Malon's.
"I learned from the best." Riju smiles. "My mother always said that as a leader, you should always focus on the things that you can change. I can't just wait for someone to solve my problems for me. I have to face them myself."
She pauses, "If there is anything you'd like to talk about…"
They dip into a very awkward silence. Link absently reaches to touch the card wrapped around their left wrist, lifting the edge of the paper ever so slightly with their thumb. The red glow shines through their fingers, completely invisible to Riju.
Completely invisible to anyone outside the Clan.
It's about time to change the subject. "I heard there's a Molduga causing trouble not too far from town."
"Yes. A real annoyance, that one. The guards have been arguing about how to deal with it for hours."
Link tilts their head towards Riju. "I always wondered if they were weak to elemental attacks. It's annoying that shock fruit aren't in season. I'd love to chuck some at them."
Riju takes a step back, hands proudly on her hips. "Well, luckily, we don't need any. I have my own power of lightning!"
"What! That's incredible! Can you obliterate your enemies simultaneously like Urbosa?" Link punches at the air like they're boxing an invisible enemy. This is bad. Since when could Riju use lightning?
"…No. Not quite. My accuracy is really poor. I'm definitely not bold enough to try striking more than one place at a time."
"I know a thing or two about accuracy," Link says, "I might be able to help you learn, so long as you don't electrocute me."
"…There is a way… but Buliara won't like it." Riju says. She heads for the door, holding a hand out to Link, "Meet me at Lookout Post."
The sun is near the horizon, casting a deep shadow from the lookout rock. Link sits in the shadow beside their rented sand seal, waiting.
The seal begins barking excitedly when Riju finally approaches, sledding behind Patricia. The Thunder Helm is tucked under her arm.
Link's heartrate increases immediately, nerves making every move feel heavy and impossible.
It's right there.
"So long as we're not out for too long, Buliara won't notice that I took it." Riju lifts the heavy Helm, holding it in front of her face. "I just need to activate it first."
Link feels like they've forgotten how to breathe.
She awkwardly puts the Thunder Helm on. It's clearly much too big for her. Riju turns to face the desert and lifts her arms up to the sky.
"Ancestors of the Gerudo! Hear my call!"
Nothing happens.
"I require your help!"
Frustrated, Riju adjusts the Helm again.
"If I am to learn my powers, I need your aid to protect my friend!"
The seals dash away playing happily with each other, oblivious.
Link's eyes flick to examine the distant town. They can't see any guards outside, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not being watched.
Riju drops her hands, head still angled up.
"…Please. Mother… can you even hear me?"
Her shoulders begin shaking, and her breath grows ragged. She takes the Helm off, defeated.
"It was a stupid plan, anyway. I'll go put this back… we can just go seal surfing again."
Link doesn't move. Slowly, they reach up to touch the Thunder Helm.
Riju takes a couple of steps back towards town, scrubbing at her face with one hand. "Come on, Malon."
They stare a moment longer, and lunge.
Link grabs the Helm with both hands, slamming into Riju with their shoulder. The small girl falls into the sand. Link starts backing away, holding the heirloom tightly.
"…What?" Riju stares up at them in confusion. The tears she had been fighting openly run down her face. "What's going on?"
Link turns and runs.
"You're not Malon!" Riju realises, horrified. "What have you done to her? BULIARA! HELP!"
Link breaks into a sprint.
The desert is a horrible place to run. The sand is uneven, their boots sinking deeply into it with every step and making it hard to not trip. The dress certainly isn't helping.
Link can hear Riju running behind them. They loop their arm through the metal ring of the Helm, freeing their hands. They dispel the disguise, revealing their Yiga armour.
Riju shouts even more.
Now with access to his stowed knife, Link makes a beeline to Patricia and smoothly slices one of the bands of its harness. With it ruined, Riju won't be able to seal surf after him.
He keeps running, reaching his own seal, grabbing the rope and shield and urging it to dash at full speed.
There's nowhere to hide, just endless flat plains. This was perhaps the worst place to steal something in broad daylight.
Link looks over his shoulder at the Lookout. A Gerudo soldier had emerged from inside the hut, and already has a bow drawn.
Arrows thud into the sand just beside him, and he spurs the sand seal to dash even faster.
Link steers the seal deeper into the desert. He doesn't want to lead them back to the Yiga hideout, so he'll take the long way around.
They pass near the Divine Beast. Its giant, mechanical form looms over the desert, casting a long shadow that stretches for miles across the cooling dunes. One leg is lifted from the ground, its next step interrupted.
Somewhere up there, high above the sand, a lone Gerudo warrior is fighting a monster. They've been there for nearly a century, frozen in time.
One day, the Beast will take another step, and someone inside will fall with it.
The people of Gerudo Town barely mention it at all. It's just a part of life.
Such an immense threat to everything the Yiga value. The pinnacle of the tech that they lost. It's many things at once, but right now, it's beautiful.
Link dismounts the seal, letting it take a rest for a couple of minutes. He just sits, and stares, and wonders.
"Oh wow." Kela says giddily. "You really did it."
The Blademaster dances around, holding the Thunder Helm in the air.
"This'll show Kohga. Thinking we should keep a low profile, conserve resources… focus on recruiting…"
Kela spins the Helm around, staring into its eye-gems. "It looks pretty weird. Make sure you bring a sword or two to the clan meeting tonight. We're both going to get a big promotion."
Oh. It's going to be a coup.
Link isn't sure how that didn't occur to him before.
The clan members mill about the grand entrance hall, waiting for the meeting to begin. Link just has his knife and the cards to summon a longblade, since there's not much he can do to conceal one on his person.
He can spot several other clan members carrying weapons. Mostly Kela's fellow Blademasters, but a few footsoldiers have freshly sharpened sickles at their hips.
The lights begin to dim, hushing the crowd. A spotlight shines on the elevated platform in the centre of the room.
In a flurry of cards, Kohga appears in the light. The audience claps politely.
"Thank you. We have much to discuss tonight. First, we shall showcase the new disguises from the developers -"
Kela pushes through the crowd and into the spotlight. "Excuse me. I believe what I have is much more important."
The crowd murmur suspiciously, hushed by the Blademasters interspersed in their midst.
"Excuse me!?" Master Kohga exclaims, "What insolence is this? You will sit down, nephew."
Kela shakes his head. He walks in a slow circle around Kohga, addressing the crowd. "As many of you know, the clan has been stagnating. Our prophets have been telling us that we are in a time of imminent opportunity. And what does Kohga do?"
"Get him out of here!" Kohga commands.
A few loyalists try to climb down the stairs to reach them, but the Blademasters draw their Windcleavers and block the way, an impassable barrier.
All eyes are on Kela. He points at Kohga. "He does absolutely nothing. He has no bravery, no wisdom. Does a man like him really deserve power?"
Kohga splutters. "You know nothing!"
Kela holds a hand up in the air and summons the Thunder Helm. The crowd gasps. It sparkles boldly in the light, the brightest thing in the room by far. "Meanwhile, my judgement proved correct. We were able to easily obtain the Thunder Helm, sacred and powerful relic of the Gerudo, during a key moment of their vulnerability. My agent didn't even waste their disguise, unlike Kohga's loyal dogs."
Link is tempted to hide his masked face in his hands. He had spoiled the disguise by stealing in front of the Gerudo chief, but now admitting so would be mortifying.
"So, I believe it is within everyone's best interest, the Clan's prosperity, that you step down."
In response, Master Kohga casts a shield of blue light.
Kela draws his blade. "So, you have made your choice. Like Hylia, you'd fight only to withhold power from the worthy. You are undeserving of the title of Kohga."
And life goes on, ultimately. The Clan is still led by Master Kohga, just now he's a lot less experienced. The old Kohga disappeared before he was truly brought low, probably having entirely fled the ruins of the kingdom to the nomadic folk across the desert.
Still, things can change.
One morning, Link is about to go and join initiate training, when he's stopped by Kohga.
"You don't need to bother with that anymore." The Master says, crossing his arms. Clad in the fine armour of the leader, there is little trace of his previous identity. "I have work for you. You have more than proven yourself after twelve years in the clan."
It feels like the beginning of a new era.