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Chapter Thirteen: Point of No Return

Word Count: 3,741

Summary:

--- …. ……w̷̘̳̭̞̳̳̥̠͎͕̯̘̜̫̼͔̍͒̽́̍̂̄̌̃͑͛̔͋̕͜͠͝ä̵̧̨͍͍̟̜̮͚̠̯̖͖̮̼̼̫̞͕͔̮̐͊̋̊̀͗̍͜͝͝ͅk̶̡̧̧̛̤̲͇̫̠̲̭̞̭͓̬̜͔̺̱̣̯͕̼͖̳̦̞̙̖͎̹̞̖̽̃͛͐̽̎͑͗̈͐̆͂̌͂͆̈͑͜ȩ̷̨̢̨̨̛̺̳̘̥͓̲̝̰̟̱̻̣͖̤̪̘͍̗̮̱͉̘̙̇̌̓̈́̅̈̓̂̽̒̂̈́͗̆̀̐͋́̈́̿́̕̚̚͜͜͠ͅͅ ̶̡̢̧̢̻̺͕̠̭̻̟̭̙̤̤͖̲̪̗̤̺̳̦͕̆͊͑̈̏̌̾̑́̉̈̎̋̿̈́͑̉͗̃̆͋̓̓̄̿͜͝ư̵̡̧͖̙̲͓̟̙͖͗̏̾̃̆̍͑̚̕̕͝p̶̧̡̭̫̥̯͈̩̭̼̹̹̣̱̗̱̽̀͒̊͑͛̌̆̈́̑̀̍̀̅̊͗̈́͜͠ …………Through you, I can feel. I am watching, I am waiting…I will have my day, and I will swallow the ş̷̹̤̜̮͔̠͍̎̍̈́͗̎͋̿͘u̷̧͍̳̜̦̮̰̤͉̤̖̪̻͘ǹ̸̛͚͕̰̦̈̇̆. Wake up.

A wave of sleep inertia morphed into an awful bubbling in Kiso’s stomach; He jolted upright, hand slapped over his mouth, throat scorched with a rising sickness.

A bucket was shoved into his hands as Kiso’s eyes squeezed shut and he retched, lurched, and emptied his empty stomach into the bucket. A groan that was not his own came from the other side of the room; A small room it was, as the volume bounced back immediately.

“Told ya that would happen. Right on schedule, too. Never a good feeling, I’ll give it that.”

Kiso shuddered, spitting and licking his teeth with another jolt. He blinked away his grogginess, coming to two realizations consecutively as he gazed down at his shaking hands.

He was somehow still alive, despite his last memory and waking thoughts. The corruption was….Gone.

Yes, it was completely gone, but a faded mark was left behind on his skin; Like a form of vitiligo, it was wavy and asymmetrical, winding up into his sleeves. Kiso slowly curled his fingers into his palm, collecting his rapid heartbeat until it slowed, and then dared to look up.

“Ah, welcome back to the world. Malice-free and just a teeny bit worse for wear, no Yiga-doing this time.”

There were three people in the room. (Four, including Kiso). Kiso blinked back blurriness in his eyes as a hand rested on his knee, another grasping his fingers. “Malice…Fascinating. Can you hear me?” Kurre’s voice echoed, and Kiso made a quiet noise in reply.

Kurre went through with a basic check-up, as Kiso pieced together his surroundings in bite-sized chunks. The room was small, underground; Voices echoed off the bumpy stone walls, illuminated by red-gold paper lanterns. If he had any doubts, the banners of inverted eyes all stared at him inanimate. Boxes and crates, a few brooms and cleaning tools were cast around haphazardly.

Ahead of him, Sooga hunched from an old box, his uniform and hair wrinkled and damp. He massaged his forehead beneath his mask, and Kiso found it hard to look away. He couldn’t tell what had happened, and could hardly remember.

And his eyes flickered away to a very tall and plump Yiga lounging in the opposite corner; He wore gray clothes embroidered with burgundy and red, a flared collar, puffy sleeves and pants; His curly black hair was wrapped up into a tall ponytail, bits of loose curls falling around a sharpened Yiga mask unlike any other Kiso had seen. Whether it was the mask or his extravagant day-clothes, Kiso pushed his back to sit up straighter in the man’s presence.

“No concussion, but one more mishap and you might have a broken bone. Doesn’t it hurt here?” Kurre jabbed at Kiso’s ribs, and he jolted, gritting his teeth and holding back a hiss.

“Mm-hm. It’s making you run a fever, too. Master Kohga?” Kurre glanced over her shoulder.

“Huh?”

“That washcloth. May I have it, please?”

“Oh, sure.” Kohga pushed himself to stand on two feet, swiping a white rag from an empty bucket as he sauntered over to the two of them. Kiso clenched his jaw tightly as he craned his neck up and up, fingers twitching at the pain in his chest as he inhaled.

“You were into quite a sticky situation, wouldn’t ya say?” Kohga asked, tapping his chin. He leaned down in one quick motion, and held Kiso’s chin firmly, lifting his head and eyeing his neck, his throat, and finally his forehead.

“Something sticky, indeed.”

Kiso’s heart beat rapidly in his ears. Kohga must have sensed it; His head tilted the other way.

“Aw, don’t be so nervous, kid. Let’s start easy, nice and easy. What’s your name?”

Uneasily, Kiso whispered his name. His chin was still in a pinched grip. Kohga hummed.

“You’re a lucky rabbit, Kiso. Making it alllllll the way out here, Yiga territory, covered head to toe with malice. But you didn’t make it on your own, didja? You had a little help?”

For half a second, Kiso’s eyes darted towards Sooga, and Kohga laughed.

“Sooga’s always been a soft-heart, I’ll give ‘em that.”

Something finally passed the barrier of pain and sickness, and finally clicked within Kiso’s mind. “You’re the….Chief.”

Oh, he was so dead.

The man waved a finger around, finally letting go of Kiso. “Chief, ultimate-leader-extravaganza…Though I’ve always liked the ol’reliable…Master Kohga.”

Double dead.

“...I didn’t mean to trespass. Not like that…I had nowhere to go.”

“And why’s that, Kiso?”

“....I told my sister that I’d rather die than serve the King. She didn’t like that very much.”

“No,” Kohga let out a bark of a laugh. “No, they usually don't.” He rubbed at his own chin, stepping back. “But what am I going to do with you…?”

Sooga lifted his head, glancing between the others before he tried to stand on uneasy, wobbly feet. “Master Kohga, I-”

“Sit.” Kohga snapped his fingers, his boisterous voice suddenly sharp and serious. “You’re not off the chopping block either, Sooga.”

For a short moment, Kohga hummed and stared down Kiso, and Kiso tried not to fidget under the scrutinous gaze. As chaotic and dangerous as his third eye was, it granted him the ability to read emotions clear as day; Something he clearly struggled with as his eyes cautiously shifted between Sooga, Kurre, and Kohga.

“Lots to unpack here,” Kohga finally said, drawing Kiso’s attention back immediately. “Lots indeed….I need a snack break.”

His hands clapped together and a new Yiga suddenly appeared, a handful of mighty bananas in their grasp. “Master.”

Kohga grabbed a hand of bananas as he spun on his heel, and the Yiga spared a glance to Kiso. Kiso tilted his head, and gave a short wave.

…The Yiga raised their hand and returned a nonchalant salute before disappearing, and Kohga spoke up once more.

Kohga lounged across the single chair in the room, legs kicked over the side, a peeled banana in his hand. He tossed that one to Kurre. “Ladies first.”

He took a second one- “Catch!”

Kiso snatched the banana hurtling towards him at breakneck speed. Kohga hummed in approval with a tip of his head. “You passed the first test. Eat up.”

Kiso blinked slowly, watching Kohga with apprehension still. His heart was waiting for danger, for trouble- His nerves were bundled with the high-strung feeling of escape; He couldn’t let his guard down now, not after all that had happened in the past few days. He turned towards Sooga and silently outstretched the banana to him.

Sooga stared at it, head moving slightly as he looked from Kiso’s hand to his eyes. Confusion, perhaps.

“It is yours.” Sooga said quietly, pushing Kiso’s hand back. “You are starving.”

Kiso couldn’t tell what it meant to starve anymore. The feeling in his stomach and heart ached in his head; It was all the same. Everything was falling apart. Still, Kiso unpeeled the banana and took a tentative bite.

Once Kohga had made it through about four or five bananas, he let out a great sigh and aimed his finger towards Sooga.

“Let’s take it from the top, shall we. Sooga, with you. What’s the whole deal about this ‘investigation’ I’ve been hearing about?”

Sooga heaved to his feet, slow and exhausting, and dropped to one knee with a restrained grunt. It seemed like he had been preparing for this moment.

“Master Kohga, there is troubling news brewing within the castle. The king of Hyrule is preparing to unearth the ancient Sheikah technology from the old texts. He will rip through each region of the land in search of every piece. If the legends are true, the Yiga Village is compromised. We may have to prepare to move. Again.”

Kohga’s feet, lazily kicking before, suddenly stopped as Sooga finished. Kiso was tempted, so tempted to read his aura; Was he nervous? Angry? Scared? But he knew better. Somehow, Kohga had removed the malice on his body, and left only scars behind. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Let the hands remain buried.

“Well, that’s not good. When’s it starting?”

“Soon. I do not know all the answers, but I am handling this investigation. That explains my absence. Most of it.”

Sooga’s head tilted towards Kiso. “I found him after my mission in the highlands. He is no spy. I have confirmed that.”

“Oh, I already know that. I knew the second you had crossed the village lines. The Sheikah don’t spy anymore; It’s Hylians now, and they reek.”

Kohga slammed a fist down onto his leg. “Besides! We are not moving again! Half of our furniture was left behind, you know? We’re running out of places. This is our last time running. Find out what that wrinkled raisin is sticking his nose into. This-”

He pointed a finger at Kiso. “-Is the last time we let an outsider join the Clan!”

Kiso’s eyes widened. Did that mean-?

“You both know what to do about this one. All of that hard work you can handle. I believe in you, yada yada.” He spoke to both Kurre and Sooga, who straightened up at his command.

“Master.” They both nodded, and turned their heads to Kiso. Kiso’s heartbeat was all he could hear drumming in his ears.

“I get to stay?”

“Consider it your lucky day.” Kohga raised from his chair, his shadow stretching and falling over Kiso.

“However! By joining the Yiga Clan now, you hereby forfeit all ties to the Sheikah and Royal Family for now until eternity. No take-backs, no outs. You’re roughed up, banged up, so I won’t make you fight me for initiation. But know this-”

With a whoosh of wind, Kohga was in Kiso’s face. His hand came down, the size of his palm engulfing Kiso’s shoulder entirely. There was nothing Kiso could do but listen, focus.

“I don’t take kindly to traitors. Your sister may have let you off the hook, but you’ll be fighting for your life if you try to pull the hood over our eyes. You’ll go through me. Will that be an issue?”

The words settled on Kiso like ash, scolding and lingering. He shook his head once, jaw clenched.

“Great.” Kohga flicked Kiso’s third eye, ignoring the pained hiss from Kiso. “See me again after you heal up. You too, Sooga. We have some things we need to work on before you kill yourself trying to use those abilities.”

With a wave of his hand, Kohga vanished with a cloud of red, gone in a trace. Kiso still felt a pierce in his chest, a tumbling of emotions he wasn’t sure what to do with.

Sooga let out a long, drawn-out sigh, and Kurre cleared her throat.

“Well- Welcome to the, uh, village, I guess!” She rattled her hands, but no one was excited.

“Look on the bright side. You missed the initiation that includes challenging Master Kohga. That alone would give you bruised ribs and sore joints.”

“I almost died, I think.” Two or three times, but who’s counting.

“Yes, but you made it! And now, you have lots to learn. For now, let’s get out of this broom closet. Please. I’m getting claustrophobic.”

---

“There you go,” Kurre bundled up the oversized clothes in her arms, and brushed a stray lint off Kiso’s new sleeve, secure and snug around his body. “You look fit for the part. Oh, don’t forget this.”

She passed over a familiar piece of cloth. “Until you can make your own.”

Kiso wiggled his toes, feeling the pull and bend of the red tabi. His eyes passed over the cloth, and then up to Kurre. He felt exhausted; Holding up the walls that were slowly crumbling, though not from trust--Fatigue and illness. “You’ve been really nice to me. More than I think I deserve.”

No one else had treated him with such friendliness in the tunnels; It was passing glances, murmurs and whispers. But Kurre had extended generosity beyond their experiment; One that didn’t even work.

“I’m a nurse, it’s in my instincts.”

“I thought you were a doctor. Scientist.”

“Scientist, doctor-in-training.” Kurre said with what must have been a wink; Her shoulder moved up slightly, her head tilted. “Really…I just want to make sure you’re okay. I watched Master Kohga remove that corruption; I saw the monster you described, and then some.

I once helped treat someone bitten by a Lizalfos, but I did not check up on her after she had left the clinic. I don’t want to make that same mistake again. I must do better, so I will be checking on you every now and then. Don’t forget to stop by, too.”

Kiso tied the mask behind his head, fingers running over his hair slowly. “Does this mean we’re friends?”

“If you’d like to be, then yes. Friends.” Kurre nodded. “You should get some rest. Just walk the way we came, you’ll find the sleeping quarters.”

Kiso felt another ache in his chest. It was a goodbye, it felt like losing something all over again. He didn’t dare ask if she’d return; He didn’t want another promise that couldn’t be kept.

And instead of returning the way Kurre had specifically shown him, his eyes followed the way of the lanterns above, strung along lumpy cavern walls. His hands found one another, and he could see the sheen of blue along his bandaged hands as the world warped around him.

His feet landed in cold sand sinking around him. The moon was poised high in the sky, shadows of Gerudo Town sparkling in the far distance. Kiso’s breath came out in shudders, clouds evaporating into the denim night. Kiso trudged through the desert, something wound in his clothes kept him from freezing. It was warm enough that he could empty his mind out, laying out all the pieces of his catastrophic week bare and flat.

He wondered again what Impa would be doing, as he walked the wilderness. He wondered where Vyn would be, and if his parents were watching. He wondered where Pan had run off to, in the midst of chaos. He wondered what this new life was going to be like.

Only whispers, clutching of necklaces, and sneers were made in Hyrule Castle when someone mentioned the Yiga Clan. Thieves, bandits, traitors…Exiles.

But Kiso had seen Sooga; Stoic and of few words, but honorable and dignified. Kurre was eclectic, but kind. Master Kohga, the Chief of them all, seemed rather silly (and yet dangerously deadly).

The Sheikah had the capability to be hospitable, but Impa told many stories of the Shadow Folk; Ghost stories stemming in the farthest basement of the castle. There was an interrogation chamber somewhere beneath the foundation.

Kiso had a feeling he was soon going to learn the true meaning of Shadow Folk.

Isn’t this what he wanted?

…Not like this.

A tall structure stood out in the darkness; An old, fallen building made of carved stone. Sand trickled out until it had blown over into flat ground again, and Kiso shook out the remnants in his shoes as he walked into the angled shadows of the canyon walls and ruins. There was a four-post shelter, a second floor open to the elements. Kiso collapsed in the farthest corner, legs folding.

“I’ll be waiting where the light touches the ground, where the red star burns our enemies.” Kiso let his head drop to his knee as Vyn’s voice haunted him again.

“Where are you?” He asked, no energy left to be angry, to cry. “We were supposed to do this together.”

A shadow passed beside him, and then a shade of lavender entered his vision. Kiso outstretched his hand to Pan, letting her tongue flicker over him and his new clothes. She circled around and began to wind along Kiso’s arm; Her heavy weight dragged his arm down.

“You’ve…Gotten bigger. Have you eaten well?”

It seemed so. Pan rolled off Kiso, and swayed her head along to something behind him. Kiso followed her gaze, and down to the ground.

“What…? Oh. New friend?”

A fat, fuzzy tarantula apprehensively crawled near, lifting its front legs a few times at Kiso and Pan. Pan lowered herself closer to the ground, tongue flicking, eyes focused intently. The spider waited for a beat, and then mosied on to Kiso.

“You made a friend that you didn’t try to eat?” Kiso hummed in disbelief, opening his palm to the creature that tapped his fingertips, and then moved on to investigate pebbles. Pan made a show of curling across Kiso’s lap as if to show the spider that she was brave enough to cuddle, and Kiso chuckled.

And then a woman’s voice like a spider’s fang spoke very closely.

“So. You are the new footsoldier that I saw earlier. I have been waiting to meet you.”

Kiso froze, pulling Pan close. Did the spider just talk?

Pan raised her head up, and Kiso dared to follow; Through a broken gap in the second floor, someone was perched, peering down with a long red scarf flowing above Kiso’s head. Her mask was sharp along the sides, four points on each side, painted orange and black just like a tarantula.

The seconds passed finally moved Kiso to speak. “Who are you?”

“I am Tulsi. That is Stella.” She pointed a spindly finger at the spider. “May I sit?”

Kiso blinked, and moved over to make space. He watched Tulsi fold her legs and slip through the gap, landing without a sound on the floor. She wore armor similar to Sooga, though missing yellow accents on the chest.

“Are all the Yiga really, really tall?”

A strange sound made Kiso’s neck cold; She had laughed. “I am taller than most Yiga, but yes. You still have plenty of time. Eat your vegetables.”

“That’s the secret?” Kiso’s eyebrows knit together.

“Partly. You will find the other secret soon enough.”

Kiso sighed, turning his head away. Tulsi’s head tilted, but she kept quiet. A moment passed in silence, Stella investigating Kiso’s feet with mild curiosity, and Pan slithering around Tulsi with a steadily flickering tongue.

“How…How does this work?” Kiso asked, bringing his legs closer to his chest. Tulsi waited for more. “What do the Yiga do? What are you training for?”

“This is new, this schedule. It did not used to be this way. The village was lively, with children and busy work….A common community. Now all children must be trained, becoming what the Sheikah and Hylians fear. We must rebuild the village from dirt and sand, where no one has quite acclimated. You joined at a difficult time.”

“But…Why? What happened?”

Tulsi’s head turned down to Kiso in silence. “We lived in solitude very far away. The trees were magnificent, the fruit was plentiful, and the rivers were as common as grass. It was not perfect, but it was our home. I was born there, and I was there for its destruction. The royal family found a landmark in those woods, and they needed their princess there for prayer. If there is anything they despise, it’s darkness in any capacity; Shadows give them nightmares. The Yiga are the true Shadow Folk, and they did not like us so close to their holy shrine. With bloodshed, we were driven out yet again. Do you remember that?”

“Me?” Kiso’s eyes widened. His brain reeled, flipping through memories and past conversations, but all he could do was shake his head. Tulsi hummed.

“Perhaps you were not born yet. Or too young to remember. I am too old to remember dates; 25 years ago, I think. The new Blademasters were just babies, now made to grow up in this harsh climate. The old footsoldiers and Blademasters were slain; Master Kohga made a decision then, as we found our new home. If something should happen again, as it usually does, we will be prepared.”

Kiso frowned, his eyes raising to the stars. “You shouldn’t have to do that. That’s not…”

“Fair? Of course not. And fear is all they know, instability and failure to their golden image draws them to harsh actions. That is the way of the Sheikah these days, no?”

“Maybe the old ones. My sister never waged war on anyone. My cousins are researchers with Sheikah technology.” Kiso kicked his feet, throwing up a hand in frustration. “We should be working together! This is stupid!”

“One day, perhaps. The new generation fights for justice, and freedom. I like that of you.”

Kiso bit his cheek, his mind returning to somber places. But Tulsi had been as kind as Kurre, maybe she could give advice, too. “What am I gonna do about my friend?”

“What is there to do?”

“We made a promise. We were supposed to be here together.”

“Promises are easily broken. You have made your loyalty with the Yiga, now you must carry on without them.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but deep down, he knew it was true. “What if something happened to them? I’ll never know, will I?”

“A prevalence here. Unfortunately. Many orphans, outlaws, ex-prisoners. Shadows sent away by one reason or another.”

Tulsi moved to stand, her long legs folding under her as she rose. “You must move on; No good to chase ghosts. You will go insane.”

“These ghosts are all I’ve ever known.”

“And you will know again. You are alive. Heartbreak and happiness will always come back in waves.”

“...You sound really confident about that.”

Tulsi extended a hand to the ground, to Stella. The spider made a circle, before passing Kiso and Pan to crawl up Tulsi’s fingers.

“I am 300 years old. I have mended hearts and broken them. The journey is never linear; You are so very young, and this is your first loss. But you are alive. That is the best part.”

With her other hand, Tulsi wound her scarf around her neck, and around Stella perched on her shoulder. “Training begins at sunrise.”

Tulsi turned to him, and bowed her torso. She nodded her head towards Pan.

“And goodnight, both of you.”

As Tulsi left, Kiso could hardly believe what had just happened. With wide-eyed realization, he pulled Pan close, looking up to the sky in awe.

“We have three friends.”

#the gale cycles back ⚓️

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