#reaping hook

Back to Rhoam...He had made a name for himself like many of the royals before; The prohibition of Sheikah technology remained divine law. But his daughter, Zelda Ivy, was more inclined to that ancient history. Sooga had even heard they were instating a new research facility for Sheikah technology. 

"Hmph," Sooga clicked his tongue at his own thoughts--He wondered who the credit for unearthing the buried tech truly went towards; Was the cranky old man having second thoughts, or was his daughter too stubborn to let sleeping dogs lie?

Sooga uncovered another letter, and carefully unfolded it, kicking himself for his messiness in retrieving the letters. He should have killed Rowley a little more to the left. 

Lord Rowley,

I share many of your fears and worries about His Majesty’s decision. Though it’s said that the Sheikah are supposed to protect the kingdom---divine duty, as ours is the upkeep of our divided sanctions. Yet I cannot keep my eyes away--our past king to keep us safe from Calamity. That foul clan is-----if something is to fall, they are surely the reason. I don’t trust the Sheikah….

The letters were faded and ink smeared too much to read.

Sooga poured through the pages again before reluctantly gathering them up into a pile of crinkly paper. As much as he hated the idea of bothering Master Kohga, someone had to make sense of it all. The date of the letters indicated they were received by the late nobleman Rowley two weeks ago. The night that Sooga completed his mission. 

The Yiga would be safe for the next week, it seemed. But time was flimsy and fickle, Sooga knew. What they think is comfort in the night could be the shadow of a trap.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Sooga pushed back from his desk and reached for his swords to tie back to his waist. 

He'd have to fill the rest of the mentors in on his findings. Again. But this time, he realized with a quiet groan, he’d have to talk to Tulsi, the footsoldier mentor. Tulsi always creeped him out. 

“Sooga? Sooga!” 

Elyse stepped into their shared room, and with a sudden fury, she threw back the curtain-door and marched in. “Where have you been?!” 

It had only been a few hours, right? A day or two, yeah? Sooga’s silence as he tried to think back to the last time he had left the Hideout only made Elyse shake her head in disbelief. 

“Are you shitting me? No one has seen you for…For at least three days! You got your new sword and dipped, you dipshit! You have forgotten all of your responsibilities, and you are about to answer to Master Kohga if you do not show up for at least one of them today.” 

Sooga blinked. “Apologies, Elyse. I have been…It is a long story. And I…” He trailed off. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, and Elyse took in an explosive breath. 

“You’re supposed to be teaching a class, idiot! Myself, Lareina, Adriel, Tulsi…” She counted everyone on her fingers. “And Adriel’s been covering your spot for every day you’ve been absent. Three. Days. How much longer do you think we can explain this?” 

“Apologies, Elyse.” Sooga said again, wearily. “However, I did not forget that I started something within Hyrule Castle, and I intend to finish it. It involves the entire Clan. That’s where I have been this week.” 

Elyse, hands on her hips, her shoulders slowly lowered. She tilted her head, her annoyance and irritation burning out. “At least you weren’t slacking.” She sighed. “I’m…sorry for yelling. Have you made any progress on it?” 

Sooga gestured to the letters, his mind running to other thoughts. “In an unorthodox way, yes. One that will make sense in the future.” He began. “The five of us. After training.” He decided, and Elyse stared at him. 

“What have you been up to, Sooga?” 

“...It’s a long story. One that we don’t have time for.” 

“So give me the short story.”

Elyse blocked Sooga’s way out, her shoulders tensed again. The two of them stared at each other through their masks. Elyse waited for an explanation, fingers drumming on her waist expectantly, and Sooga was debating on whether or not he should. How could he sum up the past few days without sounding completely ridiculous? Fabricated? 

A Sheikah teenager with uncontrolled powers, eerily resembling Sooga’s, poisoned by a mysterious illness. The “illness” in question are hands, by the way. And the teen is no ordinary Sheikah, but the chosen one of the village to protect the king and princess. Only the Yiga’s most hated enemy. No biggie, Elyse. 

“Well?” 

Sooga pressed his hands together-

“Sooga!” 

-And he teleported away.

"That is all for class today." Sooga lowered the practice sword, and returned a bow that the few students had given him. "Continue practicing your positions; Partner and make use of the sparring room."

A few chuckles and murmurs went around between the six or seven students. Sooga blinked, and pursed his lips, but let it slide.

As the classroom filed out, familiar faces filed in one by one. Adriel swiped a wooden stick left behind, brandishing it at Sooga with a playful jab. "En guard, Sooga! Eh, eh?" He posed like a Hylian knight, snickering at the exaggerated movements. Elyse walked in behind, scoffing.

"Are you going to teleport away again?"

"Ah, he's gotten the hang of it, finally?" Adriel replied. Elyse crossed her arms.

“Sooga’s only been avoiding my questions, like he’s been avoiding training.” Elyse’s disdain could be heard loud and clear. Adriel looked over at Sooga with a grin in his voice. 

“Now, that’s no fun, Sooga. Is that what this meeting is for? To tell us all the gossip~” 

“I will, but-” 

“Did anyone invite Tulsi?” Lareina asked. 

“I did, she scuttled away, said she had to feed Stella.” Adriel responded quickly, before turning his head back to Sooga. “Soooo…We can get started early and fill Tulsi in later. What have you been doing that’s so much more important, Sooga?”

Sooga crossed his arms with a grunt. “You must all swear secrecy. Right now. Hands in front of you.” 

The three of them glanced at each other, and Sooga knew this was not how they envisioned it would begin. But Sooga closed two eyes and opened three; He needed to know they weren’t lying as they promised. 

Sooga took a deep breath, took a seat down on the mats, and began.

“There is talk that the king will begin excavations around Hyrule. For buried Sheikah technology. Knowing the history of the last Calamity, there is buried technology here in the desert.” 

The room was quiet between them. Even Adriel had nothing to say, chin in his hand, attention on Sooga.

“We need guards in and around the village and the hideout.” Sooga explained, and Elyse held up a hand to stop him from going any further. 

“Does Master Kohga know about this?” She asked, and seemingly read his mind. “We can’t keep this from him.” 

“There’s not enough information.” Sooga replied. “Rumors and gossip is all that’s in those letters, but there is some truth in the talk. Infiltrating the castle again is my only hope to gain more insight. To know exactly when, how, and where it’s going to happen.” 

“We can’t have another situation like Faron.” Elyse announced all of their fears, confirmed by head nods. “I didn’t want to pursue it, but…I see now that I need to put my fears aside.” 

Silent footsteps came up behind Sooga, and he closed his eyes to hold back a sigh. “Welcome, Tulsi. Did you finish feeding the spider?”

“Her name is Stella. And…Yes. Sorry for my absence.” She said, and Sooga braced himself for another jab. But Tulsi moved around him, and folded her long legs down to sit on the empty mat between Sooga and Lareina. “I have already heard, no need to fill me in. I will train the footsoldiers.”

Lareina lifted her head, quiet the whole time. “I can handle the investigation.” She looked at Sooga. He almost did a double-take. He had no doubt in Lareina’s abilities, but…

“I thought you said you were not a good liar.” Sooga said. Lareina turned her gaze down. 

“That’s true, but…I want to help. I can learn.” 

“Elyse and I can take up guard duty.” Adriel shrugged. “But that means you’ll have to take up training, Sooga.” 

“Very well.” Sooga nodded. But something lingered on his mind. “There is one more thing that I have discovered. It seems the royals do not trust the Sheikah. And I….I have met one that was exiled from the castle, it seems. The way the old Sheikah was exiled long ago.” 

The others all stared at Sooga, Elyse being the first one to whisper, “What?!” 

“A young kid. I found him far away from the castle, farther than any castle Sheikah has ever gone. They are usually bound to the king or princess, but this one was injured outside of the Highlands.” 

“A spy, then.” Elyse snapped. “Did you ever think of that?”

“Of course I did.” Sooga responded. “But I know how to detect intentions. He shares the same curse as I do. He’s had multiple chances to betray me, and I have had ample times to betray him.” 

“Aaaand you’re friends now?” Adriel guessed, deadpan. 

Tulsi tilted her head, listening intently to Sooga. 

“You know as well as I do that the Sheikah and Yiga are closely related. I am not heartless, Adriel. He was attacked by a monster we’ve never seen before in the Tabantha fields. It has left him with a poison that only grows worse every night. If he were a spy, he’d have returned by now, or been retrieved. No one has come.” 

“I want to see them.” Tulsi spoke up, every word clicking in sound. “If they are Blademaster size, then you two can work it out amongst yourselves. But if they are Footsoldier size, I will be the judge.” 

Oh, no…Sooga held back a long and weary sigh. “Fair enough.” Sooga braced a hand on his knee. “Are we all at an understanding?” 

“Adriel and I will take a few students to begin guard duty. You and Lareina will work on infiltration. Tulsi will continue training, and apparently have one more student.” Elyse rolled her eyes at the last part. 

With that, Lareina, Adriel and Elyse all filed out one by one, to work on their next tasks for the night. Tulsi did not leave, instead unfolding herself as Sooga stood. When she stood, she towered over him with her height alone. The decor of her mask never helped, and neither did the fuzzy tarantula walking across her shoulders. 

“Your son?” Tulsi asked, and Sooga did a double-take on that. 

“Wha- No!” 

“Only a question.” Tulsi giggled- A chalky, gritty laugh, and her spider--Stella--Crawled up the sides of her mask to rest on her head. “I want to meet them.” 

“Why?”

Tulsi stared at Sooga. Better not to ask again. Sooga sighed, and nodded begrudgingly. “Fine. Fine…” 

He just hoped Kiso was where Sooga had left that morning. But something wavered inside of him that hinted otherwise. Call it a hunch, or…

“Do you hear that?” Tulsi froze.

Sooga stopped, and Tulsi cocked her head to the side, farther back as she turned her head side to side. The commotion grew louder; Young voices arguing, shrieking, yelling. 

That bad feeling grew. Sooga and Tulsi glanced at each other, and walked at a brisk pace through the halls. They followed the noise until Sooga rounded the corner, hand on his sword. 

“What is going on here?!” 

Kurre stomped her way past two nervous footsoldiers trailing along, her hand wrapped tightly around Kiso’s wrist with an iron grip that he couldn’t let go of. It didn’t stop him from trying, though, and the sight gave Sooga an immediate headache. Kiso’s feet dug back, but Kurre’s grasp was stronger; She was literally dragging him behind her like a ragdoll, and Kiso growled at the two footsoldiers that unfortunately wandered too close. His face was shielded by a Yiga mask, he was dressed in traditional clothes of the culture. 

He could have fit in seamlessly, if not for the ghastly, glowing miasma on his skin, now coiled around his fingers.

The footsoldiers immediately stopped and bowed to Tulsi and Sooga, nervously announcing their names in respect. 

“Let me through.” Kurre demanded. “I’m going to see Master Kohga.” 

“Can you please explain to me the meaning of this?” Sooga gestured to Kiso, and he tried yanking his arm away again. 

“I’m fine!” 

“He’s NOT fine. He collapsed in the street. His blood is infected-”

“I’m FINE.” 

“-And the corrosion has grown worse since last night. I have no references to treat this, and the other doctors in town are a waste of time. I am taking him to Master Kohga.” 

Tulsi leaned down, watching Kiso’s hand flailing. “How terrifying it must be.”

She raised her head as Kiso moved again, quickly joining his hands to teleport with Sheikah magic. A blue flame erupted from his palms, and combusted with a loud pang, and Kurre flinched- Enough for her grasp to loosen, and Kiso tore away, stumbling back into the footsoldiers.

Everything happened within a matter of seconds. 

“Woah!” They shouted, and caught him easily, and Kiso’s mask flipped up for a brief second. Sooga’s mouth fell open as he saw the corrosion had taken over half of Kiso’s face, turning his left red eye into something monstrous; He saw yellow, red, a sharp pupil and the swirling poison before the mask fell again, and Kiso grabbed at his chest. 

He saw Kiso’s third eye alight.

Kiso’s gaze whipped upwards to the walls in panic, and Sooga followed; There was nothing there, but Kiso tore himself from the footsoldiers grip and scrambled farther into the dim hall. 

“Sooga, it’s-!” Kiso shouted, before his words were cut off with a choking gasp. His back flew to the adjacent wall and was pinned. His head lifted as if something were strangling him. Tulsi snapped at the footsoldiers and they nodded and took off. 

“What is going on, Sooga?!” Kurre shouted, and Sooga quickly removed his own mask as he sprinted forward. 

Sooga closed his eyes, reaching out to Kiso, and finally saw what the Sheikah did.

All the warm lights in the room bursted with a wailing scream; A bloody creature had its long hand wrapped around Kiso’s neck, and the color of the poison matched the creature near perfectly. 

Something like blood poured down from the walls too quickly, taking shape as another hand-like creature, one with a single eye darting around before landing on its fresh target. 

“Help….Me…” Kiso wheezed. 

Sooga tore his gaze away and moved to press his palm against Kiso’s forehead; To make it all stop like the last time. But something unleashed and a flash of red across his vision made Sooga shout, and he felt his body crash into a stack of boxes nearby. 

Someone shouted; He couldn’t tell who. 

Long fingers grabbed underneath his arms and lifted, and Sooga fought against the urge to elbow a monster in the face, but Tulsi’s scarf stopped him from starting a fight. 

He saw Kurre kneel down beside Kiso, hands reaching for his neck. 

“WHAT is GOING on here?!!” 

Kiso let out a gasp, and then a rough cough as he crumpled to the floor in Kurre’s arms. Sooga tried to stand before his legs and brain connected, and Tulsi held him afloat by his arms.

“Ah,” She said with a tense voice. “Good evening, Master Kohga.” 

Oh, fuck. 

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