Gargalesis Ghost
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Hello all! This is a repost of a Legend of Zelda tickle story I wrote a good while back under my old username (which I was locked out of when the site got its update) and the first of several LoZ stories I've been writing in my spare time. Figure some here might enjoy them, so here we go. Contains f/f tickling, tickling interrogation, and genital tickling.
_____
The man behind the desk of the Gerudo stable looked at the woman, his face openly wearing an expression of disbelief. He’d been in business at the mouth of the canyon that opened into the Gerudo Wasteland for a long time and had seen his fair share of stubborn travelers, but this one was just… stupid.
“Miss, you’re sure you want to go on foot? It’s a long way to the oasis, and even farther to Gerudo Town itself. We’re even running a special, a horse and a guide to the oasis for only sixty rupees. I’d strongly suggest thinking about it a little more before you leave.” Usually he wouldn’t be so insistent, but something about the young woman screamed ‘inexperienced’ and he worried that another group of travelers coming through in a week would tell him about finding her corpse out in the sands.
“What kind of investigative journalist would I be if I was afraid of a little bit of sand and sun? I’ll be fine, don’t you worry!” Traysi spoke cheerfully, checking the contents of her pack and pulling on her boots while she sat on the edge of the bed she’d spent the night in. “And after all, I’m the author of The Rumor Mill, Hyrule’s number one publication! I’ve always traveled by foot and it’s worked just fine so far!”
“All due respect, miss, but I don’t think the sand and sun of the desert care all that much about your job or how famous your paper is,” the stable master said, shaking his head. Sometimes there was no helping someone no matter how hard you tried, though, and he’d learned a long time ago that it was best to let it go. “Just be careful out there, alright? And make sure you take a hydromelon or two. I think Beedle’s still got a few in stock outside, and if you get caught out there with no water then those’ll be your best bet.”
“Thanks for the tip, I’ll ask him on my way out,” Traysi said as she tied her brown hair back into a loose pony tail. I wonder if he’d knock the price on the guide down if I told him my travel stipend for the month hasn’t shown up yet? Traysi wasn’t fond of riding at the best of times, but tackling the desert on her own terrified her and a guide would be welcome if she wasn’t nearly broke. Just to be sure, she untied the strings of her money pouch and peered inside, hoping that maybe she’d missed something earlier when she paid for her bed, but the same two red rupees stared back at her, daring her to spend them on anything but food. Shit.
Traysi stood and thanked the stable master once more, bowing as she did, then adjusted her pack and headed out into the morning light. Gerudo Stable stood at the end of a long canyon that opened into the desert proper and served as the last safe haven for travelers before the sands. The canyon and stable, at least, were shielded from the sun and the morning temperature was pleasant at this early hour, in between the chill of the night and the heat of the day itself. Beedle, the traveling merchant, sat nearby, arguing with a passing Gerudo about the price of something. After a moment, the Gerudo sniffed and handed him a purple rupee, then took the green melon he offered her and walked away.
“Hey there, Beedle,” Traysi said with a wave as she walked over to him. They were both well travelled and bumped into each other fairly often as each criss-crossed around Hyrule. “The old man in the stable said I should buy a hydromelon from you for my trip into the desert.”
“Traysi! It’s been a while since Beedle bumped into his old friend! You’re heading into Gerudo desert?” Beedle stood, stretching his long limbs and shaking the numbness out of them as he did. “Awful place to travel. Beedle doesn’t go past Gerudo Stable anymore, personally.”
“Can’t blame you, I’ve heard it can get pretty rough out there. Plus, these days Vah Naboris is supposedly getting closer and closer to Gerudo Town, so even the settled areas aren’t necessarily safe. Anyway, how about that hydromelon?”
“Ah, that Gerudo traveler a moment ago bought the last one in stock, unfortunately.”
Shit. “That’s alright,” she said, wearing her best smile to hide her irritation. “I’ll make do with my canteen. It’s not all that far to the oasis, after all, and the bazaar there should have some. So where are you headed?”
“Beedle is going to head to the Akkala region. Supposedly there’s a forest there with energetic rhino beetles, and there’s always good business around the stables! Have a safe trip, Traysi!” He waved and set off into the canyon that would take him to central Hyrule and the regions beyond. Traysi waved after him, watching until his stag beetle shaped pack disappeared from sight.
“Alright, time for me to get moving too,” she said, giving each of her cheeks a quick slap with her hands. “Let’s go get that scoop!”
______
“Holy mother of Hylia!” Traysi dove behind a rock just before the bolt of electricity hit where she’d been standing. When she peered around the rock, the sand had melted into a glassy black, outright cooked by the force of the lightning. The ground shook beneath her as Vah Naboris took another thundering step, luckily towards the heart of the desert. “How do the Gerudo live out here with something like that stomping around?”
Electricity crackled all around the divine beast, bolts arcing off it at random and striking the ground, and from farther up its body fell pulsing balls of raw energy that bounced across the sand before exploding against rocks or sometimes just the air. Traysi watched one of these balls of lightning tumbled over the landscape and caught a wandering lizalfos, brought out of hiding by the noise of the beast’s passing, and fried it into little more than barbecued tail meat and melted weapons. Vah Naboris reared back its head and released a mechanical howl that echoed through the entire desert, then simply wandered off as Traysi peered over the rock that served as her hiding place, watching the massive weapon as it disappeared into the distance.
“If that thing ever stumbles onto Kara Kara Bazaar at the oasis or Gerudo Town, it’ll be nothing but trouble,” she muttered to herself, her hands shaking as she took out a small book and jotted down notes about the encounter. “I wonder what they’re trying to do about it.” She stood, brushing sand from her breeches and steadying herself against the rock when she felt her knees buckle. Traysi was pretty used to danger on the road, especially with the sorry state Hyrule was in these days, but that was the first time she’d ever almost been fried by a passing divine beast.
When she felt that she could walk without stumbling, Traysi moved back to the road. The oasis shimmered in the distance, its promise of water and rest even more welcoming after her brush with death. They might, if she was lucky, even have a hydromelon for the road.
______
“Thank you. So what can you tell me about the divine beast roaming the desert?” Traysi took the hydromelon that the old woman at the bazaar held out to her. The woman sat back on the rug shielding her rear from the heat of the sand, unreasonable even next to the oasis, and shrugged.
“There’s not much to tell, curious little vai,” she said. “Naboris wanders aimlessly, causing sandstorms and earthquakes in its wake, and its lightning keeps the soldiers from Gerudo Town from being able to approach it. We’ve had to cancel the sandseal races, can’t travel into some parts of our own land for fear of being lost in the whirling sands, and pray every day that its wanderings don’t take it too close to the town. Why do you ask? Have a brush with Vah Naboris on your way to the bazaar?”
Traysi nodded. “I did, and barely made it out. Does it ever seem to target anything specifically?”
“No, vai. If Vah Naboris was targeting things, there wouldn’t be a living creature left in the desert. It wanders, aimless. We believe it’s mourning the loss of Lady Urbosa, but who can really say.” The woman shrugged again then picked up a jug of water and took a long drink. “You should stay at the inn here tonight. It’s still a long way to Gerudo Town. Sav’orq!”
“Mm, thank you, I believe I will,” Traysi told her with a smile and waved goodbye as she walked off with her melon to find a shaded place to sit and eat her lunch. She ended up sitting on a small, round bit of a log beneath a palm tree, already turned on its end as though someone had been using it as a seat. As she cracked open her hydromelon and began to eat, she studied the bazaar.
There wasn’t, in her opinion, much going on here. A couple Gerudo had spread blankets on the sand and sold food to travelers, a group of Hylian men camped at the very edge of the oasis opposite her, and a lone Rito sat at the edge of the water, seeming to doze in the sun. The inn stood at the rear, next to the road that continued on to Gerudo Town, and that was it.
“I have to say, I was expecting more,” she said to herself as she finished her melon and tossed the rind into the desert. “I hope the town proper is a bit more lively.” Traysi stood, wiping her hands on her trousers to get the sticky feeling from the melon off her palms, and headed towards the inn, hoping she had enough money to buy a bed for the night.
______
Traysi awoke in the middle of the night and, sleep fleeing her in her excitement, decided to check out and make her way to Gerudo Town in the dark. The desert was very different at night, the heat of the sun swapped with a chill that seemed to sink into her bones no matter how much she moved. She watched electrified keese in the distance, orbs of light flitting through the air from perch to perch as they screeched and swooped upon any living creature in their path. Luckily none ever approached the road, and after a full night’s trek Traysi found herself standing at the arch leading into Gerudo Town as the morning sun climbed into the sky.
“Sav’otta,” one of the guards at the entrance of Gerudo Town said as she waved Traysi down. “Welcome to Gerudo Town, Hylian vai. Whatever your reason for coming, you are welcome to come in and rest.”
“Ah, thank you,” Traysi replied, smiling despite still feeling the chill of the desert night. “By any chance, has a Rito woman arrived lately, one with pale green feathers?”
“Hmm,” the second guard leaned on her spear, thoughtful. “I believe a Rito fitting that description might have arrived yesterday. Neither of us were on gate duty, but travelers are sparse these days. You should check at the hotel or the bar.”
“Ah, thank you so much, I’ll check them both!” Traysi walked beneath the yellow stone of the arch, barely hearing both guards’ parting “Sav’orq”, and found herself in the main plaza. Even at dawn, Gerudo moved about, vendors setting up their stalls and guards patrolling the pathways and alleys in between the stone buildings, everyone in a hurry to get prepared before the sun reached its full glory and the heat of the day set in.
She found her way into an alley that cut to the eastern side of the town, asking directions from a couple Gerudo children on the way when she couldn’t find any signs, until she stood in front of a building with small palm trees potted on either side of its door and a sign happily proclaiming it as the Hotel Oasis. Traysi walked inside and found what she was looking for. A tall Rito woman stood at the desk, talking excitedly with the innkeeper.
“Enlih! Where have you been, you old pigeon!” The Rito spun around as quick as anything, the expression of anger on her face melting as soon as she saw the speaker.
“Traysi! It’s so good to see you! I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it to Gerudo Town at all!” Enlih rushed to her, arms outstretched, and pulled her into a hug.
“Stop! Stop! You know how ticklish I am, and your feathers always get under my tunic!” Traysi laughed, wriggling out of her friend’s grasp and pushing her to arm’s length. “And I thought you were supposed to find me before I made it to the canyon? I ran out of money, you know.”
“I know, I’m so sorry! Come over here, let’s sit and talk.” Enlih led the way to a small table away from the desk and each took a seat across from the other. Traysi looked down and smiled, seeing an old copy of her Rumor Mill. “Truth is,” Enlih said once they were both comfortable, “I had trouble at the mouth of the canyon. I was running behind and missed you, but when I tried to follow the path into the canyon to look for you I was attacked by Bokoblin archers.”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh yes, they’re terrible shots on the best of days. Not a scratch on me, but I had to backtrack out of the canyon and fly over. I was going to meet you at Kara Kara Bazaar instead, but I guess I beat you there, so I decided to head here and wait.” Enlih bowed at the table. “I’m so sorry, here’s your stipend!” The Rito woman held out a leather pouch.
Traysi took it from her, surprised at its weight. “How much is in here?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely more than normal. Rumor Mill has been doing very well of late.” Enlih shrugged, then started picking at a few of the large green feathers on her wing. “So what’s your plan? You going to ask around the city to find out more about Vah Naboris?”
“No, I think I’m going to find breakfast and then head to the palace in the center of town. I’d imagine the Gerudo chief would know the most about what’s going on.” Traysi stood and stretched, her spine popping as she did. “Any idea what’s good to eat around here?”
“Most of the food vendors are out in the main plaza. You should go have a look. I’m going to head back soon, but I’ll be out to check on you in a day or two.” Enlih stood as well and waved goodbye before heading outside the hotel. By the time Traysi stepped out, her Rito friend was gone, a lone green feather on the sand the only evidence she’d been there only moments before. Traysi scooped it up and pocketed it for luck, then made her way back to the plaza, whistling and clinking the rupees in her new leather bag together.
______
Ploka looked down at the suspicious Hylian vai and shook her head. “There is no entry into the palace right now by order of Lady Riju. You must leave.”
“But why not? I just wanted to speak to the chief of the Gerudo. I’m here to investigate Vah Naboris,” Traysi said, the words coming quickly as she spoke. The guard refusing her entry was surprising, and her wits were still trying to recover as her mind raced to find the right words to convince her to let her through.
“As I said, it is by order of Lady Riju, but if you really must know, the chief is working out a plan to calm Naboris in the desert and there have been strange occurrences in the town at night lately. We believe it to be those Yiga traitors skulking around, planning something of their own. Lady Riju will open the palace to the public again once Vah Naboris has been stopped, but until then only the soldiers and the chief’s advisors are permitted entry. Now, please go, you are distracting. Sav’aaq!”
Traysi backed off, returning to the plaza in the center of town as she wondered what to do. Her best bet seemed to be chatting up the townspeople themselves, see if any of them had information, and then go from there. Nodding to herself and shielding her eyes from the sun, Traysi set out into Gerudo town to speak with as many people as she could before sundown.
______
“Ugh, what an exhausting day,” Traysi moaned as she walked back into the Hotel Oasis on the eastern side of Gerudo Town. The Gerudo behind the desk waved her over and Traysi happily paid for a bed for the night, too tired to even care about the price.
“Sarqso! Once you get settled in, I shall bring you something to eat, little vai!” The woman motioned to the same table that Traysi had spoken with Enlih at that morning and then disappeared into the back. Shrugging, she took a seat, and a few moments later the Gerudo reappeared with a plate of hydromelon, mighty bananas, and wildberries simmered in honey and placed it in front of her along with a large glass of water.
“Here, eat and recover your strength, little vai,” she said, then returned to the hotel’s desk. Traysi sat and ate, going over the information she’d gathered in her mind as she did. The problem was that none of it was particularly helpful to her.
Stories of some strange heart shaped pond, complaints about monsters outside the nearby ice house, disappointment at the sandseal races being canceled in the wake of Vah Naboris, and many, many doubts about Riju’s ability to rule the Gerudo in place of her recently deceased mother, the former chief. It was hand-wringing to imagine the wealth of information she could find if she could just get into the palace!
“All right, that settles it,” Traysi said aloud. “I’ll try the palace again in the morning! This time I’ll wait all day if I have to, but I’m going to speak with Lady Riju!” The Gerudo behind the hotel desk looked at her with only a slightly raised eyebrow and shrugged, amused at her Hylian customer’s eccentricities. Traysi stood, leaving her dishes at the table, and took up the bed she’d paid for, removing only her boots and the leather breast plate she wore over her tunic before she went to sleep.
______
Early the next morning, Traysi made her way up the steps to the palace again. This time, she was determined to get into the palace and gather information no matter the cost. Part if her was hoping there’d be a different soldier on guard duty as she made it to the top of the stair, but a quick glance revealed Ploka once again barring the way inside. Well, it is what it is, she thought, then took a deep breath and approached the Gerudo.
“It’s you!” Ploka exclaimed before Traysi could get within ten paces of her, a look of pure anger and hatred darkening her face. She brandished her spear and whistled loudly through her teeth. “Stay right there, Yiga spy!”
“Wait, what?” Traysi said, taking a step backwards. She was confused, trying to piece the situation together in her mind as the guard advanced on her slowly. Nervously, she took another step backwards and bumped into something that, when she spun around, turned out to be another Gerudo towering over her. Traysi cried out as the second guard grabbed her wrist and wrestled her to the ground, pinning her face down and binding her wrists behind her back with a cord.
“Don’t speak anymore, spy,” Ploka said and spat at the ground in front of Traysi’s face. “Come,” she spoke to the other guard, “take over watching the entrance. I’ll deliver this… thing… to Lady Riju and Buliara.” The second guard nodded and took stance at the palace entrance as Ploka dragged Traysi to her feet and pushed the Hylian into the palace in front of her, prodding her in the back menacingly any time she dared slow down.
In just a few short corridors, Traysi found herself standing in a wide throne room filled with the sound of trickling water. In front of her was a raised dais surrounded by water flowing from above, and in a golden chair in the middle of it sat an adolescent Gerudo adorned with golden headdress and necklace. Next to her stood the most imposing Gerudo Traysi had ever seen, all muscle and quiet menace, and that was saying much as the Gerudo were an imposing race of people. The woman next to the adolescent crossed her arms and spoke.
“Ploka, what is the meaning of this? Did you forget that we are in the midst of a crisis?”
“Forgive me, Captain Buliara, but I have apprehended this Hylian vai. She was snooping around the palace yesterday and I sent her away, but she returned today. I think she might be connected to the theft, so I thought it best to capture her.”
Wait, I didn’t do anything! “Excuse me,” Traysi started to say, but Ploka struck the back of her legs painfully with the haft of her spear. The blow made them buckle and forced Traysi to her knees with a cry of pain.
“Quiet, Yiga spy!” Ploka reached down and grabbed a fistful of Traysi’s hair and yanked, pulling her face to look at Riju and Buliara on the dais.
“Ploka! Control yourself in front of Lady Riju!” Buliara stepped forward and Ploka straightened and bowed, her face coloring with shame. “Return to your post, I shall deal with the prisoner.” Without another word, Ploka left, sparing only one venomous glance back at Traysi as she went.
“Hylian, you may answer when I speak to you directly,” Riju said, sitting up straight on her chair. “Now, were you trying to gain entry to the palace yesterday and today as Ploka said?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Why? Did she not tell you that I had closed the palace to the public?”
“She did, but I wanted to, um, gather information for an article that I write and wanted to speak with you and others in the palace about Vah Naboris.”
“Article?” Riju leaned forward, a suspicious expression on her face. Buliara was silent, but Traysi could feel the menace coming off her in waves. “Tell me about this article.”
“Well, um, it’s called The Rumor Mill. I travel around to different areas of Hyrule and research rumors and legends, then publish my findings. It’s pretty well known these days, I think.”
“Buliara, show her.” The captain of the guard walked to a shelf nearby and pulled something from it, turning and tossing it on the floor directly in front of Traysi. When she hesitantly looked down, she saw that it was a copy of one of her articles.
“A precious treasure of the Gerudo was stolen last night, vai,” Buliara said, her voice thick with rage. “The Thunder Helm, a piece of armor that renders the wearer immune to electric attacks, meaning that anyone wearing it would be capable of approaching Vah Naboris without fear of its lightning. We found that little book where the Thunder Helm was stored.”
“But I didn’t do it! I mean, I know how it must look, but you have to believe me!” Traysi couldn’t believe they actually thought she stole the helm or had some part in it. She tried to remember if she’d ever heard what the Gerudo do to criminals, but she was too addled to think straight. “Please, I didn’t even know about the Thunder Helm…”
“Buliara,” Riju began, rubbing her temples with one hand, “I need you to find out if she’s telling the truth or if she knows anything about the theft. Do whatever you have to in order to get it out of her.”
“Of course, Lady Riju. Vai, stand,” Buliara said, reaching down and hauling Traysi to her feet. “Walk,” she said and pushed her towards a doorway on the eastern side of the audience hall. She looked back at Riju as Buliara led her out, catching the chief’s eyes one last time and mouthing the word ‘please’, but Riju only shook her head sadly.
______
Buliara led her out into the training grounds, pushing her every time she slowed. Traysi thought briefly about trying to make a break for it while they were outside, but there were dozens of Gerudo warriors. Even if she’d somehow gotten out of Buliara’s grasp, she’d surely be caught by one of the others.
The pair entered the barracks, and Buliara pulled her along until they came to a door near the back, past row after row of simple, uncomfortable looking beds that the soldiers likely slept on when stationed at the palace. She pulled the door open and pushed Traysi through, then entered herself, closing it behind her with an ominous click.
The room was small and dimly lit, with only dusty light from a small barred window high up on the wall filtering down and otherwise two torches sputtering opposite each other on the stone walls. A large wooden table took up the center, each corner fitted with a shackle, and a shelf beneath one of the torches had several items piled on it, none of which made sense to Traysi as she quietly studied them and wondered what was about to happen to her. Is that a feather? Why is that here?
“I’m going to unbind your wrists. Don’t try to fight back or it will get worse for you, vai.” She stood silently as Buliara produced a knife, wicked sharp, and cut through the cord binding her wrists, but when she felt a tug at her tunic and the knife blade cutting through the fabric she uttered a surprised gasp. Buliara ignored her, carefully cutting down seams and pulling her clothes away. When she was done, Traysi stood in only scant underclothes and her boots, shivering and terrified even in the warmth of the room. Buliara pushed her towards the table and motioned for her to climb onto it, then she pulled Traysi’s arms out and shackled them to the two corners above her head. Moving to the other end of the table, she did the same with her legs, pausing only to slide her boots off before shackling both ankles and leaving the Hylian exposed and helpless, spread out on the table.
“Please,” Traysi whimpered, “I don’t know anything about the Thunder Helm or the Yiga. Just let me go and I’ll explain everything!”
“Hmm.” Buliara walked to the shelf and returned with a jar of a strange, slightly luminescent salve. “Since you don’t seem to want to tell me the truth, I’ll have to ask your body directly, little vai. This is an ointment made from voltfruit and lizalfos bones. It will… help convince you.” Buliara uncorked the bottle and dipped the fingers of one hand in, coming out with a large dollop of the salve on the tips of them, then she leaned down and began to spread it in slow circles in Traysi’s left underarm, then her right, smirking as the reporter squirmed and twisted her face to keep from bursting out laughing.
“Ticklish, little vai? This will go badly for you then, I’m afraid.” She spread more of the goop across Traysi’s belly, even dipping a finger into her navel to spread it around, then down to her thighs. She finally made her way to Traysi’s feet, coating the bottoms and working it between each toe while Traysi, finally succumbing to her touch, wiggled and snickered on the table. Satisfied, Buliara replaced the cork and returned the jar to the shelf. “Now just wait.”
“What am I waiting for?” Traysi asked, but even then was already beginning to feel something. It started as a tingle, first in her underarms where Buliara first spread the salve, but quickly the tingle spread to everywhere she’d rubbed it in, making Traysi squirm uncomfortably on the table. “What is this?”
“The ointment will awaken all your nerves and make even the slightest touch unbearable. We use it to train our soldiers to withstand certain interrogation techniques that the Yiga employ when they want to keep their captive alive. Give it another moment.” The Gerudo captain waited patiently, arms crossed as she watched Traysi, while Traysi wondered precisely what she was waiting for besides the strange, full body tingling.
The tingling started to fade, replaced instead by an odd sensation of heat covering her entire body. She felt the blood rushing everywhere, and wondered what was really happening and, vaguely, if there was some sort of allergic reaction going on as her temperature rose to the point that she breathed heavily as sweat stood out on her brow.
“It is time,” Buliara said as she dragged a single fingernail down the middle of Traysi’s left sole. The Hylian didn’t yelp so much as scream at the sensation. She’d always been ticklish, a trait that many friends and the small number of lovers she’d had over the course of her life had taken full advantage of, but that one fingernail reverberated through her entire body so completely that it made her back arch off the table as much as her bonds allowed.
“Holy hell, why is it so…” Traysi began, but then all of Buliara’s nails raked her soles, cutting her words off with what started as a strangled scream and devolved into a long stream of helpless laughter. It felt as though the Gerudo captain was tickling every nerve in her body, the sensations from her feet somehow jolting upwards through every nerve as her interrogator continued slowly raking her nails up and down.
“Now, I believe I shall simply do this for a while to soften you up, make you want to talk. Then we start with questions.” Buliara stayed true to her word, falling silent and focusing only on tickling Traysi’s helpless feet. Her nails, surprisingly long and sharp for a warrior, explored every wrinkle of her flexing soles, scratched in between her toes, and even alternated to the tops of her feet to trace wicked patterns in flesh that Traysi herself had been unaware of the sensitivity found within. All the while, the tickling kept traveling up her body by thanks of the strange ointment, echoing through her legs, belly, chest, and arms, and she laughed harder and harder, half formed pleading dying every time it nearly made it to her lips, her entire body burning and sweating from the torture.
After what seemed an eternity, the nails on her feet slowed, Buliara wearing a cruel smirk on her fierce face as she watched Traysi shaking and crying to regain some sort of composure. Her breath hitched and she stared back at the Gerudo wild-eyed, sweat soaking her from head to toe and making her hair cling to her brow and hang in her eyes.
“This is not a good look for you, little vai,” the Gerudo said with a laugh. “Are you ready to talk? Or do you need a little more convincing?” She punctuated her question with one last rake down Traysi’s soles, making the reporter squeal and buck again, before standing back and crossing her arms. “Now, speak. Why were you trying to gain access to the palace? Are you working with the Yiga or a member of their traitorous clan? Did you steal the Thunder Helm or help the Yiga to steal it? Where is it?”
“I… I just wanted to gather information about Vah Naboris for a new Rumor Mill, that’s it! I swear! I didn’t even know the Thunder Helm existed, and I’ve only heard rumors of the Yiga before! Please, believe me!”
Buliara sighed, shaking her head and pulling a knife from her hip. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but you seem intent on falsehood.” She moved to Traysi’s side and pinched the fabric covering her breasts, pulling it up, then cut cleanly through it with the knife, exposing them to the warm air. The Gerudo discarded the ruined garment, then did the same with the one covering her sex before returning the knife to her hip. Without another word, she walked to the shelf and returned with the jar of salve, dipping a finger in and scooping enough out to slowly coat Traysi’s nipples, which began to tingle and stiffen immediately, wrenching a fresh gasp from the Hylian. Buliara began to return the jar to the shelf, then stopped after only one step, regarding her captive. The finger dipped into the jar again, and then one finger, coated completely in salve, wormed its way between Traysi’s legs and entered her, turning and wiggling until her clitoris and vaginal walls were coated as well.
“We don’t normally have to take it so far. I commend you for your resilience, if nothing else, little vai,” Buliara said as she returned the jar. Traysi writhed as the tingling crept up from her crotch and into her lower belly, her hips trying to grind the air as the tingling turned to overwhelming, sensitive heat that made her crotch hunger for touch. “I shall leave you here with your thoughts for now while the voltfruit ointment works on you, but I will return shortly.”
“Please, not like this! I’m telling the truth!” Traysi whimpered at her, tears streaming down her face as the heat continued to build between her legs and she felt her sex begin to moisten.
“We shall see, little vai,” Buliara replied, then left her alone, slamming and locking the door behind her as she went. Traysi stared up at the ceiling, teeth gritted, and wondered how long it would be before the Gerudo returned.
______
Traysi didn’t know how long she’d been alone, just that it was, in some ways, every bit as bad as Buliara tickling her. The strange salve she’d used on her never decreased in intensity, but would move from tingles to that uncomfortable, sensitive heat randomly, Traysi’s body never quite becoming accustomed to either sensation and remaining in a peculiar form of agony. Even worse, the sensations between her legs, easily the most powerful, had her dripping a puddle of her own juices on the tabletop, simultaneously feeling horrific and arousing. Worst of all, though, was that she had no concept of time. The only small window provided next to no natural light, and even when she craned her head towards it she couldn’t tell if the sun was moving across the sky anywhere she could see. The only thing she knew for sure was that it was still daylight.
Traysi jumped when she heard the lock on the door click, and her stomach sank to her toes when Buliara entered and she saw Ploka, the guard from the palace entrance, walk in behind her and shut the door with a creak.
“How are you, little vai? I hope the last hours have loosened your tongue. I’m sure you remember Ploka?” Buliara motioned to the Gerudo guard and smiled. “While I was out, she came off duty and has graciously offered to help with the interrogation.”
“Greetings, Yiga spy,” Ploka said, her face filling Traysi’s vision as she walked to the table and looked straight down at her. “The Captain said you were quite stubborn, something I wouldn’t expect from one so small and weak, so I suggested that perhaps you simply needed a little extra attention. I hope you’re ready.”
“I don’t… please… no…,” Traysi murmured, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t know how sensitive she’d become as a result of being left alone with only the ointment working on her, but even just Ploka’s warm breath tickled her face and made her squirm. “Please, I can’t. No more tickling. I don’t know what you want me to say!” Ploka snorted and moved away from her, toward where Buliara stood at her feet. Both went to the shelf, speaking in low voices as they looked over different tools, then when they returned they stood at her feet side by side, their hands behind their backs, and studied her.
“This is your last chance, vai,” Buliara said. “Confess now and save yourself the misery.”
“Or don’t,” added Ploka, smiling evilly. “I don’t think you’ve had near enough yet.” When her hands came out from behind her back, she was holding a comb carved from bone in one of them.
“Ploka, settle yourself. Now, vai, why were you trying to gain access to the palace? Are you in league with the Yiga? Where is the Thunder Helm? Answer me, and I promise you rest and food.”
“How many times do I have to say that I don’t know before you’ll believe me? How many times are you going to ignore the truth?” Traysi asked, suddenly furious. “If I knew, I would have told you hours ago just to make this hell stop!”
The two Gerudo exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads with mock sadness, then Ploka came forward and leaned down at her feet. Traysi felt the guard forcing the toes of her right foot apart with her hand, then she began to gently saw the comb in between them, back and forth, exploring each crevice as Traysi’s anger dissipated into frantic, bubbling laughter. Buliara simply stood back and watched as Ploka worked, methodically tormenting every inch of Traysi’s sole with the comb once she had enough fun with her toes. The Hylian was already crying when, wordlessly, Ploka switched to the other foot and began the same process.
Buliara nodded in approval and moved to the side of the table, one hand still hidden behind her back, and used her nails to trace random patterns and whorls on Traysi’s quivering belly, a nail dipping into her navel and forcing a squeal from the captive to punctuate the laughter every time her hand drew near it. Traysi contorted every time the nail dug into her bellybutton, but she was far more worried about why the Gerudo captain kept her other hand behind her back, fearing that it contained some tool to torture her further as Ploka’s had.
Ploka found that scraping the comb side to side on Traysi’s instep sent the Hylian into hopeless hysterics, so strong that she wasn’t even able to scream for the sheer amount of laughter it forced from her. Words were out of the question. So of course this was where the guard decided to focus, watching as the soles turned a bright shade of pink beneath the attention of the comb as it alternated between the two feet. Buliara added a finger drag up to Traysi’s chest to her repertoire, sliding up to circle her areoles before flicking gently at each nipple, then tracing back down to her navel, the only evidence of her brutality on Traysi’s skin the livid pink lines her nails left behind as they moved around her torso.
“Ploka, pause for a moment,” Buliara said, her voice raised over the desperate laughter pouring from Traysi. “Little vai, what comes next is something that even the stoutest Gerudo warriors cannot withstand. Steel yourself lest you choke to death on your own spit before you can give us the information we seek.”
Traysi’s chest heaved as she sucked in as much air as possible during the brief respite. As she gained some small measure of control over her body, she looked up at Buliara and spat. “How… how much of this will you have to put me through before you believe me?”
“We’ll believe you when you truthfully answer my questions,” Buliara said with a sigh. “There is no joy in this for me, you know. I am not one of the Yiga or another of Ganon’s creatures and to cause such suffering leaves me with a heavy heart, Hylian vai.”
“But that means you don’t even consider the fact that I don’t know anything a possibility!”
“I do not. Ploka,” Buliara said as she looked up at the guard, “when I start in earnest, take your comb to that spot on her feet that you found a moment ago. She will talk or she will break, there are no other options.” Ploka nodded, and Buliara finally pulled her other hand from behind her back. In it she held a long, golden colored feather, all wispy tendrils along the shaft and with a stouter looking tip that had a pattern on it that looked vaguely like an eye.
“What are you going to do with that? It looks ridiculous,” Traysi said, trying to make her words tough sounding to mask her fear and confusion. Without a word, Buliara lowered the feather, and Traysi felt the plume gently kiss between her legs as it brushed against her tingling sex, sending a shock that was half pleasure, half pure torture through her entire body. “No. Absolutely not. You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I, though?” Buliara reached down with her free hand and spread Traysi open like a flower, then lowered the tip of the feather to her trembling, engorged clit. It was like electricity shot through every nerve in her body, the one little part of her somehow connected to everything. The second brush of the plume wrung a scream so deep and guttural that Traysi herself vaguely wondered if it had actually come from her, and by the third sweep of the feather the tears had returned in full, streaming from her eyes to mix with the sweat that covered her face.
Then Ploka’s comb began to move again, digging back into that same tender spot on her instep, and the combined sensation with the feather teasing her clit broke her. She bucked as hard as she could against her restraints, but it was to no avail. Her feet were completely trapped at the mercy of Ploka and her comb, and it was almost as if Buliara could sense her movements before she made them and adjust the swish of the feather against her as needed. Traysi could escape neither of them for so much as a full second. Even worse, the feathering was both a punishment and a pleasure, and while every pass of it over her tenderest spot was unbearable, she also began to hunger for its gentle touch, becoming even more wet and finding herself trying to follow it with her hips.
“Ploka, I think the vai might actually like this!” Buliara laughed, and Traysi caught a glimpse of the guards face at the end of the table as she glanced up in surprise.
“I’d never imagined such a thing possible,” Ploka said, looking on Traysi’s helpless gyrations with a mix of wonder and disgust. “This is truly one of the purest tortures, to derive pleasure from it is a sickness, Captain.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I’d go that far, Ploka. Without the aid of the ointment, this would be much less severe and in the right situation possibly even pleasurable.” Ploka’s face flushed with the instant thought of Buliara, feared captain of the proud Gerudo warriors, strapped down to the table and enjoying the attentions. “Ploka, the comb, you’re slacking.”
The guard realized she’d not only slowed her assault on Traysi’s feet, but had stopped altogether and sat at the end of the table lost in her imagination. Her mouth snapped shut and she went back to work with redoubled effort, still alternating between Traysi’s feet as she held them taut by the toes with one hand and mercilessly stroked the teeth of the comb against the captive insteps, now with speed so great that Traysi’s laughter fell silent, the Hylian only capable of squeals, sobs, and a strange, body wracking pantomime of laughter.
She came seconds later, her mind unable to keep control of her loins as she felt the heat rise to a fever pitch, spreading throughout her nether regions, before her body convulsed in a powerful, mind blotting orgasm. Traysi’s silent laughter stopped, as did her struggling, and her body went limp, animated only by the ragged breath wheezing in and out of her lungs.
“My, my,” Buliara laughed as she wiped the hand that had been parting Traysi’s folds on the Hylian’s thigh. “I knew she liked it, but that was a surprise. Are you still awake, little vai?” Traysi’s head lolled as she looked at her tormentor, just that movement feeling impossibly heavy, then the reporter hiccuped and her whole body sagged as she lost consciousness. “I suppose not, then.”
______
Traysi awoke some time later to find herself still on the table, though her ankles and wrists were now free. Buliara was gone, but Ploka was there with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water, washing the sweat and remaining voltfruit salve from her naked body.
“What?” Traysi tried to say more, but her mouth was impossibly dry and anything with more than one syllable made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth.
“Relax, Hylian vai. Your name has been cleared. A Rito woman appeared and vouched for you, as well as one of our own guards sent to investigate the Yiga discovering that your… newsletter… found at the place the Thunder Helm was stolen from was an intentional plant by the Yiga thief. The innkeeper at The Hotel Oasis also confirmed that you booked a bed and did not leave again after your dinner last night. Captain Buliara and Lady Riju both offer their deepest apologies for what you’ve been through.”
Traysi was stunned. “Apologies? Apologies!? You tortured me all day, ignored what I said, called me a liar, and now you offer your apologies?!? I have a few choice words for you, Captain Buliara, and the Lady Riju, I’ll tell you that!”
“Please understand, in these times we must be suspicious, little vai.” Ploka stood, wrung out the sponge, then dropped it in the bucket of water. “If there’s anything I can do to make up for our poor hospitality, I’ve been instructed to do so.”
Traysi laid on the table, first fuming and then simply thinking. A simple apology didn’t erase the torment and embarrassment she’d suffered, after all. An idea dawned on her, though, one that surprised her at first, but the more she thought about it the better it sounded.
“Hey, Ploka,” Traysi said, her lips twisting into a smile as her legs spread, “still got one of those feathers handy?”
Ploka did.
______
“What do you mean I can’t go in?” Traysi stamped her foot, sending a small cloud of dust puffing up from the stone steps leading into the Gerudo palace. “Come on, Ploka, you know I just want to ask Riju some questions!”
“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed in at this time. We’re still working out how to handle the crisis, and the last thing Lady Riju needs is more distractions, especially in the form of a little Hylian vai. Go and enjoy the market or something. Sav’orq!”
“Fine! But I’ll be back!” Traysi turned in a huff but a hand on her shoulder kept her from storming off.
“However, you are welcome in the barracks after nightfall,” Ploka purred in her ear, sending a shiver through her entire body.
“I’ll, I’ll think about it!” Traysi stammered, her face turning a deep shade of crimson as she stormed off and nearly slammed directly into another Hylian just a few paces behind her. “Omigosh, I’m so sorry!”
The new Hylian, a blonde wearing traditional Gerudo garb to stave off the heat, shrugged her shoulders. Traysi paused a moment and looked at her, jealous of the confidence the other woman possessed to wear the revealing clothes and also marveling at how damned fit she was, though the sheer number of scars on her exposed skin was a little alarming.
“If you’re heading to the palace, don’t bother,” she blurted, unsure why she was compelled to continue speaking to the strange, quiet woman. “They won’t even let in Traysi, Hyrule’s number one investigative journalist and author behind The Rumor Mill!”
The Hylian woman cocked her head to the side, seeming both confused and intrigued at the same time.
“Wait, don’t tell me you haven’t heard of Traysi and The Rumor Mill? How is that even possible?! Let me tell you…”
_____
The man behind the desk of the Gerudo stable looked at the woman, his face openly wearing an expression of disbelief. He’d been in business at the mouth of the canyon that opened into the Gerudo Wasteland for a long time and had seen his fair share of stubborn travelers, but this one was just… stupid.
“Miss, you’re sure you want to go on foot? It’s a long way to the oasis, and even farther to Gerudo Town itself. We’re even running a special, a horse and a guide to the oasis for only sixty rupees. I’d strongly suggest thinking about it a little more before you leave.” Usually he wouldn’t be so insistent, but something about the young woman screamed ‘inexperienced’ and he worried that another group of travelers coming through in a week would tell him about finding her corpse out in the sands.
“What kind of investigative journalist would I be if I was afraid of a little bit of sand and sun? I’ll be fine, don’t you worry!” Traysi spoke cheerfully, checking the contents of her pack and pulling on her boots while she sat on the edge of the bed she’d spent the night in. “And after all, I’m the author of The Rumor Mill, Hyrule’s number one publication! I’ve always traveled by foot and it’s worked just fine so far!”
“All due respect, miss, but I don’t think the sand and sun of the desert care all that much about your job or how famous your paper is,” the stable master said, shaking his head. Sometimes there was no helping someone no matter how hard you tried, though, and he’d learned a long time ago that it was best to let it go. “Just be careful out there, alright? And make sure you take a hydromelon or two. I think Beedle’s still got a few in stock outside, and if you get caught out there with no water then those’ll be your best bet.”
“Thanks for the tip, I’ll ask him on my way out,” Traysi said as she tied her brown hair back into a loose pony tail. I wonder if he’d knock the price on the guide down if I told him my travel stipend for the month hasn’t shown up yet? Traysi wasn’t fond of riding at the best of times, but tackling the desert on her own terrified her and a guide would be welcome if she wasn’t nearly broke. Just to be sure, she untied the strings of her money pouch and peered inside, hoping that maybe she’d missed something earlier when she paid for her bed, but the same two red rupees stared back at her, daring her to spend them on anything but food. Shit.
Traysi stood and thanked the stable master once more, bowing as she did, then adjusted her pack and headed out into the morning light. Gerudo Stable stood at the end of a long canyon that opened into the desert proper and served as the last safe haven for travelers before the sands. The canyon and stable, at least, were shielded from the sun and the morning temperature was pleasant at this early hour, in between the chill of the night and the heat of the day itself. Beedle, the traveling merchant, sat nearby, arguing with a passing Gerudo about the price of something. After a moment, the Gerudo sniffed and handed him a purple rupee, then took the green melon he offered her and walked away.
“Hey there, Beedle,” Traysi said with a wave as she walked over to him. They were both well travelled and bumped into each other fairly often as each criss-crossed around Hyrule. “The old man in the stable said I should buy a hydromelon from you for my trip into the desert.”
“Traysi! It’s been a while since Beedle bumped into his old friend! You’re heading into Gerudo desert?” Beedle stood, stretching his long limbs and shaking the numbness out of them as he did. “Awful place to travel. Beedle doesn’t go past Gerudo Stable anymore, personally.”
“Can’t blame you, I’ve heard it can get pretty rough out there. Plus, these days Vah Naboris is supposedly getting closer and closer to Gerudo Town, so even the settled areas aren’t necessarily safe. Anyway, how about that hydromelon?”
“Ah, that Gerudo traveler a moment ago bought the last one in stock, unfortunately.”
Shit. “That’s alright,” she said, wearing her best smile to hide her irritation. “I’ll make do with my canteen. It’s not all that far to the oasis, after all, and the bazaar there should have some. So where are you headed?”
“Beedle is going to head to the Akkala region. Supposedly there’s a forest there with energetic rhino beetles, and there’s always good business around the stables! Have a safe trip, Traysi!” He waved and set off into the canyon that would take him to central Hyrule and the regions beyond. Traysi waved after him, watching until his stag beetle shaped pack disappeared from sight.
“Alright, time for me to get moving too,” she said, giving each of her cheeks a quick slap with her hands. “Let’s go get that scoop!”
______
“Holy mother of Hylia!” Traysi dove behind a rock just before the bolt of electricity hit where she’d been standing. When she peered around the rock, the sand had melted into a glassy black, outright cooked by the force of the lightning. The ground shook beneath her as Vah Naboris took another thundering step, luckily towards the heart of the desert. “How do the Gerudo live out here with something like that stomping around?”
Electricity crackled all around the divine beast, bolts arcing off it at random and striking the ground, and from farther up its body fell pulsing balls of raw energy that bounced across the sand before exploding against rocks or sometimes just the air. Traysi watched one of these balls of lightning tumbled over the landscape and caught a wandering lizalfos, brought out of hiding by the noise of the beast’s passing, and fried it into little more than barbecued tail meat and melted weapons. Vah Naboris reared back its head and released a mechanical howl that echoed through the entire desert, then simply wandered off as Traysi peered over the rock that served as her hiding place, watching the massive weapon as it disappeared into the distance.
“If that thing ever stumbles onto Kara Kara Bazaar at the oasis or Gerudo Town, it’ll be nothing but trouble,” she muttered to herself, her hands shaking as she took out a small book and jotted down notes about the encounter. “I wonder what they’re trying to do about it.” She stood, brushing sand from her breeches and steadying herself against the rock when she felt her knees buckle. Traysi was pretty used to danger on the road, especially with the sorry state Hyrule was in these days, but that was the first time she’d ever almost been fried by a passing divine beast.
When she felt that she could walk without stumbling, Traysi moved back to the road. The oasis shimmered in the distance, its promise of water and rest even more welcoming after her brush with death. They might, if she was lucky, even have a hydromelon for the road.
______
“Thank you. So what can you tell me about the divine beast roaming the desert?” Traysi took the hydromelon that the old woman at the bazaar held out to her. The woman sat back on the rug shielding her rear from the heat of the sand, unreasonable even next to the oasis, and shrugged.
“There’s not much to tell, curious little vai,” she said. “Naboris wanders aimlessly, causing sandstorms and earthquakes in its wake, and its lightning keeps the soldiers from Gerudo Town from being able to approach it. We’ve had to cancel the sandseal races, can’t travel into some parts of our own land for fear of being lost in the whirling sands, and pray every day that its wanderings don’t take it too close to the town. Why do you ask? Have a brush with Vah Naboris on your way to the bazaar?”
Traysi nodded. “I did, and barely made it out. Does it ever seem to target anything specifically?”
“No, vai. If Vah Naboris was targeting things, there wouldn’t be a living creature left in the desert. It wanders, aimless. We believe it’s mourning the loss of Lady Urbosa, but who can really say.” The woman shrugged again then picked up a jug of water and took a long drink. “You should stay at the inn here tonight. It’s still a long way to Gerudo Town. Sav’orq!”
“Mm, thank you, I believe I will,” Traysi told her with a smile and waved goodbye as she walked off with her melon to find a shaded place to sit and eat her lunch. She ended up sitting on a small, round bit of a log beneath a palm tree, already turned on its end as though someone had been using it as a seat. As she cracked open her hydromelon and began to eat, she studied the bazaar.
There wasn’t, in her opinion, much going on here. A couple Gerudo had spread blankets on the sand and sold food to travelers, a group of Hylian men camped at the very edge of the oasis opposite her, and a lone Rito sat at the edge of the water, seeming to doze in the sun. The inn stood at the rear, next to the road that continued on to Gerudo Town, and that was it.
“I have to say, I was expecting more,” she said to herself as she finished her melon and tossed the rind into the desert. “I hope the town proper is a bit more lively.” Traysi stood, wiping her hands on her trousers to get the sticky feeling from the melon off her palms, and headed towards the inn, hoping she had enough money to buy a bed for the night.
______
Traysi awoke in the middle of the night and, sleep fleeing her in her excitement, decided to check out and make her way to Gerudo Town in the dark. The desert was very different at night, the heat of the sun swapped with a chill that seemed to sink into her bones no matter how much she moved. She watched electrified keese in the distance, orbs of light flitting through the air from perch to perch as they screeched and swooped upon any living creature in their path. Luckily none ever approached the road, and after a full night’s trek Traysi found herself standing at the arch leading into Gerudo Town as the morning sun climbed into the sky.
“Sav’otta,” one of the guards at the entrance of Gerudo Town said as she waved Traysi down. “Welcome to Gerudo Town, Hylian vai. Whatever your reason for coming, you are welcome to come in and rest.”
“Ah, thank you,” Traysi replied, smiling despite still feeling the chill of the desert night. “By any chance, has a Rito woman arrived lately, one with pale green feathers?”
“Hmm,” the second guard leaned on her spear, thoughtful. “I believe a Rito fitting that description might have arrived yesterday. Neither of us were on gate duty, but travelers are sparse these days. You should check at the hotel or the bar.”
“Ah, thank you so much, I’ll check them both!” Traysi walked beneath the yellow stone of the arch, barely hearing both guards’ parting “Sav’orq”, and found herself in the main plaza. Even at dawn, Gerudo moved about, vendors setting up their stalls and guards patrolling the pathways and alleys in between the stone buildings, everyone in a hurry to get prepared before the sun reached its full glory and the heat of the day set in.
She found her way into an alley that cut to the eastern side of the town, asking directions from a couple Gerudo children on the way when she couldn’t find any signs, until she stood in front of a building with small palm trees potted on either side of its door and a sign happily proclaiming it as the Hotel Oasis. Traysi walked inside and found what she was looking for. A tall Rito woman stood at the desk, talking excitedly with the innkeeper.
“Enlih! Where have you been, you old pigeon!” The Rito spun around as quick as anything, the expression of anger on her face melting as soon as she saw the speaker.
“Traysi! It’s so good to see you! I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it to Gerudo Town at all!” Enlih rushed to her, arms outstretched, and pulled her into a hug.
“Stop! Stop! You know how ticklish I am, and your feathers always get under my tunic!” Traysi laughed, wriggling out of her friend’s grasp and pushing her to arm’s length. “And I thought you were supposed to find me before I made it to the canyon? I ran out of money, you know.”
“I know, I’m so sorry! Come over here, let’s sit and talk.” Enlih led the way to a small table away from the desk and each took a seat across from the other. Traysi looked down and smiled, seeing an old copy of her Rumor Mill. “Truth is,” Enlih said once they were both comfortable, “I had trouble at the mouth of the canyon. I was running behind and missed you, but when I tried to follow the path into the canyon to look for you I was attacked by Bokoblin archers.”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh yes, they’re terrible shots on the best of days. Not a scratch on me, but I had to backtrack out of the canyon and fly over. I was going to meet you at Kara Kara Bazaar instead, but I guess I beat you there, so I decided to head here and wait.” Enlih bowed at the table. “I’m so sorry, here’s your stipend!” The Rito woman held out a leather pouch.
Traysi took it from her, surprised at its weight. “How much is in here?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely more than normal. Rumor Mill has been doing very well of late.” Enlih shrugged, then started picking at a few of the large green feathers on her wing. “So what’s your plan? You going to ask around the city to find out more about Vah Naboris?”
“No, I think I’m going to find breakfast and then head to the palace in the center of town. I’d imagine the Gerudo chief would know the most about what’s going on.” Traysi stood and stretched, her spine popping as she did. “Any idea what’s good to eat around here?”
“Most of the food vendors are out in the main plaza. You should go have a look. I’m going to head back soon, but I’ll be out to check on you in a day or two.” Enlih stood as well and waved goodbye before heading outside the hotel. By the time Traysi stepped out, her Rito friend was gone, a lone green feather on the sand the only evidence she’d been there only moments before. Traysi scooped it up and pocketed it for luck, then made her way back to the plaza, whistling and clinking the rupees in her new leather bag together.
______
Ploka looked down at the suspicious Hylian vai and shook her head. “There is no entry into the palace right now by order of Lady Riju. You must leave.”
“But why not? I just wanted to speak to the chief of the Gerudo. I’m here to investigate Vah Naboris,” Traysi said, the words coming quickly as she spoke. The guard refusing her entry was surprising, and her wits were still trying to recover as her mind raced to find the right words to convince her to let her through.
“As I said, it is by order of Lady Riju, but if you really must know, the chief is working out a plan to calm Naboris in the desert and there have been strange occurrences in the town at night lately. We believe it to be those Yiga traitors skulking around, planning something of their own. Lady Riju will open the palace to the public again once Vah Naboris has been stopped, but until then only the soldiers and the chief’s advisors are permitted entry. Now, please go, you are distracting. Sav’aaq!”
Traysi backed off, returning to the plaza in the center of town as she wondered what to do. Her best bet seemed to be chatting up the townspeople themselves, see if any of them had information, and then go from there. Nodding to herself and shielding her eyes from the sun, Traysi set out into Gerudo town to speak with as many people as she could before sundown.
______
“Ugh, what an exhausting day,” Traysi moaned as she walked back into the Hotel Oasis on the eastern side of Gerudo Town. The Gerudo behind the desk waved her over and Traysi happily paid for a bed for the night, too tired to even care about the price.
“Sarqso! Once you get settled in, I shall bring you something to eat, little vai!” The woman motioned to the same table that Traysi had spoken with Enlih at that morning and then disappeared into the back. Shrugging, she took a seat, and a few moments later the Gerudo reappeared with a plate of hydromelon, mighty bananas, and wildberries simmered in honey and placed it in front of her along with a large glass of water.
“Here, eat and recover your strength, little vai,” she said, then returned to the hotel’s desk. Traysi sat and ate, going over the information she’d gathered in her mind as she did. The problem was that none of it was particularly helpful to her.
Stories of some strange heart shaped pond, complaints about monsters outside the nearby ice house, disappointment at the sandseal races being canceled in the wake of Vah Naboris, and many, many doubts about Riju’s ability to rule the Gerudo in place of her recently deceased mother, the former chief. It was hand-wringing to imagine the wealth of information she could find if she could just get into the palace!
“All right, that settles it,” Traysi said aloud. “I’ll try the palace again in the morning! This time I’ll wait all day if I have to, but I’m going to speak with Lady Riju!” The Gerudo behind the hotel desk looked at her with only a slightly raised eyebrow and shrugged, amused at her Hylian customer’s eccentricities. Traysi stood, leaving her dishes at the table, and took up the bed she’d paid for, removing only her boots and the leather breast plate she wore over her tunic before she went to sleep.
______
Early the next morning, Traysi made her way up the steps to the palace again. This time, she was determined to get into the palace and gather information no matter the cost. Part if her was hoping there’d be a different soldier on guard duty as she made it to the top of the stair, but a quick glance revealed Ploka once again barring the way inside. Well, it is what it is, she thought, then took a deep breath and approached the Gerudo.
“It’s you!” Ploka exclaimed before Traysi could get within ten paces of her, a look of pure anger and hatred darkening her face. She brandished her spear and whistled loudly through her teeth. “Stay right there, Yiga spy!”
“Wait, what?” Traysi said, taking a step backwards. She was confused, trying to piece the situation together in her mind as the guard advanced on her slowly. Nervously, she took another step backwards and bumped into something that, when she spun around, turned out to be another Gerudo towering over her. Traysi cried out as the second guard grabbed her wrist and wrestled her to the ground, pinning her face down and binding her wrists behind her back with a cord.
“Don’t speak anymore, spy,” Ploka said and spat at the ground in front of Traysi’s face. “Come,” she spoke to the other guard, “take over watching the entrance. I’ll deliver this… thing… to Lady Riju and Buliara.” The second guard nodded and took stance at the palace entrance as Ploka dragged Traysi to her feet and pushed the Hylian into the palace in front of her, prodding her in the back menacingly any time she dared slow down.
In just a few short corridors, Traysi found herself standing in a wide throne room filled with the sound of trickling water. In front of her was a raised dais surrounded by water flowing from above, and in a golden chair in the middle of it sat an adolescent Gerudo adorned with golden headdress and necklace. Next to her stood the most imposing Gerudo Traysi had ever seen, all muscle and quiet menace, and that was saying much as the Gerudo were an imposing race of people. The woman next to the adolescent crossed her arms and spoke.
“Ploka, what is the meaning of this? Did you forget that we are in the midst of a crisis?”
“Forgive me, Captain Buliara, but I have apprehended this Hylian vai. She was snooping around the palace yesterday and I sent her away, but she returned today. I think she might be connected to the theft, so I thought it best to capture her.”
Wait, I didn’t do anything! “Excuse me,” Traysi started to say, but Ploka struck the back of her legs painfully with the haft of her spear. The blow made them buckle and forced Traysi to her knees with a cry of pain.
“Quiet, Yiga spy!” Ploka reached down and grabbed a fistful of Traysi’s hair and yanked, pulling her face to look at Riju and Buliara on the dais.
“Ploka! Control yourself in front of Lady Riju!” Buliara stepped forward and Ploka straightened and bowed, her face coloring with shame. “Return to your post, I shall deal with the prisoner.” Without another word, Ploka left, sparing only one venomous glance back at Traysi as she went.
“Hylian, you may answer when I speak to you directly,” Riju said, sitting up straight on her chair. “Now, were you trying to gain entry to the palace yesterday and today as Ploka said?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Why? Did she not tell you that I had closed the palace to the public?”
“She did, but I wanted to, um, gather information for an article that I write and wanted to speak with you and others in the palace about Vah Naboris.”
“Article?” Riju leaned forward, a suspicious expression on her face. Buliara was silent, but Traysi could feel the menace coming off her in waves. “Tell me about this article.”
“Well, um, it’s called The Rumor Mill. I travel around to different areas of Hyrule and research rumors and legends, then publish my findings. It’s pretty well known these days, I think.”
“Buliara, show her.” The captain of the guard walked to a shelf nearby and pulled something from it, turning and tossing it on the floor directly in front of Traysi. When she hesitantly looked down, she saw that it was a copy of one of her articles.
“A precious treasure of the Gerudo was stolen last night, vai,” Buliara said, her voice thick with rage. “The Thunder Helm, a piece of armor that renders the wearer immune to electric attacks, meaning that anyone wearing it would be capable of approaching Vah Naboris without fear of its lightning. We found that little book where the Thunder Helm was stored.”
“But I didn’t do it! I mean, I know how it must look, but you have to believe me!” Traysi couldn’t believe they actually thought she stole the helm or had some part in it. She tried to remember if she’d ever heard what the Gerudo do to criminals, but she was too addled to think straight. “Please, I didn’t even know about the Thunder Helm…”
“Buliara,” Riju began, rubbing her temples with one hand, “I need you to find out if she’s telling the truth or if she knows anything about the theft. Do whatever you have to in order to get it out of her.”
“Of course, Lady Riju. Vai, stand,” Buliara said, reaching down and hauling Traysi to her feet. “Walk,” she said and pushed her towards a doorway on the eastern side of the audience hall. She looked back at Riju as Buliara led her out, catching the chief’s eyes one last time and mouthing the word ‘please’, but Riju only shook her head sadly.
______
Buliara led her out into the training grounds, pushing her every time she slowed. Traysi thought briefly about trying to make a break for it while they were outside, but there were dozens of Gerudo warriors. Even if she’d somehow gotten out of Buliara’s grasp, she’d surely be caught by one of the others.
The pair entered the barracks, and Buliara pulled her along until they came to a door near the back, past row after row of simple, uncomfortable looking beds that the soldiers likely slept on when stationed at the palace. She pulled the door open and pushed Traysi through, then entered herself, closing it behind her with an ominous click.
The room was small and dimly lit, with only dusty light from a small barred window high up on the wall filtering down and otherwise two torches sputtering opposite each other on the stone walls. A large wooden table took up the center, each corner fitted with a shackle, and a shelf beneath one of the torches had several items piled on it, none of which made sense to Traysi as she quietly studied them and wondered what was about to happen to her. Is that a feather? Why is that here?
“I’m going to unbind your wrists. Don’t try to fight back or it will get worse for you, vai.” She stood silently as Buliara produced a knife, wicked sharp, and cut through the cord binding her wrists, but when she felt a tug at her tunic and the knife blade cutting through the fabric she uttered a surprised gasp. Buliara ignored her, carefully cutting down seams and pulling her clothes away. When she was done, Traysi stood in only scant underclothes and her boots, shivering and terrified even in the warmth of the room. Buliara pushed her towards the table and motioned for her to climb onto it, then she pulled Traysi’s arms out and shackled them to the two corners above her head. Moving to the other end of the table, she did the same with her legs, pausing only to slide her boots off before shackling both ankles and leaving the Hylian exposed and helpless, spread out on the table.
“Please,” Traysi whimpered, “I don’t know anything about the Thunder Helm or the Yiga. Just let me go and I’ll explain everything!”
“Hmm.” Buliara walked to the shelf and returned with a jar of a strange, slightly luminescent salve. “Since you don’t seem to want to tell me the truth, I’ll have to ask your body directly, little vai. This is an ointment made from voltfruit and lizalfos bones. It will… help convince you.” Buliara uncorked the bottle and dipped the fingers of one hand in, coming out with a large dollop of the salve on the tips of them, then she leaned down and began to spread it in slow circles in Traysi’s left underarm, then her right, smirking as the reporter squirmed and twisted her face to keep from bursting out laughing.
“Ticklish, little vai? This will go badly for you then, I’m afraid.” She spread more of the goop across Traysi’s belly, even dipping a finger into her navel to spread it around, then down to her thighs. She finally made her way to Traysi’s feet, coating the bottoms and working it between each toe while Traysi, finally succumbing to her touch, wiggled and snickered on the table. Satisfied, Buliara replaced the cork and returned the jar to the shelf. “Now just wait.”
“What am I waiting for?” Traysi asked, but even then was already beginning to feel something. It started as a tingle, first in her underarms where Buliara first spread the salve, but quickly the tingle spread to everywhere she’d rubbed it in, making Traysi squirm uncomfortably on the table. “What is this?”
“The ointment will awaken all your nerves and make even the slightest touch unbearable. We use it to train our soldiers to withstand certain interrogation techniques that the Yiga employ when they want to keep their captive alive. Give it another moment.” The Gerudo captain waited patiently, arms crossed as she watched Traysi, while Traysi wondered precisely what she was waiting for besides the strange, full body tingling.
The tingling started to fade, replaced instead by an odd sensation of heat covering her entire body. She felt the blood rushing everywhere, and wondered what was really happening and, vaguely, if there was some sort of allergic reaction going on as her temperature rose to the point that she breathed heavily as sweat stood out on her brow.
“It is time,” Buliara said as she dragged a single fingernail down the middle of Traysi’s left sole. The Hylian didn’t yelp so much as scream at the sensation. She’d always been ticklish, a trait that many friends and the small number of lovers she’d had over the course of her life had taken full advantage of, but that one fingernail reverberated through her entire body so completely that it made her back arch off the table as much as her bonds allowed.
“Holy hell, why is it so…” Traysi began, but then all of Buliara’s nails raked her soles, cutting her words off with what started as a strangled scream and devolved into a long stream of helpless laughter. It felt as though the Gerudo captain was tickling every nerve in her body, the sensations from her feet somehow jolting upwards through every nerve as her interrogator continued slowly raking her nails up and down.
“Now, I believe I shall simply do this for a while to soften you up, make you want to talk. Then we start with questions.” Buliara stayed true to her word, falling silent and focusing only on tickling Traysi’s helpless feet. Her nails, surprisingly long and sharp for a warrior, explored every wrinkle of her flexing soles, scratched in between her toes, and even alternated to the tops of her feet to trace wicked patterns in flesh that Traysi herself had been unaware of the sensitivity found within. All the while, the tickling kept traveling up her body by thanks of the strange ointment, echoing through her legs, belly, chest, and arms, and she laughed harder and harder, half formed pleading dying every time it nearly made it to her lips, her entire body burning and sweating from the torture.
After what seemed an eternity, the nails on her feet slowed, Buliara wearing a cruel smirk on her fierce face as she watched Traysi shaking and crying to regain some sort of composure. Her breath hitched and she stared back at the Gerudo wild-eyed, sweat soaking her from head to toe and making her hair cling to her brow and hang in her eyes.
“This is not a good look for you, little vai,” the Gerudo said with a laugh. “Are you ready to talk? Or do you need a little more convincing?” She punctuated her question with one last rake down Traysi’s soles, making the reporter squeal and buck again, before standing back and crossing her arms. “Now, speak. Why were you trying to gain access to the palace? Are you working with the Yiga or a member of their traitorous clan? Did you steal the Thunder Helm or help the Yiga to steal it? Where is it?”
“I… I just wanted to gather information about Vah Naboris for a new Rumor Mill, that’s it! I swear! I didn’t even know the Thunder Helm existed, and I’ve only heard rumors of the Yiga before! Please, believe me!”
Buliara sighed, shaking her head and pulling a knife from her hip. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but you seem intent on falsehood.” She moved to Traysi’s side and pinched the fabric covering her breasts, pulling it up, then cut cleanly through it with the knife, exposing them to the warm air. The Gerudo discarded the ruined garment, then did the same with the one covering her sex before returning the knife to her hip. Without another word, she walked to the shelf and returned with the jar of salve, dipping a finger in and scooping enough out to slowly coat Traysi’s nipples, which began to tingle and stiffen immediately, wrenching a fresh gasp from the Hylian. Buliara began to return the jar to the shelf, then stopped after only one step, regarding her captive. The finger dipped into the jar again, and then one finger, coated completely in salve, wormed its way between Traysi’s legs and entered her, turning and wiggling until her clitoris and vaginal walls were coated as well.
“We don’t normally have to take it so far. I commend you for your resilience, if nothing else, little vai,” Buliara said as she returned the jar. Traysi writhed as the tingling crept up from her crotch and into her lower belly, her hips trying to grind the air as the tingling turned to overwhelming, sensitive heat that made her crotch hunger for touch. “I shall leave you here with your thoughts for now while the voltfruit ointment works on you, but I will return shortly.”
“Please, not like this! I’m telling the truth!” Traysi whimpered at her, tears streaming down her face as the heat continued to build between her legs and she felt her sex begin to moisten.
“We shall see, little vai,” Buliara replied, then left her alone, slamming and locking the door behind her as she went. Traysi stared up at the ceiling, teeth gritted, and wondered how long it would be before the Gerudo returned.
______
Traysi didn’t know how long she’d been alone, just that it was, in some ways, every bit as bad as Buliara tickling her. The strange salve she’d used on her never decreased in intensity, but would move from tingles to that uncomfortable, sensitive heat randomly, Traysi’s body never quite becoming accustomed to either sensation and remaining in a peculiar form of agony. Even worse, the sensations between her legs, easily the most powerful, had her dripping a puddle of her own juices on the tabletop, simultaneously feeling horrific and arousing. Worst of all, though, was that she had no concept of time. The only small window provided next to no natural light, and even when she craned her head towards it she couldn’t tell if the sun was moving across the sky anywhere she could see. The only thing she knew for sure was that it was still daylight.
Traysi jumped when she heard the lock on the door click, and her stomach sank to her toes when Buliara entered and she saw Ploka, the guard from the palace entrance, walk in behind her and shut the door with a creak.
“How are you, little vai? I hope the last hours have loosened your tongue. I’m sure you remember Ploka?” Buliara motioned to the Gerudo guard and smiled. “While I was out, she came off duty and has graciously offered to help with the interrogation.”
“Greetings, Yiga spy,” Ploka said, her face filling Traysi’s vision as she walked to the table and looked straight down at her. “The Captain said you were quite stubborn, something I wouldn’t expect from one so small and weak, so I suggested that perhaps you simply needed a little extra attention. I hope you’re ready.”
“I don’t… please… no…,” Traysi murmured, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t know how sensitive she’d become as a result of being left alone with only the ointment working on her, but even just Ploka’s warm breath tickled her face and made her squirm. “Please, I can’t. No more tickling. I don’t know what you want me to say!” Ploka snorted and moved away from her, toward where Buliara stood at her feet. Both went to the shelf, speaking in low voices as they looked over different tools, then when they returned they stood at her feet side by side, their hands behind their backs, and studied her.
“This is your last chance, vai,” Buliara said. “Confess now and save yourself the misery.”
“Or don’t,” added Ploka, smiling evilly. “I don’t think you’ve had near enough yet.” When her hands came out from behind her back, she was holding a comb carved from bone in one of them.
“Ploka, settle yourself. Now, vai, why were you trying to gain access to the palace? Are you in league with the Yiga? Where is the Thunder Helm? Answer me, and I promise you rest and food.”
“How many times do I have to say that I don’t know before you’ll believe me? How many times are you going to ignore the truth?” Traysi asked, suddenly furious. “If I knew, I would have told you hours ago just to make this hell stop!”
The two Gerudo exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads with mock sadness, then Ploka came forward and leaned down at her feet. Traysi felt the guard forcing the toes of her right foot apart with her hand, then she began to gently saw the comb in between them, back and forth, exploring each crevice as Traysi’s anger dissipated into frantic, bubbling laughter. Buliara simply stood back and watched as Ploka worked, methodically tormenting every inch of Traysi’s sole with the comb once she had enough fun with her toes. The Hylian was already crying when, wordlessly, Ploka switched to the other foot and began the same process.
Buliara nodded in approval and moved to the side of the table, one hand still hidden behind her back, and used her nails to trace random patterns and whorls on Traysi’s quivering belly, a nail dipping into her navel and forcing a squeal from the captive to punctuate the laughter every time her hand drew near it. Traysi contorted every time the nail dug into her bellybutton, but she was far more worried about why the Gerudo captain kept her other hand behind her back, fearing that it contained some tool to torture her further as Ploka’s had.
Ploka found that scraping the comb side to side on Traysi’s instep sent the Hylian into hopeless hysterics, so strong that she wasn’t even able to scream for the sheer amount of laughter it forced from her. Words were out of the question. So of course this was where the guard decided to focus, watching as the soles turned a bright shade of pink beneath the attention of the comb as it alternated between the two feet. Buliara added a finger drag up to Traysi’s chest to her repertoire, sliding up to circle her areoles before flicking gently at each nipple, then tracing back down to her navel, the only evidence of her brutality on Traysi’s skin the livid pink lines her nails left behind as they moved around her torso.
“Ploka, pause for a moment,” Buliara said, her voice raised over the desperate laughter pouring from Traysi. “Little vai, what comes next is something that even the stoutest Gerudo warriors cannot withstand. Steel yourself lest you choke to death on your own spit before you can give us the information we seek.”
Traysi’s chest heaved as she sucked in as much air as possible during the brief respite. As she gained some small measure of control over her body, she looked up at Buliara and spat. “How… how much of this will you have to put me through before you believe me?”
“We’ll believe you when you truthfully answer my questions,” Buliara said with a sigh. “There is no joy in this for me, you know. I am not one of the Yiga or another of Ganon’s creatures and to cause such suffering leaves me with a heavy heart, Hylian vai.”
“But that means you don’t even consider the fact that I don’t know anything a possibility!”
“I do not. Ploka,” Buliara said as she looked up at the guard, “when I start in earnest, take your comb to that spot on her feet that you found a moment ago. She will talk or she will break, there are no other options.” Ploka nodded, and Buliara finally pulled her other hand from behind her back. In it she held a long, golden colored feather, all wispy tendrils along the shaft and with a stouter looking tip that had a pattern on it that looked vaguely like an eye.
“What are you going to do with that? It looks ridiculous,” Traysi said, trying to make her words tough sounding to mask her fear and confusion. Without a word, Buliara lowered the feather, and Traysi felt the plume gently kiss between her legs as it brushed against her tingling sex, sending a shock that was half pleasure, half pure torture through her entire body. “No. Absolutely not. You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I, though?” Buliara reached down with her free hand and spread Traysi open like a flower, then lowered the tip of the feather to her trembling, engorged clit. It was like electricity shot through every nerve in her body, the one little part of her somehow connected to everything. The second brush of the plume wrung a scream so deep and guttural that Traysi herself vaguely wondered if it had actually come from her, and by the third sweep of the feather the tears had returned in full, streaming from her eyes to mix with the sweat that covered her face.
Then Ploka’s comb began to move again, digging back into that same tender spot on her instep, and the combined sensation with the feather teasing her clit broke her. She bucked as hard as she could against her restraints, but it was to no avail. Her feet were completely trapped at the mercy of Ploka and her comb, and it was almost as if Buliara could sense her movements before she made them and adjust the swish of the feather against her as needed. Traysi could escape neither of them for so much as a full second. Even worse, the feathering was both a punishment and a pleasure, and while every pass of it over her tenderest spot was unbearable, she also began to hunger for its gentle touch, becoming even more wet and finding herself trying to follow it with her hips.
“Ploka, I think the vai might actually like this!” Buliara laughed, and Traysi caught a glimpse of the guards face at the end of the table as she glanced up in surprise.
“I’d never imagined such a thing possible,” Ploka said, looking on Traysi’s helpless gyrations with a mix of wonder and disgust. “This is truly one of the purest tortures, to derive pleasure from it is a sickness, Captain.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I’d go that far, Ploka. Without the aid of the ointment, this would be much less severe and in the right situation possibly even pleasurable.” Ploka’s face flushed with the instant thought of Buliara, feared captain of the proud Gerudo warriors, strapped down to the table and enjoying the attentions. “Ploka, the comb, you’re slacking.”
The guard realized she’d not only slowed her assault on Traysi’s feet, but had stopped altogether and sat at the end of the table lost in her imagination. Her mouth snapped shut and she went back to work with redoubled effort, still alternating between Traysi’s feet as she held them taut by the toes with one hand and mercilessly stroked the teeth of the comb against the captive insteps, now with speed so great that Traysi’s laughter fell silent, the Hylian only capable of squeals, sobs, and a strange, body wracking pantomime of laughter.
She came seconds later, her mind unable to keep control of her loins as she felt the heat rise to a fever pitch, spreading throughout her nether regions, before her body convulsed in a powerful, mind blotting orgasm. Traysi’s silent laughter stopped, as did her struggling, and her body went limp, animated only by the ragged breath wheezing in and out of her lungs.
“My, my,” Buliara laughed as she wiped the hand that had been parting Traysi’s folds on the Hylian’s thigh. “I knew she liked it, but that was a surprise. Are you still awake, little vai?” Traysi’s head lolled as she looked at her tormentor, just that movement feeling impossibly heavy, then the reporter hiccuped and her whole body sagged as she lost consciousness. “I suppose not, then.”
______
Traysi awoke some time later to find herself still on the table, though her ankles and wrists were now free. Buliara was gone, but Ploka was there with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water, washing the sweat and remaining voltfruit salve from her naked body.
“What?” Traysi tried to say more, but her mouth was impossibly dry and anything with more than one syllable made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth.
“Relax, Hylian vai. Your name has been cleared. A Rito woman appeared and vouched for you, as well as one of our own guards sent to investigate the Yiga discovering that your… newsletter… found at the place the Thunder Helm was stolen from was an intentional plant by the Yiga thief. The innkeeper at The Hotel Oasis also confirmed that you booked a bed and did not leave again after your dinner last night. Captain Buliara and Lady Riju both offer their deepest apologies for what you’ve been through.”
Traysi was stunned. “Apologies? Apologies!? You tortured me all day, ignored what I said, called me a liar, and now you offer your apologies?!? I have a few choice words for you, Captain Buliara, and the Lady Riju, I’ll tell you that!”
“Please understand, in these times we must be suspicious, little vai.” Ploka stood, wrung out the sponge, then dropped it in the bucket of water. “If there’s anything I can do to make up for our poor hospitality, I’ve been instructed to do so.”
Traysi laid on the table, first fuming and then simply thinking. A simple apology didn’t erase the torment and embarrassment she’d suffered, after all. An idea dawned on her, though, one that surprised her at first, but the more she thought about it the better it sounded.
“Hey, Ploka,” Traysi said, her lips twisting into a smile as her legs spread, “still got one of those feathers handy?”
Ploka did.
______
“What do you mean I can’t go in?” Traysi stamped her foot, sending a small cloud of dust puffing up from the stone steps leading into the Gerudo palace. “Come on, Ploka, you know I just want to ask Riju some questions!”
“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed in at this time. We’re still working out how to handle the crisis, and the last thing Lady Riju needs is more distractions, especially in the form of a little Hylian vai. Go and enjoy the market or something. Sav’orq!”
“Fine! But I’ll be back!” Traysi turned in a huff but a hand on her shoulder kept her from storming off.
“However, you are welcome in the barracks after nightfall,” Ploka purred in her ear, sending a shiver through her entire body.
“I’ll, I’ll think about it!” Traysi stammered, her face turning a deep shade of crimson as she stormed off and nearly slammed directly into another Hylian just a few paces behind her. “Omigosh, I’m so sorry!”
The new Hylian, a blonde wearing traditional Gerudo garb to stave off the heat, shrugged her shoulders. Traysi paused a moment and looked at her, jealous of the confidence the other woman possessed to wear the revealing clothes and also marveling at how damned fit she was, though the sheer number of scars on her exposed skin was a little alarming.
“If you’re heading to the palace, don’t bother,” she blurted, unsure why she was compelled to continue speaking to the strange, quiet woman. “They won’t even let in Traysi, Hyrule’s number one investigative journalist and author behind The Rumor Mill!”
The Hylian woman cocked her head to the side, seeming both confused and intrigued at the same time.
“Wait, don’t tell me you haven’t heard of Traysi and The Rumor Mill? How is that even possible?! Let me tell you…”
