Chapter Text
Sooga fell face first into the sand. Everything hurt to the bone, and the sun still beat down relentlessly on his back. He wanted to cry. He should've gone somewhere else, he should've run in any other damn direction than the one he did. Now he was tired, hungry, in pain, and about to die. All he could do was drag himself through the sand and pray that night would fall soon. If he just kept going in a straight line, maybe he'd find something. Like an oasis, or at least a nice rock to curl up under and freeze to death before the desert wolves got him.
The sound of a metal blade being unsheathed got his attention. He looked up to the sight of someone in a bone white mask holding a sickle to his face. "Well well well, what do we have here?"
Sooga clenched his eyes shut, tears streaming from them. "Please, sir! I've been out here for days! I have nothing to take! Don't hurt me, I beg of you!"
The man didn't lower his weapon. He and another unseen person grabbed Sooga by the arms and forced him to his feet, making him yelp in pain. "We'll see what Master Kohga thinks of you, then…" they said sinisterly.
Sooga's feet ached from walking by the time they got to their camp. The sun was dipping under the horizon, and the air was getting cooler. The men threw Sooga to his knees. "Master Kohga! Come look at this!"
A man came out of the biggest tent. He was a bit taller than the others around him, and more than a little pudgy. He wore a uniform and mask similar to theirs, but his looked more grandiose. He stretched, talking in the dusk air. "Ugh, you just interrupted a really good nap. This better be worth it…" he looked at Sooga and stopped in his tracks. "...A Sheikah? All the way out here in the middle of the desert? You an adventurer or something?"
Sooga tried and failed to hold back sobs. "N-no sir- I- I ran from Kakariko Village- I couldn't handle it there- everyone wanted me gone-" his head sank. Tears wet the sand. "Please… please don't hurt me…"
Master Kohga walked up to him. Sooga flinched and yelped as he moved his hand quickly toward him, but relaxed when nothing connected. He opened his eyes, and saw that he was being handed a banana. "You look hungry. You like bananas?"
Sooga grabbed the banana and devoured it. He breathed heavily, almost forgetting to answer the question. "Oh, I.. I love bananas."
"Alright then, let's get you inside."
Kohga helped him to his feet. As he led him over to the tent, he lightly elbowed him. "You know, you're gonna have to pay me back for this one day," he joked.
The temperature change inside the tent wasn't much, but it was enough for Sooga to notice. A wave of relief washed over him as the sun no longer beat down on him. He sat down on a big pile of cushions across from Kohga. “Ooh, that sunburn looks nasty... Footsoldiers! Get me a chilly elixir!”
Kohga took off his gloves to rub some of the elixir on Sooga's face. Sooga hissed in pain at the sting. "Yeah, it stings, just hold on…" he paused for a minute to take off his mask to allow for more precision. "Don't you tell a soul that you saw my face," he warned softly.
Sooga's pain soothed a little upon seeing his face. His skin was a bit lighter than Sooga's, though still dark. He had full cheeks and lips, and a little bit of curly facial hair on the tip of his chin. His eyes were bright yellow, almost glowing. Sooga snapped back when he realized he was being asked a question. "So, what's your name?"
"Sooga."
"Sooga," Kohga repeated. "Yeah, that's definitely Sheikah. You sure are from Kakariko."
"Who are you?"
"Well, I'm the stupendous chief of the Yiga Clan, the one and only Master Kohga, of course! Who else would I be?"
"I mean, what is the Yiga Clan?"
Kohga looked almost offended. "Don't tell me you've never heard of us before! We're the dissidents against the Sheikah, the servants of Lord Ganon!" He sighed, shaking his head while moving to spread chilly elixir on Sooga's arms. "Man, you've got a lot to learn."
Sooga contemplated that. "You're the leader of this clan. Why are you being so nice to me?"
Kohga stopped for a second. His expression looked soft. "I don't know. Something about you seems special."