This is a sequel to Depths of the Yiga. If you're new to this adventure, be sure to check out Depths to get caught up on the story. you can find it Here: s/12786360/1/Depths-of-the-Yiga

Strength of the Sheikah

Chapter 1

The Castle

It was raining. Again. She sighed and tipped her hat a little lower to disperse the downfall. The tree she was curled up in could only do so much. Thankfully the large conical hat she had recovered from a village ruin was in good shape, sturdy with no holes. It also reminded her of home. Of Kakariko. She'd woven a piece of navy cloth through the thin gaps in the weave to create a strap, allowing her to hang it behind her back on sunny days or secure it to her head if she was running.

She liked it far better than the Yiga mask she used to wear.

Clementa looked up into the sky and sighed. It had been two weeks since she had left the Yiga clan-without telling them, on top of that-and gone her own way in the world. Part of her wanted to return to her family in Kakariko and ask for forgiveness for running away and joining the Yiga in the first place. Part of her wanted to run away far into the wilderness never to be found again, by Yiga or Sheikah or anyone else. Mostly, she didn't know what she wanted. So, she wandered.

She'd bought some new clothes off a trader-she'd been forced to put the Yiga uniform back on rather than run around Hyrule in her underclothes, a fact that she had changed as soon as she was humanly able to. Then the uniform and the disguise that was bound to it had burned, left smoldering in a campfire as she rode away the next morning. Anyone who saw her now would no longer see a small Hylian with brown skin and hair, but a tall woman whose lineage was obviously of the Sheikah, with snow white hair and burning eyes. She kept the hair tied up underneath her hat and hoped that no one looked too closely at her face. The clothes were reminiscent of ancient sheikah design, but changed by her own hand to mask the more obvious markings; The cream colors had been changed to black and the longer sleeves ripped away for her arms to move more freely. She'd bought some armor off the merchant as well, leather that wrapped over one shoulder and protected her vital organs. It sat just under the sleeveless top, snug but not constrictive. Then there was the cloak; It had been a gift from a family that she had rescued from a bokoblin raid as she passed through Northern Hyrule. A simple black fabric that hung off one shoulder, it was just long enough to hang above her calf, and even had a clasp that, at a touch, would release and fall away to prevent entanglement in combat. She loved it.

It was also warm, which was a comfort on cold and rainy days such as this. She pulled the mask of her shirt a bit higher over her mouth, letting it rest just above her nose. She had managed to wander herself on to an island just next to Hyrule Castle. One close enough that it was patrolled by Guardians. Rather than run and risk exposure, she sat in the tree and watched their patrols, waiting to see its weak points. So far, she had spotted a couple, but she wanted to be sure of those openings before fleeing towards the Hebra mountains. Guardians were not risks to be taking chances on.

A flash of movement caught her vision. She sat up in the tree. There hadn't been any wildlife that she had seen in this part of the forested island-they had all ran away after the guardians came to life. Even creatures were not stupid enough to try and survive near these destructive titans. She watched, eyes narrowed as she tracked the source of the noise that reached her ears, metal brushing against wood as someone pushed his way through the trees.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me…

That blue tunic was unmistakable. She watched as the Hero-she still found it hard to think of him by his given name, Link-appeared out of the forest, walking along the edge of the island with his eye on Hyrule castle. Just as she was watching the path of the Guardians, he was eying the cliffs of the castle looking for weak points. He can't be planning to assault the Castle already…. She thought. He still hasn't freed the last divine beast.

There was the distinctive whirr as a flying guardian approached on its normal patrol, its spotlight gleaming through the rain and mist. She watched in horror, then in shock as the hero simply sidestepped the beam, standing just outside of its vision. The guardian continued, unaware of the target that had stood so close, yet so far away. She was impressed. Not just anyone had the guts to stand so close, so brazenly, next to a guardian and live. Then he walked away, following the shoreline around the island. Curious, she followed, slipping out of the tree and silently tracking him across the forest.

They found the ruins of the old prison. She had been told that once, this island had been home to the worst criminals in Hyrule. Now it was remains of crumbled walls and a few timbers not yet claimed by moss and time, just like everything else. She looked up at the cliffs surrounding the castle. There wasn't much in way of entrances; to try and fight through the ruins of Castle town was suicide. There were rumors of a secret entrance used by the royal family in times of danger, but there was nothing on this side that even resembled a cave, let alone a hidden passageway to the castle. And besides that, you would still need to cross the moat. If you didn't have wings, good luck.

So, what is he planning?

The hero didn't seem to find anything of interest. At least not on the island. He crossed the moat to one of the giant Sheikah pillars that had encompassed the castle upon the rise of calamity Ganon. She sat in the shadow of a wall and watched him climb higher and higher. Then, with a fantastic leap, he jumped off and glided onto a small ledge in the castle wall with his parasail. Easy for him to say. She thought. I still need to swim.

Of course she was going to follow him. It had been a constant in her life for months, and one whose routine she missed in a nostalgic sort of way. She looked around. She had seen a large cave on the backside of the castle that had once been a dock for some fancy royal boat that would never see the ocean. Why a landlocked castle needed a ship dock was beyond her. But it still served as a way into the castle, if she could get there. I'm a good swimmer, but I can't swim that far easily. She thought. Then she saw a cloth flapping in the wind and looked down upon a small raft floating next to the wall.

But then, perhaps I don't need to…

She inspected the raft. A rope tying it to the remains of a dock was all that kept it from drifting away down the river that sprang from the moat. The sail had a hole or two in it, but still caught the wind that blew past her and ruffled her cloak in the rain. The logs that formed the raft were old, but still useable. She tasted the wind. It's blowing the right direction, but I can't steer it. She concluded. Unless I grab…

She raced back to the tree and grabbed her bag and, deftly, snatched a Korok leaf from the tree. This should do nicely. She decided. It should generate enough wind to push the raft into the harbor. Or, failing that, go find Jiu, tie him to the mast and let him boast to the sail. That would generate more than enough hot air. She decided to try the Korok leaf first. She grabbed the spear she had been traveling with and sliced the rope, releasing the raft from its bonds. It sailed away in the breeze, racing around the back of the castle with the wind. She watched the raft's sail turn in the wind as the raft moved. I bet I could rig the sail to stay set at a single angle. If I could control the raft's direction, it will be easier to leave the Castle when this is done.

The giant gap that marked the harbor came into view. Clementa stood and grabbed the Korok leaf, standing at an angle between the raft and the wind. "Well, here goes nothing." She said to no one aloud, and swung the leaf. The gust of wind that the leaf generated changed the direction of the sail, and in turn the raft as it swung right into the harbor. Her arms grew tired as she swung; she had to fight the crosswind that was blowing, pushing her further down the river and away from the castle. Finally, though, she passed the opening to the cave and the wind ceased, save for that generated under the leaf. She breathed a sigh of relief and let the raft gently float under its own power towards a dock.

As the raft angled toward shore, she scouted out the room. There were Lizalfos sleeping amongst the docks, nestled in between barrels of the explosive variety. For a moment, she considered leaving them be and scaling a wall to sneak past them. No. If I leave the same way I'd like to leave without worrying about an ambush. Combat it was. She checked the room. Three Lizalfos between her and the top of the stairs. Let's see… I've got those fire arrows I picked up during that last rainstorm. Those should do nicely for starters. She pulled out a traveler's bow and aimed. The nestle of barrels exploded, taking the first Lizalfos with it with a scream of pain. The second danced around on fire, batting at the flames that licked its hindquarters. The third, sleeping at the top of the stairs, scuttled down to investigate the commotion. Dang. I didn't think it would take out ALL the explosive barrels. She thought as the fires died down. There's still two left. The second one should die to another fire arrow, but that last one…

Its dark scales glistened in the torchlight and the flames from the dying Lizalfos. The black ones are tough. This is going to be a fight, and I don't have another bow. I can't waste my arrows on this. She thought. And he can swim. If I stay out here I'll be at a disadvantage very soon. She spotted a weapon sparkling amongst the flames. A halberd. Good enough for me. If I can just lure him away long enough to grab it.

She swung the Korok leaf again, angling the raft towards the dock. The Lizalfos spotted her and screeched, the pair dancing as they prepared to attack. The bow came to bear again and the weakened Lizalfos died in flame just like its comrade. The third continued its dance, unwavering as the raft drifted ever closer to the dock.

A little closer….

It spat water, and she ducked as it sailed over her head. One hit and she was in the water and at the mercy of the Lizalfos, if it had any.

A little closer…

It growled, crouching down and ready to pounce. It sprung into the air.

NOW!

She swung the Korok leaf again, but this time the sail wasn't its target. The blast of wind hit the Lizalfos, disrupting its leap and sending it flying into the water, its attack power lost. She jumped from the raft to the dock, dropping the leaf and picked up the Halberd from the dying embers. She spun to face the Lizalfos recovering in the water. It hissed at her and spat water again, which she easily dodged. It swam quickly back to the docks, but there was no easy ramp for it to climb back onto the pier. And every time it tried to jump, she was there to stab it with the long reach of the halberd. She had turned its advantage into a weakness, and she exploited it well. Soon it was dead, another body disintegrating into black smoke in the water

"Good riddance." She said, lowering the halberd. She admired its balance with a new light. Gold and purple with a shining steel blade, she could tell that it was the top of its class. I might keep this lovely little thing for a while. She decided. It's a tad top-heavy but it kills monsters. That's enough for me.

She ascended the stairs and saw a strangely comforting sight; a Sheikah Shrine. Like the one that had long sat above Kakariko, this one was a soft, glowing orange. So, the Hero hasn't come down here yet. I wonder if he's still trying to reach the Sanctum.

She let a hand graze the stone of the shrine as she passed. Her ancestors had built the shrines thousands upon thousands of years ago to aid the Hero in times of need. How did they know? She wondered. After Ganon was sealed away 10,000 years ago, how did they know he would return? Why seal so many of their own away in shrines for something that may never happen? Why prepare for something so far in the distant future your descendants may not even exist anymore?

The mysteries of the ancient Sheikah baffled her. They had been leaders of a great civilization full of technology that could only confuse untrained minds today. And yet at the order of the King they sealed it all away. They could have ruled a country. So why didn't they?

She heard footsteps in the corridor in front of her. She spun around on instinct and dove back behind a rock in the shadows. The Hero stepped out of the corridor, bow at the ready. There was a fair amount of ash on his face and tunic. He must have run into monsters too. This place is swarming with them.

He stepped up to the shine and activated it, the gold turning to blue in a flash as the Shrine awoke and the door opened. She watched, curious, as the hero inspected the tablet. We've only got the one Sheikah slate. I wonder if that was the only one ever made, or if there were more that were lost to time…

The hero was poking it, trying to figure out something that confused him about the tablet's functions. Then he turned blue. His body turned into light, vanishing into the air in blue streaks until no trace of the Hero remained.

What.

Crap.

I really hope he didn't just die. Although if he did, I can see why there's only one Slate remaining in existence. What kind of slate even HAS an instant death button anyway? The thoughts tumbled though her head in a panic. Who's going to defeat Ganon now? I don't think even Sheikah technology can bring someone back from being turned into light.

The blue streaks appeared again, this time streaming downward as the hero's body materialized out of thin air. In seconds, it was as if he had never left. The only differences were the hero's pained expression and the fact that his hair was on fire, and his tunic smoking.

…Or maybe it can.

The hero batted at his head to put the fire out, then turned to the shrine and went inside, vanishing into the depths.

I wonder what happened. Clementa thought as she stepped from the shadows. Whatever it was, at least he survived. She looked at the corridor. And while he's busy, I can do a little bit of searching on my own. With a final glance at the shrine, she vanished into the corridor, following the stairs up into the castle.

It was a long climb. When she reached the top, she found an opening in the wall that led into a large, vaulted room filled with books. The Library. She was in awe, even in its ruined state. So much knowledge all gathered in one place.

The monsters in this room had all been killed, likely by the Hero as he had passed through. The sun was starting to set, its orange glow bathing the room even as the Malice of Ganon stifled every sense. It was like being covered in a lead blanket. And to think the Yiga worship this…

She meandered around the room cautiously, casually browsing the books that had been moldering on the shelves. Amazingly, despite being open to the elements and the Malice, they were remarkably intact. She glanced at one that was left sitting open on a table. It was a recipe for fruitcake, said to be the Princess' favorite. She casually stored the recipe away for later. Whatever it was, it sounded good, and looked easy to make. She kept browsing. Chairs and tables were left strewn about the room, a chunk of the ceiling torn away to expose the setting sun. Many of the doorways and part of one of the staircases was blocked, crumbled away, or outright buried in rubble. She was about to move deeper into the castle when a symbol caught her eye on the bindings of a book.

It was the Sheikah Eye.

She stopped and stared. She had thought that most of the knowledge of the Sheikah was either in Kakariko or in the two tech labs in their own remote corners of Hyrule. But as she stared at the shelf, the more she realized that many of the books sitting, right in plain sight, bore the symbol of the Sheikah. She grabbed the first one she saw, pulling it from the bookshelf in hate and regretting it as pages fluttered away. These books were very old indeed. More carefully, she turned it so the front cover faced her.

Essays and Theoretical Writings on

The Origins of the Sheikah Slate

Complied by Sheikah Scribe P*#a#

Kingdom of Hyrule, *#*8

Figures that the important part of the cover would be ruined. She thought sadly. She opened the cover to read the first few pages. There must have been over a hundred pages about the Sheikah Slate itself, in a hand she didn't recognize. She gazed at the shelf in front of her, filled to the brim with books full of Sheikah knowledge.

It can't be this easy. She thought. All this Sheikah wisdom, right here in front of me. Maybe the origins of the Sheikah themselves…

There was a moan from further in the castle. Her head shot up, having realized the light had faded and night reigned over Hyrule. She didn't need an astronomer to tell her that a Blood Moon was rising, either; she could feel it in the very breath of the Castle. She grabbed a stack of books and carefully tucked them into her bag. I need to leave. I can't face an entire castle of monsters at once. I'll come back for more of these later.

She practically ran down the stairs as the moon rose, darting past the Shrine as a rumble came from within. She practically dove off the edge of the wall by the Brazier and down next to her little raft, tossing her bag onto the deck as she landed in the water. She looked behind her, but didn't see any sign of the Hero. Picking up the Korok leaf from where it had been left. She spun up a fresh breeze that propelled her out of the harbor and into the night.

The wind picked up as she passed the cave entrance, spinning her right and into the path of the river. The blood moon rose in the sky, its light bathing Hyrule in red. She looked back at the Castle and spotted a small dot of blue sailing away and toward the relative safety of the old apple orchard. She breathed a sigh of relief. The time to fight Ganon was not upon him yet.

She looked down at the bag at her feet, the books peeking through the flap like refugees escaping persecution. The Sheikah Eye, gilt in gold and embossed on the front cover of a different book, watched her unwavering.

I know nothing about the history of the Sheikah. She realized as she let the wind carry her little raft down the stream. The Yiga didn't have much of a history, but the Sheikah's is vast and more complex than I ever realized.

The book watched her, almost daring her to make the choice that stood in front of her. She grabbed the remaining rope from the dock back on the island and swung it around the mast, forcing it to face the shoreline. I'm going to find out. I'll find somewhere safe to read these books, and I'll start learning the history of the Sheikah for myself.

Let's see if there is anything my heritage has to offer me after all.