Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Entry 28: Assisting Gerudo
The next day, I set to work helping the Gerudo people.
I start with a young girl eager to grow a garden, but something—or someone—is polluting the water. After investigating, I discover the culprit: a woman casually tossing melon rinds into the oasis. She agrees to stop, but only after fulfilling her wish of trying wild berries. In the end, she not only changes her ways but even helps the girl by planting wild berry bushes, giving the garden a promising start.
At the Noble Canteen, Furosa pulls me aside, her expression troubled. One of her regular patrons, Pokki, hasn’t been around in a while, and she’s starting to worry. I assure her I’ll keep an eye out.
Then, I check in with the chief’s guards. They report ongoing trouble with Molduga in the desert—and worse, Barta has gone missing… again. The last anyone heard, she had ventured into a dangerous region crawling with the sand-dwelling beasts. A missing warrior in that part of the desert is a serious concern, so I waste no time. I secure a sand seal from the stable and head straight for the Great Skeleton.
The desert stretches endlessly before me as I ride behind the sand seal, golden dunes shifting under the relentless sun. The heat shimmers in the air, distorting the horizon. Then —A low rumble vibrates through the ground.
A Molduga.
I spot a rocky plateau and veer toward it, leaping off the sand just as the beast erupts from below. It soars into the air—a massive, scaled terror—its gaping maw lined with jagged teeth.
I know how these creatures hunt. They sense vibrations on the surface.
Quickly, I hurl a bomb onto the sand. The second it lands, the Molduga shifts, locking onto the disturbance. The ground beneath me trembles as it lunges straight for the bait.
I detonate the bomb mid-air. The explosion sends the beast crashing down, momentarily stunned.
This is my chance.
Sword in hand, I sprint forward, closing the distance before it can recover. With a powerful swing, my claymore carves deep into its thick hide. But the moment is fleeting.
With a violent thrash, the Molduga roars, shaking off the pain before diving back beneath the sand.
I retreat to the rocky plateau, readying another bomb. The creature takes the bait once more. This time, as the dust settles, the Molduga lets out a final, guttural cry. Its massive body convulses—then, finally, falls still. One less terror haunting the Gerudo sands.
I recover my sand seal and press on, eventually encountering and defeating another Molduga before reaching the Great Skeleton.
There, hunched over her sword in the shadow of the ancient leviathan’s bones, is Barta. She’s tired and dehydrated but alive. I offer her a hearty durian for strength and let her know her commander is searching for her. Realizing she’s likely in trouble, she nods and sets off toward Gerudo Town without hesitation.
From the Great Skeleton, I head east to explore the area where Vah Naboris had once roamed. As night began to fall, I arrived at the Southern Oasis. After defeating another Molduga, I decided it would be a good place to rest. The oasis sat atop a rocky plateau, elevated above the desert sands, with a few palm trees and a small pool of water. Nearby, an open campsite offered a cooking pot and a crate of supplies for passing travelers.
At first light, I continued toward the East Barrens. After climbing another rock plateau for a better vantage point, I spotted a shrine in the distance. As I approached, however, I noticed a woman collapsed against the entrance panel.
Pokki!
She barely stirred as I knelt beside her.
“Water…” she mumbled weakly. “Or better… Noble Pursuit…”
I offered her everything I had—ingredients, elixirs—anything that might help. But she refused them all. She wanted only a Noble Pursuit from the Gerudo Town Canteen. That meant I had to return to town… but at least I could bring word that I had found her.
Back at The Noble Canteen, I spoke with Furosa, the bartender.
“A Noble Pursuit? I’d love to make one, but I’m out of ice.”
She told me where to find the ice—at the Northern Icehouse, beyond the ruins north of the city. However, the guard there retired early, so I needed to hurry.
Leaving the city, I made my way through the ruins, fending off fire-breathing Lizalfos along the way until I finally reached my destination. The Northern Icehouse lay nestled underground beneath a shaded rock overhang, offering a welcome respite from the desert heat.
The Gerudo tending it, Paqota, explained that the massive ice blocks stored there were harvested from the Gerudo Highlands. When I mentioned that Furosa had sent me, she agreed to let me take a block—but there was a challenge. I had to carry it across the scorching desert without letting it melt.
The journey back was even more difficult than I had anticipated. The moment I stepped out from the icehouse’s protective shade, the relentless heat bore down on me. I had to move fast, clinging to whatever slivers of shade I could find.
To make matters worse, Bokoblins now patrolled the path. Fighting them would have slowed me down too much, so I did my best to avoid a confrontation, weaving through the ruins and sticking to the shadows whenever possible.
Step by step, I pressed on, the ice block dripping in my arms, its coolness fading with each passing moment. At last, I spotted Furosa waiting at the southern end of the ruins. Relief washed over me as I reached her.
“I’ll take it from here,” she assured me. “Go tell Pokki that she’s about to have the best Noble Pursuit she’s ever tasted.”
I grabbed a sand seal and headed back to Pokki and the shrine. When I arrived, I told her about the Noble Pursuit waiting for her. Suddenly energized, she leaped to her feet and took off running. I watched, mildly exasperated, as she strolled away at a leisurely pace—acting as if she hadn’t just been dramatically collapsed for hours.
With the entrance panel now cleared, I stepped into the shrine and received the monk’s blessing.
From there, I continued east toward Mount Granajh—one of the few places in Hyrule I had yet to explore.
