Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Entry 9: Freeing Naydra, A Turning Point
Past the gate was the entrance to the snowfield leading up the mountain. Guarding the road was none other than a fearsome Lynel. Normally, I’d have avoided such a confrontation, opting for a longer, safer route. But this time was different. Armed with new strength and confidence, I decided to face the Lynel head-on. The battle was fierce, its attacks relentless, but to my surprise, I managed to defeat the beast with greater ease than I’d expected—a testament to how far I’d come.
I continued my ascent, battling through Lizalfos and Chuchus, the cold biting at me with every step.
When I finally reached the summit, I was met with a sight that stole the very breath from my lungs. Just beyond a sacred spring with a Goddess Statue stood an enormous, majestic dragon—Naydra—ensnared by a sickly, dark malice that twisted around her like chains. She was trapped, her once-beautiful form corrupted and suffering.
Approaching the Goddess Statue, a large, glaring eye of malice opened upon Naydra’s body. Instinct took over. I nocked an arrow, aimed, and fired directly into its pupil. The shot struck true, shattering that vile growth and causing Naydra to stir, shaking off part of the corruption. She took to the skies, but her flight was labored—still bound by remaining pockets of malice.
I leaped after her, catching rising updrafts with my paraglider, soaring alongside the majestic dragon. As we danced through the freezing winds above Mount Lanayru, I carefully timed my shots, firing arrows to cleanse each corrupted eye.
When the final blot of malice was destroyed, Naydra was free. She circled gracefully before returning to the sacred spring, her form now radiant, unmarred by the darkness that had plagued her. Following the guidance carved near the Goddess Statue, I retrieved one of Naydra’s shimmering dragon scales and offered it to the spring.
In response, the waters glowed, and a hidden passage behind the statue opened, revealing yet another shrine.
As I paraglided down from the summit, drifting toward my home in Hateno, I felt… changed.
This encounter with Naydra wasn’t just another adventure. It was spiritual, a firsthand experience of Hyrule’s deeper forces—powers of both light and shadow woven into the fabric of the land. The life I’d built around selling collected treasures suddenly felt small, almost trivial. There’s something greater at play, something ancient and sacred. The Sheikah’s way of life, their harmony with these forces, resonated with me more than ever.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was what King Rhoam, Impa, and Purah saw in me—a purpose beyond battles and bartering. A destiny tied to why I was placed in the Shrine of Resurrection.
Back in Hateno, I spent days reflecting, letting the warmth of familiar surroundings settle over me. But the question lingered in my heart:
What should I do next?
After some reflection, I decided it was time to visit the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to seek out Robbie, Purah’s research partner. After meeting with him, I planned to continue my journey, seeking out the remaining sacred springs like the one atop Mount Lanayru.
Before setting out, I sold all my merchant inventory in Hateno and donated nearly all my saved rupees to Purah to support her research. In return, she and Symin restored as much of the Sheikah Slate’s compendium as possible. With my slate now fully functional, I knew it would be invaluable in tracking down shrines and gathering materials needed by the Great Fairy Sisters to enhance my gear.
After one final night in Hateno, I set off for Akkala.
