A Gerudo's Challenge

"You have to be joking." Zareenna said, shaking her head.

"No joke." Jorra replied, locking eyes with the woman. "Hylians are better warriors overall than the gerudo."

She arched one eyebrow at him, a bemused smirk crossing her face. She towered over the diminutive man. Her body was lithe and muscular, honed through years of battle. She reached out with one arm and pulled her spear out of the soft sand nearby where she had buried the blunt end.

"See this? This is a warrior's spear. I doubt you could even lift it, little Hylian."

They stood in the shade of an awning in the Kara Kara Bazaar to escape the oppressive heat of the Gerudo Desert. With men not being allowed inside the walls of Gerudo Town, this small plaza was one of the few places where Gerudo women could interact with the other races of Hyrule. As the name implied, the all-female Gerudo race typically came here to trade for goods the desert couldn't provide. They stood outside the lone inn of the bazaar, arguing good-naturedly.

Jorra's eyes traveled up and down her frame, taking her in. Her bright red hair was pulled back into a ponytail which allowed her to more fully show off the gold choker which adorned her neck. Her bright blue eyes matched both her stunning blue lipstick and the crop top she wore - one which held back a pair of firm but full breasts. His eyes flicked further downwards, seeing the dark brown skin of her stomach rippled with well-defined ab muscles. Around her waist sat a gray skirt which ran down to her knees but had a slit that exposed her muscular legs. A pair of 3-inch gold heels completed her look, making her quite the intimidating sight.

Thankfully for Jorra, he was made of sterner stuff than the average Hylian. "Oh, sure - you're physically stronger than I am. I'm not sure I could wield that spear either - not effectively, anyways. That's not what I was talking about though."

The two of them were a study in contrasts. Where she was over 6-feet tall, he was barely 5'7. Her dark brown skin and long red hair contrasted wildly against his pale skin and short blonde hair. That being said, he matched her in at least 3 ways: he shared her blue eyes, some of her muscular frame (at least as muscular as a Hylian could be) and he was a warrior.

"Oh? Strength is the only thing that matters to a warrior though." She replied, tilting her head in confusion.

In response, he pulled his powerful longbow off his back, taking care not to catch the bowstring on his new blue tunic. He plucked it slightly, feeling the reverberations through the air. It was tightly wound, and he was looking forward to putting it to good use.

"The way you fight, maybe." Jorra said. "But your way of fighting is not the only way of fighting. By the time you got in range of an enemy with that spear of yours, I'll have killed them 10 times over with my bow. What we Hylians lack in raw strength and size, we more than make up for in skill and superior tactics."

She narrowed her eyes at his statement. "The bow is a coward's weapon. Real warriors face their enemies head on, not from the safety of some far-away hill."

"Real warriors kill their enemies." Jorra countered. "That's all there is to it. If I can do that more effectively than you, then that makes me a better warrior."

Her mood darkened. The little man had a point, and they couldn't very well settle it in a duel - such an action would likely anger the local authorities, something neither of them wanted. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her and a grin flashed across her face.

"How would you like to put your theory to the test?" She asked.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?" Jorra responded.

"There's a cave not far from here - to the north, along the cliff face. I've heard some rumors that it's been infested with bokoblins - a nuisance to be sure, but nothing too threatening. Why don't the two of us go clear it out?"

"How does that test my theory?" Jorra questioned, not following her logic.

"We fight the bokoblins together, and keep track of how many we kill. If you kill more than I do, I'll admit you are the superior warrior. If I kill more than you do, then you have to admit my superiority."

Jorra mulled the idea over for a moment. He was fairly sure he knew which cave she was talking about - it was infamous for bokoblins always returning to it after each blood moon, no matter how many times they cleared it out. The enclosed space would probably favor her fighting style, but he was confident he could overcome the difference.

"You're on." He said finally. "Let's go."

____

The pair of them waited until after sunset to trek across the desert. The nighttime air was still warm, but they no longer had to worry about dehydration - or in Jorra's case, sunburn. The cave was a 2-mile walk through the desert. The trip there was mercifully uneventful - none of the more powerful creatures of the desert emerged from their daytime hiding places to challenge them, and in a short time they were standing in front of the lip of the cave.

"Are you ready?" Zareenna asked.

"Absolutely." Jorra responded, nocking an arrow in advance.

Zareenna held her spear in front of them as they entered the cave, alert for any ambushes. Jorra peered around her, his bow held at the ready. They could hear the distant noise of bokoblins shrieking in their native tongue, and the distant light of a fire deeper in the cave. Their footsteps were soft as they followed the noises.

They rounded several corners, delving deeper as the sounds became more and more distinct. The glowing light of a campfire became brighter, and Jorra knew as he approached the next bend that they had finally located their prey. Tentatively, the pair of them peered around the rock wall, Zareenna craning her neck over Jorra to assess the situation.

In front of them, 10 bokoblins danced around an open flame, roasting some sort of meat. Each of them were about the same height as Jorra, but had red skin instead of pale. Their large, bat-like ears flared out to either side and their pig-like noses sniffed the air as they danced. They had long, skinny arms and legs relative to their frame, and their giant mouths were lined with teeth. They exhibited only the barest signs of intelligence, often wearing the most basic loincloths and wraps and adorning themselves with bone jewelry.

Individually, each bokoblin was relatively weak and would be easy to kill. As a group they could represent more of a challenge though - especially if they could get their 3-fingered hands around the crudely made weapons they tended to wield. Thankfully for both of them, they had discarded their weapons into the corner in favor of whatever ritual they were currently performing.

Too easy. Jorra thought to himself, looking up at Zareenna.

"Shall we?" She asked, stepping into the light. The glint of her speartip reflected the firelight, and she settled into a battle stance as the bokoblins quickly realized they weren't alone.

"Yes, let's." Jorra agreed, pulling back his bowstring and loosing the first arrow.

His aim was true, and the arrow pierced the first bokoblin directly through the eye, killing it instantly. Zareenna scowled at the fact that she was already losing and raced forward, stabbing a second bokoblin through the heart with her spear to even the score. She let out a triumphant battle cry as she pulled the spear out of its torso with a wet squelch.

Not to be outdone, Jorra's eyes searched the room and saw two of the bokoblins going for their weapons. He nocked and fired two more arrows in quick succession - one landing in a bokoblin's back, another one in a second bokoblin's neck. For good measure, he fired a third and fourth arrow into their bodies once they hit the ground to ensure they were dead.

Zareenna kept busy as Jorra was shooting. Two unarmed bokoblins advanced on her, their teeth and claws bared. She stabbed the first one through the mouth, then used her superhuman strength to fling its body into its tribemate, slamming them both into the ground. With a grunt, she stabbed out again to ensure they were both dead.

The former tribe of 10 bokoblins was now down to 4. Jorra loosed another arrow at one that was bearing down on him, but his aim was slightly off and he caught it in the arm. Zareenna grinned as she saw his misfire and stabbed out with her spear, killing it with a thrust through the ribcage.

Shit. Now I'm losing. Jorra thought, frantically nocking another arrow and searching for his next target. He found it attempting to duck behind a rock, attempting to avoid the spear thrusts of Zareenna. He waited for another moment until it ducked down and loosed an arrow, grinning with satisfaction as its head popped up just in time for the arrow to skewer its brains.

The last 2 bokoblins threw themselves at Jorra and Zareenna in a desperate act of self-sacrifice. There was no hesitation in either warrior - a single arrow and a single thrust put an end to both of them. Moments after the battle had begun, the only sound left in the cave were the crackling of the fire and the slight panting of both warriors.

"How many?" Jorra asked, catching his breath.

"5." Zareenna responded bitterly, locking eyes with him. "I had 5, which means you also had 5. We are tied."

"How are we going to settle this then?"

Jorra's words were cut off by the shaking of the chamber around them. They both turned to see the form of an enormous lynel enter the cave behind them, blocking their exit. It had the body of a horse, but the torso of a man and the head of a lion. Its dark brown skin almost blended in with the darkness around it. It stood almost 10 feet tall, with the top of its red mane touching the top of the cave. Its powerful muscles were covered by bronze-looking armor, and unlike the bokoblins it was both well armed and intelligent.

The lynel chuckled lowly before pulling a gigantic axe from its back, holding it with two hands in front of it. It crouched slightly, eyes darting back and forth between Jorra and Zareenna as if deciding who to attack first.

Jorra cast a glace aside to Zareenna, the look of worry clear across her face. Killing bokoblins was easy work, but taking down a lynel was no simple task - something that was often left to the heroes of legend.

She met his eyes then nodded in confirmation - the lynel was blocking their exit. There was no way either of them were getting out of this without fighting it.

Seemingly having made up its mind, the lynel charged forward towards Zareenna. She cried out as she ducked below the axe swipe, her muscular body showing a surprising amount of flexibility while she did. She kept ahold of her spear as the axe missed her by mere inches, and she stabbed out into the lynel's flanks.

The spear tip skidded across its armor, and the sound of metal-on-metal rang through the chamber. At the same time, Jorra nocked another arrow and fired at the beast. The arrow embedded itself into its giant arm. He reloaded and fired again, but his second shot went wide as it charged past Zareenna, slowing and turning around in the confined space.

Grinning, the lynel grabbed ahold of the small arrow with its opposite arm and pulled it out. A small sprut of blood followed, but it was obviously no more than a flesh wound. The lynel dropped the arrow to the ground and reset its axe, preparing to make another charge.

Our weapons aren't doing much. Jorra thought to himself as he fired two more arrows - both of them bouncing off the lynel's heavy armor. We need to do something drastic.

Zareenna dodged the next swipe of the axe, but only just. The very edge of the blade caught her cheek as she twisted and turned, opening up a small cut along it. To her credit she never cried out or faltered, instead attempting another spear thrust. Unfortunately for her, the second thrust was no more effective than the first and her speartip bounced off ineffectually.

Before he could reconsider, Jorra bounded forward with long, loping steps. He reached the lynel just as it was turning around in the cave, reading itself for another run. Without thinking, he lept onto the lynel's back as if it was a horse and grabbed ahold of the back of its mane, pulling as hard as he could with both hands.

"What are you doing!" Zareenna cried as the lynel began to buck back and forth, trying to throw Jorra off.

"Kill it!" Jorra replied, holding on for dear life.

Zareenna saw the opening he had given her and took it. With several lightening-quick steps she moved forward and stabbed out with her spear, catching the lynel in the throat and skewering it. The lynel gradually stopped moving and slumped to the ground, its life fading from its eyes. As it did, Jorra hopped off and to the ground, scampering clear as its heavy body toppled with a definite thud.

"Gods...we...we really just did that." Zareenna breathed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"We did." Jorra replied, his blue eyes as wide as saucers.

They stood in silence for a few more moments before she locked eyes with him. All her life she'd been surrounded by strong, female warriors who protected the Gerudo desert. She'd never met a male warrior who was strong, brave, and skilled enough to challenge her, much less one who could take down a lynel. The fact that Jorra was able to do both made her feel things she'd never felt before.

She felt hot. She felt need.

She sauntered towards him, her hips swaying back and forth as she did, causing the slit in her skirt to reveal that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Leaning forward, she grabbed Jorra's head with both hands and kissed him deeply.

Jorra was surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered and returned the kiss. She tasted both sweet and spicy, and when he opened his mouth her tongue quickly pressed against his. Her blue lipstick left marks on him but he didn't care - he was completely absorbed in the kiss, and his trousers were starting to get more than a little tight from the attention she was lavishing upon him.

Their moment was interrupted by the long, low sound of a desert creature from far away. The broke apart, both blushing and looking at each other. Jorra was the first to speak. "We should...probably head back to Kara Kara Bazaar."

"Yes." She said, nodding quickly. "The sounds of our fighting likely attracted the lynel. I don't wish to push our luck any further."

"Let's go then."

The two of them quickly exited the cave, following the path back to the bazaar. Jorra walked beside Zareenna, who was pointedly not returning his gaze. His fingers brushed up against hers and she surprised him by interlacing them together. "The stars are beautiful tonight." She said as she did.

"Yes, they are." He said, looking up for a moment, then back at her.

When they finally reached the inn, she let go of his hand sheepishly. He knew they had both enjoyed the physical closeness though, and he desperately wanted more. "Hey, I know you need to go back to Gerudo Town, but... do you want to come up to my room at the inn for a bit?" He asked hesitantly.

"For what purpose?" She asked coyly.

"I'd like to talk about what happened, and... see if you feel the same way I do."

"Which part of what happened?"

"You know which part." He countered.

She paused for a moment, then nodded and followed him into the inn. They walked up the stairs to his room, and he fiddled with his key for a moment before swinging the door open. It wasn't much - just a chair and a bed - but it was safe, and comfortable.

"Why don't you take the bed, and I'll sit on the chair?" He gestured to her.

She nodded, putting her spear in the corner before lounging across the Gerudo-sized bed with a catlike grin. She loved the way his eyes went wide as they traced her every curve. She knew that for the first time, he was really appreciating her body for more than just her warrior's physique.

He was appreciating her body as a woman.

"So, I guess you're the better warrior." He joked as he sat down, turning the chair to face the bed and learning forward. The room was small enough that his knees bumped up against the mattress.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you killed the lynel - so that makes 6 kills for you. It was only 5 for me."

"Nonsense." She replied, shaking her head. "I would never have had the opening to kill the lynel had you not jumped on its back. You are clearly the superior warrior then."

"I don't think so. It was a desperate move, and I bet if I did it 100 times it wouldn't work 99 of them."

"I am not so sure." She replied, twirling her hair with one finger.

"Then how are we going to settle this? It seems like we're at an impasse, again."

"I can think of one other way. A new competition." She said, grinning mischievously.

"Oh? How?" He said, his eyebrows arching.

"Like this." She replied, grabbing him roughly by the tunic and pulling him on top of her.

There was no hesitation anymore. The sexual tension which had been building since the fight finally bubbled over, and their lips met hungrily. Jorra's hands ran up her muscular body as Zareenna's slender fingers pulled down his pants and underwear in one swift motion. She reached down and broke the kiss in shock, her eyes widening in surprise.

"My... I guess not everything about you is little. Are all Hylians so well endowed?" She asked.

He grinned in response. "Maybe not all Hylians. Maybe it's just me."

"My lucky day then." She replied, flipping him onto his back.

She began to trace kisses across his chin and down his neck, unbuttoning his tunic as she did. Her soft lips left blue lipstick marks all over him, but he didn't care - he knew that was a problem to be solved later. As if of their own volition his hips began to buck, but she held them down as she continued her teasing assault.

"Shhh. Lie back. Let me take care of you."

He relented, leaning back against the soft bed. She pulled his tunic off the rest of the way, exposing his own body which was covered in wiry muscle. She kissed his collarbone, tracing her fingers along a scar on his arm. Her lips fluttered downwards across his pecks, then his strong abs, and finally just above his cock.

With a final shared look, she wrapped her blue painted lips around the head of his cock. It filled her mouth entirely, and she hummed happily at the sensation. Her tongue teased the underside of his crown, and both hands snaked up his body to stroke his shaft and play with his balls. He groaned at the sensation - it was pleasurable and teasing, all at the same time.

Gradually, she began to work the cock deeper into her mouth, sliding her lips down his shaft as she continued to stroke with one hand. She stopped once he hit her throat, pausing for a moment before dragging her lips back up it and letting it fall from her mouth with a wet pop, a strand of saliva still connecting the two lovers.

"There." She said, grinning. "Now I've marked you."

He looked at his cock to see what she was talking about. Her blue lipstick was smeared across his cock, leaving a ring where she'd stopped. He raised one eyebrow and locked eyes with her.

"Think you can get a ring around the base?"

She recognized the challenge for what it was immediately, and pressed her lips against his tip again, smearing precum across them before licking it up. Slowly, her pillowy blue lips enveloped him again, and she resumed teasing him with her tongue before pushing him into her throat. Taking a deep breath through her nose she pushed herself deeper onto his cock. As she did she relaxed her throat muscles, letting him slip deeper and deeper inside.

To Jorra, the sensation of her throat was like velvet heaven. His mind blanked from the pleasure, and she guided one of his hands to the back of her head. He took it gratefully, and seeing the determined nod she gave him he began to apply gentle pressure. Like some sort of magic trick, his cock gradually disappeared into her throat until she had taken the whole thing.