The red-haired man from the previous night is standing in the lobby. If Victor's logic skills are well-advanced, he should be able to safely assume that this man Darizan. The lobby is vacant apart from Victor and the man, and Darizan would never be late for his own scheduled meeting. He spots the bard at the base of the stairwell and calls to him.

Victor! Early, I see. Punctuality, a wonderful trait for one to be endowed with. I trust you slept well?

Early? Why, Victor had thought that he might be late! As such, the Bard was panting from running down the stairs from the 12th floor in order to make it on time for Darizan's meeting. Attempting to compose himself, Victor stood straight and smiled.

"Uh, yes, I got a good night's sleep. That is, until Zayxin interrupted it, heh. He was the one who told me to come down here, so... why did you want to see me?"

Darizan appears to be smiling, but his featureless face is just as his personailty dictates. He tries to explain in full what he expects Victor do achieve today.

I want you to go to the Training District. You'll be going with a group, so should the Cursed Ones attack you will be better off. Your party is waiting for you in the courtyard. They are accustomed to fighting the monsters, but still feel the clutches of fear when in the presence of such beasts. You will be doing some recon while in the District. Alas, we have yet to discover the vast secrets behind this truly amazing undergorund city. Also, before I forget, you are expected to be back before the surface's nightfall. My fellow organization leaders will be returning by evening, and you will need to meet them as well. They will help to explain things much better. Consider it a privelege.

Darizan looks to the large double door that leads to the courtyard. He nods to Victor, indicating that the time has come. With no further reason to stay in the lobby, Darizan makes his way to the stairwell and is soon out of sight.

Victor took a moment to mull over what Darizan had said before speaking. He had been hoping that he would get a chance to visit the Shop District and perhaps meet a few more people, but now he had a duty to attend to. Still, it seemed strange to him that the organization would send a new recruit to investigate something that even the older members do not understand yet...

"Recon, eh? You don't think that someone more experienced should go-"

But as the Bard turned to face Darizan once more, he noticed that he was gone. Shrugging his shoulders, Victor he exited to the courtyard, hoping that there would be some people he hadn't met yet in his party...

Standing in the courtyard is a small group consisting of four cloaked individuals. Easily noticeable in the party are Jett and Helena, two of the people that Victor had introduced himself to the previous night. The other two are unrecognizable. Eyra the Kokiri can be seen leaving the castle's grounds, but that is irrelevant to the current situation.

One of the strangers, a Human with deep brown hair and solid blue eyes, stands with arms crossed, clearly tired of waiting for the bard. In his hand he holds a bow, although this tool of death is not as eloquent as Thespin's had been. It appears to be a plain Deku Bow, but somehow the material seems stronger. Perhaps it was infused with North Iron Ore at some point. No quiver can be seen on him, so it is unclear how the weapon can be utilized in combat.

The second is a Sheikah. As with most Shadow-Folk, he seems to be the most mysterious of the bunch. A thin scimitar rests in a dark sheath on his back. His forlorn purple eyes betray a great sorrow in his heart. His dark purple hair nearly covers the eyes completely, but they can still be seen. There are no scars on his face, but he appears to hold some authority over the others. It is safe to guess that he is careful to remain unscathed in combat.

Seeing Jett and Helena, Victor smiled and walked over to the group. Ignoring the other two members for now, he greeted the two familiar faces.

"Hey Jett, Helena! I guess it's pretty lucky that we all got put on the same team, huh? Makes me feel a lot better, at least..."

Then, looking at the other two strangers, the Bard's smile diminished slightly. These two men did not seem too happy to be there, which made Victor especially glad to have Jett and Helena there with him. Still, he decided to be friendly, and so he outstretched his hand once again and smiled.

"Hello! I'm... well, you know who I am, of course. Victor, the new recruit? I guess I got assigned to your recon mission. So... who exactly are you guys?"

The Sheikah looks down on Victor's hand, and decides to accept the friendly gesture. He holds no grudge against the bard, nor does he have any reason to reject the handshake. He tries to imitate Victor's smile, but can not.

They call me Malak. I am the leader of today's reconaissance. There is not much to say about myself, or why I chose to ally with this organization. They say I am a good leader, but I do not see these qualities at this time...

Malak does not seem very optimistic about himself. Somehow, he makes it seem as if something tragic happened to him during his life, something that he preferred not to describe.

The human, on the other hand, smiles back at Victor. His previous impatience was tossed aside when Victor arrived. He was simply eager to get on with the day's mission.

Glad you could make it kid. Name's Radley. I'm the assigned "sniper" for this here operation. If those foul beasts give you any trouble, just call me over. I can help you out. So, it seems like you've met us all, we'd best get goin' before darizan sees us loitering here for no reason.

Victor gladly shook hands with the Sheikah and, hoping to make him feel better about himself, commented on how he was happy to be under such an experienced leader. Then, turning to Radley, he said:

"Sniper, eh? Well, OK, I'll be sure to come to you. So, yeah, I'm ready when you're ready."

To emphasize this last statement, Victor armed himself with his trusty dagger and brought out his shield for a little extra protection. Still smiling, he waited for Malak's order to move out...

OOC: Ahh! Radley! It's TKM all over again!

OOC: Oh god, I had forgotten all about TKM, and we had to read it this year... I got a good laugh when I named the character
IC:

Malak nods to the party and points to the castle gates, indicating the exit point.

Let's move out. Darizan is expecting Victor to arrive back here by the surface's nightfall, we must not disappoint him.

As the group walks towards the gate, Malak holds Victor back from the others and holds out a familiar black cloak. It is unwrinkled and fairly new. It appears to have never been worn before.

Here, you will need this. It will protect you from harm like most defensive clothing. But it is also important to shield your identity. You will find out tonight, perhaps, when you visit Darizan and the others.

Leaving Victor to slip the cloak on, the troubled Sheikah walks towards the gate, pulling the dark hood over his head as he goes. Jett, Helena and Radley do the same, and had Victor not had the opportunity to meet them beforehand, he would never be able to tell them apart by appearance.

The gate opens, and the recon party steps out onto the enormous bridge connecting the Districts.

OOC: Yeah, I had to read it this year, too. I thought it was OK...

IC: Victor fumbled with the cloak for a few minutes before finally getting it on, and then followed after the group. All the while, he could be seen picking uncomfortably at the cloak, as with all clothes that hasn't been broken in yet. Once he got somewhat comfortable in this new uniform, the Bard tried the cloak's hood. It was horribly annoying, as he wasn't quite used to wearing anything on his head, and he was constantly fidgeting with it. Stepping out onto the bridge, he caught up with Jett and whispered:

"How do you guys deal with these cloaks?!"

Oh, we manage. They get better after awhile, once they're broken in. By then they're actually kinda comfortable. It's worth it, though. If the intelligent Cursed Ones were to identify you, there's no telling what could happen.

Malak overhears the conversation and adds his own comment, making it his priority to emphasize the importance of keeping themselves concealed.

Jett, Victor has not yet been told of the intelligent ones. Victor, we have yet to understand what these creatures are after. It is important to protect your identity.

At the branchoff to the Training District is a battered sign. Although it is mostly unreadable, one can easily come to the conclusion that this was once an advertisement for the District. It appears that this sector of the city is just as obliterated as the Hospitality District had been.

The closest building to the bridge is far from sight. A canyon stretches out ahead of the recon party, and the only way to reach the Training District is to cross the gorge. Helena explains the odd scene.

We've come to a conclusion about this spot. The leaders believe that a river ran through here, and at one time there was a convoy system that transported fighters to the District. It's all dried up now, though, so there's no proof.

Malak nods to the group and begins the journey across the canyon to the Training District.

"There used to be a river here? Wow. Hard to believe a place like this sank underground, huh?"

As Victor looked up from surveying the canyon to recieve a reply, he noticed that the group had already begun to cross, and so he hurried to catch up. As they crossed, the Bard questioned Malak.

"What do you mean when you say 'intelligent ones'?"

Malak does not look at Victor while he walks, but keeps his attention set on the path ahead should the creatures attack. Answering in a distracted voice, he tries to explain the concept behind the "Intelligent Ones."

The creatures that hinder us are known as the Cursed Ones, that is as much as you have been told. But after a while of studying them, one of our leaders, or should I say the veritable genius, discovered a type of creature with the mental capacity of an average Hylian. Imagine it, one of those beasts with equal intelligence to yours. The Intelligent Ones have spoken to us, but their motives and secrets are unclear. We may uncover some knowledge of the situation today.

The group is getting closer to the Training District. At this point, the cavern floor is littered with a variety of undesirable objects, some of which include bones, splintered fragments of wood and an assortment of materials. Somewhere in the distance, the low hissing can be heard. It is not an immediate threat, but the rest of the party braces themselves for an attack down the road.

Hearing the hissing noises and seeing the rest of the group prepare themselves, Victor attempts doing the same. However, the black cloak impedes his process of bracing himself, and he fumbles with the uniform for a while before finally finding a good position. The Bard then held his dagger and shield at the ready and continued down the path towards the Training District...

OOC: I'm assuming that we were supposed to continue...

OOC: Correct
IC:

As the party reaches the Training District, they arrive in a small village gathering. A few ramshackle houses stand alone, and the stone walkways under the group's feet are cracked and split, adding to the city's already grim reputation. Broken flower pots and dishes litter the streets. Shredded clothing and mangled weaponry lay unused in various places.

While Malak and Radley secure the area from threats, Jett and Helena stand back to back, watching and listening for unwanted movements. Jett lifts his arm and beckons Victor to stand by them.

Just as the others finish securing the perimeter, the terrible hissing erupts from all around the party. Five of the most foul, disgusting creatures materialize from the darkness, preparing to attack the group. The beasts are like thin, ravenous people, with terrifying exceptions. There does not appear to be any flesh on the creatures. Their vital organs can be seen clearly, but unlike normal people, the organs are mismatched and broken. Small fangs jut out of the foul mouths, followed by a morbid odour.

As the battle begins, Radley yells out to Victor.

Don't just stand there, bard! Attack them!

Cursed Ones : Oblivion Re-Dead
Hp: 35
Str: 3
Def: 5
Agi: 5
Spi: 5
Int: 0
Fang/Claw DMG: 10

Battle Order: Victor, Malak, Helena, Jett, Radley