Shada shrugs at Blank's inquiry. "I really have no idea. He's always wandering all over Hyrule - apparently he has a lot of things to do." She rolls her eyes at the thought. "Knowing him, he's off looking for information on where Master, the other Golden Ones, or the Hakiems Tribe are located."

A wind blew, carrying some sense of elegance about it. It caressed the grass, and seemed to slow the flow of time. He hadnt know why. But for some reason, he had the sense of slowing down. He was tired of running everyewhere at such high speeds, and upon a recent experience, he had realized what a thin line there was between life and death. Only one word haunted his existance. Wraith. Never had encountered such a foe. It taunted him, and teased his mind to know that such power existed. Even Rendd, Dogura's father would have had a difficult time with this.

Dogura walked passed the fountain, and noticed three adventurers he had come to know and love. He thought about joining them, but he felt no need to accompany them on anything at the moment. For some reason, he just felt like being alone. Something was making Dogura depressed. he felt like just ending it all. The web he was caught in. The guilt. the eternal debt. the suffering. As he proceeded to walk along the path to North Forest, one word was carried along the current of the winds. "Wraith." Dogura stopped dead in his tracks, and a bead of sweat rolled down his neck. He slowly turned around, and began to listen intently for the word that had haunted him.

Had they been on his trail? Had they gathered more information? The vagabond just had to know more, and forgetting his manners, stepped right up in front of them, butting into the convorsation. "Wraith! Where is he, what do you know of him?" He stammered, almost pleading for answers. Why had this bugged him so much? What was it about this warrior, this assassin, that seemed so familiar, yet so sinister? Only time, and perhaps a friend would tell.

OOC: Sorry, late responce, and I'm glad you're no longer accepting slip-shod posts! And i see Blank, and Gandalf here have made it as well. XD

Tayro waltzed around the North Castle Town as usual on a day in which he had absolutely nothing to do - the most of them. He didn't quite know why he actually did that, it might be the sights, the civilization... whatever it was, the point was just the same - he strolled around the place almost everyday. His legs just seemed to walk on their own, their target being the same. A magnetical attraction, perhaps. Having no reason to stop doing so, he just continued doing this little walk everyday. However, today was different than most days, as this time he had a reason to be there - and that was something unusual.

The boy had been in a bit of a state of shock since the eralier contact with Karunik's assistant, Coby. Since their encounter at Parapa Desert - the place the mage apprentice would love to forget for a while - that the two of them had become acquainted and friends, but being on different sides that are waging war at each other wasn't very helpful. But what was worrying Tayro was not that: it was the nonchalant way that he talked about important and drastic stuff like death and murder... the boy seemed heartless, without any type of pity and unfeeling. The way he talked about death was just... astonishing. Not that the Hylian was afraid of him or anything of the kind, but instead worried about him. No teenager of his age could be so unfeeling - in fact, the mage apprentice felt like it's a time where feelings come up quicker and stronger. It was just not normal for a person to be like that, and for so, Tayro was worried about his friend's well-being. He must have been induced to some kind of mind-controlling spell, or something of the kind! He must have!

And that was the reason of him being there. He wanted to go to visit the almighty Temple of Nayru, hoping that the goddess would give him a sign of what was wrong or a hint of what he should do about it. As he was entering the beatuifully carved wooden doors of the temple, the boy heard something that intrigued him. A name he had previously heard and had but forgotten about it because of the battle in the Spirit Shrine. Wraith. He quickly remembered the battle that he arrived too late, which had tired and injured his friends greatly. They had fought an assassin that went by the name of Wraith. Yeah. I guess that resumes it. - he thought.
He looked back towards where he had heard the name and happily finds out where it had come from. He runs towards his friends with a smile on his face. "Hi there!" - he tells them - "Sorry I eavesdropped your conversation. So, have you found anything about this Wraith guy yet?"

He raises his arms and puts them behind his head, and awaits a reply from them, halting his thoughts about Karunik's disciple for a while. In any case, I doubt I'll have much luck with the goddess. If I'm lucky, I may find out something with them today, but more importantly, I'll stick with them - it's guaranteed that I'll have a good time!

Rose frowns and crosses her arms. "We just managed to get off of that topic," she replies sourly. "And no, we haven't found anything."

Shada nods in confirmation to Rose's reply. "I've been scouring Hyrule for the last week, and I can't find anyone who knows anything about him - at least, no one will say they know something..." A sigh escapes her; she still feels tired from working so hard attempting to get any info that she can.

* * *

Over in the alleyway, the two men turn to stare into each other's eyes. "I thought you said there were only two of them. One extra person I was willing to allow for, but three?"

The second shrugs. "Those three are known allies of the two women. Hold on." He closes his eyes and focuses, utilizing his Hylian hearing. "It seems...yes, they know of Wraith as well. There should be nothing wrong with including them, correct?"

The first nods. Both grab their cloaks' hoods and pull them as far over their face as possible before continuing.

* * *

Without warning, a flurry of ninja shuriken fly forward, bombarding the area surrounding the group of adventurers. Surprisingly, however, none of them hit their target. "You idiot!" The cry is heard from an alley on the far side of the plaza in front of the temple. Two men stand there, one kneeling with arms raised, as if to ward off any blows that the other may throw. "You said your aim could not be matched! How could you miss!?!"

Dogura immediately snapped out of his trance like state, and focused on the familair projectile thrown at him. He knew it was hard to miss when throwing a shuriken, for he had used them almost his entire life. A sense of calmness overcame Dogura as he heard the man shouting at eachother. He didnt even make an attempt to draw his sword. It was obvious that they were dealing with ametures. He wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.

Rose immediately stood up and turned around. She, however, had no desire to remain silent. "Is there any particular reason why you attacked us?" she asked, her right hand gripping her sword hilt.

So... that's what shuriken smells like...

Blank shook his head, bewildered that he was still conscious. Had the assailants in question been as skilled as, say Dogura, the entire party would more than likely have been finished right then. Fortunately that was not the case.

He raised an eyebrow at Rose's polite retort to the failed attack. "No, no, no. Rose. That's not how it's done." He turned to face the hooded men in the alley, grinning at the bracing man's suspense. It was a comical sight, to say the least, and it made Blank feel more at ease when addressing them. "Like this."

With as much agility as he could muster, Blank's swords appeared in his hands in an instant, his grin replaced by one of a much more satisfied proportion. While the left eyebrow had been raised, both were now lowered, placing an expression of fury on the nomad's face. His teeth clenched, he took a step forward and rubbed the wooden swords together at their blades.

"Show time," he muttered.

"Crud! The sun was in my eyes!" the second guy yells.

The first, obviously the leader of this duo, instantly spits in his direction. "Let's get out of here, idiot!" He matches actions to words, immediately spinning around and bolting further into the alleyway. The second leaps upward...trips over his own cloak...and then gets back up and starts running after his accomplice.

Shada is instantly on her feet, drawing her daggers alongside Blank's blades. "Hey, get back here!" she yells at the fleeing men. Without a second thought, she sprints into the darkness after them, all the while yelling at them to stop so she can slice them apart...

...she's obviously not a good motivational speaker.

On a ledge overhead, another darkly robed figure disappears into darkness, intent on following those who chase the two men.

"Damn it," Rose said angrily. She drew her sword and glared at Blank. "Sometimes you need to be diplomatic and not scare the hell out of everyone." She then chases after Shada and the two failed assassins.

Blank shrugged. Clearly there was no winning an argument with Rose - that is, if Rose Hillmound was anything like Shada. Sighing as the two men took flight, he resheathed his swords and took off at a quick pace behind the women. Had he gazed upwards, he may have seen the third figure, but alas he did not. Oblivious that he was being watched and followed, he continued to run, hoping to catch the hooded men and interrogate them. This entire mix-up with the Hakiems, Zaboorak, Wraith, Zaris and the Goldforce was becoming far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. Dungeons in secret lairs, dark portals, assassins at every turn; Blank hoped that whatever Zaboorak was eating at that moment tasted subpar. Now that would be justice.

Zaboorak, of course, never allowing a stupid principle like justice to have any control over his life, was currently enjoying a steak dinner large enough for three people, and he ate it alone. And this was tender, juicy steak, the likes of which one cannot buy but from the finest of merchants.

OOC: I'm stopping that right now...it's making me hungry...^_^

IC:
The two men, while poor assassins, appear to be excellent runners, able to keep out of reach of the group following them with ease.

As Shada chases after them, she glances around several times, taking in the area that they have been led to. This is certainly an area of North Castle that she has never been to, and it is doubtful any of her fellows have traversed these routes either. Dirt and muck cover the walls and pathway, littering is expressed in abundance, and several nasty looking animals, almost rabid beasts, roam the passageways that the group runs by.

This part of the city was long ago closed off from the main streets by new construction projects, due to the fact that it contained the criminal class of the area. The only way in or out was by either the air or through a select few alleys, one of which the group was now traveling through. The REF had used this as a tactic for cornering villians, and it had proved enormously successful, driving out all major criminals in the city...at least, all those who ever showed themselves. All civilians had also moved into the newer parts of town, leaving the area deserted for the most part.

And the men keep on running, deeper and deeper into the hideous regions of the Forgotten Square...

Rose didn't care very much about her surroundings. She was more worried about catching those two men...probably before Shada could. As she ran, she began to look around her, suddenly caring about where she was. She remembered her trip into Parapa Village. [Awareness Check]

OOC: You were waiting for that, weren't you, Alpha?

OOC: The Bitter truth? Zaboorak is eating the regurgitated remains of the steak we fed the Moreks But my, what a healthy appetite he has. (Perhaps tomorrow he'll be feasting on Great Pork)

IC:

This sector of North Castle caused many different thoughts and concerns inside Blank's head.

Confusion. Never had Blank seen the Forgotten Square. Why, then, was a pair of speedy assassins able to lure him into the confines of it? He had been a "temporary resident" and passerby of North Castle for some time now - certainly not as long as many of the people he had met - and yet all of a sudden there loomed an entire segment of the city that he had never seen.

Loneliness and disgust. The place looked so barren, and so unwelcoming. It was a truly pitiful slum. For one seeking refuge or solitude, perhaps it was North Castle's diamond in the rough. Certainly not in terms of friendliness, population and townly happenings. The animals almost frightened Blank, and the sight of the muddy area made his stomach turn. He vowed to never again return to this place unless absolutely necessary.

Excitement. This was the perfect place to corner the hooded men and extract all of the information necessary. Again the grin formed on the nomad's face as he raced through the Square, eager to catch the would-be assassins. His guess was that they were simply ordinary Hakiems. The Hylian hoped that they were lower ranked if that was the case.

Dogura didnt have to sheath his blade, for he had never bothered drawing it in the first place. He saw the men making fools of themselves, and was sure they would turn tail if a surprise failed. Dogura was by far the fastest of the group, however, he didnt run full speed. Why wasnt he shrinking the distance between him and the men? Simply because the samurai was intrigued.

Also knowing that the men would be dumb enough to lead them straight to their hideout, Dogura just followed at a pace a bit faster then their own, only to make them run faster. He would occasionally shout things to keep their motivation to run alive and well, such as "When I catch you, I'm gonna let the lady behind me do as she likes." He was referring to shada, but didnt say so.

As he ran, he glanced around the old choridor, half taking his eyes off the assassins, if they were worthy of such a name. The sound of them running was the only sound that came from the dead hallways. How could he have not seen this place before? He turned his head and smiled at Rose. "Hey, we could come here every so often, and do some crime busting, if this really is a place where theives gather." He chuckled, turning back to the running men. "You'd better run, I think I can hear the bells tolling." Dogura shouted, running up beside them.

OOC: You just have to love prey on the run! XD nice job so far Alpha. Have these post been up to par? I could possibly spend an extra 15 minutes to make them better if you like.