Hearing a scream. Grenada looks over in the direction, and with a frown, realizes it's Shada. Expecting the worst, he thinks she has fallen. The Hakiems stop, and salute. If he wanted, he could have quickly destroyed so many more of their forces. But that Shiekah was more dangerous than the rest. He saw Zarunik line up against Alpha and the two began fighting. 'Come on Alpha, you can do this...' and the first jump-dodge gave him confidence. But when Alpha takes blows, and falls to the ground, Grenada lets his anger and instincts control him.

He runs towards the fight, trying to get between Alpha and his opposition. 'I need something to give me a temporary advantage... Think!' As he approaches, he grabs the closest hakiem initiate and positions him in the way taking a spot behind him. Grenada cursed his small size, it prevented the human shield from working perfectly, and he knew it would do nothing, but he hoped it would buy Alpha some time...

Wrapping his left arm around the left leg, he raised up his sword to the man's head and yelled:

"YOU MOVE AND YOU DIE &^%$*."

Tilting the sword away, he peered through the opening between the feet, and prepared to fight Zarunik.

"Leave Alpha alone and fight me, coward. Oh, and Zaboorak might want to witness your defeat so he knows who to come after..."

Arco listens to and watches Alpha and Grenada silently, but circles around the kneeling Hakiem circle to stand closer to, yet still behind his comrades. For the shortest moment of distraction he glances to the outside edge of the army at the strange black-clad Sheikah--the one he'd seen for just as short a time back in the Tantari.

But time wouldn't allow for any more stray staring. Holding a stance where he can see any stray Hakiem movement with the tilt of a head while being able to survey the duel between Alpha and Karunik, he fidgets...

But after a moment of indecisiveness, Arco hastily wipes his dagger on his pant leg--only to immediately regret doing so after seeing the horrid stain--and sheathes it, reaching... somewhere by his left hip for his hurdy gurdy, and pulls it out in front of him. Lifting his left knee up off the ground to support the base of the instrument, the Bard poises to turn the crank--and pauses, when Grenada rushes forward.

Now what do I do?

The Sheikah throws a look over his shoulder at Shada, who appears to--technically--still be in one piece.

Can those two handle him? Or does she need some medical assistance now, or, or... do they need this next song more? Or would they need it later, if Zaboorak moves? Or, um, ah...

Eyes glued on the actions around him and yet flicking back and forth in a visual representation of the see-saw going on within his mind, Arco's right hand twitches on the crank...

Karunik lets off a smirk as he sees the Deku draping one of his men over his shoulder. "So you're that weak! Ha! How much protection do you think one man will provide you now that I have all of this power?" He holds out his hand, allowing a portion of the gaseous energy swirling around his already powerful body to concentrate in that one place, forming a crimson orb of energy. 'I can go through that man and take out the Deku with one blast! Too easy. What a fool...' But even as he thinks these things, his hand flies up to his forehead, forcing him to stop.

Above them all, Zaboorak nods in comprehension. "The fool can't control hisss new power yet. It'sss threatening to overwhelm him." He considers actually doing something about it, but quickly shrugs off the idea, especially seeing as how Karunik is already fighting against it, struggling to keep his oath to never kill a fellow Hakiem. "It ssseemsss that hisss vow isss the only thing retaining hisss sssanity. Interesssting..."

Instead, Karunik lets out a loud warcry and flings his orb into the ground. The explosion blows any nearby Hakiems back into each other, and when the smoke clears, Karunik is gone!

Alpha, now standing, though weak, manages to see his plan. "Grenada! Behind you!" he yells. Karunik suddenly removes his Shadowmeld, just as his kick flies at Grenada from behind.

As the Hakiems stop fighting and crouch down, Raven is left looking around at the amount of Hakiems sees the others who were fighting with him and a man he hasn't seen shrouded in a red mist. He watches as Alpha leaps into the air only to be brought down by the sword swipes of his attacker.

It looks like that's where the action is. So that's where I'll go.

Using the Hakiems as stepping stones, Raven flys towards the mystery man. Suddenly there is an explosion and Raven drops into Shadowmeld as he continues to draw closer to the scene of battle.

No time!

Arco slams his right hand forward, throwing the crank into motion with a burst of sheer velocity. Centrifugal force carrying the weight of the handle in a tight series of circles, the familiar drone strings play for only a couple bars before a strange melody--one that you've never heard before--reaches your ears.

The Bard stands crane-like with his left leg in the air, propping up the hurdy-gurdy as the fingers of his left hand skip around the brittle, wooden keys. But it is the sound that strikes you as odd. The tune carries an... undescribably green nuance throughout its passage. And green is what Arco is wearing, today. Wait, he wasn't wearing that color a second ago? Wasn't it a greyish... no, he was wearing green all alo--wait a minute...

To add to the bizarreness, the Bard's short hair and loose clothing flaps violently, in some sort of a non-existing wind that seems to blow only on him. But even as this thought crosses your mind, the wind changes its course; while still pouring its gale on Arco, it gusts through him, as well. The Sheikah plays intensely, his eyes locked on the people in front of him: Alpha and Grenada. As he does so, the wind carries past him and swirls towards the Mage and the Mercenary, seeking to embrace them too in its... spirit.

Will of Farore!

As he draws ever closer to his goal, he hears a stange song being created, looking for the source he sees Arco who appears to be covered in a tinge of green.

First red, now green? Maybe that blow to the head did affect me.

Due to a loss of concentration, Raven misjudges his jump and lands in the middle a large group of Hakiems. Fortunately they don't notice his presence, which is mainly because he is in Shadowmeld but also thanks to his quiet landing.

'Even if you are invisable to the eye making alot of noise will get you noticed.' Remembering Red's words he siliently snakes his way through the ranks, and towards what he considers to be a real fight.

'BEHIND YOU!!!'

Comes the scream from behind Grenada, and he goes to spin. Time slows, every degree of the spin taking at least a second. Suddenly green surrounds him, and he believes it is the attack. Trying to shake it off of his leaves, the Deku leaves his spin only halfway finished, concentrating on the glow. Suddenly though, he feels faster, and similarly bulkier. Looking to the left, a foot, large and aimed right at his face is finishing it's descent. A grimace is all he has time to do, though his muscles tighten as he braces for impact.

OOC: Alpha, feel free to write the effects of the kick on Grenada if you want to. It'll probably make for better effect if you do.

The foot flies forth with such speed that the air seems to be glowing red. As it smashes into Grenada, Karunik smiles with malicious delight. Before the shockwave reaches the Deku, the Hakiems leader disappears into Shadowmeld again. Grenada continues flying, letting the Hakiem drop to the ground with his neck intact. The shockwave hits him midair, sending him into the mountainside almost too quickly to see. The mountain crumbles with the impact, forming a ten foot crater in the mountainside, with the mercenary attempting to catch his breath in the center.

Alpha gasps as he sees the kick connect. Realizing that Karunik will come after his weakened self sooner or later, he slowly allows a ball of white light to form in his hands. "Life!" The healing energies flow into him just as Arco's song begins to strengthen him. He spots Shada near the mountainside, lying unconscious in the shade. He starts towards her, only to have a punch from Karunik come flying out of thin air. With the Will of Farore strengthening him, he bends his right knee, dropping to the ground and letting both the hit and the shockwave slip past. He catches himself with his right arm and swings his left leg at Karunik. The Hakiems leaps into the air and comes down with a fist. Alpha manages to dodge to the left, and Karunik's attack smahes into the ground. Alpha swings his staff forward, but the crimson clouded Sheikah stops it with his arm, using only as much energy as it takes to swat flies.

Having finally reached his destination Raven readies himself before sneaking up behind Karunik. As he draws close he takes hold of his dagger and keeps on walking, slowly, silently, until he is right behind him. At that moment he drew his dagger and held it to his neck.

He sees the unconscious girl a realises where Alpha was going. 'Go.' Raven says 'This guys going nowhere.'

'Oh, really.' Karunik says before shrugging Raven off, with the force which felt like a heavy shove before disappearing into Shadowmeld. Realising that he would try a sneak attack Raven stood still but turned his head from side to side as he was scanning the area.

Thanks to the Hakiems no longer moving in respect for their master, the area was silent, apart from the faint sound of loose rubble from where Grenada impacted and that shuffle of stone... there. Raven quickly sidesteps as two swords thust past into the space where he once stood. Given this opening he hits Karunik in the face with the his dagger giving him a similar cut to the one that Alpha must have had on his face once upon a time.

Angered by this he swung his swords towards him in a wide arc, to which Ravens only response was to hit the ground, he then drove both swords down at him but Raven quickly jumped out of the way as the plunged into the ground, cracking the earth all around them.

Raven managed to get to his feet as the earth shook and Karunik withdrew his swords from the ground, he could his entire body shaking knowing that his narrow escape had been from his reflexes alone he had to fight another way.

'You can't hit what you can't see.' Raven said trying to hide the fear in his voice and faded into Shadowmeld. In response Karunik starting swing his swords around wildly. To most in would appear that he had totally lost his mind, but there was a method to his madness which soon yeilded results.

*Agh* Raven cried in pain as blood began to drip onto the floor from the wound he received to his arm, rendering Shadowmeld usless. He reappered and had the smug face of Karunik staring at him.

Karunik went into his battle pose; Goddesses let me live through this Raven silently prayed and took up his.

OOC: I hope you didn't mind me controlling your character, Alpha. To show my respect I want you to write the conclusion of the battle, but no blades through vital organs, please.

OOC: Don't worry about it, Red.

I think it's about time I revealed a little more of my story's plot...


IC:
Above, far up the mountain, two figures watch the battle. One is a fairy, the other a Sheikah. The fairy darts back and forth, frustrated. Finally she comes to a stop as she spots Shada lying in the shade. "Okay, that's enough!" comes her high voice. "I can't just float around here anymore, Zaris! We have to help them."

The elder shakes his head. "Don't be foolish, Sherra. You go down there and Zaboorak will kill you." He looks away from the battle for just a second, and is shocked to see his companion floating away. "First he has to find me, old man!"

"Sherra, NO!" he yells, even though he knows she won't listen. He grumbles to himself worriedly. "Idiot...even we Golden Ones don't have a chance against Zaboorak. He already killed the Golden Goron..." Zaris stays put, knowing that this won't be pretty.

Sherra zooms down the mountainside, zipping through the rocks scattered on the landscape. She lands next to the girl - 'Zaris' apprentice!' she thinks, annoyed at the old man's apparent lack of caring - and flutters towards her wounded arm. Suddenly, a bright light is emitted, brighter than her normal glow, and extends to surround the upper half of Shada's form.

Alpha, catching his breath while Raven fights Karunik, manages to glance over in time to see Sherra. 'What the - oh no! Sherra! What is she doing here?' Once the glow fades, he sees that Shada's wound is completely gone, and she is now wide-awake. She slowly stands up, making sure she's okay, then spots the fairy. "Did you heal me? Thanks so much!" she says in gratitude.

It is now that Raven's Shadowmeld falters. Karunik grins triumphantly as he sees the opportunity to kill this interloper. He rushes forward, blade aimed at Raven's chest.

The feeling hits Zaboorak like a lightning bolt, jerking his head away from Karunik's fight to where Shada stands, hugging a fairy. The power he had felt is unmistakable. "The Golden Fairy? Here?" he hisses as the distinct sound of pleasure creeps into his voice. "Excellent! It appearsss I'll be getting two Powersss today."

He suddenly lets off a loud laugh, one that catches the attention of everyone there. Karunik stops in his tracks, blade a mere inch away from Raven's heart. Zaboorak leaps off his cliffside perch down to where the Fairy sits, waiting. "You foolisssh creature!" he yells. "Did you never think about the fact that I am here?" he cackles as he falls.

"Come get me, Zaboorak!" comes the fairy's reply, as she rips herself out of Shada's grip. Her small, high-pitched voice rises as she continues, unafraid. "We'll see who walks away from this!"

"Indeed we ssshall!" The Zora's fists fly out in front of him, and suddenly a great sense of darkness overshadows the area. Zaris now leaps out from his hiding spot, running down the slope so that Zaboorak couldn't spot him too. 'Sherra, this is really stupid!' he says through telepathy.

'Stay back, Zaris!' comes the reply. 'You are not risking your life for me. I can take care of this creep!' He complies, sadly realizing his presence won't help much now anyways.

Zaboorak suddenly stops in midair, hanging as if by a wire. In front of his hands a symbol materializes, one that most people would consider one of good and righteousness. Alpha gasps. "He wouldn't dare!"

Karunik, equally awed by the sight, lowers his blades. "Oh yes he would."

The same symbol suddenly appears in front of the fairy, causing Shada to jump back. All have seen the symbol before: three triangles placed together so that they form a larger triangle. Shada continues to back away from Sherra, scared to death. "Th-the Triforce?"

"No," Alpha and Karunik reply simultaneously. Alpha looks into the other's eyes, seeing beyond the powerful mist that surrounds him to the fear within his eyes. The fear that they both share. Karunik suddenly lets out a yell. "Hakiems! Move it!" The warriors, estatic over the fact that they can finally get out of there, rush away as the earth begins to shake. In both the Fairy and the Zora's triangles, the spaces in the center of the three triangles light up.


"GOLDFORCE POWER BEAM!"


Zaris looks down as two beams blast out from the triangles, collision enveloping the entire battlefield in golden light. It's the same beam that had dissipated the magical cloud that someone had summoned, but much more focused. "Sherra...you idiot..." he mumbles, already knowing the result.

When the light finally dies, it is clear who the winner is - Zaboorak. The fairy lies in the center of a twenty foot deep crater, moaning. Zaboorak walks to the pit's edge, bringing Sherra to him psychically. As the battered fairy lands in his waiting hand, he lets off another cackle. "Fool! You thought that you could posssibly defeat me! I already have two Powersss, whereasss you only have one.

"But never fear. Your Goldforce ssshall be put to very good...er, efficient...ussse." He suddenly opens his mouth wide, letting off the most maniacal laugh Alpha has ever heard. He crushes the fairy in his fist, delighting in the torment that arises from her lips. Finally, the fairy's glow fades away completely, only to be replaced by a shining golden sphere that rises above the deceased's body. Above, Zaris drops to his knees, distraught by his friend's death, even though it had been expected.

Alpha suddenly darts forward. "No!" Zaboorak holds out his hand, dropping Sherra's body back into the pit, and lets forth another laugh as a black sphere appears in his hand. Dark energies swirl around his arm and into the orb, then it fires off at Alpha, sending him flying back into the dirt. He struggles to rise, but collapses, nearly unconscious. 'That...that was a Shadow Elemental Explosion...I'm supposed to have a resistance to that...'

Seeing no more challengers, Zaboorak reaches up into the golden aura, which suddenly turns a distinctively darker color. The glow slowly seeps into his body, and he also begins to glow darker and darker as more of the energy enters his system. Finally the last trace of Sherra's existence disappears. 'The Golden Fairy'sss regenerative powersss...now they're mine!' He turns to face Karunik, suddenly seeming even more evil than before. "What are you waiting for, foolsss? Capture them all now!"

After Raven had joined the melee, and after a glance at the new Sheikah, Arco had sunken lower on his one leg. The music had fallen in volume for a second before resuming with greater force, surging forward to swirl around the fighters: Alpha, Grenada, Arco, and the new crimson-eyed Sheikah. It would wrap them up in its aura, which would linger for a time, even after the music had stopped. And oddly enough, it seemed that the exertion of playing was somehow more than the one of the claw-and-dagger slaughter, seeing as Arco had been squinting and muttering under his breath as the song escalated.

It is at the moment when Zaboorak comes down to engage the fairy, that the music indeed does stop. Thudding his right foot back onto the ground, Arco had stood there, frozen, watching the others for a sign of what to do. But it was as if the duel had stopped time altogether--any effort to stop Zaboorak's movement would be, like the breaking of a shared convention between actor and audience, null. But when the Zora cried out to the Hakiems... that changed things.

Arco sinks into a defensive stance as the sheets of Hakiems ripples into readiness. There is a moment where the color-signaled effects of the song gleams in its greenness over the mixed handful of warriors, full in the apogee of its influence. Bringing the hurdy-gurdy down to his waist, the Bard whisks his dagger out of its sheathe and without hesitation clamps the blade in his teeth. With a resulting bead of blood sinking from the corner of his lip, Arco speaks through clenched teeth:

"What's the plan, Alpha?"

A moment passes. Arco turns his head, and then inhales quickly at the sight of the other Sheikah, who lies prone in the dust. "Alpha!"

Using the confusion created when the Hakiems fled manages to distance himself from Karunik. He cut a strip off his shirt and tied it round his arm, stemming the bleeding from the cut he had received in his fight with Karunik and slumped to the floor thinking the fight was over as the Hakiems retreated.

Then with a single mention from the Zora, the force stopped in their tracks and began to advance back towards him and the others. Pulling himself up off the floor, his dagger grasped tightly, he gets ready for what will come; although the battle with Karunik took alot out of him.

Upon hearing Zaboorak's decree, the Hakiems immediately charge at their opponents, swords drawn and voices screaming. Alpha struggles to get back onto his feet, but falters and only barely manages to catch himself on his right knee. He sits there: breathing heavy, sweat pouring out of his skin, arms and legs feeling like noodles.

Before he can engage anyone in battle, Zaboorak motions Karunik over to him. "The Golden Fairy wasss here; the Golden Sssheikah is no doubt near by asss well. With your improved abilitiesss," he says, motioning to the red cloud still surrounding the Sheikah, "you can undoubtedly find him, even if he isss in Ssshadowmeld."

Karunik's eyes harden. "I'll find the coward, and get my revenge at last!" He leaps up the hillside, not noticing Zaris hidden not with Shadowmeld, but merely behind a large boulder. Zaboorak sighs (OOC: though not because he's spotted Zaris). 'Hisss obsssesssion with avenging hisss father isss quite deliciousss...I almossst hope Zzzarisss sssurvivesss today, if only ssso I can continue toying with Karunik'sss emotionsss...' He silently leaps back up onto the mountain so he can watch overhead.

The Hakiems continue to mercilessly charge Alpha. Without warning, Shada leaps in front of him, daggers drawn and flying, appearing to dart in and out of the Hakiems' throats like seeds fired from a slingshot. "I've got these guys, Keyru!" she yells. "Here! Shield!" A barrier forms around Alpha, giving him the time he needs to form another glowing ball of Life.

She turns back to the crowd of warriors rushing her. "Boys, boys! If you wanted to die all at once, you really should have asked," she comments with a spunky voice, confidence evident in her words and face. "Elemental Burst! Light!" A large ball of energy forms within her hands. She holds it tenderly in them, even as the fierce warriors rush within inches of her. Her kind face suddenly transforms into one mimicking beastly rage, and as a war cry escapes her she forces the orb outward. Suddenly smaller light orbs shoot out from the larger one, each one locking on to a different target and blasting him away. She slowly stands up and surveys the damage she's done with a coolness that is almost more frightening than the attack itself.

Alpha, now recovered and without the shield, stares at her for a second. 'That was...scary...' he thinks before his destroying the jaw of another Hakiem interrupts his train of thought.

The Hakiems draw closer a seemingly infinite amount trudging towards him. Breathing heavily he knows that he needs to rest, but there is no time for that, the Hakiems continue to move closer and he will need to defend himself.

If only I had more time.

Then, as the Hakiems get within attacking distance, a ball of fire shoots out of the mountain; hundreds of Hakiems are sent flying through the air as it explodes on contact with the ground. Two more soon follow making large dents in their numbers and setting fire to many who avoided the explosions, causes them to run around in panic fire trailing off them as them ran.

Raven looks up at where the fireballs came from, but as he expects he sees no-one. He turns his head back to the Hakiems who are regrouping beyond a mass of still burning bodies, the attack bought him some time not a lot, but enough to allow the effects of the adrenalin to ebb away, steading his hand and clearing his head.

Thanks, Red. He praises silently.

Then that's the plan? Continue the fight?

Arco's eyes blank out for a moment, as a final decisive thought drifts through, behind them. When they clear up, showing a resigned change of face, the Sheikah opens his mouth, letting the dagger fall--which it does, landing, undramatically, on its hilt.

I can't keep up the slaughter much longer. Not by killing them off like that.

Upon looking up from where the dagger lies, you can see that the monster is gone. Lifting his arm up, he draws the hurdy-gurdy again, and taps on its wooden surface for a moment, as if counting on his fingers. Passively, he sinks into shadowmeld, subconciously evading poorly-executed slashes.

Let's see... after Will of Farore, I can probably manage...

Faintly, lost in the jaw-crushed screaming insanity of the blinded, burning Hakiems, an unseen Arco tunes his instrument, plucking each string individually and creaking the corresponding pegs into position. Sometime in the process, he looks up to see how his comrades are faring...