The clearing in the haze was a welcome sight, even if Alpha was unable to worry about the fog while in it. He emerged from it to find Katsuro confronting two massive spirits, the boy explaining the reason for his coming here. A test to reach the top of the mountain and speak to 'the two legendary blacksmiths', then receive a weapon for his troubles. It was quite an intriguing tale, and Alpha found himself wondering if he would get a weapon as well . . . but he soon dismissed the idea. A servant of Ganon -- even a former, unwilling one -- was hardly worthy of a prize like that.

Before long, though, Katsuro had been declared worthy, and had taken hold of his impressive gift. The spirits departed, the fog going with them, and Katsuro rejoined the mage. "Congratulations, Katsuro," he said simply as the boy walked past him. He turned slightly, then looked back to where the spirits had stood.

He placed his hands together at his chest and bowed, a silent gesture of thanks for the spirits' gift. Then he turned and walked after the boy.

At the bottom of the mountain, the two emerged. The base of the mountain was grassy, with a couple of trees here and there. Wild flowers grew, giving the air a sweet scent. With little to no trouble coming back, Katsuro was chipper as ever. He held his new weapon, rarely taking his eyes off of it. Katsuro knew the way home from here, and turned towards Alpha to thank him for his assistance. "I know the way from here, sir. Thanks for everything. I owe you big, so don't be afraid to ask me for assistance when you need it... Not that you would."

"Is there any way I could ever get back in contact with you? I want to learn that huge spell you used to kill all of those Re-dead back there." The boy was obviously naive to the complexities of magic, and in this case his own limitations. "I mean, I know it must be difficult... But they say when you want to learn, you should learn from the best. I'll be honest, you seem like you're years ahead of my dad in the magic department. I'd like to learn from you sometime or another, if you'd allow it."

"You're confused." Came the reply from seemingly nowhere.

Dogura himself melded out the shadow of a nearby tree. He wasn't wearing his armor, but rather an open shirt that revealed several bandages around his chest and midsection. He eyed Katsuro, and then Alpha who stood not far behind him. Suddenly a man appeared next to him as if from nowhere. He was holding a mask in his hand, unmistakably Shiro.

Katsuro was thrilled to see Dogura. "Dad!" He cried out. He moved for the man, but Shiro moved to stop him. "Whoa now... Dogura is in pretty rough shape right now. Let's keep contact to a minimum." The samurai did his best to seem at 100%, but it was easy to see that even now, he was injured. The boy noticed the bandages, and before he could ask what happened, Dogura interrupted him.

"I see you received your weapon." He smiled at his son. "That's my boy." He ruffled the child's hair as he always did, and looked at Alpha. The look wasn't of malice or welcome, but simply an acknowledgement of his presence. "Like I said, you're confused." He continued as he looked back to Katsuro. "Asking for a way to contact Alpha." He chuckled slightly. "You're asking for the stars there son." Shiro folded his arms, still not comfortable with Alpha after their last encounter. "As for learning from him... You're on the right track. Alpha is far ahead of me in magic. So much so that I've little to no chance of ever catching up to him, much less surpassing him. I'd never discourage learning from him; but he's a busy man."

Katsuro turned to Alpha. His name is Alpha then... I remember Dogura mentioning that name before. Dogura continued speaking before the kid had a chance to respond. "Alpha... What exactly are you doing with my son?" Katsuro immediately interjected.

"He saved my life... Not once, but twice. I wouldn't have made it off that mountain without his help." Dogura's eyes changed immediately, realizing now what he could have lost. He looked at Alpha, and entirely new look in his eyes. A shine that gleamed friendship, and thanks. "Is that right..." He smiled. "Thanks Alpha... You've no idea what you've done for me today. I give you my humble thanks, and the promise that I won't forget." Shiro's demeanor also changed with the new information. He seemed more trusting, and even now wore a smile.

"Dad... What happened to you?"

The samurai shook his head. "A boulder fell on top of me from Rauru cliffs... I was careless, and I'm lucky to be alive right now." Katsuro noticed several other injuries immediately. He knew there was more to the story, but decided for now to let it be as is. He turned to Alpha, and the boy's eyes showed that he knew. So Alpha was right... There may be a lot more at work here than either of us figured... He looked back to Dogura. Just what are you involved with dad... Dogura closed his eyes.

I see... So he didn't buy it.

He communicated to Alpha.

Thanks for not outright telling him. I'll let him know more later. Thanks for everything. I have to go now... My injuries won't allow for much more activity.

Shiro also picked up the message, and nodded. "Katsuro." Dogura stated. "Go home to your mother... She's worried sick about you. I'll be home soon." The boy stared at the man for a couple of more seconds before nodding. "Alright, sure thing Dad. I'll see you later then. Thanks Alpha. I hope I see you again someday." With that, the boy rushed off towards home. Shiro nodded to Alpha. Dogura awaited any final responses from the mage before returning home.

The journey down was far easier than the one upwards, Alpha decided -- even if he had skipped most of the lower regions of the Demons' Mount. No encounters or dangers presented themselves, no trials or tribulations came their way. It was easy going, and Alpha tried not to let that bother him. Perhaps the Phantom Sword was to blame; the beasts and ghouls would surely see a mile away, the way Katsuro constantly held it before his face.

At last they reached the bottom, and Katsuro even asked the elder Sheikah for magic lessons -- he nearly laughed at the specific request to learn the Elemental Explosion, a power that was far beyond the ability of most people. Only those who had devoted years to magical study could grasp that . . . Still, at the same time, he was actually tempted to accept the boy's request. Perhaps the Elemental Burst would be better--

Before he could decide, a voice rang through the air, and Alpha's blood ran cold.

If there had been any hope of Dogura dying at the hand of White Wing warriors, it vanished in light of the samurai's appearance. There was nothing he could do to stop his face from turning harsh: his eyes narrowed to slits, and his mouth slipped into a small scowl.

At least it was obvious that the battle had taken a toll -- an extreme one, if after all this time he was still weak. The other Reaper, Shiro, was here, likely to ensure nothing happened to the samurai in this state; any notion of trying to fight Dogura here vanished. Not that such a notion had ever been there, though . . . Katsuro was here, and this wasn't the way for the boy to learn of his father's bad decisions. Even now, as Dogura spoke about Alpha and Katsuro's gaze shifted back to the Sheikah mage, his face reverted back to the one it had held just moments before.

Father and son spent some time talking before the latter informed his dad of Alpha's purpose for being here.

"Is that right... Thanks Alpha... You've no idea what you've done for me today. I give you my humble thanks, and the promise that I won't forget."

Despite himself, he managed a little smirk. "I was helping the son of a friend, Samurai. That's all there is to it."

I see... So he didn't buy it.

Thanks for not outright telling him. I'll let him know more later. Thanks for everything. I have to go now... My injuries won't allow for much more activity.

As Katsuro departed, the mage raised an arm in a farewell wave . . . then turned to Dogura, his mask gone and replaced with that same harsh glare. 'You know me, Shadowclaw,' he cast out. 'I always protect the innocent. I'm not about to punish the son when the father errs.'

He walked over to the base of the mountain, into a patch of shade beneath a tree. Shadows began climbing up to engulf him, and he turned back to look at the Reaper pair. "The legendary blacksmiths said that Katsuro's destiny is bright as his blade," he said softly. His eyes slowly shut, and the harshness disappeared, replaced by worry. "I fear what may happen when Ganon finds that out."

Then the darkness covered him completely, and he slipped into the Void.

* * *

He emerged a fair distance up the mountainside, glancing down to make sure Dogura was out of sight. Then he sat back against a rock, hanging his head. 'How did it come to this, Dogura . . .

'How could I have let it come to this . . . ?'

Dogura chuckled lightly at the man's response as he turned and began heading in the other direction. Shiro re-masked himself, and followed the samurai home.

* * *

Atop the mountain, Alpha stood, his head hanging.

"What ails you?" Came the soothing voice of the man from before.
Magis stood not far from Alpha, his mask smiling. "You executed that mission flawlessly. The child of fortune is safe, and returning home with a weapon that will suit him well for the coming years." The sage walked forward towards the edge of the cliff. "So why is it that you bend your neck with sadness? You've done the work of the Goddesses. It won't be long now until you come to enjoy the employment of the divine. There are certain perks that come with having the favor of the Goddesses at your back."

Magis turned around. "The highest among the White Wing Order know a lot about every single person on this planet... I however, am not one of them. So tell me: Is there a complicated history between you and the boy's father? I'll tell not a soul, I swear upon my Sagehood." He put his hand over his heart to seal the deal. "Your sadness concerns me, and the success of the next mission. We can't have your mind elsewhere, Alpha."

Magis wrote:"What ails you?"

Alpha lifted his head at the sound of the voice, having half expected something like this to happen. Magis had promised to be there once the first task was completed, so his sudden appearance wasn't too shocking.

Magis wrote:"The highest among the White Wing Order know a lot about every single person on this planet... I however, am not one of them. So tell me: Is there a complicated history between you and the boy's father? I'll tell not a soul, I swear upon my Sagehood. Your sadness concerns me, and the success of the next mission. We can't have your mind elsewhere, Alpha."

The immediate urge to snap back at the man to mind his own business was buffeted by Magis' kind tone, and by Alpha's own melancholic thoughts. Slowly, he lifted himself up from his stone perch and walked to the cliff to stand beside the sage, then sighed. "I don't much care if you tell others; my history with Dogura Shadowclaw is something I'm quite proud of. We fought alongside one another through many battles against demons and monsters and villains.

"But when he died . . ." He turned away once more, glancing to the sky. "He was sent to Ganon, offered the position of Reaper, and he took it to gain a second chance at life." A smirk appeared on his face. "Then he did exactly what I would have: he took off, abandoning his promises to Ganon in order to continue living a life of honor. It was exactly the same thing I had done years ago, when I fled the Dark Beast after learning who my real boss was."

The smile faded. "I thought that was the end of it. Dogura had fled Ganon, and would continue to fight against him, just as I had. But . . . I underestimated the value that the samurai had placed on his fighting abilities. On the strength that came from the demon Shadowclaw sealed within him. His revival left him without a leg and an arm, which he replaced with some crazy technology of his, but he had also lost Shadowclaw . . . and he was getting old." He took a deep breath. "His drive for strength led him to return to Ganon. Led to all that has transpired since."

"Had I not been so assuming . . . had I realized his draw to the power he'd once held . . ." The Sheikah shook his head. "Perhaps all of this could have taken a different path."

With that, Alpha shook his head a few times, and the sadness evaporated like a mist in sunlight. "You needn't worry about it distracting me, though. I'm quite good at remaining focused on the task at hand. Having to act friendly towards the samurai around Katsuro merely made my mind drift back to better times." He smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, Dogura Shadowclaw was never reborn into this world. The Reaper is just some demon with his face and memories, one that I intend to exterminate before he can damage my friend's good name."

Magis listened carefully, taking in all of the information.

"I see. You feel that you could have changed your friend's course. It appears that you feel responsible for his choice." Magis looked to the skies. "Friends come and go. Family dies, and new family is born. The sun sets, but rises again." There was a dramatic pause before he continued.

"It appears that you're focused. I'll now detail the next task." He said said, pointing out over the eastern ocean. "You'll find yourself in Hyrule's eastern continent for this mission. It isn't likely that you've heard of the town of Moorshire. It's a quaint little village up in the mountains of Nabooru. It's an isolated place that garners few tourists, but serves as a small vantage-point for the King's soldiers. From there, you can see a good deal of the continent, and therefore, it has become a tactical military location.

"However..." Magis' tone turned grim.

"It has come to our attention that the military there cannot handle the curse that's been plaguing the town. You see, there are very few skilled battle-mages among the King's ranks... And the new enemy that terrorizes the town is impervious to blade and arrow alike." The sage turned to Alpha. "Geists. Lots of them." He finally stated. "We've no idea where they've come from, or why they've chosen the town of Moorshire, but the only means of harming them appears to be spells.

"Even within the White Wing Order, we possess few skilled mages. The reasoning behind that is a story for another time. Currently, all of our mages are employed on a search mission in the cliffs. Again, that is a story for another time. For now, we need you to find Moorshire, and figure out how to stop the geists." He smiled. "You've the best chance of completing this task. I regret asking you to go it alone, but we currently have no choice. Perhaps you know someone who would be willing to undertake the quest with you. It's dangerous to go alone. Take this." He handed the mage a cross. "That's a special charm that'll suppress your aura for you. It'll make it easier to infiltrate the town unnoticed. If you have any questions, now would be the time to ask. If you're clear on your mission, good luck." He turned and faced the sea, available for questions or guidance.

Magis wrote:"I see. You feel that you could have changed your friend's course. It appears that you feel responsible for his choice."

Alpha shook his head. "No, not the choice. I'm responsible for not stopping him from making it." But he shrugged his shoulders, indifferent on the matter now that he'd finished thinking about it and turned his attention to the next assignment.

"It appears that you're focused. I'll now detail the next task. It isn't likely that you've heard of the town of Moorshire. It's a quaint little village up in the mountains of Nabooru.

"However... It has come to our attention that the military there cannot handle the curse that's been plaguing the town.

"Geists. Lots of them.

"You've the best chance of completing this task. I regret asking you to go it alone, but we currently have no choice. Perhaps you know someone who would be willing to undertake the quest with you. It's dangerous to go alone." ... "If you have any questions, now would be the time to ask. If you're clear on your mission, good luck.""

Alpha stared at the man for several seconds, a bit daunted by the size of this task. 'Lots of Geists' wasn't nearly as specific a number as he would have liked, but it was enough to get into his head that it would take more than an Elemental Explosion to stop the ghouls. The cross charm would help him remain undetected, certainly, but once he started firing spells all over the place he'd be sure to draw attention. "I don't suppose you can be a bit more specific on the size of this, can you?" he finally asked. "Are we talking dozens? Hundreds? And what kinds: Poes, Ghinis, what?"

He shook his head, trying to think of who out there he could possibly ask to accompany him on such a task. Yes, he had known several strong mages in his life, but who knew where they all were now? Some had left, some had fled, some had just stopped fighting and gotten on with their lives, and some had probably died.

. . . and actually, another question came up when he began to consider bringing others along. "This charm . . . will it shield only me, or others as well? And how many?"

"I don't suppose you can be a bit more specific on the size of this, can you? Are we talking dozens? Hundreds? And what kinds: Poes, Ghinis, what?"

<img src="http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/ ... bigpoe.png" align=right>
"We're talking about Poes here, and bad ones. There are big ones that stalk the streets at night looking for anyone unfortunate enough to be outside. The only warning the residents have before a savage attack, is the faint glow of the creatures' lantern before it rounds the corner." Magis shook his head. "While these will prove to be your toughest opponents, they are not the root of the cause. The White Wing Order estimates that there are three Big Poes that scavenge on the residents of Moorshire. No, the real problem are the phantoms that terrorize the village."

"The phantoms are unlike Poes or Ghinis in the sense that a normal sword attack has no effect on them. They are completely intangible, and it appears that they can steal the life-force of anyone they pass through. The very fact that they haven't outright killed everyone by now can only be attributed to the fact that they're having so much fun. The provocation of this sudden attack is unknown. It isn't your job to find out either- simply to eradicate them. From what we know about them so far, they have very poor vision, and attack chiefly based on aura location. They feed on your life energy... When it is hidden, it is likely that they'll not notice your arrival at all. But I'd be weary of the Big Poes... They're very different from their numerous counterparts. If the three of them catch you alone, it'll be the end of your life. I don't like repeating myself, but it would be unwise to undertake this mission by yourself."

"This charm . . . will it shield only me, or others as well? And how many?"

"I'm afraid its radius isn't very large. It will shield you, and only those within three feet of you... And the more life-force there is, the harder it will be to hide. Keep that in mind."

He returned his gaze to the sea.

The description of his foes was chilling, and re-emphasized quite handily the need for support . . . but the charm's range made things rather a bit trickier. "So I need backup, but can't afford too many . . ." he muttered, shaking his head. Probably no more than four or five people could fit comfortably in that radius, so every person he grabbed for this task would need to be very useful against this kind of foe.

He went ahead and crossed off the man at the top of his list: Yukie. The Deku knew Fire magic, but that was about as far as he went with spellcasting. It would be too much of a gamble bringing that particular ally along, and he wasn't about to risk Yukie's life on this. Although . . . he bit his lip as a thought struck him . . . Even once this little group of his was picked out and assembled . . . he needed some way to get them all to the Eastern Continent, and the Void was something he would rather avoid using. Yukie might be able to help him obtain the transport they needed.

After that, he needed warriors with strength against spirits -- either powerful magic, or in the case of the next candidate that came to mind, a blade enchanted with the power to battle ghouls. Part of him rebelled at the thought of dragging Katsuro into something like this -- he'd only just met the child, after all, and he wasn't the battlehardened warrior his father was. But the Phantom Blade . . . the coincidence was too great. It felt like the blacksmiths had known this opportunity would come up for the boy, and had made his tool specifically for it. 'They did claim to have seen his destiny . . .'

So then, magic wielders like himself. That list was a strong one, with several names attached: Tayro, Sakiko, Orpheous, Azador, Darkin, Kasei, Morgoth, Sovelis . . . maybe Shada. The real problem was finding any of them.

"Very well, I understand," he said. A new thought abruptly occurred to him. "I have a list of candidates in mind, but no idea where any of them might be. If I gave you their names, would you be able to locate them?" A bit of long shot, maybe . . . but worth asking, if the White Wing Sages were as wise as their name implied, it could very well pay off.

Alpha wrote:"Very well, I understand. I have a list of candidates in mind, but no idea where any of them might be. If I gave you their names, would you be able to locate them?"

"Of course. I'd ask you for their names and races first, however. If the fist name is a common name, I'd ask you for their last name too. If you don't know their last name, then a description would do fine." He raised his hand, and a round portal opened before him. "For instance. Alpha the Sheikah Mage." He commanded. The portal suddenly had a collision of colors inside of it, and then showed an overhead view of the two of them standing on the cliff-face.

"It's that simple." He nodded. "Now then... Who is it that you seek?"

Alpha's eyes shot up -- that was a very useful little trick. He wondered if the man could teach him how to do that . . .

Regardless, down to business. He considered the list in his mind: Yukie, Taint, Katsuro, and probably three of the spellcasters he'd thought up -- if the first two stayed behind, then that would be roughly all that the cross could hold. After a moment, he'd reordered the list of mages in his head in order of usefulness.

"Alright then. Yukie the Deku Swordsman. Taint the Zora . . . pirate, I guess." He stumbled over that one; he didn't know the Zora that well. Didn't even know if the man had kept his ship after the Gossip Isle Expedition. "Katsuro Shadowclaw," he continued. He assumed the boy had gone back home but it wouldn't hurt to make sure. "Then, Darkin the Rito mage; Tayro Wind the Hylian mage; Morgoth the Human necromancer;" -- 'Wonder what he'll think of that pick . . .' -- "Sakiko the Hylian mage; Orpheous the Human wordmancer; Kasei the Sheikah flamemaster; Azador the Hylian mage; Sovelis the Human Tempest."

He really hoped that at least three of those would be able to come along. Because his backup plan, he was sorry to admit, was Shada.

Alpha wrote:Taint the Zora . . . pirate, I guess.""Katsuro Shadowclaw," "Then, Darkin the Rito mage; Morgoth the Human necromancer;"

The man listened, and concentrated on the names given.

"I see... I am only able to locate four of the aforementioned bodies."

Four portals opened up revealing Taint, Katsuro, Darkin, and Morgoth.

"It appears that the Zora, Taint, is on Tantari's eastern shore with his fairy companion. Katsuro Shadowclaw is at home, where the Order found Dogura Shadowclaw. Darkin is somewhere in the Ruto Town Square." The portal showing Darkin was crowded by people, making a specific spot indistinguishable. "And Morgoth... That's in interesting choice, Alpha... I'll not pass judgement however. He is in fact a powerful ally in that particular body. I'd advise against affiliating yourself with necromancers however, should you wish to gain the Goddesses' favor. I'll personally allow it this time however, considering the circumstances. He's deep within the inner most reaches of Midoro swamp. His hut is dangerously close to one of the entrances to the underworld. You'd best be careful if you venture close."

OOC: I can't tell you where the others are.
If they wanted to join though, I wouldn't be against it.

Alpha pursed his lips in disappointment; he had at least hoped the man would be able to locate Tayro. "The necromancer has his uses, but I agree, I'd rather avoid him if possible." He shook his head, then turned towards the shadowy wall behind them and let his scar shine violet. "I appreciate the help. If you can find any of the others, especially Tayro or Sakiko, please let me know." He gave something of a two-fingered salute to Magis, then stepped into the Void portal and vanished from this world.

The gate shut at once, locking the Sheikah inside the realm of dark mist: the place where one could stand without ground, swim without water, fly without wings, breathe without air. In practiced steps he sat back and focused his mind, magical aura flaring up as he blocked out the realm's deadly effects; any attempt on his soul would have to wait until he was much, much weaker.

Once that was done -- a process he had perfected until it took less than a second -- he turned his senses back to Hyrule, seeking out the presence of his first target: Yukie. Even if Magis had not been able to locate him, the Sheikah had no doubt he could, if only because he knew the Deku's habits. 'He'll only be in one of three places. With luck, it won't be hard to find him . . .'

His first choice was a location rich with life, so picking out Yukie's life force would have been impossible . . . but at least it gave him a target point. As his scar lit up again, another gateway into the Deku Woods opened, and the Sheikah stepped out . . .