Suddenly, Victor joined the Goron in his smiling. His attacks ceased altogether, and he spoke:

"No... no. That's just what you want me to do! But I won't. I will have my honor."

And with this, Victor let his dagger slip through his fingers and land with a soft thud on the hot desert sand. The Bard looked towards where the Goron's eyes would be and challenged him. He looked positively calm, but underneath he was downright nervous. He was relying completely on the Goron's conscious. Or, at the very least, any respect gained during the fight...

"Now, will you let me pass, or will you kill an unarmed man? It's your choice..."

OOC: Victor would never kill anybody he thought had at least some good inside. Remember that...

With a confused tension, the Goron's smile fades away and is replaced by the standard stone cold expression. Throwing his spear behind him, he points directly at Victor and rumbles out the response to the bard's question.

Yes, I would. Yourrrr compassion on the battlefield will get you killed someday, make no mistake of that. But, it was a fair fight, and now I must tell you the trrruth.

He looks left and right as the barriers fade away, also making sure that no unwanted visitors were in the area.

You see, Victorrrr, neitherrrr of us werrrre in any dangerrrr durrring this fight. The old mad Zorrrrra must have told you you werrrre to be tested, corrrect? You have done well, and I have no choice but to let you prrrroceed. Come, pick up that weapon of yourrrs and enterrrr the cave.

Stepping aside, the cloaked Goron lifts one of the clustered boulders, revealing a small stairase leading underground.

Of courrrrse, had yourrr passworrrd been incorrrrect, I would have slaughterrrred you on the spot.

Grinning, the Goron stands idly by, waiting for Victor to enter the cave.

OOC: And yes, there was a fanfare

OOC: Phew. I thought you had forgotten!

IC: Happy that the Goron had not chosen to finish him off, Victor quickly collected his dagger from the floor and proceeded towards the doorway. Before he entered, however, Victor turned towards the guard, bowed, and thanked him. Without waiting for a response, the Bard began descending the stairway...

Inside the cave is a sight beyond what any adventurer could expect. Rather than the typical cavern style with stalactites and various obstacles to belittle a person's cofidence, this cave is more like some kind of fortress. There are actually buildings under the ground here, and they, too, contrast to the normally disturbing aura that a dirty cavern might possess.

The only thing besides sunlight that sets this underground town in open contrast to a town above ground is the population. This place is a ghost town, in every sense of the idiom. But what else could be expected? Given the brutal protection method of the cave, who could possibly enter and populate the expanse of darkness.

At the farthest point of the gathering there is a large building. Even compared to the well-crafted homes in the area, this building is a tall figurehead of glory. A bridge leads from the cave entrance to the gathouse of the supposed castle. It also branches off into 4 different districts. Signs decorate the intersections for each different path.

West - Hopitality District
-Rest those aching bones at our excellent inns.

East - Leisure District
-Try your hand at one of the town's fabled mini-games.

NorthWest - Shop District
-Find the item you seek, or make a new one at the forge.

NorthEast - Training District
-Hone your skills and be the ultimate warrior

North - Fortress Headquarters

There are five routes that Victor may take.

Marvelling at the cave's interior, Victor's mouth hung agape. How these structures were built he did not know, but they certainly impressed him. After a few moments of gawking, the Bard looked around for somewhere to go. The first thing he spotted was the Hospitality District, and he decided that he could use the comfort of an Inn to rest himself after the fight with the guard outside. Plus, he needed somewhere to stay.

Still looking around in disbelief, Victor made his way towards the west...

As the District comes into clear sight, a voice sounds out from behind the vagabond. much like the Zora from the courtyard, a monotone vibe rushes towards Victor's ears. Another cloaked stranger appears at the district's entrance.

So, the mad Zora spoke true. An outsider, here. Hmph... what was he thinking, we already have a Hylian...

Snapping out of his monologue, the stranger points at Victor and this time speaks directly to the bard. His voice has a somewhat royal air to it's single tone.

I can't say I really approve of your presence here, bard, but I am not one to judge the decisions orchestrated by an ally. It is unwise, however, to wander here too long. I need not tell you of the terrible monsters that inhabit this place. Spend the night in that inn over there and leave the District. Normal people like yourself are easy prey for "them."

The hooded man points to the nearest building. A large sign hangs over the door, but it is cracked and worn. Where the sign once read "The Horsehead Pub," it would now give visitor's the impression that they were walking into "Te Osehad b." Clearly, the place could use some maintenance.

When any attaention that Victor may be paying to the inn fades away, the mysterious man is gone.

When he noticed that the man had gone, Victor spent a moment searching for him in the general area, wanting to learn more about these 'monsters'. His search was unsuccessful, however, and so he shrugged and entered the Pub, definitely wanting to rest up if there were any monsters about...

There is no receptionist at the counter inside. Cobwebs decorate the corners of the inside of the building, and if Victor were allergic to dust, he would surely be dead by this point. The bar area is bereft of all things biotic, all that remains are broken beersteins, overturned chairs and splintering tables. the windows are boarded up, and the emergency exit is jammed shut. It is almost the visual interpretation of a ghost story.

There are strairs by the fire exit leading to the second floor. On this level there are rooms for the weary adventurers to rest after battles. Most of the rooms are boarded shut, with old stains and musty smells emanating from them. The first room after the climbing of the stairs is open, however, and the bed inside is as clean as any bed in the inn could possibly be.

Slightly disgusted by the Inn's conditin, but too weary to be picky, Victor avoided the cobwebs and made his way up the stairs. As he reached the top, the Bard had to resort to pinching his nose in order to prevent himself from smelling the foul odors, and he quickly stumbled into the open room.

When finally within the confines of the room, Victor shut the door behind him and released his nose. He took a couple deep breathes before taking a look around and surveying the room...

The bed, unlike the rest of the building, looks almost new. The linens and bedspreads do not smell like the rotting furniture in the main level of the inn, but instead seems to have been set out as if on occasion. There is an old, dried up skeleton sitting in the corner of the room opposite the bed, but it would be best to ignore it.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, yet another hooded man appears.

You, outsider, close the door! Fast!

Unlike the voices of the other three that Victor has met, this man's voice has more than one tone, and at this moment he seems intensely worried, perhaps even scared. A srange hissing noise can be heard from the main level.

Come on! Shut the door! And help me move this bed in front of it!

Baffled, Victor made sure that the door was completely closed and then helped the man with the task of moving the bed in front of it. When they were done, Victor looked longingly at the bed which he could have been resting on, but he shook away his desires and looked at the strange man.

"Why did we just do that? And who are you?"

Pulling the hood down to reveal his face, the man is easily identified as a human. He has short black hair, which is spiked slightly, and unlike the Zora, his face is not littered with scars. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he sighs in relief at having barred the door. he sits on the bed and leans his head and back against the door.

Don't tell me you didn't hear it. That terrible hissing from downstairs? Why, you're lucky I got here when I did. You'd be dead by now. But then, I risked my own life just by showing up here. I've been briefed, a little. The guy you met outside earlier didn't really describe the monsters he was talkign about did he? It's because they have so many forms. But we generally refer to them as "the Cursed Ones." You'll find out why tomorrow, maybe.

Relaxing, the human closes his eyes and speaks calmly to the bard.

This place is a bit of a scumhole, isn't it? All the resources were pooled to make the castle as nice as possible. As such, only the Hospitality and Training Districts are haunted by the foul creatures. You would do well to stay away from them for awhile. So, Victor, I've been instructed to tell you of your appointment. Tomorrow, when you're all better, you have to go to the castle. Mandatory, Victor. No buts. Try to stay alive.

The man stands and walks to the window, and opens it. Then, in a swift movement, he leaps from the room and is lost in the darkness outside. Victor is left to sleep in the confines of the foul inn. The light hissing sound eventually fades, and all is silent.

Suddenly hearing the hissing from downstairs, Victor began to tremble. He joined the man on the bed, if only to make sure that it could not be pushed away from the door. Listening to the Human's story, the Bard lost some of his awe of the underground city, beginning to wonder why he ever came in the first place. But he was here now, and he had to make the best of it.

Silently, Victor watched as the man left him through the window, and quickly stood up to close it behind him. Without enough energy to do anything else, the Bard simple flopped down onto the bed and fell into a fitful sleep, having nightmares about what these 'Cursed Ones' could be...

OOC: Blank, I guess it's up to you to wake Victor up when it's time.

OOC: Or I could just let him sleep for eternity
IC:

Morning comes at the expected time, but Victor has no way of knowing how long he has slept. All is just as it was before the bard began his slumber, except for one small detail: The window that Victor had closed before laying down is open. More hissing can be heard from somewhere in the room, along with the sound of cracking bones. It becomes apparent that the monsters had entered the room during the night, and Victor is surely lucky to have awoken at all.

It is time for Victor to approach the castle, rather than standing around waiting to be maimed, attacked or even eaten.

When he awoke, the first thing Victor noticed was the open window. He was still a bit groggy, but he was pretty sure that he had closed it last night. Suddenly, he heard the hissing and cracking sounds, and Victor began to tremble again.

Quickly, he gathered his things and proceeded to push the bed away from the door. Without looking back, he opened the door and started down the stairs, then towards the Inn's door...