He had thought they'd been doing well. Blind had taken a great many hits, his soul soldiers had been readily dispatched, and the crew itself had only slight (relatively speaking) damage to itself.

Then came the fire.

It couldn't have been more than a few moments after the blast had hit when Alpha came to again, seeing parts of his beloved cape smoldering in the aftermath of the flames. Before anything else he slapped the blaze away, then hesitantly sat up in the midst of the scorched landscape. Tongues of fire still were licking their way through the remaining grass, and a new smell reached his nostrils, one which he was decidedly familiar with: charred flesh. Judging by the ravings of the survivor Dogura and Taint were standing near, only one of the Everbreeze soldiers remained alive.

His eyes followed the quickly moving Morgoth, wondering who it was he and Dogura were suddenly hurrying towards. They knelt by one form in particular --

"Whaddya think yer doin'? Leave me be 'n help them that need it!"

Ah, Yukie. Had he not been so disoriented Alpha might have also mentioned that the Deku would be alright on his own, but it appeared to be too late -- amidst Yukie's grumbling he saw the heavenly light of the goddesses descending to aid him. Well, no more arguing then; if the divine beings that ruled this world thought it necessary to heal the Deku themselves then there wasn't much to be done except accept their aid.

Slowly the Sheikah used his wooden staff to rise back to his feet, glaring at Blind's new defense. Already he was beginning to charge up the magical energy needed to unleash another Elemental Explosion -- but he could only pull off another two such blasts, he figured, before his magic power was depleted. 'This will be the last one, then,' he decided -- he needed to save enough strength for healing spells if it came to that. Morgoth and the Hylian race could only do so much.

Then a sudden surge of magic, unlike any Alpha had ever felt in his life, erupted from one of their own: from Taint, he realized with dropping jaw. The sheer willpower behind that kind of energy was frightening, and the Sheikah considered running away in a frantic search for shelter -- there was no telling what kind of magic the Zora was preparing to unleash.

A few seconds later, though, he knew . . . and he could only watch in silent, stunned admiration at the sight of how many of the souls had vanished into the next life. That was . . . unbelievable.

Not to mention incredibly useful.

Even as Taint descended back to the ground, Alpha kept his gaze glued on their prime target: Blind, the slave of Ganon. "No rest for the weary," he muttered, before a smirk formed on his lips. "Be those weary ones good . . . or evil." With that, his hands shot out, their energy collection complete.

"Elemental Explosion!" he cried, watching the elements of destruction pour outwards once more . . .

[[Elemental Explosion L1]]

Alpha
26/56 HP
34/48 SPL

* * *

Yukie hopped up after a moment, shakin' his head as if to clear it from a couple o' cobwebs. That fire blast had been pretty bad . . . with a bit of reluctance, he glanced over at Dogura. "Sorry, sorry, guess I do owe ya one fer that," he said with a nod before turnin' his attention back to Blind. A few attacks were bein' launched at his shield of souls, but none of 'em were lookin' like they'd be enough to take out the rest o' them spirits.

'Somebody's gotta put 'em ta rest . . .' The Deku's orange eyes narrowed. "Guess it might as well be me."

Glancing about, he saw the grass around them still being consumed by the leftover flames of Blind's latest attack. 'Save me some flora while I'm at it. Sounds purty good.'

Lifting his Twin Deku Swords to the sky, Yukie sent a burst of magic throughout the entire area. At his command the flames rose up into the air and shot towards him, beginning to circle around his form and blades. Faster and faster the fire twirled, gathering up speed as it gathered in strength, until it was an entire tornado of flame spiraling about him. Specks of the blaze would sometimes come too close and spark against his skin, but each time his magic willed it away and prevented any real harm from coming to him.

The white-hot flames consuming the area surrounded him completely for nearly a full ten seconds before he was satisfied with its strength. By then it was starting to draw pebbles and leaves into its wake, just like a real tornado, and Yukie couldn't help but grin as he sought out the dark aura of his target. He could even almost see the beast through the flames.

Without warning, he burst forward in a miraculous display of Deku agility -- not so fast as Taint had been but close enough to inspire fear in his opponents. Drawing close, he leapt into the air, driving the blazing wedge straight into the shield of souls.

"FLAME MAELSTROM!"

Flame Maelstrom -- transforms Yukie's Fire spell into an Area of Effect attack. Costs 12 SPL and 5 HP to use. Becomes epic if used in an epic fashion. 8D

Yukie
41/71 HP
13/25 SPL

Feeling like a true badass, Sabertache knelt by his blade as the two fire attacks met, producing nothing but a fairly large heat wave. Once the flames disappeared, however, he was met with a disturbing sight. Blind was headed right towards him. He hadn't realized how ugly this thing really was until it was bearing down upon him, and he had the odd feeling that the ugly was going to spread if they made contact. Staggering to his feet, the mercenary prepared to parry Blind; fortunately, his allies saved him the risk. He circled around Blind as the Garo swarmed, preparing to attack from behind--he'd call it the enemy's blind spot, but it didn't seem to apply here.

Before he could attack, Blind released another blast of fire; this one far more impressive than the puny fireball they had dueled with earlier. Sabertache's charge was stopped dead in its tracks, and the pure force of the wave caused him to keel over backwards. Hitting his head on a rock, he may have blacked out again; he wasn't sure, of course, until he stood.

Only a few feet from him, Taint was wrecking shop. The mercenary may not have completely understood what had happened, but it didn't stop him from crabwalking the hell out of there. Retreating to a safe (by these standards) distance, he surveyed his allies. Alpha, Yukie, Sakiko; all of them were targeting Blind with attacks that were usually meant for mobs; a quick glance back at the action made it clear why. the only debate now was whether to attempt to remove the souls, or trust that everyone else had that part handled and fill another role.

Hey, where had the soldiers gone...? Oh. There was one, who seemed incredibly injured. Out of all those men who had come to fight, he was the only one who remained.

He has to make it home.

Stepping over to the wounded soldier, Sabertache kept his eyes on Blind, in case anything came this way. [Bodyguard Everbreeze Soldier]

HP: 27/47
SPL: 12/17
Will: 9/9

The first attack to make its mark was Arrika's brilliant flames as they collided with the targeted spirit. There was no resistance- these flames were packed with the red hot ferocity of a woman with a mission. [Spirit -14HP]. The spirit burned, but held fast. It was serving its purpose- to protect the master. A light shined not far behind the thief, as Sakiko's prayers were answered. [Sakiko +16HP]. The healing powers surrounded her closing some of her more serious wounds, and mending some of the bruises. The healing wasn't quite finished yet either; Arrika felt the healing touch of life grip at her back, causing the pain to fade away from her. [Arrika +20HP]. This would be the end of the healing process for the adventurers, but the attacks were only just beginning.

Orpheous' bomb sailed down the intended path, but was taken by a strong gust of wind and exploded towards the right side of the remaining souls. [Spirits 4, 5, 6, & 7 -10HP] Before the spirits had time to recover from the impact, another attack was headed their way. Alpha's elemental explosion took the form of nature, causing a stream of lightning to surge through the creatures. [Spirits 1, 3, 5, 6 & 7 -23HP], [Spirit #4 -11HP]. This left nearly all of them in tatters, but not completely killed. One of the spirits was freed in the blast, and left the battlefield eternally grateful for the adventurers having challenged Blind. Yukie's burst of almighty flames consumed the field, destroying all of the souls save for two of them. [Spirits 4, 5, 6, & 7 -2HP]. The final remaining souls were floating weakly in front of Blind.

Dogura decided to seize the initiative, and jumped directly in front of them, breathing flames on the both of them. [Bomb] [Spirits 2 & 3 -8HP]. The last of the souls faded away, leaving Blind vulnerable yet again. Suddenly, the creature's tentacles shot forward towards them- however they were quickly cut down by Taint as he severed each and every one of them. The tentacles fell to the ground, and flopped around a bit before becoming lifeless. The Zora had undergone one hell of a transformation, and while it might have effects later, it was certainly helping now. Blind was furious with all of them, and was looking desperate. Before Blind could have more time to think, Taint was already on him, swinging again, and again, and again. The lacerations he was creating in the beast weren't closing themselves up fast enough, and Blind was beginning to lose a lot of blood. He swung wildly, unable to hit the Zora until he was down to his last leg. [Blind -50HP]

Blind, Ocean Horror
HP: 1/150 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Over Soul Shield Spirit #1 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #2 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #3 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #4 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #5 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #6 --DEAD
Over Soul Shield Spirit #7 --DEAD

Blind finally focused long enough to surge energy into his right claws for a [shadowslash], which hit the Zora knocking him to the ground yet again. Taint landed on his feet like last time, and stared up furiously at the creature. Blind's expression could only be described as shock.

"How... How is this possible... That's a mere Cascade Invocation! How can it be so powerful!?"

The hissing whisper called out as Blind backed away. Morgoth's eyes widened as he turned his gaze to Taint, who was still erupting with magical power. That's Cascade Invocation!? Oh, dear... This could be bad... The necromancer thought as he looked back to Blind. Dogura noticed Morgoth's concerned expression, and decided to ask as he melded next to him. "Morgoth... What's Cascade Invocation?" He asked. Morgoth shook his head and closed his eyes. "It looks like victory is assured- I'll explain it later." Dogura agreed; Now wasn't the time to be mincing words. All was silent for several seconds before Blind did something unexpected.

[Music = Final Hour]

"Hee hee... Heh heh heh... hahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
It laughed manically, tilting its head back to let out wild sadistic laughter. He looked back at Taint, and then the rest of the crew.

"YOU ALL STILL THINK YOU'RE LEAVING HERE ALIVE DON'T YOU?!?"

Taint's eyes opened up in surprise at this comment, and much to his further surprise, the creature started expanding a bit here and there. There was no mistaking it- he was getting even bigger. He was bloating up on all sides, as he continued to laugh.

"I'M GOING TO BLOW MYSELF UP AND TAKE YOU AND THIS ENTIRE ISLAND WITH ME!!!"

Dogura, Taint, and Morgoth's faces all took a mixture of anger and fright. Things just got really serious really fast. Taint was about to dart forward when Dogura stopped him. "Taint, no!! If you cut him now, you could pop him!" He shouted. It sounded dumb, but they needed as much time as possible to think of a plan.

"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO NOW!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! YOU'RE ALL GOING TO HELL WITH ME!! AHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Taint couldn't help but notice Teal going over a piece of parchment. What could be so interesting at the moment that could cause the wood cutter to be reading something at a time like this?! Taint swiftly appeared next to Teal, overlooking the paper alongside him. "A weak point!" Taint exclaimed, looking back to Orpheous. He'd been studying the monster all this time, taking careful note of everything. Truly impressive- Taint looked to teal and nodded at him. "Get ready!" He called out turning towards Blind. He was determined to save his crew, and the entire island along with them. But he couldn't do it alone. Dogura and Morgoth were both still hesitant. "Taint, wait!!" Dogura called out just before Taint shot towards the bloated beast. Morgoth grabbed Dogura's shoulder. "Dogura, let him!" The samurai turned to Morgoth with a fierce eye. "He's being hasty! We don't even know wha-"

"We're not being hasty enough!" Morgoth cut him off. The samurai was silent for a moment. Morgoth spoke again, "At least he's doing something. It's better than anything we're doing..." Dogura's eye closed as he breathed a heavy sigh. He turned to watch the Zora and Teal go to work. Morgoth placed a hand on Dogura's shoulder-plate. "All we can do now is have faith in our captain's decision." Dogura was silent. Taint appeared behind Blind's head, and ran his sword up the back of it, cutting the blindfold loose. It fell to the ground, revealing a hideous large bloodshot eye, tender for the slicing.

"TEAL!!!" Taint cried out, his voice echoing all over the island, as everything seemed to fall silent.

<center>"TAKE THE SHOT!!!!"</center>

The beasts eye moved towards Taint, now fearful that they'd figured out his weakest point. No... This will stop the explosion altogether!! His mind raced furiously looking for a way out. In this bloated form, he'd already committed to blowing himself to smithereens. His body wouldn't move now, no matter how much he tried. He was exactly what he couldn't afford to be at this exact moment. A sitting duck.

<center>"TAAAKE THE SSHHOOT!!!"</center>

Time is everlasting. Time is unforgiving. Time passes without care nor concern about what others may think or say. Time does not take sides. Slowly, but certainly, time continues to tick on and on, flowing like a river to a destiny unknown. The clock's hands may spin round and round, yet there is no end in sight. Time lasts forever. Some complain about time; not having enough time to do this or that, or having too much time on their hands. They focus too much on it, let it influence their lives, trying to swim against the flow. Then, there are those other individuals, few and in between, who stand like rocks as time flows, swims, hurries by. They hold no connection to time - they are in contact with it, but do not let it dictate how they should act. A certain boy of ten, with eyes closed and arms limp against his body, was one of those individuals.

The forms of several fighters rose from all around him, their figures indistinct, nothing but colorful blurs, all moving to clash against one another. The chimes of blades colliding echoed all around the battlefield, while the characteristic aura of magic spells manifested itself several times over the area. People would scream incomprehensible words; blood and death both visited and soiled the streets. Yes, a battle was raging, no doubt about it. Yet, to a certain boy of ten, with his mouth linear and serious and one of his hands holding an axe far too large for someone of his own stature, none of this mattered. None of this had any importance. Not the cries of his fellow teammates as they felt their energy sapped from their bodies. Not the weak attempts on his life by that wood-bodied creature - today would not be the day when tree bested woodcutter - who was left behind as he ran. Not the corpse of that oversized human that now laid before him, his chest pried open and ribcage completely broken. No, none of this mattered. All that was important... all that had the boy's focus... was the creature prowling right before his eyes.

Since he had first seen him, that man with the blindfold and creepy, rotting maw had been incredibly odd. Not just by the fact his 'comrades' could not see him, or that he had been busy consuming the souls of his fallen 'allies'. No, there was something more about this individual, something that he had missed when he first observed the battlefield. Only when that man approached, intent on devouring the woodcutter's last target, did the boy finally understood: that man was not a man - it was hardly human. That monster ordered Teal to shush and remain quiet; perhaps to the surprise of many, he did exactly that. He relaxed his muscles, took a more neutral stance, started to apply less pressure on his axe, and quickly pocketed his rupee bag with his spare hand; he took his time to analyse one of the crystals held within.

There was nothing for him to do now. It was not yet time.

Teal remained completely impassive as the beast showed his true colors, transforming into a hideous, mutated creature. Likewise, he remained motionless when the battle he was in intensified, with demons, soldiers, and a cascade of magic from every direction. He did not thank the cleric that healed him, he did not flinch as blades were brought close to his eyes. He did not even budge as this Blind cast an inferno of flames upon his form, burning several parts of his garments - although he noted sadly that he would have to spend some extra rupees to repair the damage. He opened up his eyes, and slowly cast his gaze over the battlefield. Several of his 'companions' - probably others hired by his employer - had been damaged. Several soldiers, possibly husbands or fathers, lay mangled in a pile of charred corpses, the metal of their armor probably melded with the remains of their bodies. The pirates that had attacked them previously were all spread alongside the Everbreeze streets, completely lifeless. And still, he felt no remorse, no pity. He just took it all in, one item at a time, before focusing on the abomination before him. His employer was now ferociously attacking this creature; he did not pay the man any heed. However, he did carefully take in the condition of this creature... and quickly concluded:

It was almost time.

The final, last piece arrived in the form of a Human Scribe, who placed on the boy's hands a piece of parchment. Not bothering to even look at the individual - he would no doubt have the opportunity for it later - his eyes analyzed the contents of what had just been delivered to him. Careful annotations and details on the beast - decently drawn, he had to admit - were spread in front of his teal-hued eyes, yet the youth cared about only one item. One particular arrow pointing right at the fiend's face. The beast's weakspot. As that Zora called out to him, he simply nodded in return: the time had arrived for him.

Tic. The boy did not follow immediately; instead, he folded the piece of paper before pocketing it with his spare hand. He remained in that stance for but a moment, focusing.

Toc. His grasp over his weapon of preference intensified, and, without a moment's notice, he dashed towards the diabolical beast before him.

Tic. The human stopped to a halt right before the creature before him, and started focusing all his strength into his hands.

Toc. His employer revealed Blind's eye, all red and bloodshot. The creature visibly flinched at all the sunlight. Teal paid no attention to this; having finished his focus, he quickly assumed a crouching position.

Tic. Using all the power his legs would let him, the woodcutter leaped as high as he could, coming face to face with the fiend's face.

Toc. Blind was immobilized; there was no way he would miss. With all the power he had, Teal swung his axe in an horizontal slice.

Time was now over for Blind.

The boy's ax made contact with the massive eyeball, split through, and penetrated all the way through. There was silence... and then... noise. A horrible screeching noise that flowed from Blind's inner most vocals. A cry that shook the island as Taint fell towards the ground, the magic finally wearing off of him. Blind fell forward, face down, and slowly began to shrink in size. Taint hit the ground hard, and dropped his sword from the impact. He laid there in agony as Blind shrunk to his normal size, and then fell from the sky next to the Zora. Blind stared at the Zora for a few seconds before his dying words were uttered... "Curse... you... all of..." With that, his head fell lifeless, and hundreds upon thousands of souls began to fly skyward from his un-stitched gaping mouth. They had won. The battle was over, and although the crew could have left Dogura and Morgoth to their fates, they had overcome adversity and defeated death.

"They did it! He's finished!" Dogura called out gleefully. "We've won- and at that, everyone's alright!" The samurai smiled at Morgoth. Morgoth only shook his head, "Not everyone..." Dogura dropped his arms, and followed Morgoth's extended index finger towards Taint, who laid next to Blind. "Cascade Invocation comes with quite a toll. We should tend to him as soon as poss-" *gak* The necromancer's throat heaved blood onto the ground. Dogura grabbed him by the shoulder. "Are you hurt?!" Morgoth brushed the samurai's hand off his shoulder. "Don't worry about me... Get to your captain!" Dogura nodded, and rushed over towards Taint. He knelt down and held the boy's head up. "Captain! Can you hear me?"

"Not so loud... Such a headache..." Taint murmured. "We beat him... we won."

With that, Taint's body went limp in Dogura's hands. "Taint? Hey, Captain!!" He called out shaking the Zora. No dice- he wasn't moving. He picked the Zora up, and quickly carried his body towards Morgoth. "Morgoth, I know this isn't the time to ask for a miracle, but do you have enough energy for a resurrection?!" Morgoth coughed up more blood before shaking his head. "I have not an ounce of magical power to spare..." He took a knee and covered his mouth. Dogura set the Zora down and thought fast. "No... He was too young... He sacrificed himself to make sure we lived. There has to be something we can do." Morgoth got back to his feet. "He's not dead, you ninny!" He cried. Dogura's eyes shot back to the Zora. He was breathing! "He's passed out." Morgoth continued. "After that kind if Invocation, he'll be out for the rest of today, and probably some of tomorrow. As for me... My body's all outta time. I exerted too much energy here." Dogura stood up and bowed to the man. "We certainly owe you. You somehow saved all of our lives by being here today, and a few of us might not even be alive right now if it weren't for you."

Morgoth chuckled as he walked over towards the corpses that littered the battlefield. "Not to worry... Not to worry..." He murmured as he knelt down next to Boone, and placed his hands on the man's chest. Dogura stood up in shock of this and watched as a green glow erupted from his hands. A resurrection!? Lying bastard! Dogura took off towards the necromancer. Before he could do anything about it, Boone jumped to his feet, and Morgoth, fell limp next to him. Boone's eyes glowed with surging magical power as he looked around at the crew. They were weak- He'd be able to cast an elemental explosion and finish the lot of them. Dogura stopped and stared- he'd been too late. "Dammit! Everyone watch out!!" He screamed as Boone lifted his hands into the air, and lightning swords erupted from them. He swung the blue magical swords around a bit before letting them fade away.

"Worry not."

Came the voice of Boone. Dogura stared intently at the man, awaiting his next words. The truth was, they should all be worried. Or maybe Boone had realized that he could never win against all of them, and wanted to join the crew. With the death of his captain, and his entire crew, it didn't seem unlikely.

"It's me, Morgoth. I've switched bodies with the strong one." The man smiled, which is something that seemed entirely out of Boone's stern character. "Looks like I've picked up his abilities too! How intriguing!" He announced as his hands crackled with lightning. He walked back towards Dogura, who was still not sure of the whole idea. It could be an elaborate trick after all. The samurai kept his sword ready, but decided to speak, "If you're really Morgoth... What's my last name?" Dogura knew that only Morgoth would know, and Boone would not. Even if Boone was a telepath, Dogura kept that secret guarded closely from strangers. Boone folded his arms and grinned.

Shadowclaw, was it?

Dogura's eyes widened- he hadn't expected the telepathic response. Morgoth really had picked up Boone's abilities. Dogura sheathed his sword, and waved a hand to everyone. "It's alright. He responded through telepathy- his story seems authentic." Morgoth turned to the rest of the crew. "I'm sure I'll feel great tomorrow... But switching bodies requires... quite a bit out of me... I'll need to rest. But first, let's get our captain on the ship, and into bed." Dogura agreed with that, and hoisted the Zora over his shoulder. "We can all rest. I'll take the wheel. Taint's orders were that I take charge in his absence. Until he awakes, I hope you all can accept me as your temporary captain." Morgoth knelt down to his old body and took all of his belongings before following Dogura onto the ship.

* * *

[Music = Unlikely Hero]

With the captain in bed, the crew gathered on the deck. Dogura leaned on the wheel and waited for everyone to quiet down before he spoke. There was quite a bit to be said. The crew had fought bravely, and through everything thus far, they've prevailed. The samurai cleared his throat before beginning."I want to thank you all for helping Morgoth and I... We couldn't have survived without your help. It would have been easy for you all to leave us for dead- it didn't involve any of you. Thanks again. You have no idea how much it means to me that you'd all risk your lives for me." Morgoth, in his tall new body nodded in agreement. "Without you all, we would have perished. And without our captain..." He trailed off as he turned his head in the direction of the Zora's room. "He did a brave thing out there today... I didn't fully respect him as a captain before. But his true colors showed brilliantly today. He truly felt like a capable captain to me. I still think he has a lot to learn- but his indomitable fighting spirit truly won the day." There was a long pause before Morgoth continued.

"You might be worried about him- but he'll be alright. What he used back there is a technique called Cascade Invocation. It uses the will of the warrior, using it to empower them in combat. Even if the user isn't adept at the arcane arts, magic will surge through every part of their body, allowing them feats they never could have accomplished without 'opening' that sealed power." He turned his head towards Taint's cabin again. "I've seen Cascade Invocation before... But never in all my years have I seen it like that. It was so strong that I didn't even identify it as an Invocation." Dogura now understood. While the samurai had heard of the technique before, he'd never actually witnessed it. "Cascade Invocation usually isn't as powerful as what you witnessed today. The technique would be more popular if it had that effect on everyone, mind you. Normally, your speed increases by about one and a half, and your strength doubles. His speed increased astronomically, and his strength nearly quadrupled!"

"Astonishing..." Dogura piped up. "I had no idea he held that kind of potential." The necromancer sat down and bowed his head at this point. "However, it comes with a price." He continued. "Cascade Invocation works off of your will, and your spirit. Hardly any magic is put into the equation. As you can well imagine, this has quite an effect on the body. The technique itself shaves up to two to three years off of your total lifespan. This is another reason why it isn't as widely practiced. If you were destined to live until 70, you could die at 66 or 68 if you only used it twice. Through repeated use, the body falls apart from all the strain it causes your spirit. A normal invocation cuts your lifespan by about two years per use... But that... What he just did..." There was another silence as Morgoth put a hand over his face.

"He could have easily cut ten to fifteen years off of his life."

Dogura's eyes widened. "Unbelievable..." He spoke as he closed his eyes in prayer for the Zora. Morgoth wasn't quite finished delivering the bad news either.

"We also have to take into account that we don't know how often he's used it. We can't even be sure that he knows about the deadly cost; he's strong, but naive. He'll probably be knocked out for the rest of today and some of tomorrow. If we're lucky, he'll have woken up by the time we reach Gossip isle." With that, he stood back up and stepped down off the raised platform, and became one with the crowd. "That's all from me, Dogura. Anything else you want to say?" The vagabond did indeed have a bit more to say. "I think we all owe the captain our respect if nothing else. For whatever reason, he really cares about his crew, and puts your safety on the top of his priority list. If you would tonight, before you lay down for sleep, say a prayer for his good health. With that said, I have one more thing to say. Morgoth, thank you for aiding us in the battle today. Without your constant healing and resurrections, we might not be here. I think you've more than paid your debt to us- and as temporary captain, I'm granting you your freedom. I think you've earned it."

Morgoth's eyes lit up. "My freedom? Oh, by the Goddesses! Thank you, captain." There was a pause before closed his eyes. "However... If you'd permit me to stay..." This came as a shock to Dogura. "You want to stay?" Morgoth nodded. "I've... Grown to like your little group here. I want to see this thing to the end with you all." Dogura was happy to hear it. The necromancer was quite a powerhouse, and an accomplished cleric at that. "Anyone opposed?" Dogura asked looking around to everyone.

"I think he'd make a great addition."

A voice came from behind the crew. It was the Everbreeze soldier that had survived thanks to Morgoth and Saber. "He saved my life." He spoke again, his eyes firm. "This island holds... So many memories I'd like to escape now. My name is William, and I don't want to be here anymore, and I really admire the lot of you." He looked down for a moment before looking back up to lock eyes with Dogura. "Permit me to travel with you! I'm well versed in combat, and know a little bit about this that- plus I'm an accomplished chef!" He added, hoping they would accept him, weak as he was, when compared to everyone else. Dogura once again looked around at the crew. "All opposed?" He asked again. It was up to a vote. "After this is all figured out, do whatever it is you have left to do on this island, all of you. We're raising anchor soon." With that, it was all down to accepting two new permanent crew members.

OOC:
We survived Everbreeze! On to Gossip Isle!

OoC: I don't know why I found the Blind bursting like a balloon post so funny. >.>

IC:

There was a strange stillness to the scene after Blind was defeated. Arrika glanced at the carnage around her, as if noticing it for the first time, and realized her hands were shaking. Her trembling hands made their way to her neck, her fingers running along the bruised ring. She made it. She was alive, and although she hadn't solely freed one of those trapped spirits, she'd done some damage. She'd helped...

The Sheikah gazed up at the sky. Her hands had gone numb, and the only thing grounding her was the weight on the ring finger of her left hand. Her mind wasn't on the terrible monster that had nearly killed them all- the memory that replayed before her eyes was that the flames of her Fire spell had been a deep, miasmic blue.

"He could have easily cut ten to fifteen years off of his life."

Morgoth’s words made chills run down her spine, and she respected Taint more than ever. But, without those fifteen years, what if he was destined to die the very next day? She wanted to hold their Captain, put her hand on his shoulder, tell him that everything was going to be alright… She knew how heavy the thought was, how insignificant you suddenly became in your own eyes once you realized that you were a rapidly emptying hourglass.

Taint was a noble man, and if she could have Seth read his fortune so that he would at least have some sort of warning for his premature death…

“I say we keep them,” the Sheikah spoke up, with a conviction she felt to her core.

***

Her gloves had been reduced to cracked, blackened bits that crumbled with the slightest touch, for the blue flames had burned right through them. The leather used to make the gloves had been enchanted to specifically withstand such magic, but somehow the oddly colored spells had broken through the wards entirely.

She picked the charred remains of her gloves off of her hands. Things seemed to be settling down now, enough to make her hands stop trembling so violently. She spotted Thea- he’d been a fool during that fight. Why had he bothered to heal her? It had helped ease the soreness of her neck and the burns from Blind, but those hadn’t been entirely serious wounds. She’d berate him… later. Now, though, she had other things on her mind.

With nimble fingers, she plucked the flower that Thea had left outside her door from her pocket, the one she found before entering the fight. It was somewhat crushed, but otherwise intact, and she twiddled the stem between her fingers as she approached Alpha. “Hey. Never pegged you for a romantic,” she said with a little smile. “I’m just teasing you. It’s rather sweet... Thank you.” She then sighed and frowned. “I’ve never seen anything like it…” she added thinking of Blind in his monstrous form, and the juggernaut that had been Taint.

And just like that, it was done.

Resting on one knee, Alpha watched the last bit of Blind's essence dissolve. Along with that beast went all the Sheikah's fears of discovery, and so he could finally relax -- and that was saying something, given all the carnage and destruction that had befallen the island upon the reaper's awakening. He knew that it wasn't over . . . Ganon would just choose another Reaper, and that beast would likely come after the Adventurers as well. But for now, they were safe.

Thanks to Taint, it seemed. Alpha cast a glance over at the sleeping Zora, spying Yukie waddling over to where the captain lay as well. He considered moving to join the Deku, but decided against it. Better to just let his muscles rest for a few moments--

"Everyone watch out!!"

Alpha was already on his feet, staff at the ready, by the time his eyes fell upon the somehow-revived Boone -- and Morgoth's incapacitated form lying next to the man seemed to explain all. He was just about to dart forward and attack . . . when the man spoke. The Sheikah blinked in shock -- a body swap? That was something that few mages could do, even among necromancers. Once Dogura confirmed it to be Morgoth himself, rather than a revived and threatening pirate, he let the staff drop slightly to his side. The necromancer could have easily run away at any time during the battle, yet had stayed and fought; he deserved at least some faith.

Still, the Sheikah would probably start sleeping with the Staff Brenyuu by his bedside . . .

* * *

With Taint put to bed, the rest of the crew gathered back on the deck. But while the others discussed certain matters, Alpha and Yukie stood by the railing -- well, Yukie sat on the railing -- and gazed out over the ocean. Neither one said a word; they simply surveyed the tides coming in and out. They listened to the others without comment, at least at first.

"Cap'n sure was incredible out there," Yukie muttered as Morgoth spoke his thanks. Alpha could only nod in agreement, still quite amazed at the Zora's earlier actions. Morgoth's words rang true for the Sheikah as well: 'I didn't fully respect him as a captain before. But his true colors showed brilliantly today. He truly felt like a capable captain to me. I still think he has a lot to learn- but his indomitable fighting spirit truly won the day.'

He took some solace in the fact that Taint would awaken soon enough; after that kind of output, it wasn't surprising that he would need a rest, but such a short one surprised the mage. But the price . . . when Morgoth detailed that, Alpha could feel the breath rushing out of him. True, relatively speaking, for a Zora that price wasn't so staggering . . . some members of that race were known to live for hundreds of years. But it was still terrifying to consider. 'I wouldn't have used a power like that,' he knew.

Morgoth's freedom was something he was willing to agree with, but when the necromancer proclaimed his decision to join them, both he and Deku cast a wary eye at one another. "Can't say I'm too pleased about that idea," the Sheikah muttered.

"Eh, let 'im come if he wants ta," Yukie said with a shrug. "He's earned himself a bit o' trust from us, wouldn't ya say?" Alpha, reluctantly, nodded. "Still," the Deku continued under his breath, "I ain't gonna blame you if you wanna keep an eye on him from time to time."

"Fine," Alpha said, turning around to face the others once more, nodding to the Everbreeze soldier as he joined them on deck. "Certainly won't hurt to have more allies on board. Let them come, I say."

"Aye!" Yukie agreed, a good bit more enthusiastic about the whole matter. He hoped off the railing and skipped over to where the newcomers stood, holdin' out his hand with a smile on his face. "Name's Yukie! Welcome aboard, boys!" Alpha shook his head and turned back to the sea, finding the whole scene . . . humorous, somehow. He couldn't say why, but Yukie always seemed to have calming effect on situations.

“Hey. Never pegged you for a romantic.”

Blinking, and more than a bit bewildered by the statement, Alpha turned to see Arrika holding up some sort of crushed flower. "Excuse me?" he muttered under his breath; she might not have heard him. He couldn't tell based on her response, as she gazed back at the island.

“I’ve never seen anything like it…”

He pursed his lips and nodded solemnly, content to let whatever she'd been talking about slip away; maybe he'd ask her for clarification later . . . but probably not. "Ganon's horrors know no bounds," he replied quietly, hand subconsciously reaching up to stroke his cursed scar -- a scar that only a select few knew had been carved on him by the beast himself. "Even in death, his reach is mighty. It's a wonder that any mortal can face him, even blessed by the goddesses as the Hero's line is . . ."

'. . . Even forgotten by them as I have been . . .'

The idea that Alpha was just shy, maybe even embarrassed to do something as silly as leaving a flower outside her door, made her content to let the moment pass. She let the flower go, watched it being carried away by the breeze and spiral through the air.

Her hand reached out slowly to follow his own, which traced his scar. As her gloves had burned away during the fight, the scars on the back of her hands and her palms were clearly visible and gleamed in the light. She bit back a laugh to see the painful memory right beside his.

“He pinned me to the ground like that- stabbed right through my hands. The worst part was feeling the steel slide right between my bones…” she said quietly. She shuddered, forced herself to breathe the salty sea air and remember that she was on board a ship with her friends, not in a darkened Rauru Town where the cobblestones were stained with blood, and a pack of wolves was ready and waiting to pounce... With a tremendous effort that showed clearly on her face, she dragged herself back into the present. “Where’s yours from? I can’t imagine anyone could have gotten close enough to do that to you,” she added honestly.

OoC: ZV! I know I didn't technically kill Hannah, but can I still keep the boots for all of your topics...?

OOC: And, if Persona is following this, the first part of this post is for you.

IC: Cecile, captain of the Royal Hylian Ship Antros rushed back to the dock side of the island. He had spent the entirety of the day yesterday hunting down and killing a Great Sea crime lord, and overall enemy to the crown. He had just successfully crippled perhaps the largest underground syndicate this side north of Hylian, and he received no praise. Nor did he expect it. He didn't say where he had been, nor did he leave behind any evidence. News reports would later state that Mareem Swinshin and his associates were murdered by a small gang of transient bandits. And that would be that.

When he got the the docks, still in the late morning or early afternoon, he apologized to Orpheous who was still aboard the pirate ship. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there-" he began.

Orpheous interrupted him. "Look, it's ok. We dealt with it. But I have this strange feeling that the hardship here is but a prelude for what's going to come up once our ship reaches Gossip Isle. I want to take the Antros back once we leave the shore of Everbreeze, but before you do that, I could use a favor," explained the scribe.

"Go back on the Antros, and ask any of the brave hearts who are aboard the ship if they'd be willing to traveling to Gossip Isle with us. Also, make sure you stress the point of treasure. Greed can be a bad trait, but it pushes ordinary men to do extraordinary things."

Cecile nodded, reboarding his prized craft. He turned to people standing on deck, who should be everybody, assuming they were all awakened by the mayhem which ensued during the Blind fight.

"I understand why some of you may be hesitant to board. As, as I've explained, the only reason we are at Everbreeze is to resupply. But I have a friend, and he's quite an intelligent man. When he and some of the others boarded, we discovered that they weren't pirates, but actually allies who were piloting a commandeered pirate ship. The same pirate ship that the real pirates tried to kill the allies over this morning. Now, this band of adventures managed to survive, all members intact, but my good friend tells me that they're sailing to Gossip Isle, and that he has an unpleasing feeling about what they'll find there. His hunches are usually correct. Please, if they're any brave souls aboard, I urge you to go with the adventures. Not only will your help prove to be unceasingly useful, but the Isle is said to contain not only history of the Sheikahn race, but also treasure beyond any the mortal mind can measure," issued the captain. "Feel free to exit the Antros and get over to that pirate ship as so as possible.

Then, he entered his quarters, and said a kind prayer in a pleading tone with the goddesses, asking them to help Taint, the captain of the other ship, who's dark fate he had overheard.

---

Meanwhile, Thealter sighed. He managed to survive that duel against Blind, and more importantly, she had managed to survive. First he approached, Morgoth who was now inhabiting Boone apparently. "Thank you truly for resurrecting me, despite how low your magic was," commented the mage to the cleric. Then, he took the time to pray for Taint. He couldn't imagine perhaps having fifteen years cut from his life. He had always hoped to be killed in battle young, but because he didn't deserve the life he was given. Taint on the other hand, Taint was pure and righteous.

"Goddesses, watch over him. Protect him. If I could somehow take his place, if you would, take the years from my life instead," he chocked under his breath. "Even if you don't give me an answer, even if you have your own plan, you have my blessing if you choose. But, then again, I'm mortal and you're divine. Please, just watch over him," finished the mage.

Then, he noticed Arrika. He had to go up, congratulate her, and tell her how well she did. How she should be proud of herself. He saw her clutching his flower, and his heart soared. Then it crashed into the ground and was ground into a pulp. She was holding up the flower to Alpha, believe he had sent it, and he didn't directly denounce it. In the heat of the moment, however cold it may had been, he traced his scar; she did the same. In doing so, she released the flower, watching it drift off into the breeze. A good luck charm with supposed healing powers more potent than most could only dream of. I mean, it wasn't going to bring Taint's lost years back, but it was nice memento to have around. Once she stopped eyeing the flower, after the heavier winds died, it began to skim along the ground.

Thealter followed it lazily, before picking up the discarded and forgotten flower. I guess they had that much in common, they were both left behind and they were both alone. He treated it gently, placing it delicately into his free palm. Yesterday, he thought that flower perfect. Now, within it, he saw all of his imperfections, the things he wished he wasn't. He took the flower, and squished the delicate flora into his hand, leaving nothing left but dark blue pollen. Then he turned and walked towards the shore line, letting his own weaknesses become him, sitting there, alone. It no longer mattered. He would speak with her later, but right now, the two seemed so happy, he'd hate to impose. Good thing nobody was around, because even though he didn't know it, the crash of the sea wasn't the only salty-water he was tasting, a torrent of physical sadness washed over his face. He didn't notice, and didn't care. Now, he could be alone for a short time at least, to remember how it felt just a mere night ago, when he was looking out at the sea in the dark.

---

Orpheous stayed behind on the ship, and waited by the captains' room for as long as possible. He had no doubt that other people wanted to see the captain, but he just felt like he should be close. His hands were locked in prayer since they got the captain into his bed, which was approximately the same time Cecile returned from his business outing.

"Lord on high, hear my prayer. You've always been there in my need. And now this young man, this Zora is in need, this find captain. Please, hear me. So your mercy upon him, treat him with your love. We all have to pass eventually, even some in this world realize that. Yet, I pray that this Zora still has a full life of happiness, adventure, and righteous justice that still yet awaits him. He gave everything so we could live today, and I know you don't condone of Ganon's proscription list. None of us were supposed to die today, not by your standards, and that's why none of us did. So, despite our free will, you can influence our lives, with diseases and cures, and other outside influences. Relieve this young man's afflictions," spoke the wordmancing scribe.

Sakiko stood. She just…stood. It appeared that she had survived, as had the others. Thank the Goddesses. She wanted to fall on her knees and start praying…but she wasn’t a cleric. Hah. She was thankful to the divinity, but she was even more so to Taint, who had bravely protected the crew. She was so lost in her thoughts that Dogura’s warning went right past her. Her eyes travelled from Morgoth’s now limp body to Boone’s now moving one.

Of course he would join the crew. It was natural. It was right.

She watched as Taint was led to rest. Ten or fifteen years from his life… amazing. Sakiko’s eyes now went to William. One more fighter wasn’t going to hurt. Well, it wasn’t really her decision whether he could stay or not. She didn’t object, but she wasn’t going to fight for his staying, either.

The Mage studied her arms, her hands. She wasn’t really pleased with the charred flesh – it wasn’t an attractive addition to her already pale, dead-looking skin – but at least she was alive. Sakiko ran her fingers through her hair, so exhausted. She wanted to just drop down right on the spot and just sleep. She turned around, and saw…Arrika and Alpha. Together. Again. Sakiko put a cold hand on her eyes, closing them temporarily. Just ignore it. Just go to bed. It’s probably some… coincidence those two end up together whenever I happen to look. Yeah. So he gave her those flowers. That’s...Forget it…

She would have tried to. Except Arrika just had to put her hand on Alpha’s. Ok. That was stepping over the line.

Sakiko stood beside the thief, momentarily relieved that the two Sheikahs were relatively uninjured. Then she remembered why she was here, instead of in bed. She…didn’t want Alpha telling Arrika about his scar. He hadn’t told it to her, when she asked it, so many nights ago. She didn’t know why, but she just didn’t want him to. Sakiko frowned and said somewhat dryly,

“Something tells me there’s a good reason why you and I don’t know how Alpha got his scar.”

She glanced at her friend, but only fleetingly; her eyes were already travelling to Alpha’s face. She supposed that everything that had happened between her and Alpha had been in her head. It had to be. Why else would Alpha give Arrika the flowers? If he had given them to her with the same meaning as she had given him that…miniature daffodil… Sakiko didn’t mean to, entirely, but she ended up giving him an acid look that darkened her entire face.

“Or maybe there’s a good reason why I don’t know.”

She turned around, and got off the ship. She bit her lips and kicked at the sand – or whatever it was. I feel so stupid. Why did I do that? Now he’ll think I’m some lunatic…some sore thumb… Sakiko tucked her hair behind her ear, and began to run. She was so ashamed, so sad, so…

“Shoot!”

She tripped over…something. She squinted, and saw that it was Thealter who was sitting…alone. Sakiko brushed some sandy mixture from her knees, and stared at him for awhile. I guess he’s alone too. She didn’t want to bother him or anything, but for some reason, his presence was...better than her being alone. Which was strange because she usually preferred solitude to company. But then again, the situation she was in wasn't so normal. She sat down next to him, hearing the waves crash and hiss.

“I will be quiet, if you want.”

Ooc: Too many oatmeal cookies. -__-;;

"Where's yours from? I can't imagine anyone could have gotten close enough to do that to you."

The response Alpha would have given, whatever that could have been, died in his throat the moment that question was voiced. For a moment all reason was lost to him; even he didn't remember what happened in that split second, but when he regained control of himself he found that blood was starting to well up inside his clenched fists.

"Don't ask," he snapped, eyes turned from merely blood red into a raging inferno. He glared at Arrika for a moment, then at Sakiko as well, not even caring about when she had shown up or what she was saying -- his mind didn't even register her words, it just saw movement and fixated on it.

Then he spun about and walked away to the aft of the ship, his expression and motions being a clear sign of 'don't you dare follow me'.

Well, isn't that ironic, Arrika thought numbly as she watched him walk away. She sighed, a shaking, shuddering sound, and buried her head in her hands. Once the cool silver of the wolf's ring touched her skin, however, she recoiled as quickly as if it had been on fire. She tried to pry the ring off, to no avail, and blood ran down her hand, as if the wolf's head was resisting her by biting even deeper into her skin.

Alpha was right. It hadn't been any of her business, she had no right to know things that he hadn't even told Sakiko. At least they were even on that, she thought bitterly.

Watching him walk away, though, and seeing Sakiko sit with Thea, made her feel more lonely than ever. The fact that she was on her own, miles and miles away from the land she'd grown up in for her entire life, suddenly hit her. She even missed that wry little bastard Seth. She'd always been more or less a solitary person, but for some reason, she'd never really noticed until now.

She glanced back down at the wolf's ring, her hands clenched into angry fists. She hated the way it looked up at her, savage and daunting, the way it had claimed her left hand. What, was she married to the bastard now? Kobas was gone, dead and cold, buried or cremated by Rhyss or maybe even turned into one of his phantom puppets. She had no clue, but even in death, he still managed to rule her life and hound every decision she made.

She wanted to apologize to Alpha, but the words caught in her throat. The sky was blue, the sea was blue, everything was goddamn blue. Kobas was dead, but no matter where she looked, everything reminded her of him.

Alpha's eyes had scared her, chilled her to the bone. But the fact that they were red and not Kobas' green, didn't make them seem terrible at all. She'd rather have the mysterious mage look at her with complete contempt than Kobas with one of his false smiles.

Arrika knew she could go back to Thea if she wanted. She'd felt his eyes upon her the entire time, and he'd even done that unnecessary Life Spell on her during the fight. Thea cared about her. The man was a knight, a gentleman, maybe even a saint; he was kind, for a thief, and thoughtful and extremely generous. But she had a knack for wanting impossible things- or rather, people.

So she'd give Alpha his space for now.

Nobody seemed to oppose allowing the two new members to join. Well, Morgoth wasn't really new... But Sir William certainly was. The samurai walked over towards William and padded him on the back. "You did some good work out there, soldier. Welcome aboard, I'll show to your cabin later. We've only got a few left- you're lucky." William nodded with an unsure expression. Dogura examined the man's charred, burnt, and dented armor. "We've got a few spare sets of armor in the ship's armory. Maybe we can find a new set that fits you. Follow me." William followed Dogura into the ship's interior.

Morgoth paced around the deck a few times, occasionally throwing a punch or a kick into the air. "This new body is excellent! I've never felt so good in my life!" He examined himself, noting a few things here and there. He was really fit, and he'd forgotten what it was like to have perfect lungs. He jumped high into the air and landed on top of the roofing that covered the crow's nest. He smiled widely, and looked around. Down on the island, the residents were all doing their part to clean up the mess and the bodies. A couple women could be seen crying; they'd probably lost their husbands to the reaper. Morgoth's eyes scanned the field for Blind's body, and came up with no results. Blind's body was gone- perhaps they'd already cleaned it up. Surely Dogura saw to it that the body was taken care of. Morgoth didn't have any time to see to these matters. His body had been dying right there, and it was a miracle he survived.

To think I risked myself for these people... He thought as he looked down at them all. His frown disappeared, and his face turned to a warm smile.

It might be too soon to call them friends... But they're the only people who've appreciated me in so long... It's really nice to feel needed by people.

He sat down on the top of the crow's nest and looked out to sea.

To think I planned to kill them all in their sleep... They're really not so bad.

* * *

Deep in the interior of the ship, Dogura opened up the armory, revealing all sorts of weapons and armor. "Here, feel free to pick through these things. They might as well be ours- the original owners won't be needing them anymore. Have at it!"

Steel Cutlass - 1H Sword
Base power: 8
A fine steel cutlass in great condition.

Steel Pesh-kabz Dagger - 1H dagger
Base power: 6
A beautiful dagger made for slitting throats. Has a 50% chance of one-hit KO when used during Stealth.

Steel Lance 1.5H Spear
Base power: 14
Restrictions: Fairy, Deku, and Scholars cannot use.
A great quality steel lance, made for stabbing and ripping outward. Requires Train spear, and has a -2 chance to hit.

Steel Slim Sword -1H Sword
Base power: 4
A very lightweight sword that allows maximum mobility for a +3 chance to hit.

Steel Hammer -2H Hammer
Base power: 15
Restrictions: Grunts only, Fairy, Deku, Sheikah and Zora cannot use.
A massive hammer made for maiming even the heavily protected. Requires Train Hammer, and the wielder gets -2 chance to hit.

Iron Helm -Head Armor
A iron helmet commonly seen on guards. Adds +2 to Defense.

Steel Boots -Foot Armor
Restrictions: Grunts only, Fairy cannot use.
Boots made of steel, commonly seen on guards. Adds +2 to Defense, -1 to AGI.

Iron Greaves -Leg Armor
Restricions: Fairy and Deku cannot use
Greaves made of solid iron to protect your legs. Adds +2 to Defense, -1 to AGI.

Boxes upon boxes of equipment were rifled through to find the man what he could finally call his ideal setup.

Sir William L1
Grunt//Mercenary
Race: Human

STR-5; DEF-8; AGI-4; INT-3; SPI-4; HP-15; SPL-20;

STR: .......................................................................... 5
DEF: 3 + (L1 Chain-mail) 17 + (Iron Helm) 19 + (Iron Greaves)..... 21
AGI: 4 - (Iron Greaves).................................................... 3
INT: .......................................................................... 3
SPI: .......................................................................... 4
HP: .......................................................................... 15
SPL: ......................................................................... 20

Abilities: none
Next level: Help kill one enemy.

Dogura looked him up and down. "Looks good! You're ready to fight! When you get back up to the deck, let the others know that there's enough stuff here for everyone. Also let Morgoth know to raise anchor." William nodded in thanks and headed up the stairs.

* * *

Morgoth leaped down and landed on deck, and without an ounce of pain in his back! He walked around the deck some more- the body would take a little getting used to, in that it was the tallest body he'd ever possessed. He walked towards the edge of the ship, and noticed Sakiko and Thealter. "You two had better board the ship! We're raising anchor really soon!" He called out just before Sir William appeared, donning fancy new gear. "Hey everybody!" He called out weakly, before clearing his throat and trying again. "Hey! Dogura (I said that right, right?) would like you all to know that the armory is open downstairs if anyone is interested. It's all free, so why not? Also, he asked me to inform a Mr.Morgoth to raise anchor for him." Morgoth smiled, and turned back to Sakiko and Thealter. "See?" He called out to them. "C'mon, git!" He waltzed over to the crank and began pulling the anchor up with such ease it almost made him laugh. "I LOVE MY BODY!!" He called out, unaware of how strange that sounded.

OOC: Sure Arrika, you didn't win, but you didn't die either =P
You can keep the boots foreverz. Alpha got the Gust Jar for free, so it only seems fair. Did I mention you get to keep that, Alpha? Or did you just decide that anyways? XD
You guys unlocked the Armory now! Feel free to grab any gear you want. It only works in this topic I'm afraid... I don't have the power to let you all keep it outside GIE, so use it while ya can! After everyone is done suiting up, we'll cut to the halfway there point.

"Sakiko, right?" asked Thealter as the fellow mage sat beside him. By now, his tears were nothing but stains on his face, the flow had stopped. "I don't mind if you talk," he added. After a moment more of silence, he opened up.

"Tell me, young mage, don't you find it strange that a person can change who he is, for the better, because that person has met somebody who they care about? One who can redeem all his or her wasted years? And don't you find it strange that the person that he or she found is too caught up with somebody very similar to the first person's personality before he or she changed? So, I've changed to be something better, so I could settle down. But she wants somebody she cannot have, and even if she'd settle for something less, I can't be anything like the man she used to have. What do I do?" he asked, though not necessarily to Sakiko.

Then, Morgoth called them back aboard. As he shuffled to the ship, he waited for his answer from the mage, but more importantly, he waited for his new friend.

---

Cecile realized that the other ship intended on leaving soon. "Last call," he called to the adventures who had gathered on deck. Once she leaves, the Antros is going back to Hyrule. If anybody wishes to join the expedition, now is the time!" he called, though not truly expecting an answer.

---

Finally believing he had prayed enough, Orpheous ventured down to the armory, where all these new fabulous equipment was found. He was happy to see all the shining blades of steel and armor of iron. Yet, nothing seemed to appeal to him, he shook his head at the selection, and then went back topside, to the deck.

The diversion was like a blessing sent directly from Farore herself. Arrika wrapped her cloak around her tightly, although it wasn't cold, and headed straight for the armory. She foresaw herself stuck beside Alpha in an awkward, cramped line if she dawdled.

Her hand immediately fell on the Steel Pesh-kabz Dagger.

"I can have this?" she asked incredulously, for the weapon was shining and new, and definitely not cheap. The moment she'd set her eyes on it, however, she'd decided it was hers, no matter the answer.