OoC: Are you being sarcastic? I know it's cliche.

IC:

The second thief was gutted one final time by Dogura's blade.

[Thief #2 DEAD]

His remaining two brothers leaped over his body like feral cats, one of them trodding unceremoniously on his face and stamping it with grime. They pounced on Dogura, daggers extended like claws, their weight enough to make him stagger.

In one fluid motion that took place in less than a second, Arrika cuffed one on the back of the head and tugged him off, slamming him on the ground before he could cause Dogura any damage, and drove her knife into the back of the other.

[Thief #4 MISS]

[Thief #3 -12 HP]

The impaled thief did not relinquish his hold on Dogura, however, and like an unfeeling robot, buried his own weapon an inch away from the samurai's heart.

[Dogura -7 HP]

***

There was a moment of stone cold silence, a second in time that seemed to stretch on forever, where all he could feel was his heartbeat. And Thomas' hand upon his shoulder.

With a strangled roar Seth drew his knife. Thomas grabbed his wrists before he could cut him down, the tip of the knife an inch away from his heart.

Behind them, Netta did not seem to have realized what had just happened, and only shuffled her cards and muttered to herself more frantically.

Seth's entire body shook as he tried to fight Thomas off, tried to drive his knife closer and bridge the inch of separation, but the man was much stronger than he.

"Sauron!" he called out to the dark. Unbelievably, impossibly, his Twili cat responded with a familiar yowl. "Sauron?" Seth said, his eyes widening as the shaggy hellcat materialied from the shadows and curled up in Netta's lap. "Help me," the boy hissed, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he continued to grapple with Thomas. But the cat only purred, nudging Netta's hand for attention.

"Clever beast you have there, son," Thomas said quietly, and the word only enraged Seth further. It seemed as if the man exerted no effort at all in holding Seth off, and with a simple flick of his wrists, the knife was in his own hands.

"Give that back," Seth snarled when he realized that he had no weapons left. He was trapped, underground and in the dark, Blind and cold and essentially alone, and for the first time in his life he wished that Rhyss was here.

"Why?"

"So I can kill you, you bastard, you murderer, you-"

"I'm not a serial killer, kid. I did it for a reason," Thomas cut him off calmly. "And what will revenge get you? Bennett's dead and gone, and nothing you do will ever bring him back."

He was right, and Seth, always the cold pragmatic one, could not argue with him. "At least tell me why," he said, his voice shaking.

"Because I Saw that in less than a year, everything will fall apart. Bennett will expand the trade routes of his business and set up Arunite as the leader of one of his caravans. On the second day of his very first trip, the caravan will be attacked and set on fire by a group of highwaymen. They'll gut him and leave him, and slowly, he'll bleed to death."

Seth listened dispassionately; Arunite hated him more than anymore, and Seth hated him in return. What did he care if the coal-haired idiot got what he deserved? "Is that really it?"

"Zareth will never inherit any of Bennett's wealth. It'll fall apart months after Arunite's death." When Thomas saw that Seth held no love for his youngest brother either, he continued on. "Karina will never join a dancing troupe; she'll be too busy looking after your mother and Zareth, and playing secretary in Bennett's office. And your mother..."

Seth's aloof demeanor was gone, all of his attention hanging onto Thomas' every word.

"Bennet will cheat on her a dozen times. Everyone will know but her, and even when she sees what's right under her nose, she'll pretend she has no clue."

"Why would she do that? Just lie back and take it?" Seth demanded.

"She wants Zareth, at least, to have the things the rest of you never did."

Seth looked away.

"And one day, she'll stand on the railing of her gilded balcony, of her three story home in Castle Town, and look down at the streets below. But she won't be afraid. Then she'll look up at the sky, and it'll be a blue and cloudless morning... and I'll be with her, standing behind her, but it won't be enough to make her come down."

"And she'll jump," Seth finished.

"No. I'll push her."

The reply was so simple, so clipped and honest and absurd, that Seth could not help but laugh. Tears collected at the corners of his eyes as he clutched his sides, bent double and gasping for air. "It's all the same, so why not, right?" he managed to say.

"I suppose. But there was always a possibility that she would come down with me, and we'd run away, and another child she would come to hate would be born."

"A possibility What happened to fate? Isn't that what we're for?"

"Come now. Even you must have realized already that not everything is set in stone. We change our fates with our every action; the things that we See," he said, gesturing to Seth, himself, and Netta, "are just the things that could happen. Usually what most likely does happen."

Seth nodded slowly. He wanted to hate this man, to strangle him with his hands and beat him into an unrecognizable mess on the ground, but he would not fight him while he spoke things that he could not deny. "I've seen my death a million times, in more than one way," he supplied. "...so, by killing Bennett, everyone gets their happy ending?" Except Bennett, of course.

Thomas made a face. "You really believe that?"

"Of course not. I was just saying."

"Everyone would, most likely, end up better off than if he had lived."

What if he was lying? What if he hadn't had those visions at all, and Seth was about to let a murderer run free...?

He glanced up at Thomas, and when their eyes locked, he knew that he could never kill him. The man was too strong, too fast, too weathered. It would be like a kitten picking on a lion, and the man would just hold him an arm's length away with ease.

"Where have you been?" Seth asked finally.

Remorse crossed Thomas' face, sagged his countenance and slumped his shoulders. "Away. But not too far... I've always been here, kid. You just never noticed."

"Why? I could understand you leaving my mother, but why not take Sela and I with you if you knew that she hated us?"

"Tell me, Seth, have you had any visions today?" Thomas asked instead.

"No."

"Netta?"

"...no," the young woman replied quietly. She had finally put away the deck of cards and was now stroking the black cat on her lap.

"Neither have I. For some reason, when those blessed with Sight are near each other, their abilities are nulled, and they're left Blind. We can't even see visions of each other from a distance. We're not written in the Goddesses' book; our lives are not carved anywhere for anyone to read."

"You left us so you could See," Seth replied. "And you keep calling it a blessing. Do you like not being able to sleep because all you dream of are wars and the world ending?"

"I don't like it, son. But it's saved my life more than once."

"...you said you've been around me for years. You know where I live?" Seth continued warily.

"Yes. In a decent-sized house in Hyrule Fields, near Rauru."

"With..."

"A mage. Rhyss, isn't it?"

"Is that all you know about him?"

Thomas fell silent.

"Do you know what he does to me?" Seth suddenly hissed, his eyes narrowing. "What he does to me every night? How I'm bound to him like a dog? He would have killed me if it weren't for this damned Sight. Maybe, in that case, you could call it a blessing. But after what I've been through, maybe it would be better if I had ended up dead after all!" Seth's voice rang through the tunnels, echoing and bouncing, his words hurling themselves back at his face. "And you saw all this and just let him do it. You saw Kobas, and what he did to Arrika, and you just let him."

"I'm not the strongest person in the world- I couldn't just run in and save you. I had to piece together what I could See from Rhyss and Kobas, assumed that when I saw blank spots, it was because you were with him during those moments."

"So you didn't even try," Seth replied, and it wasn't a question, for he already knew the answer, and it stung deep.

Arrika: 25/41 HP, 9/29 SPL
Dogura: 55/83 HP, 27/27 SPL
Chow: DEAD
Thief 2: DEAD
Thief 3: 18/35 HP
Thief 4: 30/35 HP

OOC: I wasn't being sarcastic, and I feel bad that you took it like that. How is it cliche? I've never seen anything like that anywhere.

IC:

The thief landed soundly on his sword. He held the man there for a moment before flinging him off the blade and across the room. Before he knew it, they were already attacking again. The samurai tried to dodge, but he simply wasn't able to evade danger without the ability to Shadowmeld. Arrika managed to take care of one of them, but the other was latched onto him tightly. The thief slammed his knife into Dogura's chest, and he winced in pain. It barely made it through one of the kinks in his armor, and inflicted a wound- nothing too serious, but dangerously close to his heart.

"Damn you!!" He cried out, backing up. He wasn't having fun anymore- now it was just annoying. "Burn in hell!!" He called out, launching a massive flame from his open palm. It raced towards Thief #3, it's flaming maws opening up to swallow the wounded criminal whole.

OOC: Sorry about the short post, but I have an essay I need to start working on.

OoC: Oh, sorry... I'm just really critical of myself and I always imagine everyone else does the same.

Cliche: Seth saw the man remove his hood, and was shocked to see that he was the spitting image of himself, green hair and golden eyes and all, if not aged by 20 years or so!

IC:

The third thief was reduced to a miserable pile of ashes at Dogura's feet.

[Thief #3 DEAD]

The last thief, realizing he was now cornered, drew a throwing knife from his side and sent it flying towards Dogura, who blocked it as easily as a kitten batting at string.

[Thief #4 MISS]

Meanwhile, Arrika grabbed the fallen Chow's staff. Flames swirled and spiraled around the wood, sharpening the end into a deadly point. She flung the newly crafted spear across the tunnel, which pierced through the last thief's hand and pinned him to the wall.

[Thief #4 -12 HP]

The thief struggled, trying to free his hand, but the spear did not give. He did not seem to be in pain, and began trying to slide back out along the spear's length.

"Finish him!" Arrika called, for the thief was moving quickly and she knew she would not have enough time to cut him down before he freed himself.

***

Thomas remained silent and held out his palms, turned up towards the ceiling. "Would you have?"

Seth struggled to answer. He was just as much of a fatalist, and whenever faced with a situation where he knew the outcome would never amount to anything, sat back and let whatever happened, happen.

"I'm sorry I can't help you, kid. I wish I could. I wish, more than anything, that I could change things."

Seth wanted to scream at him in frustration. Weren't fathers supposed to protect their children? But he knew Thomas was right, that Rhyss was too powerful to be stopped, especially by a couple of simple thieves. Thomas was right about him too- the moment Seth's rage had subsided enough to let him realize that he did not have the strength to kill Thomas himself, he had given up.

Thomas sighed and stepped forward, meaning to hug his son, but Seth shoved him aside roughly and grabbed Netta. The cat fell off her lap with an indignant meow as she allowed herself to be tugged away down the dark tunnels.

The sudden appearance of the man who claimed to be his father- no, who was his father, for no matter how hard he tried he could not find any reason to see him as an imposter- caught him completely off guard. He had lived complacently for 16 years without one, and had convinced himself he did not need one.

Especially one so selfish and pathetic.

"Seth... please... I can't run any farther," Netta gasped, and the two sank down onto the cold stone floor.

Seth gazed back down the tunnel, but everything was black and dark, and he could not sense anyone following them. He wanted to laugh- Thomas had realized that Seth would never accept him, and had let him run without even attempting to follow.

And when he saw that it was just he and Netta, when he waited and stilled his breath, strained his ears to try and catch even the slightest sound that would tell him they were not alone... he felt his heart rend. Thomas, after 16 years, still did not want him.

He felt his eyes glass over, his breath catch in his throat. Netta lay his head in her lap and stroked his hair, her touch so kind and gentle that he barely stifled a sob. She began to sing, her voice high and delicate like a lark. In minutes, the exhaustion he had been repressing swamped him, and he allowed her to rock him to sleep.

When he woke hours later, and saw that he was still in Netta's arms and Thomas was nowhere to be seen, pain gripped his heart again.

"I need to get out of here," he said softly, his voice breaking. He sat up, trying to pull away from the girl, but she wrapped her arms around his own and held him close.

"Don't leave me," she whispered back fearfully.

"Of course not. We'll get out of here and I'll see what I can do to set you up in Castle Town, or even Rauru, if you want-"

"No," she said, shaking her head violently. "It's so quiet, so peaceful when I'm with you. When you slept- did you dream at all?" she asked.

Seth realized that it had been the most relaxing sleep he'd ever had, the first time he hadn't been plagued by a vision or a dream. "No," he admitted.

"I fell asleep too, and it was so... so..." Her body convulsed with sobs of relief.

"I know what you mean," Seth replied. As long as they were together, it was as if they were normal people, not born with Sight, not assailed by terrible visions and dreams nearly every moment of their lives.

Arrika: 25/41 HP
Dogura: 55/83 HP
Chow: DEAD
Thief 2: DEAD
Thief 3: DEAD
Thief 4: 18/35 HP

Dogura burned the thief to a smoldering pile of cinder, and turned to face the final thief. A knife soared through the air towards him, and he sighed. The form was all wrong, and the knife had no chance of even piercing his armor if it landed- the thrower was simply too weak for throwing knives.

"Let me show you..." He began, as he flicked his hand up and caught the projectile blade between his fingers mere centimeters from his face. "How to throw that thing." He finished, winding back and hurling the knife with all of his might directly at the pinned foe. [Will=4]

OOC: Same damage as a Deku Spear, just makin' it fancy(like I do).
Another short post, I have to go to class. I'm reading it all though, so don't think I'm not.

The spear went soaring through the air, striking the last thief right in the middle of his forehead and piercing through.

[Thief #4 -16 HP]

The thief looked up at the spear sticking from his forehead, as if surprised, and yanked the offending weapon out of his body as calmly as if he was a Redead.

"Last one," Arrika said, sending a senbon whizzing through the air towards the thief, with such precision that it entered the hole Dogura had created with his spear and passed out the other side.

The last of the quadruplets fell to the ground, finally dead.

"What were they? Not really human, or just very brainwashed?" Arrika said, toeing at his body. "Ah well. Nothing decent enough to bother with in their pockets. Let's go find-"

Arrika was cut off by a shrill scream, and with surprise, realized that they had completely forgotten about Lince.

Who was holding, as Arrika quickly deduced, a bomb.

"Lince! You can't light that in here, the whole tunnel will-" Marcel began frantically, appearing in the tunnel, but she slapped him away.

"Shut up, fag, or I'll blow you up too!" she screeched. Her hair was wild, her eyes half-crazed. "You. Killed. Kobas!" she screamed at Arrika.

Arrika raised an eyebrow, but this wasn't the first time a vengeful, misguided woman had decided to seek revenge. "Lince, right? I don't know if you think you're in love with Kobas, but it's really better off for all of us that he's-"

Unfortunately, all reason was lost on Lince, who struck a match to the bomb and hurled it at the two Sheikahs.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. The barrier that Chow had created to keep them from Shadowmelding away had disappeared when he died, and she melded away into darkness, taking Dogura along with her.

But again, unfortunately, a split second too late.

The bomb exploded, sending the tunnel crumbling around them, and they were all falling down, down, down...

The blast from the bomb sent Arrika's senses haywire, and before she could twist around and land safely, she struck the bottom of the floor below and was knocked out cold. Dogura, by luck, was able to save himself a similar fate by clinging to the edge of a piece of stone that had not broken off with the rest of the tunnel. He dangled precariously over a vast, high-ceilinged room that resembled the inside of a basilica.

Marcel landed on the floor, hundreds of feet below Dogura, with unprecendented grace. He dusted himself off carefully, looking around, and virtually unhurt. A high-pitched shriek sounded from above, and he held out his arms casually, Lince falling into his arms a second later.

"Ouch, don't you ever cut your nails? That hurts, you know!" Marcel said, wincing as the woman clung to him, shaking. "I told you that was a bad idea."

"Shut. Up!" she exclaimed. "And let me down!"

Marcel promptly obeyed and she tumbled to the floor in an undignified heap. Her eyes lighted on Arrika's still form. A manic light appeared in her eyes and she snatched the small knife at Marcel's side, advancing on the Sheikah.

***

"...I know good people, people who'll take care of you until you can-" Seth was saying.

"-why can't I just stay with you?" Netta pleaded.

They were wandering through the tunnel again, groping through the dark, and their fingers were intertwined tightly, reminded them that although they were lost, they were not alone.

"...you don't want to stay with someone like me," Seth replied.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for someone like you? For... peace?"

"I've been looking too. But trust me, you can't stay with me, Rhyss will-"

Suddenly, Netta tugged him down, her lips crashing into his.

"Netta- stop it-!"

"Please. Don't leave me..." she gasped when she chanced to take a breath.

Seth didn't want to hurt her and tried to push her away at arm's length, but she was surprisingly strong and clung to him desperately. His back crashed into a wall, the uneven stones chilly and digging into his back. She had forced her tongue into his mouth, her hands roaming up his tight, sleeveless tunic like clever spiders.

With a strangled shout he finally found the strength to shove her away.

"You... don't want me?" Netta asked, her voice breaking.

"It's not you. It's me. I... don't like... women," he ventured, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"We don't have to be like that. We can... just be together," she said, wringing her hands pleadingly.

She advanced on him again and he flinched; although he did not have his psychic abilities at the moment, he knew exactly how Netta had convinced Rodson to spare her life, despite his hate for magic.

Dogura watched as the knife ripped through the man's skull, and winced as the thief's eyes moved toward it. It was a sickening sight- his eyes were reddening with the blood that forced its way into his ocular veins as if in a desperate attempt to flee the deep wound in his forehead. Then, the unthinkable happened- literally. Even with the man's brain severed by the knife that was lodged in his mind, his thought processes continued as he reached up to yank the weapon out of his head. Before he could manage however, Arrika tossed a senbon that ended the miserable man's life once and for all.

Dogura was aching slightly- he hadn't had a chance to rest after all the action, and he'd been constantly moving until now. He was out of breath, and before sheathing his sword, he cleaned it of the blood that had stained it. He wanted nothing more than to sit down for a moment- he began to realize that age was catching up to him as well. Boy, when I was younger... This was nothing. He thought back on his many travels. And Shadowclaw was a major part of my energy too... He thought as he remembered his epic struggle to escape from Hell. He was fighting thirty enemies at a time down there, forty easy. He was fast enough to dodge nearly everything, and struck with enough power to end most of the creatures in a single blow. He breathed heavily, and smiled at Arrika. "Like I said... Fun." He stood up straight as the woman from earlier came into view.

Dogura's eyes widened at the sight of the bomb. The shock wave would have nowhere to escape too but both ends of the tunnel- the effects of a bomb in this area would be devastating. It's one of the only reasons he hadn't pulled a small bomb out during his fight with the four thieves- it would have made things a lot easier, that's for sure. His eyes widened as he began to realize that she was just crazy enough to light it. Before he could choke out any words of protest, she lit the fuse. "YOU STUPID BITC-" He was caught off as Arrika tugged him into a shadow. He quickly realized that shadows had returned to the area, and melded after her. But it was too late- the entire area was blown to smithereens. "Shit!" He screamed as they fell through the floor. Then, the worst thing possible occurred to the vagabond. There was a floor under the tunnel. What was worse is that it was massive- and they were plummeting to a painful landing.

Dogura quickly reached out and grabbed a stone that stopped his descent. Thankful for the solid grip he had on the stone, he reached down to grab Arrika's wrist. He wasn't fast enough however, and she continued to fall. "ARRIKA!" He cried out, as he let go of the stone, and fell after her. If he could grab her, he could pull her in and absorb the shock of the fall himself. He put both arms and legs to his side to fall faster towards her. He was too late however, and quickly straightened himself out to land not too far from where she'd been knocked out. He landed hard, pain shooting through his feet, and traveling up his shins and then into his knees. He grunted painfully, and fell over in agony. It had been a long drop. He was sure he would feel this in the morning.

"Good Din... What a day..." He muttered to Arrika, before realizing that she had been knocked out cold. He turned his head to face her as he lay there, let out a sigh. "Dammit, Dammit, Dammit..." He cursed as he tended to his legs, which were probably in worse shape than he thought. When I was young, I could have landed with no problem... Have I gained weight? He began to have images rush through his head about when he was 26, all the way up to 29. Those were his glory days- but this was no time to think of better days. The enemy was here. He heard the commotion going on behind him.

"Ouch, don't you ever cut your nails? That hurts, you know!"

"I told you that was a bad idea."

"Shut up and let me down!"

Dogura turned himself over to face the two arguing enemies. He grunted, and tried to force himself up, but his legs were badly injured. Inside, he was crying with frustration, but on the outside he looked calm and determined. "Goddesses... If you can hear me down here... Please... I have to protect my friend. I have to protect myself. Please... If nothing else, heal my legs. I'm going to need them." He whispered to the darkness, hoping that his prayer would not fall on deaf ears. Suddenly, he felt a healing warm light wash over his legs. He smiled in relief, allowing the Goddesses to heal his injured legs. He closed his eyes, feeling all of his leg-related aches disappear without a trace. He still had minor wounds and aches on his torso- but he could handle those.

Quickly, he sprung to his feet, and faced Lince. He leapt into the air, and landed between her and Arrika. He placed a hand on his sword, and glared intensely at the woman. His eyes were piercing like a Gossip Stone, and cold like a poltergeist's. "Drop the knife or lose the arm." He commanded, a calm look on his face. His legs felt great- better than they did before. But the rest was a brief one, and he hoped she would simply cut her losses and flee. He really wasn't completely up to another fast paced fight- he wasn't ready to be outnumbered again either. He hoped his bluff would scare her away- but if she wanted a fight. he was prepared to give it to her.

Dogura Shadowclaw
HP: 55/83 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
SPL: 15/27 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
WILL: 0/9 IIIIIIIII

Marcel, fortunately for Lince, intervened before she rashly attacked the samurai.

"Now, Lince, you're just being silly, you know? He killed people back there. With thunder!" the bard half-whispered, half-shouted frantically. "Just... out of nowhere! It was crazy, you know?"

Lince looked tensely from Marcel to Dogura, and saw how serious the samurai was. With a howl of frustration, she threw the small knife to the ground and stomped away, crossing her arms.

"Oh, she'll be fine in a few. She's a woman, you know," Marcel supplied, but regarded Dogura with apprehension. He glanced down at Arrika thoughtfully. "It's too bad, really. A bit ironic, you know? Because she needs a doctor... but she is a doctor, and she can't really tend to herself right now so-"

"-for the last time, Marcel, she's not a goddamn doctor!" Lince screeched over her shoulder.

The blonde man wrinkled his nose with confusion. "Are you sure? You could be wrong, you know..."

"You're so... argh! And how the hell am I going to get out of here?" She paced back and forth, glaring up at the hole she had created in the ceiling.

Marcel sighed loudly. "I told you it was a bad idea-"

Lince snapped at him, and they bickered on and on, as if Dogura weren't there.

Dogura could attempt to climb back up the walls of the basilica, but carrying the unconscious Arrika along could prove difficult, and if he had any sort of conscience, leaving Marcel there alone- and with Lince- would not be the sort of memory to lull him to sleep at night.

Doors lined the vast, circular room, all of them very dusty and covered in cobwebs... except one.

***

Seth didn't know the exact moment he gave in.

Maybe it was because he was afraid and alone, glad to finally find someone just like him; maybe he was sick and exhausted with the murder and Thomas; maybe he was, indeed, embarassed of his orientation and wanted to prove otherwise; or maybe, finally, he could be involved with someone that wasn't Rhyss.

Whatever the reason, he shut his eyes- nevermind that it was pitch black, he just felt it was the right thing to do- and a light breeze told him that Netta's gauzy, violet veil had fluttered to the floor.

She was thin and boney, almost painfully so, and when he shut his eyes tightly enough he found he could pretend it wasn't a woman in his arms. Her waist was a delicate dip, not much different from his own, and when his hands roamed over her body he vaguely noted that even Arrika had more curves.

She smelled like incense, musky and settling upon his senses like fog.

He told himself that he wanted this to happen, that when they escaped this labyrinth, he'd never see such a freedom again. It was only a matter of time before Rhyss came looking for his property; in fact, he was somewhat surprised that the mage hadn't come after him already. Maybe the man did possess some sort of mercy after all, and wanted Seth to spend as much time with his family as he could...

And so he gave in, told himself the it was the right thing to do, because she was a woman. Somehow, some way, Netta's skillful hands and mouth did all the right things, and he lost himself in the moment.

Thankfully, the woman gave up. He waited until she stomped away to heave a sigh of relief. Truth was, he wasn't sure if he could even muster enough magic for more than another spell. He let his hand drop off of the hilt of his blade, and ignored the bickering of the two. He turned around, and knelt down next to Arrika. After checking her pulse, he examined her head for injury. While he found nothing too serious, he wasn't much of a cleric.

"Well, you'll have a hell of a goose-egg when you wake." He said out loud, gently picking her up. He rested her head on his right arm, and looped his other arm underneath her legs. "Let's go find your friend, and get out of here." He announced once more before looking around the room. His eye only fell on one particular door- it looked like it was the only door that had been used in quite some time. He made up his mind, and walked across the room to the door.

He looked down at Arrika, and shook his head. Unbelievable. When did this become an escort mission? Carrying you, and now I've got to go find your friend and his escort. He turned his eyes to the smashed ceiling as he walked. "Ohhh, Godesses..." He half smiled. It had been a good time so far- how could he really complain. It was these situations he would look back on fondly. He was completely fatigued- battle after battle, wounded in some places still; and now he had to carry his ally up several flights of stairs. His mind set on a calming nap under the falls when he got home.

It sounded nice. But for now, there was still the matter of survival. There weren't likely to be stronger opponents in a place like this, but he couldn't be certain. He pushed open the door, and walked through.

OOC: I didn't realize you had posted XDD
I'm so sorry.

A long passageway extended on before Dogura. But, strangely enough, it was not a pitch-black affair. Torches lined the walls, and the flames were healthy and freshly-lit.

A distant but audible droning could be heard, unintelligible male voices echoing and bouncing off the walls.

The passage led to another large, circular room, similar to the one that the group had just fallen into, only this time Dogura was standing on a balcony very close to the ceiling. Below him, an inferno blazed, and the samurai saw that the chanting came from cloaked figures gathered there.

“What the hell is that?” Lince began, peering down with disdain. “A cult or someth-“

“Shhh!” Marcel said loudly, covering her mouth with his hand. “You have to be quiet, you know?”

“Why does it matter- mmmph!”

“I’ve read about this sort of thing in paperback novels a million times,” Marcel explained patiently. “You see the bonfire and the guys dressed in black? You hear the chanting in the strange, probably dead, language? That’s all connotated with trouble, you know, so naturally you drawing attention to us isn’t going to help!”

The pair continued to bicker on, but the chanting reached a fever pitch, drowning them out.

Arrika’s left hand suddenly twitched violently as the words crescendoed, as if she were conducting the eerie song. She began to convulse in Dogura’s arms, muttering halting phrases in the same language as the cultists below. Her eyes shot open, shining an unnatural blue instead of a Sheikah’s crimson, and she looked at the samurai without recognition.

With a growl she flung herself out of Dogura’s grip, clambering up onto the railing of the balcony and perching there.

“Hey! She’s awake!” Marcel exclaimed. “You okay, Doc?”

“For the last goddamn time, Marcel, SHE’S NOT A DOCTOR!”

“Who are the fools that dare attempt to wake the dead?”

Arrika’s voice was no longer its dry lilt, but came out as a feral growl.

All but three of the hooded men stopped chanting. Seventeen other pairs of eyes turned to look up at the intruder.

“You think you have the right to summon any ghost or demon you choose? You think you can bring back a wraith and bend them to your will?” Arrika continued, her hands curling into animalistic claws that dug into the stone railing and reducing it to dust. “What amuses me is that you charlatans think you can control it.”

A single man, most likely their leader, stepped forward. “I don’t remember summoning a parrot.” His voice cracked, his hood slipped, and Dogura saw that he was a pimply youth not much older than Arrika herself. Most likely, the rest of his group consisted of similar awkward adolescents.

“A parrot?” Arrika threw back her head and laughed, turning it into a howl. She dropped off the balcony fearlessly, landing on all fours in front of the teenage necromancer. She straightened up, cocking her head from side to side, her joints cracking. “No, boy. You’ve got a wolf.”

“You- you can’t just do that!” spoke up another boy in a nasally tone. “You can’t just barge into our clubhouse and-“

In one swift motion, Arrika had the boy by the throat, and blood trickled down his pockmarked skin where her nails dug in. “Well?” she called up to Dogura with a wide grin that revealed very pointed teeth. “Shall I kill him? Or would you like to do the honors?”

“Don’t break the spell!” the leader shrieked, throwing himself behind the three remaining singers. “It’ll take too long to work up again and I need to be home before my parents realize I snuck out!”

***

Seth ran a sweaty palm down Netta’s back, feeling scars that, after just an hour, he had become very familiar with.

Netta sighed with content. She was draped across Seth’s chest, nuzzling into the side of his neck. “I love you…” she murmured.

Seth froze, then slowly pushed the girl off. He sat up, scrambling blindly for his clothes. This was a mistake. He had told himself that before, during, and immediately after. He mentally began kicking himself for giving in to… desire? But how could it be desire if he didn’t feel any differently about women?

In the end, it was Netta who found his tunic and pants. “Seth…”

“You don’t love me,” he said flatly.

“How would you know?”

“You just met me today. It’s impossible.”

“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?”

“No.”

At this point, Seth was 100% sure he knew how Netta had kept herself alive. A very willing bed partner eager to lavish attention and blind devotion was surely someone Rodson would want by his side.

A faint song whispered to Dogura's Hylian ears, and drew him further into the corridor. He walked slowly, listening as the music grew in intensity. He didn't like the sound of it at all- it didn't sound like a melody. It certainly wasn't a pleasant song. When he happened upon the group, Lince had her piece to say, as did Marcel. For the time being, he ignored them and focused on the group. Chances were high that none of them were dangerous- it was what they were summoning that could be a real problem. Dogura knew a summoning circle when he saw one; Fang used to do the same type of thing, except he and his group were weathered with experience, and were able to control the monstrosities that the dark realm spat out at them.

This is when Arrika began to spasm in his hand, and he instinctively jumped a bit. He hadn't expected her to move so suddenly, but then again, they weren't exactly the closest of friends. Maybe she'd reacted badly to the way he'd been carrying her. She growled an unearthly growl, and shot out of his hands. Dogura stared at her for a moment before lifting his arm and sniffing his arm pit. He didn't smell- so what had caused her repulsive behavior towards him?

“Who are the fools that dare attempt to wake the dead?”

Dogura's eyes widened in surprise. That's not her voice... What's going on here?

“You think you have the right to summon any ghost or demon you choose? You think you can bring back a wraith and bend them to your will? What amuses me is that you charlatans think you can control it.”

Dogura couldn't agree with that statement any more. It certainly was amusing. Of course, he didn't know these men, or what they were capable of. In any case, they weren't kicking off Alpha-caliber aura's, and they certainly didn't carry any kind of powerful air about their swagger.

“I don’t remember summoning a parrot.”

Dogura turned his head to look at the teenager. "They're kids?" He asked out loud, as Arrika blurted out next to him,

“A parrot?”

She leapt over the balcony, Dogura right after her. "Arrika, wait!!" He tried to grab her, but it was too late. She dropped to the ground effortlessly. Dogura sighed, and fell into a shadow underneath him.

What is she thinking? Is that even Arrika? Was she possessed by whatever these deviants summoned? Did they summon anything at all? These were the thoughts that entered and left Dogura's mind as he descended to ground level. He stepped out of a wall, and slowly walked over to the group. It was time to be as cautious as possible- he had no idea what he was dealing with.

“Well? Shall I kill him? Or would you like to do the honors?”

Dogura's face immediately twisted up in anger, disbelief, and confusion. "Arrika! They're only kids! What's gotten into you?" He cried out, advancing towards the teenagers. "What are you all doing down here? You're lucky I'm not letting her cut you to pieces!!" He yelled at them. "Get home NOW, or so help me Din, I'll let her loose."

“Don’t break the spell! It’ll take too long to work up again and I need to be home before my parents realize I snuck out!”

"Oh, and believe me..." Dogura added, no games in his voice. "I'll tell all your parents exactly what you've been doing. The Royal Guard too!" He folded his arms, and turned back towards Arrika. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Arrika... But they don't know what they're doing. I've... Handled... Demons before. Believe me- if they knew what they were messing with, they'd never even talk about it again. If you're going to kill them, you're going to have to go through me first... Arrika... Or whoever you are."

OOC: It's funny, because if you had done this topic later, Dogura would have probably helped you cut em' to ribbons XD

If you haven't kept up with what's been going on with Dogura, there are links to all the topics I made in my profile. If you don't want to read them, then you can read the short summaries I wrote under each link. It would just be best if you knew what was going on with him right now. The posts are good though, and you're missing out on a lot of information if you don't read them!

Also, I want to say that I'm totally amazed at your posts as of recent. They're not just good, they're amazing. You might be making me feel a little self-conscious here if you keep going at this rate.

OoC: Thank you You're very kind, but I don't think I'll ever match you.

Last fight here- it'll be RP.

IC:

”Arrika?” A puzzled look crossed the Sheikah’s face. ”Oohh. Her.” She glanced down at herself and snorted. ”Wiry little bird, this one.”

”If you're going to kill them, you're going to have to go through me first... Arrika... Or whoever you are.”

”Seems like you don’t know who you’re dealing with either, boy.” Her voice dropped into an even lower growl, and her mouth stretched into a cruel smirk that bared deadly fangs. ”I… am Vayu.”

“…that’s it?” piped up a heavily-freckled, gangly youth.

”What did you say?” Arrika snarled, dropping the pimply teenager she had been strangling.

“Umm… It’s just that, I thought you’d have a really kick-ass name. Like Vayu... the Destroyer!”

“My name alone is enough to strike fear in the hearts of all!”

The teenagers glanced at each other uncertainly.

“I dunno… I’ve never heard of you.”

“Maybe she’s just making it up.”

“She sure does sound like a man.”

“Doesn’t really look like a girl either. The short hair’s throwing me off.”

Suddenly, a squat boy with a strange metal contraption attached to his teeth who had been feverishly rifling through an old tome stood up. “Wait! Vayu is real!”

The boys crowded around him.

“’Vayu, an evil and intemperate wolf demon, is only able to possess its victims when… Aww, what’d you do, spill coffee on this? I can’t read the rest of it!” said the leader. “Where’d you get this anyway? Hey, is this a library book?”

“It’s 3 weeks overdue and now I owe them 47 rupees! That’s like…” The squat boy counted on his fingers. “2 and a half allowances! I’ve been avoiding the place ever since,” he wailed.

“Vayu, an evil and intemperate wolf demon, is only able to possess its victims when they are unconscious or asleep. The great warrior-mage Bhimus, after emerging victorious from a battle on the cliffs above the Saiprus Sea, sealed Vayu away into a ring of beaten silver in the shape of a wolf’s head,” Marcel recited clearly and steadily.

All heads turned to the blonde bard in shock.

“How’d you know all that?” asked Lince.

“I am a bard. It’s sort of my job to know these stories, you know,” he replied. “Hey, isn’t that funny? Doc’s got a wolf-ring on her left hand!” he exclaimed, pointing.

“Makes sense. We were only trying to summon Billy’s dead cat anyway,” said the leader.

“What happens if that- girl..? wakes up?” ventured the boy with the old book.

“As I can only inhabit her body while she’s unconscious-“ Vayu began.

“-oooh, that’s hot,” one of the boys whispered, shivering.

“-she would regain control. …how in the world did I get off track? Try and stop me if you dare, samurai,” she challenged Dogura, advancing towards the boys, who huddled together in the corner like a flock of frightened hens.

Her hand curled into a rigid, claw-like shape, and in her palm rested a blazing blue orb that grew in intensity with every second.

“She’s not as strong as Kobas… but she’ll do.”

She thrust her hand up into the air, jets of fire shooting out from the orb. A pulsing, flickering ring of fire enclosed the room, ensuring that no one would escape until her bloodlust had been sated.

***
They exchanged very little words as they wandered through the labyrinth. There were a few watch-your-step’s and careful-now’s, but apart from that, their world was characterized by silence.

The problem with silence was that it left too much opportunity for unwanted thoughts of Thomas to slip into his mind.

He had never thought of Rhyss as his father, despite having been more or less raised by him. He had grown up without a paternal guiding force, and he’d ended up alright, hadn’t he?

He had grown up without “the talk”, without anyone to warn him about women, the consequences of playing too loose and fast and on the inside, part of him still wanted the bastard, even if it meant the sorry excuse for a man walking in on he and Netta.

“Do you feel that?” Netta said, her voice feathery soft against his ear.

“No,” he said, and felt pathetic for his lack of honed senses.

“Heat.”

“What?” he stuttered, drawing back. Just because he’d given in once didn’t mean he’d ever do it again. And it’d only been 10 minutes or so, and despite being young he wasn’t exactly ready to jump up and just go at it right away-

She took his hand and pressed it against the stone wall. But instead of the damp coolness he expected, it was as if he was touching the side of an oven.

"Oh. That was what you meant," Seth said dumbly.

She pressed her Hylian ear against the wall. “Something’s going on… it’s close.”

They took off running down the corridor, which led to a dead end covered in rubble. Undaunted, Netta heaved herself up and over, squeezing into another passage, with Seth close behind.

They crawled on their hands and knees, shoving aside rocks and debris, worming their way into a cramped, tiny balcony jutting out of the wall of a high-ceilinged, dome-shaped room. Fire blazed beneath their feet, the flames licking the bottom of the stone balcony. Sweat dripped down their foreheads.

Seth took one look at the being that was, yet was not Arrika, and felt his blood run cold.

“Din help us all.”

Dogura quickly armed himself as she sealed the room with fire. Nothing would stop him from shadow-melding to safety- but then the boys would die. He wasn't about to have that any time soon. "Stay behind me- don't move a muscle!!" He cried out to the children as he held his sword towards Vayu. I've got to stop Vayu without hurting Arrika. If what these kids said was correct, all I've got to do is wake her up. He sheathed his sword- an unexpected maneuver. Suddenly, he removed his sheath from his belt, and buttoned up the small straps on the sheath to keep the sword in place. He held the sheathed sword in front of in a threatening manner. It was now more a club than a sword- it wouldn't cut her open- simply smack her hard enough to wake her.

All I've got to do now is land a hit on her...

He immediately dropped into a shadow and shot out of a nearby wall directly towards her. He swung his sword as hard as he could, aiming directly for head.

"WAKE THE HELL UP!!"

Vayu/Arrika caught the weapon between two wickedly curved fingers, the sheath smoking and sizzling from the contact.

"You're going to have to try harder than that."

***

"Marcel, we need to get out of here!" Lince hissed at the bard, climbing onto his back.

"Woah there! We're surrounded by a burning ring of fire, you know," Marcel replied.

"Yes, I know, you idiot. Can't you just- climb up the walls or something?"

Marcel glanced around the dome, contemplating the idea. "I could."

"Well?"

"...I know you're not supposed to say this out loud to women, but have you gained weight or something?"

***

"That is... your friend," Netta said, drawing her veil tighter across her face despite the growing heat.

"Friend..." Seth repeated to himself. "Maybe. After al these years... maybe, finally." He paced the tiny balcony, a terrific feat, as it was no wider than 3 or 4 feet. "I need to wake her up. I don't want to risk letting Dogura go at it alone."

He perched on the railing of the balcony. "Stay here," he instructed her, and without looking back, leaped down to the floor with his white scarf billowing after him.

He rolled when he landed, but still winced at the impact.

Vayu lunged towards Dogura, knocking him down and pinning him to the floor, a clawed hand around his neck that pierced into the stone beneath him.

Silently, Seth leaped as well, drawing his garotte and winding it around her neck.

She growled, and in the effort to throw him off, set Dogura free. A searing burn remained around his neck.

"Ah. The prophet has arrived," was the wolf demon's reply, but he was not worried about being outnumbered.

The possessed Sheikah thief threw back her head and howled. Three firey wolves emerged from the ring surrounding them, advancing on Seth.

"Familiar, isn't it?" For, a mere few months ago, Seth had had to fight off similar wraiths when he and Sakiko were helping Arrika rid herself from Kobas' hold.

"Just in case you forgot, I won that fight," Seth replied, trying to control his trembling voice.

"And lost your sight, as I recall. That was but a dreamscape- but this, little kitty, is the real world."

At the snap of her fingers, the wolves attacked, and Seth fell.

"And now for you, samurai..."

"STOP!"

"Tilly, are you crazy?" clamored the teenagers.

"Shut up, Tilly, or we're all gonna die!"

"Goddamit, Tilly, enough with the damn library book!"

For Tilly, the squat boy with the old encyclopedia had stood, holding the open book above his head.

"By the seven denizens of Hell- no, wait- by the power invested in me- Oh, darn, I forgot my lines. Hold on a second." Tilly thumbed through the book furiously as his friends groaned.

The weapon had been caught- easily. In fact, it seemed a little too easy. Vayu lunged forward reaching for his neck. He turned his sword around and slammed her in the jaw with his hilt; to his prediction, she could barely feel it in this state. Not even flinching from the impact, she slammed him into the ground by his throat.

"ACK!!" He coughed up a bit of blood, and began feeling around desperately for his sword. He'd dropped it upon impact, and he couldn't feel it anywhere nearby. Her hand burned his neck ferociously, and he winced from the seething pain. "DAMN YOU!!" He cried, "IF I WERE COMPLETE!!" He screamed, not finishing his sentence. Shadowclaw is far scarier than this... Vayu. Shadowclaw'd rip her to shreds at full power... And me... Without Shadowclaw- I'm merely as strong as a human can be.

He yearned for the dark power to surround him. He missed the glory days- his youth, when he was feared as the bringer of death. Dogura looked into her eyes, and decided something at that very moment. "You won't stop me here. You may be a demon- but I've been far worse. I've been to war! I've taken down a beast thirty times your size! I've been to hell and back, and you won't stop me here!!" He inhaled deeply, letting the fire burn within his stomach. Before he could fry her however, Seth managed to get a garrote around her neck.

She flipped off of him, releasing him from her grasp. Suddenly, Dogura turned his head and spit a half-assed flame in the opposite direction. What am I doing... He thought as he scrambled to his feet. I can't fry Arrika... It's still her body, and she's still my friend... He found his sword and then searched for Vayu again. I can't let my emotions cloud my vision. If I let my eyes get red, I could really hurt her. Vayu thrashed Seth off, and then summoned flaming wolves from the fire. They advanced on Seth- this was getting bad.

Dogura gritted his teeth. "Fine. You've forced me to play my hand, beast." Dogura channeled magical energy into his legs and crouched. "You boys had better find something big to get behind- and cover your ears." He called to the children behind him. Suddenly, he launched from his position high into the air above them all. He breathed inward very heavily. His chest expanded wide until it looked as if he would burst. Then, he reached into a pouch on his hip, and flung a powder down upon Vayu and the entire area surrounding her- and then he swung his fist again allowing more powder to coat the air.

This... This is likely my last attack... After this kind of blast, I'll be just about out of magic power... I've used so much today. His eye moved to his mechanical arm- which was powered by magic. My arm won't be able to function properly after this either. Dogura focused down on Vayu, who probably had no idea what the purpose of the powder was. Anyone who hadn't seen the effects of Darkin's special powder would probably assume that it's a poisonous pollen- but Dogura knew it was far worse than that. The fire isn't what she should be worried about- but rather the shockwave. If the noise doesn't wake her, the shockwave certainly should when she slams into the wall. He closed his eye for a moment as he felt the fire burn inside of him. This is it. Now or never, do or die.

He let loose a brilliant flame that spread down towards the demon. The first speck of powder ignited, causing a pop that echoed throughout the room. Suddenly, the second pop followed, then the third- and by that point it had ignited the source of the powder. A massive explosion rocked the entire room, shaking the very foundation. The noise popped Dogura's ears, and as he was flung back from the initial shock wave of the explosion, he could hear nothing the a loud ringing in his ears. He hit the wall with such force that it knocked the wind out of his lungs. He gritted his teeth from the pain, and fell to the ground below. He smiled as he fell however- he'd really given it his all. If this didn't work- he could die knowing that he did all he could. He was simply worn out from the entire day. It had certainly been a rough one.

He flashed back to his childhood, and then his teen years. He saw himself when he was 24- when he was in his prime. At that point in his life, nothing could stop him. He was also stupid though. Back then, he was selfish, and borderline chaotic. A tear strolled down his cheek as he hit the ground.

Who would have thought... That a foolish little bastard like him... Someone who had only caused pain in others... Done nothing helpful for the world around him... Who would have thought that a boy like that... Would die for someone else?...

It had been a long road for the samurai. He hoped it wouldn't end here- but he was simply out of energy.

<center>Who would have thought...</center>

OoC: I'M HERE NOW SORRY SORRY SORRY

IC:

Everyone, not just Vayu, was thrown back by the explosion. Lince screamed, her voice high and piercing, and clung to Marcel so tightly that her nails drew blood. The bard managed to position himself so that he took the brute force of the blast, cradling her in his arms.

Higher above them, the balcony where Netta hid crackled and crumbled, chunks of stone crashing to the ground like a deadly hail. Netta shrieked as she fell, the ground rushing up quickly to meet her, and just as she instinctively braced herself for the impact, she landed in Seth's arms.

He was ragged and weary, having nearly escaped the collapse of the balcony upon his head, but his scarf... it was so white and immaculate that it seemed to glow, as if it repelled all debris.

"Oh Goddesses..." Arrika groaned, curling up on her side, her body trembling slightly.

Seth set Netta down and rushed to the Sheikah's side. "Arrika! Wake up!" He shook her roughly, maybe too roughly for someone who had just slammed headfirst into a stone wall, but he couldn't afford to let her fall asleep again. If Vayu returned, it would be with a vengeance, and from the looks of the exhausted samurai, no one would be able to stop him.

"Seth...?"

"Yes! Do. Not. Fall. Asleep. Do you understand? Stay with me, please," the green-haired thief said desperately.

"You're all crazy!" Lince suddenly shrieked, freeing herself from the protective confines of Marcel's arms. "You- you come in and- kill everyone, and there are explosions every other minute, and what the hell is wrong with her?!" She looked at Arrika askance, as if she carried the plague. "And what the hell am I supposed to do now? I don't have a job-"

Marcel coughed. "Because lying back and taking it qualifies as a job now? I'd be making millions if that was-"

"-and you!" She advanced on Netta. "This is all your fault! This little bastard's one of your people, isn't he? I can smell it on him," she growled at Seth.

"Seth, what's... what's going... going on?" Arrika muttered brokenly. "Oh Din, help me... Dogura... Dogura, where is he? What happened to me? My head... it hurts, Seth..."

He stroked her short locks consolingly as she continued to mumble softly. "Dogura will live," he said firmly, although with Netta right beside him, he couldn't really Know. "Marcel, can you make sure she stays awake?"

The bard acquiesed easily enough and brought out a set of pan flutes. "Allow me to serenade you, doctor! It's good for the liver, you know?"

It was a fluttering melody that he played, one that spoke of birds and wind among the rushes in early spring. The bard, although a bit addle-brained, had a gift, Seth admitted to himself.

"Dogura... are you alright?" the green-haired psychic said tentatively. He's picked up a few things about healing from Rhyss, but magic has never been his forte. Marcel looked strong, though, so maybe he could help carry Dogura up and away?

To his surprise, it was Netta who pulled through. She brought out a small vial from the pockets of her robes, full of a glittering blue concoction. "He's just tired, I think... this should wake him up, make him good as new. I've been saving it for emergencies." She tipped the contents into his mouth and tilted his head back gently to help him swallow.

The teenagers were knocked out by Dogura's attack- all but one. Tilly.

The slightly obese boy stood awkwardly, dusting off his clothes. He had protected the encyclopedia by sitting on it, and could feel the outline of a 90 degree angle on his left butt cheek.

Lince, in her rage, snatched the book from his hands and proceeded to slam him on the back of his head. He dropped to the ground, unconscious but not too seriously injured, and she spat into the book before dropping it beside him for good measure.

"Well, that was unnecessary," Marcel commented as he finished his song. The doctor was doing better, it seemed, and was a lot more lively. No scary growly voice either. "In case you didn't hear me earlier, doctor," he began, "I think your peculiar condition may have to do with the ring upon your left hand."

A lump grew in Arrika's throat as she gazed hatefully down at the silver wolf's head. After all they had been through tonight, she would not cry, and in any case she had already guessed that all this business had something to do with the wretched thing. But it still hurt to hear the truth presented so plainly. "How do you know? Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm a bard," he replied simply. He then repeated what he had explained to the group earlier- the wolf demon Vayu was able to possess her whenever she was asleep.

She nodded, trying to clear her thoughts. That explained a lot of things, and certainly a few unsavory events that had occurred on the Gossip Isle Expedition. "And what if I wanted to get rid of this?"

Marcel's brow furrowed. "That, dear doctor, I cannot help you with."

What was she then? Cursed to a life without sleep?

"This isn't the first day I've worn this ring. Why now?"

"You awakened Vayu by tapping into his power. With magic. Blue fire and all, you know."

Arrika nodded slightly, finding it hard to breathe. "...thank you."

"Anytime." He cast a glance back at Lince, who was busy tying the laces of the teenagers' shoes together and arranging their unconscious bodies in compromising positions. "Lince, darling, I think it's time we got out of here." He pulled at the woman's hand, but when she shrieked and tried to slap him away, he merely tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'll be seeing you, doctor. And your little green friend. Netta," he said, nodding at them all. He disappeared down one of the tunnels, as if he had known the way out of the labyrinth the entire time.

"Seth..." Arrika began.

"We'll wait for Dogura to wake up. One step at a time," Seth said with a tone of finality.

OoC: Heheh. School, band, finals, graduation (on June 9th, 2011. WOOHOO). But I think I'm back now.