The door creaks open as Victor approaches it. Outside of the inn, a heavy fog settles on the ground and obscures the bard's sight. The same hissing noise can still be heard, but it is louder than before. It seems to come from all directions.

All that can be seen in the district is the path leading to the monstrous bridge that seperated the other districts. There does not appear to be any traces of monsters by the stone path, and just as the previous stranger had mentioned, Victor would be safe on the bridge.

The mist and strange sounds thoroughly frightened Victor, and his trembling began again. He stood stiff for a while, turning his head at every sound, until finally he just sped off towards the bridge. While he was running, he fumbled around for his sheath and found it, taking out his dagger and gripping it in one hand just in case...

Fortunately, the bard is not met with any form of harm as he leaves the spooky district. The sounds created by the monsters dies down as their prey escapes their boundaries. At the city's bridge, their is not a single trace of the thick fog. The staircase by which Victor entered the cavern is sealed off. The guard must have set the boulder back in its place.

In the distance looms the castle, a veritable fortress that puts the rest of the city to shame. The best defining word for it is "glorious." At one point, this colossal structure could have easily been mistaken for North Castle. Seemingly the only source of light in the entire cavern, the castle acts as a beacon, guiding Victor towards the locked gatehouse at its base.

OOC: Sorry I took so long. These past days have been hectic.

IC: Happy that he made it without a scratch, Victor took a moment to rest on the bridge. Panting, he surveyed his surroundings. Looking at the castle changed his whole perspective of the cavern, and he almost forgot that he was underground, and that he had been frightened only a moment ago. The Bard's smile had returned once more, and he began towards the gatehouse...

A rusted padlock's pieces were strewn about the ground by the gatehouse. It must have been an easy entance for the previous person who stumbled upon this castle. Inside the gatehouse are a few old shelves of books. It is apparent that the groundskeeper of this place once enjoyed reading. But one thing in the room can easily catch the eye of an adventurer whose wits are sharp. All of the books here are not comparable to the furnishings of the gatehouse. Thick, leatherbound volumes of fictions, encyclopedias and books on historic reports inhabit the musty Deku bookshelves, and each one appears quite new and in excellent condition.

There is a small oil lamp sitting on a scholar's table by the window. Next to this window is another door, and it is through this portal that one could find themselves in the courtyard of the castle's grounds. A shimmering light shines through the crack where the door is partially opened. There must be torches in the courtyard. Although it is still an eerie place to be, the cozy gatehouse study would have been an excellent place for resting in at one time.

Taking a moment to look around the quaint little gatehouse, Victor dismisses its contents as unimportant and continues through the other door, deciding that he would take a closer look at the books on his way back...

The courtyard is a wide open flat of empty space. At its end, the castle stands as tall as the ceiling of the gigantic cavern. There is a large fountain in the center of the area. It is similar to the one that the Zora had been waiting near back at North Castle. North of the fountain is the castle, while east and west are two seperate buildings. Above these are sets of spiral staircases leading upwards, but the darkness above obstucts Victor's knowledge as to where the stairs may lead. To the south is the gatehouse, where the bard is standing at this point. Eloquent stone walkways form paths to and from the fountain. Such beauty is lost in the dark expanses of the cave.

The main entrance is a large wooden door. The sheer size is enough to destroy a man's confidence. There is a knocker about four feet from the ground. The courtyard is silent, but the torchlight is still helpful in navigating the area.

Victor stood by the gatehouse for a moment, marvelling the castle's size. How any organization could build such an expansive lair underground was beyond him, and the Bard made a mental note to ask how they did. Looking around for a moment, Victor noticed the two staircases, but chose to ignore them for now. Instead, he walked towards the large door. The ominous portal caused him to reconsider exploring the stairways, but the Bard shook his head and grabbed hold of the knocker. He rapped it against the door, hoping for an answer...

A sharp reply comes from inside. It sounds neither man nor beast. Movement can be heard from behind the enormous door, as if somone had been stirred into wakefulness. Grunting out a brief identification survey, the strange voice barks at the bard like a dog.

Who goes there! Who dares enter the depths of solitide?

OOC: Yes, just pictue that cliche gatekeeper

Victor sighs an exasperated sigh as he hears the gatekeeper's voice. Where were all these people getting their strange voices?? He replied to the query:

"Err... It is I, Victor, the Bard! I was sent by your Zora friend over in North Castle Courtyard!"

OOC: Yes, it seems that all gatekeepers come from the same mold, no?

Hah! So, the bard has finally arrived. Take it the Cursed Ones never made prey outta you. Hah, indeed!

The door creaks open slowly, revealing a few stone steps leading into a truly colossal main hall. The lobby of this castle is something unseen by any normal being. The floors are polished marble, so shiny that one could easily see their reflection in the tiles. Yet it reforms from the mirror-like appeal it sends. While very polished, the flooring retains its stony appearance.

An old man appears from behind the door, brandishing a cane and laughing to himself. His wrinkled face and hunched body indicate that he is a very elderly person. His slick white hair is by no means dirty, but it has a certain quality that makes it look worn and uncared for.

So, the Zora and the Goron approve of you now. No doubt the Human has great expectations of you as well. After all, you saw his face. But there's a reason I'm here to block your entrance. You see, I don't hide my features like the other fools. I prefer to let my enemies know the face of the one who will ultimately end them. I am Orias, and I am your doom, bard!

Surrounded by blinking light, the cane is replaced by an odd, knarled staff. The hunch in the old man's spine seems to reverse, and he stands to full height. As if strucken by some dark plague, he begins to laugh manically, while at the same time lashing out at Victor with his staff.

Orias - Dark Mage Stats.

HP: 30
STR:1
DEF:2
AGI:1
INT:4
SPI:4
SPL:40
Staff DMG: 7
ARM Class: 10

Victor's eyes widened as he watched the old man begin to attack him. Luckily, he had not sheathed his dagger from before, so the Bard was in a fighting stance soon enough. He also managed to fish out his shield again, which would offer him at least some protection from the mage's attacks. Ready to get the fight over with, Victor thrusted his dagger towards Orias...

Orias's wrinkled face shows sign of a smile. The old mage must find great joy in fighting complete strangers. After failing to inflict any damage on Victor with his first swing, the old man cries out as he stumbles into the bard's dagger in mid-slash. Victor's attack (19+3+1[Roll+AGI+Bonus]) erupts past the mage's defense of 12 and deals a devastating seven points of damage.

Grunting as he is gouged at by the dagger, Orias barely manages to charge an Elemental Explosion. The powerful attack tha has been the mage has trained expertly flashes as it explodes in a fiery rage, the element that Orias has chosen for this turn. Victor is almost able to escape (18+1[Roll+SPI]) but is consumed by the raging flames (5+3+4+5[Lvl+Base+INT+L3 Bonus]).

The attack is a terrible display of magical efficiency, taking its toll of 17 points from Victor's health. Fortunately for Victor, the explosion was made in such close quarters that Orias is knocked senseless, temporarily.

Victor HP: 24
Orias HP: 23
Orias SPL: 26

Not grunting, but shouting in pain from the mage's attack, Victor has no time to celebrate his hit. Rather, he uses Orias's temporary unconsciousness to his advantage, driving his dagger down upon the old man. Though the Bard felt bad for his enemy, he remembered that the mage had attacked him for no reason, and so Victor did not show any mercy...

The old mage's temporary lapse lasts five seconds. The short time is an eternity on the battlefield, however, and because of it Victor is sure to get his attack in.The dagger catches Orias off his guard and deals the expected damage (7+3+2+5[Roll+AGI+Bonus+Reaction]). This maneouver startles the elderly scholar and jolts him back into consciousess.

Yelling out a fierce battlecry in some strange language, the mage somersaults backwards and jumps to his feet, ducking low and standing in a ready offensive position. Lungeing forward, he decides to use a physical attack again, careful not to make the mistake of dropping his defenses again. Orias's attack (20+1[Roll+AGI]) devastates Victor's defensive rating of five and makes contact. The thick wood cracks into the bard's chest at a wild pace, dealing seven points of damage.

Victor HP: 17
Orias HP: 16
Orias SPL: 26