In the wintry room, Shada glances around in every direction, searching for some clue as to who this mystery informer could be. 'I never thought we'd find an ally in the Hakiems' base...I wonder...' Hearing Rose's concern, the Sheikah mutters her suspicions. "She spoke of the Hakiems as if she was...above them. Could it be that the Hakiems themselves don't know of her?

"I'm not sure Rose...I'm not sure if she even is a Hakiem. If she was, why wouldn't she just capture or kill us right here and now? Besides," she glances over as the frozen portion of the wall where Alex had tossed a single seed. "These things do certainly seem to work. We don't have to trust her; but we should at least hear what she said. And I don't see how having seeds that can freeze stuff could hurt us." Still confused, like never before in her life, Shada grabs a bag from her belt and fills it up with the Arctic Seeds.

As Blank's Arctic Seeds strike the torches, their flame is suddenly frozen solid, with a block of ice in the same shape replacing the blazes. This ice slowly shadders and falls to the ground, and as it does so the section of the wall in between the torches slides down, revealing a very tiny room on the other side. All that the room holds is a shelf, and on that shelf is a tiny chest.

OOC: I don't have an ammo bag or a bomb bag, but can I still RP Rose grabbing some?

Blank nearly submits to cardiac arrest. that is, he clutches his rapidly beating heart as the treasure comes into sight. At last! The mind-boggling mystery behind the torches was deciphered. That had always been his favourite word. Mystery. (OOC: I crack myself up )

He stepped into the room, glancing cautiously left and right for signs of a trap. Then, he gripped the small chest in his right hand and opened it slowly, already knowing the treasure that lay inside; the Hakiem Robe. What could it possibly be used for? Disguise? Stat-boosting? The nomad did not care, he had successfully found a bit of treasure. A lucky break indeed.

OOC: Sure thing, HNS. Shada doesn't have an ammo bag either (Alpha does, but not Shada. )

IC:
Blank is to be surprised. Inside the chest is no robe - rather, it is a small key. Perfect for the use of unlocking a number of items. Including the bars locking the group inside these rooms.

OOC: Most excellent.

IC:
Shada's words put Rose's fears to a rest. To a point. She takes a bag from her hip and places some seeds in them. "Now where do we go?" she asks.

Shada shrugs at Rose's question. "I'm not sure. I guess we ought to go see what Blank's up to."

* * *

INTERLUDE 2
Bang! The sound came from inside Alpha’s cell. Bang! Alpha’s hands grasped the rock tightly as he brought it down onto his shackles again. Bang!

The door to his cell abruptly opened, revealing Karunik standing there. “We couldn’t think of a better place to put this, Keyru Varaudo. This little one needs to calm down a bit before we release her back into the rest of the world - it wouldn’t do to have her rowdiness accidentally cause her to discover the location of our secret base.” He stepped aside, and two Hakiems behind him threw a young Rito girl onto the cold stone floor. She slid to a stop right at the Sheikah’s feet.

“Another hostage, Karunik?”

“She was. Her name is Calla - the daughter of the late Horohn.” The Hakiems leader shrugged while Alpha’s eyes shot down to Calla, just lying there. Her closed eyes still allowed tears to emerge from the slits, showing that she was just faking her unconscious condition. Karunik continued. “Now that Horohn’s dead - he committed suicide, actually, just so Zaboorak couldn’t get his power - Calla is of no further use to us. That includes the use of revenge. Don’t worry yourself about her; she’ll be released as soon as she learns to calm down.”

He turned away and the door closed again. The Rito girl slowly raised her head and brushed away another tear before, surprisingly, grinning at Alpha. “Hi! I’m Calla. Who’re you?”

Blank instantly had a second thought. No robe? Augh... Oh, A key! He turned from the chest, stepping casually into the Healing Room. He returned to the Winter Tree room, where the rest of the party had remained. He bore a great smile on his face, and the hand which held his new key was now behind his back. "So, everyone, guess what I found?" he said, grinning like an excited boy and glad that he had found the item. He had a new plan now, but he required the accompaniment of his companions. He showed Shada and the others the key, and explained his plan.

"I say we backtrack to the room with the Piranhells, y'know? With the unreachable room? We have enough free, Arctic Seeds at our disposal to freeze the water now, and we won't lose any magic power," he explained. "Or Health," he added, referring to Shada's unfortunate encounter with the vicious fish. "This key should let is get back there, and the seeds can help us get further.

So do you think it's safe for me to go alone, Shada? Or should we all go, in case of an ambush?" The thought of ten Hakiems soldiers attacking him as he progressed to the treasure alone crossed his mind.

OOC: Sorry, Alpha, guess Blank came to you this time

Shada grins. "I think it's safe period. Remember what that woman said? This place was sealed away almost twenty years ago. No one comes here anymore anyway; we're probably the first people to set foot in here in years." With a shrug, she continues. "But it doesn't look like there's anything else here for us. We might as well all go at once."

Blank shrugged at the notion of the place being sealed away for so long. "They must not test their initiates as harshly any more. And that Dyquis thing was probably just lonely," laughed the nomad, his smile fading as he recalled the terrible monster. "Well, if your mind's set, let's get going."

The Hylian made his way back to the chamber that connected to the Healing Room - and the now Blank-dubbed "Secret Torch Room." He looked at his new key, placing it in the box, turning his hand until the point when a familiar click! might be heard.

As Blank turns the key, the long-awaited click! finally comes. The bars slowly fall into the floor, taking the key along with it. The door back to the room they had almost drowned in can now be accessed again.

Blank gasped as his key disappeared beneath the floor, and he almost lunged for it before realizing that he probably would not have a use for it again. He shrugged - he had been doing this a lot lately, learning to accept that some things in this base were inevitable, and the best thing one could do was to accept them.

He glanced at the hole that the waterfall had flown through. "You know, if the drop were something that we could all survive, I sure wouldn't mind taking that as a shortcut to Alpha's level." he said jokingly, knowing that the drop would kill. He opened the door and proceeded to the enormous bridge strewn chamber.

Here, he gathered his remaining Arctic Seeds and prepared to scatter them on the water. As he did, he realized that the effect may be greater if the party threw their seeds all at once. Too late, he thought, shrugging yet again. He watched the water carefully, observing the thickness of the ice. "Here's the deal, Shada." the Hylian said with an apologetic tone to his voice. "Last time, you got hurt because of my reckless idea. I'll be the first to step on the ice."

OOC: omg guys. im just going to post a good long post of what i missed.

DYQUIS DEAD--Dogura watched the savage beast sink into the murkey depths from where it came. He sheathed his dagger and sighed, glad he was finally out of the way.

HEALING-- Dogura knealt down, and scooped up a couple of hearts. He drank some of the smelly green liquid, and regained his magic. Good as new, he followed the group into the next room.

MY NUTS-- Dogura sheilded his eyes, and when he opened them, the woman had dissapeared without a trace. At first unsure about trusting her, he noticed the others taking her words for real. Without so much as a third thought, he opened up his ammo bag, and stuffed a couple of seeds in it, but not before trying one out. He pitched one at the wall, and as if Ice magicly spread, the wall froze. Dogura was quite impresed as he shoved more in the sack.

THE PRESENT: Dogura was glad to be makeing some sort of progress as the door swung open.He noticed Blank was going to risk what wasnt necissary. Dogura thought and shouted before Blank took his step. "What if there is a switch on the other side to get us all safely across?" (OOC: That happenes a lot in Zelda games) Dogura thought and spoke once more. "Grenada, you're very light being a deku. Perhaps the ice would'nt break as easy if you got across, and look for a switch." Dogura decided to search the room for traps first with a Disarm Trap, just to ensure everyones saftey.
OOC: Im using that ability first alpha. Your dungeon is about as predictable as 3000 sided dice (but i like that, it makes me eager for more)

*Sploosh* Ah. Raven pours one of the bottles of water he found over his head and clothes to get the slimy, acidic mess that the Dyquis had sprayed all over him - twice.

He picks up three of the strange seeds and grinds them round in his hand. He puts two of them away in a bag he has attached to the back of his belt and closed his hand around the remaining seed. He found that though the seeds had freezing powers the seed itself was not cold not even after holding it for an extended period of time. It was not the seed that was responsable for its power but what was inside it. Pleased with his disovery he put it in the bag along the the other items he had collected on this quest.

this had better be good. kasei picks up a handfull of seeds and places them in his bomb bag.

Cloud walks to the tree and picks a satchel full of seeds.

Ahh, these things are cold!