Hyrule Adventures 2

Thealter was amused. These kids around him certainly thought well. But not well enough. He swiftly cut through the clouds towards that purple thing. It seemed rupee enough, a fifty at that. He halted for a moment in his fast pace jog, to shake his head at that other thief, Arrika, in partaking in the obstacle course. She was above that. But the prize in Alpha's hand looked good enough. Then he was on his way, soon reaching his target, but he had to be sure. Was it indeed a rupee (Insight Check).

Orpheous wasn't contended to shut his yes, not yet. Instead, he continued to look around, looking for anything out note, just something that wasn't a tourist attraction, preferably a nice good ol' museum (Awareness check for something of note).

OOC: Just two persistent characters, nothing to see here.

OOC: Dang ZV, that was a monster of a post. I applaud you for it. Oh, and Alpha says he is willing to consider healing Dogura now. Taint and Morgoth will have to wait for more favo--I mean, for Alpha to be in a better mood again. Yes. Better mood.

BETTER MOOD IS WHAT I MEANT.

IC:
It seemed that Arrika's little comment was coming back to bite her -- Alpha had never put much faith in karma, but it seemed quite sweet that she be repaid for leaving the Sheikah mage behind with those kids. The lithe thief had moved through the course with ease, showing flexibility and dexterity that would put gymnasts to shame, but she failed to sense that final obstacle and was thrown off at the last second. What a shame . . . but it gave him a chance to try for it. The prize would, apparently, be worthless to him, but that didn't phase him -- he was doing this to do it, not to win something.

He darted through the first round with ease, his naturally Sheikah speed having never failed him and not choosing to start now. The moment he stopped cold, dropping into a battle stance without even thinking about it. Master Zaris would have been proud at the sight of his victory in that round, his senses detecting the sudden motion of air from the upcoming dummy even before he saw the target -- his fist connected just as swiftly as it had risen.

Without hesitation he switched back to speed mode, slicing through the air like a lightning through ChuChus. Attacks came from all sides -- but that was nothing new for an enemy of the Hakiems Tribe, and especially not for a practitioner of the Rohtra Hiran style. That fighting style was designed around dodging attacks coming from all direcitons, and Alpha put all his faith in that training now -- and sure enough, it came through for him, just as it always had.

Pausing at the final leap, he shot a smirk to Arrika. 'Leave me with those kids, will you?' The mace swung past and Alpha leapt out, landing with a grin. He pocketed the money and took hold of the boots by their tongues. "Well, that was fun," he chuckled, walking up to Arrika, "though like he said, these aren't exactly my size." He held them out to her . . .

And abruptly pulled them back with a laugh. "Wonder if Sakiko would like them?" he teased.

* * *

Yukie chomped down on the bun with a ferocity that seemed quite unbecomin' fer such an old person. Not that he cared; it was all he could do to stop eatin' long enough to squeak out a "Mhm!" in response ta Cap'n's praisin' o' the pastry. The Zora was already movin' along at a purty good pace when Yukie finally finished 'is snack; took a good deal o' runnin' and dodgin' thru the crowd to catch up. Jist in time ta watch the Zora disappear inside that big tent.

He charged forward, only ta have that there Burlyman step in fronta him. "Woah, woah there buddy! This is the Battle Tent -- people fighting for their lives inside. I already feel bad enough for that Zora I just let in, so there's no way that I'm letting a tiny little Scrub inside!" He hauled back and laughed, provin' that he weren't "sorry" in the slightest. Yukie simply narrowed his eyes into orange slits.

A minute later, and the guy had run off screamin' fer water. Apparently, somethin' like havin' 'is hair lit on fire didn't seem ta sit well with Burlyman; buuuuut he got outta the way, so Yukie weren't about to say nuthin.

The Deku skipped inside with his stand'rd flippincy, laughin' at Taint's opponent as the Zora humiliated him ta no end. Afta a couple o' minutes, he ran the guy straight thru, but impressively managed ta miss anythin' vital. That right there took skill, and Cap'n hadn't even needed ta try fer it. A moment passed, where Taint were callin' out fer anuther fighter, and the Deku suddenly smirked.

Waltzin' over ta the ring, he was jist about ta hop in when a hand shot out 'n grabbed 'is collar. "No way, Scrubby, this guy's all mine!" The man threw Yukie right over his head -- he cursed 'is no good light-weighted-ness fer the hundredth time -- and the Deku hadta work to somersault in a way that landed 'im on his feet. He glanced up ta see the man still climbin' over tha ropes ta reach Taint, clutching a wicked lookin' mace in his hand. He were a monster in size, too -- behemoth mighta be a suitable term fer 'im.

And then Yukie disappeared.

He reappeared right on top o' the man's forehead, smashin' his fist right smack dab in between 'is eyes. As he staggered back, the Deku slipped down his back, grabbing the collar o' Mr. Behemoth's shirt and yankin', using the momentum the man already had to get 'im ta trip over the ropes. Yukie landed on the ground first, and the moment his feet touched down magic rippled thru the earth. A crater appeared right where Behemoth's head was gonna land, and when he finally stopped he did indeed have 'is head buried in the dirt. With anuther stomp o' his foot, Yukie closed the hole 'round the man's neck, givin' him just enough room ta keep breathin' fer a few minutes; if he were as strong as he looked, he could dig thru a couple inches o' soil before he used up all 'is air.

"Now then," the Deku spat before hoppin' back into the ring, "Cap'n! How's 'bout we give this here crowd a fight ta remember!" He drew his Twin Deku Sword fer the first time that day n' gleefally dropped into a fightin' stance o' his own.

OOC: Don't know if you'd anticipated this one ZV, but the moment I read about this place I knew I had to get a Yukie vs. Taint thing going. I do so loves me some good RP battles.

(P.S. -- Alpha will be in a better mood if you allow this. Just FYI.)

IC:

Arrika's eyes narrowed immediately. "...she looks like she could use them. She's a bit on the slow side," she said flippantly.

She looked at him with guarded suspicion. Was he purposely teasing her, or...? Probably was. Alpha was too clever to just say things like that for no reason.

In accordance to her calculating nature (and her feminine disposition) she began to run through every moment in her mind where she or Sakiko may have scored a point. She had that old party, didn't she, the one with the mysterious pastry...? Not sure if the crow's nest counted, as people had incessantly appeared and interrupted them... No doubt something had gone on between the two mages during her year-long absence, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that Sakiko was safely ahead, no matter how unpleasant the thought was. Always expect nothing, or the worst, and you would never be disappointed.

She looped her arm through his with an uncannily sweet smile upon her face. "How about we go find her right now, so you won't have to keep carrying these around?" She'd find out if he was serious or not, and, well, if he was... she wouldn't mind throwing precious Saki off by arriving on his arm, at the very least.

OoC: Saki baited you, didn't she

------------------------------Thealter------------------------------

Thealter's insight check passed, and it was in fact, a purple rupee! Worth a whopping 50, one would wonder who would just leave one lying around. He stopped in front of it, the rupee now clearly visible as a lucky break for the masquerading money maker. However, upon closer inspection, it looked... off. It almost looked like a counterfeit rupee.

"Hey, you. Don't make a scene, or we'll kill you." A voice came from the darkness of the ally. A giant shape moved in front of the entrance to the ally. It looked to be a fat guy blocking his way out. The heavy man leaned against the entrance casually, eating a cinnamon bun. Four figures appeared surrounding Thealter, each with a dagger in hand. They all wore the same type of clothing- stitched up burlap. Lowly thieves looking to rob an unsuspecting victim. One had blue hair, which curved around his face. The second had dark brown hair pushed up into two separate MoHawks. The third had scruffy brown hair, and suspenders over his rags. The leader, it seemed, had orange hair, which was tucked under a red bandanna. He spoke again. "Hand over everything you have. Or face death. If you scream, or cry out for help, we'll kill you anyways, and head back to our hideout. We're the notorious Everbreeze Killer Wasps. We don't get caught. You scared yet, punk? C'mon I ain't playin' games, hand it all over."

Ivan-
Vagabond//Thief
STR- 5
DEF- 3
AGI- 4
INT- 2
SPI- 1
SPL --
HP- 15
Weapon- Iron Dagger
1H
Base Power: 3

Jin-
Vagabond//Thief
STR- 3
DEF- 2
AGI- 6
INT- 1
SPI- 6
SPL --
HP- 10
Weapon- Iron Dagger
1H
Base Power: 3

Jan-
Vagabond//Thief
STR- 4
DEF- 4
AGI- 3
INT- 4
SPI- 1
SPL --
HP- 10
Weapon- Iron Dagger
1H
Base Power: 3

Jun-Roberto.
Vagabond//Thief
STR- 3
DEF- 5
AGI- 5
INT- 1
SPI- 2
SPL --
HP- 10
Weapon- Iron Dagger
1H
Base Power: 3

------------------------------Orpheous------------------------------
Orpheous' awareness check passes, and he notices a little building with the faded words, "Museum of Everbreeze History". There wasn't a line, and the sign read "open". Why not take a look inside? Inside the store, a lot of dusty nick knacks sat under cases. The owner appeared to be asleep at the counter. Business wasn't exactly booming. If he was quiet enough, he's be able to tour the museum without being charged the admission fee!

------------------------------Taint & Yukie------------------------------

Taint was a little shocked at Yukie's appearance into the ring. "You want to fight? I don't want to actually hurt you! I really couldn't fight all out against a friend. I mean, if there were some really skilled clerics on the island, maybe."

"The best clerics in Hyrule come from Everbreeze Island." A man stated from the side of the ring. He was old, wearing a sailer cap, and a pipe hung out of his mouth. "Yesserie-bob, we've got some talented ones here. The two senior clerics here even know how to resurrect people from after death. Neither of them have ever had a patient die under their care. Only ones they can't operate on are fairies. In any case, seein' as how neither of ya are fairies, and both of them are on duty right now, y'all are safer than a stay at home momma."

Taint was relieved to hear that. He was starting to feel sorry for the man he impales a few moments ago. Good to know he'd be alright. That being said, he and his crew could fight all they wanted, and be completely fine. "Alright then Yukie, you heard him! Allow me to show you why I'm a captain!" Taint took a stance and readied his sword. "Let's get to it then!" Taint shot towards Yukie and took a simple slash at the Deku. He knew Yukie would avoid it- probably by a quick leap. He readied an elemental burst in his hands, and prepared for the counter! Thinking ahead wasn't the Zora's strong-suit; but his talks with a seasoned samurai warrior proved one thing to him- he had to start sometime. Might as well be now.

OOC: No problem! En Guard, Yukie!

"It's a shame. Din, Nayru, and Farore, it's a shame in front of them all. Not that I believe in them," he commented, after staying silent for a moment or two. "I'll tell you something. I would have let you off, until you mentioned you were notorious. I can't let you four disgrace the name of real thieves, like that Sheikahn girl by the obstacle course or MYSELF. You are all pathetic, and I will turn you in for that, after I teach you all my own lesson."

They were no doubt severely angered now. This would make them more foolish in battle, because it takes a true warrior to harness fury, something these four were not. He brought down his hand in a striking motion towards the ground, hand open and outstretched. "Elemental Explosion," he cried, basely. They would suffer for their blasphemy [Elemental Explosion L1][-14 SPL].

OOC: Thealter's stats are as follows.

Stats
STR: 4
DEF(rating): 16
AGI: 4
INT: 6
SPI: 5
SPL: 64
HP: 53

Talents
Goron Strength L1 (included in stats)
Goron Strength L2 (included in stats)
Goron Strength L3 (included in stats)
Deku Agility L1 (included in stats)
Deku Agility L2 (included in stats)
Deku Agility L3 (included in stats)
Zora Spirit L1 (included in stats)
Zora Spirit L2 (included in stats)
Exceptional Spell L1 (included in stats)
Exceptional Spell L2 (included in stats)
Exceptional Health L1 (included in stats)
Exceptional Health L2 (included in stats)
Train: Slingshot L1
Learn: Elemental Burst L1
Learn: Elemental Burst L2
Learn: Life L1
Learn: Elemental Explosion L1
Learn: Fire L1

CURRENT HEALTH AND SPL
HP: 53
SPL: 50

IC: Orpheous began to look through some interesting facts, meanwhile. He needed to know something. Was this Windfall Isle, of so many years prior? Orpheous searched everywhere he could, he had to know [Awareness Check + 9 WILLPOWER].

(FOR LETH AND MAYBE TAYRO)

The Antros in the meantime docked beside the pirate ship pirated by Taint. Cecile then let off any others who wished to join Taint's expedition, or just the festival.

OOC: No comment, Arrika.

IC:
Alpha glanced over at his fellow Sheikah as she hooked her arm through his. It wasn't a reaction to the sudden contact, though; rather, it was his reaction to her own. He'd half expected a thief like her to simply snatch the boots from his hands; that would have been quite an impressive feat. It wouldn't have been easy knowing his own reflexes, but surely . . . hm, no, wait, maybe that was wrong. Maybe taking them while he was watching would have been disgraceful to a thief. Or maybe Arrika thought it would be too easy to grab something so close to her face. The thrill of thievery, he'd once been told, lay in the challenge it takes to get the object in question.

Still, something about that look Arrika had given him moments before looping her arm through his said that she'd hoped to have the shoes for herself. A shame she hadn't at least said so, then. He'd have given them to her have them if she had.

But her choice was made now; too late. "Let's," he replied with a smile, tugging her arm forward with his own. 'Where would she be, though . . .' he thought, stretching out with his senses, trying to pick his fellow mage's aura out of the crowd. That was not a simple task, even for him, so he simply settled on seeking out something that felt . . . magical in nature. Something that would attract a mage's attention. [Awareness Check - Seeking something that deals with Magic]

* * *

"You want to fight? I don't want to actually hurt you!"

The Deku nearly laughed aloud at that, and in his mind was such a riot that he couldn't e'en hear the rest of what was bein' said. 'Hurt me? My, my! Cap'n, I fear yer a bit too confident in yerself - either that, or ya ain't confident enough in me!' Of course, he'd seen Yukie's fine handlin' of Mr. Behemoth mere moments ago -- that hadta have made some sorta impact, right?

He caught something bein' yelled about Evabreeze clerics, and then Taint seemed more than happy ta come at 'im. So no, no impact at all. 'Then I'll just hafta be educatin' him meself!' Yukie thought with a wide grin. He was practically hoping on one foot now in anticipation. "Alright then Yukie, you heard him! Allow me to show you why I'm a captain!" Taint took a stance and readied his sword. "Let's get to it then!"

The Zora shot forward with a speed that was admir--well, er, it was respectable, at least. A quick look at the stance showed that he weren't gonna feint with this blow, but neither was he plannin' to put all his power inta it. A good sign -- Cap'n had brains, and brains were far better'n brawn here!

And brains were what let 'im sense the buildup o' magic in the Zora's hands.

When Taint was but a foot away the Deku's swords flashed into action. Before he'd caught the whiff of spellcastin' he'd been plannin' ta dodge, jist as Taint'd predicted, but now instead he intercepted the blow with the blade in his right hand. He'd been right; the attack lacked the power needed ta break thru the Deku's defense, and he swatted it aside like a fly (a really darn big fly. Or maybe it coulda been a bird. Hard ta tell, honestly). In the same motion his left sword shot out and jammed right into the space where the Elemental Burst was bein' formed. His own magic shot up the length o' the blade, mixing in with Taint's and disrupting it -- the attack shattered.

For the coup de grâce, he took a quick breath before blowin' twin tongues o' Fire from his lips. They whipped around in the air for a split second before shottin' up straight past Taint's head, each coming mere millimeters from 'is ears. Some mighta thought the Deku had missed -- at least, those who hadn't collectively gasped in shock at the sight of a Deku using Fire-based magic -- but any real fighter woulda known. He was jist givin' the Zora boy a bit o' warning.

"Ya certainly started off quickly," the Deku chirped happily, an entirely inappropriate tone o' voice for this kinda situation. "A swift sword strike, readyin' a magic spell at the same time -- Speed, Strength, and Skill. All essentially, and ya got 'em all, that be fer sure." He disengaged and hopped away a few feet. "Only problem bein', I got 'em too. Ya didn't know that, or if ya did, ya didn't realize it."

He laughed heartily. "Know yer enemy, right? They say that's half the battle right there!" And as if wantin' ta show Taint how exactly that worked, the Deku started hopin' in a circle around the Zora, feintin' in and out several times. When he thought the Zora was least prepared fer it, he abruptly leapt straight o'er the top o' him, spinnin' to the left. His left blade shot up defensively, lookin' ta block any attacks from above, and then the right snaked around ta grab a bit o' Cap'n's leg.

------------------------------Thealter------------------------------
From Thealter's hand sprung forth possibly the best element possible for this situation. A spell of nature caused the earth around them to turn green for a moment before returning to normal. There was a long pause. "What a clown. Let's kill him." Jin remarked about to make his move. Before any of them could react however, wooden roots shot up from the soil, coiling around all four foes. Ivan dropped his dagger in surprise. "What is this? A tree came to save him?" The roots wrapped around their entire bodies, and lastly their faces, turning all of their screams to muffled cries. There was no resistance. The roots, in one swift jerking motion, constricted entirely, turning the thieves into bloody pulps inside their respective wooden cocoons. The roots then returned to the earth from which they came, taking their kills with them.

(ROLLS: Ivan:18 Jin:13 Jan:1 Jin-Roberto:6)VS(20) ALL FAIL.

When Thealter looked up, the large man blocking the exit had vanished. Probably saw what happened, and threw up what he ate of that food he was eating. In any case, the murders were quiet, clean, and the bodies were disposed of within in the spell itself. Nobody seemed to notice, nobody would care that they were gone, and the bodies would never be found. It would probably become one of those unsolved mysteries that is told of for generations.

------------------------------Orpheous------------------------------
Orpheous' awareness check passed easily, and he immediately noticed noticed a display case that seemed to be the smoking gun on the issue. It was a pictograph box clearly; but it was one of the oldest models imaginable. The display box read, "The first ever "Deluxe Pictograph Box". Under the title, it went on to say, "This is the very first Pictograph Box ever instilled with color. It was created long ago by Pictograph enthusiast, Edward Lenso. This Pictograph Box was said to be used by the great "Hero of Winds" himself. That, however, cannot be proven by today's standards of research."

Any historian would know that Edward Lenso lived on an island called "Windfall Island", and that the first Deluxe Pictograph box was a product of that island. It's what eventually made the island more famous than it already was! If Orpheous needed more proof than that, there was sure to be more in the museum. But as it turned out, Orpheous' hunch was correct. He'd have a neat story to tell his crew at the great feast tonight.

------------------------------Taint & Yukie------------------------------
Taint's spell blew up in his face- an unexpected outcome that he hadn't thought ahead to. Flames shot upwards past his head, and he was able to jump out of the way of them before they could come crashing back down. Sweat was visible on his temples. I really almost was a fish stick... He thought trying to remain calm. A calm mind is an essential key to victory. He remembered Dogura saying that a lot. It was true, and the Zora tried to remain level headed. He'd have to be at his all for this one, clearly. The Deku was on the attack again, flipping over the top of him.

He brought his sword down on top of the little bugger, but it was blocked. Yukie had thought ahead to that, and was anticipating a strike from above. Taint watched as his dagger made way for his leg. You want a piece of my leg? HAVE SOME. He brought his boot over the blade for a heavy kick that would be sure to pack a punch if it landed. Unfortunately for Taint, he'd never made direct contact with Yukie. If his kick landed, he'd learn the hard way how hard an old Deku's bark gets.

------------------------------Alpha & Arrika------------------------------
Alpha's awareness check succeeds, and he spots a tent that read "RARE MAGICAL ITEMS". Across from it was a tent that read, "Spell-casting." Dogura and Morgoth could be seen entering the "RARE MAGICAL ITEMS" tent. Maybe one of them had seen Sakiko.

------------------------------Dogura & Morgoth------------------------------
Dogura had chosen the last tent, so he allowed Morgoth to choose the next attraction. Morgoth was drawn in by the "RARE MAGICAL ITEMS" tent. While the samurai was more than certain that none of the items were "rare", he was still curious about it. As they entered the tent a old woman in a cloak welcomed them. There was a table set up inside, and a few children perusing the "rare items". Morgoth looked around the room at the display. There was a magic wand, a book that had the words "magik" scribbled on it, and a novelty deck of cards that was made for magic tricks. Dogura put a hand over his face for the second time at the festival. It was worse than he thought.

"How much for the jar?" Morgoth asked pointing to the vase sitting on the table. The woman looked at it, and then back to him with a strange look in her eye. "Oh, that's not for sale, it's just a flower vase!" Morgoth walked over to it and ran a bony hand over it. "I'll give you twenty rupees for it." She put her hands on her hips. "Well, it belonged to my great grandma..." Morgoth's eye shot up to her. "Who was your great grandma?" Dogura was taken aback by this, and wondered why the necromancer was so interested in the jar. He walked over to it and placed a hand on it. It was smooth- but that was the least interesting of its qualities. It harbored a strong magic within it. It seemed to be the only "rare magic item" in the shop. One thing was for certain- it was no ordinary vase.

"I'll give you fifty rupees for it." Morgoth countered. The lady gasped at the large amount offered for the vase. "M-My great grandma was a lowly widow, so far as papers show. Why?" Morgoth looked back at the vase. "...It's pretty. I want it." The lady closed her eyes and thought hard for several moments before nodded in defeat. "Very well, fifty rupees." She held out her hand, and Morgoth placed a purple rupee in it. He smiled and emptied the flowers out of the vase, spilling dirt and water on the ground. "Thanks for your business?" She asked confused as the duo left. Morgoth held the vase close and watched it carefully. Dogura's curiosity was killing him. "What do you know about it?" He commanded. The old man smiled at Dogura. "It's pretty."

"You wouldn't have bought it if it was just pretty!" Dogura yelled angrily.

It is 4:00PM on Everbreeze Isle.

Alpha blinked twice at the subtle sensation that he felt -- he had indeed located a few magically-related locations, though neither one seemed exactly what he had anticipated. Letting his crimson gaze follow the direction of his mind's eye, he spotted two different locations. 'Spell-casting', read one's sign; 'RARE MAGICAL ITEMS', claimed the other. Somehow he doubted the latter had anything to do with such things . . . and yet he couldn't help but feel he had brushed up against something powerful within that very tent.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of two people he recognized entering the ITEMS tent; well, they narrowed at one of them. Dogura he was somewhat surprised to see heading in there . . . Morgoth, though, worried him. The magic of the dead, and the magic he had felt within that tent . . . it was enough to make him forget about finding Sakiko for a moment.

Glancing at Arrika, he nodded towards the tent just before Morgoth left their field of vision. "There's something in that tent," he muttered to her, all business now. "I don't feel comfortable with that necromancer so close to it. Come on." He kept their arms entwined and tugged her forwards, keeping his mind focused on that tent and the auras within. Dogura could handle the necromancer, but . . . he just didn't feel comfortable with this.

* * *

Yukie's eyes widened slightly at how Taint somehow managed ta not only track 'is quick hop, but then dodge the sword strike 'n turn the motion inta a counter o' his own. Without losin' his balance, neither! Haha, that was fantastic--!

The boot slammed right into the side of the Deku's head 'n sent 'im flyin' halfway 'cross the stage. He were still laughin', impressed by Cap'n's actions right there -- though it obviously implied that he hadn't felt none o' that attack. The bark o' his head was so hard, Taint mighta even got 'is foot hurt from th' impact.

He landed, turned th' would-been crash into a quick roll, and plopped back up onta his feet, still grinnin' wide. "Nicely done, Cap'n!" he called out, not exaggeratin' in the slightest. "Gonna hafta hit a bit harder though -- didja know 'bout us Deku Scrubs? We're part tree, right? Well, tree bark gits tougha and tougha the longer it lives -- same fer us Scrubs! At a hundred n' six, my skin's prob'ly harder 'an most Gorons!"

A few more moments of mirth, then Yukie let the prancin' come ta an end. His hoisted 'is blades once again. Taint had some idea o' what he was facin' now, but the Deku still had only scratched th' surface o' what his opponent were capable of. 'Seems 'bout time I got m'self a bit seri'us too . . .' Without waitin' anuther second, the Deku spat out a trio o' Fireballs from his mouth, each one the size o' his head. Soon as the third was loosed, he charged forth in its wake, blades brandished 'n itchin' fer some scales.

In 'is mind's eye, he focused in on Taint and watched how he were reactin' ta the flames. Soon as he had a good idea o' it in mind he leapt skyward, a good fifteen er twenty feet inta the air. His descent shot 'im straight fer Taint, and he brought one o' his blades straight down for the Zora's . . . eh, 'is shoulder. Didn't wanna stab 'im in the head fer no reason.

The second blade he kept at th' ready, ta be used fer defense if needed . . .

Thealter frowned. He wanted them alive, so he could turn them in. They should do time for their arrogance because they were self-proclaimed "notorious" thieves. Oh well, he heard the deepest pits of the hellish afterlife was held for blasphemers. They might be punished yet. Maybe he too would find his home amongst them someday. But that day wasn't today.

Then there was the lack of bodies. Now he couldn't even bring them in and claim the bounty they had racked up, or take any coin that they had somehow happened across, because they certainly didn't have the talent to steal it. So, he had wasted his magic only to see them die, not even suffer. Now, the spell was too quick to torture them. He goaded the gods, "I doubt they had many rupees anyways, no need to bless me with their purses."

He walked out into the street, not even covered with blood for his previous encounter. And did his eyes behold. That Shadow leading around the lithe thief. An inner beast within him, perhaps one of envy even, growled in disposition towards the two. But he knew his place. His show of power may have been great against those so called thieves, but the Shadow could end Thealter's life like a bug beneath his heel. Instead, he only walked away from the sight that displeased him so, choosing to find something else to hold his passing interest. Maybe there was more rupees to be found in this festival, real rupees, not that counterfeit product the Wasp's used to bait [Awareness check for discarded REAL rupees].

---

Orpheous was pleased, he had found exactly what he was looking for. This was Windfall. If they were sailing too the north to Gossip Isle from Papara, the Great Sea must have resided to the north, not the south. Orpheous got out his charts of the Great Sea and work out the navigation travel in his own mind. All his time, he had heard the Hero of Winds sailed North to find new Hyrule, was it all a lie [Insight Check].

---

Meanwhile, the Antros indeed to stay docked until the morning after the day of the festival. The festivities had caught the captains eyes, and he didn't intend to leave soon. Well...to be truthful, something more than the festivities had attracted him. One of Hyrule's most wanted man was supposed to reside on this island, Cecile intended to meet him, and kill him.

OOC: No need to indulge Cecile, ZV, I'll either tell his story with my Everbreeze crook in my upcoming posts, or just save it for a fanfic later. I can't honestly decide right now, but at least it gives a canon reason for him to be here, and even further, to wish to stay.

"Let's," he replied with a smile, tugging her arm forward with his own.

A flash of disappointment crossed her face and she felt her free hand twitch towards the knife at her side; it was an unfortunate habit she had, whenever facing something that displeased her.

"There's something in that tent," he muttered to her, all business now. "I don't feel comfortable with that necromancer so close to it. Come on."

"That makes two of us," Arrika replied, glad to see she wasn't the only one who distrusted Morgoth.

Alpha transitioned from lighthearted to predatory with ease. She pushed aside the impulse to dig her heels into the ground when he pulled her forward, however, as getting close to the necromancer was never on her itinerary. But this was Alpha, and the weight of his arm on hers was reassuring enough to let her lead her away in the end.

------------------------------Dogura, Morgoth, Arrika, & Alpha------------------------------
Morgoth looked the vase over, and by the look on his face, he was quite content with his purchase. "I won't ask you again-" Dogura stopped his sentence short when Alpha and Arrika came into view. Dogura raised an eyebrow at the two. Arm in arm? Are they... No, Alpha isn't capable of compassion... Is he? Best not to ask. "Ah, Arrika! Are you enjoying yourself?" Dogura asked with a smile. He asked Arrika, because Alpha didn't like crowds- it would have been a redundant question. The robed magician didn't take his eyes off the jar until he sensed Alpha's presence. "Oh! Why hello there you two!" He held the jar up in front of him. "I trust you, as a practitioner of the magical arts, know what this is!" A pissed off look came over the samurai's face. "HEY! Do you think I'm not good enough?" Morgoth ignored Dogura's remark and handed the vase to Alpha.

"Be careful. Be sure you're not concentrating any magic into your hands. If you don't heed my warning, you'll be sorry." He folded his arms. "I bought that in the best interest of the crew. It's an ancient magical item that somehow fell under the possession of a resident here on Everbreeze."

<center>
"It's called the Gust Jar!"</center>

Morgoth smiled widely. "I study all types of ancient enchanted relics. I knew immediately from the appearance alone that it was the fabled Gust Jar. The strong magical presence that emanated from it was only a deal-sealer. I bought it for a steal too." Dogura looked at it in awe, also remembering stories told to him. "Ah, the Gust Jar! My father told me that one of the fabled heroes of old used it to aid him in his quest to save the princess, and Hyrule itself!" Morgoth nodded. "It's all true. You're quite the knowledgeable one." He said as a matter of factly.

"You asked me earlier why I bought it. The truth is, that even if the winds are against us, the winds from this relic will fill up our sails and get us to Gossip Isle in no time flat!" The samurai was admittedly impressed by the necromancer's prowess in ancient artifacts. "Well done, Morgoth! What do you know, there is a use for you!" He joked. Morgoth rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "To operate it, you need only to send magic into your hands to power it. Try it out Sheikah! If you send a small amount of magic to it, you'll feel a steady breeze come from within! The reason I'm asking you is because you appear to be the most skilled magic user here, and nobody trusts me. It's imperative that you have superb magic control when testing it. We need to make sure it still works." Dogura nodded, now understanding fully. "Indeed. It's in good enough shape. Well? Why not give it a shot Alpha?"

------------------------------Thealter------------------------------
Thealter's awareness check passes, and he scans the ground for loose change. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no treasure ripe for the picking. Not laying around like garbage anyways.

------------------------------Orpheous------------------------------
Orpheous' insight check also passes, and his charts show that he's correct. If Link had sailed north from Windfall, he'd have found nothing. So he must have indeed set out in search of land south of his home island. It would have made more sense, considering he never had to go south of his island. He'd been miles and miles north only to discover more islands. Perhaps he'd given up on sailing northward, and simply set sail south in the one direction he didn't search.

------------------------------Taint & Yukie------------------------------
Pain shot through the aquatic combatant's foot as it collided with Yukie's hard exterior. He'd sent the little warrior flying, but hadn't the time to enjoy what he'd accomplished (if indeed he'd accomplished anything at all).

"Nicely done, Cap'n! Gonna hafta hit a bit harder though -- didja know 'bout us Deku Scrubs? We're part tree, right? Well, tree bark gits tougha and tougha the longer it lives -- same fer us Scrubs! At a hundred n' six, my skin's prob'ly harder 'an most Gorons!"

Taint was bewildered by this fact. Will me sword even be able to cut him? He thought as he watched the Deku prepare for another attack. I'd have to use my special technique... But that's only in life or death situations... He didn't have time to think anymore. More fire was headed in his direction. Three of them in fact. He wouldn't be able to dodge all three. He hurriedly grabbed his shield off of his back, and held it up to block the blazing spells. Each ball of fire collided with his shield, which was getting hotter with each successive block. He pulled his shield down, and to his horror realized that he'd lost sight of his opponent. A grave mistake. His eyes darted around looking for the wooden warrior. Suddenly, he looked up in time to see Yukie coming down on him from above. He raised his shield in time to block the dagger, but the force was massive for such a small creature. It knocked him right down to the ground, and he cried out in agony as his shield arm absorbed the rest of the shock wave. He hurriedly got to his feet, trying desperately to regain his foothold.

He was breathing heavily. That was way too close... That really killed my arm... He watched as Yukie landed and decided not to waste any time. He darted towards the Deku, hoping to catch him too fast for him to move elsewhere from his landing. It didn't look like he was gonna make it in time though. Still, he was pressing the offensive now. He followed up his attack with multiple quick stabs and slashes, trying his hardest to get a blade on his enemy. If he couldn't cut his enemy- he'd have to do it through blunt trauma. After a couple attacks, he stepped in close and attempted a shield-bash to knock Yukie off balance. If it worked, he'd be on him quicker than he could say 'oops'.

Ooc: BEST FRIEND I saw your dad while I was volunteering at the library! And I thought your sister was a guy for a few seconds. JUST THOUGHT YOU HAD TO KNOW

OH AND ON ANOTHER NOTE! You guys post like lightning! WHOA! But don’t slow down. Hee hee

IC:

"Oh my! I see a battle in your near future! My, my, what misfortune. In any case, the first attack will come from your right side! If you jump backwards, you should be able to dodge the attack entirely!...Wasn't that lovely?"

Sakiko stared at the woman for a second longer than was considered polite. How can she say that I’m going to be attacked, and call it lovely? Nonetheless, if this seer was right, it was valuable information. The mage nodded her thanks, and stepped back out into the bustling crowd. She wondered what the others were doing, and fleetingly worried about getting lost; you never knew with a big crowd of people. You’re pushed one way, then to another, and before you know it, you can land in another part of town.

Shoving her hand into her robe pockets, she played with the string that tied her small bag of rupees, wondering if there was something yum-yums (ooc: sorry, couldn’t resist) to eat… The day was rather hot for the pale scholar, and she would’ve delighted in a cold ice cream or something like that…

Sakiko kept walking, however, feeling the gloom and the doom oppress her further. She really. Really. REALLY despised the situation that she was in; Arrika was probably having a grand time with Alpha, the others were most likely enjoying the festival games, and here she was, like the loser that she was. Her scowl now completely embedded into her face, as if it had been there ever since she was born (truly, a disturbing thought), Sakiko looked around for any stands that involved violence. Throwing a wet sponge on someone’s face, for example. Or, even better, something along the lines of try to throw darts at an apple on top of someone’s head, and if you miss, oh well! [[awareness check for something shockingly cruel like the two that I have mentioned previously]] She might as well burn her time effectively, if she had to burn it one way or another.

OC: ..."yum-yums"

That, along with "knives in my socks", have made this one of the best weeks ever.

Also, it's unnerving me now that the narration of your fictional character is starting to sound less and less... fictional

IC:

The perceptive Sheikah picked up on Dogura's questioning expression right away. Well, she supposed it was rather odd, considering it was Alpha, who she had previously assumed to be simply incapable of affectionate gestures.

"Ah, Arrika! Are you enjoying yourself?" Dogura asked with a smile.

"Why yes, I believe I am," Arrika replied, forcing herself to smile brightly just in case Sakiko was around.

"This is the Gust Jar? I've heard of it before..." she said, eyeing the relic with unconcealed wonder. She'd heard the old stories from Rhyss, of course.

"Well done, Morgoth! What do you know, there is a use for you!"

Arrika kept her mouth shut; if one had nothing nice to say, it was best not to say anything at all. Surprisingly enough, the natural pessimist thought using the Gust Jar was a decent idea.

Alpha's eyes shot open as Morgoth proclaimed the vase's true nature, and he quickly took a closer look at the item he had so swiftly dismissed upon their approach. He'd been too preoccupied with the rather cheerful expression on the necromancer's face to pay it, or Dogura's expression and questioning of Arrika, much attention. Now that he gave it a closer inspection, finding the markings to indeed be practically identical to texts he had once studied -- and the sparse differences could easily be attributed to mistakes on the part of the authors.

That Morgoth held it out for him to use was almost as shocking as the fact that the necromancer had managed to procure it at all. Alpha slowly moved to take it, then noticed the boots once more. "Here," he said, handing them off to Arrika -- looked like she'd managed to get them after all -- then took the Gust Jar.

Following the necromancer's instructions he -- no, wait, first he pointed it straight up in the air. Wouldn't do to hurt someone by accidentally using it too powerfully; best to wait until he had practiced with it some before pointing it anywhere other than away from people. So then, now he followed the necromancer's instructions, feeding magic into his hands, trying to make a connection with the relic and activate its power.

* * *

Yukie coulda applauded at how fast Taint reacted ta the incomin' attack -- the shield came up 'n stopped the Deku right in 'is tracks. Unfortunately, there was two other things vying fer his attention: one, he was flyin' thru the air after disengagin' from the shield, 'n two, he had landed on the shield. Which had jist taken three blast o' his Fire attack.

Which meant it was FREAKIN' BURNIN'!!!

Didn't matter if he was a Fire master er not -- Deku couldn't stand that kinda heat! Immediately upon landin', the Deku began hoppin' back and forth, tryin' to cool off his scalded feet. "YOW! OUCHOUCHOUCH!!!"

Didn't help that Taint weren't showin' no mercy neither! Bein' dangerously close ta off-balance, it was all the Deku could do ta bring his blades up and block each attack Cap'n threw 'is way. The bouncin' helped somewhat, makin' it so the Zora had to take an extra secund between each strike ta find where 'is target was gonna land. But at the same time, Yukie couldn't get inta some defensive stance 'cause his feet wouldn't stay glued to the ground!

Then came the Shield Bash.

The shield was still hot.

"YEEEEEEEEEE-OWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"

------------------------------Sakiko, Taint, and Yukie------------------------------

Sakiko's awareness check for something shockingly cruel like the two that I have mentioned previously passed, and she spotted a tent a bit down the way. A scream came from the tent,
"YEEEEEEEEEE-OWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"

The cry was followed by cheers from a crowd inside the tent. As Sakiko enters the tent in hopes of finding something shockingly cruel, she finds just was she was looking for. Captain Taint, and Yukie were battling it out on a raised platform. For the crowd's amusement? Or for personal pride? Maybe just for fun- either way, neither of them were showing any mercy.

Taint's shield-connected beautifully and knocked the Deku to the ground. Yukie cried out again, and it took the Zora two contacts between Yukie and his own shield to realize it. Oh! It's hot! I've got to take this chance! I'll never be able to cut his skin- this is my only shot! He looked down at the Deku and against the tug on his heart-strings, performed a burning shield enhanced elbow-drop on the Deku, hoping to pin him between his shield and the floor. If the Deku cried for mercy, Taint would get off of him immediately. The Zora had been struck by lightning once before- elemental weaknesses hurt like no other, and he'd never judge another warrior for crumbling under that type of pain.

OOC: I'm aiming to finish it. Even if this aint the end of the fight, this has been fun.
IC:
------------------------------Dogura, Morgoth, Arrika, & Alpha------------------------------
Alpha's magic flow was steady, but constant. A cool wind blew from within just as Morgoth had foretold. It was amazing to watch an enchanted weapon work, an experience that almost never got old. Dogura couldn't help but smile a smile rarely seen on the samurai. "It's incredible!" He remarked stroking his chin. A couple people gasped and stopped to watch the magical item. "Good, good, very good, 'Alpha' was it? Splendid control!" Dogura sensed the question coming. "Allow me to explain where we procured this." Dogura began. "Inside the 'RARE MAGICAL ITEMS" shop, we found nothing of interest at first. Phony magic trick items, the cheap: 'break in a day if you mess with them' kind of items. But Morgoth here has a higher sensitivity towards magical auras than I do, and he picked up on the flower vase near the table. The woman said it belonged to her great grandma, and wouldn't let it go for less than fifty rupees." He folded his arms and closed his eye. "To think she was using this to hold flowers... She deserved to get ripped off."

A man walked past them carrying one end of a large table. The two men placed the table towards the center of the festival, and some of the smaller tents in the area were packing up. Another couple of men walked by with a table. "Oh, good, they're setting up for the great feast! I'm staved!" A rather large boulder of a man said to nobody in particular as he watched them set up. Dogura put a hand over his stomach. "A feast! Now there's what I'm looking for." A child approached Dogura. He was doing jumping jacks for no known reason. "The feast is the best! Most people leave the festival after the feast though. After the feast, most of the tents close up too. Wanna play choo choo?" He finished. Dogura stared at the child for several seconds before replying dryly: "No... No, I don't... Where are these kids' parents?" He finally asked the question on everyone's mind.

It is 5:00PM on Everbreeze Isle.