The portal reopened in a place unfamiliar to the young mage. Jett's collective attitude at that point made it obvious enough that only Tayro was oblivious as to what was happening. Well, Alpha and Jett knew little of anything as well, but the confusion that must have been vexing through the boy's head would have been astounding. Here he was, an orphaned child attacked by a complete stranger and then hauled away to some dark land. There was no telling just how far the mage had been taken.

Jett smiled and leaned back against the cool marble wall of the room he had brought Tayro to. It was a large lobby of sorts, with a variety of cloaked strangers wandering by without so much as a moment's notice of the outsider's presence. One man stepped through the colossal double doors at the opposite end of the hall, and into a dimly torchlit opening. To the casual observer, it was well into the late hours of the night. However, it had only been mid-day a moment ago, before this new location had been found. To the clever observer, Tayro and Jett were underground.

Before Jett could explain, Maverick arrived through his own portal. The scholar's stern expression wiped the casual smile from the subordinate's face, and Jett remembered what had happened only minutes ago. "Right, the Moblins. Maverick, what were they doing there?"

"That is not important right now," spoke the Calatian as he shook his head solemnly. Although the Moblins were not his concern at the moment, Solstrem Maverick seemed deeply bothered by their wretched existence. "Thank you, Jett. You may be excused now," he said, dismissing the recovered human with a smile and a salute. The younger of the two returned the gesture and took off towards his dormitory.

"Tayro Wind, I'm guessing. It is indeed a great honor to meet you." The older scholar - although still surprisingly youthful - reached out a gloved hand to shake Tayro's, a trustful smile sewed to his face that seemed to say "It's alright. You're safe here."

OOC: Yes, Alpha, you can return to the castle at this point as well. Wouldn't want you to miss any important events, would we

In CHC, Blank Fireside wrote:...Maverick shook his head sympathetically. He placed his hand on Alpha's shoulder and spoke softly to the newest Apostle. "There is indeed something very evil at work here, Varaudo. We must return to the city at once."

'He's right,' Alpha thought as he watched the Moblins riding away from where Tayro and Jett had just concluded their fight, cringing all the while with every note that echoes from their flutes. 'An Elemental Explosion of Light failed to so much as scratch them . . . very well, Maverick. If you say that the time has come to return to the underground city, then so be it.' Bringing his cape up and around his form completely, so as to once again don an appearance similar to that of the other Apostles, the Sheikah allows his scar to once again glow violet in color. In the shadows of the Deku Woods, there are always plenty of places where a portal to the Void can be opened up, and Alpha's form shoots downward into the dark mist.

In this strange world, the Sheikah stops, focusing his mind as he has learned to do, seeking out one person's life force: Tayro's. The city of Carock's Apostles is still a place filled with mystery for him, and he has not yet mastered opening a portal to that specific location. Likewise, he isn't too familiar with any of the other Apostles - Victor is the only other member whose life energy he can detect, as he had when he'd previously needed to return to the area after meditating on Meridel's dark proposal. So he must seek out the young mage who he has spent a great deal of time with until now.

He's forced to wait a few moments - probably because of Jett's teleporting them - but with a grin he senses Tayro's presence. The portal opens up in a wall near where Jett and Tayro had reappeared, allowing some of the mysterious gases of the Void to drift out into the world as Alpha himself leaps back into the realm of Hyrule. Glancing around, he chooses to let the grin remain. "As dark as ever in this place . . . perfect for we Sheikah."

He looks around, spotting Jett and Tayro just as Maverick appears. Walking steadily forward, he nods to the Human as he is dismissed, and is close enough in time to hear Maverick's greeting to the boy. "He's right, Tayro," the Sheikah adds. Alpha won't be surprised if Tayro has a hard time trusting Maverick, after Jett's attack - he'll be requiring some reassurance from someone he knows well, most likely. "Where we are right now, we're perfectly safe."

He doesn't add that if they leave the area, and travel into other parts of the underground city, that might not hold true at all.

The small group gathered in the castle hall wouldn't have noticed the man walk in from the opening through the double doors; then again, not many people noticed this man. For as tall and as... Bardly as he was, the man could be awfully quiet and inconspicuous, even for a Hylian.

To tell the truth, Victor was confused. He didn't know just why he was returning to the castle at that time, only that long ago he had been sent away and he had defeated the evil Daemon in battle. Even these events were a blur to him, and it seemed like they had happened months and months ago. He had a strange feeling, like the infinitely complicated mechanics of the Universe had gone on working without his cog being in place, and that he had suddenly reappeared without much warning. Maybe, he thought, I did disappear, and I just haven't realized it yet...

However, this possibility quickly left the Bard's thoughts, and not just because it was probably impossible; no, for he had just taken notice of the small group that had yet to take notice of the notice he had taken:

"Tayro! Alpha!"

A confused stance turned to his usual stride, and then to a bounding gait as Victor sped towards the group, despite their close proximity. He slid to a halt in front of them and smiled the widest smile he had smiled in a while. He paused for a few seconds and then, realizing he had nothing else to say, his smile faltered slightly before widening even more with a hearty,

"What's up?"

Tayro's mind was a complete mess. After the duel against Jett, so many events happened that left the boy in sheer confusion. He had to hand it to the Human - his display of a Light Elemental Burst - at least, that's what the Hylian thought it was - was quite fantastic, as it was quite unexpected for him at that time - perhaps of the incredible pain in his leg, in which the dreaded vine was still housed - that such a small sphere of light could do all that spectacle. It reminded him of the eventual firefly that were housed in the Orphanage gardens during the summer. The light they emmitted was quite 'sweet', using Emily's words. Sometimes, during the night, he would go to the window of his common bedroom and glance at the moon - a daily ritual - and there they were, thousands of fireflies, doing quite a spectacle to the seer. in fact, it was after a night of those that... No, let's not think of that now. And so, back to the present, that's the last thing the boy actually has some clear remeberance of.

Now that's what he was trying to make it out clearly how it occured. First, after that show of lights, many vile and gross creatures appeared. Yes, he knew what they were, though facing them at such short distance was far worse than the boy had expected. Those disgusting pig-faced moblins, mouting on their also disgusting beasts. And what was to surprise him was that their target was actually himself. The mage apprentice was unaware of such faction wanting him for their use... he knew not he had become famous... though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Firstly he considered them being part of the Nightmare Empire, but those would use illusionary means and dark powers instead of sending them. The same applied to the Hakiems Tribe, who would use assassins to do their ways, not filthy, horrendous beasts. Still, that was one of the many mysteries that were consistant in his mind.

Then, two other robed people appeared, one of which the boy recognized as Alpha, his friend and main victim of Zaboorak and his lackeys, while all he knew about the other man was that he was called Maverick by the other two men, and that he seemed to be a superior to Jett because of the respect the latter had for the former. Then, a fight ensued between the moblins and the mages - excluding him - and it finalized in a draw. Then, Tayro recalls he felt a tingling sensation on all of his body as he saw the forest that surrounding him modify, distort, and turn into where he was now, a castle in the middle of who-knows-where. Both Alpha and this Maverick reappeared in their own portals - Alpha via the Void, a place Tayro remembered quite well and that he was not too fond of, and and Maverick on his own, which the Hylian did not know anything about - something that bothered him. With all these things, the mage apprentice was still slightly mesmerized, and he just hated not understanding what was going on. Still, manners were manners, and he had to behave, so as both men began to spoke the boy made a few attempts on getting onto a firm position, placing his severely injured leg on the ground, something done with some pain, and doing most pressure with his healthy one. As he hears both's small speeches, and see the Human leave casually, it doesn't take long as to finally connect the dots. "I was being tested?" - he inquired, not happy for the situation. They should better come with some explanations. Fast.

Soon, the boy noticed another familiar face in the vicinity as Victor strolled in on the area. It had been a while since he had seen the bard, but he still remained silent. He was far too concerned on getting explanations, and his leg hurt too much to approach him. And besides, how could he be sure this was also not a part of one of their tests? Well, all the boy could do for the time was to wait. He was in no condition to fight at the moment considering his state, so he just stood there, awaiting answers.

"Yes, it was all a test, fortunately," confirmed Maverick with a kindly smile. "It would be shame for that man to have been asked to remove you from this plain of existence. Tayro, you are an especially gifted young man. I have seen you fight, and I know a great deal about you. But it is not for your fighting skills that you have been hunted by both sides. We came to you with an offer, while those monsters came with an order."

"Despite how frustrated you must be with myself and Jett, the young man who you fought by the woodland, it appears as though we were lucky to apprehend you when we did. Those Moblins hail from the West. I know this because I, too, am from Calatia. Mid-Dao Moblins have been around for centuries, and they've seen their strife. But they were thought to be completely wiped out only ten years ago. Even I cannot vouch for their reappearance almost a decade after he slaughtered the lot of them..."

Without mentioning any more on the subject of the Moblins, Maverick returned to his side of the story. "Not long ago... three or four months, was it not?" he asked, glancing back and forth between Victor and Alpha. "Anyway, a few months ago, Victor stumbled into this realm. Shortly thereafter followed Alpha. And now we have found you. What we are, Tayro, is a small alliance of multinational men and women. Our goal is one of peace, but it a difficultly achieved one. There will come a time when our fellows will band together, and when the time is right, there will be no evil in the world."

"The details are very cryptic right now. We have many enemies, both inside our organization and out. Don't feel like you're being left in the dark, though, for very few know exactly what is happening at the moment. Victor and Alpha here were quite willing to aid the world in its progress towards its new Golden Age. Tayro Wind, will you follow suit, and join my Apostles?"

OOC: Now, don't go thinking that a Yes or No ends this chapter. That would just be too short, considering how long Cloaked Goron Guard took XD

Preposterous. All that fighting, which had injured his leg - and it still was hurting horribly, but the boy seemed to have grown more accustumed to the pain... at least the enough to talk and think properly - just to pass a test? There they went, saying they're of peace and all that, and still didn't had the decency of healing him... and removing the vine housed inside his leg, as painful as it sounded. Tayro shivered at the mere thought of it. There he was, glad he had done a good effort in a battle... to fiind it being a mere test of his skills. He had taken his all, and for no apparent reason. It was just so... the nerve of them! What really irked him the most was not the injuries or his opponent holding back, but the fact that he was left in the dark for the whole time. Sure, it had to be done if it was a test, but the Hylian hated not knowing of these details. Well, what was done, was done, no use in lingering in the past for something like that. He was rather curious of how the man talked about him fighting, and demonstrating to know stuff about him. That was also a peculiar factor that dazzled the young teenager. During alll this time, he had been under watch, and his great sense of hearing did not catch anything. They really knew what they were doing... Still, after Maverick's little introductory, there was a little question on the mage apprentice's mind. The mage spoke that he wasn't hunted down because of his fighting skills - an obvious matter, since, compared to his companions, he was a little behind on fighting capabilities, one of the little memos on his mind to remind him of continue to strive to get better. "You said I was not hunted for my fighting skills. So... why did both of you wanted me?" - the boy asked.

The Hylian then heard the Calatian - as he found out Maverick to be - speak about this particular kin of Moblins, reminding him of his encounter with them just a few minutes ago... at least, it seemed like minutes to him... but could he be sure? The facility didn't seem to help either, as wherever he was, he had to be somewhere underground, for sunlight - or moonlight, to that effect - did not dare enter. Why a band of pig-faced beings wanted him was still out of his mind. The only possible explanation he could find was to serve as a meal... and that idea sincerely didn't appeal him at all. Whatever the reason, Tayro was hoping to find out soon, as he continued to hear of this clan's disappearance, and sudden reappearance.

He then looked towards his friends - Victor and Alpha who were in the area as well, and looked at them as Solstrem spoke of their joining... whatever this was, as he was about to find next, and glanced as inquiring if what the man had said was effectively true.He then turned his sight back at the Calatian to hear the explanation of the Organization... of the Apostles. Sincerely, the idea of riding the world of evil was a concept that sincerely attracted the teenager. Taking out these moblins, the remnants of Ganon's evil forces - who weren't mere puppets but with an desire for evil, Zaboorak, the Nightmare Empire... well, the concept of evil in all its globalized form. Of course, that could also be a lure to entice him, so to say. Yet... Victor and Alpha were also in the group, and they wouldn't be decieved that easily... right? At least, that's what the mage apprentice thought.

He then grins at the last concept Maverick throws at him. He feels propelled to say a yes, but decides to ponder for just a second. Sure, Alpha and Victor were both part of the Apostles, but what could it be said about their methods was what frightened him the most. The man spoke of a Golden Age... he just hoped it didn't involve the murder of innocents. But still, again, both Alpha and Victor's presence countered that fact - they would never put the lives of innocent people at risk. Well, all seemed normal, and looked down just before replying. And that's when he saw the state of his leg - worser than expected. Half of the vine was still showing, the other half having penetrated his trousers and leg, perhaps even the muscle. His trousers, usually of a blue colour, were now inked purple due to the mixture with the red of the blood. He looked up at Maverick, grinning slightly. "Yup. My answer is 'Yes'. I'll gladly join your Apostles... but could I first get something to help me with this?" - Tayro said. pointing at his wounded leg.

Alpha is still attempting to reassure Tayro when the sound of his name is called out. He recognizes the voice even as he is whirling around, coming face-to-face with none other than Victor. "Victor!" he calls out jubilantly. "I haven't seen you since . . . well, since we were both last down here!" Months have passed since that time, and so the sight of his bard companion only aids in bringing a smile to his lips.

As Maverick attempts to clear up the situation for Tayro, the Sheikah moves over to where the Hylian stands. "Tayro is being invited to join up with the Apostles as well. He was tested by Jett; looks like the Human made a full recovery after that Intelligent One's attack . . ." he adds, lowering his voice in order that Tayro might not hear about the 'Intelligent Ones'. Alpha doesn't want to hurt the chances of Tayro's deciding to join Carock's Apostles, after all. "Anyway, the two had a very impressive battle, but things turned . . . odd . . . when a group of Moblins arrived. Maverick showed up and I launched a Light Elemental Explosion . . . and it had no effect on the pigs at all. I'm hoping that once this little conversation is said and done, Maverick might be able to shed some more light on that subject."

Finally, the young Hylian Mage makes his reply to the offer: an affirmative decision to join the Apostles. Alpha's smile grows again, only to falter as his eyes fall upon the leg Tayro has mentioned. "I'll take care of that task," the Sheikah says calmly, walking over to and leaning down beside the boy. A pair of glowing white float over the boy's leg as Alpha chuckles. "Not sure why you don't do this yourself, Tayro," he says jokingly. "You're Hylian - you've got that 'Favor of the Goddesses' ability." He pushes forward, healing energies bursting forth onto the Hylian. "Life!"

Looking back to Maverick as the spell does its work, he adds his previously mentioned concerned to his words. "So, Maverick, you said you have no idea how those Moblins could have reappeared after a decade. Forget that part; is there anything you know of that could possibly allow them to withstand an Elemental Explosion?"

Maverick beamed as Alpha healed Tayro's leg wound, and chuckled inwardly at the Sheikah's remark, despite understanding that the reasoning behind Tayro's inability to perform the medical care himself was likely that the battle against Jett had left him weary, and in his confusion he had forgotten about the Favor of the Goddesses. Not that it really mattered at this point; Alpha had stepped up to the task and the wound healed with magnificent speed.

"Excellent! Tayro, let me be the first to welcome you to our organizations. We call ourselves the Apostles of Carock. Victor did not know who Carock was, and you are not far removed from his age group. But yours is a path of knowledge, you have surely at least heard the name. As I said, we are unsure as to why the Moblins of the west would be after you. I dearly hope it is not related to why we were looking for you. You see, your joining is under far different circumstances than your friends here. Victor stumbled into this place like a curious feline, and Alpha was admitted by a chance encounter with the bard shortly after."

"You, on the other hand, were requested by my compatriot, Myst Wolfeye. He spoke of a Tayro Wind, who appeared in a dream. After a month of steady researching, we found you. And not a moment too soon, it would seem. Why you were present in this prophecy of sorts is unknown to that Sheikah; there are many things he is unable to explain. However, we trust in his wise words. I haven't seen such great potential in quite some time."

"Alpha, Victor... it has been months since I last saw either of you. I'm sure you've seen your share of adventure since I sent you off to return to the surface. It is unfortunate that the time has come for your increased activity in this realm... and I apologize if either of you are impartial to a bit of travelling. I'll shed some light on that later."

"Alpha, yours is a very important question. I will speak to you later about the Moblins and whatever it was that was keeping them safe from your wrath. Until then, would you two mind showing Tayro around? Perhaps take him up to the sixteenth floor, where coincidentally all three of yours dormitories are. You may also want to seek out Jett, he hasn't really heard from you since the incident. And, well, do what you please. Just make Tayro feel comfortable within our ranks."

The kindly mage smiled and nodded to his three newest Apostles, and promptly turned away from them, headed in the direction of the Gathering Hall. He closed the large doors behind him and left Tayro, Alpha and Victor to their business.

In the lobby of the castle were four hooded Apostles, three of which were chatting quietly amongst themselves, while the fourth practised with a set of daggers in the far corner. The corridor to the stairwell was visible, and the main castle doors were wide open, showing off the dimly torchlit, empty courtyard outside.

Listening to the going-ons around him, Victor was reminded that he had definitely been gone for many months. The first time he met Tayro, he was but a young boy - a resourceful one, perhaps, but the Bard had never really gotten to know him past that. Now it would seem that he had been adventuring and battling all over Hyrule in a few months' time. Alpha, at least, seems to be the same old Alpha, but Victor knew better than to judge a Sheikah by its cover, especially this particular Sheikah. The Hylian chuckled to himself as memories of his exploits in the Mage's company, and therefore donned a joyful expression when Alpha called out to him, then brought him up to speed with the situation. When the Sheikah was done, Victor nodded.

"Ah, hmm, well, it'd be nice to have some more people around here from the... well, from the surface, I guess. It's still a little strange, knowing we're underground..."

He glanced around the inside of the castle for effect, and marvelled yet again at its obvious glory.

"So, Moblins, eh? Better than the things they have down here, I'd hope. Ugh... Well, at least Jett's OK, right? I've been wondering about him."

When Maverick confirmed Jett's well-being and, coincidentally, offered them the chance to explore the castle further once more, Victor smiled and eagerly looked down the hall at the stairwell, then loosely saluted the Mage as he walked away towards the Gathering Hall.

"Can do, Maverick!"

Finally, turning to Tayro, Victor smiled.

"Unless you're really tired, I'm hoping the room can wait. There's still a lot of exploring to be done around here; it's a big place, and I don't think Alpha or I have even begun to see the half of it. I know I haven't even gotten around to understanding it completely, yet."

The Bard feigned a look of confusion before replacing it wth a smile, and stuck out towards the stairwell.

"Most of the exploring to be done is here in the castle, either up or... well, down, but I don't think the basement is all that nice a place to visit. Oh, and..."

This time, Victor pointed- quite rudely- out the open castle doors, his smile sagging a bit as he remembered what existed outside the fortress.

"... you really, REALLY don't want to go out there. I mean, really. Don't go, unless they make you, and even then, be afraid. The stuff out there, wow, it's some really crazy stuff. Monsters like you've never seen..."

Then, remembering how Alpha had lowered his voice upon speaking of the Intelligent Ones, the Hylian decided it would be best not to go into detail just yet.

"But you don't have to worry about that just yet! C'mon, let's head up. Some of the people here are great; did you know they have Kokiris here? All sorts of races, lots of nice people, you'll fit in just right..."

OOC: Woo hoo! Finally, I could post! Anyways, I'm gonna stop italicizing stuff that's not dialog, it's hard to see...

Alpha is gladdened as his efforts have the desired effect, and soon rises as Maverick addresses the trio of adventurers once more. "Very well then, Maverick," he replies casually when the Calatian puts off the answering of his question a bit longer. In all actuality, Alpha only cares about getting answers before he has to face those Moblins again - until that time arrives, he is content with waiting for a better time when the topic of their odd resistance to his 'wrath', as Maverick had put it, can be discussed more thoroughly. Though whether the reason for the wait is because of Tayro or because Maverick doesn't know the answer yet escapes him.

"No problem, Maverick. We'll see to it that Tayro feels right at home here," the Sheikah says with a grin. This request was one he has been expecting ever since their return to the city; it doesn't surprise him in the least, nor does it Victor, it seems. He chuckles softly at Victor's enthusiasm for exploration . . .

. . . and then has to ruin it by bringing the Cursed Ones into all this. 'Well, Tayro would find out about them eventually,' he thinks, though he still plans to chide Victor for not knowing when to stop talking. Though, at least, it does seem to be in line with what he remembers of the Vagabond's personality. Good to know that some people never change, he thinks with a wistful grin.

Victor seems to finally get it, and Alpha adds a sigh to the man's words. "Yes," he agrees verbally, "outside these walls live creatures I don't intend to attempt to describe; why don't we leave that for another time, and for more experienced members of the Apostles to explain? In the meantime, let's see to getting you acquainted with the rest of these people." Heck, the Sheikah himself probably knows only half the people Victor met, and the Bard hadn't met that many himself from what Alpha has heard. So this may be a social experience for all three of them.

Alpha lets Victor and Tayro take the lead, merely opting to follow in their wake and let them decide which direction they'll be taking.

OoC: I hope that as for timeline issues, this happens after CS. If you do not agree with that, I'll edit this post.

Tayro slaps himself mentally as he hears Alpha's retort. How could have he just forget about it? If he had remembered, he wouldn't have had to feel all of that pain. "Thanks Alpha." - the mage apprentice speaks, as he looks down at the white energy that sprung around his wounded leg. Immediately it starts its work. Magically, the trousers' leg is raised, revealing an undesirable sight - the vine, infiltrated inside his leg, an opening around it, blood sill coming out of it. Just by watching it, the boy just started getting nausea... something inside his leg, opening its way through... yuck. Better to not think about it. - he mentally decides. The Life spell first starts to slowly push he intruder body out of the wounded area, and the boy had to bite his own lower lip not to yell. No denying it - it had hurt. It wasn't long until the full object was out of the body, a large, red crevasse where it once stood. Next, the blood that was spurting out stopped and regained its tracks inside the teenager's body, and the skin and muscles started their junction again, much like knitting something. Soon, it was all over, the boy feeling revitalized, his leg with no apparent wounds - not even a scar - and the bloody vine (OoC: Now, where did I heard that name before...) lying flat on the floor. He turns to the Calatian as he begins speaking.

The Hylian grins as Maverick officially welcomes him into the Apostles, hearing the organization's little introduction... though his joyful expression changed to one of intrigue when he heard the name. "Yes, I've heard about Carock... For what I read, he was one of Ganon's generals of most prestige, and stood as an obstacle to Link as he traversed the land." - he thought out loud, recalling The Hyrulian Chronicles Volume VIII, a book on the Orphanage library that contained a narration of the Hero of Courage's journeys. He had enjoyed it, just like the whole collection... though the library unfortunately didn't possess the second volume about the Hero of Time's journey in a parallel world called Termina, so his knowledge on that subject was rather limited. I wonder if they have the book around here... - he pondered, before returning to the main subject. Carock. The name had first shocked him, but now he did recall that for what he had heard, the man was in fact mind-controlled. So, a perfectly plausible explanation would be that he created said organization previous to those events. Yes, that would fit... Still, they seemed somewhat trustworthy, so the Hylian just let that be one of the things just stashed in his mind for a later use.

As he is explained the reason of why they wanted him on the organization - and mentally laughing at the comparison of Victor and a curious feline - the boy again regains his intrigued look - something common since he had entered this realm. This Myst Wolfeye had a dream with him? How so? Was this perhaps the work of the Nightmares? No... the boy doubted they'd have anything to do with it. So, it was rather curious how could the man have a premonition about him... though the teenager would probably have to wait until he got that answer, as now, it seemed impossible to know the answer. He seems to wake up from this trance when he's the target of the conversation again, and mentally notes that his room was on the sixteenth floor, and that both Victor and Alpha's own dormitories were there. He didn't know how many rooms were there per floor, bu at least, he'd be around friends.

He also hears Victor's explanation of the area, which according to him it was a castle... something that the youth already suspected as so, and as both him and Alpha talk about some disgusting monstrosities. The boy wanted to know more about them, but according to both, they were not the people to ask. The boy nodded, and headed towards the staircase pointed by Victor. "So, mind if we see Jett? I wanted to talk with him... without having to fight him at the same time. There's a trick he did in that battle that I still want to find out how he exactly did it." - Tayro explains, grinning mischievously.

Alpha too must cringe at the sight of the vine growing and writhing around in Tayro's leg. The boy probably had been in too much pain to think of using the Favor of the Goddesses himself; regardless, it hardly mattered at this point, since the Sheikah mage's Life spell is already doing the job of returning it to normal. Tayro is soon able to get up as if nothing had ever happened - which is probably good, since he'll have to be climbing quite a few stories of the castle before they reach his quarters.

But Tayro's words immediately bring a smile to his face. "From what I've learned, Tayro, that's a very popular misconception. I suppose it can't be helped, since the Hero faced off against Carock merely two years ago, and with all the wars since that time, there hasn't been much time to educate the public.

"Carock was one of the guardians of the six palaces that the Hero traveled to in years passed, seeking a way to lower the barrier around the Great Palace in Eastern Hyrule. Carock stood in his way, and so the Hero was forced to defeat him. Because of this, many believe Carock served Ganon, but in actuality, Carock was guarding the area on the behalf of the Royal Family, who wished for the Triforce of Courage to only come into possession of one such as Link." The Sheikah shrugs. "Like I said, your beliefs are what most of the world populous believe, so don't feel bad for the mistake."

Laughing at the boy's first pick of members to visit, Alpha nods. "We can certainly see if we can find him, Tayro. I'm not exactly sure which floor he's on, though . . . Victor, he had been in that little group of yours when I first heard of him; do you know where we might be able to find that Human?"

Victor managed to avert his eyes before catching a glimpse of Tayro's wound, and despite his mounting curiosity he didn't look back until the boy had been completely healed. This was probably for the best, as the Bard could be quite squeamish at times. As soon as he could look back, though, he refocused his attention on the young Mage and listened to his explanation of Carock, then to Alpha's. Victor shrugged at them both.

"Eh, this whole Carock business goes right over my head. I'd never heard of the guy..."

Then, noticing that Tayro was eager to look for Jett and neither he nor Alpha knew where his dormitory was, the Bard scratched his head in thought.

"Well... hmm, I'm pretty sure he's on the second floor. His was one of the first rooms I checked, before even you had arrived, Alpha."

The thought of being ahead of Alpha for once brought a smirk to Victor's lips, but he spoke not of the subject. Instead, he found his satchel and rummaged through it for a minute or so before finally pulling out a single small, crumpled sheet of blank music paper and a quill.

"Now that I think of it, let me write that down. It would be useful having a memberlist for this place, no?"

The Bard quickly scribbled Jett's name and floor number on the paper and rose it up for all to see:



He then folded it up and stuck it in his pants pocket, following Tayro to the stairs.

"I'm eager to talk to Jett again, too. Haven't seen him since we were down here last time... C'mon, Alpha!"

The second floor was very much unlike the first. Upon stepping out of the stairwell on the right side of the floor, three doors were visible around a square, grey hall. To the left of where Tayro, Alpha and Victor stood was a door that looked exactly like the rest of the doors on this level. Above it was a golden plate labelled "Trish Gorman." Alpha and Victor had met Trish shortly before leaving the city months ago, at the conclusion of their first deadly assignment.

To the right was a door reading "Derix Stavard." Derix was the experienced grunt on the mission all that time ago, chosen specifically by Victor for whatever the bard's reasons may have been.

Both rooms seemed silent as night, indicating that the likelihood of either Apostles being at home at that particular moment was very unlikely. Trish and Derix were two of the highest ranked members of the organization; they likely had assignments and pressing matters to attend to rather than stay cooped up in their respective dormitories all day waiting for random visits from new members.

The center door, directly across from the adventurers, was labelled "Orias Terrian," and the door was sealed by two thick pieces of crossed wood. The sight of this would likely remind Victor about his last visit to the second floor. Derix had found him searching for Jett quite far from where the mage's dormitory was actually situated. If the Rosylian could see the bard make the mistake a second time, and both consecutively, he would likely fall tot he ground in a fit of laughter.

With no one home on this floor, the party would either have to choose a new course of action or find someone to direct them to Jett's floor. That is, unless Victor could remember where Derix had sent him when he had first made this mistake.

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Meanwhile, far above ground, two unhappy cloaked individuals - a man and a woman - were watching the only known entrance to the confidential underground ruins. Their duty was to protect the secret of the subterranean city at all costs - including violence.

Helena sighed wearily and began to fidget with her daggers as she stood on the desert surface. Her standard uniform made her entirely unrecognizable. She looked down at the man who was guarding the entrance with her and grimaced. "It's so hot out here! Aren't you a genius? Didn't you think to bring an extra Frost Trinket in case your helper for the day forgot to?" For one so cheery and kind, the Somarian's voice portrayed severe exasperation towards the heat and boredom of Parapa.

Her colleague sat on one of the smaller boulders, leafing through a novel that he had brought along for the guard duty. The scholar hardly glanced up at the girl as he displayed what was far less than sympathy. "Perhaps if you hadn't lost your trinket to begin with, dear Helena, you wouldn't be having this problem right now." The cloaked man's voice was a mixture of wisdom and youth, and it was obvious that this particular combination was clear sarcasm.

Helena muttered something under her breath, and the man gave her an amused look before returning to his reading. He stretched and made a delighted sound to emphasize his comfort over her malcontent, all in a joking manner. The girl shook her head and gave a contemptuous laugh, before playing fretfully with her daggers again. The two appeared to be relaxed , but at first sign of any life they would become serious as the mighty Goron who first challenged Victor months ago.

Upon reaching the second floor and not finding Jett's room, a bewildered look crossed Victor's face. He was almost sure that he had first met Jett on this floor...

It was then that he remembered how Derix had redirected him to Jett's actual dormitory that first time, and that Jett was actually nowhere near the second floor. Taking a second to give his forehead a good, solid smack, the Bard turned with an embarrassed expression to the others.

"Er... it would seem that an error was made. Jett... Jett doesn't actually live on this floor."

Feeling like a fool, Victor did the one thing he had learned to do in times like this.

He passed the blame onto someone else.

"Alpha! Why would you let us come to the second floor? You know very well that Jett is on the thirteenth floor! Now I have to amend my list..."

Taking the makeshift map back out of his satchel along with his quill, the Bard quickly scratched out Jett's entry and wrote the new one beside it. As an afterthought, he scribbled something in the upper-left corner of the page above the old entry, then showed it to the others once more:



"THIS is where we're supposed to be. Thirteenth floor. Let's head up, shall we?"