The sun cut its triumphant arc over a vale of nighttime sky, its battle for dominance having been won yet again after what seemed a fruitless effort. The night had been calm, and the bright star oversaw a beautiful blue sky, with not a trace of clouds or other manifestations of what could be a potentially storm-filled day. The grass quivered lushly in the soft breeze accompanying the sun's rise to power that day, and it seemed that every adventurer on the field was outfitted with a perfect smile each. Save for one man, at the very south of the famed South Greens.

He had come from the big city, and had left behind his big city life. The life he had chosen instead had not been a kind one; some wondered why he had left the world of women, riches and fame. Surely the positives of such a lifestyle outweighed those of his newest escapade. In fact, they almost certainly did. The man had lived in quite a large city - North Castle Town was far surpassed by some of the establishments in Byrna, the man's home of origin. It was a land of humans; it was not normal to see an abundance of Gorons, Zoras, Sheikahs, etc. Racial discrimination was not a social issue, and so again his colleagues wondered what had brought the human to his second lifestyle. When asked, he would casually shrug and say “I just wanted a challenge.”

He was an oddly garbed fellow, dressed in a uniform black cloak, with an accompanying black hood to cover his face. Black gloves and boots were fitted to his hands and feet, respectively, preventing further lack of insight towards his persona. This outfit was the perfect means of keeping safe an identity, but why? What did this man have to hide? Yet, he did not sweat under the torment of the hot summer sun. Something that he fidgeted with in an inner pocket of his cloak prevented that, much to the glee of the man. This happiness went unexpressed, however, due to the circumstances that saw him standing out on the field on such a warm day.

The Grand Celebration in North Castle Town had been a grand event. It was a shame he had spent his time in the town chasing after a specific man, and following closely behind said person. At times he had lost his query to the crowd, and had only been fortunate enough to catch sight of the the other creature in search of the vagabond. Many a heavy frown had found its way to his face in the past months. He had been tasked in the safeguarding of the one known only as Dogura. There was a surname, but he had forgotten it after his first month. He had not been back to the realm of his comrades in this time; he had been stuck following some samurai around and keeping him safe from the enemies of the organization he served under. It had been easy work, of course, as not a single of the man's enemies had been spotted. Until recently; at the celebration in North Castle.

He had seen the Rope before. It had been sighted at a number of the query's adventures, but only recently had begun to show intent to follow. The cloaked man recognized a threat, and was now ready to extinguish it. Wolfeye had told him specifically to watch over the samurai. Well, today was the day the safeguarding would end. The man stood, facing the open greens with his back pressed up against the rocky wall of the bisecting mountain range. A Hylian Knight stood guarding the pass, but the cloaked man had seen to paying him off already. He stood now with a slender bow in his hand, surveying the surrounding area for the samurai. He had seen Dogura headed in this direction, and had hurried to this spot. It was only a matter of time... Myst would be pleased with the sniper's work. That is, if the snake had not appeared first. The Rope... there was something ominous about that particular beast. Ropes were typically neutral animals - not often infantry fighters of Ganon, but usually found in dungeons and shrines to restrict the passing of raiders and adventurers. For on to be following the Apostle's currently assigned query baffled this man. He mad a note to either find out why the Rope had come around, or to bury an arrow in its treacherous skull.

A shadow appeared on the horizon. The man perked up a bit on the sight of someone approaching. Silently, he set the bow to the ground. There was no need to appear more dangerous than the cloak already managed. He only hoped his 'backup' would arrive soon. The man had contacted Myst only recently, and had warned of the Rope's threat. The wise Sheikah had promised to send another Apostle in case said threat was made more clear. Now would have been the perfect time for his colleague to show up. There were not many Apostles he would not care to have beside him at that point - except for her. She was the one he favored less, but even she would be better than taking on a threat alone. He stood alone for the time being and watched the shadow on the horizon come closer.

She breathed in deeply. Surface air. It had been somewhat of a struggle to keep from hugging Myst Wolfeye. Said struggle ended when she was told who she had to help. She knew not why he didn't like her, but she wasn't about to let him distract her from her mission. A mission where she was up on the surface with the sweet, glorious air surrounding her. And thermals! Pockets of hot air that can lift her thousands of feet into the air. No, she would have enough distractions without him.

Speaking of him, she saw two figures from high up in the morning sky. One she did not recognize. As for the other, she recognized the cloak, owning one herself, but it would be hard to tell who was under that cloak until she landed and talked to the person. And land she did. She left her owl form, pulling her hood over her head once she got her arms back. She looked off at the figure in the distance. "I hope this is the person I'm looking for, and that the person coming towards us is the person we are to protect," she said calmly. Or rather, as calmly as she could. She was still feeling a thrill from flying; if only she could do it more often in the underground city, but Wolfeye had told her not to use her ability except for in battle. Which was a pity, because she loved turning into hawks or owls and flying. Sometimes it was a dragon so she could take him, but she hadn't turned into a dragon since his death shortly before she joined the organization.

She felt a tear form in her eye. Not now, she thought. I have a job to do.

He had looked back to see a great owl in the sky, but had not understood that it was actually one of his 'colleagues,' as he often referred to them as. When he looked back to the figure on the horizon, he realized. “Oh good goddesses no...” he spoke aloud as he heard the woman land beside him and speak. His worst fears had just come to pass, and it was now blatantly obvious that Myst did not understand the rivalry this man had forged between himself and the lady over the years they had been comrades. That, or the Sheikah simply did not care. Two other possibilities came to mind. One, the man in charge knew that field experiences together could destroy the severed ties between the pair, or two, he reveled in joy and found happiness in watching them bicker; it was a joke of some sort to him.

“I think it might be... If not, we're going to look pretty stupid,” he muttered, trying his best not to also mutter “But not as stupid as your owl form.” Successful in this, he shook his head and turned to face his ally. “Wolfeye sent you, right? Good thing, too. There's a Rope following our guy; now, I don't know exactly why, but it can't be good, anyway.” The cloaked man ceased his talking and looked back out onto the plain at the shadow as it advanced.

“Name's Dogura... Shadowclaw? Yea, that's it. Dogura Shadowclaw. He's the guy who finished off Martir last year, and the reason I've been gone for so long. Although I bet you wish it could have been you in my place. Cooped up down there for so long wears on a person's mind. Enjoy that fresh air; we'll be back down there soon if everything goes as Myst and Darizan told me they would.” He continued to gaze across the field, occasionally drifting off into a surreal realm of imagination as he waited for the samurai to approach.

Never did the ranger have a reason to wander around this region. He questioned his own reason for being here. He simply needed a walk, and decided to visit an old friend. He needed a map for a specific region of a great and vast land he had come to know as Hyrule. It was only one day after his monthly resting period, and he was as livly as ever. A great mood gripped his being, and he wore a relaxed smile on his recently shaved face. A few field mice scurried past him, making all kiinds of chittering racket. Normally, this would have made the samurai question their hurried rush, however, he had not a care in the world on this particular day. He was a week ahead of his training scheduel, and had all the time in the world to gather information on what he was after. He lifted his hand to his mouth, and took a bite out of the already half eaten apple he kept clutched in his hand.

He chewed the flavor out of the apple, and looked into the clouds that hung overhead. What a day... This is the kind of relaxation that makes life worth living. I asked the kid to train, but he's probably causing trouble at North Castle. Tch... That kid can be a pain... Taking another bite of his apple, the samurai stopped abruptly. A crisp wind blew, which carried too little noise upon it. Dogura turned his head to the left, and then swiftly to the right. Nothing in sight, but a cliff side in the distance, and a few trees that dotted the land. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued onward, keeping his eyes peeled, not for trouble, but rather for an odd tower that should be poking its head over the horizon any minute now. Once again, he comes to an abrupt stop, most likely feeling what he had felt before.

His vigilant eyes rested upon two cloaked figures, standing on the cliffside. They were staring at him. Not a good first impression. Dogura's relaxed smile turned quickly to an annoyed frown. Taking that last bite out of his apple, he tossed the core behind him. What do these guys want? They don't seem entirely hostile... yet at the same time, I don't trust them. Dogura closed his eyes for a moment as if deciding how to react to their stare. He didn't like the feeling of being observed, like a common laboratory rat. Dogura began walking again, only this time in their direction. He slowly advanced in their direction, careful not to seem to hostile. The grass tickled at his feet, as he passed into some overgrown grass. The men sent out to maintain the plantlife were obviously slacking. When he came within earshot, he looked up at them, and called out, "Is there anything I can help you with? Or am I just that interesting?" Dogura scratched his head in a non-chalant manner, awaiting a responce from his stalkers.

OOC: You couldn't have picked a better spot Blank, I was going to make a Tingle's Tower here

The call of the samurai caused the man to fall out of his rhythmic dozing and snap back into the reality of his waiting. Ahead of him stood the samurai; it was definitely Dogura. This man looked almost entirely the same as he had all those months ago, when he had gazed down the cliff side at Parapa Desert, and the battle-weary vagabond traveling the scorching sand land. The cloaked man prodded his accomplice on the shoulder lightly, seeking her attention. He gestured to the man advancing on them, calling out to them. “That's him,” he whispered. He gazed curiously at the track of land behind the ranger, watching cautiously for the serpent. It was not following, and so he sighed thankfully as the Hylian approached.

When Dogura's words caught his ears, he raised an arm and waved, a friendly gesture to signify that the Apostles were not a threat to the wanderer. As the ranger came within a few feet of them, which was suitable speaking distance, the cloaked one threw off his hood and smiled warmly at his query. His dark brown hair stands out in the hot sunlight, and looks neatly trimmed - it appears as though at some point during the tiresome watching of Dogura he had managed to visit a barber. His twinkling blue eyes reflected the radiance of the sun, and his unscathed face showed that he either had little battle experience or was simply an expert with avoiding damage in battle. The bow at his heels made it obvious he was an archer, and likely a fellow ranger. This bowmanship was likely his excuse for being so scar-free.

“You certainly are, Dogura Shadowclaw, slayer of Martir Gavin. My name is Radley Rivers. I have been following you for the past ten months, keeping you free from harm... well, aside from harm that my allies and I are not to defend from. This may sound like a breach of privacy... does the name Myst Wolfeye ring a bell?” he asked with a grin on his clean white face. “Oh, don't let me be so rude. This is my 'friend', Rose Hillmound.” Radley spoke the word 'friend' with a small accent of falsehood, likely implying the small rivalry between the two. His eyes shined truthfully enough; a kind man like Dogura could probably relate to the archer's kind persona.

Shock. Anger. Memories. These are few of the things that flooded the vagabond's being. This man now had Dogura's undivided attention. "Martir? I slew him quite a long time ago! He was sent to kill me!" Suddenly, the samurai's eyes narrowed. "Are you here to kill me too? I won't fall for your act!" Dogura's sword left it's sheath, and was gripped tightly in it's wielder's hand. Then, at that moment, he remembered what had been spoken once more. "R-Rose??" Dogura cried, taking a step back. "Were you too sent to meet me here?" Confusion tugged at every part of the Hylian's mind. He's been following me? For 10 months?? How could I not have noticed him?

Dogura found his center, and lowered his sword. "Radly Rivers... You speak of Myst wolfeye... I once found this man near Parapa shores. I tended to him for a short while, before he left. Are you somehow linked to him?" Dogura tried to remember back to the last thing he had said...

I suppose sleeping won't harm me any, after all... Goodnight, Dogura. May we meet again, someday. Someday soon.

Its not possible... Is he... Did he really... Dogura had this feeling in his stomach. A feeling that said that Myst was clearly no normal man. Dogura had a hunch that something much bigger was brewing. As he stood there, a feeling of heaviness crept over him. Too many things going on at once. Dogura was wrong. Something could ruin this day. And it likely just had...

"I'm sure we look stupid anyway," Rose replied to Radley. "And don't remind me about going back underground so soon after I left it. If I'm lucky, maybe Wolfeye will give me another mission on the surface." But it had appeared that her partner had dozed off at this point. She considered poking him in the head to wake him up, but at that point, the man off in the distance had noticed them and spoke to them, waking up Radley. She was then informed that this was Dogura, the man they had been sent to watch over.

And then before Rose could do anything, Radley had introduced themselves; she followed suit and pulled down her own hood. It didn't seem like a good idea to mention Martir, considering that the samurai had drawn his sword on them. The human was about to draw her own sword, but then the man had repeated her name, almost as if he already knew her. A confused look appeared on her face. He speaks as if he already knows me, but I never met anyone in Hyrule except for those in the organization.

Once she found her voice, she said, still mystified, "Do I know you from somewhere? I have never seen you in my life before."

"R-Rose? Its me, Dogura!" The samurai stood in the open plains, the grass still tickling at his shins. Have they... Have they brainwashed her? What in the name of Din is going on here? Taking a closer look, Dogura began to wonder if he had heard correctly. I'm certain that he said Rose Hillmound. Have my ears decieved me? Raising his sword again, he looked around for anything suspicious. [Awareness check]

OOC: Are you freaking happy? Is this whats so funny about it? Watching me struggle to pull a decent post outta my ass with what you gave me to work on? Well its not funny to me! Maybe I'll edit this later if an idea or two pop into my already overloaded mind.

Rose still had a bewildered look on her face. Why does he insist that he knows me? she thought. We just met.

"Yes, I do trust Radley enough to believe that your name is Dogura," the woman said. "But I swear that I have never seen you before. This is my first time on the surface since I first came to Hyrule. Radley here can vouch for that. Now then, will you listen to what he has to say, or are you going to continue confusing me for someone else? After all, Rose isn't that uncommon of a name."

OOC: Don't worry, ZV, that's not why it's funny. You'll see why it's funny soon. Hopefully.

Radley slapped a palm to his forehead and shook his head visibly, clearly just as confused as the others. “Well whatever!” he blurted, knowing very well that the importance of the meeting was being overruled by the samurai's misconception. The sniper winced as he shrugged off the feeling of initial shock. It didn't make sense for Dogura to know Rose. She had been underground since the secret home of the Apostles had been initially discovered, and before that she had never been to the great land of Hyrule. He recalled, against his best wishes, the conception of Lady Rose Hillmound into Carock's Apostles years ago. At the time, the small organization had been meeting in privacy in the vast reaches of Calatia's grandest forest. It was Maverick's fault that the rival of the archer was standing there right that moment.

“Dogura, you don't realize it, but there are others watching you as well. I'm going to be frank with you; your life is at risk.” Then, realizing that this was a casual statement that was the norm amongst adventurers and warriors, Radley added in a second thought. “As always, right?” he winked, a quick laugh escaping his lips. The human knelt low and retrieved his bow, gesturing to it with his free hand. “And I've been making sure those who are against you do not lay a finger on you. Since your battle with Martir you've become a wanted man. Not by the law; there is nothing wrong with defending oneself from the treachery of an assassin. An acquaintance of yours, Myst Wolfeye, would like to meet with you again.” Judging by the look on the samurai's face as the name of the ill Sheikah had first been brought to the scenario, Dogura had indeed met with Wolfeye once before. Radley saw this imprint of shock and smiled, fueled to continue.

“I know Myst, but not very well. No one does. He's never opened up, and most of us have never even seen the man's face. He's a sick man; ill, that is. You must go to him. He has commanded Rose and myself to bring you to him. As for your supposed connection to her... that's impossible, unless you were present in Holodrum during her early life there. You must be mistaking her for someone else.”

The cloaked man's smile faded, and was taken over by a very serious expression. “Dogura,” he spoke with an iron tongue. “The three of us are in grave danger. You must join us as we travel back to the land in which Myst Wolfeye currently resides.” Radley held out his hand and beckoned Dogura to take hold. A haze of deep greens, purples and black drifted along the palm of his gloved hand, creating a very intricate illusion. Anyone with half a brain could understand that the Apostle was creating a portal of sorts. He did not speak as he stood there, hand outstretched - Myst had informed him that Dogura was blessed with a full brain.

The samurai thought quickly, even though it wasn't completely necessary at the moment. At that very moment, the cloaked man had asked him to accompany them to a different land, or so it seemed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm already tending to matters at hand. As much as I'd love to go to a mystical land with you, I'm afraid I have my own matters to attend to. Thanks for the warning, but I think I'll take my chances." Turning back to his previous direction, Dogura spotted Tingle Tower. How he had not seen it before was a mystery to him. It stood tall, and proud. It started at the bottom with a garden. A small man in blue, presumably knuckle, from what was picked up at North Castle, was watering the plants. In a totem pole manner, the tower loomed over the tiny blue man. A ladder led all the way to the top, where a spinning tingle head could be seen. It was still far off in the distance, but this meant nothing to the samurai. Dogura stopped, and looked back at the man. A portal had opened up near him, and the samurai shuddered. He wasn't too fond of portals. He looked at the two figures for a long time before deciding that his earlier decision would stand. He began his long walk towards Tingle Tower.

He's...leaving? she thought. Gah, why do men refuse to accept help when it's given? Most likely before Radley could do anything, she sprouted dragon wings, flying over the samurai and landing in front of him, keeping her wings stretched out. "I appreciate you trying to keep me up on the surface longer," she said, her voice a curious mixture of sarcasm and sincerity. "I really do. But I would highly recommend you meet with Wolfeye, especially if he has asked you to. I swear, your time will not be wasted." She held out her hand and the haze of the portal began to form around her hand just as it had with the sniper.

Dogura drew his sword on the woman. "I don't want to hurt you Rose. I'll tell you one final time, that I don't trust your organization." The samurai side stepped a bit, attempting to get around her. "What makes you think I would leave off to some other land, with cloaked people who've been stalking me? Does that sound logical to you?" Dogura side stepped again, keeping his sword pointed straight for the dragon. "While that is an impressive ability of yours, I've seen transformation before, and it didn't leave a good impression on me." The ranger eyed her warily, before taking another step towards his destination, never once turning his back on her. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass on your offer." A wind blew that seemed to carry a calming sense on it. Fortunately for the cloaked duo, this calmed Dogura, and he sheathed his sword. "Tell me once again, what do you plan to do with me? What does your organization stand for?"

OOC: I decided not to make this easy for you guys

A look of discomfort made its way to Radley's face as the samurai so easily shunned the suggestion that the two Apostles had been commanded to oversee. He pulled his gloved, portal-weaving hand back to his side and shook his head, devastated that he had forgotten Myst's most important words: “He won't come easy. He's not stupid.” Apparently Wolfeye and I have very different takes on the intelligence factor, he thought with a frown. To Wolfeye, instantaneous trust was the trait of a true moron. To Radley, it was the sign of someone who understood a trustworthy situation when he saw it. Well, I don't know what he wants with the guy anyway. He's probably right.

Glancing behind him, the archer caught sight of the vagabond's object of interest. Not far away was a tall totem-pole like structure, known to the Apostle as 'Tingle Tower.' A shocked sigh of bewilderment escaped his lips as he spun around to face the vagabond again. He'd trust those jumpsuit cultists before trusting allies of a man who owes him the world! This samurai is odder than Hillmound is! Catching sight of the ranger taking his leave, the Apostle observed exactly what is was that made Rose an oddity in his mind. The dragon wings dazzled in the morning sun as she contradicted Dogura's plan to exit the scene. Once again the archer found himself shaking his head in disbelief. Jeez, Rose, you're going to scare him doing that.

As the samurai took his leave, Radley considered shooting him. Of course, if he internally berated Rose for sprouting dragon wings, he would have to scold himself for thinking of taking aim. He thought over his query's question carefully. “Peace, Dogura. We stand for peace. I know the black robes make it seem otherwise, but you must know that Myst would not lead an organization bent on chaos. But Rose and I are not the ones to be speaking of this. You must come with us to see the diseased Sheikah.” Radley knew, of course, that his plea would go ignored, and so he had but one option remaining.

Squelch! The arrow ripped through flesh and meat, creating a horrifying and mind-numbing sound of skin being torn and blood being drained. The liquid oozed from its wound and spattered the soft, green grass, dying it a thick black. Wait, black?

At Dogura's feet there was coiled a large serpent, a gaping rip in its mid-stomach region. Thick, dark blood ran from the wound down its underside, and it left a trail of the offensive black liquid behind it as it hissed and slithered away with the utmost of speed. A second arrow pinned the now overgrown Rope through the tail, holding it to the ground. It veered its ugly head, a long red tongue snaking forth from its large black face. Two stained fangs - one at the top of the mouth, one at the bottom - jutted out viciously as its tail broke free and it turned to face its opponents, an angry glare alive on its face.

“Don't just stand there, man, attack it! This creature has been following you and expanding all the while since you killed Martir!” The archer nocked an arrow to his bow, kneeling down and aiming carefully as the dangerous Rope advanced on the trio. He glanced to his right at Rose, nodding as though she, too, knew the standard procedure when facing off against creatures like these... the Cursed Ones...


Dogura Shadowclaw - Level 10 Vagabond//Ranger
STR: 4 --- DEF:14 --- AGI:6 --- INT:7 --- SPI:1
HP:62 --- SPL:19 --- WILL:9
DMG = 9 DMG
MGC DMG = 19 DMG

Radley Rivers - Level 12 Vagabond//Ranger
STR: 4 --- DEF: 15 --- AGI: 6 --- INT: 3 --- SPI: 3
HP: 53 --- SPL --- 40 --- WILL: 9
DMG = 9 DMG
Arrow DMG = 8 DMG
Arcane Archery DMG = 12 DMG

Rose Hillmound - Level 9 Vagabond//Ranger
STR: 3 --- DEF: 19 --- AGI: 5 --- INT: 3 --- SPI: 2
HP: 62 --- SPL: 20 --- WILL: 9
DMG = 8 DMG
Dual Wield DMG = 12 DMG
Arrow DMG = 4 DMG

<center>Cursed One: Oblivion Rope
STR: 4
DEF: 15
AGI: 8
INT: 1
SPI: 1

HP: 85
SPL: 20
Fang DMG: 12
</center>

<center>Bite </center>
A vicious snake bite that deals damage based on strength and Fang DMG. Poisons enemy. Poison DMG determined by a d5 roll (Roll = DMG per turn). Duration of poison duration determined by a d5 roll (Roll = Number of turns).

<center>Strangle</center>
Rope may choke life from an opponent. Costs 5 SPL. DMG dependent on Dice Roll. Hit is determined the same way as a magical attack. Rope gains 50% of damage strangled to overall health.

<center>Restrict</center>
Costs 2 SPL. Opponent is petrified by the Rope's venom. Petrification duration based on a d3 roll. After petrification ceases, AGI is halved for an equal number of turns.

<center>Charge</center>
Costs 2 SPL. The Rope will charge at an enemy. Calculated same way as a Bite. DMG = STR X SPI If [Roll+Agi] is +5 than DEF of enemy, damage is doubled.

The sound of an arrow whizzing through the Hyrule air is an unmistakable one. Wheeling around lightning fast, the samurai had his blade drawn, preparing to cut through the incoming projectile. Much to Dogura's surprise, however, he was not the intended target. Yielding his blade to the archer's attack, the arrow slid past the samurai, and sank deep into it's victim. The largest Rope Dogura had possibly ever seen. The samurai let out a yelp, and almost fell back. "My lord! This goes beyond discovery!" Dogura cried, half excited, half frightened. "This is probably a record size!" Not having to grab his blade, for it was already out, Dogura stared it down. "Your arrows flew true, Radley. However, I fear its still far from lifeless." A bit shaken, the ranger leaped back, noticing the grass near where the Rope was wounded. It had died within second. This thing... It's poison is so powerful. This isn't an ordinary Rope... Gritting his teeth, he was beginning to form a strategy in his mind.

Close combat should be avoided as much as possible. Ranged combat would be safer, and more effective. Din-dammit... Why can't I excel at magics like most warriors? And why haven't I bought a bow of my own, I'm not a terrible shot. Clasping his hands together, Dogura prepared to perform one of the only ranged attacks he knew. He was getting good at it. Real good. Within 15 seconds, he had all the heat and gases he needed. Quickly grabbing a bit of powder from his satchel, he exhaled blasting a missile of fire straight for the Rope. Thoughts buzzed through Dogura's head at blazing speed. This Rope... what's happened to it? These cloaked strangers stand for peace... and they saved my life as well. Perhaps I should be a bit more trusting.