Hyrule Adventures 2

Following Seth's directions Arrika found the large oak tree that he claimed he hid the weapon and money she had stolen from him. Arrika had a feeling of doubt as she stood at the base of the tree, but would it hurt to search anyway?

"This thing's huge! How am I gonna find the way inside it?" She asked aloud. "Maybe if I touch the right branch? Or maybe I should just burn it up?" The thief looked up at the strong branches, light coming in through the leaves and casting a glow on the bark of the tree. Arrika sighed with contentment and flopped down on the grass, still staring up at the tree. "I love trees! It's a wonder I wasn't born a Deku." She pulled out a book she had stolen from the library a while ago from one of the huge pockets on her black cargo pants and began to read.

OoC: C'mon, Sakiko-chan, you can figure out how to post a reply!

The light on the bark of the tree - which seemed as if it was sunlight at first - grew strangely brighter with each second, the color of it turning to a faint blue. It steadily grew in size, until the blue light enveloped the tree entirely. The tree seemd to respond to this, bristling strangely, as if wind was passing through it. The bristling grew to a violent shaking, tumbling down branches and leaves everywhere.

"No! Bad! Bad!"

Sakiko clung unto a tree branch, her gray robe billowing about her wildly. The light that she had folded the tree in seemed to have angered the oak. Her long hair whipped her face as she screeched,

"Stop it, Tree!"

However, the shaking would not cease. Sakiko's grip slipped from the limb and she twirled unto the ground, landing on the grass with a thump. She pointed at the giant oak tree and yelled,

"I was only trying to help!"

ooc: er... my first time, not sure if I did it right.!?

"Yo! Not cool, Miss Mage!" Arrika said, flinging herself to the side just in time due to her excellent reflexes. The thief stood up, brushing stray branches, twigs, and leaves from her clothes. "What the hell was that for?" The Sheikah teen demanded. "And what were you doing up there anyways?" Arrika studied Sakiko carefully. "Huh, never seen you round before." She doesn't look poor, but not exactly rich either... Is she worth pickpocketing? Eeep, what if she's telepathic too??! Ever since Sovelis I've been convinced every mage is! I bet Sovelis did that on purpose!

Sakiko turned around to see an irritated teen, holding a book in her hands. Since when was she here? The mage brushed away the twigs and leaves stuck in her robe. She combed her silver hair with her fingers and snorted,

"I was here first, and there was no one here when I came. Not cool or not, it's your fault you chose to sit there."

She eyed the teen again, studying her sharp features carefully. Seeing the teen's cargo pants and rough clothing, Sakiko said her assumption aloud,

"You are a thief, huh?"

Sakiko didn't even bother to wait for the answer as she put her hands on her hips.

"Anyways, to your second question: what the hell was I doing? Well, I was trying to reach the tree's spirit, as I sensed a strange feeling within it. Even more strange, the tree won't let me in. There must be something fishy going on."

She sharply turned her head to glare at the thief.

"Now, what business does a thief have around here? I'm sure there's nothing to rob from here."

"What's in the tree is rightfully mine, believe it or not. And do me a favor and just call me Arrika. When you say 'thief' you make it sound really derogatory. Now that I've introduced myself, I expect you to do the same, Miss Prissy-Mage." Arrika looked at her skeptically. "A strange feeling in the tree? Like what? I bet you're one of those environmentally obssessed girls. Maybe I'll just burn the tree down and see what you do," she said evilly.

"Burn?"

Sakiko stared at Arrika blankly for a moment, her lips pulled back. Her gray eyes flickered for a brief second, before turning cold. With an icy voice, Sakiko answered,

"That is of no concern to me. Do as you wish. However, you have mentioned that something is in that tree which is yours. If you burn the tree, won't you burn that treasure of yours?"

Sakiko paused, then took a deep breath.

"I would call you Arrika, thief, if you stop calling me miss prissy mage, and call me Sakiko. I was trying to identify a spirit in that tree, because it's disrupting the order of nature by sending strange...strange..."

Sakiko fingered the air for a moment, her eyebrows knit together. She sighed and dropped her hand.

"Ah, why even bother telling you anything?"

"Hah, lemme guess, you're the really snobby, spoilled brat type, aren't you? Got the 'you're-just-a-plain-little-common-thief' syndrome, eh? Well guess what, 'Sakiko', I happen to be apprenticed to one of the most powerful mages in Hyrule!" Arrika said triumphantly, then laughed. "You're pretty funny, ya know, when you have that confused look on your face. I suggest we don't try to kill each other, 'cause I know you want to." The thief flicked a lock of Sakiko's silver hair and grinned. "Nah, rupees don't melt. I least... I think they don't..." A look of concern spread across the Sheikah's face. "Uh oh. Maybe I'll just slash through the tree? You know what, why don't you just help me find the way into it? You have to touch one of the knots of the branches or something."

Sakiko slapped away Arrika's hand. She smirked,

"You want me to help you found treasure?"

She laughed condescendingly, shaking her head as if such an idea was the most hilarious thing she had heard in the world. Sakiko tucked her arms into her robe and challenged tauntingly,

"If you have been apprenticed by one of the most powerful mages in Hyrule then you must be able to magically identify the anomaly in the tree's aura, where the treasure must be hidden."

Sakiko laughed once again, and plopped down beside the tree, pulling out an apple from her robe. She bit into it, and rolled her eyes at the teen.

"Well? Why don't you give it a shot? Or better, admit to me that you can't do it, and pay me."

Azador hid in the shadow of the trees as ussual.
"interesting"he said while taking bite of his bread,
"more...and more people seem to come to hyrule
I wonder what those two are up to"

"Pay you what?" This girl was definetely going to be a pain. Goddesses have mercy on me! I hate difficult people like her! "I don't have to pay you anything, you know-it-all! Gah, what was the point of trying to hold a conversation with you, you clumsy rat in a wannabe princess outfit! I wasn't going to give you a share of the treasure anyway!" Arrika said, her temper getting the best of her again. What she would give to slap that silver haired girl across the face.

She clenched her fists. In a split second to fast for normal eyes to follow, the mage's apple was in her hand before she could take another bite. Arrika meant to crush it in her bare hands, but her anger overwhelmed her and to her surprise flames similar to Sovelis's curled around her palm, engulfing the apple and reducing it to nothing but ashes, which she cast into Sakiko's sneering face. "You enjoy feeding off someone's failures, don't you? Keeps you and you own mediocrity going, eh? I'd like to see you summon flames without an incantation! Or better, admit to me that you can't do it, and pay me."

Arrika turned sharply to where the dark mage hid. "I can hear you. And smell that bread. Come out before I torch you too!"

Aureliano had been listening to the whole conversation from a safe distance, and decided to join in now that things were getting a bit frisky. "Hello again, Arrika! You look quite lovely today. How are you?" He said with a charming smile. "I see you have a new 'friend'. What is your name?" Aureliano already knew her name, but he did not want to let them know he was eavesdropping

The mage laughed.
"I prefer staying the darkness, little girl" he said.
"I didn't know it was forbidden to rest behind a tree"
he took another bite of the bread.

hmmm.... I don't have that much time.
Miguel has forseen that Edward will soon be resurected,
something I don't want miss. But I still have time to toy around with these people.......
that girl seems to be strong with fire magic just like Edward..

" hmmmm... another stranger" he said
when he heard Aureliano's voice.

Sakiko scowled at Arrika, her gray eyes flickering angrily. She brushed the ashes from her face and collected it into a pile of ashes. such immaturity! Getting up quickly, she brushed away the bits of grass on her gray robe. She folded her arms across her chest and flipped her silver hair over her shoulder.

"Hm, I wouldn't get so conceited over a small spark, you know. And who said you could steal my apple? But then of course, being a thief, I should've expected such low standards. I would do something stupid like throw apple ashes to others' faces, but I'm too educated and mature for that. Thus, educated people such as I would not attempt to create a large fire in the purpose of bolstering their ego when surrounded by grass and beside a tree."

She paused, then smoothed her silky hair with her now clean hands.

"Anyways, you must be so full of yourself. Why don't you just admit that you can't find the treasure on your own instead of throwing an anger tantrum? Your incompetency is only your fault, and your greed is insulting."

Sakiko laughed mockingly and walked over to the tree, suddenly feeling calm as the tree's aura soothed her. But there still was that something, clashing against the tree's aura. Sakiko shrugged it off and glanced over at the new stranger, smiling brightly. Ignoring the Sheikah completely, she extended a pale hand to him.

"My name is Sakiko, pleased to meet you. I almost..."

Sakiko trailed off, cutting off her introduction, her face in a frown. The strange element averse to the tree's aura was bothering the oak again, and it was shivering slightly, shaking its branches. Sakiko briskly laid the offered hand on the warm bark of the tree. She trailed her palm down the rough surface, circling around the gigantic oak. She stopped at the bottom of the tree, close to the root, where the soil touched the trunk. Sakiko pursed her lips. I hate mysteries I can't solve... what is this? This is... this is... I know this... The young mage bit down on her lips, her silver hair tumbling down her shoulders. Oh! This is...!

She grinned smugly and turned towards Arrika.

"So this was what was bothering the tree's spirit. Heh, what kind of an idiot would hide treasure inside a tree?"

Sakiko turned to the thief, her grin becoming wider.

"Well, now, I have proved my intelligence. Now prove yours. That is, if you have any."

"Fine. Suit yourself," she called back to Azador. "Try anything funny, though, and I'll make you wish you hadn't come within a league of this place."

Arrika could have sworn a vein had popped in her head when Sakiko finished her little speech. Oh, of all the people she had to meet today, this mage was the most aggravating. "G'day, Aureliano. Charming as ever, I see," she said through gritted teeth, dragging him closer to her protectively. No way was she going to let this Sakiko freak take over a friend with her newfound manners.

"I didn't say I couldn't find it, I said I couldn't find the way into the tree! The freaking tree is hollow! H-O-L-L-O-W!!! I am not about to phase into the tree like a ghost! I am trying to find the branch that opens the hidden door! And what did you prove? Yes, trees grow in dirt. Bravo, good job! Never expected as much from an obviously schooled girl like you!" Arrika took a deep breath and put one hand on her head, muttering curses under her breath. "Okay. Intelligence? I've plenty of that. But I've also got something you obviously lack, booksmart schoolgirl. Luck and intuition."

Picking up a rock, Arrika closed her eyes, a serene look on her face. In another flash of motion she threw the rock at the tree, hitting a gnarled branch. Putting an ear to the tree and motioning for Aureliano to stay quiet, she moved along the trunk until she came to a certain spot. Using the hilt of her dagger, she knocked hard on the bark and what appeared to be a door came loose, opening about an inch from the trunk. "Bingo! Hah, Aurel, you must be my lucky charm!" Heaving the door open she went inside. It was a musty and hollow room carved out of the tree, but beams of light came through the ceiling. There was a small wooden table but no chair, and barely enough room for 3 people.

Arrika scrutinized the dusty floor carefully, then with the heel of her black boots stomped on a certain spot, which prompted a small trapdoor to open in the same way the door had been revealed. Reaching down she pulled out a sack, which shaking a little proved to be her lost money, and a silver chain sickle. Opening the sack she estimated the amount of money inside; it seemed to be the right amount. Guess Seth hadn't lied for once. The rupees shifted in the bag, and a folded piece of paper came into view. The Sheikah picked it out and unfolded it, staring at its contents.

The browning piece of paper was written in a slanted, elegant cursive. It looked oddly familar. "Is this... his handwriting?" Arrika whispered aloud. "Kobas...."

Don't look back. Don't ever look back. That was my motto. Leave it all behind, start again. Learn from your mistakes. Don't live in the past. Look towards the future.

The note was unsigned but Arrika felt a tear come to her eye, which she quickly wiped away. "What are you telling me? Are you really... gone for good?"

"hmmmmm.....rupees...... I have enough of them already,
and I hoped it might have some nice magical artifacts or spell books, but just rupees isn't what I'm looking for."
Said Azador with a grin on his face.
"their lucky",

I just met that girl for about three seconds, and I don't like her attitude.

"I'm wasting time, but maybe this will get interesting....or maybe I will make it interesting...hehehe."

OOC:would you please keep in mind that my charcter's name is Azador, not Jarod.