A hospital in New Peaktop seems to be the source of a small rumor going around. Nightfall, nearing midnight, and the city in the clouds was abuzz with lights and sounds. A massive Goron makes a scene in the lobby of the hospital. "I'm not crazy! I'm not!" Two Rito nurses attempt to calm him down. "Sir, we're not calling you crazy! We're just saying that you must have been hallucinating! Its quite common actually!" The Goron snorted, and pointed at his right shoulder. "Can a hallucination do this?!" His shoulder was bleeding. The gash was wide open, and required medical attention. Another nurse rushed out. "Sir! I'm going to ask you to remain calm, and lower your voice, especially at this hour." The Goron took a deep breath, exhaled, and apologized. "I'm sorry... But you must believe that what I saw was no mere hallucination! I was attacked by that... that... that shadow!" The desk clerk placed her feathered hands on the table, and sighed. "Why do we always get the crazies?" She mumbled to herself.

The Goron sighed, and realized he was going to get no help from this place. "Sir, follow me." The nurse grabbed his oversized hand, and led him into a hallway. You heard all the commotion, and saw that the Goron was indeed troubled about something. A Rito man walks out to the lobby, dragging a bucket and a mop behind him, most likely to clean up the mud that the large Goron had tracked in. The janitor dipped his mop in the water, and began cleaning the mud off of the floors. Much like everything else in the hospital, they gleamed a blinding bright white. One thing was for sure... strike that- two things were certain. One being that Rito kind took great care and financed the medical programs well here on New Peaktop. Secondly, that Goron needed someone to help him. From the looks of it, he'd get no help from anyone else. Do you decide to inquire on what the Goron saw? Or leave it alone... and let more people suffer the same fate he did... or worse.

OOC: Thus begins Shigure's story. I'll give this a week before I proceed.

The clouds above were closer than anywhere in the world. It seemed as though one could simply reach up and grab them here in New Peaktop. Aria loved this, it's the reason she snuck away from Kasei to come here. Sure, he'll know where she went eventually, but it'll take him some time to get here. The young shiekah girl could do what she wanted for now, primarily; look at the clouds. And that's exactly what she did.

She sat on a bench near a hospital and gazed up at the clouds for hours, letting her hair and clothes flap in the wind. Soon, people walking by were muttering about why such a little girl was here alone, and several asked her who she was.

She lost track of time, and began dosing off on her bench as night fell . . . a vague dream about Drommlin starting to form.

She was forced awake by a loud sound nearby, and jumped from her slumber. Sitting up, the young shiekah rubbed her eyes and took a look around, barely noticing the late hour.

The noise came again, something about hallucinations. Aria turned her head, to look groggily at the nearby hospital, the source of the noise. She stood up, patted her shirt and dress skirt, and then began walking towards the hospital.

As she got to the entrance, a nurse passed by, and Aria got a good look at a goron, who was being called crazy by some of the nurses. Aria was now fully awake, and began following after the rock giant, who was being led down a hallway.

She turned to look down, hoping to find out what was happening . . .

OOC: WELCOME BACK, ZV!!! I missed you!!!

Yes, I hope I can stick with Aria on this one, I don't use her to often.

kasei wrote:
OOC: WELCOME BACK, ZV!!! I missed you!!!

Yes, I hope I can stick with Aria on this one, I don't use her to often.

OOC:

Its good to be back.
I got this whole story all locked up! I've got the whole thing written down and planned out on 3x5 note-cards, dungeons and all. For now, I have 3 small dungeons planned out, and the fourth one will be... well, small, but significant.

I think you're all gonna like this if you'll give it a chance. If you don't, well, I can't say I never tried. Thanks for participating Kasei, you've DEFINITELY improved since last time I participated in an event with you. Again I think you're all gonna like where the story goes.

OoC: AN I'll use my NCP, Kenji... He needs to see some action once again! (and maybe Sovelis will pop up too somewhere.

IC:

Here in the mountains, he had become lost. A lone Rounin and wandering mercenary had stumbled into New Peaktop, wounded and exhausted from a long journey that had begun in North Castle. Kenji Murasaki was a patient man now and did not mind being cooped up in the Rito's hospital for the last few days. He had come here, wanting to train for a while under one of the winged warriors that lived here in the mountains. As he rested, a commotion awoke him from his light sleep. A Goron, one of the large rock beings that also lived in some of the mountains of this land, was being brought into the back by one of the Rito nurses. The large one spoke loudly, and the feathered woman seemed to be calling the wounded Goron crazy and insane. He looks like someone, or something attacked him... But what the hell would attack someone as large as one of the Gorons? Perhaps its time for me to investigate and get ready for an adventure after all...

Kenji threw the blanket aside. He grabbed his kimono and quickly dressed himself, ignoring the small pains that still bothered his scratched up arms and chest. He stepped into his sandals, and grabbed his two swords. He placed them in his sash carefully, and hurried out of his room, into the hallway, following behind the large, and loud Goron.

"I'm not crazy! I'm not!"

The cry pierces through the night air, carried by the wind straight to the Sheikah's ears. Eyes glancing off to the side for the hundredth time since arriving, his expression conveys the annoyance he feels quite well to his companion, and for the second time he mutters to said companion, "Did we have to meet near the crazy ward?!"

"It isn't the crazy ward . . . yet," comes the reply. The contact, a 40+ year old man whose only skills these days lie in his ability to deliver messages and arrive on time, though he had held an impressive record in days past when it came to stealth. He'd been excellent at bypassing patrols and blockades to deliver his goods . . . especially impressive considering his massive, Goronic form.

Alpha finally shakes his head in annoyance. "Fine, whatever. Let's just hurry up and get this over with." His shifts his stance to stare momentarily at the entrance to the alleyway in which the pair stands, enveloped by the shadows he has come to know so well. "Not that I don't enjoy seeing old allies, Varak, but -"

"I understand, trust me," the Goron grumbles as another cry comes from the hospital, his coal eyes rolling in agreement, a movement even the Sheikah has a hard time picking up in the darkness. "So here's the message: Cezera can't afford to give out too much information concerning the Hakiems Tribe. You know how they work; they learn he let loose one slip of the tongue and he'll be out of business and hunted by half the assassins in the underground before he can blink an eye."

Alpha nods as his hand flexes. "Well then, guess we'd better deal with that guy." Almost casually he shifts his arm, and seconds later a thud comes from the rooftop, the Hakiem eavesdropping up there killed by a poison needle puncturing his jugular vein. "That better?"

Varak grins. "Much." He reaches around his back, grabbing a Delivery Bag that rests there and shuffling through the papers within before grabbing one and handing it over. "This isn't a lot . . . again, just giving you this is risky. But it does detail a couple of the lower ranked, yet still powerful, Hakiems. Segnin included, and I know you've been wanting to hear about him for a while now."

The Sheikah grabs the parchment and stuffing it into his cape. "Indeed I have. You've been most helpful, my friend."

"Anything for the legendary Wraith . . . seriously." The Goron's gravely voice fades into a chuckle at that thought; denying Wraith anything was very nearly suicide, as far as many in the underground were concerned, even if he has left the business. "Until the next deal, my friend."

Alpha nods as he turns away. "Until the next deal, Varak. Give my thanks to Cezera." He strides out of the alley, sparing a glance at the hospital doors, curiosity building within him. From the sound of things, whoever had been yelling in there - Goron, by the voice, though one could never be too certain without visual evidence to support it - needed help, and wasn't getting it. That last cry, the one that had gone something like "Can a hallucination do this?!" intrigued him.

But he just turns and keeps walking. It's not his problem, after all.

OOC: Haha, I love it when people write something like "there's trouble; are you just going to let it pass by, or will you help these poor unfortunate souls?", and everybody always answers that they'll help. Well Alpha doesn't want to help. So there.

But seriously, drag him into it if you want. Or I can use Varak; always did want to RP a Goron. Even both is fine. Your call, ZV.

It seemed as though quite a crowd had been attracted by the commotion. The common folk, however, only quickly glanced at what was happening, and hurried away to share with their friends. The air currents were cut by a pair of flapping wings- that is, a Rito landing near the hospital. He hurried into the hospital, and was visible exchanging words with the desk clerk, before being directed down the hall. A Zora pushed through the streets as well, hurrying into the hospital. It seemed as though they were interested in the story.

- - - - - - -
Kenji- - -
- - - - - - -
The Goron continued on with the nurses, gripping his wound. He turned, and caught Kenji out of his peripheral vision. He had a bit of hope in him that the man would listen to his words instead of deem him insane. "Hey! Hey, you!" He boomed, before he was led into a large hospital room, most likely made for the larger residents of the mountains. He was desperate to find somebody to talk to about what he'd seen. Kenji, however, is passed by a winded Rito, who followed the nurses into the very room that was housing the Goron. Directly after The Rito entered the room, a Zora passed through the door as well... Had they heard the rumors before the commotion? Either way, the massive being was enlightened to see more and more followers. At least some people were interested in hearing what he had to say.

- - - - - - -
Alpha- - -
- - - - - - -
It would have been a bit difficult to tell in the darkness, that a Zora woman was weaving her way through the crowd. She wasn't aware of the mass of a man in front of her, and ran smack into the stranger. Knocked back onto her butt, she lay motionless for a second from the initial shock. She got back to her feet, and said her apologies to the man. "So sorry sir!" She quavered, obviously intimidated by the height and solidity of the man. "Excuse me! Have you heard the rumors of the Goron that was attacked by a 'hallucination'?" She didn't wait for a reply. "I heard it from the west side of town! Rumors spread fast here, but you probably know that." She looked around hurriedly. "Quickly! Can you tell me where the Goron is now? Have you heard of the rumors? I must know immediately! His life is in danger!!" She looked as if she would bolt from her position at any moment. A Hylian man with a large axe on his back sprinted past them, and into the hospital. After talking with the same exasperated desk clerk, he hurried down that familiar hallway.

OOC: Alright, Saber asked me to wait for him before any of you replied, so we're not moving without him. Go ahead and post to get it out of the way, but I won't be moving on with this without Sabertache here. And Alpha, I left you in the position to choose who you want to RP with here.

Kenji followed into the larger room, wanting to speak to the Goron now that he knew that the wanderer was following him. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, Angoku Dama, and was ready to threaten anyone with the sharpened, single edged weapon that had once been his father's. He stood a few feet from the wounded Rock-being, his bangs hanging loosely over his eyes when it should have been tied back with the rest of his hair.

"You look like something attacked you. Care to tell a fellow traveler what happened to you, my friend?" Kenji spoke calmly, his voice strong and deep. "If so, then I should warn any others so that we can keep it from attacking again. Was it a monster, or a person?"

OOC: I love how everyone ignores the little girl who could easily be hurt. Thanks, guys, you hurt Aria's feelings.

As for Saber; I'm not happy with him, so I'll treat him the way i'm treated. BURN, SABER! BURN! [/jk]

IC: Aria only popped her head around the corner to look down the hallway, the little shiekah was shocked to see the goron being pulled down the hallway by the nurses. As Aria was moved her body and entered the hallway completely, the goron turned around and yelled towards her. At first Aria thought that she was being addressed. A quick turn of her head made her see that he was, in fact, talking to some psudo-samurai, or a robber. Aria returned her focus to the goron as he was led into a room. She cautiously stepped forward and started towards the room, when an axe-man rushed past her.

"HYA!" She screamed, shocked. Aria regained her composure seconds later, holding her chest. Now she was more interested. She quickly moved towards the door the goron went through, hoping to see what was happening.

OOC: Enter; .......screw it, I got nothin.

OOC:...Okay, I'm leaving for a few days (Again) tomorrow, so I shall post now before I have to go to bed...

IC: Junter was surprised, to say the least. Just days ago, he had seen this same Goron while he was rambling about, and the stranger had called out to him. He had, of course, run away. It was foolish of him, he knew. But he had. Nothing could change that. However, he had felt something odd that day. Something in the way the Goron had treated him...with respect? He had expected the stranger to have been afraid and shun him. Was that not the response all Gorons used when he was noticed? Either that, or silence. However, it was as if this Goron didn't know what he had done. If he did, he had forgiven Junter, as it was unlikely that he would be mistaken as someone else with that giant boulder on his back. I wonder...How would he react to me now?The Goron pondered this question as he stood watching the scene from a window. He had been here on business, but the screams quickly distracted him.

...I have completed my mission. Kensun will not be angry. Junter took a cautious step towards the door, some odd feeling flowing through him until he was soon running towards the Goron, knocking others out of his way as he tried to get close enough to the maniac to hear what was being said clearly. However, he was soon thwarted as his target vanished through a door, being Goronhandled by the nurses. Clutching his mace in slight frustration, Junter heaved a heavy sigh and waited to see what would develop. There were a few odd figures that seemed to stand out among the crowd--perhaps they would have the initiative to do something.

OOC: Alpha, if you decide to use Varak, you can decide whether he knows about Junter or not. I believe I told you Junter's backstory.

Now I have an essay to finish, and packing to do...

The bombardment of questions catches the man off guard as he realizes that someone is addressing him. 'Nayru's Love, can there be no peace and quiet in this goddess-forsaken town for even five minutes?!' He stops as a thought strikes him. 'Well, this is Hyrule . . . I suppose that means there can't.' Still, this is none of his business, even if he had overheard something from that crazy ward . . .

'Great, now I'm calling it that too.' Varak shakes his head mournfully, forgetting momentarily about the young miss who has brought him down on this line of thought. The old delivery Goron glances back at the woman, a Zora - one whose very face, even at night, can be seen to carry with it a great deal of anxiety and franticness. He pauses, unsure of how best to handle such a situation. Seeing one of her race reminds him solely of his boss, who must even now be eagerly awaiting confirmation that he has made his delivery to the Sheikah.

And yet, isn't it that same boss who tells him to always analyze the situation given to him, and then determine how best to proceed? Indeed it is. And if there is one thing that Varak has learned over the years, it is that when people get frantic, something important has happened or is happening. And that always means a chance for profit, which will certainly win the approval of his Zora boss. And so he politely turns back to face the woman, an apologetic look on his face. "Forgive me, where you speaking to me?" He pauses, letting his excuse for not answering immediately sink in for a moment, then continues. "I haven't heard any rumors of which you speak, but I do believe I may have just heard the Goron in question a few moments ago. He was within the hospital.

"I must say, the whole thing has me quite curious. I assume that you are planning to investigate; would you mind if I were to accompany you?"

* * *

Only a few minutes after the pair has parted ways, Alpha sits down in a local bar, sipping at a glass of Lon Lon Milk as he situates himself in a dark corner of the room. Adjusting the amount of oil being provided to a candle over his head, the caped man stretches out his magical senses, making sure that no one in the vicinity is paying him any undue attention. Satisfied after a few moments of introspection, he quietly withdraws the page from his cape.

A certain sense of excitement fills him as he opens it, only to find quite the shocker on the inside: the page is completely blank.

No matter, though, he knows how to make the message appear. With another reach into his cape, he withdraws a vial of a special sap coming from Ember Trees. While the seeds of the tree have been long known to cause fires, the sap of the tree itself is a potent liquid with some highly unique properties - as is evidenced when Alpha rubs a few drops over the parchment, causing words appear on the page. He blinks as he scans the now visible writing, taking in the confusion letter arrangements. Obviously a code of some sort was applied during the writing of this note; a sensible precaution, seeing as how the Hakiems would have undoubtedly known the same methods of making the words themselves appear. But unfortunately it seems that there is one hitch to this plan that has Cezera's fingerprints all over it.

'By Farore! Cezera you fool, you know I don't know the encoding schemes you've developed since I left!' He hastily stands up from his seat, hurling a rupee towards the counter without even glancing in that direction. Hopefully Varak is still the area, and can provide him with the decryption key.

OOC: Oh no, ZV, I insist that you decide, or else I'm just going to have to use both of them.

The Goron wanted nothing more than to talk about what he'd seen. He needed to get the word out, and fast.

"You look like something attacked you. Care to tell a fellow traveler what happened to you, my friend? If so, then I should warn any others so that we can keep it from attacking again. Was it a monster, or a person?"

The Goron sat down on the large bed beneath him, and took his massive hand away from his shoulder as the nurses instructed. He winced as they began treating it. He looked up at the man, and was about to speak, when he noticed that a little girl was in the room. He held his tongue, so as not to scare the poor child.

"A little of both."

A voice spoke boldly from across the room. His voice was deep, and held a commanding tone to it that demanded all attention. The bold voice of a leader. A Rito man with a muscular build, tall as well, stood just to the left of Kenji.

"This thing... It was like a demon no? A black silhouette with piercing red eyes and a blood-red sword."

The Goron pushed a finger to his lips, and pointed at the young woman. The Rito sharpened his stare, and waved a feathered hand.

"If she wants to stay, then let her. This is grown up business, but if she feels like listening to such horrors, than we'll not pass judgment. Whats your name Goron?"

The Goron looked shocked. Nobody had talked to him in such a harsh tone before. The Goron cleared his throat, and sat up straight, ignoring the new ointment that had just been applied to his wound.

"My name is Shigure, and I hail from Death Mountain- but that was long ago."

"Good to hear from you Shigure."

A new voice had replied from across the room. A Zora with a scythe leaned against the wall, obviously interested in the story.

"So..."

The Zora continued.

"Was the Rito's description correct?"

The Rito looked rather annoyed.

"You can all call me Keliphighes."

The Zora nodded, and stepped forward.

"So?"

Shigure nodded, and smiled.

"Thats exactly what I saw! The sword was awfully thin too, not like a normal sword these days."

Keliphighes nodded, and closed his eyes.

"I have no doubt now. You've had a run-in with the Assassin."

Silence filled the room, before the door opening broke the silence. A man with a giant axe entered the room, and doubled over catching his breath.

"Hold on a minute..." *huff* *huff*

"The Assassin... What is it? Why is it after me?"

Shigure asked, yearning for more information. The Rito nomad seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. Power of the conversation was about to shift however.

*huff* "Black Assassin: A grim reaper of sorts, I believe." *pant* "He seeks those who've lived past their expiration date, and cuts them down to order." *puff* "He's immune to all normal attacks, even magic." *puff* "I've been targeted twice, and ended up having to run for it." *huff* "Its a darn miracle that I've escaped twice."

Silence filled the room, until Keliphighes spoke again.

"You hold much knowledge of the Black Assassin. So thats the name everyone's using now eh? Catchy. I didn't know, however, that magic was ineffective as well... You've run into this thing as well I see..."

"Thats right. Twice. I've a hunch that it seeks those that should have died, as it also took my brother, who survived being impaled multiple times."

"So... You've all encountered this thing as well? I've only seen it once- last week I believe. I'm extremely fortunate to have escaped so easily. It attacked me when I was alone... But as soon as I dashed into Rauru, it dissipated."

Shigure took in all the information, storing it away in his mind. "I see, I see..." He stated, looking down at the floor. He didn't know what to think of all of this. He glanced at his shoulder, as the nurses worked. One of the nurses turned, and waved her hands. "Alright, alright, you're all going to have to leave. Good luck out there with your Dark Asprin or whatever you believe in." Shigure hopped off the table, but the other nurse placed a hand on his chest pushing him back. "Oh, no! You're due for stitches big-guy." Shigure looked back to the exiting adventurers.

"We should meet again tomorrow, at my house. Its on Granite Avenue, across the street from the Parlor in the Goron District. Big house, you can't miss it. Six o' Clock tomorrow." The men nodded, as they left. The Zora however, leaned back in the doorway.

"I've actually got places to be tomorrow. I''' be about thirty-five minutes late. Is that okay?"

Shigure nodded. "That will be fine. See you tomorrow." The Zora nodded, and hurried out the door.

"As for you Kenji." Shigure began. "If anyone wishes to inquire about our little meeting tomorrow, be sure to let them know what's going on. Understood?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Zora woman thanked the man, and nodded. "Oh please, I'd appreciate if you'd investigate with me. I feel so fragile sometimes. With a big strong man at my side, I feel powered though! I can accomplish anything now!!" She cried, as she grabbed his hand, and darted for the hospital. The eccentricity of the woman would through many a man for a loop. After opening the doors to the pearl-white hospital, she exchanged words with the desk-clerk.

"Do you know where they took the big-ol' Goron?"

She asked sweetly. The woman's eyes bulged, and she stood up abruptly. Ripping a lock of hair from her head, she screamed!

"I've HAD IT with this place!! I'm gonna go work somewhere where NORMAL PEOPLE GO! AUUGHHGGHH!!"

She stormed out of the hospital, leaving a room of silence in her wake. Finally, a janitor approached the woman, and pointed down the hallway. "Goron's down that hall." He whispered, and smiled. She thanked him, and gripped Varak's hand once again, running down the hallway. Suddenly, however, she stopped, and stood as if in a daze. "Which room?!" She shrieked, turning her head every which direction. She spied a man in one of the rooms, and called out to him.

"Excuse me! Do you know where we can find out more about the Goron that was attacked around here?"

Little did she know, she was yelling at the very man instructed to dispense such information- Kenji.

OOC: I'm punishing you Alpha, by not inviting you to the big hospital room meeting we just had. All that info you just got hasn't reached your character yet. I = Win.
Kenji, that means that you're to respond to the Zora woman, and Saber, that means you ought to magically pick Kenji out of all the people there to speak with.

'Throw for a loop' would be the understatement of the century, and if these events were being written about by two different people in some sort of role-playing game, the one writing for Varak would have shaken his head and groaned just as the Goron wants to do as he struggles to keep up with the frantically-paced Zora woman. 'She feels empowered by me? She can do anything? By Din, I have never heard something so pathetic in my life!' He mentally stops for a second. 'Okay, so I always hear stuff like that whenever I have to deal with newbies in Cezera's operation, but still! Pathetic!'

Hastily he rushes into the hospital after the water dweller, his eyes trying to make sure that stay on her head-fin at all times, so that he'll have some idea of the direction she is moving in, lest he accidentally bump into someone. He could, of course, simply barrel his way through the horde of people, knocking them over with his race's natural strength, but that would likely call a lot of unwanted attention to himself. 'Still, it could be worth it if makes this lady afraid - she might be willing to calm down and slow down.'

The fact that the moment this thought is done he realizes that the clerk is screaming at the Zora does not do anything to make that prospect less appealing.

Still, it may well be worth it. If putting up with the woman results in getting information that Cezera is interested in, he could be in for some much desired action. Delivering mail is nice and all, but there are times when the Goron longs for the thrill of the old days. So he simply stands by, trying to be patient as the woman begins bombarding some other man with random questions.

Still, he can't help but free his hand from her grasp. Who does she think he is, her father?!

* * *

Alpha manages to make his way back to the scene just in time to spot a large Goron being dragged inside the hospital by . . . someone. Whoever it is, Varak's bulky frame obscured them from view, so he could not see if it was someone he knew. At least, he hopes it's Varak; this is Ruto Town, after all, so it could have been anyone. Still, it's his only lead at the moment, so he dashes inside after them.

OOC: Alright, fine, I'm doing both. I like the idea of Alpha meeting Shigure in this manner (any other situation he probably wouldn't give the Goron a second thought after all), and I'm liking Varak too much to stop using him now.