Zendal, the Zora famous for performing with Din's traveling troupe, sits on a stool in a quiet corner of the courtyard, watching people go by as he plucks his guitar strings. Noticing you noticing him, he winks at you and begins to speak.

"So...what do you guys think about having a little competition? I'll sing a riddle, and the first one to figure it out gets a prize? How about it?"

Giving you no time to respond, he strums a rich chord. "Good. Here's the first one."

His fingers begin to fly as he fills the air with a melody that draws the listener in, absorbing them in a world of mystery and curiosity.

"I have a close group of friends,
My means to various ends,
To show me the way,
To maim or to slay,
They'd take a bow if they could bend."

He ends the song with a flourish. "So, what are they?"

Simon, a fellow musician of sorts, was drawn in by the Zora's musical alore. Hearing the riddle, he pondered over it. His dusty cloak waved as he paced, trying to think up an answer. His Terminan watched seemed to tick faster and faster. He pulled out his rupee satchel, he gave the Zora a few rupees just for the dazzling tune. Finally, after much contemplation, he asked the Zora. "Are the items to which the riddle refers arrows?"

"Indeed they are." Zendal said, not a bit fazed. "Alright, that was just the warmup...are you ready for the next one?"

His fingers flew as he began the next musical riddle.

"Two brothers torn asunder,
One must stop and wonder,
Has one given up on the other?

One's been beaten near to death,
But before his dying breath,
He finds that he can still count on his brother.

Cha cha cha."

The song ends abruptly, with Zendal raising an eyebrow at the crowd. "So...who is the first brother, and the second?"

OOC: Okay, so Orpheous gets TP for the first round.

"Sir Zendal," Simon prodded. "I suspect that I know the answer to this riddle as well. Yet, I don't know if you want the same person to answer more than one of your riddles. I am fairly confident I know, but I wish to know if I am still able to guess. Sorry if I cannot, but I felt that I had to say something." Simon stood there, looking baffled, and hoping for an answer.

"I say we should give some other cats a chance to answer...don't be shy, now." He plucked a few notes. "There's no penalty for guessing wrong."

OOC: This one's tough.

Rosen stood baffled, brow mashed like the veins of an accordion, and mumbled answers out loud. "The hands of a clock?" He said, inquisitively, with more question than answer characterizing the tone in his voice. Whatever the answer may be, the goron could already count on disappointment to be the last words on the Zora's lips.

What could it be? What else do other people use besides their hands to count he wondered. Perhaps the next riddle won't bludgeon the back of his mind with such vigor and brute acuity.

OOC: IS THIS YOUR DOING, ALPHA!

Alpha Edit: Nope, not this time.

"No, I'm afraid not." The Zora broke into a smile. "I see where you're going; no, there's no little hint-words in there, don't focus too much on the count thing."

Ooc: this is going to keep me awake at night hahaha

IC:

Zeze had been sauntering around the streets, humming a small tune. She smacked her lips when she saw a Zora singing and a group gathered about him. She edged closer, raising her eyebrows just as he sang the riddle.

WHA --?!

The bard frowned. Two brothers? Twins! Ah ha! She was about to shout the answer gleefully when the bard strummed, "cha cha cha". Zeze stroke her chin thoughtfully, and declared,

"The feet of a dancer!"

She hopped to and fro, balancing on her left foot, then on her right.

Kasei had stood there for a long time, contemplating the riddle, but no matter what the answer eluded him. So instead of piping in with a response to the riddle, he instead closed his eyes and spoke up with a question of his own;

"I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. "

After he recited the odd rhyme he opened his eyes and stared at the zora. "What am I?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Try thinking or something more...worldly. Such as--" The Zora was cut off as Kasei spoke his own riddle.

"I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. "

"What am I?"

"A lack of rhyme and meter." Zendal quipped. "Now then." He turned his eyes back to the crowd. "Any further guesses? You, sir, did you have one earlier?"

OOC: Are you serious? This topic is just for passing TPs around once the riddles are answered? Nice...

But I'm confused about which riddle we're answering here. Is it the one with the brothers or the one in the quote. Because I have an answer for both (and two TPs would be cool ... but I'll just answer the first.

IC: Nogare approached, to where he felt the potential of power from far away. He was slightly surprised to find it within this Zora bard. Power would be given in exchange for the answer to the water-folk's riddle. The Blade was never good with riddles, but power was power.

He looked to the sky, and wondered. Two brothers... The moon and the sun... no... when were they ever together... unless this Zora had the theory that the goddesses had them together at first before separating them. But... Cha cha cha? What was this, they weren't anywhere near the tropics of Mido or something? Were they going to crash there, if the riddle meant that one was going to die? Was this some prophecy... He wasn't going to bet his life on it. He was looking too deeply. What else was there to the riddle...?

Telepath or not, he was bad at riddles, and risked asking for a hint; "Is this a historical reference? Or is it universal?"

OOC: Yes, though I hope the riddles are hard enough to make the TP feel earned...

IC: "Well, I can assure you, it's something everyone here should know." He chuckled and plucked a few strings out of habit. "While it may be considered important historically, I would stray from calling it ancient news."

OOC: Perfect ... Let's do this!

IC: Nogare sat himself down slowly, staring deeply in thought. If he could just get this right... his missions would become a lot easier... Small price to pay for ultimate power... If this Zora just knew what he was keeping from them, he'd treat this a little more wisely. But he wants to play his games, so he'd play along. This power couldn't be taken by force, he knew that much.

"... Two brothers... who or what are they..." he just closed his eyes and meditated... He sighed contently... "So, they are universal... ... brothers..." The cha cha cha is what throws me off... Well, he observed that the others weren't being blown to a crisp by guessing wrong, so he took a shot: "The sun and the moon..."

OOC: I might keep on guessing lol. But I dunno... the cha cha cha is the speed bump. First thoughts were cha cha cha charmon, like, the toilet paper with those scary bears and everything. But I doubt that this is about them, so... I dunno... this is a good one... hm... And there are even hints... yes, I'd say this is worth the TP XD... This'll have me thinking all week...

OOC: The 'cha cha cha' really has nothing to do with the actual riddle.

IC: "Wrong again. That's one strike, adventurer." He wagged a scaly finger at Nogare. "Do I have to blow you to a crisp? I would think that with your profession, the answer would be the first thing to leap to your mind."

OOC: I'm going to answer this because I want it to move along, and Orpheous isn't aloud to guess again.

IC:

"North and South Hyrule..."

A voice came from a dark corner where a hooded man stepped into the light. "This is the answer to the riddle, is it not?"