OOC: Sorry if I screwed this up, sorry sorry! -flails- Despite quizzing Tayro for ages, I'm still not all that confident of how to set this sort of thing up... So..Sorry I totally screwed up.

I'm trying to make one of those long, hop-around topic boards I see so much of, since I finally had an ideas I liked enough to try it with. So.. yes. This particular board is just to garner interest before I can get into the meat of this story...

Which means, post here if you'd be interested in tagging along. Sorry for my confusing explanantion!

Erm, so hope I've done this right..

Also, hope I can grab your attention for this XD

Also, also, magic plays a strong part in this. Dunno if that helps you guys or not...

--


"Master!" A high voice, piercing, and pleasant to hear shook loosely through the air, lilting at the end into an almost sigh like sound, as though the will behind the statement had trickled away. A voice that could give off the aura of both mother, sister and unrequited love in one short, sharp, tangy breath. That sort of voice. High, soft, gentle, and undoubtedly beautiful. Not a beauty in the eye of the beholder, but the eye of the beholder being forced into seeing that beauty regardless of who you were; a chameleon sort of flawlessness, invoking empathy, as well as nostalgia and hope. The best of the life you had led, and the best of your dreams. The return of a precious friend, the strange memories of being a child, or the advent of a romance that could inhale the very thought of perfect into your blood. A voice that spoke to everyone, whispering in their ears, everything they had lost and promising it would return.

It was difficult not to turn to see the speaker. One had to look at such a person. In contrast to the extraordinary voice, the swish of long, fine, and straight black hair, and the delicacy in the body was almost brutally ordinary. Not that the girl was not pretty. Only that her appearance did not quite effect people as strongly as her voice. On closer inspection, even as the girl, hurried, rushing, she was still beautiful, just not the sprite the voice promised. Still oddly beautiful, running with a manner of step that bespoke of the delicacy of some untouched, blue-blooded nobility, or perhaps the wincing of some stray spirit, trembling at the feel of the world against her skin. Finally, she came to a still even from her touchingly, laughingly fragile run, her hair shocking about her face, as she wrapped both her arms about the arm of a young man. Apparently her master. Now that she was still, you could see the girl more clearly.

No, definitely not unpretty. The side of her face, pressed against the man's arm was curved, narrow and like half a heart. Somewhere between seraphic, and feline, yet she looked sickly. Extremely pale, with dark rings under her eyes, which themselves were a half-hearted grey. As if the pigments had given up on the idea of colour, mixing and diluting the attempt at in her eyes. Eyes like a half-drowned lake under mist, or a trickle of lime water down a lined page. A murky blue scarf wrapped about her neck, which had previously been flapping like odd wings, limply fell against her back, as she nuzzled the man. Not unpretty, but it was her voice you wanted to hear again. Your wish was smoothly granted.

"You musn't be disappointed in yourself, Master..."

Oh, that honey, sugar, hummingbird voice again, blurring right through your veins.

Your attention shifted, after the initial vapour of her voice dissolved away, and your senses unclouded. Her 'master' as she called him, looked down, as if finally noticing her. She did not seem to behave like a servant girl to him, quite the opposite indeed, unless you were the type to be emotionally involved with your hired help, in which case it might have been quite apt. At which point, his other hand reached out, as he twisted the clinging girl towards him, and slapped her sharply across the face. She gave out another lily-like sound, almost a mew, and recoiled, not letting go of his arm. This revealed one of two things.

First that he had scraped away at the skin of her face with his nails, and secondly that several deep scars, in similar patterns disfigured the rest of her face. This... new... injury to her was hardly deep in comparison to the sort of scratches the scars must have been born of. There was stitching over many of the wounds, indeed, some of it loose stitching, indicating recent injuries. A slight jingle as a necklace limply fell against her chest, and she hurriedly pushed it away. The girls' eyes were squeezed shut, but the man soon lost interest in her and carried on his way, the girl clinging to his arm. His sharp, almost brutally disinterested slap had brought attention to the sharp, glinting nails on his hands, indicating some metal work affixed there. A chilling thought was to presume it was primarily there for the sake of hitting the girl.

The girl, however, feet dragging, carried on gripping the arm she was holding, until finally her legs began to move in rhythm with him, and she twisted her face back into his arm, nuzzling gently. She even quickly grabbed the tail-end of his travelers' cloak as they passed a puddle, keeping it away from the damp, as her long dress trailed through it. Her equally long sleeves returned to their limp position as her fingers clung back to his arm, and they went on their way. Their way happened to be towards a small stall, where the girl looked at the food with curiousity, and the man purchased an apple. Studying it, even sniffing it, before he bit into it, eying the courtyard carefully. From there, it was easy to study him fully.

His hair was a little too long, if he had meant to have short hair, and a little too short if he had meant to have long hair. It was however, a deep brown, bordering on black, and his eyes were a sharp russet brown colour. Clad in a long cloak, and simple clothes, dark for heat-retention, he seemed to carry very little with him, but it could be supposed he kept a concealed pouch of money and some form of weapon on him. Aside from that, the only true thing of note was his strange nails, tipped with some gold or bronze metal, and clearly sharp. Perhaps that was his weapon. He paid no mind to the girl on his arm, consuming the apple - core and all - and flicking the stalk to the floor when completely finished. Looking around, he stalked - girl trailing - to the center of the courtyard, and the girl passed him a folded piece of paper, which had come from her long sleeve. Perhaps a hidden pocket, as she gently shook it into his hand.

"Thank you," He, with surprisingly politeness, said, already unfolding the poster neatly. Offering her one end of it, and taking the other, he gently shoved her away from him as she had tried to hug his arm again, her stumbling and catching herself, allowing them to in unison, display the message upon the poster. A simple message, and quaint one indeed.

Heroes wanted to help lift curse. Paying handsomely for prolonged assistance. No amateurs. Please inquire.

Had you not seen the interactions earlier between the two, this might have come across as almost comical, being quite so business-like, however, given their odd behaviour this became a subject of fascination, perhaps sinister, no doubt exciting. Absent-mindedly, the girl rubbed at her new scratch, and the man tapped his foot. Waiting, just waiting, for someone. Someone who could provide the assistance required, without up and dying on them. Dying, in this particular quest would be quite a negative thing to happen, as one can imagine. Now, having watched them so far, shall you inquire - whether for this quest or not - will you not even speak with them? The girl with the hummingbird voice, and the youth with the metal-tipped nails, do they not interest you? Have you nothing whatsoever to say?

A pair of well-versed adventurers walked through the courtyard, each donning a cloak that covered their heads with a hood attached to the back. One of the figures would stop to read something now and again, and the other would yank its partner from the text to continue their walking. One of them disappeared inside a market nearby.

* * *

Dogura stepped inside the store, and lifted his head cautiously for any guards around the market- as he'd suspected, there were none. He dropped his hood and stepped up to the counter where Mario was waiting for him. Mario was a heavy man, and he always seemed cheery with eyes that never seemed to open. He wore a large red chef hat at all times, and a matching red undershirt. His curly hair extended on both sides outwards, and he was an old friend of Dogura's before the Ornery Cucco incident. "Ahh! Well if it isn't my favorite fugitive! What can I do for you today?" Dogura smiled at the man. "Hey Mario. Dropped in for some veggies and meats, Darkin and I are about out." Mario smiled his cheeky smile and turned around, disappearing through the double doors. The samurai looked outside, and realized that Darkin had already gone missing. He grimaced, and wiped his face down with his hand.

* * *

Darkin darted from sign to sign, reading everything he could. Suddenly, the Rito's eyes were attracted to a new sign.

Heroes wanted to help lift curse. Paying handsomely for prolonged assistance. No amateurs. Please inquire.

Dogura always takes forever in there... I'm sure he won't mind if I just inquire. He thought as he approached the couple. "Hi!" He said happily extending a feathered hand. "I specialize in the studies of curses! What seems to be the particular curse, and why do you need heroes?" He asked innocently.

Sunglasses hiding a pair of glinting green eyes, Zeze strolled through the crowd with her hands shoved into her packets. She paused every so often to check her legs, which she rubbed with her finger once or twice with an obviously proud smirk on her tan face. They – her legs – were unusually…shiny. She whistled merrily, and was continuing on her merry way when she saw a girl dangling to a man like ivy. Like shadow. Zeze then gaped in horror as the man slapped the girl. She wasn’t really an activist for domestic violence or anything, but that really ticked her off. The Bard whipped off her glasses and muttered to herself, “OK, so you think you’re manly, but lemme show you manly you good-for-nothing-WHADDAHECKKKKK!!!!”

She yelped in pain and laid flat on the dirt, her head held down with a boot pressing it down. She already knew. She had been caught. Red-handed. Well. More like, red-legged.

“Did you steal my oil bottle?”

A hiss came from the boot. No, well, more like the foot that was in the foot. No, the leg that belonged to the foot, that belonged to the body that belonged to Sakiko. A hiss came from Sakiko. Zeze groaned, and spat out the dirt from her mouth. She rolled over to get the boot off of her head, and stood up quickly. She grinned at the pale, twisted, stingy, unattractive face that scowled at her and beamed,

“Nah, just borrowed it, sweetheart.”

Sakiko’s eyes travelled to Zeze’s legs.

“What the-! You used my oil, that took over three months to develop, for your legs?!! What, you think they’re more attractive now? They look like frog legs! Now give me my oil back!”

“What, you want me to scrape the oil off and just give it ta ya?”

The Mage’s face turned chalky white, her mouth muscle twitching.

“You mean…you used my entire bottle???!!!!!!!”

Zeze hesitated for a moment.

“Hey, that’s not what’s important right now. Look, I saw a couple, just right there. The man was like abusing his girl, ya know? I think we should go punch in his slimy lil’ face…before you punch in mine…ya see what I’m sayin’?”

Sakiko raised her eyebrows, momentarily distracted. Well, if what Zeze said was true…she looked about her, and noticed a couple holding up a sign. Something about curses. The Bard jumped in next to her and yelled,

“Ya! Him! Right there! Less go, Saki, less punch in his lil’ face.”

The Mage had no intention of ‘punching in his lil’ face’ but she was curious about the sign. The oil forgotten, she strode to the sign and, seeing that another was asking about it, remained silent. Zeze jogged after Sakiko and glowered at the man.

The young man seemed completely taken aback by the feathered hand, and peered into the avian face, as if slightly baffled. Uncertainly the man offered his hand back, nails glinting in the sunlight. Whilst the beak appeared quite threatening, the feathered limb seemed relatively harmless. Muscular, perhaps. Nothing that couldn't be handled, of course. "Hello..." Not quite sure what to make of this man, he continued to stare carefully at the beak, as if wary of a sudden raptor-like attack.

The awkward silence where a person meets a member of the Rito race for the first time seemed quite prolonged, before the girl spoke up.

"My Master wouldn't want to say in such a public place!" Nectar. Amber. Caverns full of crystal. Her voice sounded like that. Almost intoxicating. She adjusted her position so she could lay her hand, wrapped up in her tangle of long sleeves over Darkin's hand. Obviously at ease with his kind. "But we need help getting something to break the curse, and for that-"

"That will be enough Saphay," The man mumbled, yanking his hand away from Darkin's. Saphay, the voice that tasted like caramel on your tongue, the girl, followed his hand, hers laid across it, until she couldn't reach anymore. He glanced at the... was it really a man. "As Saphay said, I'd prefer not to state in public, however, we require some muscle to get the artifacts needed" He scanned the Rito. "I'm not quite sure you could fight...our opponents..." Rudely, the man continued looking right down the Rito, as if he could see his very skeleton. A deep, searching, and thorough look. "You seem a little gangly..."

He flicked at his sharp nail weapons, thoughtfully. "If I was a bit more sure of your capacity to help... I'd tell you more. You're kind of pathetic."

"Rito are useful..." Saphay mumbled gently, in that ghost-like voice of hers.

The poster dropped between them, as the man raised his hand to strike Saphay once more across the face. "That will be enough!" A slightly strangled sound, almost like a cry, from his throat, and Saphay, squalling cowered back. He stopped, hand raised, fingers curved like golden claws, and his brown eyes flicked at the bird-man. At this point, Saphay noticed the two other visitors. Whimpering to herself, she picked up the poster once more, and displayed it to the two females. She smiled uncertainly, and unhappily, the stitched up scratches on her face creasing.

"Here... can you see it okay, like that?" Saphay dropped her head to try to see the poster she was holding, and her face creased in puzzlement, as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry... I dropped it..."

The man, by now, had finished his brief panting, lowered his hand, and tucked both behind his back. He nodded at both, then at the... what was that thing? Rito? He tore his eyes away from the beak, and at the stranger glaring at him. "...Good Day?" He looked all round, failing to hide a slight disappointment. "Can any of you hold your own in a fight? It won't work if only weaklings come along..."

"This one's a mage," Saphay pointed at Sakiko. "Master. That's useful" Saphay smiled boldly.

Already prepared for this, the man fussed with his hair. "Saphay has a skill at picking out magic users. Part of why I keep her around. A mage? Which area? How proficient?" He looked at Sakiko. "Mages are useful..."

"Mh-hm, yes they are~!" Saphay trilled at him, and he flicked his gaze to Saphay, twitching.

As if he had made some decision on Sakiko, though pending a little more detail, he nodded, returning his gaze to his small audience. He looked at the Rito. "It's tiresome when people die, and I don't want anybody who can't hold their own, or a mage-" Here he looked at Sakiko. "Whose magical repertoire is equivalent to healing broken toes, and maybe a candle flame. I want this curse right off our backs...I don't know how long we'll last..." He trailed off, eyes now looking at nobody in particular, and pensive.

"You should take the mage and the Rito, Master~" Saphay beamed. "They'll be good!" Saphay stared then, curiously at Zeze. Then at her master, as if not certain. He stepped forward, looking at them with the same intense stare he had given the Rito, eyes going slowly, and carefully up and down them. The glaring female seemed to have dipped her legs in something, or another. Quaint.

"Who are you lot, anyway?" The man asked, arms crossed in front of him now. The idea of not being rude to potential hired help had obviously not been drilled into him that well. Still, in some respects he had some skill.

"This is my master..." Saphay mumbled, trying to be polite. "I'm Saphay."

"Raiphon" The man - Raiphon - corrected Saphay. He waited expectantly for their names.

"You should offer them money, Master..." He glared at Saphay, and aside from his whole body giving a spasm, didn't move.

"When I know they're good enough, not cheap-shots who think they can deal with some very persistent liches" At this, Raiphon actually yawned. "Every time our team loses a member, the other side gets another player, so if you lot think you're going to help, you damn well better be helpful, and not a problem."

Obviously, this man thought that he was a prince or something. There was no need to waste time on men like him; sure, she felt pity for the girl, but life was hard. Life spits on you, kicks you when you're down, and then it's over. Tough. Sakiko curled her lips disdainfully and turned around to go when -

SLAP

Before Sakiko could do anything, Zeze aimed a fist at the man. She yelled,

"Whaddaya think yer doin', treatin' a lady like that? I'll spill yer yellah guts innah minute, ya see if I don't! Wanna go, you good fer nuthin'?! Less duke it out, instead of trynna let out yer steam on some helpless gal like that!"

Zeze was a Bard. She recognized the music in the girl's voice; she was entranced by it. She didn't think the girl deserved to be treated like that. She was special, she was! By the Goddesses, she had never heard a sweeter voice in her life. Sakiko, on the other hand, was severely displeased and embarassed. Everyone could see this brawl, and Zeze's voice was so impossibly loud...

Sakiko pulled the Bard away, her teeth clenched in an effort to restrain the kicking and clawing maniac. She wasn't too happy at feeling like she was beig auctioned off. Especially when Saphay pointed those fingers at her and called her useful. As if she was dying to help out. She responded coldly,

"Perhaps you're better off explaining what you have to offer other than money. I have no interest in that; what is the curse you seek to rid of? If it involves people other than yourself, I might consider helping you."

The Mage wanted to add that his death would be a blessing upon Hyrule, but held her tongue. Anger could sometimes lead to regrettable actions. As exemplified so wonderfully by that hot headed idiot named Zeze.

This curse that they mentioned; it seemed like a big problem. Hopefully, they hadn't brought it to Hyrule and all the innocent people in it.

Zeze's hit had obviously aimed true, if aim was part of it at all. In point of fact, it landed true. Raiphon, obviously not a particular fist-fighter, had been swept to the side, and clutched at his face, snarling in shock. The strike had been hard enough to rupture the delicate flesh on the inside of his nose, leading to a slowly increasing trickle of blood spluttering down his face. Saphay, straight away lunged at Zeze, and whatever music was in her voice, had transformed into a feral and protective yell- cut painfully short when Raiphon seized her by her long hair and yanked her back to him. Saphay fell back against her companion, his blood matting her hair, as he peeled the strands he had managed to dislodge away from his sticky red palms.

"Her life belongs to me," Raiphon spat, the blood along his face forming droplets across his front as they dripped, slipped and scarpered onto the material. "And as such, I'll treat Saphay exactly as I want" He pushed Saphay back onto her feet and off him, and weaved behind her, eying Zeze with a malignant stare. It was comparable to an animal that had just gnawed its own leg off, and was in no condition to win any fights, but certainly wasn't in any mood to back down either. Saphay stoically stood between them, looking at Zeze with more uncertainty, as she raged and flailed under Sakiko's hands, and then up at Raiphon with a fervent silence.

Raiphon however, was more interested in Sakiko, but the squirming brat was an issue too. How he'd like to cut her tongue out, with its ugly little vernacular attached. "Saphay is mine," He muttered to himself, rubbing at his face, and nicking it with his own make-shift claws, causing more blood to well up. Saphay watched, perhaps even more fervently as he did this. Finally, calming himself, he returned his full attention to Sakiko, not even bothering to look at Zeze this time.

"I didn't expect you to be an idealist; wouldn't have insulted you with an offer of money if I knew that..." Raiphon muttered this, darkly. "I don't need you. Your stupid girlfriend has made it plain enough you two are too much trouble" Saphay, at this point, whipped her head round to look at Sakiko with wide grey eyes, then back at Raiphon. He looked back for a moment, measuring her up once again, a blood nose was a very strong argument against Sakiko, and that Zeze had shown interest in Saphay... Saphay did have this habit of causing interest, and it was never to his tastes. He'd be better off without them. Except Saphay was certain this mage was a good mage; not like the last one they had acquired. This one might actually be able to deal with some of the journey. Still, she was unwilling to demonstrate ability, and he couldn't have her dying, he just couldn't. Saphay had her faith though.

"Though if you seek some explanation..." Raiphon looked sharply into the crowd. "That, Mage, is a lich," He was pointing at nothing in particular; a spot in the crowd. However, as a few seconds passed by, the spot became more pronounced. A single person, unparticular, a man. Pale skin, and jerky movements like a bird. And an irrevocable line of movement towards the group. "Intelligent, though single-tracked mind. That one has no binding item. Physically slower, weaker, but much more difficult to stop..." Raiphon looked at his fingernails. "And should you interrupt its desire to fulfill its particular orders, in this case, a very nasty curse, then I imagine it will-" Raiphon nodded in acknowledgement, as a stranger bumped past the lich, knocking it right from its course. Within a moment, the lich had turned upon the unfortunate man who had crashed against it, and began tearing at him viciously. "Ah, there we go..." Dispasionately, Raiphon picked up his poster and folded it, before handing it to Saphay. "They go for the neck usually" Raiphon added, as the man, desperately fighting at the strange, but savage attack, squealed, before cutting off as the Lich bit into his neck and shook it several times until it snapped. The jugular vein, partially punctured, sprayed as the lich shook the man from his teeth. Naturally, a commotion about the lich had started, primarily on fleeing its path.

"Best to stop lich early. Each victim they kill becomes a new helper..." Raiphon indicated that the attacked man, was now crawling up, his head flopping back, as he - perhaps it, now - struggled to its feet, balancing its head carefully atop its neck. "As for stopping a lich..." Raiphon gave Saphay a push in another direction. "Total annihilation works. And taking out the eyes - odd? Its a particular style of necromancy," He flexed his fingernails for a demonstration. "And for non-object liches... removing the head is also easy," Licking his lips nervously, Raiphon studied the two lich. The first one was in relatively good condition, but the second's head could probably be snapped off.

He glanced at Zeze, hatefully, angrily. "Mind Saphay, and don't let the lich near her" He looked at Zeze, lip curling, and the blood drying on his face. "If you steal her, or harm her, she'll try to tear your eyes out. And" He added "If she is in any less than the condition I leave her in, I will make sure to do the same deed myself" Warning given. He was, for now, soothed.

Then looking at Sakiko, and the other... bird-thing. He could hardly think of Darkin as sentient, given the beak, but Saphay's faith was Saphay's faith. Perhaps this was a much better way of finding support; facing down the primary foe in the middle of a courtyard. "Does this qualify as involving people other than myself?" Facetious, but still curious. "I can probably take both out by myself..." He looked up, checking the liches hadn't multiplied. The second one had managed to make yet another one, but that was all. The effort to do that had further dislodged its head. "But they might make more of themselves, so I think it'd be absolutely lovely if you'd lend the skills that apparently-" Here he outright smiled at Sakiko. "Are too important for anything except the greater good"

Turning, Raiphon strolled, then sprinted towards the weaker of the liches, and promptly struck at its head. Missed. In that space, Raiphon had to duck and doge as the lich tried to leap onto him and drag him down like a particularly nasty member of the big cat family. He lashed out again, after dodging in a circular motion, and this time hit. His matter-of-a-fact strike causing the lich, shy a head, to fall to the ground. Quickly he kicked the head away from the body - he'd seen reattachments even after a complete sever. Twisting about to look for the original lich, his stomach found its way into his ankles, dropping enough to make him downright nauseous, as he realized it had already made two more of itself. Two more lich.

Hopefully, somebody would feel the urge to prove their mettle, and hopefully Saphay's instincts were on the money. Hooking his hands into claws, he turned to look for the one the mess on the floor had made before he'd taken it out.

----

Lich 1: Undamaged.
Lich 2: Dead [Raiphon]
Lich 3: Damaged - small neck injury.
Lich 4: Damaged - deep neck injury.
Lich 5: Undamaged.

----





OOC: Just take 'em out. These ones are easy... didn't want to introduce Lich 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 so early on, but oh well, might as well get the situation clear early on. Lich are pretty simple, but in case Raiphon is a poor explainer.

Unimbued Lich;
Intelligent zombie, without an 'object' to keep it moving. Pretty slow, and weak, but very persistent, and quite brutal. Tries to drag its victims down, and usually goes for neck. Completely obliterating it, removing its head, or scooping out its eyes will destroy it. Only injuries that count for this species of lich are neck/head injuries, or damage to eyes.

Very easy to take of, especially in small numbers... yadda yadda. Go on. Kill them dead. They weren't meant to be coming for /quite/ a few more posts, so kill 'em xD Yeah -falls over-

And er, nice to meet you Sakiko -waves-

Persona wrote: "My Master wouldn't want to say in such a public place! But we need help getting something to break the curse, and for that-"

She was interrupted at that point by the man she was with. Darkin tilted his head and dropped his hood to hear better. After all, Darkin wasn't the one hiding from the guards. His magnificent golden feathers gleamed brilliantly in the sun, certain to take the breath of those who witnessed it for the first time. Few would make the connection between him and the legendary Golden Hero of New Peaktop.

Persona wrote:"As Saphay said, I'd prefer not to state in public, however, we require some muscle to get the artifacts needed. I'm not quite sure you could fight...our opponents... You seem a little gangly... If I was a bit more sure of your capacity to help... I'd tell you more. You're kind of pathetic."

Darkin smiled. "Well, good sir, it appears your learning curve is quite shallow." The Rito uttered, almost sure that the man wouldn't be of the mental capacity to perceive this as a polite insult. "I'm a practitioner of the arcane arts- a mage."

Persona wrote:"Rito are useful..."

"Right! We're the only known common race to achieve flight- that has to count for something!"

Then came the slap.

Persona wrote:"That will be enough!"

Darkin's eyes narrowed at the man. "She didn't deserve that. What kind of man are you? I don't care what her status is, that was just mean. I think it'd be best for the both of us if you don't do that in front of me again..." Another polite and slightly hidden threat.

Darkin listened as the explanations continued. It all made some sort of sense, until the lich appeared. It killed a man right in the streets, and absolutely no guards were around to help. What were they paid for anyway? Of course they were every where during the Ornery Cucco incident, but when you actually need them, where are they? Darkin watched as the first one was dispatched, but more and more popped up quickly. If they killed them one by one, they would never stop them. "Alright then, whether I'm helping you or not, this just got serious." He muttered as he took a few hops back before conjuring up a seriously strong aura. His hands shot skyward, and fire flew from his palms, creating a massive ball of fire in the sky. This was one of Darkin's mid-strength attacks, used for stopping re-dead, or anything else that could cause an infection upon contact. This would incinerate them entirely, destroying all chance of infection along with it.

BURNING SUN!!

Now, a giant sun-like ball of fire at been festering in the sky gathering more and more mass as it burned. "NOW, GO!!" He cried, as the sun split into several different pillars of fire, each of them aiming for one of the many liches.

[Elemental Explosion L2 - FIre]

We'll see how they regenerate from ashes... The Rito thought calmly.

* * *

Dogura leaned on the counter waiting for Mario to gather up the usual shipment when the store suddenly screamed with activity. People pushed through the doors like mad, the samurai quickly put his hood up. He turned around to see what was happening, as more and more people crowded into the store. It was a panic! Some of the people took their children in their arms and fled to the back of the store. Before long it was completely crowded, and a couple of men were holding the doors shut. More people pounded on the doors screaming for shelter, but the men holding the doors simply shook their heads at them. When the people outside realized that they weren't getting in, they took off in another direction. There was such screaming- such a mass panic. Mario appeared from the double doors and looked around frightened. "What happened?!" He screamed out, Dogura wondering the same. Don't tell me Ganon has found me here... How could he have? All sorts of scenarios ran through his head before the room got quiet enough for someone to speak.

"This thing out there just attacked this guy!!" He screamed panicked.

"Just jumped on im' an' started tearin' away at is' neck!!" Another hefty man piped up.

"It's true, I was right there!!" A woman cried out, her face awash with tears.

Suddenly, a bright light shined, causing the crowd to shield their eyes. At first it looked as if a cloud had moved out of the way of the sun, but as the light intensified, Dogura thought maybe someone was calling upon the Goddesses to heal their comrade. Even then, the light continued to intensify, leaving Dogura with one thought left in his head. Burning Sun Attack... Darkin is still out there! He thought quickly making his way towards the glass. He pressed against it and looked outside, but the commotion was taking place somewhere further down the street, and out of his line of view. "Mario, lock the back door. Things must have gotten serious..." Mario nodded and hurried through the double doors to lock that back.

If it's only Burning Sun though, Darkin must not feel completely threatened yet... If I hear lightning though..." He thought as he turned and began making his way to the back of the store. He rounded the counter, and disappeared behind the double doors. He met Mario, who was holding several loaves of bread, and stopped. "I locked the doors. You heading out?" The man asked, Dogura nodding in return. Mario nodded submissively. "Alright then, be careful. Whatever's happening out there, you be sure to come back and let Mario know; and in one piece, ya hear me?!" The samurai simply smiled and nodded before dropping into a shadow. Mario pushed back through the double doors to try to calm down the crowd. He called everyone's attention, and started handing out bread to the people. It did soothe them, but probably only for as long as it lasted. What in the name of the king is going on out there? His mind raced...

* * *

Dogura suddenly realized that with Darkin's burning sun, he had nowhere to exit the shadows. He found several stores to meld into, but they were all crowded with people trying to flee the streets. Suddenly, the sun launched its attack, returning the shadows to the ground. The samurai melded out of a shadow created by a sign on a rooftop. He surveyed the area, watching as Darkin's pillars of fire sought their targets. If the attacks all landed, there would be no need for the samurai's assistance. In fact, with only a few enemies, there would be no need anyhow. Darkin could easily handle this himself, but he also had allies- one of them even Sakiko. He remembered her power from the Gossip Isle adventure, and realized that an army would be required just to take down Darkin and Sakiko alone. He sat down cross-legged and watched the scene unfold below. This could be quite interesting...

Ok, so it was a problem. Sakiko’s gaze followed Raiphon’s finger, watching with a grimace as the lich began to devour its innocent prey. No, prey was too natural of a word to describe this murder; Sakiko apparently wasn’t the only one to notice. The entire surrounding area was turned into chaos as civilians began to run this way and that. She watched as Darkin immediately took control of the situation, and cast a brilliant spell. She muttered to herself, “That’s what happens when you underestimate people…you make yourself look bad.”

Zeze stuck out her tongue at Raiphon, but put a protective arm around Saphay anyway. She wasn’t getting involved in this fight.

“As if I could hurt her the way you do, chappie!”

Sakiko figured that Darkin’s spell pretty much covered the feeble looking freaks, but it didn’t hurt to back him up. She nodded at the Rito, her lips pursed tightly. The Mage closed her eyes and let the darkness enshroud her vision; she stopped hearing, seeing, feeling, thinking. For a split second, there was stillness; silence caressed her being as Sakiko murmured a gentle plead to nature. Let the sun disappear from its clouds. Let gray tranquility envelop this place. Let this work!

The Mage shot up her palm into the air and a crackle of lightning was heard – distant, faint, but there. She yelled,

“THUNDER!”

L1 Thunder

Ooc: Hi, Persona! :] I think I’ve seen you around before, so I guess this is welcome back! Glad to join your topic, which is going excellently.

Saphay watched the display of golden feathers with mild interest. Something in the lack of movement in her face said that she had already seen Rito beforehand. If she was aware of any heroes, legendary, or otherwise, but golden, she gave no indication of it. In fact, she didn't respond to the Rito further than stating that they were useful. As predicted, Raiphon gave no response to the gentle, and appropriate insult. It could be debated whether Raiphon was too foolish to recognize the insult, or simply didn't have the emotional intelligence to react badly. In any case, Raiphon finally responded to Darkin's angered reaction to his raising his hand against Saphay.

"Didn't deserve it?" Raiphon rolled his shoulders, thinking. He seemed too interested in this idea to notice the threat in Darkin's words at all. Perhaps this was simply him patronizing Darkin, but he did seem to be slipping his mind completely over the concept of Saphay being innocent of his own anger. Saphay smiled at Darkin, showing her teeth in an almost quizzical smile. Raiphon unwound from his thoughts, and returned to the matter of explanation, finally leaving Saphay in Zeze's care, leaving to deal with the lich.

Saphay stiffened under Zeze's arm, round eyes focusing on Zeze. "Who are you?" Her voice slid under and over, finally slipping through the air. Silk, and ink. Zeze was quite true in that her voice had a natural music to it; placing it into a melody would produce an effect one could expect from a narcotic. A form of heard opium, curling about your nostrils, and fogging your senses.

Raiphon on the other hand, was witness to his own little come-uppance, as the creature he had dismissed just a few moments again defeated - nay, destroyed the lich. Over-kill, even. Such an attack would have stopped an artifact-based lich as well as these common types. Any hope of regeneration was short, and Raiphon was not surprised to see the lich dealt with. Normally, a person would likely have felt humiliation at being so wrong in his estimations, but Raiphon simply let his mouth spread into a wide, gleeful grin. This revealed fully a single false tooth, fitted with the same brass as his nails, glittering in the after-glow of the fire.

"Yes! Exactly what I wanted!" The proclamation rang out from Raiphon before he could stop himself, running forward to get a better look at the strange creature, with the fire through its quills. "Anything you want! I must have you! You must assist! You can stop them, you can take on the le-" Raiphon stopped, staring into Saphay's sharp eyes. "...You can help. Please..." He stood there, panting with exhilaration at the sight of such combat. Saphay yanked away from Zeze, and slunk up to Darkin, pressing her face into his back, wrapping her arms, long sleeves and all, about his waist, and clinging tightly, with an uncommon desperation that was not usually found in near-strangers.

"...I'm sorry; I brought this evil here... please help us..." She made an odd whimpering, almost lark-like. Swirling, and twirling away into silence. "Please..."

Raiphon recoiled slightly at the sight, lip curling back- before he, quite figuratively, jumped out of his skin. A loud crack, as lightning thoroughly charred the remains of the liches. Calming himself, he once more gazed at Sakiko. He kicked at what was left of the ash, the mess stained and smeared over the floor, before looking up at her. "Will you be complimented if I say that I'm impressed?" He wondered. "I won't tell you otherwise" He added, quite openly to her. "I offer you money, and you act as though I offered you poison, so if I offer you a compliment, you will surely be insulted" Raiphon outright grinned at her. "Perhaps if I tell you you're rubbish you'll help us... if only to help the victims" He stared hungrily at Saphay. "I'm not letting them have her so the only thing to do is break the curse..."

He looked around, like a nervous rabbit. "Speaking of which, we need to get away before the source lich gets here..." He looked at her. "If you're interested anyways..." He glanced round at the nearly deserted courtyard, eyes catching on the man seated nearby. Then letting go again, and continuing to explore. Whilst a curiousity as to why anybody could calmly sit by after - even the smallest of - an attack by liches. They sure had a creepy way of attacking that sparked fear in the chambers of the heart, nearly any decent person he knew was at least creeped out by them. Especially when it came to communicating with them.

His gaze returned to the seated man, and tipped his head warily.

----

Lich 1: Dead [Darkin]
Lich 2: Dead [Raiphon]
Lich 3: Dead [Darkin]
Lich 4: Dead [Darkin]
Lich 5: Dead [Darkin]

----




Ooc: Yeah, I was here earlier, actually. But glad to be back~ Pity Raiphon is such a d- -undesirable person, heh. Glad you like it, I still feel like I'm just going 'ASEWWYH' here though. I guess I'll get used to it? It's quite fun indeed.

And also pleasant to bring RoTS out of my heap of abandoned ideas. This one is old and needed a pretty strong revamp, heh. Hopefully, it'll go well <3

Raphion wrote:
"Yes! Exactly what I wanted! Anything you want! I must have you! You must assist! You can stop them, you can take on the le- ...You can help. Please..."

Darkin sighed heavily and thought long and hard about it. "Let me be clear... I don't like you... Well, at all. I'm sorry, but helping you with anything isn't high on my list of priorities."

Saphay wrote:"...I'm sorry; I brought this evil here... please help us... Please..."

There was a long pause as the Rito closed his eyes. "However..." He continued. "I can't deny that these... things... will eventually become a problem if they're not dealt with. I don't want to see anything like that happen to anyone ever again..." He placed his hands on the girl's arms, which were wrapped around his waist. "That, and I won't allow these things to... How did you put it... have her." The Rito once again sighed a heavy sigh. "After all... What kind of 'hero' would I be if I couldn't even save a damsel in distress?" He finally smiled, lightening the mood.

Suddenly Dogura seemed to drop directly out of the sky, landing right next to Darkin. His Hylian ears couldn't be seen under the hood he was wearing, but he'd certainly heard everything that had been said. "Interesting... So you've decided to take this one up?" Darkin nodded in affirmation. "I have. These things will cause problems for the general public eventually. Unlike you, I really do care for them."

Dogura shook his head. "These lambs of the King have what's coming to them. Anyone who can't defend themselves deserves to die; that's the world we live in." The Rito put a feathered hand over his face. "Geez, you're always so Dark... Can't you have a heart?" The samurai simply closed his eyes. "I lost my heart years ago... And then I threw away what remained of it." He thought back to leaving that locket in the dirt. He didn't think he'd live, and he didn't. But now he wished he'd kept the locket, and all of its glittering warmth. "Well then, I'll leave this to you." Dogura finally said as he took a few steps backward. "I'll only buy enough food for myself while you're gone though..." Darkin grunted- he understood. Dogura began to melt into the shadow of a nearby building. "If you're really in trouble... Use the stone to let me know, and I'll be there." After he'd spoken his piece, he disappeared into the shadow.

Darkin stared at Raphion intently. "Alright then. Where to?"

“The name’s Zapheta, but everyone calls me Zeze. I’m a Bard, and I really like your voice.”

She scratched her chin, just realizing that she sounded very strange. But Saphay’s melodious voice could even make an insult sound like a compliment. It could mess with your decision-making capabilities. Zeze smiled brightly as if to cover up for her awkward comment, and continued to gawk as Darkin totally annihilated the enemy. She frowned when Sakiko fried up the bodies; what was she doin’? Did she want them for breakfast? Zeze muttered,

“And that there’s Saki, and she’s da nicest gal I know. You’ll like her. And how’d ya know she was a mage? You’re kinda…”

She trailed off, unable to find a name for it. Saphay was unlike anyone she met, apart from her voice. There was something about her that was rather off. If that was ‘off’ in a good way or a bad way, she wasn’t sure. But then again, she was never sure about anything in particular.

“And are you his slave, or summtin, cuz, your cheek’s all scarred, hun. If I was you, I woulda beat up his slimy bootie a long time-a --”

Before she could finish, the girl had already run off and was clinging like she had done previously.

"Will you be complimented if I say that I'm impressed? I won't tell you otherwise. I offer you money, and you act as though I offered you poison, so if I offer you a compliment, you will surely be insulted. Perhaps if I tell you you're rubbish you'll help us... if only to help the victims. I'm not letting them have her so the only thing to do is break the curse..."

Sakiko blinked, somewhat surprised by his response. Maybe he just didn’t know how to communicate his ideas to please the other person; she had never heard someone phrase an idea as he did. He was definitely…unique. She didn’t think that she had spurred the offer of money as negatively as he had described it, but she thought it wise not to respond. It’s not like I don’t like money…it’s just that I don’t consider it a priority. Just give me a reason to help you. She had to agree with Darkin; Raiphon wasn’t exactly someone Sakiko was eager to help.

“Whooaaa, whaddaya mean, take her, chappie!”

Zeze had suddenly joined Sakiko’s side, her eyes alert and concerned. She had grown an immediate attachment to Saphay, and didn’t want anything happening to her. Whoever Raiphon was referring to when he said ‘them,’ she didn’t think it was very positive. Sakiko didn’t really have the hero complex, and hadn’t grown an attachment to anything, and wasn’t looking forward to helping…

"These lambs of the King have what's coming to them. Anyone who can't defend themselves deserves to die; that's the world we live in."

Sakiko turned around, and saw Dogura. She couldn’t agree more with him, although she wasn’t as cold about the matter. They don’t necessarily deserve to die; it’s a cruel world, but there’s still room for pity, isn’t there? ….but…he decided to disappear. She sighed inwardly; she had hoped that he would have stayed. Zeze disregarded Sakiko’s much too prolonged silence and grabbed her arm.

“We gotta help, Saki. C’mon! Did ya see that man whose head was like, cut off? There’s thousands more out there who await the same fate! Ya gotta help ‘em.”

Sakiko shook off Zeze’s hold. She turned to go, with a shrug.

“I’m not willing to go on a quest. Your new companion will be more than enough help.”

She cast a look at Darkin; he was skilled. He should be enough. Zeze grabbed Sakiko’s arm once more.

“….I’ll give your oil back! I swear!”

That had her. In truth, she had been in a moral quandary; she didn’t want to get involved in someone else’s problem, but she could see that this curse was more widespread than involving just one person. The promise of the return of the oil bottle was the final stone that tipped the balance for good. Sakiko whirled around, and gave her a dark, Are you sure you’re not conning me look. Zeze nodded cheerfully, already knowing that it was working. The Mage hesitated for a few seconds, and turned back to face the small group.

“Okay, I’m in.”

"Zeze... Zapheta..." She seemed to enchant the words inside her mouth. "A bard?" Saphay smiled nervously at Zapheta, finally some warmth. "My voice?" The compliment seemed to make Saphay embarrassed, and she ducked her face behind her sleeves, eyes shyly looking at the bard.

"Lich aren't edible..." Saphay replied suddenly to the passing comment from Zeze, or what she had heard of it. "?" It was difficult to describe her next sound, for it merely sounded like some nameless, almost soundless gasp of air, that all humans intimately known as a question. Very puzzled, Saphay continued to smile awkwardly at Zeze, somewhere between a normal reaction and something quite abnormal indeed.

"Sake..." Saphay approximated. "...mhm. Mage." She seemed unable to articulate how she identified this, and as such, did not try to. "Saphay belongs to Master" This she could articulate, but then she touched her cheek, as if surprised. Upset, even. "My cheek...?" She continued her completely baffled, and somewhat upset expression, until she ran off.

~~~

"Thank you..." Saphay whispered, clinging closer. Her voice had that almost piano-like undertone, that said she might be crying, softly, and gently. Full of gratefulness. "I... I don't want to be... like them..." She nuzzled into his back again, the chill of her subsiding as she shivered. Then she looked up, pulling away lightly, as if she could read his face from her position. "An amateur?" She offered, as a type of hero who would fail to rescue a damsel-in-distress. Mildly, Saphay twisted her head, and shifting to look at Dogura. She listened to him and Darkin spar in the manner of friends, who though they did not agree, could speak civilly to one another.

"And what about the lambs who belong to nobody?" She seemed curious, but her voice, even with its odd way of trapping itself on your insides, playing games amongst your bones, even with that, it seemed to disappear, trailing and fading off. "There are no lambs in hell..." She mumbled resolutely.

Raiphon waited patiently for Sakiko's response, beaming at the positive. "I can acquire oil for you too?" It seemed like an odd thing to value, but nevertheless, Raiphon was willing to do anything. This slim chance to finally get this done, and Saphay saved was impossibly addictive. Speaking of Saphay, he stared at her, her arms still tightly wrapped about Darkin. If looks could kill, then Darkin would not be dead, but instead screaming in agony on the floor, and unlikely to die for a very long time.

"Will you let go of her?" He demanded, voice a little shrill and angry. He seemed unable not to go over, but seemed trapped by wanting Darkin's support. Saphay watched him, and this seemed to drive him wilder with panic. "Let go of her, now!"

Saphay let go of Darkin and curled about Raiphon, who gripped her to him in such a way that it must have bruised her, and it was obvious his nail-tips were digging right into her skin. She seemed to be hushing him, and whispering gently in his ears. Reassuring him. Finally, she twisted about to the group, seemingly in full-command of the next stage. "We need to get somewhere less open...a tavern.. or..." Her beautiful voice shivered off into nothing once more. She looked at them expectantly.

Finally Raiphon moved, Saphay in his grip, he in hers; an odd symbiotic bind. "...out of the open. The Imbued lich might be nearby, but there's no telling where. We need to make sure it can't find us. It will be a lot harder to take down than these last ones..." He twisted, uncomfortable now, and Saphay clung slightly tighter, Raiphon shoving her away from him suddenly, leaving another scratch - quite by accident - under her eye. Saphay squeaked, a beautiful sound, but oddly quiet, and withdrew from him, and Raiphon, seemingly not noticing looked at Sakiko, Zeze and Darkin in succession. "Somewhere where I can explain properly -- and if you like I can thank you all in oil?"

"Will you let go of her?"

Darkin lifted his hands in the air and stared at the man as if to say, "I'm not even touching her."

"Let go of her, now!"

Darkin's eyes widened and he tilted his head, raising his arms higher as if to say, "I'M NOT TOUCHING HER". Suddenly it occurred to the Rito that Raiphon thought that he was a girl. That had to be fixed now.

"Excuse me, Raiphon, but... I'm a man." He stuttered awkwardly as he followed along behind them to wherever they might be going.

"Of course you are," Raiphon replied, almost sniffily. "I'm not even sure you're an anything though, but as a pronoun, he should do..." Raiphon gave a shrug, and then looked at them. "I believe..."

"I saw a tavern earlier," Saphay offered, and Raiphon nodded at her jerkily, like somebody having difficult breathing. Saphay lifted a hand and pointed out a nearby building, that in all likelihood was not a tavern, but was accessible to the public. No doubt many people had fled into it, and Raiphon bit his lip.

"We should get out of the open," Raiphon admitted. "But I think everywhere has been filled with the crowd..." As such, he ducked into a nearby alley, close to the wall, Saphay drifting after him. Patiently he waited until everyone had joined him, and nodded. "I don't think they'll follow us in here - the imbued lich, or whatever," He glanced over them. "As it may be painfully obvious, Saphay suffers from a curse. Namely that hell, or someone in there, has a bit of a monopoly on her soul..." Raiphon paused, thinking. "And, it fully intends to take it. I don't intend for that to happen, so.. liches; I've studied them though, and I can stop that..." Here was the tricky part. "But first we need to get a few things..." Raiphon gave an immature grin. "Maybe go get them in not a lawful way; we'd just be borrowing though. First up is the text detailing how to get into the bowels of hell." The last bit was said so casually, so easily, and so simply. Into... the bowels... of Hell. The Underworld. Really, nothing special. We spend half our Saturday nights, just popping into Hell, and saying cheerio to the damned souls therein. Just your average night on the town.

Or perhaps not. Raiphon continued nevertheless. "The Appendices of Necromancie, written by Vatani Lyristakis-" Saphay gave a nod. "Which will tell us where to find... well, I imagine an ocarina..." He screwed his face up in thought. "Sun song..." He broke off into pondering.

"From hell, we think we can use the artifact to break the curse" Saphay summed up.

"No amateurs," Raiphon repeated, finally back in the present.

"None whatsoever" Saphay smiled happily at Sakiko, Darkin and Zeze.


OoC: ...sort of a plot summary? 8D;

Darkin listened intently. So it was a classic quest to find a relic to break a curse. Sounded great to Darkin, and heck, it even sounded like fun! "It's been a while since I've had a real good fight. Can't wait to get started." Darkin said enthusiastically. "So where to we begin?" He asked, ready to move out and get started. "Are we gonna need supplies? How long is the trip again?" Now he was just a bundle of questions. "Are there any ways you shouldn't kill a lich? How many are there? How fast does the infection spread? Is it treatable? How many liches are there?"

This would go on for several minutes if nobody stopped him.