It was late.
Or rather it was early.
Tonight was a night that Dogura could not sleep.
Not because he couldn't find himself comfortable, oh no.
Because if he did manage to fall asleep, the thing might try to take him over.

On the night of a full moon, Dogura stayed awake all night. He learned that Ganon's power alone wasn't enough to suppress the Shadowclaw. This proved to be true especially in hell, where the demon wanted to escape most. Taking care to stay awake, Dogura continued his training within the training room. One-handed push-ups kept him busy while his mind wandered to other places. He wondered specifically how he was to survive against the White Wings alone. Would he be provided a partner to remain with him during his time on the surface? It was unlikely that the Order would send just one soldier after his head. Not after he'd successfully escaped three, albeit with a little help.

His face drenched in sweat, his shirt and armor in a neat pile next to him, he stared at the wall as he thought. What have I gotten myself into? I know I'm strong... Powerful even. But does Ganon really have that much faith in me? Are there none here stronger than I am? These thoughts taunted him. How could he be the strongest hell had to offer? Something didn't add up. There must be something else about me that separates me from the rest... I am the only one in hell who possesses the Shadowclaw ability to shadowmeld at infinitum. I am well versed in a fighting style lost to the ages passed. I can create strong mental barriers... The more he thought, the more he realized something. It wasn't likely that he was the most powerful, but rather that he was the most well rounded. His intelligence and mind for tactics was also likely a key-factor. But how would he handle the White Wing Order should they return for him in greater numbers. He'd have to make another Sin-Trade.

I'll be damned if I make another one of those... He thought angrily.

OOC: Alpha. An NPC of yours would seek an audience with Dogura. Far be it from me to deny him the opportunity.

The silence of the night seemed so soothing . . . so tranquil, what with none of Ganon's beasts running about through this area of the Underworld.

"Hihi hihihi . . ."

Figured that someone would decide to ruin it.

"Hihihehehehe . . ."

'No, it figures that he would decide to ruin it.'

"HehehahahahaHA! So here he is, at last!"

From the shadows emerged the figure of a Zora, still snickering in a weird, somewhat insane manner. A black cape flowed behind him as he knelt down to one knee, bringing himself somewhat on the level with Dogura. He stared at the samurai for all of a second, with pitch black eyes that many would have expected to be soulless . . . yet somehow . . . actually contained quite a bit of life and happiness in them.

"Dogura Shadowclaw!" he whistled out with glee. "My, my, it is absolutely a pleasure to meet you." He suddenly paused, and then his face became even more wistful as he hopped back to his feet. "Ah . . . it's been so long since I've been allowed to say that to an outsider. HihiHA! Oh, what a pleasure it is!

The Zora began trotting around the samurai's form, taking little leaps every few steps. It was almost like a little dance, movement matching to music that could only have been found within the Zora's own mind. "And how are you doing on this fine afternoon, hm? Er . . . wait . . ." he spun about and stomp his foot down, glancing at the ceiling. "Or is it morning? Evening? No, no . . ." His brow furrowed. "Oh, nighttime! My apologies, it must be nearly midnight up there! So difficult, keeping up with time when in the underworld. Wouldn't you agree~?"

He abruptly flashed the man a smile, all wide and tooth-filled, before his dance began anew. "And a full moon tonight, no less. Wonderful time of the month -- in ages past, these were the nights when nightmares and demons and unspeakable horrors crawled forth from the Pit and the Netherworlds to consume the righteous. Agony and pain awaited all too foolish to stand alongside our great Lord Ganon. If only such days could be returned too . . ." Despite his sigh, the smile remained quite easily intact.

"Ah, but how could I forget? You're the man who may yet return us to such an age!" He spun about and leaned forward at his waist until it bent nearly a full ninety degrees. "Haha! Well then, a mighty pleasure indeed!"

Alpha wrote:"HehehahahahaHA! So here he is, at last!"

Dogura snapped to attention. He hadn't noticed another- likely because he was so deep in thought. He paused his work-out for a split second before continuing his push-ups.

Alpha wrote:"Dogura Shadowclaw! My, my, it is absolutely a pleasure to meet you. Ah . . . it's been so long since I've been allowed to say that to an outsider. HihiHA! Oh, what a pleasure it is!"

Great. Another fan. I'm getting really tired of people knowing my name before I tell them. A mess like this... Maybe I should have died after all. He watched the Zora start to dance around. It annoyed him, but at the same time, it intrigued him. What a strange fellow... He doesn't look like a fighter... Perhaps a mage. What is he so happy about? Meeting me can't really bring someone so much joy. It was then that he remembered seeing people go nuts over celebrities.

Alpha wrote:"And how are you doing on this fine afternoon, hm? Er . . . wait . . . Or is it morning? Evening? No, no . . .Oh, nighttime! My apologies, it must be nearly midnight up there! So difficult, keeping up with time when in the underworld. Wouldn't you agree~?"

Dogura decided finally to answer the man. "I've spent my life on the surface. I suppose my internal clock gives me an advantage at determining the time."

Alpha wrote:"And a full moon tonight, no less. Wonderful time of the month -- in ages past, these were the nights when nightmares and demons and unspeakable horrors crawled forth from the Pit and the Netherworlds to consume the righteous. Agony and pain awaited all too foolish to stand alongside our great Lord Ganon. If only such days could be returned too . . ."

He really is insane. Thought the samurai. He lives for chaos it seems. Dogura wasn't what you'd call a tree-hugger, but he certainly didn't wish too much harm on the people on the surface. Most of the people he knew would be fine, should the monsters bleed into the world. A lot of these creatures would be no match for his former allies, but then there were the people he wanted to protect. The people he truly didn't wish harm on that couldn't defend themselves if attacked. Should Ganon ever rise to supreme power, Dogura would have a list of pardons; people he would ask Ganon to spare.

Alpha wrote:"Ah, but how could I forget? You're the man who may yet return us to such an age! Haha! Well then, a mighty pleasure indeed!"

Finally the samurai stopped, and got to his knees. He sat upright on his knees, and exhaled deeply. Return us to that age... I'd rather not think of it like that. Although Dogura was working for Ganon, he still couldn't consider himself evil. He was merely surviving in a wicked game of life and death.

"Get to the point. What do you want from me? I'm busy."

For all but those who knew him, the Zora continued on with his happy tune in spite of Dogura's statement. Yet those who were familiar with his mannerisms . . . they would notice the slight hesitation that followed the samurai's last lines. 'Most would have tried slicing Serul's head off by now. The man certainly has discipline, that's for sure; rare to find that kind of restraint down here.'

The Zora recovered as quickly as ever, though. "Busy? Busy doing what, I wonder?" His smile turned snarky as he brought up his hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly a pipe appeared between them -- no smoke, no flash of light, nothing of any kind; it was simply there. After a few twirls of the wooden instrument, he set it into his mouth and blew a puff straight at the samurai. "Trying to get stronger? Heh, not exactly something you need to worry about. If anything, you ought be in bed recovering." He leaned forward. "Oh-ho, no, you're not busy. You've just given yourself a tiny bit of busy work.

"Which, of course, there's nothing wrong with!" he continued as he dropped to one knee again, lowering himself to Dogura's height. Another puff of the pipe, this time blowing a smoke ring that very nearly reached the samurai's face. He started spinning the pipe around and around in his fingers, staring at it, almost transfixed by the sight. "But it does lead a man to ask what could possibly keep someone with such an important mission from doing their best to prepare for it. Those silly White Wings aren't going to kill themselves, you know, and it's not like Ganon's gonna let me and my gang do it! Hihihi, oh, but what if he did? Wouldn't that be splendid?" He raised his head and roared in laughter.

"But no, no, the little Reaper gets to have all the fun! Kill the White Wings, steal the souls, burn the planet . . . you know, sometimes I get a mite bit jealous of what you silly thieves get to do." Despite the complaints, his merriment never faltered. "Death and violence week-in, week-out. You get to see all the little devils in their final moments.

"I wonder," he turned away, but still eyed the samurai with a sly look, "what is it like to reap the soul of someone you knew? Must be thrilling, yes? How about a wife? A child? Have you done that yet, or are you just waiting for me to kill them first?"

'What the--oh, by the Pits, is he trying to provoke Shadowclaw?' Imbecile indeed . . . though really, for Serul this was hardly surprising behavior. Curiosity killed the Deku, as the saying went, and it could just as well be applied to this Zora. 'Wouldn't be surprised if curiosity really was what killed him . . .'

Though, had she not been so curious herself, Kyune probably would have already stepped in to stop this nonsense.

Serul wrote:"I wonder," he turned away, but still eyed the samurai with a sly look, "what is it like to reap the soul of someone you knew? Must be thrilling, yes? How about a wife? A child? Have you done that yet, or are you just waiting for me to kill them first?"

Dogura's eyes turned a darker shade of red, as the demon within him lay siege to its cage. His body was wracked with pain from keeping the beast at bay. Sensing the spark of anger within the samurai must have compelled it to use that motive as a means of escape. Dogura however, knew his demon well, and knew well how to suppress it best.

He remained calm, and decide to retort in a more passively aggressive manner. His eyes locked onto the Zora's, his gaze like a blazing hellfire piercing deep into the darkness that filled the Zora's eyes. A manic wild-fire that would spread fear in his enemies, and inspiration in his allies. Then he began...

"I suppose that is the difference Lord Ganon sees between you and I."

That sentence alone was provocative of an insult in return, but he didn't let the silence last longer than a split second.

"You see, I think before I speak. I consider every outcome before I act. Impulses rarely get the better of me, and I've honed the ability to remain calm in any given situation. To remain calm while I'm severely outnumbered. To remain calm when dueling against the White Wing Order. In this case... To remain calm when a fool dares to threaten what I hold close..." Dogura, still enraged, didn't break his death-stare.

"Let me enlighten you on the error in your thought process. Do you think that if my family were slaughtered like cattle, I'd be able to focus easily on the tasks that Ganon lay before me? Being his 'key to success', I would feel that Ganon would want me to be as focused as possible... How would Lord Ganon feel about one of his servants tampering with the key to his takeover?"

He allowed Serul a moment to take that in.

"I sincerely doubt that he'd be anything less than furious. If Ganon himself didn't kill you for such an obtuse act of aggression towards the man he's putting his utmost faith in... Then you could safely bet that I would cut you down myself. It doesn't matter how many times Ganon would choose to revive you... I would murder you again, and again, and again."

Dogura winced at the pain that the demon was applying to his body. The creature writhed and roared slamming against its barriers with all of its force. The samurai forced a calm mind, and kept his head steady. Suddenly, the monster roared so deeply within him that an inhuman screeching bellow escaped from within his body, echoing faintly off of the walls of the room. Dogura stood up, and put a hand on his chest.

"You also haven't considered who you're talking to. You said my last name when you greeted me... So I assume you know the content of such a title..." The samurai tightened his grip on his chest, a look of pain overtaking his features.
"The moon is full. The demon within me is doing its very most to overtake me. If it manages to succeed, it'll spell death for you, me, and everyone I devour before Ganon himself rises to put me down." Dogura took a couple of steps back, and sat down on the bench. He leaned forward on his knees, locking his fingers together.

"And another thing... You talk of killing my boy like it's easy..." He smirked at the Zora. "I've trained him myself in the way of the sword... And he seeks to learn spell-casting from the best I've seen. You likely know him..." Dogura's eyes returned to their natural state, as he found himself fondly remembering his son's accomplishments. It was truly a calming thought.

"And as for your earlier... Less... Provocative inquiry." He began again in a less threatening tone. "Yes, I have considered the possibility that Ganon would ask of me to reap the soul of a former friend or ally... Even a family member." He looked down at the ground for a moment, but then faced the Zora again, this time with a warm smile on his face. A smile you wouldn't expect the reaper to have in his arsenal of facial expressions.

"I've determined that the odds are slim to none, and I'll tell you why. Out of everyone I care for on the surface... None but maybe two are destined for the underworld. My allies... My friends... And especially my family. They're good people. Faithfully aligned with the Goddesses. Unless Ganon wanted one of their souls to turn them into a reaper, then there would be no reason to send me for one of them." His smile turned to a small grin. "It's that concept alone that gets me to sleep when night falls..."

He stood up, and leaned against the pull-up station. "Think before you speak. It'll do you world of good. And remember: You cannot be held accountable for what you do not say. Sometimes silence is the best alternative."

OOC: This is good enough. Not like the one I originally wrote, but it'll do.

Shadowclaw responded in a surprisingly calm manner, yet the words he spoke and the intensity of his tone ensured the reply could only be described in one way: brutal. No doubt it was with this voice that he had driven some people to fear him, others to respect him, still more to hate him . . . and all of them to remember his name.

"Pfffffffff . . . HihihahahahahaHAHAHA!"

This was probably the first time it had driven someone to laughter.

"Very well said!" The Zora tossed the pipe over his shoulder and proceeded to applaud ferociously. "A bit verbose for my liking, but the meaning behind it is very admirable."

That said, the Zora immediately closed the space between the pair, until their noses were but a hairsbreadth apart. Suddenly those black eyes held more than mirth and frivolity in them -- an unspeakable confidence emerged in that sly glare, equaled only by the smirk on his lips. "Kihihi, but unfortunately, my dear fellow, it all hinges on one very powerful and very incorrect assumption. Perhaps I should let you see for yourself -- one Katsuro on a stick, coming right--"

"Enough already."

This was only going to get further out of hand the longer Dogura held his ground; that is why Kyune chose this moment to appear in the doorway to the training room. She narrowed her gaze at Serul, unsurprised to see him just staring at her out of the corner of his eye, still sporting that sly smirk of his. With a sigh, she walked forward towards the better-lit parts of the chamber. "Honestly, Javelin, if he didn't bite after that last insult, then your attempts are as good as done."

"You really think so?" Javelin shot back upright, finally spinning to face her. "Come now, Hauntress, if insults won't do the trick then surely a few threats will be enough to goad him~."

She smiled as she entered into the light. "Not so, now that he knows your true goal."

The Zora froze for a second, then smacked himself on the forehead and proceeded to laugh for several seconds straight, giving Dogura a chance to study the new arrival, Hauntress. She appeared a young woman, perhaps still a teenager, though very beautiful and quite well endowed for one. Her attire was a bit odd: it was a kimono, wonderfully crafted of violet, silky threads, and decorated by dozens, if not hundreds of black lines that crisscrossed in random yet somehow . . . deliberate looking patterns.

Her head, however, was perhaps the most intriguing: rounded ears of a human . . . flowing green hair, the color of leaves in summer . . . and perhaps most surprising of all, behind her black-rimmed glasses sat a pair of eyes that shone a brilliant crimson. "I would ask you to forgive my reckless companion," she spoke again in a light but steady voice, "but I'm well aware of how difficult a task that is. So I will instead request that you simply ignore his foolishness and focus on his more serious words." She paused. ". . . I assure you, such discernment becomes easier with time."

"Pfft, enough with the jokes, Hauntry~." The irony of such words were not lost on him, based upon the giggles that kept his mouth occupied for the next moment or two.

Without warning, though, he drew himself up to full height and let the humorous aspects of his features vanish. Placing an arm over his stomach, he bowed before the samurai in a pose not dissimilar to a butler's. "I must apologize for my rudeness, Shadowclaw, but I had sincerely hoped to see your skills for myself. A simple attack goaded on by anger -- is that really so much to ask for? KihihahaHA!" Okay, so it was probably impossible for him to banish all his jovial pieces. "Hihihi . . . please, allow me the pleasure of introducing myself. Oh, how long has it been?"

"Eh-hem." Hauntress cast him a nasty glare.

Only a smile responded her, but he seemed willing to heed the unspoken message. "I am Javelin, the Boundless Sword."

"And I am Hauntress, the Mistress of Runes," she said at once, not allowing Serul a chance to use the introduction as a lead-in to some lame joke. The look on his face spoke of his disappointment at her preemption. "It is truly an honor to meet you, Dogura Shadowclaw. Your discipline is outstanding, and your skills must be equally impressive. Lord Ganon allows very few people outside our group to learn of our existence before their final judgment. It speaks quite highly of you."

"Or quite lowly~, hihihi," Javelin suddenly cut in, puffing into his pipe once more. "Might be that he just doesn't see you as enough of a threat to us to be worth keeping in the dark. Impossible to say, since you didn't strike while the ire was hot."

Hauntress sighed, and pushed up her glasses in order to reach and rub the bridge of her nose. "Iron. While the iron was hot."

"Oh, I meant~ what I said, Hauntress." He looked back to Dogura with that same confident smirk. "Kihihahaha!"

Serule wrote:"Pfffffffff . . . HihihahahahahaHAHAHA!"

Dogura's eyes narrowed as he kept his words to himself. Laugh while your head is still attached.

Serul wrote:"Very well said! A bit verbose for my liking, but the meaning behind it is very admirable.

"Kihihi, but unfortunately, my dear fellow, it all hinges on one very powerful and very incorrect assumption. Perhaps I should let you see for yourself -- one Katsuro on a stick, coming right--"

Kyune wrote:"Enough already."

Dogura's attention turned to the new entity. He'd sensed her presence earlier, but had decided to ignore her until she made herself known.

Kyune wrote:"Honestly, Javelin, if he didn't bite after that last insult, then your attempts are as good as done."

Serul wrote:"You really think so? Come now, Hauntress, if insults won't do the trick then surely a few threats will be enough to goad him~."

Kyune wrote:"Not so, now that he knows your true goal."

Dogura watched as the Zora realized his stupidity, and decided that he couldn't take the Zora seriously. Not yet anyhow. He was a bit unnerved by the fact that Serul knew Katsuro's name... He'd address it later. For now, he had another stranger to focus on.

Kyune wrote:"I would ask you to forgive my reckless companion, but I'm well aware of how difficult a task that is. So I will instead request that you simply ignore his foolishness and focus on his more serious words . . . I assure you, such discernment becomes easier with time."

Dogura nodded. "I started ignoring him as soon as he proved that he rivaled the mental capacity of a Cucco." It didn't sound like a joke. Of course, the Zora hadn't exactly made a first impression- or for that matter, an ally.

Serul wrote:"I must apologize for my rudeness, Shadowclaw, but I had sincerely hoped to see your skills for myself. A simple attack goaded on by anger -- is that really so much to ask for? KihihahaHA! Hihihi . . . please, allow me the pleasure of introducing myself. Oh, how long has it been?" Only a smile responded her, but he seemed willing to heed the unspoken message. "I am Javelin, the Boundless Sword."

The samurai, his face remaining still as stone, simply nodded. "Javelin, then. If you had provoked me on any other night, I may have responded violently. But as you heard earlier, my demon is beating mercilessly at my body for an escape. Any sign of fury or anger could be all it takes to set it free. I cannot allow that."

Alpha wrote:"And I am Hauntress, the Mistress of Runes, It is truly an honor to meet you, Dogura Shadowclaw. Your discipline is outstanding, and your skills must be equally impressive. Lord Ganon allows very few people outside our group to learn of our existence before their final judgment. It speaks quite highly of you."

"Thank you Hauntress. The pleasure is mine."

Alpha wrote:"Or quite lowly~, hihihi, Might be that he just doesn't see you as enough of a threat to us to be worth keeping in the dark. Impossible to say, since you didn't strike while the ire was hot."

Ignoring the small exchange of dialogue, Dogura simply smirked at the man. "Why is it that you insult me at every turn? I've never met you before in my life- I've wronged you in no way that I know of. So why do you approach with such disdain in your heart?" He intensified his gaze at the man at this point. "And how did you know the name of my son?"

Dogura wrote:"Why is it that you insult me at every turn? I've never met you before in my life- I've wronged you in no way that I know of. So why do you approach with such disdain in your heart?

"And how did you know the name of my son?"

Hauntress looked to the Zora, eyes firm, in a sort of 'Quit screwing around, nitwit' look . . . only to find the man already had his eyes closed. Javelin took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. While the smile remained, upon opening his eyes the Zora did seem a great bit more focused, and serious -- not in the threatening way he had earlier, but, well . . . almost scholarly.

It was one of the Zora's expressions that she always found the most off-putting.

"Again, I must apologize," Serul said at last. The tone was still upbeat, but not so jovial. "I'm not trying to be disdainful, but honestly, there are just so many people in the Underworld that are so dreadfully serious! So dreadfully . . . boring! Dull! Lifeless, in all words and mannerisms!" He spread his arms wide and laughed once more. "Hihihi! What good is life after death if you're going to act that way? I've merely taken it upon myself to embody the excitement that we revived souls should have . . . and I just so happen to get carried away with it, more often than not. And so what? What fun is holding back? Hahahahaha!"

Kyune shook her head. The man probably was a bit like Dogura had believed -- absolutely insane -- but every time she heard the explanation, it sure did make Serul's special brand of insanity sound appealing. "As for knowing of your son . . ." the Zora continued, "well, quite frankly, because it's our business to know." He glanced over to where she stood. "Isn't that right, my dear Rune Mistress~?"

Whatever mirth she had been feeling vanished at that. "Are you honestly suggesting we show him that?"

"Pfft, why not? Hihihahaha! Lord Ganon did say I could do as I wish!"

Her eyes narrowed. "He also said that you would bear the consequences."

Only a smile met her. A cool, confident, cocky smile. She held her own for a while, then couldn't help herself. A smile of her own finally crept over her lips. "Fine, fine, have it your way."

Lifting up her arms, Hauntress reached into one sleeve of her kimono and removed a scroll, tightly rolled up around a stick. She closed her eyes, drawing forth a small taste of her magical power, until her fingertips began glowing white, bristling with energy.

Then with a practice flourish, she grabbed the end of the parchment and yanked it open. While it was still fluttering in the wind of such a sudden motion, her fingers ran across the back of the paper -- and if Dogura was fast enough, he would see that as the fingertips moved across the page, the thousands upon thousands of letters, symbols, and runes inscribed on it glowed in response to the touch. A burst of energy shot upwards as the light of a magic circle appeared at her feet.

"Detail: Dogura Shadowclaw!"

Her words had an odd echo effect to them, but they triggered something much greater. A few feet in front of Hauntress appeared a projection of Dogura Shadowclaw, a perfect match for the man in every detail -- all that discerned it from the actual man was that it was translucent. Simultaneously, a glowing sphere of aqua-colored energy appeared around them, reaching in circumference from the floor to the ceiling. Within the sphere suddenly floated thousands of runes.

Hauntress glanced around for a second, looking for it . . . ah, there. She pointed at a particular set of runes, and the chosen group shot forward until it rested against her finger. The moment they touched her, the runes were replaced by legible words in the common language. "Known Family. Father: Tybalt Shadowclaw; Wife: Evelyn Nomoura; Son: Toruga Nomoura; Son: Katsuro Shadowclaw."

"The Compendium Spheres," she said in explanation to Dogura. "A spell to record and detail any information concerning peoples of interest. It's hardly the most effective -- we have to manually insert new information, though it can merely read minds; we don't have to speak the details out loud. Still, it means that much information is incomplete, and still more might be wrong until we learn otherwise. Lord Ganon has access to it as well, however, and often updates it as he comes across information he feels willing to provide us."

With a flick of her hand, Hauntress dispelled the magic. The sphere and all its runes faded away in a moment's time, as did the magic circle beneath her feet. She bent down and took the scroll's stick in one hand; as she touched it, a rune inscribed on the handle lit up, and the scroll rolled itself back up. Kyune turned and smiled at Dogura. "That is how we know, Shadowclaw."

Serul wrote:"Again, I must apologize, I'm not trying to be disdainful, but honestly, there are just so many people in the Underworld that are so dreadfully serious! So dreadfully . . . boring! Dull! Lifeless, in all words and mannerisms! Hihihi! What good is life after death if you're going to act that way? I've merely taken it upon myself to embody the excitement that we revived souls should have . . . and I just so happen to get carried away with it, more often than not. And so what? What fun is holding back? Hahahahaha!"

Dogura found a look of understanding on his face. It was good to know that the Zora only appeared to be joking. "Interesting point of view," Dogura replied after a moment. "I don't fully understand what you mean specifically... But I must admit that it is comforting to know that there's a method to your madness." The reaper then watched as the two agreed to show him something that was supposedly classified.

It was everything that something classified should be. Unbelievable, jaw-dropping, fantastic, and completely unheard of. He couldn't believe that his information was so easily accessible. It almost angered him that his life was an open book to those who wished to read. After she read his information to him, he was revisited by the haunting images of Toruga's shredded coffin. He gritted his teeth, and stood up after she tucked the scroll away. "How many people have access to that?" He asked. "And why has it been hidden from me? I could put something like that to excellent use." He turned his gaze downward suddenly, as if a sudden realization had befallen him.

"Is it... Perhaps that Lord Ganon still doesn't trust me completely?"

It wouldn't be unthinkable. He did after all trick the dark beast into a fake compromise, which he used to regain his land-legs. He sighed deeply, and looked up at the two. "I want to ask you both a question. You seem knowledgeable." He paused. "Have you ever known of a man who made all three Sin-Trades? I've been... worrying lately."

Dogura wrote:"How many people have access to that? And why has it been hidden from me? I could put something like that to excellent use. Is it... Perhaps that Lord Ganon still doesn't trust me completely?"

Hauntress pursed her lips and shook her head. "While it is not my place to say what level of trust Lord Ganon has in you, that is likely not the reason it's unknown to you. The Compendium Spheres are a magic available only to a handful of individuals: my group, and Lord Ganon himself. Perhaps the Shadow as well . . ." A sudden thought struck her, and she tilted her head to the side in thought. "Truth be told, Lord Ganon may well have allowed others access to the Spheres, but not as far as we have been told--"

Whatever else she might have said was abruptly cut off as a sudden light shone forth from within her kimono. She blinked a few times before reaching beneath the cloth and drawing forth a ruby necklace -- the light coming from the hexagonal gem itself. The girl's shoulders suddenly slumped, and she gave herself a slap to the forehead.

"Kihiha! You forgot again~, didn't you?"

Hauntress spun towards the snickering Zora, crimson eyes alit with annoyance. "You're the one who pushed me into using it so quickly!"

Javelin merely puffed another smoke ring and laughed as he rested against the wall. "Still doesn't excuse you!"

"Argh--why you--I mean . . . urgh!" Hauntress turned back towards the exit from which she'd entered and began walking towards it. "Please forgive me, Dogura, but I must take care of this. Be right back."

"Kahahaha! She's always forgetting about that," the Zora laughed, removing a hand that was covering the collar of his cape: on it rested another ruby of the same exact shape, embedded atop the cape's fastener. It too was glowing for another few seconds . . . then the light faded, as the noise of voices arose from the hallway. "The jewels are a bit of long-range communications between our group members. Just tap the thing with your intent in mind, and there you go! Instant chat set up between you and whoever you were wanting to speak with.

"And before you ask, the things started glowing because the Compendium Spheres were accessed in Details mode -- that rarely happens unless we've been given a mission." He glanced up to the ceiling and sighed. "It's been so long since our last one, I'm sure the others got quite excited." Suddenly the smirk returned. "I'll bet they're out there giving Hauntress a verbal beatdown! Hihiha!"

"Have you ever known of a man who made all three Sin-Trades? I've been... worrying lately."

The Zora's eyes blinked, and he turned to show a bit of a confused look on his face. "Sin-Trades, eh? Not sure what those are . . . at least, I've never heard of something by that name before. Maybe just a difference in naming conventions . . . Gimme some details and I might be able to help you out."

* * *

Hauntress strode from the training hall, chiding herself mentally for making such a mistake -- one that Javelin absolutely adored making fun of her every time she did it, which was often enough that it had gotten old. 'Always inform the others!' she yelled in her mind. 'Is that really so hard to do?'

Once beyond the range of sight -- and hopefully hearing -- of Dogura, she pressed her finger against the jewel necklace.

Magic went to work once more, this time forging translucent projections of the other two members, standing about three feet from her and each other. They stared at her for a few moments . . .

"You forgot again, didn't you?"

The first of the projected pair snapped in a semi-angrily form, one that made it impossible to tell if she was being chastised or teased. Hauntress sighed and looked up, at last meeting the gaze of the Rito woman -- and being a bit relieved at seeing a smirk rather than a scowl. "I'm afraid so. My apologies to you both."

"Honestly, Kyune, you got me and the beast rather excited." That came from the other figure, a Human male with a rather commanding tone of voice. His words weren't exactly forgiving, but then, they never were. "It's been so long since we've had a proper hunt."

She could only shrug in response. "Believe me, I know."

The man sighed. "What reason did you have for accessing them anyway?"

Kyune blinked . . . and slowly smiled. "Oh, you're not going to believe this one . . ."

After watching the little communication-ruby debacle, Dogura's question was soon answered- but not in a way he expected.

Alpha wrote:"Sin-Trades, eh? Not sure what those are . . . at least, I've never heard of something by that name before. Maybe just a difference in naming conventions . . . Gimme some details and I might be able to help you out."

"How could you... I'm sorry, but I not sure know how you don't know about the Sin-Trades. Are they not common knowledge?" Thinking about it a moment, he then nodded his head. "Perhaps... It is a secret to certain groups the same as The Compendium Spheres." He looked up at the Zora, and folded his arms.

"Allow me to enlighten you then." He cleared his throat before speaking. "A Sin-Trade is a pact between the Oath-taker and Ganon himself. The user hands over a piece of him or herself's free-will in an exchange for more power in a dire situation. For instance..." He took a couple of steps forward so as to make room for his demonstration. He suddenly flexed, his muscles and veins bulging for a split second.

"RrrrghhhAAAAAHH!!" He screamed, as a pair of black wicked wings tore out of his back, and spread wide, spraying a black ink-like substance on each side as they emerged. The samurai's aura nearly doubled in power immediately, and turned absolutely insidious, even for someone lurking in the depths of the underworld. His pupils had turned to vertical slits, much like that of a snake- though still blood-red in color. It was likely that Serul was just now seeing Dogura's power first hand.

In the blink of an eye, the samurai was behind the Zora, whispering into his ear. "This is the power of a Sin-Trade alone... And only the first. Heightened senses... Flight... And an incredible power boost." He suddenly reappeared standing on top of the pull-up bar, his wings spread wide. "This is only a fraction of my power- Shadowclaw isn't contributing to this pool of power at all. Damn beast is still attempting to break free even as we speak. With my own power added, in combination with Shadowclaw's, I'm untouchable to any mortal man." He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to power down. The wings retracted into his body, and the man hopped off of the pull up bar. Standing again in front of Serul, he gritted his teeth.

"However... Even with all of that aforementioned power, I was still barely keeping up with Archard of the White Wing Order... His power was unmistakably divine... The strongest warrior I've ever had the privilege to hold a blade to." He smiled wildly, his demon certainly taking a small toll on his sanity. "It sends shivers down my spine to think that such powerful warriors exist... To know that greater challenges may lurk just around the corner... Heh heh heh heh... HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!" His maniacal laughter filled the room, leaving haunting echoes when he was finished. "Honestly, Javelin... I can't wait to cut down the next challenger." He smiled deviously before quickly grabbing his face with both hands. He grunted in pain, and let his hands slide down his face. "I-it's becoming so difficult to control... I need to calm down... To resume my explanation."

He let his arms fall to his sides, and closed his eyes. Concentration. Focus. Control. Discipline. He continued, "There are three Sin-Trades in all. I have made one. It was necessary when I was attacked by The Order. I don't think anyone would debate my decision- it is the sole reason I'm not exiled inside of an enchanted weapon." The samurai bowed his head in a moment of silence- most likely out of respect for his fallen comrade. "I suppose I'm worried about the other Sin-Trades. The power is tempting- to see what exactly I can aspire to. How high my power can climb. I could be a God."

Those words lingered for a moment before he shook his head. "But no. My free will is 1/3 Ganon's now. He could likely stun my body should he see fit to. The second trade grants him 2/3 of the user's will. They'll have little command over their body should they act outside of Ganon's interests. The third trade... You're Ganon's flesh-puppet at that point." He felt a shiver go down his spine. "The power is tempting... However, I'm determined to not make another trade." He looked up at Serul. "I heard a legend of a man who made all three trades... He was Ganon's omnipotent meat-puppet... But there's nothing on it in the Underworld's library. No information regarding who the man was, and why he isn't here today. You can't help but wonder what happened to a man with that kind of power... Nothing could have killed him. Ganon would never have to seal him away- he'd have been under Ganon's thumb. Is there anything about it in the Compendium Spheres?"

Javelin's eyes widened in pure delight as Dogura unleashed the power of the Sin-Trade, his speed increasing to mind-numbing speeds. One second the man was in front of him, the next right behind, the next standing above him, with wings like a bat and eyes like a snake. And to think, this wasn't all the power he was capable of -- it seemed to be doing a number on Dogura's mental state as well, as he went from calm and collected to downright evil. The Zora stood by through it all, grinning wide but restraining himself until the samurai had reverted to normal.

". . . kihihihihahahahaHA! Oh, the Bindings! The sweet little old Bindings. Such beautiful pacts, those are -- never knew they were called Sin-Trades!" The Zora was practically bent in two, laughing hysterically and seemingly unable to stop. "Hey Hauntress! The Bindings are actually called 'Sin-Trades'!"

Looking back, Serul spotted the girl leaning in through the doorway, wide eyed at the spectacle. She'd probably felt the tremors from Dogura's transformation and come running to see whether or not the samurai would be killing the Zora -- he smirked. No such luck for her today~. At Javelin's announcement however, she seemed to visibly relax. She rose back to full height and pushed her glassed back up her nose. "Sin-Trades? I see. Suppose that's good to know." Without another word she turned and walked back out into the hall; Javelin could barely make out her saying "Sorry about that," to the other Assassins.

Javelin spun back to the Reaper. "And only three of them, hm? Very good to know, yes indeed!" He crossed his arms and let his smile fade from 'maniacal' back down to 'disturbingly excited'. "Well, sounds like the only cases we've encountered would fall under the first Sin-Trade, then. Anyone who gets to number two or three wouldn't really cause us any problems; like you said, Lord Ganon would be able to easily control them." The man smiled. "But no, we aren't given that kind of opportunity. After all," ---

The Zora suddenly vanished.

<div align="right">--- "that would make things so unfair."</div>
Now it was Javelin's turn to be whispering right into Dogura's ear. The next instant he was standing on the same equipment the samurai had landed on. And for the encore, the Zora was suddenly standing upside-down on the ceiling -- or at least it looked like he was standing, until one noticed that his feet were not visible. His legs were coming out of the ceiling, almost as if his feet had been buried in the wall, but it had been far too short a time to do something like that.

"Kihihahaha!" the Zora laughed.

"Showing off again, are we?" Hauntress' voice emerged as her figure strode back into the chamber. The girl rolled her eyes as Javelin spun his head to grin wildly at her, and instead focused her own look on Dogura. "I heard you say something about using the Spheres. Can't promise you'll find what you want," she said as she withdrew the scroll once more. "Like I said, Lord Ganon only gives us the information he wants; we're left to find out everything else on our own. What we knew is listed under 'The Bindings', and it isn't a lot; but maybe he's placed something under the proper name."

With the same flourish as before, the scroll was unwound and the runes flashed under her finger's touch. The aqua sphere formed once more, but this time there were no runes floating around inside it.

Say "Detail:", followed by whatever the name of the entry you're looking for is.

Hauntress was staring right at Dogura, and that had definitely been her voice -- a telepathic message, obviously. Before the samurai could act on this information, though, another voice cut in.

You know, this hanging upside-down thing really isn't any fun if you two aren't going to pay attention.

Hauntress only rolled her eyes again.

Dogura listened to Javelin speak, and his eyes followed the Zora around the room as he flickered in and out of existence. He was slightly beginning to like the Zora. Slowly but surely, he found the man's personality somewhat charming.

So they knew what they were... But not much more about them.

"Like I said, Lord Ganon only gives us the information he wants; we're left to find out everything else on our own. What we knew is listed under 'The Bindings', and it isn't a lot; but maybe he's placed something under the proper name."

"Hrrm... That does sound like a Ganon-thing to do." He muttered begrudgingly. He watched her re-open the scroll, and his eyes lit up under the magical glow. He slowly approached the magical archives

Say "Detail:", followed by whatever the name of the entry you're looking for is.
Got it. Thanks. He responded with a nod and smile.

"Detail: Sin-Trade." He called out.

The information suddenly spun into reality. But only snippets here and there, as if the article were incomplete. He surfed through information, reading it out loud as he went.

"Sin-Trade. Trading your will for extended power and abilities. The pact can only be made between an individual Ganon deems worthy, and Ganon. Warning: The pact should only be made if the power is absolutely necessary. Heed the warning- it is both parties' best interest." The samurai paused, wondering what kind of drawback it had on Ganon. He continued reading. "Two people in ancient and modern history have made all three trades. Both of them deceased.

"The first was a man named Sinder Halencourt. After becoming the strongest of Ganon's warriors, Ganon saw even greater potential in the man. Ganon requested that the man make all three Sin-Trades. The man with unwavering loyalty, accepted, and became God-like. Ganon sent the new deity skyward to destroy the Dawn of Divinity. Ganon's eyes limited to the planet, he could only feel what was happening above. He seemed to be having no difficulty, until suddenly his aura disappeared entirely. After a month of no word, he was declared dead.

"The second was a man named..." The samurai trailed off. His face was visibly full with concern. He didn't seem to want to go on.

[Music = Realization]

"Ganondorf Dragmire." He finally stated. "Careful of his last mistake, Ganon set out only to conquer Hyrule. With the Divinity of Dawn in tatters from the last attack, they were powerless to stop the man. The Goddesses however, took it upon themselves to intervene, and sent the Legendary Hero of the time period to stop the warlock. The Hero succeeded, and with the aid of the Sages, exiled Ganondorf.

"Not since has a trade been made." Dogura paused before continuing.

"Edit." He stated. "Dogura Shadowclaw has made the first Sin-Trade. He is currently the only active operative under a Sin-Trade pact."

The samurai stopped short, not bothering to read more. He'd read enough. He seemed heavy with thought. Perhaps he was asking himself if he was really the closest to becoming the next Ganondorf Dragmire. One of the most hated and feared names in History... The one who succeeded. Dogura looked up at Javelin, and then back to Hauntress. "I... You don't think that..." He swallowed, again contemplating everything he'd done and learned so far. He made for the exit.

"I have some thinking to do. Please don't follow." He promptly left the room, after muttering: "Thank you for the information Hauntress. Javelin."

Even Javelin remained silent as Dogura read and, upon finishing, departed from the room. The chamber continued in silence for several more seconds, a heavy weight having descended after learning the new information. And still, after that time the thing that actually broke the deadness was nothing more than the Zora whistling. "Well, that's rather . . . juicy . . ."

Hauntress spared him a glance before walking up to the Sphere herself and double-checking the entry. Yes, everything seemed to match what Dogura had said, word for word. This was rather unexpected; the Bindings -- no, the Sin-Trades, she corrected herself -- had been used to create Ganondorf Dragmire, a legend of the underworld. He'd come closer than anyone before to truly conquering Hyrule . . . it made sense that he'd done so with Ganon's greatest empowerment.

The woman pursed her lips and touched a finger to her chin, contemplative. "You don't really think . . . ?" she repeated Dogura's query, though her tone was far less disturbed than the samurai's. If anything, she was intrigued.

"Honestly, no, I don't." Serul was suddenly standing right next to her, hands in his pockets as he gazed up at the Sphere. "The Reaper's too new, still has too many ties to the world of the living. Still cares too much about that world." He sent her a sideways glance -- for once a serious one. "This information is only going to disturb him; if Lord Ganon really cared, he'd have stopped Shadowclaw from seeing it."

The Zora's lips suddenly turned upwards in a fanged smirk as he reached up and flicked the special earrings hanging from his lobes -- the same as those that hung from Kyune's, and from Dogura's. "Isn't that right, my lord? Kihihahaha!"

If the Dark Beast was listening -- and Kyune had little doubt that he was -- he did not bother to reply.

Back to his chipper self, the Zora strode over and leaned onto Kyune's shoulder before she could move out of the way. "Too bad the boy had to go ahead and leave, though. We never even got around to telling him who we are. How are people supposed to fear us if they don't even know we're the Assassins? Kihiha!"

Hauntress shooed him away with a glare. "Don't you think that might be for the best?" she hissed. She reached down to straighten her kimono before paying him any more attention. "The Assassins are meant to stay secret from everyone. Even with Lord Ganon's permission, I don't feel comfortable sharing the facts of our existence with potential future targets."

"Pfft, you really are too serious," the Zora chuckled.

". . . But, alright, let's get serious for a moment." He strode forward, right to the edge of the Sphere. "While we're here, and have the Spheres out and active, I'd like for you to double-check my reasoning here.

"Details: Alpha, the Sheikah Mage; Wraith, the Lightning Reaper."

The information on Sin-Trades faded away, and as a new set of runes appeared in its place a second Compendium Sphere also appeared in the air, this one littered with hundreds of runes all its own. Each quickly gained its own translucent image of its subject: at the base of the original Sphere appeared Alpha, black robe and scarred face readily apparent. Kyune's eyes bulged at the sight, especially when one saw the image for the Wraith entry:

It was a man who looked almost exactly the same as Alpha -- same cape and scar, even. The only difference was that Alpha was obviously several years older.

"Display timelines."

A pair of runes, one in each Sphere, floated to the forefront and transformed into a timeline of their lives. Alpha's was fairly complete: his first seven years spent in Sereta Village, Zaboorak's attack sending him fleeing with Zaris Valyan for nearly ten years . . . then there was a five year gap, where no information was available on him. His timeline began again with him being spotted boarding a ship; after that, sightings were spotty until he'd returned to Hyrule at age 24, where the entries became more consistent.

In contrast, Wraith's timeline was quite lacking -- he'd been recruited when he was a teenager, and no information about his life existed before that. After about two years he'd fled Ganon's employ, and for another year there were notes of sightings by the task force that had been sent after him. No surprise that there were only a year's worth -- following Ganon's defeat by the Hero, most of the forces had been recalled to Hyrule.

"Overlap."

The two lines slowly floated towards one another, until one was right on top of the other.

And they fit perfectly.

Hauntress quickly rushed forward and pointed at the timelines, causing them to float downwards to arm's reach. She quickly touched a few of the entries, double checking as Serul had asked. Alpha's timeline gap began just after he was in Calatia; Wraith's timeline started with him being recruited in the same location. Same year, same month . . . she imagined it was the same date exactly, though the timelines were not that specific. Continuing on, there were even so overlapping sightings of Alpha and Wraith -- always in the exact same location and time period.

"That's it," Serul said softly. "No doubt about it -- they're the same person." Kyune slowly nodded her consent. The Zora raised his head and voice. "Merge entries."

Both Spheres slowly began migrating towards one another, until they each fit in the same place. With a flash of light, the two entries became one, and the runes swam around in an attempt to reconcile the differences. After a few seconds, the swarming ceased. There were a few dozen runes that shone red, indicating discrepancies between the merged entries -- but Kyune reached out for one and saw it was rather simple: Alpha's entry said the man was in Hyrule, and Wraith's had declared his location unknown. It would be easy to fix the entry, given enough time.

She couldn't stop herself from smiling.