Beyond the endless dunes of golden sands and howling winds that stretch across the fierce skies lies a small town. Its small frame gleams under the burning light of the sun’s rays and behind distorted images of palm trees, basking in the mid day heat, can be seen the figures of small warriors standing stone faced in front of sand eroded walls of deku wood . Houses decorate the town’s quaint atmosphere. Merchants stand behind wooden stands decorated with fine jewelry and strange vials filled with vibrant liquids that emit powerful fragrant. Children run along the cobble stone streets wielding wooden swords as they imitate the Hylian soldiers. Their giddy laughs adding to the hustle and bustle of the streets. Their mothers sit on benches situated in front of a bakery as they gossip about current events and trivial knowledge that would serve no purpose at the end of the day. The shingles of roofs shine a brilliant red as the setting sun casts an array of colors over the horizon.



A large temple stands tall, rising high above the small buildings and people traversing the streets. Bronze statues adorn the outskirts of the temple, depicting an elderly woman draped in robes as they are eternally frozen in the wind. Hymns, escape the archway leading into the temple’s lobby, their voices echoing out through the dry air and through the small village. Pillars reach to the sky as they grasp the tops of building in godly brilliance as the sun beats down on their ridged exterior. Red cloth curtains the pillars in carmine glory as it adds to the amazing beauty of the building. You cut through the littered town, often cutting through people with the back of your arm. You find yourself standing before rows of steps leading up to the entrance. Emotions pass by you as they play themselves out in people’s faces. Some cast a sad frown, their eyes glancing down at the floor as they walk past you. Others walk with their shoulders stretched out, a smile stretched upon their face as they glance at you and others and many just stare out into the crowd below with half smiles and raised eyebrows as they think to themselves: ‘What was that?’ You find yourself in a mental crossroad. ‘Do I enter or should I just leave?’

Alpha, having traversed the desert many times, is quite surprised to see a town he had not noticed before. 'Curiosity killed the Deku Scrub, not the Sheikah, so...' He walks into the town and makes his way towards the temple, making sure that his hood is raised up. Standing at the entrance to this strange temple, he takes in the sights of many people walking past him. 'This is all very odd...well, I've already entered the town, might as well keep going...' Silently, cape wrapped around him, Alpha walks towards the temple entrance.

OOC: I found it first!

The inside of the temple pentagonal, each side leading into another room veiled in purple curtains. The floor is black marble and centered atop a low platform sits the elderly woman depicted outside. Behind her are five men, each hidden beneath divine white robes? Their faces look toward you in kind smiles as you enter their domain. They are the ones that chant their hymns. They give you one last glance and separate into their dormitories. The only ones left are you and the elderly woman, still sitting in utter silence atop her platform.

She looks at your face with mournful stare. Her eyes are encased in crystal water. She’s blind. “Curiosity has brought you here. What do you want?” She says, her face staring blankly into yours and her hands folded upon each other on a small table that you might see in a tea ceremony.

OOC: Yep, let's hope that I make this topic a good one...

Victor hadn't visited Tantari Desert many times before, so he was hardly surprised to see the unknown town set out before him. More used to the slightly-cooler temperatures of Parapa, the intense heat of Tantari caused the bard to remove his brown robe. Underneath he had a plain white tunic; more fitting for the heat, though the black slacks he wore absorbed quite a lot of the sun's rays themselves. His robe folded over his arm, he entered the town.

Only sparing a passing glance at the merchants, Victor chuckled at their comical play-acting. A smile lit his face when he saw the children frolicking. They brought back the memories of his own childhood. When he reached the temple, he admired the beauty of the building's architecture. But when he saw the tense faces of the people standing before it, the bard's smile faded.

Choosing the phrase "excuse me" over shoving through the crowd, Victor reached the inside. Seeing Alpha, Victor moved closer to the center of the temple, and hearing the old woman's query, he was quick to answer:

"What is this place?"

The oracle’s ear twitches as she listens to the bard’s inquiry. The oracle smiles at the bard’s question. Her smile stretches across her face as she stretches her arm through her robes and beckons both of them to come.

“Ha, ha…What do you think it is? It is a temple. It was built in my name. I am Akari, oracle of this village…Though, it is unlikely that I will be in the future.” Her last sentence ends in a dead stare. “Darkness is sweeping across the desert. I do not want to tell my people of what comes as they are peaceful and do not need to worry for their last days.” A tear is shed as she finishes her last sentence.

‘When?’

The oracle quickly dabs the back of her palm at her cheeks and looks up at the two again, her eyes outlined in red.

“I’m sorry…ahem…do you have any more questions,” she says with a sniffle. Akari glances at the silent sheikah.
“Why…why…have you come here Keyru.”

Alpha's head jerks up as Akari calls him by his true name. "How did you - O, right. You're an oracle." He gives her an annoyed glance. "So then you know that I do not answer to that name. And you know why." His annoyance fades away as he recalls what she has just asked...and the prophecy she has said. "I've been out in the desert many times before, but I've never noticed this town. So I decided to check it out."
His tone turns much more serious. "You said that darkness is coming? What do you mean?"

Alex was surprised to find a town ( much like the time he found New Peacktop );
but anyway it was very likely that he missed it as he didn't visited Tantari as much as Parapa...but that another story, right he was near fainting because of the heat...
after taking a cold drink under the shade of a bar, he walked to what looked like the main buliding, walks in to discover that it's a temple , even more surprised to find such an imponent structure in the desert, he keeps walking to the end of the big hall ...

“Darkness is sweeping across the desert. I do not want to tell my people of what comes as they are peaceful and do not need to worry for their last days.” A tear is shed as she finishes her last sentence.

‘When?’

What?

“The darkness…is an evil that is not immortal, but forever living. It is born into a different race every time it dies. Centuries have passed since the last evil one was born but it has come again to strike fear and death to our lands…Time has bit away at the memories of the people and now only a few chosen ones know of its legend but as the evil is born again and again it gains power and knowledge. This is all I know of the darkness. My powers are limited by the powers of the darkness…”

She sighs in regret that she is unable to tell more.
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A zora, six feet or so, clad in black robes, walks into the chamber, his eyes merely glancing back and forth as he absorbs his surroundings. They land upon Alpha and Victor and an old woman kneeling in front of them, ignoring the unknown zora. His heart stops beating for a second as he wonders what they could be discussing. He nimbly hides himself behind one of the golden pillars, his back hugging the exterior as he tries to stay hidden. The zora listens intently to her words; he gives a raised eyebrow and decides that he should listen to her without the two who stand before her.

Julian carefully removes his staff, a grin latched on to his face as he rubs its exterior in wanton delight of what will happen next. He stretches out his staff towards the opening of the temple and aims down the steps toward a small part of he crowd.

‘This should get their attention.’

A beam flies forth from the crook of his staff, clay like in color. It shoots towards a group of arguing merchants. The earth shudders as the beam hits their bodies with intense power. They fly towards the wall of a nearby inn, nearly breaking a hole into its southern wall and shattering the windows. The crowd begins to scream as they panic in the commotion of it all. They fall to the ground as they feel their feet shaking with the ground beneath them, not because of the energy but because of the loud uproar of people attempting to move away from the scene while others run towards the scene in curiosity.

OOC:This happens a little before Julian made the hole
After hearing to the Oracle's speech(?), and greeting Victor and Alpha, Alex's mind turns to blank... what was that thing? a creature? a curse? perhaps a feeling
" I should not keep this to myself"
B-but, what exactly is the darkness?does it have shape? can it be sensed?or does it just lead people like an army? can it be stopped?...
As he was saying this, a big explosion was heard, a big hole was opened in the wall... screams...
Alex pulled out his dagger and shield, and prepared to launch an elemental burst to anything that looked hostile
Don't worry Sage, I will protect you,Victor! Alpha! you too help stop this...

"No, save my people! They need to find safety!...Go!" Akari yells, her voice trailing off into the sounds of the town's people panicing and her head looking to the entrance of the temple. "I do not fear death...go!"

Julian smiles at the oracle's inability to read his presents. 'Move, idiots! I need you to leave!'

The zora aims another quick blast, this time to one of the statues outside. The explosion shrouds the stone oracle in smoke and slowly, the statue breaks through the veil and tumbles down the stairs and lands in front of the panicing village.

'Leave!'

OOC: Also a little before.

IC: Victor listened to Alex's questions. He, too, wondered what this "darkness" was. But before he could second the Zora's queries, Victor heard the blast. With one final look at the Oracle, the bard sprinted towards the ruckus, watching as a second blast destroyed some of the art he had admired just a few seconds before. Reaching the outside of the temple, he panned the town to see what he could see...

The sounds of the people swallow you in its rage. The place is an plethora of emotions. Dazed people stare in gawkingly at the drama; Children begin to cry and others racing between each other as they run in aimlessness. Your eyes fall upon the large statue, it's head severed from its stone shoulders. Rubble spans down the stairs and hidden beneath the cracked leg of the once beautiful statue is now a panicing man who lays jammed under the weight of the frozen oracle. It doesn't look as if you can help him alone, perhaps with the help of others you might free the man from his prison.

Alpha quickly hurries out with the others. 'What the heck...?' he thinks to himself as he rushes over where the man lies pinned underneath the statue. He attempts to lift it up, but can't. "Hey, someone give me a hand over here!"
All the while, he wonders, 'Where did those explosions come from?'

Julian stares down at the fallen statue and Alpha’s poor attempts to save the soul trapped beneath it.

‘I never intended for anyone to get hurt. I guess…I’m just lucky like that.’

With a grin on his face, the zora pulls down the hood of his cloak, gives a mocking bow to the crowd before him, and begins to walk towards the oracle, now alone in her temple. His staff clanking against the black marble and the tails of his robes sweep across the floor as he brings himself in front of the old woman’s kneeling form. He stops, about a foot away from her table, and bends over so his face is mere inches away and his smile glistens coldly at her stone like face. Julian’s voice brings itself forth in a low whisper as it sends one word into the ears of the oracle.

“Hello.”

Victor, seeing men flung into the wall of the inn, began to run over. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw Alpha by the fallen leg and... what looked like a man trapped underneath. Almost running past the rubble, Victor skidded to a stop and turned quickly on his heels. In a single stride he was opposite Alpha, trying to help lift the fallen stone...