RPG The Legend of Zelda: Sword of Fate

[James]

[size=1][b]Note: Those who have already signed up and been [i]accepted[/i] are allowed to participate. Others may read, but not participate. Thank you. :)[/size][/b]

[size=5][color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][b]Hyrule Field[/b] was barely visible through the heavy blanket of rain. The trail leading from the gates of [b]Hyrule Castle[/b] was muddied and slippery. Every man, woman and child in the land was surely sitting in their home by their warm fire, sipping warm milk and sharing age old stories with each other.

Despite this circumstance, a lone [b]figure on horseback[/b] was making his way across the [b]Hyrule Castle[/b] drawbridge. And despite the weather, the two drawbridge guards didn't flinch. They kept to their duties, having been trained in far worse conditions.

The [b]figure on horseback[/b] wore a [b]dark cloak[/b] and [b]hood[/b], which completely covered his body. Even his hands, which were gripping the reigns of the horse tightly, were covered with [b]grey leather gloves[/b]. The only distinguishing mark was a [b]small eye[/b] embroidered on the back of each glove.

Even the man's horse seemed oblivious to the downpour. Its head leaned forward in a determined sort of way, as its dark hooves galloped through the thick mud.

The [b]man on horseback made[/b] his way along the muddy trail. Every now and then, he would crouch down a little more and pull his hood down further, in an attempt to shield himself from the oncoming rain.

After what seemed like an eternity, the man on horseback arrived at the edge of [b]Lake Hylia[/b]. He lifted his hood just a little and surveyed the territory. There were several huts clustered around the western edge of the lake.

The man reached a single gloved hand into the inner pocket of his cloak and pulled out a small map. The map contained the names of each house and its occupants, as well as their location relative to the lake.

He examined the map closely. And finally, he saw the house. He looked up at the cluster of houses by the lake and saw it there -- an ordinary looking house with a [b]brown thatched roof[/b] and a small [b]rose garden[/b] infront. This was the place.

The [b]man on horseback[/b] rode his horse closer to the house with the [b]brown thatched roof[/b] and when he finally arrived, he stepped down from the horse and approached the front door.

There was nothing particularly unique about the front door, except for the small brass knocker on the front. It featured a [b]small engraving[/b], which looked very much like the sacred [b]Triforce[/b].

He took the knocker and tapped on the door three times. He could hear movement coming from inside and finally, the door swung open, revealing a tall man with long, black hair.[/font][/size][/color]

[b]Zain:[/b] Hello, who are you?

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=5]The man stood still for just a moment and then he slowly removed his dark hood.

Zain examined the man's face. The man had a [b]long white beard[/b] and was almost totally bald. He gave a weak smile.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Man:[/b] Is your name Zain?

[b]Zain:[/b] Yes...who are you?

[b]Mahl:[/b] My name is Mahl. I come from the Temple of Time, seeking an audience with you.

[b]Zain:[/b] Oh...please, come inside...

[color=seagreen][size=5][font=monotype corsiva]Zain stepped to one side. Mahl nodded and walked inside the house. He sat down on a wooden chair by Zain's fireplace. He removed his soaking wet robes and hung them over the arm of the chair. Underneath the robes, Mahl wore what looked like a white and gold uniform. Yet another set of robes, these were the robes of those who's job it was to defend and operate the [b]Temple of Time[/b].

Mahl reached into his pocket and produced a small piece of paper. He handed it to Zain.

Zain looked over it -- it was a letter from the Queen. It read:[/color][/font][/size][font=monotype corsiva][size=3]

"Dear Zain,

I first want to thank you for all your hard work over the past several months. You have been an invaluable defender of the Hyrulian Monarchy. And you have seen us through many perils.

But now I write to you under curious circumstances. For the last two weeks, we have seen nothing but heavy rain in Hyrule. Farmers are coming to my Court and complaining that their crops are being flooded and that they aren't able to go outside to care for their livestock.

I am unsure how to deal with these many complaints. It appears that even the weather is not on my side lately.

But this is not my only concern. I received a letter from the King of the Zoras only yesterday. In it, the King informed me that the Zora River was poisoned. He asked for my assistance in catching the culprit.

I am hoping that I can call upon your services once again in this time of need. I very much hope that you will join me at Hyrule Castle in two days time to discuss the matter. You may bring friends to assist you in your quest if you need to.

Thank you for your constant attention and concern.

Yours sincerely,

[b]Queen Zelda of Hyrule[/b]"[/size]

[color=seagreen][size=5]Zain looked at the old man sitting on the chair. He put the letter down on his kitchen counter and looked at the wall for a moment, without saying a word.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Mahl:[/b] So? Are you going to attend this summit that the Queen is planning on?

[b]Zain:[/b] I'm not sure...

[b]Mahl:[/b] I expect everyone to be there...the various Sages, the King of the Zoras...and maybe even a representative from Gerudo Valley. And of course, the Queen herself. Everyone is having problems lately...

[b]Zain:[/b] Yes, that's for sure. Why does she think I can fix the problem?

[b]Mahl:[/b] You have experience in these matters, Zain. The Queen trusts you. She [i]did[/i] say that you could bring assistance if necessary...

[b]Zain:[/b] Yes...I might have to. I know of some old friends who could help.

[b]Mahl:[/b] Excellent.

[b]Zain:[/b] But I didn't say yes just yet...

[b]Mahl:[/b] :(

[b]Zain:[/b] I'll think about it, okay?

[b]Mahl:[/b] Alright. But please be quick about it. The Queen needs you.

[b]Zain:[/b] Yeah...okay. Thanks for coming all this way under such conditions.

[b]Mahl:[/b] Anything for the Queen.

[b]Zain:[/b] Heh, yeah. Do you want to stay here until the weather is more favourable? You look tired...

[b]Mahl:[/b] The weather hasn't been favourable for a week...no reason for it to start cooperating now. I might as well go.

[b]Zain:[/b] At least rest here for a few hours. The return journey could be dangerous for you.

[b]Mahl:[/b] Yes...thank you. I think I will rest here and gather my strength. May I dry my robes near your fire?

[b]Zain:[/b] Sure.

[b]Mahl:[/b] Thank you.

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=5]Mahl smiled and stood up with some difficulty. He lay his robes by the fire and made his way through the doorway into the guest room.

Zain looked out the window. He saw a nearby farmer attempting to herd sheep from one paddock to another. This was proving extremely difficult, as several sheep were being swept away by the flash flooding at the same time.

It would normally have been a somewhat humerous situation, but Zain felt bad for the farmer. He knew that it would take him months to make up for those two lost sheep...[/color][/size][/font]

[NeoCactuar]

[font=Monotype Corsiva][COLOR=green][SIZE=4]
Zain continues to look out the window, as the struggling farmer gathers his composure, and begin to try round up the rest his sheep.

Zain turns away from the window, and looks back at the warm fire he is sitting by. He almost feels like getting up and going out to help the farmer, but he knows there is not much he can do...

Zain glances back to the window and sees two sheep, levitating off the ground. He quickly looks back to re-affirm his initial view and sees two sheep, 3-4 feet of the ground, surrounded by a glowing red aurora, shining against a back drop of dark, murky sky.

Zain continues to look at the, to anyone else, strange site. But Zain remains calm and collected, as he knows this is the work of none-other than Lymous.

Sure enough, within seconds, Lymous appears trenching down the muddy path, almost up to his knees in mud. He motions his outstretched arm, showing the same red aurora that surrounds the, now moving sideways, sheep. He slowly lowers his arm, as the sheep also do so. He approaches the farmers sheep filled paddock, and clambers out of the mud and up onto the grass.

Zain watches with curiosity as the Lymous outstretches his battle worn hand to the farmer, who shakes it thankfully as he thanks Lymous for saving his sheep. Lymous Bids goodbye to the farmer, after a minute, or so's talk. He hops down back into the mud, and pulls up his hood the dark green cloak he is wearing.

Lymous then continues to walk along to the path towards Zain?s house, he turns at the gate, and walks up the small path, past the rose gardens, and under the shelter of the overlapping brown thatched roof.

He slowly lifts his arm and knocks on the door...
[/COLOR] [/font][/SIZE]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo][i]Drake is sitting in his small house, deep in the Lost Woods. Small, meaning that it's made up of only three small rooms. A bedroom, bathroom, and living room/kitchen (the kitchen part consisting of a stove and a large cast iron pot, which can be placed on the stove for cooking, off in a corner). A fire is lit in the stove, with hot water for tea, in a tea kettle on top of it. Drake is sitting close to the stove, in an old armchair, which is nearly falling apart.

He looks out the window, at the seemingly endless rain. He does not much like the rain, even if the thick conopy of the Lost Woods shields the forest floor from some of it. He has been stuck in his house for a few days now, because of it. He longs to visit the Sacred Forest Meadow, and play his Fairy Ocarina in the first light of dawn, which filters through the trees onto the entrance to the Forest Temple and a nearby tree stump. The very place where Link met Saria, all those years ago, though Drake did not know it at this time.

The tea kettle whistles, and he pours himself a cup of hot water, and then crushes the tea leaves into the cup. He swishes the crushed leaves around in the water, until the tea becomes very dark, and almost impossible to see through. He strains the tea, and then puts the usd tea leaves in a jar by the stove.

Again, he looks out the window, while sipping his tea. He is deep in thought, about this rain that never seems to end.[/i]

Drake: (thinking) Why does the rain never stop? It has been about a week, without a single ray of sunshine! This is odd weather, for the time of year...

[i]He continues sipping his tea, pondering the origin of the strange rain. He sets his tea down on the small table by his chair, and takes out his Fairy Ocarina. Slowly at first, and then faster and faster, he plays the Song of Storms. The howling wind seems to answer back, with a strong gust that shook the house.[/i]

Drake: (thinking) I need something to cheer me up... Something lively...... Hmm, lets see now... Of course! How could I have forgotten?

[i]He begins to play Saria's Song, which every Kokiri now learns at an early age. It seems to have the power to improve a persons mood, when they're unhappy. It does indeed lift Drake's spirit, and he starts sipping his tea again, forgetting about the rain. He sits back in his chair, and enjoys the warmth of the fire.[/i][/color]

[Break]

[i]Rubeine stood on top of the Gerudo Fortress, looking around the valley. He is leaving Gerudo Valley today, to figure out that which he has heard news of recently. The could just be rumours, or maybe they were of some truth, but whatever the case this would be his first venture out from the Valley. He felt confindent in himself, but he felt that he would miss the Valley a lot.

He stood, just looking over the land he had grown up in. The land he had learned how to fight in. He was proud to be a Gerudo, not just that, but he was considered a prince among Gerudous because he is a male. It made his life better.[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] Who's that?

[b]Sheik:[/b] It's me.

[b]Rubeine:[/b] Oh, you.

[b]Sheik:[/b] When are you going to leave then Rubeine, the sun is at it's peak. It must be midday.

[b]Rubeine:[/b] If that's the time, then I must leave now, before nightfall. It is safer then.

[b]Sheik:[/b] Indeed it is, I wish you luck on the hard times ahead...

[b]Rubeine:[/b] Hard times...? Wha?

[i]Rubeine spun around but Sheik was gone, only a bottle of potion was left were Sheik was standing.[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] Potion? Excellent!

[i]He put the potion in one of his belt packs and buckled it up.[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] I guess it's time to get going then.

[i]He jumped off of the balcony he was standing on and landed lightly on the ground. He got up and went over to the bridge leading into the Valley and saw two guards standing there. They both knew him and (by the judging of Rubeine) liked him alot. One gave him a desert cloak, and the other a hug. He then began his big journey out into Hyrule field, not knowing the impending danger that lay ahead..[/i]

[Kei]

[COLOR=sky blue][i]Tani is sitting by a window in her house looking out at the rain falling. There aren't any people outside. Kakariko Village looks deserted. [/i]

Tani: I wonder where all this rain came from? It doesn't usually rain this much this time of year. All the farmers crops are all being washed away and they can't do a thing about it. *sigh* Terrible. I hope Queen Zelda can come up with some sort of plan, or Hyrule might wind up in real trouble.

[i]Tani continues to look out the window, and sees children run outside in long coats to play in the rain.[/i]

Tani: (smiles) I remember when I could do that. It was fun to be a child. Such a shame I had to grow up so quickly. Hmmm. It seems to be letting up a little. No, it's just my imagination. *sigh*

[i]Tani gets up from her window outlook and goes over to her worktable. She picks up a piece of wood and begins to make more shafts for her bow. She starts to softly hum a tune her mother used to sing to her when she was very young while she works.[/i][/COLOR]

[Yoda]

[I]Outside a small cave North of the Goron Village, sat a man, his hair drenched, and his clothes soaked...... but regardless of the rain, the small kindle infront of him continued to burn brightly, as is the mystic shaman had some empowerment over it.

The man turned and looked up at the depressed sky, and he slowly sniffed the air. He turned back to the fire, and stared deep into it's embered glow.

???: The wind's........ again they change.

Suddenly, a raven broke through the fog line, soaring majestically. He circled the mountain peak once, then swooped silently, landing gracefullly on the man's shoulder. The man closed his eyes, and the Raven's head turned to face his. Soon the man opened his eyes again.

???: Thank you my friend........ I know now what is needed of me. Now I see why the winds change. My services are required.

The man slowly climbed to his feet. He held out his hand towards the kindle, and it smote out instantly. He closed his eyes, and crossed his hands over his chest. There he stood neutrally for several seconds.

His eyes snapped open suddenly, and he eld his hands out infront of his chest. The raven left the man's shoulders, and circled about him. Three wolves suddenly came out from the nearby cave, and stood near to the smoted fire. A red aura surrounded the shaman, and then....... he began to change.

His back immediately arched forward, and the wollen shaul over his shoulders spread into fur that covered his whole body. The two thick straps on his shoulders dissapeared, but his trousers remained. His fingers extended, and huge claws sprouted from all his digits. His nose and mouth startedpulling outwards into a snout, as his eyes slitted into thinnder oval's, and turned black, a white pupil the only source of light in them. Then, a tail started sprouting from above his rectom, and came down to his knees. Soon, grey fur covered his whole body, and his metabolism had changed somewhat to that of a wolf. The shaman was in his warewolf state.

The warewolf looked about and sniffed the air intentively, as his wolves joined him at his side. Suddenly he crouched down more, pressing on the ground lightly with his knuckles. in an instant, he leapt forward off te cliff face, his wolves and raven joining almost instantaneously afterwards. The pack, led by the mysterious shaman, moved with incredible agility, dexterity, and speed. In an instant, they had sped down the mountain, and stood on the edge of Hyrule field, at the base of the steps to Kakiriko villlage.

The pack started speeding along Hyrule field, the pack so light footed, that their paws didn't sink into the heavy mud. The shaman ran on his feet, and his knuckles. They soon passed Lon lon ranch, and leapt the small fence there, then the shaman picked up speed, as the entrance to Lake Hylia came into view. Again the wolves and Raven responded instantly, and sped up also.

The pack then leat the two fences leading into Lake Hylia. The shaman stopped for a moment at the site of the houses. He sniffed the air and the ground, then launched into a run again, having decided where to go. Soon he appeared infront of a house with a brown thatched roof, and an elegant brass knocker on the door. The shaman took human form again, looking exactly as he did before he transformed, as he gave three heavy knocks on the brass knocker.

There was a breif silence, then slowly the door opened. A man stood there with long black hair.

???: Greetings......... Zain.

Zain: Huh? Who are you???

???: May I please come inside, my animals need shelter from the wet, and all will be explained then.

Zain: I suppose..............

Zain opened the door wide enough for the man to enter. Thr raven rested upon his shoulder as he entered, and his wolves, who were amazingly as dry as the man was, followed him inside. Zain directed the man to a seat, and the wolves all surrounded the freplace.

Zain: Now.......... you are you, and what do you want?

???: My apologies for the hostile welcome. My name is Ralvenar...... I am a Druid who dwells in a cave near the Goron village. In short, I have come to offer my assistance in your journey.

Zain: How do you.... know about that?

Ralvenar: This bird is more than just a decoration for my shoulder. He sees more than most men can. All I am ofering is my assistance..... I require nothing in return.[/I]

[eleanor]

A dark sky loomed over Shiedan. A thunderbolt made a splitting sound, lighting the dark village to show small huts scattered about the area of the small dwelling. Dark clouds rolled on in the sky, a cold wind blowing about through the huts. Trees shook in the wind as it swirled around the dense forest. All of the huts were dark; no light seemed to live in the village. A small glow, a flame of light flickered in the distance. A small hut, isolated from the rest.

A small, old woman sat, huddled in thick layers of the few blankets she possessed. An old, wrinkled hand reached out, trembling in the harsh, icy air surrounding her. The fire beside her dwindled down to mere ashes, leaving smoke in the air hovering above it. The old woman coughed roughly, her weak throat pulsing in pain. She sighed, the breath raspy. Her wrinkled hands made a horizontal sweep through the air. A shimmering picture cleared out before, showing a dense forest. It was dark with mist in the air. Fogged air surrounded the high trees, which seemed to have no end.

A stump was seen in the mist, with a boy sitting on it, motionless. The only thing that could be heard was the melodious sound coming from the youth?s harp. Three notes struck the air, echoing its wonderful sound through the forest. The old woman?s lips rose slowly at the corners, a small smile gracing the wrinkled head. She touched the shimmering picture before her with affection. Her fingers touched the boy, sending waves throughout the whole picture. Yes, she remembered that day?

~Flashback~

?Come on now! You can do it! Just breathe!? A maid said soothingly as she took her mistress? hand into hers. Juana shut up her eyes and clenched her teeth painfully.
?Ahhhhh?I?can?t?it hurts too much?? Juana wailed out.
?It?s your first time isn?t it? Oh dear.? Nishile, the maid, was with much sympathy. Juana nodded her head slowly.
?Help?me??
Apparently, Juana was having her first baby.
?Come on, everybody woman has to go through it eventually. You can do it.? Nishile said, worry filling her sweet tone. Alas, it seemed that Juana couldn?t.
?Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Oh?? Juana screamed out, falling back onto her bed after making another attempt. Several nurses rushed over, all saying soothing words. Rashele opened the door and pushed her way through the young ladies.
?Oh, my daughter?Are you all right?? She asked sympathetically. Juana hissed, knowing her mother was pretending all this nonsense. She would be screeching at her at getting pregnant in the first place if these nurses weren?t here. She closed her eyes and tried to look away.

Rashele looked at her daughter haughtily. She never really loved her anyway; she was forced to, knowing that all Shiekan women had to have a baby. The Shiekan race was dispersing, with only a few left. Already, they were hiding in the deep in the dense lost woods. She was jealous, really. He daughter was everything the mother wanted to be. Nice, polite, courteous, humble, charitable, charming? All those good things. But most of all, beautiful. Yes, it was shameless, but she hated her daughter for she was so beautiful. She sneered in disgust.
?Oh, would you please excuse us ladies? We?d like to be alone.? Rashele said in her fake, honey sweet tone. Juana flinched.
?Oh no??
?Oh, yes, of course Miss. Rashele.? The nurses mumbled as they hurried out of her way. They knew not to mess with her temper.
?Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh?? Juana screamed, the baby was coming out. Now.
?Shut up you wench!? Rashele snapped at her.
?You slut, you! You had to get pregnant didn?t you!?? Rashele nearly screamed. Juana cried out in pain.
?Shut up! I?m going to force this miserable brat of yours out now if you don?t shut up!? Juana couldn?t hold back.
?AHHHHHHHH!!!!!? Rashele slapped her and went to the end of the bed. The baby?s head was bulging out. Rashele grabbed it and made an attempt to pull it out. Juana screamed in agony, her womb severely hurt and radiating with pain. But, the baby refused to come out in such a miserable way. Rashele scowled impatiently. She pushed down on Juana?s womb, miracously not killing the poor infant. Juana screamed, the scream mixed with horror and the utmost pain she had ever felt in her life.

The door burst open and Rashele quickly lifted her hands and pretended to sooth the large stomach. Incar, a handsome young man, fled next to her newly wedded wife and held her hand.
?Are you all right dear?? He asked, panic filling his deep voice. An old woman walked calmly into the room and pushed Rashele out of the way.
?Juana dear, are you okay?? She asked, her soothing voice reaching Juana?s long ears.
?Grandma?? She managed to make out. Grandma, otherwise known as Shala, knew of Rashele?s rather disturbing attitude towards her daughter. A smile fell upon Shala and Juana. Shala placed her hand on Juana?s stomach. The pain seemed to ease away. Yes, Shala was a woman of great magic.
?Now push Juana.? Shala said comfortingly. Juana, now unaware of the pain, breathed in and pushed as hard as she could.
?Yes! You?re doing great my dear.? Shala exclaimed. The baby was halfway out. Juana screamed as sweat dripped off of her pretty face. Juana made a final attempt and fell back with a thud. Rashele looked on in disgust.
?Juana!? Incar exclaimed, squeezing her hand. Shala lifted the newly born infant.
?I?m sorry Incar. I really am.? Shala said, tears forming in her eyes. Incar broke into a small sob, his head resting upon Juana?s breastbone. Juana?s body had failed to take in so much pain.

Shala held the baby, now wrapped in a soft, warm blanket. Rashele?s eyes glinted with mischievous evil. Shala?s eyes narrowed considerably. She knew what her daughter-in-law was up to. She wondered how her son had fallen in love with a woman like that. She had to take the boy away from Rashele. Incar was still sobbing.
?Give me the baby.? Rashele hissed out as she snatched it away. Shala took it back quickly and glared.
?I?ll be taking care of this one!? She snapped at Rashele. Rashele pretended to sob, trying to get the attention of Incar.
?But with my husband gone, I?ll have no one!? Rashele wailed out between fake sobs. Incar paid no attention. Shala whisked her shawl from the hanger and strode out the door.
?Come back here you miserable old bat!? Rashele screeched at the top of her lungs.

Rashele ran out of her house screeching.
?She?s stealing my baby! Get her! GET HER!!? Rashele screeched, making everybody wince. Nobody pain attention. They knew Shala knew best in this village.

Shala hurried to her hut.
?He is one of the warriors?I can feel it in my bones. He can?t stay. He must live to learn on his own and fight. Yes, I will do that.? Shala thought quickly. She was awfully sorry she had to give the baby up. It looked so sweet and nice. She smiled.
?Jash. That?s your name.? She ran into her hut and opened a cabinet. Her now dead son used to be a great fighter. Dagger, bow and arrow, deku nuts, deku sticks, golden scale? The item of weapons went on.
?Ah yes! The harp. The ocarina too.? Shala quickly placed all the items in a large sack. She picked it up despite its weight and hurried out to the forest.

~End of Flashback~

?I wonder how he?s doing.? Shala thought. She was now an extremely aged woman, ready to die any moment. Her magic powers allowed her to live a long life. But it had to end one day. Rashele had already dies from a severe cold. Shala touched the picture one last time before going into an endless sleep.

* * *


Jash?s talented hands stroked the strings of his golden harp. The three notes echoed far, but seemed to do nothing. Jash constantly tried to sooth his heart. He was always alone. No friends. No family.
?Where am I from anyway? Who?s my mother??? The loneliness seemed to eat away at his brave and courageous heart.
Pluck. Pluck. Pluck. The song eased his mind and soul a little. Not that much. He heard it once in a dream. A strange boy clad in green was sitting on a stump in the forest. Three notes drifted from his shining blue ocarina. It eased his heart, and he fell into bliss. It was a beautiful song indeed. Jash closed his eyes. He was thirsty. He walked slowly over to the pond, carrying his harp with him. He looked at his reflection. It soon faded away as rain started thundering down once again. Jash looked up slowly, not surprised. It had been raining for some time now...

[Nerdsy]

[size=4][font=monotype corsiva] [i] [color=crimson]A lone chipmunk walks along the long, winding trail of Death Mountain. It was on it's daily scurrage for food, sniffing around here and there for some random tidbits of food some careless adventurer might have dropped. Maybe it might even find the oh-so-rare Bomb Flower seed, which had the taste of a million pieces of stale bread.

Unknown to the poor little chipmunk, a group of ravenous tektites was also out looking for a meal. They stalked the Chipmunk almost like it was some sacred ritual. Their mouths drooling, they moved in for the kill. The sun gleamed off their blue and red scales, and the chipmunk finally realized that he was not alone. Unfortunately for the little guy, it was too late. He was surrounded.

He looked around frantically to find a way out of this predicament. There was none. The chipmunk was doomed.


Suddenly, three massive shapes came rumbling down the trail. It appeared to be three boulders. One was smaller than the others, and it was very round. It kept bumping into rocks and tossing all around.

The second boulder was huge: Over twice the size of the first. It was rolling down the hill with a large crashing sound. It also bumped in many jutting rocks, but the rocks didn't bump it around. They mearly gave way under it's immense weight and force.

The third was taller in hieght, but thinner in shape. It looked more like a large wheel than a boulder. Somehow, it seemed to be actually [b]dodging[/b] all the debris scattered along the trail. It was as if a skillful driver was behind the wheel.


Most of the tektites that saw this scattered. Only 3 blue tektites and 4 red tektites remained. The chipmunk saw it's chance, and bolted away, coming out of the predicament wiser, braver, and -somehow- with a Bomb Flower seed.

The wheel-like boulder uncurled, revealing a tall, slender Goron. Before it had, however, it hit a rock, using it as a ramp. It had uncurled in the air, revealing a spiked underbelly. The Goron soared through the air and landed -spike side down- right on top of the red tektite. It was no more.

The biggest of the three boulders (now obviously all Gorons) just crashed into all three blue tektites without slowing down. The big Goron was chasing after the scattering tektites that were stupid enough to just run down the path, instead of going to the side and jumping up on some of the ledges.

The smallest Goron stopped, uncurled, and took a fighting stance.[/i][/font][/size][/color]


Small Goron- Blasted tektites, they just won't move out!

Tall Goron- They won't move out on their own, Link. We have to kill them ourselves.

[font=monotype corsiva][size=4][i][color=crimson]At that, the tall Goron drew out a sword- a very rare thing for a Goron to be carrying- and took a fighting stance along side Link. Link took after the one of the tektites, punching it right into the afterlife.

The taller Goron took his sword and ran it into a tektites stomach. The remaining tektite decided the odds were aginst him, and decided to run. He didn't get far.

The tall Goron took out a [b]hookshot[/b]- an item even more rare than a sword for a goron- and fired it with pinpoint accuracy at the escaping tektite. The doomed tektite froze. The tall Goron walked up to it, took one mighty swing with his sword, and cleaved the tektite in two.

The tektites were no more. A few had managed to escape, but they would be hunted down sooner or later. The tall Goron decided it was best to move on for now. They had an important meeting to go to.[/font][/i][/color][/size]


Link- Come on, Mokein! Father is going to beat us to the bottom!

Mokein- Not if I can help it!


[font=monotype corsiva][i][size=4][color=crimson]With a laugh, Mokein jumped off the cliff, curling up into a ball, and landed with a loud "THUD" right in front of Link's father. He didn't slow down for an instant. They rolled on that way to the bottom (It was a tie). There, they waited and made ready some nice limestone for their afternoon lunch.

It was getting dark, and they knew better than to be out in Hyrule Field at night. Not only would they be locked out of the castle, they'd have to fend off monsters- no longer just Stalchildren- all night long.


After the rocks were prepared, Link arrived at the camp site. They feasted on their buffet of rocks. When they were done, they went to sleep at once. They knew they would have a long day tomorrow. Best to rest up.[/color][/font][/i][/size]

[James]

[size=1]Wow...I knew I'd picked some good RPers...but not [i]this[/i] good! I have a feeling this will be a really memorable story. :)[/size]

[size=4][color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva]Ralvenar entered Zain's house and removed his coat, hanging it carefully on the back of the door.

Sitting by the fireplace was Lymous, who was busy polishing his sword. He seemingly hadn't even noticed Ralvenar, nor his two wolves.

Ralvenar turned to Zain.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I'm sorry to burst in so suddenly...my wolves need food and shelter. Do you have anything that they can eat?

[b]Zain:[/b] Sure...you'll find some salted meat in the coolgardie safe over there...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Thank you.

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Ralvenar made his way over to the safe and removed his gloves. He sat them down neatly on the kitchen counter. The two wolves at his feet were panting hungrily and watching his every move.

He removed several steaks from the safe and lay them on a large plate, which he'd taken from an above cupboard. He lay the plate on the floor and within seconds, the wolves were swallowing down the juicy steak.

Ralvenar sat down in an armchair by the fireplace. He glanced at Lymous and then looked back at Zain. He leaned forward and warmed his hands by the fire.[/color][/font][/size]

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] So, who are you?

[b]Lymous:[/b] My name's Lymous. And you?

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I'm Ralvenar. Nice to meet you. Are you helping Zain too?

[b]Lymous:[/b] You could say that. Whatever is causing this rain...well, surely it's gonna need more than one man to stop it.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] True, true.

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Zain pulled up another chair and sat down near the others. He took an apple from the table and began eating it.[/color][/font][/size]

[b]Zain:[/b] Yeah, this rain is making things difficult. The Queen's messenger looked like a sponge...he was totally soaked.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Did the Queen send Shiek?

[b]Zain:[/b] No, she sent Mahl...he's a wizard who resides in the Temple of Time.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Oh yes, of course...

[b]Lymous:[/b] Why did she want you, Zain?

[b]Zain:[/b] I've worked for her before...nothing major though.

[b]Lymous:[/b] Heh, yeah. We've always relied on Link to save our skins...but he's a little older than us now. Not in his prime anymore.

[b]Zain:[/b] Link has done enough, I think. He's saved our land time and time again...the least we can do is put in some effort for the Queen ourselves.

[b]Lymous & Ralvenar:[/b] Agreed.

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Zain removed Zelda's letter from his pocket once more and looked over it. The letter had said that the Queen, along with various other tribal and business leaders, would be holding a meeting in the Royal Palace in only two days from now.

Zain knew that the Queen wanted him to attend the meeting. If any conclusion were reached about the monsoon, he and his fellowship would surely be ordered to take action.

But there were things to do before the meeting. Zain was running out of supplies -- his safe was nearly empty and his cupboards were slowly becoming bare.

Whilst Zain had been reflecting on the day's events, Ralvenar and Lymous had been getting to know each other. Zain looked up and noticed Ralvenar showing Lymous a few of his magic tricks. One trick was more conventional (it consisted of Ralvenar taking a rupee from Lymous' ear), while the second included Ralvenar changing the colors of his wolves' fur.

Zain stood up and began to pack a small pouch with various supplies.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Zain:[/b] You two...we're going to need supplies before we head to the meeting. I only have a few things to take with me...and I'm going to need to purchase more arrows and whatnot from the Hyrule Market.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Indeed. I need to purchase a couple of potion recipes from a friend in Kakariko Village...

[b]Zain:[/b] Okay, well...I guess we should head there first. We'll wait for Mahl to wake up...he's in the guest room. Once he's rested, I'll give him some food for his journey back to the Temple of Time. Then we can be on our way.

[b]Lymous:[/b] Sounds like a plan...

[Desbreko]

[color=seagreen][size=1]By the way, the name of my Fairy is pronounced Tay-ree.[/color][/size]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[color=indigo][I]Drake continues sitting by the fire, drinking his tea, and playing his Ocarina now and again. The fire starts to burn low, and the tea is gone. He looks out the window, and sees that the storm has not let up at all.[/I]

Drake: (thinking) Blast it! I'm going out anyway, rain or no!

[I]Drake gets up from his chair, and puts the kettle away. He grabs his cloak and puts it on. The greenish-grey garment seems to shimmer, in the light of the smoldering fire. Suddenly, a Fairy flies out from the folds of the hood.[/I]

Tari: Hey! You should check before you put that on! You almost crushed me with your big head!

Drake: Heheheh... sorry. I'd forgotten that you were asleep in the hood...

Tari: Hmph... Are we going out, then?

Drake: Yes, I can't stand to be stuck in here a longer.

Tari: *sigh* ...Even with all this rain?

Drake: Don't worry, you can stay under my cloak. You shouldn't get as wet, that way.

[I]Tari flies into the folds of Drake's cloak, and makes herself comfortable in a small pocket near the collar, designed for just this purpose. Drake can still hear her, but she's shielded by the cloak.[/I]

Tari: Where are we going?

Drake: I don't know, yet. I guess you'll find out when I do.

Tari: Does that mean you're going to get lost again?

Drake: I wasn't lost! I never get lost in the woods! I live here, after all.

Tari: Admit it, we got lucky and found our way back.

Drake: No, I knew where I was going!

Tari: ...Whatever...

[I]Drake grabs his small pack, which holds his Ocarina, among other things, and opens the door. Immediately, he is pushed back a little, from the force of the wind. Bending forward a little, he walks out into the rain. The wind howls around his head, and finds its way into his hood.

Drake yells to be heard, even though Tari is only a few inches away from Drake's mouth.[/I]

Drake: Gah! It's worse than it looked from inside!

Tari: Does that mean we can go back inside?!

Drake: No, I'm going to take a walk!

[I]Drake struggles through the fierce wind, through the confusing passages of the Lost Woods. He thinks he has explored the whole of the Woods, but there are still a few places yet, that he has not laid his eyes upon. Indeed he has explored a great part of the Woods, almost everywhere, and knows his way very well. Nevertheless, he still seeks new areas, which he suspects are there, but hidden. He often takes walks, looking for these hidden parts of the Wood.

After walking for quite a ways, he looks at a tall, dark cliff looming up from the forest floor. He walks up to it, and examines it. Never before has he touched so smooth a rock, as this cliff face. Neither does he recognize the cliff.[/I]

Drake: Where am I? I know the way I came, yet I do not remember this cliff... Strange things lay in the eastern part of the Woods...

Tari: Are we lost?

Drake: No, I know the way back. I do not, however, remember this cliff...

Tari: I thought you had explored the whole Wood... heheheh...

Drake: So I also thought... Yet more is revealed to me, even as I stand. Look up at the top!

[I]Drake points up to the top of the cliff, where an old, twisted tree is leaning out over the edge of the cliff. From it hangs a slender rope, which can barely be seen in the light of day, let alone in a dark storm. Yet Drake's keen Kokiri eyes are aware of it, as a flash of lightning illuminates the area for a brief moment.[/I]

Tari: What is it?!

[I]She flies out of Drake's cloak, and up to the tree. She yells back down to Drake, straining to be heard over the wind.[/I]

Tari: Drake! You have to climb up and see this! It's beautiful!

Drake: (thinking) How could anything still be beautiful, in this storm?

[I]Drake grabs onto the rope, and starts his careful ascent. The wind blows him from side to side, and suddenly, Drake grows afraid. The wind almost blows him into the cliff, and he misses it by mere inches. Drake hastily finishes the climb, and pulls himself over the edge of the cliff. Sweat is dripping off of him, though no one would be able to tell in the rain.[/I]

Drake: What... is it?

Tari: Look!

[I]Tari points, and Drake turns around, and stares at what he sees. In a huge bowl of the land, a large, sparkling pool of water lays. It's surface seeming to be hardly effected by the fierce winds and pounding rain. Drake walks over to it, with Tari flying overhead, and he gazes into the depths of the clear, sparkling water...[/I][/color]

[James]

[color=seagreen][size=4][font=monotype corsiva]The three spent the rest of the afternoon telling stories to one another and examining each other's weapons.

Night fell sooner than expected. The windows of the houses surrounding Lake Hylia were emitting a soft yellow glow. But the various outdoor candles in people's gardens hadn't been lit, due to the still heavy rainfall.

Mahl appeared in the doorway to the guest room, looking much healther than he had looked earlier in the day. He smiled and nodded to Lymous and Ralvenar and proceeded to put on his cloak and gather up his belongings.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Mahl:[/b] Okay. It's time for me to go. Thanks again for your hospitality, Zain.

[b]Zain:[/b] No problem. :) Are you going to be okay?

[b]Mahl:[/b] I'll be fine. My horse never gives up on me.

[b]Lymous:[/b] There are thieves in Hyrule Field at night...

[b]Mahl:[/b] Don't worry gentlemen...I will be fine. I'm used to taking messages from the Queen to all corners of the countryside.

[b]Zain:[/b] Okay, well...goodbye Mahl. Have a safe journey!

[b]Mahl:[/b] Bye all!

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Mahl waved and opened the front door. The power of the fierce gale was so strong that he nearly tumbled backwards. He braced himself and held his hood down over his face as he exited the house.

The others could only barely hear the sound of his horse's hooves as he galloped away.

Zain looked at the others. Lymous and Ralvenar were already standing and sheathing their various weaponry. Ralvenar's two wolves sat motionless infront of him. It appeared as though he had complete control over their behavior.

A soft yellow glow appeared from Zain's room. All three men looked toward the direction of the light, as it grew stronger. Lymous slowly began unsheathing his sword, not knowing what to expect. The small light source floated into the room and landed on Zain's shoulder.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Phion:[/b] Hey hey...you guys look like you've never seen a fairy before!

[b]Lymous:[/b] Eheh, sorry. We're just ready for anything I guess...

[b]Phion:[/b] Hmph. I'm Phion...who are you two?

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I'm Ralvenar, pleased to meet you.

[b]Lymous:[/b] I'm Lymous...

[b]Phion:[/b] Heh, Zain...you're happy for these two to join us?

[b]Zain:[/b] Don't be so suspicious, Phion. I'm sure you'll grow to like them.

[b]Phion:[/b] Heh, maybe.

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]A slightly awkward silence followed, which was broken by a sudden burst of thunder. The group looked out the windows and saw the entire lake light up from a flash of lightning.[/color][/font][/size]

[b]Lymous:[/b] Geez...I don't know how [i]anyone[/i] can live normally with this weather...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I'm hoping that we can at least get to Hyrule Castle in time...

[b]Zain:[/b] I know you're not going to like the suggestion, but we should probably start moving tonight. If we move early, we'll be able to get there on time. The rain will be slowing [i]everyone[/i] down...

[b]Lymous:[/b] Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it...we're definitely going to have to get moving tonight.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Agreed.

[b]Zain:[/b] Okay, get your stuff together and let's go...

[Yoda]

[I]Ralvenar slowly unsheathed his sword. It sparkled in the fire light, and slowly but surely the cold steel was revealed, with a black scorpion embedded near the hand guard. He checked both sides quickly, before sheathing it once more.

Zain: That's a two handed sword....... isn't it?

Ralvenar: Yes, indeed it is. The Biggoron at the top of the mountain crafted it for me, he wondered why i wanted such a small knife for.....

Lymous: Heheh, he's a fine craftsman.

Ralvenar then lifted his bow from his back, and pricked the strong with his finger. It gave a light twang, and then stopped. Ralvenar nodded, then put the bow back on his ........ back.

Ralvenar: I am ready whenever you are. Oh, thanks again for feeding my wolves.... I could not have asked for better hospitality in my breif stay at your house.

Zain: Don't mention it...... well, lets get moving.[/I]

[Kei]

[COLOR=sky blue][i]Tani is sitting by her window looking outside again. She gets up and goes to her cupboard to get something to eat. She takes out an apple, and the realizes that the cupboard is almost bare.[/i]

Tani: I'd better be getting to the Market. Otherwise, I'll starve!

[i]She puts on her long, light blue rain cloak to shield her from the heavy rain, her bow, quiver, and pouch of Rupees, and proceeded to head out of the quaint village. She knew that the gates would be closed, but she didn't mind staying the night outside, even in the rain. As she walks down the stairs, it begins to turn to night.[/i]

Tani: Great. I can get some practice while I'm out. Kid Stalfos always make good targets.

[i]As she walked toward the bridge across the end of Zora's River, a bony hand reached out of the ground to grab at her ankle.[/i]

Tani: Speaking of the Devil.....

[i]The Kid Stalfos pulled itself out of the ground and began to lumber toward her. Tani swiftly took out her bow, notched a shaft, and fired it at the skeleton, taking it out with one shot. As she continued to walk toward the gates of Hyrule Castle Town, no more Kid Stalfos attacked her.[/i]

Tani: Odd. I wonder why only one has attacked me so far tonight. Something strange is going on. I have a feeling.

[i]She finally made her way to the gates and sat on the stone barricade that lined the sides of the entrance, out of reach of any Stalfos, just in case of a surprise assualt. There she sat silently, watching the night pass in the rain, thinking about times gone by....[/i][/COLOR]

[Break]

[i]Rubeine continued to walk across a small patch of sand when he caught his first ever glimpse of Hyrule Field. He had heard stories about it and it's great vastness, but maybe not as big as the haunted wasteland in Desert Collosus. It was so very different from the Valley where he'd grown up in, green and full of life. But a dark forboding clouds hung in the air as if the rumours that something bad was happening were all true.

He stood for a while, just to take in the new scenery and all the trees that he had never ever seen in the Valley. It was the afternoon and the sky was dim and murky, maybe a sign for him to move out of the field.

Time seemed to take over the field, and it suddenly got to about evening time, dark. The black clouds still floated above the field as well. From no where a rumbling sound erupted from the grass and it was ripped apart by two giant skeletons[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] What the..?!

[i]They blindly swung at him with their long, bony arms, he dodged both attacks very easily. Then he lifted his scmitar then forced it downwards on the first skeleton's head, shattering it's bony and hideous skull. But still it continued to stumble around blindly. He gripped the shaft of the scmitar tightly and swung horizontally, scattering it's remains everywhere.

Meanwhile, the other skeleton had swung it's hand again, but this time it connected with Rubeine's back, sending him to the ground. He got up and ran back a little, then he concentrated on his scmitar, which now glowed a blue colour. As he concentrated more, the scmitar now glowed a deep red and he knew it was ready. He swung with all his might, sending red flames around his spinning blade, shattering the skeleton completely.[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] Whew... I gotta get out of here, I have no time for these!

[Nerdsy]

[font=monotype corsiva][color=crimson][size=4]The fire burned brightly, making sure that there was no Tektite ambush in the night. Not that the three Goron's needed it, they could easily take on dozens of Tektites without breaking a sweat.



Mokein was chosen to go to Link's Cavern-named after the legendary hero who had cleared the Dodongos out of the cave and defeated the King Dodngo. In doing this, he had also created the Dodongo Lava Rocks, the sweetest and most nutritious type of rock. A very rare delicasy, since only Link and Mokein dared to venture down into the depths of the cavern.

Mokein was sent to fetch some Dodongo Lava Rock's for the journey. He knew that the cave was not as dangerous as his kin makes it out to be: The Dodongo's were gone, the statues were dormant because Ganon's powers no longer controlled them, and the only monsters left were a few Keese.

As Mokein was walking, he noticed something strange with the wall. They almost appeared lighter than usual, and in some places were seemed positively white. He shrugged it off, thinking it was just a figment of his imagination. He continued on to the Pit Room.

He was just outside of the Pit Room, and stopped. This was the only dangerous part of the cavern, where the Elemental Keese lived. Ice, fire, and the new breed of electric that had popped up in recent years.

Mokein drew his bow- as you can tell, this Goron is full of surprises- and walked slowly into the room. He made it to the pit with no trouble, whish was odd. [b]Very[/b] odd. The Keese had never managed to miss a loud noise, and he had made plenty. After all, he was in a hurry.

He dropped into the Throne Room (otherwise known as the plave where the young hero had vanquished the mighty Kind Dodongo years ago) and lumbered into the middle, to get some of the Dodongo Lava rocks. He stuffed his bag full. He was a little hungry, so he took a bite. He immediately spat it out, and cursing, looked down. [/font][/color][/size]


Mokein- What in Din's name?!

[font=monotype corsiva][size=4][color=crimson]
The normally dark red floor had become completely white. There was no mistaking it. Mokein kicked himself mentally for not noticing it earlier. He knew the sour taste meant that the nutrients were gone. It was like grass- completely useless to him. He should not bother with the Lava Rocks.

He walked over to the wall to try it. It tasted the same. He suddenly realized what was happening.


[/color][/font][/size]Mokein- So whatever has been affecting the rest of the Hyrule has been affecting here, as well. It's spreading, I can tell. No wonder the Keese were gone. They were afraid of being infected. I have to tell the others.

[size=4][color=crimson][font=monotype corsiva]He walked over to the bright blue cricle in the floor. Even after all these years, the magic warp still worked. He dropped the bag, and as the spoiled rocks scattered everywhere, he stepped into the portal and dissapeared.[/color][/font][/size]

[NeoCactuar]

[COLOR=green][font=monotype corsiva][SIZE=4] Lymous takes his two long white knifes, and slides there filigreed blades into the holsters on his sides. He get up, and out of the comfy chair, and stands on the cold hard floor of zain?s house. He approaches Zain, as Ralvenar also departs with his chair and the warmth of the fire.[/font][/COLOR] [/SIZE]

Lymous: Shall we...?
Zain: It's time...

[SIZE=4] [COLOR=green] [font=monotype corsiva] Zain walks to the fire, picks up his belongings, and warms his hands for the last time. Lymous and Ralvenar follow, they all stay silent... thinking of what lays ahead of them. One-by-one they stray from the fire, and head for the door.[/font][/COLOR] [/SIZE]

Ralvenar: Well... off we go...

[SIZE=4] [COLOR=green][font=monotype corsiva]Zain opens the door and is greeted by howling winds and bucketing rain. Zain pulls up his hood and steps out into the abyss. Lymous and Ralvenar look at each other, and follow...[/font][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[James]

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]The trio stepped out onto the porch infront of Zain's door. Ralvenar was the last to exit the house. He carefully closed and locked the door behind them.

Zain lifted his hood just a little and looked around. The gale was so powerful that a couple of small trees had been pushed over near the lake's edge. Several other small plants had been ripped out of the ground by the wind. Several people's gardens looked more like jungles than gardens; foliage was strewn everywhere and gardening tools were laying all over the ground.

On the other side of the lake, Zain could see the local windmill. The blades of the windmill were spinning so quickly and the tower was shaking so violently, that it looked like the entire mill would topple into the lake at any moment.

Zain turned and look back at the others. Lymous was busy adjusting his belt and Ralvenar was holding the top of his hood down over his forehead. Zain nodded to the two men and began walking forward across the grass, which seperated the various houses by Lake Hylia.

The trio made their way around the west side of the lake. Zain noticed that the intensity of the rain was severely disrupting the surface of the lake -- it looked somewhat like the water was boiling hot, due to the bubbling and rippling caused by the rain.

Zain felt sad when looking at Lake Hylia in such a state. At this time of night, it wasn't uncommon to see large groups of fireflies glowing over the lake's surface. Every now and then, one or two fireflies would dip down and drink from the lake's pure surface. It was a beautiful sight and one which had made Zain immensely proud of his Hylian background.

Zain's thoughts were interrupted by Lymous, who ran ahead a few steps and pointed into the darkness.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Lymous:[/b] Look! There's the fence which divides Lake Hylia from Hyrule Field...we're not too far.

[b]Zain:[/b] Lymous, we still have to cross the entire field to reach Kakariko Village...

[b]Lymous:[/b] Yeah :(

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] What we need are horses!

[b]Lymous:[/b] Yeah, that's a great idea Ralvenar...but where are we going to get horses at this time of night?

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] We could always try Lon Lon Ranch...

[b]Zain:[/b] Excellent idea, Ralvenar! Besides...they might board us for the night. It doesn't look like we'll be able to reach Kakariko Village amid this gale...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Indeed. Let's go, shall we?

[color=seagreen][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Zain approached the ladder which lay against a stone column, beside the fence. He climbed up and over the other side, followed by Ralvenar and Lymous.

Finally, the trio were standing at the edge of Hyrule Field. The rain was so heavy and the wind was so strong, that it was incredibly difficult to see very far. They could only just make out the silhouette of Lon Lon Ranch looming over the horizon. It looked enormous from where they were standing.

Still, it would take several hours to walk there. Zain unsheathed his dagger and held it close to him. He knew that the field was full of undead stalfos...and even though he doubted that the stalfos would emerge under such conditions, he knew it was better to be safe than sorry...[/font][/color][/size]

[NeoCactuar]

[font=monotype corsiva][SIZE=4][COLOR=green] Lymous follows Zains lead and reaches too his side holsters, he slowly draws his two filigreed Blades, as they catch a glimmer of light from the barely visible moon beyond the sheets of heavy rain. Zain signals the other two towards him with a simple flick of the hand. The three crouch down to hear each other above the howling wind in the exposed field... [/font][/size][/color]

Zain: We have to be careful now; the Stalfos may still emerge even in these conditions.
Lymous: My close-range blade work will make mincemeat of them.
Zain: Yes, they are easy in close-range, one-to-one combat. But in groups they can be deadly.
Ralvenar: Well, we don't want to be waiting out here to long then.
Lymous: Well, lets hurry on then.
Zain: Be careful...

[font=monotype corsiva][SIZE=4][COLOR=green] Zain springs to his feet, and takes the lead. Lymous & Ralvenar follow, and Flank him on either side.

All three continue to cross the field, Zain in the front; ever vigilant. Lymous on the right; blades drawn, ready to fight. And Ralvenar on the Left, leading his wolves; who even in the fierce storm, remain calm.

As Lymous turns to look at Zain he sees a pair of red dots through he heavy rain. They slowly move closer towards the group from Ralvenars side. After a few seconds another pair of eyes emerge close to the ground, and then raise up to head height.[/font][/size][/color]


Lymous: We got Stalfos!!!
Zain: Where?!
Lymous: Ten O'clock!!

[font=monotype corsiva][SIZE=4][COLOR=green] Lymous, readies his blades, and heads for the glowing eyes. The other two follow his lead, weapons at the ready
[/font][/size][/color]

[James]

[color=royalblue][size=4][font=monotype corsiva]The first stalfos approached Ralvenar. It slowly lumbered toward him with outstretched arms.

Ralvenar gripped his sword tightly and lunged forward. His sword smashed several of the skeleton's ribs, which were now scattered over the grass. The blow didn't seem to affect the skeleton a great deal; it continued moving toward him.[/color][/font][/size]

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Hey! How do we beat these things?

[b]Zain:[/b] Cut its head off!

[color=royalblue][size=4][font=monotype corsiva]Ralvenar could barely see the others, he only saw their silhouettes in the darkness. Lymous was pummelling a stalfos with his weapon, while Zain was putting his dagger away and fumbling with his Hylian sword, which appeared to be stuck in its sheath.

Ralvenar paid the price for that momentary lapse in attention -- the stalfos struck him hard on the shoulder with its arm. Ralvenar howled in pain and stammered back for a moment, looking up at the creature's glowing red eyes.

He puts his fingers to his lips and whistled, calling his two wolves. Both wolves immediately ran up beside him and jumped at the stalfos, knocking it backwards on the ground. The two wolves began tearing it apart ferociously, as Ralvenar regained his stamina.

Lymous was still fighting his stalfos. And already, he'd cut off both its arms and several ribs, yet it was still attacking him. He stepped back for a moment and then jumped in the air, bringing his enormous sword down over the creature's skull. A loud cracking sound could be heard by the others as Lymous drove his sword right down the middle of the stalfos' thick skull. The skull cracked and tore apart, as the skeleton fell to the ground.

Zain, however, wasn't so lucky. His sword was still somehow stuck in its sheath.

As he struggled to remove it, the nearby stalfos pushed him hard, sending him sprawling backwards onto the ground. He fell right into a pool of mud, which splashed over his cape and tunic.

The stalfos reared up and prepared to attack. It looked hopeless -- Zain had fallen on his arm and injured it. Lymous suspected that he'd broken his elbow, as his face was twisted up from the pain. He was in so much pain that he wasn't able to even attempt to take his sword.

Lymous sprinted over toward Zain's attacker. He raised his sword in the air and closed his eyes.

Zain and Ralvenar both looked up and saw it -- Lymous' sword was glowing bright red, with flames lapping at the blade from either side.

Lymous opened his eyes and attacked the stalfos with a carefully aimed horizontal swipe, slicing its skull off in one single movement.

The stalfos stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. It lay in the mud, lifeless.

Lymous and Ralvenar both knelt down next to Zain.[/color][/font][/size]

[b]Lymous:[/b] Zain! Are you okay?!

[b]Zain:[/b] Ugh...my arm...my arm...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] What can we do?? It will take at least another hour to reach Lon Lon Ranch!

[b]Lymous:[/b] It's okay, Ralvenar. I have the ability to heal...but it's going to hurt, Zain...

[b]Zain:[/b] Okay...but please hurry...

[font=monotype corsiva][size=4][color=royalblue]Lymous turned Zain on his side, to expose the wounded arm. He carefully lay his palm over Zain's elbow and closed his eyes. He began to concentrate and hum under his breath...

Zain screamed out in agony as the bone in his arm began to rapidly repair itself. Ralvenar noticed a soft yellow glow appearing underneath Lymous' palm, as he continue to hum quietly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zain was quiet once more. He turned to face Lymous, a look of wonder on his face.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Zain:[/b] W-where'd you learn to do that?

[b]Lymous:[/b] I always knew how...

[b]Zain:[/b] Thank you...you might just have saved my life there...

[b]Lymous:[/b] Hey, it's no problem. :) We're going to have to look out for each other...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] Indeed. Now come on...we only have an hour before we reach Lon Lon Ranch...we can all take a shower and get a good night's rest!

[b]Lymous & Zain:[/b] Thank Din!

[color=royalblue][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Lymous and Ralvenar helped Zain to his feet.

The trio began walking towards Lon Lon Ranch once more.

On the way, Zain reflected on what had just happened. Why hadn't he just used his dagger to beat the stalfos? Or for that matter, why not just use his bare hands?

He didn't understand what had caused such a lapse in concentration on his part. But he was thankful that Lymous and Ralvenar had been there to support him.

The real question which bothered him was simply, if a stalfos had been so tough to beat, how on earth was he going to complete whatever quest Zelda had planned for them?[/color][/size][/font]

[Kei]

[COLOR=sky blue][i]Tani was still sitting on the wall outside the gates to Hyrule Castle Town, but she was becoming extremly bored waiting for the sun to rise. Even though time seemed to pass quickly when in Hyrule Field, it didn't seem so now.[/i]

Tani: *yawn* This is so tiresome. I need to find something to do, or else I'll fall asleep and into this moat. Hmm, I wonder....

[i]Tani remembered something that she had found a long time ago when she had first started to come the the Castle Town for supplies. There had been a hole in the ground on the west side of the castle, but she didn't explore it. She jumped off the wall and began to walk toward the west side of the castle. The rain seemed to be getting heavier, and the wind didn't make matters much better. It didn't take her that long to reach the small stream that seprated her from the hole, but when she got close, three pairs of red eyes began to glow from the at the edge of the stream, and coming closer.[/i]

Tani: Stalfos....

[i]She quickly drew her bow and launched three shafts at the Stalfos, but they still kept coming.[/i]

Tani: Huh? Before, I took out a Stalfos with one hit. These must be different somehow. I guess I'll have to use them then...

[i]She notched another shaft in her bow, but instead of launching it fast as she had before, she waited a little untill the arrow began to glow with a light blue light. She fired the arrow and the Stalfos was frozen solid. She did the same with the remaining two.[/i]

Tani: Now, to that hole.

[i]Tani swam across the stream, and crossed over to the bank on the other side. She only walked for a short time before she came to it. She jumped down into the hole and landed on a marble surface.[/i]

Tani: Oh! This is a Fairy's Fountain! That's good to know...

[i]She stepped back on the light square that took her back outside.[/i]

Tani: Now I won't have to pay for bottled Fairy spirits.

[i]She crossed back over and began to walk back towards the gates. By this time, it was almost dawn. A smile appeared on Tani's face. Now she wouldn't have to wait long to get out of the rain again.[/i][/COLOR]

[Yoda]

James, the wolves belong to me, not Lymous.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[I]Ralvenar: I knew it.........

Zain: What's wrong?

Ralvenar: About 2 hours before I met you....... the winds changed. I knew something bad was happening, but I couldn't tell what it was. Now it seems that it was because our foes have increased in power.

Lymous looked strangely at Ralvenar...... he had not encountered one of his kind before. Zain however, had some idea of his abilities. He was one with nature..... he could communicate with any animal, and also the trees, and in some cases, the weather.

The trio carried on their journey. Ralvenar's wolves had took it upon themselves to collect a few bones from the stalfos corpses. They pranced along behind Ralvenar, happily gnawing on their bones. Ralvenar turned and smiled at them. The three men walked at a sloth's pace, their boots sinking and squelching in the thick mud, which had swallowed the usually elegant ground.

After some time of walking, the towering walls of Lon-lon ranch stood proudly before them. Hope rose in the trio's hearts, as they walked up the grassy hill into the ranch. The howling winds and freezing rain blistered against them, ripping apart the grass as the mud was shot up from below. Soon they reached the top of the hill, and looked along the small path. There was a stable on the right, and a building on their left. Straight ahead, there was a large pen, where the horses were forced to brave the storm from. A few were huddled in the small shelter on the north side of the pen, but the others had no choice but to stand and let the weather attack them.

Zain approached the door to the building, followed by Lymous. Ralvenar, however, walked slowly towards the pen, his eyes fixed upon one horse in particular. This horse was pitch black in colour, and was running around un saddled, like a rabid dog. Ralvenar tilted his head slightly, staring curiosly at the horse. Suddenly his attention was distracted by a banging on the door. He suddenly came to his senses, and looked to his left. Zain and Lymous were waiting patiently at the door.

Ralvenar turned to face them, then glanced back at the horse, who was still acting crazily. He looked back at the men, and then went forward to join them at the door. [/I]

[Break]

[i]Rubeine ran as fast as he could away from the horde of Stalchildren following him, he took a quick glance over his shoulder and saw four before he tripped over a pothole and fell into some mud.

All of the Stalchildren jumped on him, clawing at his back and his legs, one bit his arm. With a surge of strength, Rubeine threw them all off. Injured but still able to fight, he readied his scmitar and jumped high into the air, vertically slashing one in half, destroying it. As soon as he landed, he turned quickly and struck one in the back, sending bones everywhere.

There were two more left, advancing at a slow pace, not caring at all for the destroyed Stalchildren. Rubeine sheathed the great scmitar and got from one of his pouches a crystal with a red glow inside it; Din's Fire. He closed his eyes and threw the crystal down, chanting some words as he did it. A dome of flame appeared around him, which soon expanded and flew out at every angle, disintigrating the two Stalchildren.[/i]

[b]Rubeine:[/b] God, why do they have to show up all the time?!

[i]He was pretty badly injured and needed some help. In the distance he saw the lighted windows of Lon Lon Ranch through the rain. Even though it was quite far, he was prepared to walk or run the distance from where he was now to the Ranch.

After nearly an hour of walking, and breif running from Stalchildren, he reached the ranch. It looked homely and he felt a smile appear on his face. He glanced at the mud he was standing in, there were some footprints, and some of wolves. Maybe there were people seeking help here. He hoped so. He looked up again and walked in...[/i]

[Nerdsy]

[font=monotype corsiva][i][size=4][COLOR=crimson]After a few more hours of sleep, the group of Goron's headed off. They rolled on for a while, sometimes running over some stranded Tektite, until they made it to the bottom of Death Mountain. They were close; Kakariko Village was just around the next bend. After uncurling, they started right around the bend.


They ran straight into a wall of rain.[/font][/size][/i][/COLOR]


[b]Link[/b]- What sorcery is this? The rain just starts! It's like the side of a cliff!


[b]Mokein[/b]- I have never heard of such a thing! Sage Darunia, what do you make of it?


[color=crimson][i][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]The largest of the three Gorons looked at the wall of rain. He stroked his long, grey beard and had a thoughful look on his face. After a few minutes, he turned to Link and Mokein.[/i][/color][/font][/size]

[b]Darunia[/b]- It is the mountain. The volcanic activity seems to be having a strange effect on the rain. This is a very odd occourance, and has never happened before, according to the records.. What this means, I am not certain. We must trudge on, and try not to think about it too much. There are more important matters at hand. Come, we must stock up on potions.


[color=crimson][font=monotype corsiva][i][size=4]The troup of Gorons enter the Kakariko Bazaar, and but some random potions and bottled fairy spirits. Mokein, however, just fills his quiver to the brim with arrows. He figured he was going to need them later. He still had a long way to go, and the many Poes that inhabit the field cannot be harmed with a simple slice of the sword or chop of the hand.


After spending most of their money and filling their many bottles, the three Gorons trekked out of the villiage. They did not expect any Stalchildren to attack them on the way; Nayru help the Stalchild that attacks a Goron. Not to mention three of them. But they did expect to run into many Poes. The legendary hero, Link, might have gone through and destroyed most all ofthe Big Poes, but some of the smaller spirits still lurked.


To their surprise, the didn't encounter [b]any[/b] Poes on the way to the castle. They encountered plenty of Stalchildren. They wren't much of a threat to the Gorons, as they just rlled right through them. They made it to the castle in no time, but oddly, the drawbridge was still up. They had thought it was about mid-day, but realized in this weather, no one around could tell what time it was. They could be stuck outside for hours.[/color][/font][/i][/size]

[James]

[color=royalblue][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]The three men entered the stables and began looking at the various horses within.

The stables were quite large and there were at least sixteen horses within. Zain slowly paced back and forth by the nearby horses, attempting to choose one.

Ralvenar sat on a chair near the wall, apparently locked deep in thought.

While Lymous appeared to have already chosen his horse; he was standing at the far end of the stable, rubbing the nose of a large stallion.

Zain heard the wooden door of the barn creak as it opened behind him. He turned around, to see who had entered. Just as he did so, his eyes met those of a beautiful young woman with long reddish brown hair. She was wearing simple Hylian peasant clothing and she was holding a small bucket of grains.

She looked up at the three men and smiled.[/color][/size][/font]

[b]Malon:[/b] Hello...can I help you gentlemen?

[b]Zain:[/b] We're looking for horses...we need to get to Kakariko Village.

[b]Malon:[/b] Oh. Well, what you see here is all I have. A lightning bolt struck the fence on our outdoor racetrack yesterday and two of my best stallions escaped. :(

[b]Zain:[/b] Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

[b]Malon:[/b] It's okay...I think this strange weather is affecting us all. Even our horses.

[b]Zain:[/b] Yes, definitely. How much do your horses cost?

[b]Malon:[/b] It depends how well-trained you want them to be. We use a ratings system for horses...with five stars. A five star horse is the most well trained, while a one star horse is barely well trained.

[b]Zain:[/b] Oh, I see...

[b]Malon:[/b] A one star horse will cost you 500 Rupees.

[b]Lymous & Ralvenar:[/b] Whoa :eek:

[b]Malon:[/b] A five star horse will cost you 4,500 Rupees.

[b]Zain:[/b] Uh, I guess I'll take a three star horse...

[b]Lymous:[/b] I'll take a two star horse. :rolleyes:

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I'm not taking any horses.

[b]Zain & Lymous:[/b] Huh?

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] That is, none of the horses from within this stable. What about that black stallion outside?

[b]Malon:[/b] We only just got that horse...we found it in the west of Hyrule Field...it was a stray...[i]very[/i] difficult to tame...

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] If I can tame it, may I have it?

[b]Malon:[/b] If you can train that horse, you can have it for 500 Rupees...same price as a one star horse.

[b]Ralvenar:[/b] I think I'll take you up on that offer. :)

[color=royalblue][font=monotype corsiva][size=4]Malon looked rather surprised at Ralvenar's offer. But she accepted nonetheless.

However, morning was approaching. The sun dial just outside the stables was reading 6 o'clock in the morning.

Zain and the others felt exhausted. They knew that they wouldn't be able to take their horses and go straight to Kakariko Village at the moment.

Malon suggested to the others that they take a nap in the guest suite upstairs. The trio agreed without hesitation.

Ralvenar decided that in the coming afternoon, after his sleep, he'd go out into the field and train that black stallion...[/color][/size][/font]

[Desbreko]

[color=seagreen][size=1][b]WARNING![/b] [I]Really long post ahead![/I] ...Heheheh... I've been starved for a Zelda RPG...[/size][/color]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[color=indigo][I]Drake continues staring into the sparkling, crystal clear pool for a moment... Suddenly, he notices a strange blue glow against the far wall of the pool, down at the very bottom.

Drake shouts, so as to be heard over the roaring wind, and points at the strange glow.[/I]

Drake: What do you make of that, Tari?!

Tari: Hey! Don't shout so loud right next to me!

[I]Drake gets a puzzled look on his face, as he realizes what just happened. He begins to speak normally again.[/I]

Drake: Why isn't the wind muffling our voices?

Tari: I think it must have something to do with this pool. Look at the surface, it's barely disturbed at all by this onslaught!

Drake: Something is up here... Look at that strange glow... You can just barely see it.

Tari: Hey... you're right! You know, it almost looks like a...

Drake: A what?

Tari: No, it couldn't be...

Drake: What might it be?!

Tari: Come on, lets go back to the house... We can't find out anymore about it right now, anyway...

[I]Drake walks back over to the rope, which is swinging wildy in the wind. After several attempts, he manages to grab it as it swings close to the edge of the cliff. He slowly starts his descent, and then starts sliding down, instead of climbing. The farther down he gets, the less the rope swings, making it easier to descend faster and faster. Finally, he reaches the bottom of the cliff, and ties the rope to a nearby tree.[/I]

Drake: There, that should help us find it again. It's easier to see, now that its around a tree.

Tari: What?!

Drake: Oh yeah! I totally forgot! I forgot to yell over the wind! This'll make it easier to find!

Tari: Just let me back inside your cloak! The storm seems worse down here!

[I]Tari flies back into the small pocket, and Drake bends into the wind as he makes his way back to his house. He notes everything he can, so as not to forget the way he came. With the foggy darkness and pouring rain, this is more difficult than ever. Drake can barely see five feet in front of himself, as he stumbles onward.[/I]

Drake: Is it just me, or has it gotten darker?!

Tari: I think you right! We must be under a thick conopy of trees right now!

[I]Even in the almost pitch darkness, Drake continues on, relying heavily on his memory of the Woods and the few landmarks he manages to see. Finally, he spots a small glint off in the darkness. Like a small tongue of flame, just visible through the rain.[/I]

Drake: We're almost home! Just a little farther!

[I]After what seemed like another hour, Drake finally stumbles in through the door of his house. Tari flies out of the cloak pocket, as Drake shuts the door. Both of them are totally soaked, and freezing cold.[/I]

Drake: Brrr! the fire needs some more wood!

[I]Drake walks back out the door, to the wood pile stacked against the side of the house. He brings in as much wood as he can carry, and sets it down by the stove. Putting a large chunk onto the fire, it starts to blaze merrily again in no time. Drake sits down in the old armchair by the fire, and warms himself.[/I]

Drake: Tari?

[I]At the sound of her name, Tari flies out from under a tiny little blanket sitting on the end-table by the fire. She shivers, emerging from the warm air under the blanket.[/I]

Tari: It's cold out here! What do you want?

Drake: What did you think that glow was? Have you seen something like it before?

Tari: Well, I haven't [I]seen[/I] anything like it... I've heard of something like it, though.

Drake: Yeah? What did you hear?

Tari: Well, I heard that there used to be an odd pool or two in the Lost Woods, which were used as magic warps to other far-off places.

Drake: Like the one that Link used?!

[I]At this, Drake sat up. He had learned the story of the Hero of Time long ago, and was very interested in anything that might lead to more information about Link. He had visited Kokiri Forest a few times, and seen his tree house. His eyes seemed to light up, whenever he heard more about Link's great adventure.[/I]

Tari: Yes, like the one Link used to warp to Zora's River. But no one knows where exactly that pool is, anymore...

Drake: Perhaps we just found it!

Tari: Perhaps...

Drake: I want to go back, and try it!

Tari: Hey, wait just a minute! Link had to have a Silver Scale to use that warp! Without it, he wasn't able to dive deep enough to reach the warp.

Drake: I know, but I still want to try it!

Tari: *sigh* There's just no persuading you, is there?

Drake: Not when it comes to finding out more about Link or the Woods, no!

Tari: :rolleyes: Especially when it's both together...

Drake: I need to sleep for awhile first, though. It's not like I want to rush off right now...

Tari: At least you still keep [I]some[/I] sense about you...

Drake: Hahahaha... Anyway, I'm going to go change into some dry clothes and sleep for as long as I can... Walking in that storm takes a lot of energy, especially against that wind!

[I]Drake gets up from the armchair and walks into the small bedroom. In it is a small, Kokiri-sized bed, with the head against the left wall. A small table is against the wall on one side of the bed, while a dresser is on the other side; a candle is on the table. A window is located on the wall opposite the bed, which currently has the shutters tightly closed against the fierce storm raging outside.

Drake walks over to the candle, and lights it. He then proceeds to change out of his wet, soggy clothes, and into clean, dry clothes. After that, he pulls back the blankets and gets in bed. However, he doesn't blow out the candle immediatly. He lays in his bed for a few minutes, pondering the strange pool and the glow at the bottom. He also remembers how the wind didn't seem as loud down close to it, and it's almost still surface.

Finally, his eyelids start to grow heavy, and he leans over and blows out the candle. He lays back, and lets sleep take him into dreams of adventure... Little does he know, he's about to get all the adventuring he ever wanted, and more...[/I][/color]