Destiny's Awakening: Chapter 1 -- The Start of it All

The boy -- Magus Jon -- was totally afraid. Ashlyn couldn't blame him the slightest, since he was in a unknown home somewhere in a strange village; she had been afraid of Gaidin at one point as well. That had been a long time ago and she knew Gaidin better, or as well as she could. There was still a lot she didn't know about him, but that was for another day to ask.But she saw Gaidin smile and gave her a small glance her way; she smiled back at him.

"You want to know where this Gaidin is, don't you?" He asked, nodding twice to Ashlyn. She moved towards Jon and took the letter out of his hand, walking over to the shadowy figure that was Gaidin and took the book from his outstreached hands. Putting the letter into the book, she went to where she had been standing before and glasped the book against her chest.

"Well, y-yes," Jon said as he looked between the two of them. "That book is only suppose to be---"

"Read by me, I know." Gaidin waved a hand before Jon could go into his 'talking mode'. "Don't worry, son. That book will be safe with Ashlyn."

Jon stared at Gaidin as though he had been slapped, his cheeks flushing with more then just embarressment. Ashlyn giggled at the way he was flustering up, like he was about to start to shout about an injustice of not being told who Gaidin was. She wasn't so sure that he took the hint but she just shrugged it off and smiled.

"Gaidin's a bit of a huff, but you'll get used to him after a while," She said, smiling. Jon didn't seem to notice that she had said anything yet that didn't cause her smile to waver none the slightest.

"How...how was I supposed to know that you were Gaidin?" Jon shouted, so much so that the Skulltula's above jolted out of their early slumber and were shaking in the rafters above. Gaidin raised an eyebrow, walking up swiftly to Jon and picked him up by the neck.

"First rule: Don't trust anyone with books like that," He snarled in his face. Jon started to squirm in this grasp, his hands wrapping around Gaidin's wrist; he was being held gentle enough so that he could still breathe but couldn't get away. "You never knw who might get their slimy hands on it."

"You shouldn't have told me your names," Jon retorted, which mad Gaidin drop him. Jon landed on his feet then fell backwards, this time he wasn't helped up by Ashlyn. Instead, he glared up at Gaidin who leaned forwards and stared him right in the face.

"Ashlyn's name means nothing to Ganondorf, but mine is more troublesome then you are." Gaidin put his hand under Jon's chin and squeezed it. Ashlyn wasn't bothered by what Gaidin had just said, since it was more true then it was false. "Which brings me to something else -- now that you know more then you should, you are stuck with us. Be glad that you brought the book here, child."

With that Gaidin dropped Jon's chin, stood up, and walked back into the shadows.

Ashlyn stayed, checking to make sure what exactly the young man named Magus Jon would do. Most people would have been outraged, angered at being treated in such a fashion. This man, however, was different. He was bent over, knees on the ground, coughing, but he wasn't angry.

Jon rasped, coughing as he felt his neck, rubbing gently at the pressure points that Gaidin had violated in his assault. He felt the small golden chain round his neck, and opened his baggy tunic to stare at something inside. He reached in, tinkering with something, until he was satisfied, and carefully stood up, rubbing the back of his head fragily.

"Ahhh..." he groaned, and with a final cough, looked towards the quiet girl in the corner. She was still smiling at him, curiosity getting the better of her. "Sorry about that. My mouth gets the better of me sometimes."

She giggled, in that quiet way that, if Jon had not seen her chest move up and down, he wouldn't have know it was her. "You just need to know how to handle him. That's all."

Jon nodded. "I understand. If we have another encounter, I shall try to get that right." He looked around the house, then to her, with a curious expression on his face. "This is-" He closed his eyes, stopping himself "-I am sorry once more. I shouldn't have spoken out as I did." He bowed his head again to the young woman. "I am sorry, Ashlyn. I did not mean to cause trouble." The man nodded once more to her, then walked towards the door, his eyes darting upwards so as to not be caught a second time by the strange spider people that lived in rafters. He turned the knob on the door, and walked out, carefully closing the door behind him.

As he left, Ashlyn heard his words. "Kindly remember that payment will be due for each three weeks the book is checked out in the form of ten rupees. Make your return at the library on the outskirts of town." And he was gone, the door shut behind the young man.

Magus Jon ran forward, searching for a darkened place to call his own. He was tiring, his energy waning as he ran. The encounter with the man Gaidin had taken him by surprise, so he had not had the proper defenses up to maintain his special ability. As he moved, his eyes caught a small entrance near the windmill above him, so he headed in that direction, hoping for solititude to reattach his magic again.

He turned the corner, arriving in the Graveyard, the famous resting place that was even known to the young man. The man huffed, sensing that his power was starting to unveil. It was such an intergrate part of his being, he couldn't not notice when it started to weaken. He had overstayed his time, and now he needed to rest, and hope the power would be enough later on to return him to the library without any trouble.

Spotting a forgotten gravestone in the corner, Jon ducked down, scanning the surroundings. He coughed, before he pulled out the chain hidden within his baggy garb. Attached to the end was a golden clock, barely bigger than his broad palm. As he suspected, the hands were starting to move backwards, signalling him that he was going to get small very soon. At least he had managed to give the book to the person he had come to find, though he wouldn't be able to return to the library until the next day.

His limbs began to retract, in coordination with the hands on the clock. His body got smaller, as the hands moved backwards. His face got softer, and his hair shortened. The eyes grew more expressive, and his chin rounded and became flimsy. He groaned, as the power from his transformation was absorbed back into his clock, the catalyst for the magic, though the youth himself generated the magic. Blinking, and wrapped in clothes that might have seemed too big for him, but were more than able to clothe both forms that the person took.

Rubbing his eyes, feeling slightly drained as he always did when he made the transformation back, Magi Scholars blinked, yawning loudly like he always did, and looked out into the new world, as a child. He stood up, readjusting to his smaller height, before he walked back the way he had come, almost sprinting in fact, as he was going to need a place to stay for the night.

After having arrived in Kakariko village, Damimuri had noticed that many people were gathering. The funny thing was that they were people of all races. There were Zoras, Gerudos, Hylians, and Ordonians…but Damimuri was the only Goron. He felt largely out of place, but did his best not to let it bother him. He simply listened well when two Hylians emerged from the Graveyard.

The Hylians informed the mass that they were called in hopes of defeating Ganondorf. If anyone in the crowd wanted to go home, they may have done so. Whoever was going to stay was instructed to get a good night’s sleep and meet at the entrance to the Graveyard before Din’s Eye appeared.

After the group had dispersed, Damimuri left in silence. He supposed that he could revisit his village for one last night, thus having the chance to give a real goodbye to Soriach. Unable to roll up the mountain due to his lack of momentum, Damimuri began to trudge forwards to Maridon.

---

“Father,” rasped Damimuri. He coughed, clearing his throat.

Ressth lay curled in his fetal position, either thinking, or sleeping. Damimuri could tell it was him because of the unique pattern of rocks on his back.

His father uncurled and yawned. “Damimuri…?”

Damimuri lumbered over to his father and plopped down, his round tummy falling in his lap. Ressth rubbed his sleepy eyes and blinked once, twice, and three times at his son. “I thought you were leaving.”

“I am still, goro. People from all over, all different races…they have been called to help render the fall of Ganondorf. I was one…goro.”

Damimuri’s father cocked his head. “Then…why aren’t you there?”

“Well, you see, goro…they said to get a good night’s sleep and meet by the Graveyard entrance before Din’s Eye appears, tomorrow morning,” explained Damimuri.

“Ahh…so, you figured, that because Maridon was so close, you could spend the night up here?” questioned Ressth.

Nodding, Ressth’s son stood up. “Have you talked to Soriach, father?” His eyes sparkled with longing to say goodbye to his mentor.

Ressth answered, “No, son, I have not. I was going to do so tomorrow morning. You…you go ahead. And, come back safely after all of this is over.”

“I promise, goro.”

Damimuri stepped out of his house and went in search of Soriach.

---

“Brother, there you are! I have been searching for you all day!” exclaimed Soriach as he gave Damimuri a big pat on the back. Damimuri grinned, though Soriach could not see. “I am deeply sorry, brother. I had some very important business to attend to. You did not ask Ressth, goro?”

Soriach pulled away and answered. “Nah. I never got around to going up there to ask. What business, if I may ask?”

Damimuri decided to sum it up. “Well, you see, goro…I received a letter, from a Hylian, calling me down-mountain. Apparently they are calling people from all over Hyrule to help bring around the downfall of King Ganondorf. I will be going, and will not come back to Maridon for a long time, I suppose.”

A sad expression came about Soriach’s face. “Aye…brother, I knew this day would come. You are too skilled to be sitting around Maridon doing nothing. Luckily, I prepared for this day. And not just in my mindset.”

Eyebrow arching, Damimuri inquired, “What exactly do you mean, goro?”

Soriach grinned and turned, facing a cabinet. He opened it with his stubby hands and, surprisingly, pulled out a tiny leather bag with the utmost care. Blowing lightly on it to dispose of the dust, he handed the bag to Damimuri. The bag fell into his hand. “Take a look at it.”

The apprentice-Goron carefully slid his fingers into the bag and removed a small book. On the front, in the Hylian language, was written ‘Minerals’. Soriach grinned widely as he observed Damimuri’s pleased reactions. He then proceeded to explain. “This book can tell you where to find almost all of the minerals which cover Hyrule, and where. You know what to do with this, now, don’t you? Just…make the best of it. And I have one more thing for you.”

Excitedly, Damimuri slid the book back into its bag and tied it around the Ruby Maw’s sheath. However, he could not help but be modest. “You do know, brother, that nobody asked this of you. You really don’t have to do all of this for me, goro.” If Gorons could blush, Damimuri would have.

Soriach listened as Damimuri spoke while making his way to an entirely different cabinet. He rummaged around for a key and unlocked it, pulling out a red marble. “I know I didn’t have to, but it was the least I could do. Really.”

Turning around, Soriach told Damimuri to show him the sheath of the Ruby Maw. Damimuri obediently took it off of his back and placed it upright in front of his mentor. The eyes of a learned professional searched all over the sheath, until a simple ‘aha’ was muttered. He placed the marble up against the sheath in the place he had scouted out, and whispered words inaudible to his apprentice. Damimuri watched in amazement. The marble began to fuse itself to the sheath, until it was just a precise red lump.

“What did you do?” This was the inevitable question.

Soriach chuckled. “This, my brother, is the last of a magical trinket that I apply to the swords of traveling Maridonians. Place your fingertip over the marble and simply wish your sword to shrink. I’m assuming that when you roll, you wrap yourself around the sword…?”

Damimuri nodded.

Continuing, Soriach said, “Well, as I said, just will it to shrink. It will make it much easier for you to roll with this sword. The split second you pull it out of its sheath, it will re-grow in the blink of an eye.”

Taking the sword in his large hands, Damimuri thanked Soriach. “I best be going to get some sleep now, brother. I will see you again someday, goro. I promise.”

Soriach nodded and gave Damimuri a last pat on the back. “Seeya later, brother.”

With that, Damimuri left for sleep. Before the crack of dawn, he would leave Maridon for the last time in a very, very long while.

And so, his journey began.

OOC: This is basically everything that happened from the meeting to the morning. I have no intent of rushing any of you all. Take your time.

The shadow of the sun was long gone now, and the sight of the sky was enough to make May go into a state of horror. It clearly wasn't natural, this new midnight; instead of a deep blue, dotted with silver stars like the Lybyrannan sky, the void above the cleric was brown. Shades of khaki and impenetrable blackness replaced the beauty she was accustomed to.

Tearing her eyes away form the unpleasant view, she stared straight ahead, observing the route she must take in order to make it to Death Mountain. According to the directions of this map, Holodrum lies just north of the mountains She thought, glancing down at a piece of old parchment in her pocket. Though I don't know what awaits me at the village...

Starting towards the cobblestone bridge, she hitched up her dress, buckling it higher with a silver cord that had lain idle across her waist. Switching her attention to the village, she broke into a jog, a steady rhythm of breath escaping her as she did.

An inhuman shriek resounded from behind her. A sudden instinct told her to duck, and she willingly complied, falling to the valley floor. A small figure swooped from overhead, the awquard figure seemingly hampered in its flight. Puzzled, May rose to her feet and scanned the horizon for any clue of where the bird-like creature had gone.

No sign. Pursing her lips in an annoyed fashion, she made for the village once again, this time on the alert for any approaching strangers.

Surely enough, a small blue speck appeared from the direction of the village, aiming straight towards her. Mustering up the feeling of magic deep within her, she grabbed it, forming a veil of mana. The magic she wielded was soft and beautiful, not unlike that of lace. Thinking quickly, she converted the magic into pure water, the cleric shifting and extended out her hands, a wavering aqua wall appearing right in front of her.

Just in time for a fairy wren to crash straight into it.

May gasped, letting the water evaporate into thin air. She dropped down, breaking into a sweat as she realised that the bird's neck had broken.

'Oh, gods..."

Suddenly remembering a spell she had learnt when she was under the tutelage of Wiziena, she spread her palms out over the wren's neck, muttering ancient words under her breath.
A bright blue glow started to emanate from May's hands to the bird. Seconds ticked by, the glow flowing from May's body into the wrens. Droplets of sweat now covered May's face.

There was a caw, and the bird hopped to its feet, completely healed. May gave a huge sigh of relief. The fairy wren put its head to the side, observing May's delicate features. It turned away from her, hopping over to an envelope it had dropped when it crashed into the spell-wall, it cawed once again, a signal for May to open it. The cleric eyed it pensively for a moment, then reached over and slit open the top of the envelope, extracting the piece of parchment from it.

Dear May-Rose Cantiere,
Your services are required at Kakariko Village. If you are currently resided in Hyrule, please come as soon as you are able.


May scanned the paper for a sign of signature from who had sent it. She turned over the paper and found nothing on that side. Shrugging, she scooped up the wren with a careful hand and placed him on her shoulder, smiling.

"Kakariko..."

And with that, she crossed the cobblestone bridge and climbed the stairs to Kakariko village.

It was a method of preventing attention; keeping her head bowed slightly so that her lush hair would partially obscure any prying eye's vision of the eerie blindfolds over her eyes. She stood still amongst the people who had gathered in the center of the village. The murmurs escaped their lips and floated through the air. They were asking themselves and others for the reason as to why they stood here at this very hour. The blind one heard everything. It seemed as if she need not ask any questions, they were being asked for her. But the answers seemed to escape everyone. Suddenly, she heard the most suspicious conversation. They were not coming from within the crowd, but somewhere on the outskirts of it. Athe did her best to filter the words out, only making out a few words. It was like listening for a distinct sound of specific keese in a cave full of them.

"They won't believe us."

"... What do you think of them?"

"... They are all different... "

"... They don't-"

Athe was cut off by the sound of someone next to her. It came so suddenly, that it felt as if her ears were slapped, her idea and sounds of everything in the area became horribly distorted by just one short question.

"Do you know why we're here?"

After uttering a small cry, she refused to respond to the person's question. She couldn't tell if it was a male or female, because of the rapid distortion she experienced.

"If I may have your attention, please."

One of the voices from the broken conversation before. The person began to address the crowd gathered. Lena exhaled as the crowd's murmurs slowly died down. She heard the man clear his throat again.

"Now that you've gathered here, it looks like we can begin. In the morning, first light. I want everyone at the entrance of the Graveyard before Din's Eye is visible to anyone. Get a good night's rest then meet us there."

Was that it? They were brought here to be told to meet somewhere else?

"Excuse me?" A voice rose up from the crowd. "What do you mean? Why did you call us here?"

There was an outburst. Athe winced at the sudden cries of the people.

Then she heard it.

A sound of metal slicing swiftly through the air over their heads. From the echoes surrounding it, it seemed like an arrow of some sort. She heard the metal dig into the wood and vibrate, forcing the lowering of voices in the gathering.

"I called you all here in hopes that we could defy Ganondorf, but if you all want to continue living like you are now, go back home. Your families will be glad to have you back, if you have any left."

Hm. I won't be leaving, sir.

Athe responded to the person's statement in her mind.

I've been far too lazy. She continued, Alright... there's no sleeping tonight. You'll meet me by the entrance to the graveyard, whoever you are.

"If anyone is interested in what we have to offer, meet us at the entrance before Din's Eye is visible in the morning. If anyone else comes bearing a letter, pass on the same information I just gave you."

The last words before him and his companion walked away from the crowd. The murmurs began again, some people began to disperse, and some people remained behind. Athe disregarded the remaining, and slowly turned around to head towards the graveyard. It was simple, she felt she had become too lazy. All-nighters used to be regular, but lately it seemed as there had been nothing to do.

This had all been turned around now.

Ashlyn knelt down in the shadows that had been created by the play of light from the candles and the moving Skulltulas above them. The entire family was awake now and was watching the two below them with interest. They allowed the two Knight survivors to live inside the house as long as they maintained the house and on a promise that they would eventually break the curse that bound them to their forms. Gaidin had only waved his hand at the notion of going through a hasty search for Skulltula remains, while Ashlyn just bit her lip and remained silent. If Gaidin hadn't been there, she would have mouthed off at the Skulltulas and risked a comfortable living condition.

"Ashlyn," Gaidin started from the other side of the room. The girl jumped up and turned around to face Gaidin, who was lighting more candles for the house. The darkness evaporated and allowed the entire room to be engulfed in light. Ashlyn took note that he looked tired and worn, quite possibly from sending out letters in all directions and not getting a decent night's sleep in two weeks. "The book, please."

She nodded and walked over to him, the book in her left hand. It was heavy and sturdy but quite holdable for her. Gaidn, after lighting the last candle, reached out for the book from her. She hesitated for a moment before she gave him the book and stepped back, quite aware that he was not in the mood for anyone to be more hesitant then she was. The day's activities, plus the one called Jon, had taken it's toll on him.

"Go out and check the surroundings. Keep to the shadows. Bring back any information that you see." That was all that he said as he sat down where he had been standing and opened the book, leaving Ashlyn to her duties. She didn't bow to him as she customarily did, instead she turned around and walked out of the house. Gaidin didn't even hear her open nor close the door behind her, his eyes reading the book that had been brought to him. She didn't question what he wanted that book for and remained silent about it, for now at least.

It was a cool night, as she slipped out of the Skulltula house and into the dark shadows that waited her. Ashlyn was a rough after all, not the best but simply could get by with what skills she had managed to pick up along the way. Had the Knights still remained as they had been, if Ganondorf hadn't killed the majority of them off, she might have become one of the more elite rogues of them. 'Tis not good to dwell on the past, Gaidin had always reminder her constantly as she stopped at the entrance of Kakariko and looked back towards the center of the village. Most of those that had gathered were long since gone and had gone off for their last night as free roaming creatures. If only they knew what was in store for them, She thought to herself, sighing and turning around to walk out of the village.

Ashlyn walked down the stairs that lead out of Kakariko and silently moved to the nearest tree, of which would be her vantage point to see acrross the Field as best as she could. She climbed up it, pausing half way up when something caught her eye. It was a shine of light from something, fading in and out of her view before it vanished completely. She held onto the tree, her eyes scanning the distance before she shrugged and climbed the rest of the way up. It was just the light of a Poe's lamp, one of the ghost-like creatures that she had often seen when she had crossed the Field. Gaidin said that they were lost souls, looking for something in the living world; some were decent enough while others were the minions of Ganondorf. Hard to tell which ones were which, so she just left them be.

She found a sturdy branch to sit on and swung her legs over the sides, placing her back upon the trunk of the tree. From here, she could look out into the Field to see what was going on outside the confines of the village. It wasn't easy looking in every direction at once, but it did keep a pair of eyes on the look out for anything that was out of place or odd at the same time. She didn't like doing it that much, but at least it gave her something to do then to sit and do nothing.

What she didn't know was that there was something that was starting to gather out in the Field.

¤ --- ¤

They were gathering at the edge of Lon Lon Ranch, all dousing their lamps as soon as they had all gathered together. The light from the lamps they held would only gather more attention then they needed, a low chattering going along the fifty or so Poes that were swirling above the ground. They had a rason for gathering there, a reason just like the group in Kakariko had. What reason they had and where they would eventually go was out of their own characters to do so but it was more of a surprise then anything else. They had their minds set on a place that the first Poes had come from, way before Ganondorf had come into power.

For an hour they stayed where they were, talking to each other through the cackling, laughing, and low chattering that was their language. They didn't need to disturb the new owner of Lon Lon Ranch more then they had -- some actually had come from inside the confines of the Ranch itself, on a duty that was beyond what any normal creature could do. Some had just wanted to distrub the current owner for the heck of it, to keep him on his toes in case something actually did happen to him. He had promises to some of the Poe's boss and they weren't about to let him forget them either.

Then they turned towards Kakariko and started to move, before the light of the first day came.

What am I supposed to do for the night!

Lizzie kicked a small pebble as she walked aimlessly around the town. She had gone to the center of town, as she had been instructed. There were other folks there: a few Hylians, some Zoras, and even a Goron. From there, two Hylians, a male and a female, approached them and gave them instructions to arrive at the entrance of the Graveyard before sunrise. A person nearby Lizzie complained about it. The Hylian man threw a dagger in the direction of the voice, just barely missing Lizzie’s ear. She had made a mental note to not get on that man’s bad side – or, even better, not talk to him at all unless she had to.

The group had been instructed to get a good night’s rest, but how could Lizzie do that after saying goodbye to her parents? She couldn’t face them again. If she did, she wouldn’t have the will to leave. Grabbing a curly lock and absentmindedly tugging on it, she searched her mind for a place where she could stay for the night.

After a few moments, she mentally smacked herself for not figuring out where she could stay without running into her family. She walked away from the center of town, in no rush at all. It was a nice night, and she wanted to enjoy what could possibly be her last night in Kakariko for a long time.

After she strolled around town for a bit, looking around at the places where she had spent her childhood, she decided to head off to bed. The Hylian glanced at the exit that led toward Hyrule Field, wondering if the group would explore the entirety of the field during whatever it was that they were going to do. She assumed they would.

She continued walking, stopping when she had finally reached her destination. She smiled sadly as she looked up at the sign that read, “Maeran’s Shop of Books.” She glanced down at the small flower beds that grew in the ground bordering the house. She stuck her hand in the dirt and unearthed an old, rusty key. Brushing off the dirt, she stuck it in the keyhole. The key worked, and Lizzie was able to enter her family’s shop. She closed the door behind her and locked it.

She walked towards the back of the shop, where there were some chairs and couches that her father had gotten for the customers who wanted to read the books they had gotten (or the books that they were interested in). Taking off her boots, she took over one of the large couches and wished her father had invested in some pillows. She sighed and grabbed her bag, sticking it under her head.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep, but as exhausted as she was, sleep wouldn’t come. Rearranging herself on the couch, she began to mentally count cuccos with the hope that it would help her fall asleep.

Magi yawned, stetching his limbs as he walked into Kakariko. He had worked off most of the after-energy residue of the transformation. Quietly, he patted the small clock that was bouncing off the outer tunic he wore, very happy to have its use. The boy looked up to the sky, and wondered where he might be able to sleep that night. He stopped in the road, and leaned on the fence that housed the Cuccos that were kept. "Are there even any inns in Kakariko?" he asked himself, inhaling some air and exhaling, trying to think. It was reasonable to assume that he wouldn't be able to find anywhere to spend the night, even if he managed to power up his Time Magic enough to become Magus Jon, he didn't have any money to spend the night anywhere.

"Perhaps Gaidin will show more mercy to a child," he thought, though he quickly disregarded the idea. "Or maybe he'll rip my head off." The little boy chuckled at the thought, and looked up into the surrounding enviroment. Maybe he could find some decent tree to sleep in, he normally just slept in the chair in his study. He didn't like too many comforting things. "I wonder where the lady is." His eyes swerved, taking in the surroundings.

Seeing nothing, the boy moved forward, walking through the streets in search of refuge. He didn't have a great deal of options, given that many had already retired for the evening. He didn't want to bother them, so he kept walking through the street, until he wound up on the steps that led downwards from Kakariko. He shivered, bundling his baggy clothing against his skin. He didn't like comfort, but he didn't like sleeping outside either.

Magi looked up as he walked, spying a person hiding away in a tree ahead of him. Stepping off, he headed in their direction, wondering why someone would want to stay outside the village. He was almost at the tree when something above him moved, and the next instant something was pinned to his back, which he definitely knew had a sharp edge. He didn't have much time to question it, however, as the something turned him around, and he found himself staring up at the girl, Ashlyn.

"Who are you, boy?" she asked coldly, her eyes scanning his body for weapons. Magi felt her azure eyes tracing his form, and gulped, feeling a bead of sweat on his brow. "Identify yourself." She heightened the sword, apparently unafraid of handling a little boy in the same manner of a deadly enemy.

"M-Magi," he answered, flinching. The boy backed up against the tree, feeling the hard bark against his back. "I w-was wondering why you were out here alone... I didn't mean to disturb you." The girl, he guessed, decided that he was not a threat, so she withdrew the threat of the long sword that she had somehow concealed, and sheathed it.

"Why are you out here, boy?" she asked, shaking her head to herself. "I am not a babysitter, so maybe you should find your mother or something and go home. This isn't a place for little kids to play in."

Magi smiled, chuckling at the response. "I... Well, I'm looking for somewhere to sleep for the night, and I was wondering why you were out here alone. Begging your pardon, ma'am, but a tree is not the most comfortable place to sleep. Normally, you would just use a cloak and a branch to make a pillow, then sleep on the grass."

She shook her head, each time checking out of the corner of her eye the direction she had been guarding, as far as Magi could tell. "You..." She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was wrong to the young woman. The boy was weird, giving her advice on sleeping outside, but that wasn't it. She studied his innocent, childish face a few moments more, peering into the gray eyes, trying to figure it out. The boy looked like the man Jon, but that made no sense at all. She shook her head, but the image of the young man did not waver from her mind.

"Boy," she said, looking down at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you know a man named Jon?" she asked, bending down to level with the child eye to eye. "Have you ever seen a man by that name?"

Magi lifted his head, deciding how exactly he should answer the question. Then he lowered it, shaking his head from side to side. "I am sorry, miss, but I don't know anyone named Jon. Should I?"

The girl shook her head. "Forget it. That's impossible," she murmured.

Lacrina stared at the sleeping form of her brother huddled up close next to her and smiled. It made her happy knowing that she had someone she could always rely on and who would always be by her side. In an era filled with strife and uncertainty, he was the only sure thing in a land filled with change, usually towards the worse.

The flames from the adjacent fireplace sent flickering beads of light dancing in her sapphire eyes. Their travels had brought them to the north-east of Hyrule Field, to a small town built upon the shores of a small lake fed by the Zora River, and they had taken up residence in the local inn. They were still in the main lobby of the inn, lying on the sofa which stood facing the hearth.

Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him close to her and kissed his forehead, then proceeded to play with his bangs, smiling softly. It had been three and a half years since they had left home, and of all the things she most treasured, the most important now lay in her arms.

The soothing crackling of the fire was rudely interrupted as the door of the inn swung wide open. A gush of cold air invaded the warm interior, sending Lacrina's bangs in an elegant dance. She quickly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as a figure walked in. Realising it was just the postman of Hyrule, she released her weapon and returned to stroking her brother's hair.

The postman quickly shut the door and moved over in front of the fireplace, warming up his behind. Lacrina smiled somewhat, for the sight of the toga-clad man standing with his posterior extended over the hearth's warmth was highly amusing. Satisfied that it had warmed up sufficiently, he straightened up and, to Lacrina's surprise, moved towards her.

"Lacrina and Etharon Farinth?" he asked, his beady eyes probing the both of them. Her brother's azure eyes blinked open at the mention of his name, and was about to sit up in slight alarm, but a soft "Shh..." in his ear by his sister convinced him to remain in her arms, as embarrassing as this was in front of the mailman.

"Yes, that's us. How did you know where we were?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

The postman placed his hand on his brow in frustration, and started tapping his foot. "I'm the postman. It's my job to know. For once I wish people would stop asking and just let me do my job! Not to mention I had to deliver a crapload of letters today."

Lacrina just stared at him wide-eyed in stunned disbelief, while her brother grinned in amusement.

Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a letter and offered it to Lacrina. "This was supposed to be delivered to you this morning, but it's not my fault you were so hard to find."

Lacrina took ahold of the envelope and looked it over, realising that there were no names or addresses. Before she could ask anything, the postman straightened his cap, said a "Good day", and disappeared from whence he had come, closing the door behind him.

The twins looked at each other with a grin plastered on their faces for a moment, and then they both burst out laughing.

After their moment of merriful laughter, Etharon sat up and adjusted his bangs, while Lacrina started to open the letter. Taking out the neatly creased parchment, she unfolded it and began to read aloud.

"Dear Lacrina and Etharon Farinth... Hah, see? My name always gets mentioned first," she teased, sticking her tongue out at her brother, who responded with a grin and a gentle nudge in her ribs.

She gave a small chuckle and cleared her throat playfully, before continuing "So... Your presence is requested in the middle of Kakariko village. You may be gone for quite some time, so say good-bye to your family, hah."

She turned to look towards him as he leaned forwards to get a closer look at the writing. "We've never been to Kakariko, have we Etharon?"

Etharon shook his head and grinned, leaning back on the sofa. Lacrina left the letter on her lap and leaned back as well, turning to look at him. "It sounds like a job offer, doesn't it?"

Her brother nodded in agreement, but then placed his finger over his lips and moved it from side to side.

"Yes, I know it sounds suspicious, but what do we have to lose?" she asked. "Besides, it's a place we've never been to. Plus, I heard it's got great tailor shops," she continued, giving him a wink.

Etharon rolled his eyes in response, to which his sister nudged him in the ribs with a grin. "Shut up, you," she scolded playfully. "We're going, and that's... final," she concluded with a grin.

In response, he simply shrugged indifferently and grinned again. Lacrina grinned back in mirth, and then tackled him across the sofa, wrestling him into the soft upholstery.

~

Lacrina un-folded her map of Hyrule and pondered over it under the dim light of approaching dawn. It was quite obviously still night, but the sky had started to brighten up. Her brother was a few paces to her left, looking over the part of Hyrule Field they were in.

They stood next to the bridge which crossed over the Zora River. Before them soared the massive bulk of Death Mountain in all its glory, the highest peak in all of Hyrule. The great ring of flame over the summit's cone cast a dull red glow over the twin's faces as Larena folded the map and put it away.

"Yep, this is it," she whispered, mostly to herself.

Patting Etharon on the back to alert him they were moving on, they crossed the bridge and began making for a trail of steps dug into the mountainside, leading away out of their line of sight.

As they moved closer to the earthen staircase, Lacrina felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned to see her brother directing her gaze towards a nearby tree. Next to its trunk, and directly under its branches, stood a young woman with blonde braids, hunched over in front of a child. Moving her hand close to the hilt of her sword just to be on the safe side, Lacrina signalled to Etharon and they began walking towards the pair.

So the boy resemled Magus Jon -- it wasn't a big deal to her, really, just odd in a sense. She had seen Jon only a little while before he had left under stranges circumstances; Gaidin had been his normal self and Ashlyn couldn't help that. She had no control over what he did or what he said, since she was a number of years younger then he was and he was her superior.

"What's impossible?" Magi asked her, his large eyes looking up at her. Ashlyn put a finger on her lips, studing his face once again. Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me, She thought with a smile.

"Nothing, that's all," She said, laughing as she straightened her back and turned back towards the tree. As she did so, out of the corner of her eye she saw two forms coming towards them. Ashlyn turned towards them, Magi looking up at her for a moment before he, too, turned in the same direction she had. When he did, he saw two figures coming towards them, one with a hand close to the hilt of her sword while the other followed quite close to her. "I wonder..."

"What's going on here?" The female asked when she stopped short of the two. Her orange-like hair sat on the base of her neck, her eyes staring intently at Ashlyn but glanced over at Magi for three seconds before they returned back to the girl. The male stood not far from the other, the mop of hair hanging freely on his head except for a ponytail at the back of his head. He looked like the stronger of the two and was looking at the boy instead of Ashlyn.

"I was just telling this boy here that it isn't safe to be out in the Field this late at night." Ashlyn took note that they both looked tense and were ready to defend themselves if need be.

"I could say the same for you." The stranger didn't move her hand away from her sword's hilt, although she relaxed just slightly. Magi looked up at Ashlyn, thinking along the same lines as they were. He was about to say something to them before Ashlyn put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look not to say anything to them; she would do the talking for both of them. She didn't know him nor did she want him to say anything that might lead into a fight.

"What kind of buisness do you have in Kakariko?" Ashlyn asked, looking between the two of them. Neither one of them answered, firm expressions on their faces. It took her several minutes to realize that they could possibly have a letter in their possession and a smile came onto her lips. She then extended her hand to them. "The letter, please."

Charo had reached Kakariko without too much difficulty. She had not seen any monsters at all that day, except for a few Poe's. They seemed to like to follower her around a lot. But outrunning them was simple. When she had reached her destination, it seemed that there were a number of people making their way to a clearing in the back of the village.
Maybe thats were I'm supposed to go, she thought and began to walk in that direction. As she approached, she saw the number of people standing around and hung back. Too many people, she shuddered and walked around them trying to get a proper view at what they were looking at. Concealing herself behind a tower, she watched as one man spoke to them all.

"Now that you've gathered here, it looks like we can begin. In the morning, first light." Gaidin pointed to the entrance of the Graveyard. "I want everyone at the entrance of the Graveyard before Din's Eye is visible to anyone. Get a good night's rest then meet us there."

"Excuse me?" Someone asked. "What do you mean? Why did you call us here?"

Many people began to speak at once, many seemed annoyed and angry. Charo began to inch out from behind her hiding place, curios to see the man better. The man pulled a dagger out of the folds of his cloak and flung it at the tower. Charo stumbled backwards as it missed her head by inches.

"I called you all here in hopes that we could defy Ganondorf, but if you all want to continue living like you are now, go back home. Your families will be glad to have you back, if you have any left." The man motioned for the girl next to him to follow him. "If anyone is interested in what we have to offer, meet us at the entrance before Din's Eye is visible in the morning. If anyone else comes bearing a letter, pass on the same information I just gave you."
Yeah right, like I'd go with them. Who knows who those people are anyways? But then...what else am I going to do?

After the man left, everyone else began to follow. Charo patiently waited for them to leave. This is the place they took Ruthie after she died. I should go visit her grave. It seemed kind of stupid to bring Ruthie all this way to be buried, but it wasn't like she had any say in it.

As soon as the last straggler took her leave, Charo crept out and began to make her way through the gravestones. It took her a while, but she finally found the gravestone plainly marked,

Ruthen

It had to be the right one. Charo didn't know anyone else with a weird name like that. She knelt at the base of the gravestone, uttering no sound except the words,

"What should I do?" Charo lost track of time, and soon it became dark. Suddenly something cold and clammy tapped her shoulder. Charo weired around, only to see a Poe.

"What do you want?" she asked it angrily.

"I, um...I have a message for you." the thing stammered.

"What? Since when does a Poe do anything for anyone?" she asked it cautiously. The Poe shuddered, but simply said,

"The messages is this. You should go with them."

"And who is this message from?" Charo asked.

"Her," The Poe said motioning toward the grave behind Charo. Then he disappeared. Charo stood there, her mouth hanging open. The graveyards was somehow not as nice looking as it had been before. Charo quickly dusted off her clothes and hurried out of the place. She would find a place to sleep for the night, and then, she decided she would meet the others who still planned on going with the strange people and go with them.

He hadn't known how long he had been reading the book and it had only seemed like a matter of minutes to him, when in actuality it had been several hours. Gaidin closed the book and put it down beside him, rubing his face with his hands to keep himself awake. He knew that he had to get some sleep or else he would be dead like those in the graveyard and that wouldn't be good. It wouldn't have been like he had never gone several days without sleep bfore, so why shouldn't tonight be any different?

A cold chill moved into the room, followed by a whisp of wind as it blew out several candles that hadn't burnt out already. Gaidin stood up quickly, putting a hand upon the hilt of his sword and the other inside the cloak where he normally kept his dagger. When he couldn't find it, he remembered he had thrown it at the tower in the center of the village. He sighed and relaxed, rolling his shoulders back to get the kinks out of them and started to walk towards the door. I could use a break, he thought, placing a hand upon the doorknob as soon as he got to the only way inside the house.

Just as his finger tips touched the door, he withdrew his hand; the doorknob was ice cold, like it had been frozen by some sort of spell. He stared at the door for several minutes, frowning at it and wondering why it would be so cold like that. Had Ashlyn used the Arrows on something? Impossible! The Arrows were hardly that effective with a normal bow and he would have heard something if she had. He couldn't shrug it off, since it wasn't cold enough for anything to freeze metal like that so suddenly.

Gaidin twisted the doorknob and opened the door quickly, stepping out into the early morning air. He looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary other then a few flickering lights inside the houses of Kakariko. Anyone that hadn't bunkered down for the night somewhere were sleeping around the village elsewhere that he couldn't see, with everything that they had brought on such short notice. He then brought his head up and stared at the night sky.

For some reason, he was surprised at the clouds that were moving in the direction towards the former Hyrule Castle. They weren't dark looking but rather held a lighter tint to them; he shouldn't have been that surprised to see clouds of a different color, even at night. After all, Ganondorf's magic worked in ways that he couldn't understand and didn't want to. The clouds moved faster then normal, which indicated that a magic was afoot.

The chill he felt only moments earlier came back to him, the wind blowing his cloak around him as he turned towards the tower. Moving swiftly, he walked to the tower and grabbed the dagger that was still embedded inside the wooden tower. Pocketing it, he turned towards the entrance of Kakariko, expecting Ashlyn to come running up to him with information on things that she had seen. He didn't like the way this wind felt nor did he like the shadows that were playing along the ground, coming from the light from the moon overhead. But she never came up those stairs with anything and that was a bad sign.

"Ashlyn, come on," He called out, again expecting the girl to be playing tricks on him instead of him being his usual parnoid self. She had a way of doing that with the shadows when he was around, despite her lack of magical abilities. Shadows were her friend, she had always said, and gave her an edge where there was no other.

Before he could shout out her name, he heard a familiar cackling sound coming from the entrance of the graveyard. It wasn't loud, but his ears picked up something rustling just beyond his line of sight. Gaidin turned around, hand on the hilt of his sword and looked closely. There was nothing there, no signs of the damnable Poes that he despised so much. There was no movement around the graveyard, no nothing that indicated anything came or went into the graveyard. Still, he didn't like the feel of this night even when there was nothing there.

"DAMN IT!" He shouted, taking out the dagger once again and threw it towards the general direction of the graveyard entrance. He hadn't expected to hit anything but when a shriek of pain told him otherwise, Gaidin felt panic rise into him. Had hit anything that was alive? He had to find out, as he moved towards where he had thrown the dagger. If he had done something to harm a villager, not only could he not live it down but the cause he had worked so hard for would be shattered.

Stopping at the place where he believed the dagger had gone to, Gaidin looked around the ground, kneeling down to see if there was any physical body laying there, hurt. Instead of fiding a body, the dagger had hit something glass, metal, and cool to the touch. He reached over and pulled the dagger out of the ground, running a hand over the shards of glass. Inside the metal frame, there was a small candle that had been used recently but had been put out some time ago. He looked around for any signs of the owner, gripping the hilt of the dagger tightly.

"Poes," He growled, standing up quickly and running towards the entrance of the village. If Poes had somehow gotten past Ashlyn, then what he had learned from the book only fueled the knowledge, and fear, he already had.

Seventy-eight…seventy-nine…eighty… Lizzie bit the inside of her cheek, still fully awake. Sitting up on the couch, she rested her head on her knees. She glanced around the dark shop, from the large bookshelves to the square windows. She was too nervous about tomorrow. Or perhaps anxious, she mused to herself, a small smile forming on her lips. After all, perhaps I could find a sign of Liam… She swung her feet over the side of the couch and grabbed her boots. Tugging them on, she grabbed her possessions and walked towards the door.

Stepping outside, Lizzie felt a cool gust of air hit her face. Shivering slightly from the cold wind, she strolled around Kakariko. She felt that if she were to get some fresh air, she might settle her nerves and be able to get some rest. As she walked she passed by the graveyard. Pausing for a moment, she looked at the place where she was supposed to go as the sun rose. Taking a few steps towards the graveyard, she winced when she heard the sound of glass breaking.

Glancing at the ground, she saw the remains of a lantern. The young Hylian crouched down next to the broken glass, carefully picking a piece up. She saw a candle nearby as well, which she figured was in the lantern originally. Examining the frame that the glass had once been in, she saw that it didn’t look like the style the lamps that were used around town.

But if this lantern didn’t belong to anyone in town, whose is it?

Lizzie shivered as the cold wind blew through the empty graveyard. Tugging her curly hair, she wondered if it belonged to the two strangers who had given the instructions to go to the graveyard; however, she had a feeling it belonged to neither of them. Her heartbeat beginning to quicken, the curly-haired girl glanced around the graveyard. She backed out of the graveyard at first, but her fear consumed her and forced her to run out towards the entrance.

Once she was safely out of the graveyard, Lizzie leaned against the wall of a nearby building. “What just happened?” she muttered, closing her eyes as she tried to collect herself. She took deep breaths, slowing down her racing heart. It was just a lamp! Why am I so freaked out about it? It means nothing! Shaking her head slightly, she opened her eyes and began walking again.

Lizzie glanced around the quiet town as she walked. As her golden-brown eyes skimmed over the entrance of the town, she spotted a figure running out of the town. She raised an eyebrow and wondered who would be running out to Hyrule Field in the middle of the night. She shrugged and continued walking.

Lacrina looked over the blonde girl carefully, trying to pick up any body language that might reveal hidden intentions. The smile seemed sincere enough, though she knew better than to place her full trust in a person she had just met. Contemplating on how best to reply to her question, she turned to her brother, who nodded in response, signifying that there was no immediate threat from the girl.

Relaxing visibly, she moved her hand away from the hilt of her weapon, whilst still maintaining an air of caution about her. On cue with her movements, Etharon relaxed and eased the grip on his quarter-staff, but still held his ground.

Eyeing the girl's extended hand, she pondered on whether it was a good idea to reveal the letter to her or not. Of course, the letter itself had no name or address, so it could literally be from anyone. The fact that this girl knew about it meant that she could be somehow related to the person who sent it to them, because Lacrina doubted the girl before her could organise a mercenary campaign on her own. And if this was a trap of some sort... she and Etharon could easily subdue her between them, even though Lacrina could hardly see reason to suspect her.

Reaching for a backpack she carried with her, Lacrina retrieved the envelope and offered it to her. The girl brought it close to her and opened it, pulling out the parchment and unfolding it in one swift motion. After reading it, she lowered the letter and looked at them, her smile broadening. "Lacrina and Etharon, right?"

The both of them nodded at her question, and Lacrina motioned for her brother to step closer, who seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact with the young female. Etharon moved next to his sister and gave a brief glance towards the girl, before averting his gaze back to the boy, and moving to the ground.

"Now then, what might your name be, and what do you know about this letter?" she asked the girl, trying to keep her tone as friendly as possible. Etharon looked up once more, ready to assist his sister if need be.

It smelled of winter—or perhaps it smelled of nothing: a scentless frost upon the air, the embittered hiss of wind pitching its disembodied fury against the village houses. Abeyance could not be sure of the season. Had winter already come? The possibility seemed premature, out of place. It wasn’t winter’s time… and yet, that blooming, mellowed quality that marked other seasons was gone.

Perhaps this is what sadness feels like, she thought, distractedly, curling nearer the base of a barren tree, resting a shoulder several notches above the roots. The sadness over the Field, this is what it feels like.

So many things in this village spoke of the strange sadness that had drowned the Field. Abeyance had ensconced herself beside a solitary tree, saw in it the dreariness of the world: its ghastly roots, ravaged in the dead soil, exposed in the dried grass. And shades of gray everywhere. She wondered how anyone could stand it.

It was interesting to think that no one in the crowd—gathered some moments before, presently, rapidly, like a breath, dispersed—had complemented the graying ambiance. Not a soul had reminded her of the grayness: they had all been vibrant, pulsing, alive. Full of inquiry, confusion, suspense. And what a gathering they had been! Hylians and Zoras and a rock with flesh and blood and movement! Abeyance closed her eyes, breathing the cold air. What an interesting company they had made!

She supposed she herself had been a party to the gathering, for somehow she did not doubt that every last person there had received a letter similar to her own. But it was difficult to include herself among them: for one, she’d watched the meeting’s progress from afar, from the roots of the gray tree. She preferred to keep her distance, to observe.

Abeyance had watched the gathering from beginning to end, had watched the Hylian man address the crowd in a voice like flint, throw his knife at a tower wall, catching their attention like netted fish. The action had caught hers as well; she had been drifting away, pensive, slumberous, choosing words from the man’s speech, weaving them among her own contemplations until she tired of the exercise. She heard a burst of speech and questions from the company, voices loud, passionate, uplifted—and then the knife, breaking her trance—she was unsure how—a glint that shook her back to life.

“Come to the graveyard at the first rise of Din’s Eye,” said the man.

He concluded his speech, turning away, and Abeyance watched the company melt into the sad dusk until they were no more. It was then they lost their vibrancy, became a species of colourless twilight, aimless specters. A sudden pulse of the heart awakened the Zora from her stupor, a jolt that she could not name, a feeling she had not bothered to feel before.

She felt uncomfortable, there among the roots of the gray tree.

Abeyance rolled to her feet, standing with a slight shiver. The wind had grown bitterer, the evening more complete, and she was restless—or was it anxious? Her emotion was too alien, too remote to fully connect, but something moved her to leave the tree, padding through the hard grass in fruitless search of the vibrancy that had belonged to the gathering.

Everyone had only just gone, and would be gathering tomorrow, she knew, and still Abeyance missed them, touch of warmth, light, comfort, in this sickeningly dreary shade of gray.

It suddenly struck her, the significance of her being here, the significance of her yearning, the significance of what she done. She had left home for a wilderness beyond her comprehension, for a village as gray as hopelessness and as sad as desolation, and would not see her mother for some time—if she ever saw her again at all.

The vertigo was upon her before she had time to think.

Her vision began to blur, to spin, a slowly, stately dance, the evening growing blacker, consuming—her feet had taken a mind of their own, and were pulling her backward: where, she could not tell. Abeyance gasped, flung a hand out to find some support, and her back scraped against the barren tree. The impact jolted her, forcing her to her knees, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping, struggling to right her vision.

The correction came at last, and she knelt for a long time, fighting a retching surge that tore through her breastbone like fabric.

"What might your name be an what do you know about this letter?" The girl named Lacrina -- Ashlyn assumed that was her name until she said otherwise -- asked her. Ashlyn glanced down at the letter in her hand and her eyes moved to Magi for a moment before they returned back to them.

"My name is Ashlyn. The letters were to be handed out to those that were to help us on a mission," Ashlyn started, bitting her lip. She didn't like saying things about what Gaidin had in mind in the open like this; in Kakariko, any information about what went on between the remaining Knights was closely guarded. It would be rare to catch a spy among those that did not support any wrong-doing of the minion sort or anything that Ganondorf did while he was still in power.

"And what mission is that?" Lacrina asked, Etharon -- again, she assumed that was his name, but she couldn't be sure -- moving slightly closer to her. Ashlyn pointed in the direction of the castle and shook her head, a sign that meant she didn't want to discuss anything that could be leaked out. Both of them looked at her as though she was crazy, at which Magi rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"We've got a few...." Ashlyn started to say before Magi tugged on her cloak to get her attention. She lowered her arm and looked down at the boy, who then nodded to the staircase of the village. When she looked up, she saw someone coming down to it and towards them, running as fast it could. Squinting her eyes at the form, it stopped right before them and her eyes went wide when she saw who it was.

"Gaidin, what are you doing here?" She asked, eyeing him. Gaidin glared down at her, hardly noticing that there were three other people present.

"I gave you an order and that was to keep an eye on anything that might be out of the ordinary," He growled at her, grabbing by the arm and pulling her towards Kakariko. "Instead, you are conversing with a boy and two strangers."

"Let her go!" Magi cried out. "She didn't do anything wrong!"

Gaidin glared down at Magi, who looked right back at him with almost the same fierceness that Gaidin had. Ashlyn struggled in his grip before she was let go and pushed in the direction of Lacrina and Etharon who were watching this unfold defensively. She didn't blame them for being cautious since they didn't know what was going on or who they were dealing with in the first place. If the roles had been reversed or she hadn't known better, she would have put a dagger in Gaidin's arm. Instead, she raised the letter in which Lacrina had given her then handed it to him.

"This was sent to these two, a letter. I'm sure that you know by now what this means." Gaidin stared at her for a moment before he reached out and snatched the letter from her hand. He opened it and read it over several times, his eyes moving back and forth before they looked up towards them.

"Lacrina and Etharon?" He asked. Again, they both nodded but with added caution and more tense then they had responded to Ashlyn. "Welcome to the group. I am sure that you are more interested in what is going on, but right now we have a problem on our hands."

"Problem?" Magi asked innocently enough. He was answered by looks from Gaidin and Ashlyn, who were surprised to hear eagerness in his voice. Gaidin was about to say something, but Ashlyn whispered in his ear and he seemed to accept it rather then lash out at the boy. Magi raised a hand to his neck, still remembering what had happened only a short time before.

"We'd like to know what is going on and what this problem is," Lacrina snapped at them, brining Gaidin's attention to her. He raised an eyebrow, taking a couple of steps forwards as he looked her over. She looked strong and spoke like she wanted answers now rather then later, small and lively for someone that didn't know the first thing about him. Ready to fight and defend, it looked like to him, and was almost ready to defend the boy next to her.

"You want to know what's going on? Lady, if you knew half of the stuff I knew, you still wouldn't understand." Gaidin frowned at her then sighed, waving the letter in his hand. "I sent this out for anyone to come and help us find a few ways to tip toe around this kingdom without being seen. I can't -- or rather, won't -- explain to you everything now, since we are in open territory. And in open territory, anything can be brought to our glorious king. I can say this: this mission is of importance and will decide the future of Hyrule, regardless if you help or not."

It was at that moment when they heard a wail coming from the other side of the Field, very close to where Lon Lon Ranch sat. Five pairs of eyes turned towards the center of the open plain, hands moving to weapons that hadn't been there before, bodies getting into position in case something happened, and an eerie sense of something wrong going on out where they couldn't see. They froze where they were, afraid that the cry was closer then it was and that it had them in it's sights, whatever it was.

It was at that time that Gaidin put the letter into one of the pockets in his cloak and beckoned Ashlyn closer to him, close enough so he wouldn't have to speak louder then he had to. He didn't need to since three pairs of eyes were watching the Field beyond them and ears pricked up as another wail echoed across the Field.

"We need to get back into the village before they start showing up by the hundreds," Gaidin told her, his eyes moving to the entrance of the village. Ashlyn gave him a puzzled look then understanding came upon her eyes.

"I saw something out there, but thought it was just a free-roaming Poe. They aren't very dangerous and usually stay away from civilization for the most part." Ashlyn looked at him oddly. "Gaidin, Poe's don't tend to go near any place where they can be outnumbered easily."

"Listen, what I know now only backed up what I believed before. Poes can and they will, if they have the numbers." Gaidin glanced up and saw Etharon watching them closely. "Look, we've got to get back into the village and now. Morning will be here in an hour, so I suggest you get our new friends together, all of them -- including the boy."

Ashlyn only nodded, Gaidin turning away from her and walking up the stairs to the village. She watched him go, biting her lip again before turning towards the three that were watching her with more then a fleeting interest. Lacrina and Etharon were giving her a cold look, like they didn't trust her or they wanted more information regardless of where they were at. Magi was giving her a look of intrest, nothing more -- it was as though he knew something but wasn't willing to say. Ashlyn just shrugged it off.

"We need to get into Kakariko and now, before anything happens." The shrill wail sounded again, only backing up what she had just said. "Meet us at the wooden tower as soon as the sun rises. I am going to go look for the rest of them."

"Rest?" Lacrina asked, who exchanged glances with Etharon. "Rest who?"

"The group. There's more of them. Don't worry, Gaidin knows what he is doing." Ashlyn tried to sound like she believed it and shrugged it off. She looked towards where the first hint of morning would soon be coming up over the horizon and sighed. "It has begun."

Ashlyn didn't elaborate on what that meant, turning around on her heels and walked up the stairs to Kakariko. She would leave the decision of what the three were to do up to them, hopefully they would come with her and Gaidin so that there would be at least a few extra hands to help out along the way.

OOC: Eh, I hope I didn't do a terrible job on this. *gets ready to be hounded by rocks and sticks*

Magi felt panic brimming inside his stomach, sensing that perhaps he had gotten into something he wasn't going to be able to get out of. As the twins obeyed, and followed the dark man Gaidin, the little boy saw his chance to possibly escape the scary older woman. She reminded him of the librarian, only she didn't make fun of his blood, or even seemed like fun. He waited, his attention on her eyes, as they sped through the letter the twins had given her. The boy twin was the only one that had awknowledged him, but his attention was focused on stairwell, following his sister up into Kakariko.

Magi moved. Before the girl could do anything, because she was reaching down to grab him, the little boy turned round, crouching against the earth, and leapt up, grasping at the slender branches of the nearest trees, and threw himself into the tree before Ashlyn could stop him. Her hand blurred, and she reached for her sword, almost unconsciously before she realized what he had done. Magi kept climbing, until he was out of range of the scary girl. He didn't want to be caught by her, she might punish him for disobeying her, after all.

Ashlyn was very calm about it. "Get down here, boy," she ordered him, turning her cold gaze onto him. Magi froze, but shook his head vigorously. "Now. It isn't safe up there, or even here."

"What is going on?" he answered, eyes scanning through the tree. He was going to need something, because it was highly unlikely that the girl would allow him to disobey her. It would cause her to lose face with Gaidin, and she could not do that. Magi understood human nature very well, and understood the emotion that would drive Ashlyn to control the situation. She's dominant. For some reason, Gaidin wanted him. Did the man know about his power? He didn't want to take chances.

"Now, boy." Magi reached over, feeling for a tree limb he might be able to use against her. The first one he touched wasn't nearly tough enough to deal with even the broad side of her sword, so he tried again, this time wrapping his arm around a firm, toughened piece of bark, bigger than him but about a foot, but it would serve the purpose he needed.

Balancing, the boy stood on the branch, pressing down hard against the limb. He jumped, and the branch snapped, leaving the boy in a slightly difficult prediciment. With nothing below him, the boy tumbled out of the tree, his back striking firm against another, larger branch. "Ah!" he groaned, but fought the spinning feeling of falling, bracing his legs to absorb the damage, and landed hard on the ground, feeling the shocks run through his little legs and vibrate to his arms. In his palms, the large staff-stick was cradled, and he brought it up in self-defense against her.

Ashlyn, more astonished than anything, ran to where he had fallen before he could make a move against her. He didn't let her take the stick from him, but felt her hands roam on his body, inspecting for damage. "Foolish child," she murmured, standing up once she completed her search, "why kids your age listen to your elders?" She lightly tapped his head, not strong enough to hurt him, but enough so that he felt it. He cried out softly, rubbing the spot.

"Because you're not my elder," he answered stubbornly, following her back to where the twins were waiting, the stick trailing on the ground, held loosely in his right hand. "And besides, elders don't turn weapons on kids."

"Silence, brat," she retorted, removing her sword from her sheath. "We don't have time for this. Gaidin has ordered me to bring you with me, and you will come. Something dangerous is coming here, and it is not a safe place for children." Magi didn't waver, and brought up the hard stick against her.

"I don't want to come with you," he declared boldly, lifting the stick. "And you can't make me."

The exact moment that Magi said that, Ashlyn lost her patience. She didn't want to hurt the boy, because Gaidin needed him for something she didn't know, so she rushed forward with her sword, ready to disarm him and then bring him with her. The sword flashed, as she struck with the slicing edge against the staff.

Or, rather, where the staff had been. The boy dodged, his lack of height working to his advantage, because she missed him by a wide arc. He twisted the staff inside his hands, waiting for the precise moment he was waiting for. Ashlyn, wielding the large blade, overdid her momentum, and lurched forward, as Magi got extremely close to her. As the sword passed over his head, Magi's staff struck hard against the blunt side of the sword, forcing Ashlyn to lose her grip on the weapon. Magi ducked, extending his foot enough so that he made her lose her balance, and fall to the ground. Magi rolled away, as Ashlyn braced for impact, and wound up near the sword.

"Now then," he said, grabbing the sword, and hoisting it up from the ground, "you will think twice before messing with Magi Scholars!" He grinned, but then realized the sword was rather heavy, and he couldn't hold on to it quite well. The blade dropped again to the floor, but not because of the weight. Magi looked away from the girl, as she braced herself for a second exchange, to the horizon. Ashlyn, a safe distance, noticed that something seemed to be frightening him, as he quivered in fear, and turned round.

"Please tell me that isn't what I think it is," he whispered to her, watching a horde of creatures moving in the direction of Kakariko. Magi brought up the stick in defense, and Ashlyn's eyes widened.

"Please tell me that isn't what I think it is."

"Oh dear," Ashlyn muttered, rubbing the back of her head. For the first time in her life, she just stared at the shape that was coming towards the village. The wails that they had heard earlier were the calling for reinforcements -- or so she believed. "Well, boy. I hate to break it to you, but it is what you think it is."

"What are you going to do about it?" Magi asked her, giving her a glare. She stared right back at him, forcing herself not to take out her daggers and throw them into the boy's skull. He was starting to annoy her greatly and his little game a few moments ago hadn't helped at all. Instead of complying with her, he just dodged her efforts to get him inside Kakariko where it was safe; the Field wasn't even a place she'd want to be alone.

She didn't answer his question, walking up to him and taking her sword away from him. Sheathing it onto her back, she moved her cloak around so it could be hidden from view. This caused the quiver of blue arrows to be revealed to him, which Magi looked at before they were covered back up with the cloak. Ashlyn didn't see him watching her hide the arrows again nor did she notice that he had seen them, her eyes moving to forms that were heading towards the village.

"It seems like you don't want to come with me, so be it. If you rather face them alone by all means, stay here." She frowned at him before swiftly moving up the stairs towards the village, where she could warn Gaidin that they were moving faster then the two of them had expected and the wailing cackles that followed her into Kakariko only made it more clear.

OOC: Sorry about this short post. I have limited internet time tonight, so I could only do this short bit. I will have a much longer post tommorrow.

Ri walked down the steep mountain that he had climbed to escape from the Hidden Valley of the Mist or whatever. He started descending around an hour ago* and so far has thus mad it this far. He didn't go sliding because that would be somewhat detrimental to his health.
He then saw the huge bird flying towards him. He squinted, and then saw the huge bird was flying very fast. Towards him. He paused and then...
BANG! The huge bird hit him just as he was about to sprint down the mountain. The Huge Bird dropped a letter on him, cawed, and flew away.
"Thanks for nothing, Birdbrain!" He yelled at the bird. He stodd up, brushed himself clean, and opened the letter. It read:

"Dear whatever you name is

I don't know what your name is, but you must come to Kakariko Village and meet us at the Death Mountain Path. Or somewhere near that, something that is closely near there. Stay at an inn, meet up and chat, just don't go anywhere after that.

The imaginary Prophet that shouldn't exist but was hacked"

Ri sighed, and started heading down the mountain towards Kakariko Village.

*A hour, an hour, it's too confusing.

Notes: A little short I know, but my back hurts, just a quick start.

Gaidin ran inside Kakariko as fast as he could, keeping his pace steady and fast enough that he could get back into the Skulltula house and retrieve the book. All the while he kept slow as to not arouse the suspicions of those that were already starting to awake. It was surprising at how a single night went by without one knowing really how fast it went. That was the way it was in Hyrule now, the days and nights meshing together and the track of time more out of their hands then it had been before.

He knew something was wrong the moment that he had heard the cackling sound in the village before he had left, something out of the ordinary. He should have expected it to happen sooner or later, but he much rather have it happen later then sooner. His planning wasn't going to be for nothing, not when there was so much at stake. It couldn't happen, not now. Not when it was so close to starting.

Gaidin was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that someone was kneeling near the large tree near the entrance to Kakariko. He stopped short of falling over her, backing up several steps as he looked down at her. It was a Zora, who didn't seem to notice that he was there at first. She was breathing hard and was staring at the ground, keeping her body where it was like she had not known another person had almost tripped over her. It was only when she looked up at Gaidin did he shiver; the deepness of her eyes made him feel like there was nothing else going on around him. He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present and mustered his voice to speak.

"What are you doing out here at this hour?" He asked her gruffly. There was no response from the Zora, just a fixation of her eyes upon him. He sighed to himself and shook his head again. "No matter. I suppose you were...."

"GAIDIN!" A voice shouted from the entrance to Kakariko, a voice filled with worry. Gaidin spun around to see Ashlyn running up to him like she had seen a ghost or two. Her face was pale, paler then it usually was, and she was running in such a manner that told him something was wrong. He didn't know if the three that she had been talking to was going to come with them, all three most likely only a few moments behind her. He knew that curiousity often got the better of people and they would join them, even the boy.

"What is it?" Gaidin demanded sourly. As long as she didn't give him bad news....

"They are moving at a faster rate then we expected them to. They are almost past Lon Lon Ranch and will be coming to Kakariko's doorstep in a few hours," Ashlyn started as she stopped in front of Gaidin and took in three deep breaths. "They will be here after sunrise, probably an hour afterwards."

"That's great, just great." He looked over towards the graveyard then back at Ashlyn. "Listen, we still have a good few hours before they reach here. I was hoping that they would come at the next nightfall, but we might as well fight them now. They most likely won't harm us that much, but we still need to get our group together. Get as many of them together as you can and then meet me at the graveyard. Go, quickly. Oh, and Ashlyn." The girl looked at him before she ran off. "Ask for the letters, to be on the safe side."

Ashlyn nodded and sprinted off to the nearest house, hoping that someone from the group earlier was still there. She would go everywhere in Kakariko to get the group together, even if it took an hour to do it. Gaidin turned back around, his eyes falling upon the Zora who was still looking up at him with a weird look on her face. It was as though she didn't see him, didn't know he was there, like she was in her own world and was on her own plane of thought.

"I don't know who you are, but if you are with us come on then. We could use your help," Gaidin told her before walking towards the graveyard. He hoped that everything would turn out just the way he had planned.