[IC] .::Legend of Zelda :: Whispers in the Night::.

[Lugubrious]

Voices. Angry, shouting. Some coming at the same time, confusing and frightening even to someone with perfect grasp of the language, which Frore did not. In response to the demands of the woman he could only make rough, deep noises, the intense cracking of lake ice. A series of event followed quickly, falling upon him like rain, and he couldn't respond to any of them.

First a man approached the infuriated mother. Though his words were too low and intermingled with the hubbub of the crowd for Frore to clearly identify, his tone was of concern. He was serene and thoughtful, even in the face of a monster such as him. If anyone could understand that the Chilfos meant the child no harm, this was he. Naturally, though, Frore was totally unable to communicate this idea, and stood helpless as he and the ranger were approached by a large man in glorious golden plate. All of his life Chilfos had endeavored to avoid men like Sir Orca Halbert, men whose duty and destiny were to fight and destroy evil, and the sight of the knight was inspire both fear and hostility within him. More alarming were the spearmen, who circled around his icy, unmoving body until they and the knight formed the points of a triangle edging him in. After dismissing the potentially helpful ranger, the golden knight turned to Frore, joining in the rising chorus of emboldened voices demanding explanation from him. In response, Frore crackled again, but this time even his meaningless vocalization was lost in the tumult. Anger began to boil within him; why couldn't these foolish people understand?

Cain's attention was drawn from the repentant masked man (now courting the red-haired fisherwoman and pleasing the crowds with odd toys) when he became aware of rising voices a few streets over. After pausing for a moment in wonderment, he groaned as he guessed what might be the source of the commotion. Flitting from shadow to shadow, he arrived at the scene in seconds. What he saw both aggravated and worried him: his partner enclosed by an ever-expanding circle of bellicose villagers and festival-goers, even a few Gorons. What most perturbed him, however, were the spearmen and the knight that had Frore totally penned in. “Stay here, I said,” he grumbled from the shadow of a women clothed in green and decked out in an emerald-embossed silver tiara. “Is that so hard? Moronic icicle.” Only one potential problem separated him from returning to Frore's shadow to whisper him advice, which was that the shadows of the spearmen and Sir Halbert were disconnected from any others. To make the jump between them, he would have to become a new shadow for a split second, one that could very easily be noticed by anyone looking at the ground. With a dangerous icy creature looming seven feet above the dirt, however, who would be looking at the ground?

As Cain briefly pondered this problem, he became aware of a small orb of light dodging amongst the feet of the assembled people. Distracted momentarily by the oddity, he squinted so as to better make out what it was. He managed to make out the vague shape of a woman within the indigo radiance. As he watched, the being did exactly as he had been planning to do and floated out over the ground in plain sight to dart beneath Frore's cloak. After a moment, the purple-blue glow reappeared in his hood. He identified the minuscule, luminescent woman as a fairy, and vaguely remembered from some conversation long ago that they provided guidance. “That's my job.” Following the path Lethe had taken, Cain quickly slid across the ground as an independent shadow, occupied that of a spearman's, followed that cast by his extended spear, and rejoined Frore at last.

“Hey Cold One… Gee, you sure shook things up around here, didn’t you? Hold still. Don’t move. I’m going to get you out of here, but you have to do as I say, got it?"

Having navigated to the shadows within Frore's hood, Cain heard the fairy's whisper loud and clear. He was prepared to respond with hostility, but decided just before speaking that if this fairy really had the power to remove them from this sticky situation, they might as well take the chance. Surliness could wait until later—of course, later, they'd owe this little pixie for 'saving them'. A dozen thoughts flashed through the Twili's mind, from insults to predictions to observations to alternative plans, but only one word passed his lips.

“Understood.”

[Corporal Lance]

"Potions! Freshly brewed and ripe for the imbibing! Heal your ills and ease your fatigue! The Hero of T-!" Mila sung out her sales pitch until her attention was grabbed and directed elsewhere be a soft tinkling sound. A ringing of a bell. While sweet and melodious to most other races, the gentle clink of a bell spelled caution for the Kokiri. For it was the noise their guardian fairy made when they sensed danger. Mila's countenance fell from exuberant and lively to that of a frightened rabbit, and her emerald eyes were cast upon a lithe, robed form, clinking toward her slowly with an awkward gait. She could sense the darkness emanate from it in undulating waves, and Shila danced around its head, rising and falling as she began to glow a brighter shade of yellow. Mila stood frozen as if a Gibdo had caught her in its penetrating glare, trembling as it shambled closer and closer to her stall. She hated to admit to Shila that she had been right, but it appeared as if there indeed was cause for worry. But Farore would not allow her to come to harm this way, would she...?
...
...No, no she would not. This must be pure happenstance, yes, it must. The tiny Kokiri girl swallowed hard as the figure gazed emptily at her from beneath its head, its unseen eyes piercing into her very soul. When it uttered a polite greeting, in an ominous and echoing voice.
"G...G-good m-morning...!" Mila uttered, attempting a smile at the stickly creature. Although her try at being polite herself could not disguise her fear, and she could only manage a painful, terrified grimace. As if this was an everyday occurrence to the abomination, it posed a question about her business.
"A-aah..." her voice caught in her throat as her words failed her. She had felt much like she were before a Moblin in that moment, her size and frailty all too apparent before this dark stranger. Her heart pounded beneath her chest, threatening to escape in a moment's notice much as she would have wished to. Mila brought a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat. Surely the city guard would not see her in peril? She would have to push her anxieties aside. Not all scary people were bad, not all monsters were bloodthirsty, and not all Kokiri were frightened little children. And she would just have to deal with that.
"U-um, I c-can sell you any p-potion you desire..." she squeaked. "H...Health potions, a-and mana potions, and magic potions t-that can c... cure illness..." The fear began to evaporate as she began to speak about her craft. Mila was an anxious little Kokiri, as cowardly as they come, and also one easily distracted. As smart and self-aware as she is, Mila realized that the best way to face your fears was to think about something else. Her confidence began to grow as she began describing the different potions she could make.
"Stamina potions that let you run all day, magic wards, strength and intelligence and beauty potions! Ooh, and potions that let you breath underwater, and potions that let you spit fire! Polymorph potions and love potions and exploding potions! I wouldn't recommend those because they're kinda dangerous, oh! But I've got this one potion that can protect you from that! And there's the one that makes you lighter than air and the one that keeps plants from dying, oh! And the one that-" The Kokiri girl's entire demeanor had changed once she began speaking of her mystical brews, shifting from shaking in her boots to talking the odd man's ear off. That is, until another approached, again stealing her easily gained attention.

"And I can make truth-telling potions and color changing potions and potions that can turn your teeth into- Oh! Hi old man!" Mila gave a hearty wave to the elder gentleman approaching, leaning out of her stall to do so. She ecstatically climbed onto the counter to sit on its edge, letting her legs swing rhythmically over the side. She happened to know old Naklov since he was a less-old man in his mid thirties, and held him in great esteem for both his skill in alchemy and his faith to the Goddesses, common ground they both happened to share.
"I've come to steal your business today~! Mmhmhm!" she giggled jokingly. "I was just talking to one of my customers about the different potions I sell! There's the Bravery Potion and the Potion of Eagle's Sight and the Double Time Potion, but I don't think I have the ingredients to make that one..." Mila trailed off before Elder Lyontus brought up another point about toads. Of course, he knew full well that if anyone got Mila speaking, she wouldn't stop until her train of thought were derailed or she ran out of things to talk about. And sometimes not even then.
"Oh! Really? I wanna see! Forest frogs are the best for sight potions and polymorphs!" Mila hopped from her ledge and took two steps before realizing that she didn't have anyone to watch over the booth for her. That, and she'd be abandoning one of her customers. She quickly halted and turned to Elder Lyontus sheepishly.
"Uh, could you bring it to me, Naki? I can't really leave my stall..." Mila ground a foot into the dirt beneath her, slightly embarrassed at her own excitement while she referred to Elder Lyontus by his pet name.

Shila hovered about Mila's head as her grin turned into a blank stare, her focus wrested from her once more and placed upon a commotion among the festival. A great distance away the guards were converging upon a lone, panicked being wrapped in a cloak. She couldn't tell exactly what it was of, but she should have expected such rancor. There were already quite a few disturbances by ragamuffins in the Hero's Festival already, but none had required the intervention of a guard before. Golden armor glinted out among them, a familiar sight of which Mila was accustomed. Sir Orca Halbert. He was a statuesque mountain of a man, of which the women of Hyrule would agree that the Goddesses had carved him from marble. And he let it fill his head so that Mila was surprised it could fit within his helm. Sir Halbert acted as if the ground his boots had touched were sacred, and frankly the arrogance made the Kokiri uncomfortable. Being prideful was one thing, and sometimes it was good to have such pride, but when it consumes a man is when he lets it blind him and swears fealty to nary a thing else. Just, a force to be reckoned with, but she thought that he could serve to relax at least once in his short lifetime.. But when he got involved in something, especially at such a large event, that was cause for concern.
"Naki, who's that?" she asked, tugging on the Elder's robes and pointing into the distance.

[Baklava]

No sooner had Cain spoken than small, upright streaks of bright green light began to pulsate around where Frore stood, becoming more and more numerous and thick until Frore was almost completely veiled by the strange little beams. Members of the crowd gasped and shouted in alarm. The guards fell back, urging others to do the same and fearing the worst. Sir Halbert, however, stepped closer, tightening his grip on his blade and raising his shield whilst the wind picked up, causing his velvet red cape to whip around behind him.

“Farore’s Wind,” the fairy’s voice whispered lowly, as if merely a breath on the breeze.

Suddenly, a blinding pillar of green light flared around them with a long, high pitched chiming sound. The crowd shielded their eyes from the intense green ray, which swelled and then began to rapidly shrink in circumference—ultimately disappearing to reveal that the large cloaked figure had completely vanished without a single trace....

In a deserted corner of Kakariko Graveyard, the green beam flashed into being—unseen by those in the village but possibly visible to any lucky folks who liked to climb and sit atop tall windmills on hills... as well as any who were in the graveyard. Such as the young couple who were getting frisky in the very same secluded corner. The young woman jerked away from the pucker faced boy and let out a terrified holler as the light began to appear. The young man let out a high pitched squeak before the pair untangled themselves and ran clean out of the graveyard.

Alone at last, the green light faded away and there stood the cloaked Chilfos. Lethe flew out of Frore's hood and hovered before him—and also Cain, unbeknownst to her.

“I have to admit, I wasn’t really expecting a verbal answer when I asked you that question,” Lethe cocked her head to the side, crossing her arms, “That's a pretty incredible talent you have there, Cold One...." She squinted at him skeptically, pondering how a being with no tongue could speak so clearly. And why he hadn't used that voice to defend himself when the guards were confronting him... not that it would have done someone of his kind much good.

[Lugubrious]

To a natural, the usage of Farore's Wind might have seemed as simple as closing one's eyes and opening them to find oneself elsewhere. To Frore, however, the experience was jarring and disorienting, far more than simply being surrounded by noise, emotion, and action. However, it was Cain that was affected the most. This experience was entirely different from his own method of teleportation, Dark Travel, in which the user lost consciousness as he or she dissolved into black particles that then traveled to the destination. Dark Travel was the familiar, soothing feeling of momentarily sinking into nothingness; this was hectic and nauseating, not dissimilar from being thrown about by a whirlwind of the hermit who frequented Castle Town had any clue. Lacking a corporeal form, Cain was simply a shred of magic along for the ride, and badly wanted to vomit upon arriving in the graveyard.

Mercifully, he recovered quickly. His analytical eye swept over his new surroundings. During the night this place might have seemed eerie, even haunted -to a Hylian at least- but to tread here in day was to see its mystique dispelled. The morning sun shone over the headstones, washing away any trace of the ominous and laying their secrets bare. This was somewhat disappointing, as Cain loved secrets and mystery (particularly the part where he found them out) but the cemetery was hardly the most interesting thing here. He cast a glance at the young couple high-tailing it out of there, and then fixated himself upon the being that brought him here.

It seemed that the fairy had missed him after all. She addressed Frore again, calling him the Cold One, quite fittingly. The Chilfos barely moved, an ice sculpture among the graves, clearly trying to employ his inferior mind to make sense of his situation. If anyone was going to make this encounter interesting, it would have to be Cain. His sense for the dramatic was tingling. Since the fairy remained unaware of his presence, a proper entrance could be made.

As Lethe observed Frore, tilt-headed and awaiting a reply, the shadow beneath the Chilfos began to move on its own. As it twisted to face her, stretching toward her from Frore's position and thus upside-down in her perspective, two yellow eyes with pupil-devoid irises the color of the setting sun. From the shade reverberated a voice, clear and understandable despite its lilting, undulating pitch. “Then I bet you weren't expecting me.” Cain arose from the shaded ground into what he called his half-bodied form, three-dimensional and true to scale but totally composed of transparent darkness. He floated a half foot above the ground, still technically non-corporeal but intimidating nonetheless. “Why did you help us?”

[HeilixAxel42]

Kaiver stood silent as he was scowled by his superior. A pompous and cocky man that towered above him that was the pride and the most prized knight of all of Hyrule, or so most thought. Sir Orca Halber, His superior and caretaker of the Hero of Time Festival, as well the one who was closest to King Daphnes. Nevertheless, he glanced angerly in his eyes, knowing that they were full of haughty pride and contempt for him, as past events between him and Kaiver went sour during the Escape of the Crimson Hound. His demotion was not something that Kaiver pleaded for, for if Sir Orca would had have his way with him, he would been discharged without honor, and would had to forfeit his title of service to the King, pushing him and his family into poverty. He was lucky to have Elder Lyontus defend him during his trial and demotion to Town Watch.

Still, he stood by to let him though as he checked on the child. She would heal with proper care and with time, but the blinding green pillar of light caught him off guard as he kneeled himself and the woman down to provide cover to whatever might happen.

“GET DOWN!”

The rush of wind that rushed passed his cloak would had knocked anyone close to the center of the pillar of light, but as it died down and disappeared, the Chilfos was suddenly gone and disappeared leaving behind the wet, muddy ground he used to stand on as bits of steam rose from the footprints where he stood.
_-_-_

Elder Lyontus chuckled at the lighthearted joke directed at him, and took no offence as they were friends as far back as he could remember in his adult years, as it was he who taught her the basics of alchemy, and was good at it too. But, his style was more of finer and rarer ingredients, creating more priced and potent potions than she did, but he still admired her for her bravery and dedication to the Goddesses and to her craft. She was a disciple of Farore, but he was one of Nayru’s. Still, he did not criticize her decision, as his they both embraced the same faith.

“Sure, I most certainly can! Just let me get back to my cart and I’ll-” he was cut off about bringing the toad to as he was about to head off, until he heard Shila’s pleas and felt the tug on his robes. Distracted by the fairy’s tugs against her direction, he looked back and saw Sir Orca Halbert. Naklov simply glared at the towering figure, and stood angrily on the stool at him. “Sir Orca Halbert.” He said to Shila, making his way back to his cart. “A pompous and proud buffoon… That is all I’m permitted to say.”

In reality, pompous and proud were understatements. Elder Lyontus had dealt with Sir Halbert long before Kaiver’s demotion. He knew him as a squire and guided him long before he met Kaiver, and remembered his ascension to Knighthood. But despite his position and high place near to the King, his reputation stood upon a house of cards to those that knew him personally that would incur the wrath of those most loyal to him if they dared step out of line. He had been extorted by the knight’s followers that demanded refunds for perfectly good potions and demanded he pay ‘higher taxes’ due to his success within the marketplace. In truth, it was a plot to make potions for them at no cost in which they would most certanly drive him out of business. He kept his tax records within the Temple of Time in case a paid thief were to steal them from his home, making sure he pay the right amount as ordered by the King himself. But ever since Kaiver’s demotion, and it was his hand that prevented him from going poor and humiliated, since then, Orca has personally denounced Elder Lyontus as a shyster, oaf, a sorcerer, false prophet, charlatan, and a madman ever since he defended him, but his cries to heed Gannon’s eventual return were dismissed by Orca as ranting and insanity to the larger crowd.

Perhaps, within that boisterous ego, that narcissistic, spiteful, and haughty shell of a man, perhaps he will learn to know what it means to have loyalty and humility, than simply lining his pockets full of rupies and prancing around in golden armor. But even then, he seriously doubted it as he was disgusted by his sight, slamming the door to the entrance of his cart as he walked in.

[Bright_Ops]

The hooded figure watched and listened to the seemingly small child in silence, ignoring the ball of yellow light that had take to circling him for the time being. While seeing any expression under was impossible due to the shadows that called his hood home, Magus was slightly impressed; While the child had started off as frightened as everyone else who he had taken the time to speak with, she was special in the fact that she rallied herself rather expertly once she started talking. With the wooden creaking that came across with all of his movements, Magus turned for a moment to inspect the elder human that had come to join him at the fairy child's stall about frogs without saying a word before turning back to look at the store owner herself.

Hearing the sound of shouting and the usage of magic, Magus sharply turned towards the source, spying the bright glow of... some kind of cloaked ice man vanishing in a bright flash of light... the magic of one of the goddesses it would seem. Narrowing his gaze a little, he turned back to look at the fairy child before speaking in his same, echo like voice. "[i][b]That explosive potion you spoke of might be useful to me. I am here today because someone who is historically hostile to my kind went to great lengths to get in contact with me in order to ask for my help on a matter of urgency that she refused to give details on. I would like to have options available to me should my suspicions be correct and this is some sort of trap."

[ReaptheMusic]

He did not notice the commotion, and thus when people began to pull away from his wares, the merchant was surprised.

"Ey, ey, ey....
Where y'all goin'?
If ya ask me
this is a sick party I--"

The end of his rap was cut short by a lightshow, people were gasping, scared, watching the spectacle before them. He was able to capture the moment like a picture, understanding just a bit of exactly what was happening. His merchant mind broke it down to math.

Chilfos harassed by some sort of noble x magic squared by the root of fear equals....

Profit.

"People of Hyrule!! .... I am in Hyrule right, shit man..." Came the booming voice of the merchant in black, extending his arms out to catch the attention of the crowd. There was one way to quell the fears of those around him.
"There is only one way
To protect ya'self
Ya can't just sit and stay
Ya gotta gotta do
Whatcha gotta do
Do

So' follow me
it's only Ten Rupees
a minute

I'ma show you how to ward of evil
With this dance so spin it
Yeah!"

With that the merchant began a dance not unlike so...



He danced his way over to where people were looking before. Some Hylians did join in, lots of children mostly wanting to copy the dance but also many elders who feared evil spirits. Even one young woman pulled her partner in and they danced. The strange merchant passed in front of the golden clad noble, shaking his hips and making beatboxing noises. That is, he's not that good at beatboxing, but soon the towns band played up to go with the merchants dance of 'warding off evil.' Maybe they didn't believe him, but they did want to get over the scare of what just happened and return to having fun.

[Baklava]

The explosion of light caught Felicia’s attention as well. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the shaft of light expand and disappear. “Probably just some Festival stunt,” she heard Kamo grumble beside her, unamused, “Those are some really lame effects, too.”

Not everyone seemed to be as undeterred as Kamo, however. Those who were nearest the light could be heard shouting in fright while those who were a safer distance away applauded the ‘performance’, oblivious to what was really going on. The event also seemed to fuel the crazy bobblehead salesman’s idiosyncrasy. He pranced over to where members of the crowd were still prattling ceaselessly about what just happened. Then, just as soon as the trouble had come, it deteriorated and everyone was either back about their normal business or dancing around with the loon, eager to continue with the festivities.

Felicia spotted Linda amidst the crowd, running towards her stall.“Hey, Ms. Felicia,” she stammered breathlessly, “S-sorry I’m late.” Her hair looked a mess and she couldn’t help but notice the lipstick she’d been wearing earlier was entirely gone.

“You okay?” Felicia asked worriedly.

“Oh-- yeah. Yeah, of course, “ Linda glanced down the street. Her mind obviously wasn’t there in the present.

“Are you—“

“Good to work? Yeah! Of course! Don’t worry about it! I’ll take over.” She seemed eager to take Felicia's seat behind the counter. Felicia nearly tripped as she tried to move out of the way for the young girl to get by. Kamo’s shoulders instantly slumped as he pulled some of his dark brown dark over his eyes—ears turning a vibrant red once again.

---

Sir Orca Halbert stood before the steaming footprints, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. The spear-men awaited further orders, nervously glancing at each other. “Notify the—“ Halbert paused as Jira came dancing between him and his men. With a frustrated growl, Halbert shot daggers at the man with his eyes until he'd finally moved out of the way. “Notify the rest of the guards. I want everyone on the look out for a Chilfos in a cloak.”

Lowering his voice so the crowd couldn't hear, he hissed, “It’s dangerous and I don’t want it still roaming about when the King gets here.” The guards nodded before quickly splitting up and running off to carry out their orders, relieved to be away from the fuming Sir Halbert.

Sir Halbert let out a suppressed sigh. Before leaving, he paused in front of Kaiver once again, “Don't let me catch you anywhere near that Chilfos, Greison. Mark my words, there are worse fates than being stuck as a town guard in Castle Town!" With that, he stomped away-- seeming a bit more agitated than usual. It was true that Halbert loathed failure-- especially his own-- and was never very happy when a criminal made a clean break, but it seemed to be something a bit more than that. Perhaps wolfos riding strangers, finger-freezing Chilfos and overexuberant dance instructors weren't all that was plaguing the festival today....

[Corporal Lance]

The fairy child's eyes lit up as the cloaked figure transcended the festival in an ethereal flash of light, a slight smile curling at her lips. She knew the spell, had seen it before. It was one of the Divine Three. Farore's Wind. It would take quite the skilled mage to execute such an intricate spell, one chosen by the Goddesses themselves. The voices in the night had been correct in leading her here, but was there ever any doubt? She allowed herself to become excited at the prospect, thrilled to see that her good faith would soon come to light in what would ultimately be her most important responsibility realized. Her sisters had waved off her claims of hearing Farore speak to her in the wee hours of darkness, but how they were wrong! Today, at the Hero of Time Festival, she would meet her destiny much like the legendary Link had done eons before her own eons, like a real adventurer! And then the dancing started. Mila perked her head quizzically at the prancing charlatan, and giggled as a small mob had begun to follow his antics. Of course his silly little dance wouldn't ward off evil spirits, but she would pay ten Rupees if only to keep watching him twirl around like the village fool, so she guessed it was a pretty decent business strategy. The festival was full of his ilk, after all, devoid of the spirit of the Hero of Time with the goal of swindling as much money as they could from eager wallets. The only thing that truly surprised her was that he didn't take his time to don an emerald tunic much like everyone else did. It was slightly comforting, if not a little strange. Mila always wore green, almost every day. It was her favorite color... although that wasn't claiming much. Most Kokiri's favorite color happened to be green. But why was that? A product of her upbringing, perhaps? Her ears perked at the sound of slamming door, and her eyes darted toward the old man's caravan. Her eyebrows creased in frown when a lump formed in her throat. She didn't like seeing her friend so upset. Such a kind old man should have much less to worry about in his twilight years than the gallivanting of haughty soldiers.

She wished to follow him and console him, and took a step forward to do so when a glint of gold swayed sparkling before her vision.
"Milaaaa..." she chided, "You're customer?" Mila became flush, her face as red as her hair as she grinned sheepishly.
"Oh! You're right! I was getting ahead of myself." Shila let out a sigh, quite accustomed to this behavior. Mila was quite the handful. Rambunctious as always, there was never enough of her to go around. It would take three Milas to accomplish everything the one set out to do in a single day. She always had good intentions, but always tried to spread herself too thin, and it didn't help that her curiosity was easily earned and attention many times more difficult to keep. Mila scampered back to her stall and clambered up to the counter again, once more climbing to sit at the edge and kick her feet in rhythm.
"I'm sorry about that!" she exclaimed rather unapologetically, "My sisters tell me that I'm sort of hyperactive..." Joking and fanciful wonder aside, Mila was ready to do business.
"So a Kaboom Potion is what you're after? Well... Ooookaaayy... But only if you promise that you'll only use it against monsters!" she pouted. "My Kaboom Potion is stronger than a Goron Powderkeg at the fraction of the cost! It's good for making clearings of rocky roads, protecting yourself from Stalfos in the night, and a teaspoon before bed can even ease a heart murmur! In theory..." she trailed off.

"I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, hopping behind her counter and starting to rummage around in the burlap sack Gongoro had dropped off with her.
"Warriors and hunters will smear this on their arrowheads, making for an explosive surprise any beast would come to rue the day of!" she chimed as she pulled out what she was looking for. A pair of thick rawhide gloves that covered her tiny hands, an apron of the same material, and some protective goggles which she strapped to her forehead. Safety first! And one more thing: a scrap of parchment. Looking like a little girl trying to play 'blacksmith', Mila jumped back upon her step stool and slid the paper towards the odd, spindly... man? She didn't know what he was. Sounded like a man.
"I'll need you to sign this before I can sell you Kaboom Potion. It's the standard form, I'm sure you know..." taking a deep breath, Mila continued to go over her waiver all in one sentence. "Kokiri Potions specifically Mila is not responsible for any harm caused by the user of this product to include accidental overdose burns dismemberment maiming and any other grave injuries incurred to include the injuries of others when using this product for its intended purpose or any other purpose for which the product was not intended for do not drop the potion shake the potion or otherwise jostle the potion while in transit don't subject the potion to extreme heat or cold or other liquids and potions and harsh sunlight don't ingest more than one tablespoon per every three days side effects may include flatulence stomach pain ulcers mood swings and immediate exploding death if any of these symptoms persist longer than one day consult your local doctor or shaman by signing this form you are accepting all responsibility upon receipt of the product. Guuh!" Mila swallowed a lung full of air, becoming light-headed at her standard business practice. Afterwards, she stuck out a gloved hand, expecting payment and a container with which to keep the concoction in.
"That'll be thirty five Rupees, please~!" she sang with a genuine smile. "It'll be ready in a few hours! Why don't you enjoy the festival while you wait?"

[Taka]

On top of the tallest windmill sat the Sheikah known as Idris. It was a serene place for him to be ever since he was a young boy during his training with his mother. The wind was a slow breeze against his skin and made him think of the many times he would hide up here during games of hide N' seek with the other children. Kakariko Village brought back so many memories. Idris had only been gone for a few years now but it felt like forever. He wondered how many still lived in the village and if any of friends had come back. Truthfully it was astonishing that Idris came back so soon but, that voice could not be ignored. The world was in peril once again with no hero of time to save it. That wouldn't stop Idris though from fighting back. He loved Hyrule and its people. They gave him hope for better days. Which instantly brought his attention to the fact that the Festival was currently going on.

Idris leaped from the top of windmill with intent on landing on to the tree close-by. The moment his feet touched the first branch, Idris dropped down to his right hand. He gripped the branch with an almost vice-grip. Muscles rippled from the strength it took to swing his body forward on to the near-by branch. Another swing from the second branch sent Idris to the earth below. No sound emanated from the skilled Sheikah when he landed and he stared at the people enjoying the Festival. Sounds of joy and merriment filled the air. Children stood in awe at the tricks people were performing and the games. It was times like these made you forget about the darkness that was encroaching upon the land.

[Bright_Ops]

It might have been a blessing in and of itself that Magus hadn't been watching when the strange, strange man had started dancing a weird little dance under the pretense that it would ward off evil. Some things that humans did were somewhat confusing at the best of times, seeing that would have caused something to break in the Twili's mind.

Watching as the fairy girl started to dress for the occasion, he listened to her with interest as she went through the various uses and the details of her disclaimer. While seeing her talk non stop at length was pretty impressive, the hooded man couldn't help but ask with a morbid sense of interest "How exactly did you come to believe that drinking such a dangerous substance would help out the drinkers heart and by what means did you figure out what the safest dosage to drink was?"

Then of course there was the mention of the price. That... was problematic. After a moment of thought, the figure spoke once again. " At this point in time, I am unable to afford your price. However, perhaps you would be willing to make a trade? I am rather talented at enchanting and I can assure you that you've never seen the kind of enchantments I can weave... Perhaps you would like a piece of your clothing to be as light as a shadow and fashionable to wear in public without drawing the eye while being able to stop an arrogant blade. Would that be something you would be interested in, little one?"

[The 42nd Gecko]

"See any other Sheikah on your travels?" Idris would hear a voice from behind him as he leaped to the tree. A small girl's voice, with multiple emotions mixed in. Disdain. The idea that a Sheikah had been so sloppy as to miss Veitaru's presence did not make a great impression on her. Hope. Meeting another Sheikah, sloppy or not, might have heard word of her father. Irritation. Today was just not a good day for her. Tiredness. She had nearly been asleep when Idris had ascended to the windmill.

No source of this voice would be found if Idris glanced back. The windmill was barren, no sound save the creaking of the windmills fans. Veitaru was only heard when she wished to be. A fallen black cloak that was resting in the shadow of one of the fans was revealed as the fan traveled onward, only to be consumed in shadow once more. But it was abandoned, a relatively loud garment not as useful for active stealth as it was for subtle blending in.

[Baklava]

“Then I bet you weren’t expecting me….”

Lethe impassively watched as Cain’s shadow then took form. “Why did you help us?” he asked, rather rudely in Lethe’s opinion, but now wasn’t the time to correct someone on proper etiquette. Rather than a look of fear, or even surprise, an amused smirk crept across the fairy’s small amoretto face.

“Well! How interesting…” she scoffed, drifting forward and circling around Cain, looking him up and down with two large, round irises-- like gold coins permanently catching the sunlight. This would also give Cain an opportunity to get a closer look at her. Aside from her indigo colored hair and dress, she wore what appeared to be a ring around her waist—fashioned out of indigo thread and housing a beautiful silver-white gem in the shape of a downward facing crescent. At her hip was also a small, two inch long sewing needle with a handle made out of twisted silver twine.

“And how convenient,” Lethe flitted towards a tall gravestone that gave her a good view of them both, landing without a sound. “You’re quite a ways from home, aren’t you, Misplaced One?” She closed her eyes and shook her head, smirking to herself. She’d always known the Goddesses had a sense of humor, but this was really quite funny. A Twili living in the shadow of a Chilfos… now that was really something.

“Anyways,” she continued, folding her arms and smoothing out one of her obverse indigo curls, “My name is Lethe—or, rather, that is what you are to call me. I helped you because I need your help and will, in return, continue to give you my help. And, trust me, you want my help. It’s a win-win situation.”

As she spoke, she fiddled with the ring around her waist, winding the crescent gemstone left and right in a strange pattern (like a combination lock) before the crescent suddenly made a loud high pitched ping! noise not so unlike the one before when Lethe had used Farore’s Wind. With the sound, a gentle glow of white light engulfed her, growing, shifting, and ultimately dimming away to reveal a much larger Hylian version of herself. Well... fairly larger. She was still considerably short-- standing at a mere 5'1". Her ears were a bit less prominently pointed and her sewing needle had quite miraculously transformed into a eloquent rapier. The ring was now being worn on her finger.

“Oh yeah,” the young Hylian Lethe added matter-of-factly, “and did I mention all life in Hyrule—including your own—rides on it?” She placed a hand on her hip, absentmindedly fiddling with the tip of her ear, apparently somewhat bothered by their lack of fairy-like pointy-ness.

"Are you still listening?" she queried, shooting a worrisome look at the Chilfos, whose lack of outward emotion was obviously inevitable but nonetheless disconcerting, "What I'm basically telling you is that everyone will probably die if you don't do as I say."

[Lugubrious]

If Cain was disgruntled by the fairy's lack of satisfactory response to his showy entrance, his shadowy form made the emotion impossible to read on his face. Of course, even in full-bodied form most of his head would be hidden beneath his hood and bandana. Regardless, he remained somewhat stupefied as Lethe began to circle him. There was nobody like him in the World of Light, except for Midna, of course, and perhaps Zant. To the best of his knowledge, the fairies of Hyrule were a somewhat happy-go-lucky and skittish bunch, very close to the Goddesses and without love for darkness. So why is this one unfazed?

Cain's veiled emotion did not stop his probing eyes, though. He took in the little sprite's appearance in a matter of seconds, almost snickering out loud at the sight of the sewing needle sheathed at her waist like a sword. His own weapons, gauntlets with finger-blades around a foot long, were impossibly to see from within his sleeves, shadow form or not. As quickly as the close-up had come, the mutual examination was over, and Lethe had darted over to alight on a nearby headstone. Her next words have him cause to cock his head and cross his arms. Misplaced one. How could she know? He had never once divulged his origins or true mission, not even to Frore.

He remained quiet, respectfully listening with the ears of one hungry for knowledge, until she spoke of them helping one another. That was where he drew the line—he needed no help, no pity, from the denizens of this world, particularly one so close to its deities. Cain remembered the story of his ancestors well. Still, pride could have a terrible price; the hubris of the Royal Family back in the Twilight Realm was evidence of that. Putting aside the disturbing fact that this fairy knew his secrets, he made up his mind. Frore, meanwhile, stood stolid and unmoving, though with his hood now down the morning sunlight played into his icy skin, causing it to glow with a greenish-white radiance.

After Lethe's transformation into a Hylian girl (for which Cain saw little to no purpose, as both he and Frore, whose attention had been suddenly seized by the light and its accompanying whimsical ping, still outmatched her in the height department) and her ultimatum, the Twili gave his response. “If you speak the truth, you're putting a lot of faith in us. We're not heroes. We're a monster and an outcast. Between the two of us there's less love for Hyrule that in its castle's dungeons.” Frore turned his head and glanced briefly at his partner, getting the gist of his words, then crackled in affirmation. Cain, however, had more to say. He leaned in closer to Lethe, a looming shadow, to keep his words from reaching Frore. “If you can promise me that I'll find a way home,” he reverberated in a low tone, “or find her, we'll give you a try.”

[Corporal Lance]

Upon the odd, lithe man's line of questioning about how her Kaboom Potion could fathomably ease a weakening heart, the fairy child was all too happy to once again relapse into her chipper blathering.
"I'm glad you asked that!" she exclaimed, "It's an interesting story! Kaboom Potion was invented almost twenty years ago by a genius alchemist named Doctor Morrell in an attempt to create medicine more efficient in stabilizing a weakening heartbeat! I personally had the opportunity to develop this with him, and we tried several different agents, but we tried a crazy tincture that worked! The concentrated oil of Deku Nuts normally causes a paralytic effect, but we discovered that when combined with the toxin found in Biri Jellyfish quills and the regulatory effect of mixing an equal measure of Green Chu jelly and Rope's anti-venom it could stimulate low blood pressure and regulate heartbeat! With further testing, it worked out to be a huge success! That is, until I dropped a vial of the potion. The concentrated Deku Nut oil apparently causes spontaneous explosion spurred by the pseudo-electric shock of Biri Jellyfish toxin. I don't think we ever found Doctor Morrell's toes, but I was given inspiration into turning it into a high-grade explosive! I substituted the Rope anti-venom for more things that go boom and the rest is history! It should still cure heart murmurs I think, but I don't know what the effect of adding Dodongo pancreas and gunpowder in lieu of Rope anti-venom would have. Oh! We tested the proper dosage by studying the power of hydrogen of the stomach when compared against the potion. And feeding it to Cuccoos! But Doctor Morrell said I'm not allowed to talk about the Cuccoos too much after that one time when we tried to-"

Apparently taking a page from Elder Lyontus's book, the twiggy individual interrupted her before she began to talk all day, proposing a trade. Mystic brews for enchanted garments. Mila's eyes lit up a brighter shade of emerald as she began to beam.
"Really!? Oh, yes! I think that will do! Oh Goddesses, but what do I want? Let's see..." The energetic Kokiri child began to chew on the edge of her thumb as the wheels turned in her head, leading her down a spider's web of ideas.
"I want Boots of Swiftness! No, Boots of Leaping! No wait, a cloak that sheds water like glass! Ah! That's it! Unbreakable bottles! Wait, target seeking slingshot! No, that's pointless... I want a Blouse of Many Colors! No, green is my favorite... Gloves of- no, that's not good either... Mystic Cap of-! Well, I think I'd need a cap first. And what would I do with a talking cap?" The little red-haired girl thought long and hard about what she wanted before finally settling. Or so she thought.
"Traveling around all the time gets tiresome, so how about a Featherweight Pack? Ah! That's it!" All of a sudden, the fairy girl bounced behind her stall, returning with a weathered traveler's backpack.
"Bag of Holding! It has to be a Bag of Holding! Think of all the potions ingredients I could tote with me! Pleasepleaseplease Bag of Holding!" the easily excitable begged the dark stranger with wide eyes. Her fairy companion could only be heard letting out a fatigued sigh at the hyperactive child's antics.

Magus couldn't help but take a small amount of amusement out of the fact that the fairy girl in front of him helped in creating something that exploded violently in the pursuit of something meant to heal others. He didn't know what a Cuccoo was, but they sounded dangerous for some reason...

The offer for enchantments seemed to have been accepted with gusto as the fairy child started to enthusiastically go through a list of possible enchantments that were either not in his ability to produce or had simply never undergone research for one reason or another. However, the one that she settled on in the end caused him to pause a little. "That would not be wise. While there has been research done in an attempt to create a proper bag of holding, as in an item that can hold an untold amount of things with ease and allow the user to withdraw any item in the bag with ease whenever they wished, a successful bag has yet to be created. At this point in time, at best you'll be unable to retrieve any item that goes into the bag. At worst sticking your hand into it will result in any number of a wide range of injuries to your hand and arm such as cuts, bites, burns and sometimes poisons. "

Thinking for a moment, Magus politely offered "How about a pair of goggles that would allow you to see in the dark?"

Mila cringed when the mysterious man suggested exactly why a Bag of Holding was the opposite of a sound decision, but she felt compelled to argue against him on whether or not one could be made. The legends said that it could be done, and if her hypotheses about inter-realm travel were correct then it should stand to reason that a pocket dimension was entirely possible. In theory. She should probably devise a test for it at some point or another...
But he had netted her attention like a golden beetle at the prospect of Dark Vision. Shila was similarly pleased as well. For one, it was something useful that Mila couldn't try to experiment with and result in property damage. For two, it would be a great deal of comfort when travelling or camping on lonely nights. While a companion fairy was often all the light that a Kokiri child would need, Mila was deathly afraid of the dark. Not normal night darkness like an open field with moonlight, but darkness of the sort that could be found in crypts and alleyways, hiding in untold number of dangers only perceptible to the imagination.
"Dark vision, dark vision, I'm getting dark vision~!" she chirped as she wrenched her protective eye wear from her forehead and slammed them onto the wooden counter before her. The little rusty-haired girl, eyes full of light, ecstatically waved her hand over the wood of the booth, anticipating a handshake to seal the deal.

[Baklava]

“A monster and an outcast,” Lethe repeated flatly, rolling her eyes as he loomed over her, “Yeah, trust me. I know. Don’t remind me.” She waved her hand past her face, glancing up. Remind me why I have to work with people like this again? she inwardly scowled at the heavens.

“I’m afraid I can’t promise you jack, M.O.” she continued, “But if you’re looking for your shadow girlfriend or whatever, your best bet is to come with me. I think most folks find it rather difficult to find things when they’re dead. And anyways… what else are you going to do besides babysit our friend here? Good job keeping him out of trouble, by the way. Sir Hal-butt isn’t really the kind of guy that easily lets things go. He’ll be searching high and low for your icy friend. You won’t make it out of the village, I can tell you that much.”

As she spoke, Lethe once again got to fiddling with the strange ring. In yet another flash of light—slightly less exuberant than the first—Lethe was back to her fairy self and already busy unstringing the ring from around her waist.

“That’s why—ngh—you’re going to need… this!” she said, at last having pulled the final knot. “As you just witnessed, this stone can transform the race of its wearer into an entirely different race, depending on the way you rotate it. It also has a strange effect on weapons and clothes, I've noticed...."

“You’re going to need this if you plan on leaving Kakariko any time soon, but I need your help finding the others first. Obviously the fate of Hyrule doesn’t only rest in your guys’ hands alone,” she scoffed, “Sorry, did you think you were really that special?”

She laughed lightly as if she’d just made the cutest joke in the world, “Ahem. Anyways, it’d be nice to understand what you’re saying for once, now wouldn’t it, Cold One? I’m sure you’ve got lots of interesting things to say.... But more importantly—you’ll be able to walk around the village without making everybody afraid you're going to freeze their children." She crossed her arms, setting her jaw, "I'll offer to lend it to you in exchange for helping me find the people I'm looking for. In case you need a reason not to steal it, however, you should know that I’m the only one who knows all of the proper combinations. So, obviously, you can’t use it without me. I would highly advise against just turning it around randomly in order to change yourself back."

Extending the ring towards Cain and Frore, Lethe waited expectantly, "Stay here and take your chances with Sir Halbert and his men or help me out-- it's up to you."

[Taka]

The sound of Veitaru's voice travel from the windmill and into his ears. He did wonder when she would speak to him. It wasn't that he hadn't known that the person was up there with them but, the fact that he wasn't focused on her. She wasn't doing anything to grab his attention nor did she really do anything to grab attention. He turned his head just a bit to look behind him at the windmill. "Your good." Idris commented on the notion that the girl had already moved from her spot. It appeared she either just wanted to talk to him or just make him notice her existence. Unfortunately he was more into a game of who could out stealth who. Stealth was an ability that he had trained extensively in and was willing to test it out whenever, wherever.

Walking forward into the shadows of the tree, Idris dropped a deku nut on to the green grass. It exploded silently into a white smoke, obscuring any vision placed on Idris. Once the smoke finally settled to give back vision, Idris was already gone. Shadows gave advantage to his stealth, hiding him almost perfectly. "I see..another Sheikah. Only one could hear my voice at such low a tone and evade my eyes in the darkness. Find me...if you can." Idris stood amongst the shadows of the guard tower. This would be more fun than the Festival itself.

[HeilixAxel42]

You really expect someone to take off my arm for what I have? Phff… Izzaz said to himself as he walked out in frustration, as the doctor wanted twice as much just so he can remove his arm. However, the best he can thank him for was clean bandages, but it was what the doctor told him that he needed to get amputated in order to remove himself of the curse. Pathetic… he thought of the doctor as he walked out and put back on his arm guard. The crowd was rowdy of the show and disappearance of a certain Chilfos that had executed a certain spell, causing it to disappear as rumors he heard as he stepped out of the building. Even though he made his way to the scene, he began turning the other way in disgust seeing the presence of Sir Orca Halbert and a masked oaf making a fool out of other people just to make some quick cash.

Heh, my presence is not the only thing the Hyrule Guard has on their plate. Perhaps these voices I’ve been hearing for the past month gathered all sorts of freaks and fools to the Goddesses’ plans. But, why me? Perhaps I’m some simple pawn in their divine games against whatever Ganon has planned? I doubt it, but I could be missing something… or perhaps nothing and they are simply wasting my time. But still, why on Din’s Rock do they wish to use me as a tool in their plans? Because I’m a monster they wish to sacrifice? They can try for all I can tell.

His thoughts wandered a bit as he walked through the crowds, but he only kept to himself as he decided to lean his back onto one of the vender stalls smack in the middle of the village, and to his luck, he found one of the various butchers that were serving the meats of the Ordon livestock. Perhaps he can go for some pork he can cook on a spit if he wanted it, but would have to go on foot in order to travel to the village if he decided to order a whole pig; hence, the people of the land didn’t take kindly to the presence of Wolfos, and didn’t blame them. Most of the rival wolf clans have been getting rowdy and making raids on the villages, especially since most of the larger fish-eating creatures have been starving off. To make matters worse, his suspicion of Skull Kid’s possible involvement in the ordeal has not put his mind at ease and in fact made his mind more prone to worry. The voices were the least of his problems at least.

He wondered what has been going on with his clan. He might have blended in with the crowd to the average Hylain, but to his clan, he stood out like a Dodongo, preferring to hide within the people and the others uncaring of the opinions of those who hide with the lonely shadows. He looked up at the windmill and watched it turn, wondering if anyone was up there, and to his cynical surprise, he spotted at least two figures on top and waited to see if they would notice him until a flash of light made one of them disappear. Wondering if he should seek out the other Shiekah, he declined the moment. He preferred to wait in the middle of the town, watching the slam of the butcher’s knife against the loin of fresh meat, as it made his mouth water in delight.

_-_-_

Elder Lyontus heard the crowd outside the cart as he took a few breaths to get his mind straight, getting his thoughts together and the toad that he would show Mila. Hearing the gusts of wind and the blinding green light that lit up the inside of his cart caught his attention. He was familiar to the spell, perhaps all too familiar.

Farore’s Wind… How could that be? He thougt to himself as he got out of the dimly lit shack, and headed back out with his toad he had just found. Going back to the door he opened it and saw Kaiver at the foot of it.

“Kaiver? What sorcery is going on out there?”

“Elder, Say here until the guards find the Chilfos.”

"Chilfos? How can such a creature get down from the mountains, yet alone come waltzing around Kakariko Village? Madness I say!"

“I agree Elder, but you have to listen. Somehow, this… being… is able to commit very powerful spells. I do not know why, but for your safety, say within the stalls.”

The elder nodded and quickly searching his stock, wondering if he did have a Hawkeye potion ready and waiting, finding one. He grabbed it and gave it to him just in case Kaiver needed to take it out at a distance.

“It’s dangerous to go alone…Here, take this.”

“Elder…I”

“Don’t argue… Go!”

He shooed Kaiver away and shut the door of his caravan, where he kept the rarer ingredients, the Poe’s essence and wild fairies. Still, he hoped to figure out what the toad he had was useful for his potions.

[The 42nd Gecko]

Considering that that Vei was currently hidden inside the rather loud windmill, having latched onto the spinning blades and then jumped off it into a window, and hearing powers didn't have anything to do with sheikah nor was she one if they did, after Idris evaded to really far away, Veitaru couldn't hear or see him, and thus completely missed the whole point of his game. In other words, Idris was probably going to win, because Veitaru wasn't looking for him anymore. Veitaru had grown up under a very stealthy Sheikah, who, once he made with the deku nut escape, Veitaru knew the conversation was over and she wasn't going to talk to him again to day.

Instead, she made with her escape route that she had planned out in case things went south, using the tunnel into the graveyard. She had to admit to herself, whenever she used this path she ended up at a dead run from fright. She'd never encountered anything there before, but it was gloomy at the best of times and with all the darkness creeping over the land.. It just scared her to no end. One more thing that separated her from her Father. Unlike a sheikah, she was afraid of the dark. And she hated that weakness. But she was still afraid of the dark in this place, no matter how much she hated it. The nighttime with the moon and the stars, she could handle. But that deep, heavy blackness lit only by never dying witch flames? A few times in the past she had tried to make herself walk slowly, calmly, or even just wait near the exit. But it never worked, the terror that gripped her in this place was too much. Like the place knew she was there, and that she didn't belong. Or worse, that she did.

Thanks to her dead run, however, she came to spy on Lethe, Cain, and Frore. Well, spy, is a pretty bad word for it when one comes shooting out of a hole in the side of an earthen wall and come tumbling and scraping down, summoning a miniature landslide. As she stumbled to her feet, just barely staying upright as she slid down, she got a sight of the three.

"Uh... Hi.." Was what she said, in a manner not so unlike a normal 10 year old who's a bit bashful and still a little scared and very breathless. She had no clue what any of these things were, other than the fairy. She awkwardly dusted herself off, to little effect against the wet dirt. She never liked to be seen in her bodysuit, and the fact that her terror stricken exodus had been witnessed was embarrassing too.

[Bright_Ops]

Pausing for a moment as the small girl offered him her hand, Magus reached out with a gloved hand to take hers and seal the deal. While the gloves were clearly thick with darkened leather, she would feel just how bony his hand seemed to be.

Looking down towards the counter and the goggles on it, the hooded man reached out to take them as he brought them up so that he could inspect them better. Nodding his head to himself in approval, he turned back to the fairy girl as he informed "The art of enchanting something takes time. Since its a small item with a fairly simple enchantment it could take a few hours, it could be a day. Do you happen to have anywhere shadowy that I could start the process in? The less exposed it is to bright light or daylight, the quicker and easier it is."