Shh, it's a secret!

Hello! My name is Farore, but you probably know me as the Oracle of Secrets. If you ever need me, I'm never very far away... but you'll have to find me first! [This is a RP blog for LoZRP and Telma's Interdimensional Tavern.]

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

At the first mention of gibdos, Shad felt a shiver flutter down his spine. He rubbed his shoulders with his arms as they descended through the murky stairwell to the scientist’s lab. He knew that music often had an affect on enraged animals and often served to placate them…but appeasing the dead?

He shook his head. He couldn’t imagine the nightly anxiety he would bear, knowing the haunting melody floating above their heads was the sole defense between his home and child and the terrors out of doors.

While the strange man went on, Shad digested his words and gnawed the inside of his cheek. His explanation did little to comfort the scholar. In fact, as he described the re-awakening spirits, a sense of foreboding swelled in his chest and caused him to tap his fingers against crossed arms.

“Just a moment,” Shad interjected. He removed his glasses to wipe them on his shirttail. “Am I correct to understand that the gibdo have risen and once again pose a threat to your property? That is…are they returning to your doorstep and seeking you out here?”

He looked at Haeyin, searching his face for affirmation. “After all, spiders dwell in the shadows of cellar corners, but their existence doesn’t justify my seeking them out.” 

“I suppose…” He faced the scientist again. “I suppose I must know–from one researcher to another, my good fellow–what do you believe you stand to gain from this expedition?” He swallowed hard, both out of guilt for dragging Farore and Haeyin across time and space after this wild goose chase, and…something else.

Haeyin glanced up from the map of the ancient kingdom as Shad voiced his concerns, nodding once in solemn agreement. It was strange, certainly, for the dead to be so restless after seemingly finding peace… There was an uneasy fluttering in his chest as his thoughts tentatively returned to the harrowing events that had previously caused such an upset. While he was certain that no such forces were at work here, Haeyin couldn’t shake the prickling sensation that crept up his spine, his fingers slowly curling into fists against the table top.

“What do I gain?” the scientist repeated incredulously, as if the answer to such a question should have been obvious. “If the gibdos have risen once more, then it’s only a matter of time before other spirits and ghouls begin to stir as well, if they’ve not already. If we can uncover what it is that has done such a thing, then perhaps I can reverse it! Maybe even harness it! Could you imagine?”

To this, Haeyin felt his jaw clench. He didn’t like the edge of giddiness that accompanied the scientist’s tone. Harness a power that raises the dead?

“Unfortunately, I can imagine all too well,” he said, his expression fixed into a mask of stiff politeness. “I may not be a man of science, such as yourself, but I do know no good can come from disturbing the dead.”

The scientist appeared momentarily taken aback. “Rest assured, I have no ill intentions here, sir, and I am willing to compensate you for your participation. I merely mean to understand the cause–”

Haeyin’s smile did not falter, though it wasn’t very friendly as he interjected, “Such forces should not be meddled with, no matter the intent.”

There was a brief pause as an uncomfortable silence filled the space between the two of them. Haeyin sighed, clasping his hands tightly in front of him. “That being said, the nature of this expedition into Ikana does have my interest.. If there are restless spirits there, then I believe it is owed to them that they find peace. I will assist you only in uncovering what has caused this disturbance, but nothing more.”

“Of course, I only speak for myself in this instance.” He looked to Shad as he continued, “What say you, my friend?” 

As she and the little girl reentered the house, Farore shut the door tightly behind her.  Even with the ominous tune playing above her, she didn’t quite trust the denizens of Ikana enough to keep their distance... especially not after what she had discovered.  Glancing around the main level, there was no sign of the scientist or her companions.  Pamela, noticing Farore’s confusion, piped up. “Daddy’s probably downstairs,” she explained, pointing towards the staircase.  “He works down there a lot.”

Farore nodded.  “Will he be terribly cross with me if I went downstairs to talk to him?  I think my friends are down there with him as well.”

Pamela seemed to think for a moment, chewed idly on her fingernail.  “He doesn’t like me playing down there because he says I’m too little,” she explained.  “But you’re okay, you’re a grown-up.  And your friends are too.  I don’t think he’ll be mad.”

She smiled warmly at the little girl as she went to make her way downstairs.  Pamela did not smile back, only watching Farore warily until she was obscured by the banisters.  Farore sighed as she descended the stairs into the basement where, sure enough, she found Haeyin and Shad in what appeared to be a heated discussion with the scientist.

The music was louder down here, and she cringed as she felt a headache beginning to brew in response.  She could see now the basement was the source of the song, a menagerie of cogs and gears rotating in unison, projecting the melody throughout the house.

Clearing her throat, she tucked her hands behind her back, resisting the urge to touch anything and everything.  “Haeyin, Shad, might I have a word?” she called sweetly, forcing herself to maintain a pleasant tone.  She was still rather startled by what she had discovered and irritated by the loud music.  The scientist stood awkwardly nearby as Haeyin and Shad reconvened with her at the other side of the room, creating a barrier with their shoulders.  She felt a bit claustrophobic, but she didn’t want Pamela’s father to hear what she was about to say.

“Do tell me what you’ve discovered about the mission, because I’ve learned some rather... interesting things about this family,” Farore murmured, glancing towards the staircase.  “According to Pamela, our dear scientist here has actually gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble researching the Gibdos out here.  She mentioned he’d actually started turning into one, before a certain boy in a green tunic just happened to save his life.

“Are we entirely certain we want to get involved with this?”  She gave Haeyin a pointed stare, biting her lip.  “I imagine you and I might be able to ward off enough enchantment, but ... Shad, my friend, have you any sort of magical protections at your disposal, by chance?  You seem a charming fellow, and I’d hate for you to get hurt out here.”

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad watched the young child and Farore wander off. He used to be rather naive when it came to covert operation, but plenty of experience with Telma’s Resistance–and some well-timed smacks upside the head from his good friend (friend?) Ashei–amended the problem. Though he still felt a twinge of guilt when he was required to suppress what he felt to be the superior virtue of honesty.

Nevertheless, the two departed, and Shad clasped his hands. “So,” he began when they were out of earshot, “we read in your notice that there has been strange activity from Ikana castle? Why don’t you start there–unless you would rather move the discussion somewhere more appropriate?” 

He sidestepped Haeyin and stood beside him on the doorstep. They couldn’t forget they were not yet indoors. And the sooner he could ask why he allowed a child barely hip-high to command his research, the better!

Haeyin met Farore’s glance with an understanding nod, proceeding to turn his attention back to the scientist and the matter at hand. The man seemed grateful for the Oracle’s intervention, breathing a relieved sigh as he watched his daughter leave with her. As Shad spoke up again, his eyes lit up, eager to resume the discussion about his findings.

“Yes, indeed,” the scientist replied, he beckoning Shad and Haeyin to follow him inside the musical house. “Please, this way!”

Haeyin lingered on the doorstep a moment longer after the other two men had gone inside, taking a final look across the canyon. The energy here was restless as he had always knew it to be, and yet somehow it felt… different. As he entered and closed the door behind him, he wondered if the scientist’s findings would shed some light on why that was.

The inside of the house was surprisingly plain compared to the colorful nature of it’s exterior. There was a certain warmth to the furnishings that suggested they had been mostly handcrafted, accented by trinkets atop the fireplace mantle and posters from Clock Town along the walls.

“Do mind the machinery on your way down,” the scientist called, already halfway down the stairs that lead to what Haeyin assumed was the basement - and the scientists lab. “Wouldn’t want the music to stop, after all.”

“Why is that, exactly?” Haeyin asked curiously, speaking louder as to be heard over the ticking cogs and increased volume of the music as he descended. The wall across from the bottom of the staircase was nothing but machinery, looking very fittingly like the inside of a music box. The wall beneath the stairs, however, was covered in notes and photographs, nearby crates and tables littered with the scientists research. Illustrated diagrams of Gibdos, Garo robes, and other spirits could also be seen from where Haeyin stood.

“The Gibdos,” the scientist explained, gesturing to a photograph on the wall. “The song keeps them at bay - from storming the house, you see. It took me a long while to find something to deter them, but I finally had a breakthrough some years back.”

Haeyin avoided giving the man a dull stare by inspecting a map of the surrounding area that lie open on the table. Perhaps they were attacking the house because its presence disturbed them after all.

“Actually, the Gibdos are part of why I put that flier up at Telma’s,” he continued, looking between Haeyin and his scholarly associate. “For a time, shortly after the incident with the moon in fact, the activity in the Canyon quieted down considerably. I no longer needed to play the music, for the Gibdos were no were to be seen. The ghosts and creatures that lurked in the shadows vanished without a trace as well. It was as if.. well, it was as if they had all found some sort of peace, I suppose.”

A tender notion, Haeyin thought, but it was the fact that they were there that suggested this did not last. The scientist leaned forward, tapping the section of the map that indicated the location of Ikana Castle.

“My sensors indicate that whatever is going on here.. it’s brought the Gibdos back.” The scientist’s tone was both grave and.. morbidly intrigued, excited and unnerved all at once. “I have to know what it is. What could possibly bring the dead back from the grave? I would investigate it myself, but.. Pamela, she’s very adamant that I don’t. That’s where you all come in.”

As the little girl took her hand, leading her through the immediate area, Farore could only assume that she had lived here all her life.  She knew the bends in the road and the undulations of the canyon as well as she knew the back of her own hand, and she navigated them with ease.  It was admittedly impressive, but deep down inside Farore felt uneasy at the thought of a child so young having such knowledge of a place as terrible as this.  She realized, as Pamela helped her over a particularly uneven patch of rocky terrain, that there was an unusual sense of irony to this uneasiness.

“Goodness, you’re much more nimble than I am!” Farore exclaimed, letting go of Pamela’s hand to dust off her skirts.  She expected everything she was wearing today would need a thorough cleaning when she got back to the tavern... whenever that would be.  “Does your daddy often let you explore alone?  It must be awfully frightening, out here all by yourself.”

Pamela was quiet for a moment, fidgeting with the sleeves of her dress.  “Sometimes,” she admitted.  “But it is scary, especially after what happened to Daddy.”

Frowning, Farore knelt down beside the little girl.  “What do you mean?” she asked gently.

“He got very sick, being out here,” Pamela explained.  “He was busy researching the Gibdoos and the ghosts, and after a while he started to look like them.  He smelled really bad, too.”

She could feel the colour draining from her face as Pamela spoke.  “O-oh...” she said slowly, unsure of how to respond.  Pamela turned to face her then, a small smile on her face.

“It’s okay, he’s better now,” she explained, as if it made everything she had said prior suddenly less terrifying.  “A boy in a funny green shirt came and played a song for him, and it made him all better.”

“I see,” Farore replied, nodding slowly.  She had a feeling she knew exactly who Pamela was referring to.

The little girl kicked idly at a stone by her foot, her smile fading once more.  “I don’t want him to go back to that awful well again,” she grumbled.  “I don’t want him to get sick again, I just want him to be safe inside with me.”

“That’s understandable,” Farore agreed.  “I’d want my daddy to be safe and sound, too -- especially after going through something like that.”  She paused for a moment.  “Do you think we should head back now?  I’m awfully tired from all that climbing we just did, and I don’t think your daddy will be very happy with me if I bring you back home too late.”

Pamela nodded, quietly taking Farore’s hand once more as the two of them began to walk back to the singing house in the distance.  She would have to speak with Haeyin and Shad later regarding what she had discovered.

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

secretprophet:

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad straightened his ascot and opened his mouth to stammer a rebuttal to Haeyin’s suggestion–he wasn’t the best with new company and had the unfortunate trend of making quips that were too bold, or first impressions too brash, or generally ending up on the wrong end of a new fellow’s weapon–when Farore upheld the courage for them both and knocked on the door herself.

A child emerged. Oh! Shad looked down and straightened his glasses. A smile immediately lit his face. He felt empowered that the scientist they were to visit also chose to include his offspring in his work…much as his own father had with him.

Shad waited to see what the child would answer, rather than chime in himself, lest he startle her.

Haeyin peered around Farore’s knelt form, catching sight of the tiny child who had answered the door. Her skeptical eyes glanced over Shad and the young Oracle first, before settling on him too. Haeyin smiled warmly, offering a small wave of his hand.

Pamela squinted, “Aren’t you that creepy mask man from town?”

Oh. Haeyin’s expression fell and his eyes widened in surprise, shoulders drooping slightly. Creepy? Well, it certainly wasn’t the worst thing he’d been called. But was he really so creepy in comparison to the valley young Pamela called home? He didn’t think so, at least.

“Pamela?” a man’s voice called from within the house. “Who’s at the door, sweetheart?”

The little girl pursed her lips, scrutinizing the three of them once more before calling over her shoulder, “There’s people here! They said they wanted to talk to you about something.”

After a few moments of silence and some shuffling, a man wearing a white overcoat appeared from behind the door. Haeyin recognized him instantly as the eccentric scientist, Pamela’s father and their contact.

“Good evening!” he greeted. “I must say, I’m rather surprised to have company all the way out here - most folks from town don’t travel this far into the canyon. What can I do for you?”

“I believe we should be asking you that,” Haeyin replied pleasantly, stepping closer. “You left word at Telma’s that you…”

He glanced down at Pamela, who now looked curiously between her father and the rest of his party. Perhaps it was best to be vague with the child around..

“You needed some assistance with your research?”

As he spoke to the scientist, Farore noted that Haeyin was being purposefully vague.  Though her expression was carefully guarded, sunny despite the nature of their visit, she could tell the child was still concerned.  Something in her chest tightened; she recalled the mission details then, how the scientist had been forbidden from researching the matter at hand himself... Farore could only imagine what it might feel like, not to be able to trust your own family.

The scientist nodded slowly at Haeyin’s words, rubbing his hands together nervously as his gaze darted back and forth between Pamela and Haeyin.  “Right, right, very well...” he agreed, biting his lip.  “Pamela, darling... Daddy needs to have a word with these nice people alone. Perhaps you might go and play in your room for a moment?”

Pamela turned to face her father, her expression as concerned as ever.  “I want to stay with you,” she insisted, and Farore could see the child’s hands were balled into fists.

His child’s stubbornness caused the scientist to rake a hand through his hair anxiously.  “Pamela, please... Just for a moment, I won’t be long.”

Farore could quickly see this conversation going nowhere.  “Have you lived here all your life, Pamela?” she asked gently.  When she received an affirming nod in response, Farore continued.  “You must be an expert on Ikana, then.  Would you show me around, Pamela?  I’d love to get to know the place.”

The little girl eyed Farore warily before nodding slowly, the smallest of smiles making its way onto her face.  Farore cast a knowing glance at Haeyin and Shad as she took her leave, following Pamela as she led her away.

[secretprophet]

(( Bio things under a cut for length! ))

Basic Information

FULL NAME: Sheelin Walsh Farore

NICKNAME(S): "Lin” as a child, Fae

AGE: 16

DATE OF BIRTH: Unknown

HOMETOWN: Unknown

CURRENT LOCATION: Unknown (Hall of Secrets)

ETHNICITY: Sheikah/Hylian

NATIONALITY: Hylian

GENDER: Female

PRONOUNS: She/Her

ORIENTATION: Lesbian

RELIGION: Golden Goddesses

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: None

OCCUPATION: Oracle of Secrets

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Hall of Secrets

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN:  Hylian, most others with some effort

ACCENT: Hylian

Physical Appearance

FACE CLAIM: N/A

HAIR COLOUR: Olive green

EYE COLOUR: Pale green

HEIGHT: 5′7

WEIGHT: 165

BUILD: Average

TATTOOS: None

PIERCINGS: None

CLOTHING STYLE: Prefers to keep herself covered, wears braces on her joints to prevent subluxations and dislocations.

USUAL EXPRESSION: Curious and genuinely interested in the world around her.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: Her brightly coloured hair.

Health

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: Joint pain/hyperflexibility

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS: Anxiety, PTSD

ALLERGIES: Environmental/Seasonal

SLEEPING HABITS: Suffers from night terrors. Avoids sleeping.

EATING HABITS: Avoids eating for unknown reasons.

EXERCISE HABITS: Has difficulty exercising due to joint-related issues.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: While conscious, Farore is fairly stable. Plagued with nightmares during her sleep.

SOCIABILITY: She struggles between being too anxious to talk to people and seeking the company of friends.

BODY TEMPERATURE: Average, though her hands are often too cold.

ADDICTIONS: None

DRUG USE: None

ALCOHOL USE: None

Personality

LABEL: The Oracle

POSITIVE TRAITS: Creative, focused, courageous, intelligent, resourceful

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Skittish, paranoid, avoidant, distrusting, easily overwhelmed

GOALS/DESIRES: Farore is living in the moment and tries not to think too far ahead.

FEARS: Everything she can’t understand/research until she reaches a point of understanding. Fears the unknown and what is beyond her control.

HOBBIES: Reading, sketching, painting.

HABITS: Biting her lips, nails, loose fabric -- Farore will chew on it if it’s still long enough.

Favourites

WEATHER: Rain

COLOUR: Green, yellow, and turquoise

MUSIC: Soft, calm melodies

SPORT: Archery

BEVERAGE: Mango juice

FOOD: Butternut squash soup

ANIMAL: Deer

Family

FATHER: Unknown (deceased)

MOTHER: Unknown (deceased)

SIBLING(S): Unknown

CHILDREN: N/A

PET(S): N/A

FAMILY’S FINANCIAL STATUS: Unknown (exiled)

Extra

ZODIAC SIGN: Unknown (Cancer)

TEMPERAMENT: Melancholic/Phlegmatic

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good

PRIMARY VICE: Envy

PRIMARY VIRTUE: Courage

ELEMENT: Wind/Shadow

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

As they walked, Shad felt the tempting tug of reflex against the back of his neck, bidding him to glance over his shoulder. He cast his eyes in either direction, but the wind whistling through the windows made more noise than anything that may have dwelled in one of the cavern homes.

Truly, they looked abandoned. Born and raised in the bustling Castletown, the quarry felt like the city’s antithesis, in color, design and denizen. 

Shad nearly gave in to paranoia when he first heard the musical notes. The beautiful home itself also made music. Shad stared up in awe, at first, at the lovely spindling horns sprouting from the roof…until the first minor key hit. His smile gradually fell into an expression mostly appreciative, if not slightly concerned. The melody was still quite captivating, but caused goosebumps to prickle his arms.

“So…which lucky fellow will knock first?” he asked to strike up conversation amidst the spellbound group.

Haeyin gave a small, appreciative nod in response to the Oracle’s comment, knowing all too well what sort of power music could hold. He tipped his head as he listened to the cheerful, almost carnival-like melody… Perhaps the dead were soothed by such a sound?

Shad’s question drew his attention back to the matter at hand - finding their contact. Surely this was his house, so naturally they should expect to find the man inside. As they stood there however, none of them made an immediate start for the door. Haeyin glanced expectantly at his party members, finding that the three of them shared the same expression.

“Perhaps you should, Shad,” he suggested, nodding to the door. “I suspect that you may make the best impression out of us. Unless.. you would prefer Miss Farore or myself to?”

Glancing between her two companions, Farore realized quickly that neither of them were particularly eager to open the door to the horrid house.  She rolled her eyes, stepping forward to rap on the door with her knuckles.  After a moment, her anxiety blossomed anew with the lack of a reply.  Perhaps the music was too loud for the occupants to hear her?  She knocked again.

As she was about to bang on the door a third time, it opened -- seemingly on its own.  Blinking in surprise, Farore glanced down to see... a very small child, a little girl with a splatter of freckles across her nose, staring up at them curiously.  “Who are you?” she asked suspiciously.

Clearing her throat, Farore bent down to speak with the little girl, pulling her goggles up onto her forehead so she could see her face.  “Hello!” she said cheerfully.  “You must be... Pamela, yes?  We’d like to speak with your father, if that’s okay.  My name is Farore, and these are my friends Shad and Haeyin.  Can we come in?”

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad stepped through the portal and immediately entered freefall.

Or, so he thought. So he felt. The negative force drawing his stomach up through his throat caused him to squeeze his eyes shut and gulp.

Yet the moment of discomfort was just that: a moment. His feet landed upon solid ground and he patted his clammy forehead with the back of his hand.

“O-oh…well, I daresay my lack of breakfast was, for once, wise,” he stammered. His lips felt cold and his appendages tingling with false numbness.

He sought the horizon to distract him from his upset stomach–and found himself immediately entranced. The canyonside village hugged the sandy rock like a desert snake trying to get warm. The bronze ribbons stretched beyond the winding path leading from the portal beneath an open, dry sky, with barely a puff of cloud to be found…oh hello!

Cutting through the hypnotic quality of the scenery was their venture, or so Haeyin supposed. The carnival home bedecked in jewel tones would have been better served nestled in the Clocktown market they just left. Its owner clearly was not a native of Ikana.

“You mean to tell me that wonderful example of modern architecture is the flagrant abode of our contact?” Shad exclaimed, only half listening to something similar Farore uttered that was surely as optimistic as his own observation. Clutching his hands, he grinned. “Let us hope that their genius design choices are only one of their remarkable qualities!”

As Shad and Farore spoke in unison, Haeyin couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled in his throat, amused by their very different opinions about the colorful home and its owner. He shook his head, beaming at the pair of them.

“Yes, to both of you,” he chuckled, beginning to make his way down the trail. “While I cannot comment on the exact nature of his finer qualities, I find it hard to believe such a house would belong to anyone else.”

Despite the lack of lively inhabitants, Ikana Village was far from desolate. As they walked along the winding path, the hairs on the back of Haeyin’s neck bristled in response to the eerie feeling that he was being watched. His eyes darted across the vacant and ruinous homes and buildings, half expecting to see someone standing in the entry ways or peering through windows as they passed them.

A cheerful tune entered Haeyin’s field of hearing as they drew closer to their destination, broadcasted from the horns atop the building’s roof. If the brightly colored home didn’t stand out before, it certainly did now. 

“I am all for theatrics but this seems.. a bit odd,” he mused. While admittedly catchy, the notes carried an almost haunting quality as they reverberated off the canyon walls. What reason did this scientist have for playing such song, here of all places? 

She turned her head slowly to survey Shad’s expression, remarkably excited and seemingly enamoured with the horrific construction before them.  Farore made a mental note to take his opinion on aesthetics with a pinch of salt.  Their salesman companion seemed especially amused by their disagreement, and she crossed her arms over her chest in her mild frustration.

“Well, at least this eyesore serves the purpose of helping us locate our contact... if nothing else,” Farore remarked as she followed Haeyin towards the house.  The closer they drew towards it, the more aware she became of a faint... music.  She wasn’t sure what perturbed her more, the eerie nature of this haunted canyon, or the disturbingly out of place melody she heard now.  The juxtaposition of such a jovial tone in a place like Ikana made her increasingly uncomfortable.

It seemed the terrible design of the house was, in fact, intentional.  The horns affixed to the roof were evidently designed to project the cheerful melody across the canyon, though for what purpose Farore could only imagine.  “There is power in music, however subtle,” she commented softly, tilting her head as she contemplated the tune.  “And it certainly serves to brighten the mood, I suppose.”

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad rubbed each shoulder and sighed over the sight of the whirling river current. His brain felt like a river current. And it appeared that his comrades fared no better–the reaction to their next hurdle matched that of one collective, heaving sigh.

“While I would ordinarily advocate the old college try,” he mumbled, “I must agree with Miss Farore in this instance. After all, the research awaits, and we must arrive as sharp and vigilant as we set off!”

At that, his stomach loudly gurgled. He clutched and compressed it, trying to stifle the noise with his shirt. A growing flush bridged his nose. He was thinking of something to say to talk over the sound when Haeyin stepped aside and…well, performed a feat of magic bound by no rules on this physical plane. Shad’s jaw dropped.

“After us?” he stammered. “Approximately how many human tests has this sort of mechanism undergone?”

But his query went unacknowledged, or so it seemed–Farore, the more courageous of the two apparently, hurriedly stepped through the portal first. Shad shook his head in bewilderment. “Well…well!”

Casting one last wary glance in Haeyin’s direction, he slowly approached the swirling disc of light and, one hand leading as if he were keeping balance, he waded into the energy and was gone.

The corners of Haeyin’s eyes crinkled slightly in a smile, amused by Shad’s skepticism, “Fear not my friend, I assure you it is quite safe. I only insist you go before me because the portal will close the moment I pass through.”

Farore, seemingly unphased by such magic, stepped through the portal first, vanishing within the swirling light. After a few moments more of hesitation, and with an encouraging nod from the Salesman, Shad tentatively followed suit. Haeyin glanced up the cliff side once more, sensing that the pair of them had emerged on the other side, before passing through the portal himself.

The familiar rush of being displaced sent a tingling wave over his skin, followed by a feeling of hollowness in the pit of his stomach. To anyone not accustomed to the disorienting nature of portal travel, such a sensation might have been nauseating. In hindsight, perhaps he should have mentioned it…

Using such magic had never been particularly draining on him in the past, but as he exited the portal Haeyin could already feel the fatigue settling in his bones. He exhaled in a weary sigh, the magical gateway dispelling behind him as he joined his associates near a withered tree a few paces away.

The sloping path they were on led to the heart of Ikana Village, the vacant and ruined residences and shops built into the canyon walls themselves. From their vantage point, Haeyin could see a distinctly modern home at the bottom of the hill, colorfully painted with a pair of very large brass horns affixed to its roof.

“I’m fairly certain our scientist lives there,” he said, gesturing with his hand to the painfully out of place architecture.

The sensation of the portal was familiar to her, despite the differences between Haeyin’s magic and her own.  Even so, she found herself momentarily overwhelmed with nausea as she stepped through the gate, squeezing her eyes shut as she appeared on the other side.  Once she recognized the sensation of solid ground beneath her feet, Farore opened her eyes, squinting beneath her goggles as she surveyed where the portal had lead her to.

It was an interesting landscape, if nothing else.  Though she found herself unnerved by the lost souls that clung to this land, Farore was an inch away from coming across as openly curious and excited about Ikana as Shad was presently.  The architecture was distinct in its cultural style, hewn into the very stone of the canyon, as if the people who had once lived here had molded the land for their own purposes.  Or perhaps it was the canyon that had sculpted its inhabitants, Farore thought grimly to herself, thinking of the denizens they might encounter here.

She was disturbed from her reverie by the dismal abomination of a building before them, distinctly out of place amongst the ancient wastes.  Where she had thought the ruins of Ikana were pleasing to the eye in the way they blended in with their surroundings, this structure appeared to defy it.

“You mean to tell me that that sinful excuse for architecture is the humble abode of our contact?” Farore replied dryly.  Shaking her head, she sighed.  “Let us hope that their terrible design choices are their only irritating quality.”

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad squinted at Haeyin over his emphasis on “mortals.” He hoped it wasn’t a pointed choice of words. He mopped his forehead with the back of his arm and undid the topmost button of his collar. “I do suppose few with the sanity of most mortals would deign to live in such a climate–”

A hiss interrupted his judgment and, before his eyes, what looked like a blinking rat began scurrying in their direction. It took him only a second more to identify the Bombchu, a creature he had only seen etched. on the pages of books in a study before this day.

He looked up again and saw Haeyin–no! Haeyin was already walking left, waving his arm, and Farore followed. Shad did a double-take between the man and the clever, albeit slightly translucent and opalescent, apparition before trodding after them both. After they had commenced a wide berth, a piercing explosion rocked the air behind them. Shad jumped and dodged the flurry of dust and pebbles peppering his back.

“No…not at all,” Shad agreed with Haeyin, dusting himself. “One would no longer have children!”

A climb? Shad followed Farore’s line of sight and jumped in place. Besides the glare, the canyon wall made for a good specimen. “My specialty!” he boasted. “I make a better climber than fighter or sprinter, myself!” He cleared his throat, to save from mentioning that he was a slightly better ‘slipper’ and ‘faller,’ too. “Shall we, then?”

“Oh, all manors of apparitions and monsters I suspect,” Haeyin replied easily. “Ikana has long since been proclaimed a cursed place, and as such the souls of those who once lived here are said to still remain, tethered to this world by their pain and regrets. It would be wise to remain on your guard. While some say it is merely superstitious nonsense, I find it rather difficult to ignore their unmistakable presence.”

He cast Farore an empathetic glance, “Wouldn’t you agree?”

While Haeyin was used to travelling over long distances, climbing had never been a skill he had mastered, and as Farore began her ascent of the canyon wall with Shad close behind, he felt his mouth tip slightly, an unenthusiastic hum rumbling in the back of his throat. He briefly debated using a portal to reach the abandoned village on his own, if only to avoid the potential risk of falling, before shaking his head and following after his fellow party members.

The climb itself wasn’t nearly as difficult as Haeyin had originally imagined it would have been, truthfully, and he could handle the many more bombchu, rolling boulders, and deceptively goron-like nejiron they encountered along the way, but the occasional misstep and slip on all three of their accounts had caused him far more anxiety than he was comfortable with. Once on stable ground again with no monsters in sight, Haeyin pushed back his hood to survey the area, raking his fingers through his hair in agitation, his forehead gleaming in beads of sweat.

“Up there,” he said, gesturing with a nod as he came to stand by the young Oracle. Ikana village was just ahead, atop a cliff on the other side of a nearby river, but despite the wooden docks on either side of the canyon, Haeyin knew that there was no way across. The gap was too wide to jump, the current too strong to swim against, and there was no boat to safely get them to the other side. Even if there was, they would still need to climb to the top.

Haeyin tilted his head back to peer up the cliff side, then around himself as if to judge the distance. He then turned his attention to Shad and Farore with a tight grin, “I don’t know about the pair of you, but personally I would prefer not to do any more climbing today.”

Channeling the magic that flowed through him, Haeyin lifted a hand, expelling and shaping the energy into a circular frame of swirling opalescent light.

“After you,” he said pleasantly, gesturing for his associates to pass through the portal.

Cursed.  The word made Farore shudder despite the heat, and she rubbed her arms fruitlessly in an effort to warm herself, or perhaps to comfort the rising nervousness that seemed to bubble in her throat whenever she looked down.  It was difficult to decipher where this particular sensation came from, as there was nothing in the immediate area that unnerved her quite so much as to incite a sensory reaction.  It seemed peculiar, almost as if she were staring into the face of evil...

The climb was difficult on her frayed nerves and aching joints, and by the time they approached the village of Ikana, Farore was already feeling the beginnings of exhaustion ebbing at her strength.  Thus, the sight of a river blocking their path was mildly distressing; she might have been able to paddle for a time, but she wasn’t nearly so strong a swimmer that she felt confident crossing that current.

“I am inclined to agree,” she responded as Haeyin seemed to share her woes.  Though she was unsure of what manner of mage the mask salesman was -- what was that doppelganger trick he had pulled back there? -- Farore wasn’t in a position to question the nature of his magic now.  As the man created a portal seemingly out of thin air, the pure energy of the spell twisting the very world around it, Farore could think only of the glee she would feel when she was permitted to rest a while.

Of course, were his skills as a mage lacking, she could also be torn into a thousand shattered pieces of herself, cast into oblivion.  Better not to think on that, Farore thought to herself.  Taking a deep breath, she took the first step into the portal.

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

“Right then–onward and…onward!” He was used to proclaiming ‘upward,’ but supposed the term didn’t fit as well as he had hoped. Regardless, the headscarf he wound incorrectly across his face muffled the latter half of his exuberant cry. He had to loosen the fabric as they marched east of the city and away from the quickly dying sunlight. 

Shad found he had to walk in continuous bursts of speed, for as he gazed about the countryside he often slowed and fell behind his patient companions. This looked like Hyrule…but no faction of Hyrule HE’D ever heard of. Surely he would know if a new region was acquired under the kingdom’s crest. It was almost as if the land were a sister province to the Goddess’ home. He would have to interrogate their client on this matter during their research expedition. “Termina…Et Terminus…Terminalia,” he mumbled as he walked. “Protection of…boundary markers.”

“Or!” he shouted with gusto, as yet another hostile monster sprung upon their party; before he could meet the wobbling flesh of the Chu Jelly with his knife, tucked into his journal in the guise of a letter opener, Haeyin stepped forward and dispelled it in a burst of light and smoke. 

“…To terminate,” he finished, turning to Farore with a mischievous smile.

By the time the green grasses of the fields faded to brown, then to red clay and starchy sand, the sun shone low enough to cook the back of his neck through the scarf like a furnace. He rubbed his sweaty scalp. “You know? I don’t believe he gave a surname other than ‘Pamela’s Father.’ Whatever that means.” 

He looked around. “But this desert isn’t the most lively locale. I doubt that researchers are so common we would have trouble finding the fellow.”

The trek to Ikana was relatively uneventful, save for for the occasional monster and Shad’s musings. The monsters were dispatched quickly, and to Haeyin’s surprise the scholar was fairing better than he had imagined he would, despite his tendency to get distracted. As he contemplated the etymology of Termina’s name, Haeyin stepped between Shad and a perturbed Chu Jelly, striking it down with ease. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the lad’s wordplay, offering an approving pat on the shoulder before the three of them continued onwards into the mouth of the canyon.

Haeyin adjusted the hood of his cloak, grateful for the small amount of shade it provided his face, “You’re not entirely wrong. This particular scientist and his daughter are among the very few mortals residing in the canyon these days. Most are far too afraid to dare step foot on these lands, but this man seems to have a acute fascination with spirits and the undead. So much so, in fact, that he decided to take up residence in the deserted village at the top of the canyon.”

It was at that moment that a bombchu emerged from the sands and began barreling towards them, a vicious rat-like creature with an explosive tail. Haeyin’s eyes widened slightly, a sheen of magical energy enveloping his form, before quickly sidestepping, leaving an image of his likeness in his wake. He motioned for Shad and Farore to give the monster a wide berth, retreating a fair distance as it made a b-line for the illusion. The bombchu exploded on contact with the canyon wall behind it, sand and rock and dust flying in all directions.

Haeyin sniffed, casting a wry grin to his travelling companions as he brushed chalky residue from his cloak, “Not exactly the best place to raise a child, in my opinion, but there you have it.” 

The way Haeyin said “mortals” sent a chill down Farore’s spine.  She had to remember that the life she sensed here was not all of the same calibre; there were some entities in this forgotten place that existed beyond the mortal plane.  “Mortals?” she repeated, feigning surprise.  “What exactly can we expect to find in a place like this?”

As it was, it seemed an unlikely place for anyone to exist.  Farore was having a difficult enough time with the heat, and there were no signs that even suggested anyone lived here -- not for a very, very long time.  She hoped that if Pamela and her father were still out here, they remained among the living.

“I suppose it’s onward and upward, Shad,” she muttered, shielding her goggled-eyes as she gazed towards she could only assume the village lay hidden at the top of the canyon.  “I hope you boys are ready for a climb.”

It certainly seemed as if Termina’s name originated from “to terminate”; there were many times during that precarious journey that Farore found herself nearly falling to her doom.  Then, there were the frightening creatures that dwelled within the depths... She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly against the heat of the desert wind.  Where was their contact?

[secretprophet]

(( farore’s scar chart as of february 6th 2017! this one took way longer than it should have but i’m more or less pleased with how it turned out. as with the other two, here’s the spoilery version with scar descriptions! ))

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad absorbed Haeyin’s wonderful tale of this Carnival of Time. While he offered no information about Clocktown, he found the stories of the festival’s delights as endearing and wonderful. “Fascinating…” he murmured, already half distracted by subject number two: the fact that Haeyin had surrendered his arm from his enormous sack, made all the more enormous still inside by what appeared to some manner of expansion magic…or was it dimensional hoarding magic…?

Haeyin’s pause cut their conversation short. Shad looked back and forth between the two before shaking himself and squaring his shoulders. “Right. No time for lollygagging–if we need further supplies before our expedition, we must acquire them quickly!” He so wanted for the chain watch he left at the tavern. No matter. His hand fiddled with a stray thread hanging from his vest, instead. “It appears that the town holds no shortage of goods and valuables; just don’t enter into shops that look like treasure chests.”

“Shall we, then?”

“I…” Haeyin was only vaguely aware of what his associates were saying, blinking as he awoke from his distracted state. He looked to the young Oracle with a subtly confused expression. “Hm?”

Her question finally registered and he chuckled lightly, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, “Forgive me, I thought I… Well, no matter. In any case, I did, yes. Enchant the bag, that is.”

Haeyin stooped to swipe the bag from the ground and hoisted it over his shoulder once more as Shad suggested they be on their way. At the mention of the Treasure Chest Shop, however, he grinned widely, casting a knowing glance his way.

“Ah, so you ran into Sue, I take it?” he laughed. “Fear not, she’s… mostly harmless. Here –” Haeyin held the scarf he’d retrieved out to the young scholar. “Wear this. It will help keep the sand out of your mouth. It’s a bit windy in the canyon.”

“Now.. the fastest way to Ikana is through the Eastern district of the city,” Haeyin began, now walking back in that direction. “There is a marked road that will lead us to the canyon once we are out in the field, but we must hurry. Ikana is not a pleasant place to be during nightfall. I suspect we will manage, but best get there as soon as possible all the same.”

Farore found herself laughing quietly under her breath, wondering what sort of negative experience Shad might have had within the treasure chest-shaped establishment.  “I agree, we’d be better off getting there before... well, as soon as possible,” she replied cheerfully.  “Come on, Shad, get that scarf on and let’s go!”

She was not one to skip, normally... but today she was feeling up to it.  She needed the added cheer.  And under her glamour, she felt fairly confident only her comrades would be able to see her.  Leading them through the city streets, Farore permitted herself a few moments to admire the town as she passed through.  She wondered if the people here remembered what had happened, or if in time they had allowed themselves to forget the horrors of their past.  Perhaps it was a mixture of both.

The road to Ikana was long and winding, but as Haeyin had promised it was well-marked with road signs and the occasional hostile creature.  Farore was subtly impressed with their scholarly companion in these moments; while she had doubted his capability in a fight, he seemed to hold his own reasonably well.

When they finally arrived in Ikana, a hot, late afternoon sun shone brightly in the west.  Farore was grateful for the goggles she had brought, which she now placed securely over her eyes.  Even through the scarf wrapped over her mouth, the air felt hot, and it almost burned her throat to speak.  “Do you remember what our contact’s name was?” she asked, to anyone in particular.

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

Shad followed the path to the foot of an owl statue–standing up against the gargantuan stone clock tower. He craned his neck to follow its curvature some seventy to one-hundred feet into the air. The ticks from its hands were so low-toned he could swear he felt them reverberate through the wood planks underfoot. Above his head, colorful flags on criss-crossing ropes swung and snapped in the breeze.

“Watch where you’re going, tourist!”

Shad jumped and darted out of the way of a jogging fellow wearing a dated blue tunic and dark blue leggings. He ran with a large pack strapped to his back and muttered under his breath. Shad followed him with his eyes, but quickly lost the back of his bald head in what he realized was quite a heavy throng of people. Almost like the Castletown, he mused, but with no castle in sight.

He peered at the clock again. Maybe this was a castle of a kind.

In the crowd, he didn’t search long before he spied what he was looking for: a shock of red and shock of green hair. His two compatriots stuck out like street performers. Waving a hand over his head, he deftly side-stepped the foot traffic and narrowly avoided tripping over a darting dog before joining them by their side.

“What a marvelous city!” he exclaimed. He straightened his spectacles. “It appears to be some kind of tourist of festival season. I wonder what for? And so many varieties of people! Why, I spied a Goron mailperson following a fellow into an inn, and I do believe a Deku is taking up shop residence in that pink flower just there. What do you make of all this? What is it all for?” 

For the time being, he had completely forgotten about Ikana. He could have spent the entire excursion hoarding the wealth of information just to be had in this square mile of crossroads.

Farore’s remark surprised him, and his smile faltered momentarily. He had nearly forgotten just how intuitive she could be; while she may not have been present to witness the events of Termina’s dark past, the remnants of what transpired there had been etched into the very fabric of reality, and something like that was very difficult to ignore.

Haeyin shifted where he stood, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled thinly, “There are others who suffered far more than I, dear Oracle. Though you are right.. In truth, it has been some time since I was last here, but I’m afraid there are some wounds that not even time can mend.”

He looked up as Shad’s arrival was brought to his attention, and was relieved that the lad’s presence provided ample means to change the topic at hand. 

“No, that’s quite alright, I’ve already packed everything I believe necessary for an excursion such as this,” he replied, nodding to the bag he carried. He pursed his lips, squinting thoughtfully. “Mm, though I suppose I should have brought a cloak to keep the wind and sand at bay… Wait a moment, did I–?”

As Shad approached, Haeyin slid the pack from his shoulders and set it on the ground in front of him, stooping as he opened the top and began rummaging around inside. The scholar was going on about the city, the sights and atmosphere of it all so very new to him. It was endearing in a way, and Haeyin found himself grinning as question after question poured out him. There was a sudden clattering sound from within his bag as he shoved his arm deeper inside - far more than he should have been able to, nearly up to his shoulder. He then withdrew a earth-toned cloak and similarly colored scarf, rearranging the contents of the bag before closing it again.

“Clocktown is fairly lively year round, but we’ve arrived during the preparations for the Carnival of Time it seems,” Haeyin explained, standing to pull the cloak around his shoulders. “It’s a festival the locals hold in celebration of nature and the progression of time itself. The streets of the city flood with people, welcoming artisans and musicians from all walks of life as they don masks to honor the gods that protect these lands, praying they grant them peace and prosperity in the year to come. It’s all good fun, you see! Plenty of food, music, dancing, and general revelry. Why, there’s even a fireworks display on the…”

Haeyin’s words trailed off, his expression momentarily vacant as he tilted his head, distracted by something in the unseen distance. It was a sort of nagging sensation that tugged at him, some inkling of awareness that somewhere, someone was doing something they probably shouldn’t be doing, and it caused Haeyin’s crimson gaze to narrow ever so slightly in response.

Shad’s enthusiasm was refreshing, if nothing else.  Farore attempted to smile.  Had she ever been able to enjoy places such as these the same way?  She couldn’t remember; it was difficult for her to recall any time prior to her awakening.  Whenever she came across a place such this, it was as if she could feel the secrets burning against every surface, screaming for reprieve of the silence.

She was distracted from her thoughts by Haeyin’s arm seemingly vanishing within his pack.  Her eyes widened before she broke out into a grin, clapping excitedly.  “Oh my, that is very impressive!” Farore exclaimed.  “Did you enchant that yourself, Haeyin?”

Tapping the set of goggles still perched on her forehead, Farore grinned.  “I remembered my travelling gear, thankfully,” she said wistfully.  “I... figured it best to wear it here, lest I forget it somewhere on the way out of the -- my house.”

Haeyin’s attention seemed elsewhere, however.  Farore squinted towards the horizon in unison, hoping to catch whatever had suddenly caused him to stop mid-sentence.  She turned towards Shad, frowning.  “Was it something I said?” she wondered aloud.

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

ratherformidable:

“You sure you don’t wanna play, just a little?” the woman at the desk cooed. Shad yanked on his collar and felt for the doorknob behind his back.

“So sorry,” he stammered. “I’m not familiar, you see, and I–I appear to have lost my w–”

“Well,” she interrupted. She flicked aside a lock of purple hair and examined her cuticles, leaning against the counter, “you’ll have to find your way back when you get where you’re going.” She looked up then, and winked.

Shad emerged from the wood shop shaped like a treasure chest and heaved a sigh. The teller hadn’t seemed perturbed that he left Telma’s tavern and emerged into her arena, despite the fact that there was no back entrance. So long as he was a potentially paying customer, he supposed.

He looked around. He appeared to be in a wide lane, looping across matching stone and wood stores and buildings. A pair of twins in matching leotards danced amidst flickering torches while a small crowd of tourists watched. Behind them, a small child with red hair hovered suspiciously close to their pockets, at purse-height.

Shad ran a hand through his hair and turned in a circle distractedly. “Now, let’s see…” he muttered to himself. “I don’t see Farore…Mr. Haeyin…?”

Both north and south directions led to alleyways. He supposed he couldn’t make his precarious scenario worse, now that it was nearly nightfall, with either decision. Putting one foot before the other, he followed the northernmost path, where it led in a bend towards a hulking stone clocktower.

After waiting by the Eastern  gate for decidedly longer than he cared to, Haeyin adjusted his rucksack and made his way towards the Southern district. Perhaps a more prominent landmark, like the clock tower, would be a better place to meet than for him to linger near an increasingly disgruntled guard. He’d already been questioned three times, and wasn’t keen on making it a fourth.

Haeyin hadn’t been expecting the flutterings of long forgotten dread that crept into his heart as the clock tower came into view. It had been many years now since he had taken refuge inside, fretfully awaiting the young hero’s victory over the imp who had stolen a certain mask from him. He still carried the regret he felt over the incident, unable to forgive himself for being so careless, and for sending a child to undo his mistakes. Haeyin heaved a heavy sigh, shoulders sagging as he shoved the memories back into the darker corners of his consciousness where they belonged.

A small dog crossed his path then, and Haeyin watched as it scampered off in the direction of the laundry pool. Not a moment later he felt a familiar magical imprint and turned his attention to the source, though he saw nothing. Curious, he thought, one eyebrow raised. Just as he was about to turn away, he watched as the Oracle of Secrets herself appeared from seemingly thin air, tripping over the yapping pup. She let out a string of exclamations and struggled to maintain her footing, to which Haeyin couldn’t help but laugh in response. He covered his mouth with a hand as his shoulders bobbed, hoping that she hadn’t heard him.

Once Farore regained her composure, Haeyin shook his head and made his way towards her.

“Gracious, are you alright?” he asked pleasantly, laughter still alight in his crimson eyes. “You seem rather out of sorts, Farore. You didn’t happen to get lost on the way, did you?”

Her hopes had been in vain, evidently.  Despite her embarrassment, Farore was grateful for Haeyin’s presence; it was nice to have friendly faces around in a place she was foreign to.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she insisted, brushing herself off.  She wasn’t sure if it as Haeyin she was attempting to convince or herself.  “My particular brand of magic is ... it doesn’t account for obstacles on the other side, that’s all.  I didn’t see the poor thing.”

She sniffed, rubbing her arms.  It wasn’t exactly cold here, but something about Termina always gave her a particularly bad case of gooseflesh.  She could only imagine it was the result of the magical interference that had once been so prominent here; that sort of energy -- even after it had breathed, swelled, and died beneath this very clock tower -- left a scar in the fabric of the world that could not be forgotten.

“I forgot how... difficult it was to be here,” she said quietly.  “Although I imagine I may very well be preaching to the choir, hm?  Of all the people who were affected by what happened here... I imagine you may be among the people to have suffered the worst of it.”

At that moment, a familiar young scholar came into view, giving Farore an adequate reason to change topics.  “Why, it looks like Shad’s finally arrived as well!  I suppose we’re all set to go, then?  Unless you wanted to run a few errors before we head into Ikana.”

[moonfallmerchant]

A Haunted Expedition

[secretprophet]

moonfallmerchant:

Having returned to the top floor of the tavern, Haeyin hurried about his room, placing items into an open rucksack that sat on the book-cluttered desk each time he passed it; glass vials of potions, a jar of healing salve, a parchment map. Grabbing a compass off the top of the dresser, he squinted as he inspected it closely, tapping the device a few times as if to check that it still worked, before crossing the room again to store it with the rest of his travelling supplies. Almost ready…

Moving to the center of the floor with his bag in tow, the Salesman extended his arm and snapped his fingers. One by one, an assortment of masks materialized midair in wisps of glittering smoke, encircling Haeyin where he stood. If he would be venturing into Ikana, then he would need to be well prepared.

He tapped his chin, humming thoughtfully as he slowly turned on his heel while surveying his collection. A mask bearing resemblance to a Redead’s mummified face was the first one that he plucked from the air, stashing it gently inside the rucksack. Next, a macabre piece that was decorated with bone, a skull serving to hide the wearers face. A mask of stone and an embellished hood followed suite, with the final selection looking startlingly similar to a Gibdo’s bandaged visage.

Satisfied, Haeyin fastened the bag’s clasp and snapped his fingers again, the remaining masks vanishing just as suddenly as they appeared. He exited the room without a second look back, quietly closing the door behind him. An odd sense of anticipation rose within him as he made his way downstairs. How long had it been since he’d returned to Termina? The longer he thought on the question, the more displeased he became; the bitter truth of it was simply that he didn’t know.

But as he pushed the doors to the tavern open, stepping out onto all too familiar cobbled streets, he found that it was as if he had never left. Haeyin took a deep breath and let it out, a smile stretching across his lips as he adjusted the rucksack on his shoulder. Now.. where was it that he was to meet his travelling companions?

The Hall of Secrets offered just about everything the young oracle would need in her travels, provided she knew where to look.  As it was, without a sound mind Farore found herself without a sound sense of direction, making navigating the Hall for supplies far more difficult than it ought to have been.

Clearing cobwebs from forgotten wardrobes, Farore had to balance precariously on the edge of massive chests to retrieve articles of clothing suitable for desert adventuring.  Her current attire was woefully ill-suited for the scorching sun and the dry winds, and she had experienced severe sun burns before -- it was not something she particularly wanted to relive.

Draping a scarf over head her head and around her shoulders, she adjusted the goggles placed over her eyes and tightened the fabric around her mouth, testing the breathability.  Yes, that would do nicely.  Moving the goggles up to her forehead -- the tinted glass would only result in accidents down in the Hall -- she tucked the remainder of her journeying supplies into the rucksack she had found, slinging it over her shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Farore tucked the Grimoire under her arm, swallowing her anxieties.  She had primed the portal for use earlier, all that was left to do was... use it.  Taking a step through the portal, Farore strode through the magical frame -- and collided with a small, furry animal.

“Oh--ouch--by the Three--Goddesses!” she cried out in alarm, struggling to maintain her balance and very nearly failing to do so entirely.  Well, this was certainly off to a marvelous start.  Hopefully no one had witnessed that.

[ratherformidable-blog]

Because of course he would

[secretprophet]

ratherformidable:

moonfallmerchant:

The fact that Shad indeed knew his name was far less surprising than the fact that he had referred to him as “mister”, and Haeyin waved the title away with a flick of his wrist, “Please, these are not business hours. “Haeyin” will do just fi–”

There was a distinct shift in the atmosphere of the room as Nayru and the disguised King made contact, and the Salesman could tell by her sudden rigid posture that Farore had sensed it too. The magic around her flickered in her anxiety, and by the time Shad had turned on his heel, Haeyin had already taken a step forward, eyes locked on Ganondorf’s cloaked figure as Din stood between him and her sister oracle.

This was precisely what he had feared might happen. Even from across the room, the swirling biting rage building within the giant man was apparent, as was the cool and steady frost that fanned around Nayru as she stood her ground. How long could Din talk them down before the two forces collided?

The attention placed upon their interaction must have eventually been too great to bear, and moments later Ganondorf yielded, melting into the surrounding shadows to escape the spotlight. Haeyin released the breath he’d been holding in quiet relief, and cast a sideways glance to Farore. She remained visibly on edge, wisps of magic crackling around her hands with a far away look in her eyes. “Farore.” His tone was soft, low as he carefully reached to reassuringly touch the oracle’s arm with the back of his hand. “It’s alright; he’s gone. Would you like to go check on your sisters?”

And the strange man just--vanished! Did his eyes deceive him? Shad removed his lenses and fished a square of cloth from his breast pocket. By the time he replaced them, however, the fellow had disappeared entirely.

He straightened his vest and his shoulders and turned back around. “Well! I think all this excitement worked more wonders than coffee after a–”

But the look on Farore’s face made his words die in his mouth. Haeyin had already reached out in comfort; Shad grimaced in sympathy. “Miss…never fear! He is gone now. He’s…”

Shad glanced over his shoulder. He had no idea the other two women in the altercation were her sisters. What an intriguing recessive gene pool.

“…At any rate,” he continued, “If you wish to leave the tavern behind awhile, I believe we were about to see ourselves out as well.”

Farore.

The sound of her own voice drew her back, and she drew in a shuddering breath.  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she insisted, swallowing the panic that had risen in her throat against her will.  Taking a deep breath, Farore tucked her hair back behind her ear, clutching the Grimoire to her chest.

“Yes, he’s gone now,” she replied softly, her tone sorrowful.  “And for that, I am worried.”

She was grateful for Shad’s gentle reminder of the mission at hand, and she nodded briskly.  “Yes, I believe that might be a good idea,” Farore agreed.  “I am none too keen to stay here much longer, not… not today, at least.  And you will be joining us, yes?  We should rendezvous in Termina, near Ikana.  I… look forward to seeing you both there!”

Doing her best to keep her smile fixed on her face, she nodded to each of them before turning on her heel, taking her leave from the tavern and venturing forth into the wilderness.  This would be interesting, if nothing else.

[ratherformidable-blog]

Because of course he would

[secretprophet]

ratherformidable:

moonfallmerchant:

Haeyin nodded, eyes crinkling at the corners. “It was my intention, yes.”

As Shad spoke of his father, the Salesman peered at the tome in his hands, having never had the chance before. Intricately decorated - Was that a… bird on the cover? - and a tad worn, he could tell it meant a great deal to the young scholar as he gingerly flipped through the pages. He took great pride in his work, the work of his late father, and it showed in the way he treated it so carefully. At this, Haeyin’s expression softened, being a man who also held his work close to heart.

His attention shifted to Farore when she addressed him, suggesting he join them, even though they were perfectly capable of handling the mission themselves.

“Of this I have no doubt,” he replied, chuckling softly. When asked if he had ever been to Ikana, Haeyin shifted his weight, the edges of his smile wavering momentarily. “I have. It’s been a few years, however.”

An understatement, he reminded himself, but it was not worth mentioning in present company. He followed the Oracle’s gaze around the tavern, settling on Azrael again. His friend winked when their eyes met, and Haeyin grinned.

“I’m sure there are a few who wouldn’t pass up the opportunity,” he agreed, returning his attention to Shad and Farore. “Ikana may not be the most hospitable of places, but it would be far from a dull adventure, to be sure.”

“Wonderful!” Shad waited as patiently as he could while the salesman spoke, but once he gained his approval, he sprung from the barstool and clutched the book to his side. “We shall prepare to leave at once! Are the both of you ready? Mr. Haeyin, if you do believe any one of your comrades may care to join us, then–”

“That’s enough.”

The timber of a woman’s voice cut through the din of the bar just so. The room fell a few degrees softer. Cooler. Shad turned on his heel reflexively before his mind and manners could tell him no. He held up a finger to stop the other two from talking–even though they had silently regarded him while he spoke–and took in the hulking stranger who stood surprisingly close by.

Her attention was torn from her company the moment she felt her sister touch that hooded man.  As their skin made contact, Farore felt her heart stop -- her glamour flickered in her panic, and her gaze shot from the salesman to the table where Nayru sat on the other side of the room.

She had half a mind to run there, to whisk herself and her sister away from the tavern at once, but Din arrived at Nayru’s side first -- and in any case, the hooded figure disappeared once the sister had revealed their proverbial spines.

Farore stood frozen; how long exactly she remained fixed, her hand primed to enact her teleportation spell, she could not be certain.  How... is this possible?

She must have been mistaken.  It couldn’t be him, not after all these years... they had ensured that horrid apparition could not return, and had they not been successful?  Surely... surely it could not have been him... could it?

[ratherformidable-blog]

Because of course he would

[secretprophet]

ratherformidable:

moonfallmerchant:

Once the initial shock of the company he held wore off, Haeyin made his way to the missions board, having just seen Shad tack a notice to it. He skimmed over the flyers briefly - cucco wrangling for the woman in Kakariko again, something about…bees?, a missing person, fetching wine for Telma - before settling on the request that the scholarly lad had been looking at.

Ikana? He tilted his head. Who in the world would want to go there?

As soon as he saw the fellow’s picture, Haeyin’s expression fell flat. Ah. The scientist who had taken up living in the canyon with his young daughter. He’d heard of him, and his… peculiar line of research. Haeyin looked over his shoulder as Shad joined the Oracle of Secrets, the pair of them apparently very enthusiastic about the mission. Because of course they would be. Haeyin may not have known Shad very well, in fact he didn’t recall them being formally introduced, but his reputation among the tavern regulars made him out to frequently get enthusiastically into situations a wee bit over his head. And this was definitely one of those times.

Haeyin pursed his lips. It had been a while since he was last in Termina…

“Pardon me,” Haeyin called, approaching Shad and Farore. A warm smile effortlessly worked its way onto his face. “Are you two taking the Ikana mission by chance?”

Shad returned to his barstool perch and slightly leaned toward the counter, waiting until Telma turned and could catch his eye. “Miss Farore and I plan to take the mission setting off to–”

Telma interrupted his choice with a slight smile and a nod over his shoulder. He turned to spy–the gentleman he sees her quite often indeed. Haeyin, he believed it was. He didn’t want to try his luck and take a stab at a wrong name, however.

“The Ikana mission! Yes!” he exclaimed, looking from Farore back to Haeyin. “But we fully intended to ask ‘round before setting off. Had you a mind to assist the fellow there?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Farore. “I must admit my bias. Did you know? My late father was a scientist!” He reached for the Sky Book again and began to thumb through the pages. “Oh, he would have loved this treasure. Helping another in exploratory pursuit, why…it may feel like old times, you know?…”

The word “father” stopped her in her tracks momentarily, and it took a half beat later for Farore to nod sympathetically.  “You would honour him in exploring the wonders this world has to offer us,” she agreed, smiling gently.  She turned to face the newcomer, one she recognized for... potentially all the wrong reasons.  They had not met in this lifetime, but she recognized his face from before.  How curious.

“You should join us,” Farore suggested, extending a hand towards the other man.  “Shad and I are very capable, of course, but more hands and fresh eyes may help make this mission far more efficient.  Have you been to Ikana before, sir?”  There was a twinge in her gut that told her the answer might be “yes”, but she did not care to rely purely on assumptions.

“I do wonder if anyone else here might be interested,” she mused, tapping her chin as she glanced around the tavern.  “I feel like many of our company would be glad for the fresh air.  Theoretically speaking, of course.”