World Tree MUSH

  After the ordeal of crossing several larger peaks in the range, the princess had elected to follow a narrow, winding descent into the shadows between the summits. No matter how grueling, the path was still an easier time than climbing over mountains and down valleys. An hour from the ruins she had called to make camp in one of the caves through the range, deep enough to shield from the wind and weather.

  Scouting the ruins yielded a few interesting facts.

  There are no monsters present nor wildlife of any kind. The structure is completely abandoned. Parts of the roof and outermost walls have begun to collapse from neglect, and the emptiness is unsettling in a place that was once so lavish. It wasn't just a mansion, though. Tallying the structures confirms Zelda's suspicion that the place was meant as a functional garrison.

  Days ago the princess had stated she could sense the Twilight in the direction of the ruins. She couldn't tell the number or strength of their enemy, but she could sense it was there. The closer they draw to the ruins, the more of a sickly orange cast the sky develops. At the corners of one's vision, burning embers flit skyward in oddly geometric patterns. The figments are gone the instant they're looked at directly.

  Since their arrival she's been restless as a tiger in a cage, pacing when they aren't in motion, eyes fever-bright but otherwise healthy. It is her duty to wipe out that evil, she explained, as the Goddess Hylia once had. Being so near to the Twilight and being unable to act against it, between her personal reasons and the divinity in her blood, is a torment. With conscious effort she had settled, using prayer to occupy her mind instead of giving in to the urge to run ahead and unleash righteous wrath on the lurking Twilight.

  They wait now to regroup before marching on the chamber the Twilight has been tracked to, which is the estate's master bedroom on the third floor. The time for regrouping is winding down, though. The orangish haze in the air is getting heavier. The flitting embers are more numerous. They've been noticed.

  "We should move, soon." Zelda's warning is hushed, as though she were reluctant to break the silence, and there is a low edge to it that betrays her restlessness. She has an arrow fitted loosely to her bowstring. Fever-bright eyes dart from one shadow to the next, as though daring one of them to move. "I have no doubt that it knows we are here. Why it has not yet chosen to meet us, though, I could not say."

  Her eyes slide back to the others only briefly. "What are your thoughts...?"

The Sacred Beast has been a difficult one to keep track of. When they first set foot on snowy areas he took a while to get used to it, and spent more than a little time just goofing off in the distance. Here and there he went, scouting the borders of their little party and driving off the regular wildlife when he wasn't making an active attempt at killing them and dragging them back for the night's stew pot. The animals, though, have grown less and less the nearer they've gone to the peaks that are their aim-- and of course by now, disappeared entirely.

Link arrives in the cave after yet another scouting run, his tail wagging back and forth as he trots up to Zelda. He barks twice, which is a previously agreed-upon signal that all's clear. Or at the least, clear as it can be in this area. Of course, knowing that the Twilight Beast is aware of them puts a bit of a damper on this mood.

If there's nothing else to catch their scent and attack them, they've still got that to deal with. No amount of scouting or being careful will mitigate against it, as far as Link can tell. Sometimes they come crawling out of the shadows like some sort of bizarre termites. At least you can tell where termites /are/.

The wolf headbutts Zelda in the side of the leg, and whines at her. His meaning isn't externally clear, but he's been urging her to work on relaxing during tense situations throughout the trip. This particular signal is his wolf-y way of communicating that idea.

    Now all armored up again, Cecil ponders the approach. It makes him uneasy, and his uneasiness is almost rolling off of him, in that threatening dark armor. It's also easy to tell from the way he's shifting his grip about on the sword hilt.

    "I don't like this approach," he finally says. "The lighting is bad, the enemy is entrenched, and we have to use the stairs in a garrissoned structure. It's ruined enough that there may be unsafe areas, so our mobility will be bad as well. We'll need to be careful."

    Assessing the group, he sighs. "It would be easier if we had someone nimble or who could fly or float. I suppose we will just need to take care. I doubt we'll be taking anyone by surprise." Says the one that goes clank clank. "Fortunately they likely don't know our capabilities. Let's just hope they are vulnerable to mine."

    It's Yumi's first experience with the Twilight. As utterly frigid as the mountain might be, with enough clothes, she has learned to at least tolerate it. But the slow shift in the sky's color, the faint hint of something settling in around her (settling into what? she's not sure)... it has her feeling chilled in an entirely different sort of way. Something about this place feels subtly wrong. Something about it bothers her, just faintly.

    She's hiding it well enough, but she's absolutely unsettled.

    She might not be as agitated as Zelda, but anything more than a casual glance will give it away. Yumi is on edge too. Where the princess prays, the younger girl has had nothing for it but to pace. Only the soft warning breaks her agitation - but in return, it watchets the tension just a little higher. Her grip on her baseball bat tightens.

    "Cecil's right. I think that's probably the main reason it hasn't attacked, too," she adds. "The only known is you, Zelda, and they know you're dangerous when you have to be. I'd be cautious too."

    Crossing mountains is not easy. Every step of the way the environment and temperature extremes proved to be the most treacherous enemy imaginable, and it has thus far been no journey for the faint of hearted. Rydia of Myst is not faint of heart, but what the girl is not lacking in courage, she is lacking in physical fortitude, and the journey is, perhaps, more viciously exhausting upon her than she does her best to show. Travelling down a mountain may be easier than up, but it is still a frigid mountain where the risk of freezing to death waits lurking at every turn, and a small dread in Rydia's breast is just waiting for that wrong turn to happen.
    Thankfully it does not happen, and soon enough the ruins of the old Snowpeak manor appear through the frigid winds and obscuring, never ending, white of the mountaintops, looming like a silent specter in the distance through the snowy fog. Rydia's relief is short lived.
    She had spied the princess' pacing, Zelda's restlessness and the odd gleam of her eyes, wondering silently to herself if the trip up the mountain had perhaps driven the princess up not just the heights of peak province, but up the peaks of madness as well. But the princess' manner is proven well founded when the skies soon take on the sepia tones of the very Twilight she had described in the past. The Twilight Rydia had only had a glimpse of on her first journey through Hyrule when the Adept Slayer had left Zelda for dead. It is a bad memory, and the orange tint begins to fill the girl with a quiet sense of foreboding dread all the way through the derelict garrison, a dagger clutched in one hand, her whip in the other, she moves huddled in bundled robes and the fur of her Wolfos cloak swishing behind her. She had considered turning to her trusted Ice Rod, but decided it would probably be the least effective against anything already used to the bitterly cold mountain temperatures. She has also provided Yumi with a spare dagger. How many Rydia actually HAS is a question she does not answer, if asked at all.
    "It could be a trap." She suggests. "If whatever it is already knows we're here- that we were coming- who knows how long it could have had to set something up." She mutters.
    "Sorry," Added after a beat. "I'm not good enough with white magic to cast Float." She asides to Cecil. "But I can go ahead of the group a bit- see if there are any weak spots in the floor to avoid- I'm light enough I probably won't fall through."
    She is the smallest person present, after all.

  It's the sound of claws clicking against the stone that catches the princess' attention, but the shadow beasts don't make that kind of noise. White wolfos are silent when they walk. That leaves Link, and Zelda looks up at the sound of his bark, and the sight of his plumed tail waving in the shadows.

  Her smile is half-hearted when he headbutts her leg. The gesture nearly bowls her over, causing her to brace a hand against the side of the masonry she's seated on to catch herself.

  "So, then. That leaves the enemy within." Restlessness wins in the end. She replaces her weapons, climbing to her feet and pacing. Her breath fogs in the cold air. "I agree. It would be convenient if we had someone with such freedom of movement, but we must use what we have."

  On taking anyone by surprise, she smiles, ruefully. "No, Sir Cecil, we will not be taking anything by surprise. Certainly not the Twilight." She turns her hand to bare the Triforce of Wisdom, flaring to life even through the two pairs of gloves she has on. "Tachibana Yumi is correct. I am a known factor to them, and I cannot hide the blood of the goddess from their senses."

  "My powers are in direct opposition to everything that they are," she says simply, in response to Yumi's observation that she could be dangerous to the beasts. It's like using a sledgehammer to kill ants.

  She turns summer-blue, slightly glassy eyes on Rydia, thoughtful for a moment, even as her right hand twitches slightly at her side. It wants to hold a sword, or a bow, or anything; wants to invoke the power that seethes in her blood. Zelda smiles wanly. "Do as you will. I believe a frontal assault would be best, but that is not simply my own compulsion speaking. They will expect me -- but they will not expect any of you. We would then have the element of surprise."

The look that Link gives Zelda is /probably/ apologetic. He's been more-or-less on his best behavior since their falling out before. He's still... well, crude as hell, but not critical or dismissive.
The truth of the matter is, that Link isn't a planner. He doesn't think it through much when he's engaging in fights. He charges in, picks an enemy, and gets to work. Sometimes that doesn't work out that well-- most of the time, his sheer might makes it fine. So all throughout the planning, he just observes in relative silence. It's Rydia offering to take point that really draws his attention. A bizarre, questioning vocalization bubbles up out of the wolf's muzzle.

He's been trying to figure out ways to communicate better without using Zelda as a translator. Mostly, it comes off as weird. But the fact that he doesn't really want Rydia to be at the front of the pack is fairly plain. Or perhaps it was closer to 'are you sure?' than anything. It's, as always, hard to tell.

But the Sacred Beast does bark encouragement at the idea of a frontal assault. Improvisation would be his middle name if he had a last name and the entire concept was at all meaningful to him.

    In this concern, Cecil and Link are in agreement. "A fine plan, Rydia, but if you should end up falling, we would have difficulty recovering you. It would be better to simply stay together, Float or not. We'll just need to stick to the obviously secure areas."

    The armored knight starts to move. "I'd like to do some sort of flanking, but perhaps you're right. Going in straight ahead looks to be the easiest option, even if it's unintuitive. We have a lot of backup here, more than they likely count on." He's advancing then. "Better idea. Rydia, you and Zelda support us from the back, while Link and myself take point. Yumi, why don't you keep an eye out for anything. You've got good instincts, but I'd prefer we keep you out of combat, so let's put them to use as best we can."

    A dagger. Yumi stares at this offering with some trepidation. A few seconds of indecision pass, and then she reaches out to take it from Rydia with a faint nod. "Thanks." She'll only be using it as a backup; she still feels a little more confident in the heft of her bat, somehow. But it'll be a fairly nice backup to have, carefully slid into her belt, almost-but-not-quite in the small of her back. Cecil gets a nod as well, this time in agreement. "Right. I'll keep my eyes peeled." Much as part of her wants to dive into the fray, she's better served as a lookout. Especially when they're facing otherworldly shadow creatures. Something about that almost feels... well, not 'right', but like an enemy she knows how to deal with. She's going to be watching the walls and ceiling as much as she is the floor.

    Green eyes meet blue for a moment, and Rydia's lips purse. "Zelda, are you alright? You've been a little... Freaky since we got here." The Summoner murmurs. But her attention shifts to the Divine Beast, lips pursing briefly at the strange sounds the big green wolf manages.
"I'll be fine. I should be fine." She reassures with as much firmness as she can muster. She already volunteered to do it, she can't very well back down. Until Cecil vetos her and tells her to stick firmly to the back row where she belongs.
    The swirling mist lingering around her like a thin Summoner-centered fog swirls in, apparent, silent agreement that makes the green-haired girl huff.
    "Okay."
    To the back it is, with her.

  Half a glance is spared toward the wolf's apologetic look. That he's been on his best behaviour hasn't been missed, and as a result she's been polite and respectful to him in return, making efforts to include him wherever possible; even showing small kindnesses here and there where she can.

  Zelda leaves off her pacing long enough to fix Rydia with a long and measured look, appraising the girl; maybe mentally calculating height and weight. Her eyes dart back to the stairway. Will she be light enough for the structure to hold? It's possible.

  "I must agree with Sir Cecil, in light of the structure's condition. None of the supports may be considered safe." She points at the left-hand stairway, which is collapsed through the middle. "There's no way that would be useful without a team of masons and carpenters." She then points to the right. "That would appear intact. I would suggest caution, but I believe we can use it."

  Rydia earns an owlish blink and a look. Freaky? "I am fine," she says, shaking her head and dismissing the matter with a wave of her hand. "I must eradicate these things. It is in my blood; the blood of the Goddess." If they make it that long. Zelda makes a vague sound in the back of her throat. That probably doesn't explain squat to Rydia. "Nnh. I will explain better after we've secured this place--"

  There's a scraping sound near the doorway up above, which must lead into the hallway of the second floor. Zelda looks up and draws in a breath to shout a warning. She never gets that far.

  Something huge and dark hurtles out of the doorway, throwing itself past Cecil and Link. It trails more of those bizarre black embers, flitting skyward in geometric patterns as it goes. For its size, the thing is blisteringly fast. When it hits the ground near Zelda, it skids around in a full circle, swiping out with one of those long-fingered hands and seizing the princess none too gently around the waist.

  The Hylian manages a peal of shock and rage as the thing hefts her and bounds back from whence it came. That's all she has time for before it bounds away.

  Further down the hall, a flash of light throws the doorway into sharp-edged relief; the light of the Goddess Hylia, hot and bright as the sun. The beast answers with a distant shriek of pain, which is met with completely unaristocratic, furious, satisfied cursing fit to make a sailor blush from the princess, which fades out of earshot. Its running footfalls can be heard heading deeper into the ruin. 

  Welp. Looks like the princess has some fire in her belly after all.

  Bits and snatches of fervent prayer can be heard further down the hall. The shadow beast's passage leaves behind a few spatters of dark, ichor-like blood, sizzling where it's been seared by divine light against the wall and floor, as well as a few luminous spatters that can only have come from Zelda. Tit for tat.

  By sound, the beast and its prize are headed for the suite on the third floor. They'd probably better take the undamaged staircase, and quick. There's nothing there to stop them... which is probably a good thing.

The Sacred Beast exhales sharply, and strides forward to join Cecil at his intended position. He spaces himself fairly carefully with an eye towards the length of Cecil's blade, and the ability to dart in quickly from the flank if need be without getting in the way. Fortunately, his height makes it easy for him to fall in like this-- or dart in and out under Cecil's average swing height. It's a fairly ideal setup, actually, and more strategic than Link is used to dealing with.

He supposes fighting alongside Midna may have spoiled him, a little.

Something flashes by. Link acts so quickly he doesn't even think. He bounds forward, teeth snapping at the flank of the thing-- if it had been coming at him he would've gotten it, too. But it was rushing past in a charge, and his teeth close over open air. THEN it snatches the Princess and goes back past.

What the /hell/.

The smell of the blood is enough to illuminate the path for him by itself. Link hesitates for half a moment, and then takes off. He's /fast/. Fast as an animal of his size, but he doesn't push ahead too far. The trail is obvious, but there's always the off chance of somebody getting lost-- and /he/ won't. As he reaches specific junctions, he stops and barks and waits. Then once everyone is in sight, he carries on.

Consequently, he's actually middling about getting where they're going. Cecil probably ends up as point, and he determinedly doesn't let their rear line lag behind either.

Move, bark. Move, bark.

    A blade... would flash, if it weren't black. Yes, the sword is literally black, and not from rust. It's a quick slash all right... but he was prepared to be engaged in battle, not a hit and run. He doesn't know if he hit, but Cecil is definitely not pleased that Zelda was snagged right out from under him. Or behind, whichever.

    He doesn't speak though. His movement should be enough. When Zelda vanishes, he's already giving chase. In the end, he does move ahead of Link. That's fine, he's more heavily armored anyway, but even so he does slow down as they approach the spatters of blood. Passing them by, he glances behind him, though the helm hides any expression.

    "Ready?" Asking if the group is ready to barge through. He's aiming to cut through any enemies and head straight for the suite, if Link is ready to back him up. Why wait? Unless there's some kind of puzzle the wolf has to solve to get into the suite first, he can just kick the door down, right?

    A sudden lunge. An attacking enemy.

    The only thing keeping Yumi from getting in the way is that she's simply not fast enough. It has Zelda before she can bring her bat up, let alone lunge into the way. And by the time she's ready to move, it's gone back up the steps. "Your Higness-!"

    The orange-haired girl doesn't think twice about starting to run after. Quite the opposite, she has to force herself to stop. Fingers tense around the bat, teeth grit, but she forces herself not to just blindly charge after, none-too-pleased. She falls in with the group, but only just; contrary to their prior decision regarding marching order, she stays only just behind Cecil, and it's clear she'd love nothing more than to be the one leading the charge outright.

    Well there's no real chance to carefully check and see if the stairs will hold. Not the busted stairs but the 'good' set that looks a little too enticing. Though Rydia scrunches her nose when the princess is so quick to assure of her wellbeing, the next events are a blur of action and horror.
    Something snatches the princess.
    Rydia doesn't even think, she throws her dagger, but the throw goes wide, embedding the blade into the nearest wall as it bounds by, and then it's Rydia's turn to let out a fairly violent swear. But as soon as the bright blinding light dies down and Link is chasing the trail of blood, she's soon enough rushing after the wolf and Cecil. She's reacting more on adrenaline than rational thought, because a little girl should NOT be rushing headlong after the wolf and dark knight, Whyt forming from the mists around her and keeping close to her side. It's for the best she doesn't stay behind and get the party split up anyway, but she is probably the slowest member of the group, due to her size.

  Eventually, the group manages to follow their quarry. The shadow beast fled straight for the upper reaches of the ruin, taking its prize to the third floor bedroom suite. It's a big circular room, with collapsing bookshelves lining its walls, and a big poster bed that looks like it might have been comfortable once upon a time.

  It also has a very nice writing desk devoid of either ink or parchment. There's also a hearth (currently very cold) and a few chairs before the hearth (in various states of disrepair).

  There's a flurry of activity near the hearth, where a broken chair further confuses the issue. Shadowy limbs tangle with the Princess of Hyrule's much more fragile form, but there's nothing fragile about her in this moment. Her voice is raised in fervent and ritualistic prayer, and there's a confidence and strength in her tone that seems like a release of all her pent-up frustration and uncertainty.

  There is light in her eyes, and it isn't the glassy fever-brightness of earlier, or the restlessness of instincts thwarted. Her eyes are actually radiant. The pupils can't even be seen.

  It seems the beast is trying to stop her from speaking. Every so often it lays hands around her throat, only for her to reach up and claw at them, causing the beast to shriek in pain and recoil. It must be determined. It won't just let her go despite the pain she causes it. They're too evenly matched for her to get out of this without her friends' help.

  She doesn't immediately notice that her friends have arrived, because she's busy snarling and trying to rip the thing's claws away from her vulnerable throat. Its claws draw a spatter of radiant blood; even as she draws a spatter of smoking ichor in return.

  But it isn't the voice of Princess Zelda that issues from the tangle. It's a thunderclap of sensation, a voice in the very mind.

  It's the voice of the Goddess Hylia, however brief; of remembered purpose and duty and determination.

  Destroy it! Her 'voice' sounds strained, even as the two opponents tear at one another. I can restrain it, when you are ready, but I cannot--strike the blow--myself...!

  The shadow-beast shrieks as it tries to close in on her; her own voice rises in a furious peal. This kind of creature, this corruption... this is what she was made to oppose. Foul corruption like this almost slaughtered her people, once upon an age; now, so close at hand, she has the opportunity to fight back. And aside from divine purpose and the memory of blood... on some level, this is catharsis for the beleaguered princess.

  NOW--!

  The chamber is thrown into sharp-edged relief; awash in divine light bright enough to momentarily stun and dazzle. The shadow beast shrieks, a long and trailing cry of pain. It thrashes -- but it does so in place, as though it were pinned down by a great invisible hand. Zelda is visible under it, snarling and bringing to bear her power on it through sheer force of will.

  It looks like she's sustained a number of shallow cuts, bleeding from the nose and mouth, but she doesn't seem to care. If she lets this thing go, it /will/ kill her, and her friends, too. They have no choice but to dispatch it. It's them -- or it.

Link isn't at the front of the pack. He actually lags behind to the very back, making certain that Rydia and her strange spirit companion catch up. It's only once she's well within arm's reach that he turns and scrabbles across the floor into the third floor bedroom. He keeps out of Cecil's way, and just like he previously planned goes in low as quick as he sees an opening. Normally, the best way to tackle these things isn't from this kind of posture-- but there's just not enough room to jump on top of the damn thing and maul it to death the way he normally does.

Fangs flash towards the far, rear leg of the Twilight Beast. He grabs on and PULLS back, attempting to jerk it off balance in addition to the weight of Zelda using her... god powers??? Witchy powers? To hold it down.

If he is absolutely nothing else, the Sacred Beast is possessed of prodigious bodily might. He's PRETTY sure he can make it extra-vulnerable to getting stabbed to death. Burned to death? Stab-burned to death.

    Cecil pauses before entering to look at Yumi, sensing her eagerness perhaps. An approving nod, and a murmured, "Soon enough..." He did promise to help train her when possible. It also seems to help him focus, too. Though right now... he's just catching his breath while waiting for the others to join him.

    Until the group is together again, and he lurches into the room! He would dash, but armor and all.

    She's too close for him to use his Darkness ability, but empowering HIMSELF with Dark is just fine, and boosts his strength and speed. WIth Link as his companion in attack, he doesn't need to worry about accidentally beheading the one charging in with him.

    Even so, he's slower than the wolf thanks to the four legs and his own armor slowing him down. It's after the snarling fangs leap that his sword is arcing, a powerful sideways slash to see if it will damage the Twilight Beast. If it does, well... the others will finally get to see what a Dark Knight's real power is, the surging energy bubbling up from within surrounding him in an aura of sickly darkness while the blade seeks out the very life of the Beast, even if he's not at the angle for a proper killing blow.

    Well, Yumi doesn't know exactly what she was expecting. But the blindingly-bright struggle of life and death that greets them? That certainly isn't it. She comes to a stop and stares through the glare as best she can, utterly agape, hesitating; it's just a split second, but it's long enough for the powerful voice to sound in her head, and at this the girl outright /staggers/. Only her good reaction times and intuition allow the girl to get her eyes closed the instant Zelda yells out 'NOW', and even through her eyelids, the brilliance is noticeable. It's a chance, though. A chance to lunge in and...

    ...and do what?

    Yumi stops herself mid-step. What is she actually going to do? Cecil engulfs himself with dark power, Link has the might of a magical wolf, and Rydia has her summons and magic. Between the three of them, they've got far more firepower than 'a baseball bat'. She'd just be making things more crowded up close, and Rydia's 'shots' more difficult to aim. And she's not exactly a dagger-thrower, either.

    Teeth grit again, just a moment. She takes a half-turn, so that she can watch the hallway and the fight both. And stay out of the way while she's at it.

    Rydia is huffing and panting, pumping her arms and trying to keep up with the group. It's not esy for her. She is but a child, not a well-trained and conditioned knight like Cecil. She does not have a beast's strength like Link. Whyt pushes her along at points.
    "G-go." She says to Link. "Don't stick behind for my sake, I'll keep up." She tries to urge him forward. Whether or not he listens to her is on him, but it matters little when they reach the suite. Rydia can only hope they aren't too late.
    And the party proves to arrive in the nick of time. Just in time to see Zelda in the clutches of a dark beast as black as the night, the two locked in mortal struggle, with the princess calling out for the others to strike. That she can hold it.
    Rydia hangs back, stricken by hesitance and indecision as Link and Cecil charge to the fore with tooth and blade. What can she do with just a flimsy whip and a dragon hatchling?
    She's halted, trembling, unsure of how to thrust herself or Whyt into the situation in a way that would be beneficial, or at least not put her in a position where the others would have to worry about *her* as well. Rydia... Takes a step back, hands balled into fists. Intellectually, she knows further inaction will result in Zelda's death. Emotionally she's a turmoil of raw and warring feelings. A sudden thrill of fear. Impotent childish fury. Despair. If nothing is done, she'll watch someone she has grown to care about die.
    Briefly Rydia remembers... In this world bad things happen to good people.
    It is a thought she has grown to hate. It is a thought that makes her want to rail at the skies and cry for justice. Her fists quake as she grits her teeth.
    In most cases, before a Summoner may call upon an Eidolon's aid, the Eidolon must be defeated in combat and their trust earned. But it is also said that children make for better Summoners than adults, their purity of heart enabling them to entreat with an Eidolon in a moment of need. And it is in this moment of need that somewhere, deep beneath the Blue Earth in the Feymarch, something hears the call of the last Summoner. Something stirs...
    "Lord of Wisdom..." Rydia Whispers, as the skies outside the window begin to darken. The words come unbidden as though the girl were taken by a trance, lightning dancing in the skies and thunder beginning to resound. "... Impart thy aid... Rain down from the skies and cast your judgment upon the wicked."
    The skies do not calm, a storm brews over Stormpeak, and then... A single giant *EYE* suddenly peers through the window. The eye draws back, revealing the wizened face of a giant, ancient, man in flowing robes, a great grey beard reaching down past the hem of his robes as the giant man- the Eidolon Ramuh raises his staff aloft.
    Lightning strikes the staff. And from the bottom point of the staff, the lightning lances into the chamber, centered upon the Twilight beast in a great ray of electricity that strikes down only the wicked.

>> GAME >> Rydia spends an Edge for: Summon: Ramuh - Judgement Bolt

  The princess struggles valiantly beneath a beast heavier and stronger than she is, which is trying in deadly earnest to tear out her throat with its talons. All she can hope to do is keep it vulnerable in turn, facing her attackers and bared to their weaponry.

  The effort of holding it costs her, though. It's not willing to be trapped so easily. Even bringing to bear all of Hylia's fierce determination and will to protect her people, her friends, it isn't enough. The creature has managed to score plenty of wounds, and the blood trickling from her nose and mouth seem more indicative of the monstrous effort of pinning the creature down with as much force as she can muster.

  If she were alone, this beast would surely kill the princess, even in the throes of all of her divine power.

  It's as though a giant hand has pressed the creature flat to the stone floor. It writhes and shrieks in agony and hatred, but it is helpless to resist the fangs that tear into its flank. Link bites deep and draws more shadowy ichor for his trouble. It spatters and sizzles against the ground.

  Zelda jerks to one side, trying to get herself away from the shadow beast's talons, still flailing enough to rip at her skin. It catches her in the shoulder, and she bares her own teeth, ignoring the wound in favour of tightening the proverbial screws.

  It shrieks again as light blooms around her hands. She claps them onto its shoulder with a ragged cry of effort.

  Hold--STILL! The voice of Hylia is like crackling lightning; like thunder ringing in the mind, even though she directs her full wrath on the creature. As I protected my people in days past, I will protect them now! You will die by my hand, creature, and may you bring word to the wretch you serve in the underworld!

  Each word is like a hammerblow. That isn't Zelda's voice; but the memory of the deity whose blood she carries. She is a vessel right now. A conduit. There is still something of her in that voice, but perhaps the same could be said of every princess and queen in the royal line before her.

  Her eyes still radiate light. She is not yet finished even if she's weakening.

  Cecil's blade earns a flicker of a glance, but there's enough of Zelda to hold back her instincts. She will not attack her own ally, although the presence and closeness of his blade brings her to shudder, violently. The princess, the priestess, stays her hand... for the moment.

  It rips into the creature and the creature howls, raising its head to the roof, though it has no mouth. Whatever features it has are blocked by that metallic, circular mask. It can't fight back, though. Zelda still holds it, fiercely, fingers clawed where they dig into the thing's twisted limbs. It's a bear-hug of divinity; one she plans to let go only once one or both of them are dead.

  If Zelda notices the eye in the window, she does not comment on it. Likely she does not. All of her attention, all her effort and strength, go into keeping her target immobile; both so her allies can strike it down, and so it doesn't immediately turn on her and rip her throat out with its claws.

  And then, the world is a storm.

  Lightning arcs through the room, somehow avoiding the people in it, although it electrocutes the beast; muscles jerking and seizing as it spasms with a strangled shriek. Somehow Zelda is spared, in all of her fire and fury, despite clinging desperately to the thing's slick hide.

  Eventually, it has to fall. And it does, still twitching. Losing blood at a prodigous rate, and electrocuted into the bargain, the beast finally reaches its limit. It must have been wounded to begin with. It collapses with a dreadful, rattling sound, and crumples to the floor in a broken heap. It vanishes in a swirl of those strange, angular embers, which dissipate like dust in the wind.

  Zelda is still buried under the creature, in the meantime, and there's still plenty enough light to see by. It radiates from her hands, and though her eyes are closed, the light is visible through her eyelids. Creepy. Her hair is more golden than brown.

  The battle is won. I thank you... Heroes...

  The echoes of divinity fade and leave behind the battered but familiar form of the princess, still tangled up under the shadow beast. She stirs, coughing wetly, trying to shove the thing off of her with a disgusted sound. She can't quite manage it, though. It's too heavy, and it had gotten too tangled up with her in its death throes.

  "Get..." Her voice is a raw-throated croak, even though she's barely been speaking. "Get... that thing..."

  Get it off me. Her mental voice is back to herself, no longer the overwhelming thundering of a goddess. In fact, it's thready and weak, as though uncertain and exhausted. Help... help me up. Please.

    A flick of the blade, a slide across the cloth by the sheath, and Cecil sheaths the sword. It's not really a motion that is slow and deliberate, just careful. He isn't a knight of flashy moves, so he never practiced to swiftly sheath his plade without losing a finger, only to do so efficiently. He's just doing that so he can immediately move, crouching down to tuck hands under the fallen beast.

    Rydia is a tiny, and Link... has no thumbs. This means there is, after all, something Yumi can do. "Yumi! Give me a hand with this!" He's breathing a little hard, and eyes Rydia as well. Never underestimate a summoner.

    To Link beside him, he grunts, "Not the most... elegant of victories I've ever had, but I guess it works."

The strange black aura that rolls off of Cecil causes Link's fur to stand on end here and there. Or that might be the building storm called out of the ether by Rydia, who Link /knew/ was a witchy girl capable of taking care of herself in a pinch, but that he didn't believe would be /that/ dramatically powerful. He releases his hold on the Twilight Monster before it gets zapped, not wanting to end up a crispy critter himself. It's possible that he would've been able to handle it but-- but he knows it would've left him /exceptionally/ wounded, even so.

It isn't until Zelda's request to get the remains of the beast off of her that Link acts again, spending several long moments staring dumbfounded at the green-haired girl. His thoughts drift towards the being Rydia and Zelda said had attacked them-- and they were not adequate to defeat him?

He backs away from the body. Link /could/ try to drag it with the rest, but he doesn't have the limbs required to handle it in a reasonably wieldy way. So instead he sits off to the side. Link barks genially at Cecil's remark, his tail thumping rapidly against the floor.

Three barks at Rydia-- it seems like he's congratulating her.

How bad are you? Link thinks very hard at Zelda, for the first time in a while. He's not sure if she'll receive from him right now-- the whole effort seems to have been profoundly exhausting.

    For a long moment, Ramuh lingers, remaining. Staring through the window at the aftermath of unleashing his power. The old man, the great sage Eidolon of knowledge and wisdom gives a curt bow, before vanishing, motes of light and energy dissipating with the winds and snow outside as the lightning dies down and the skies lighten once more.
    Rydia wobbles where she stands, her whole body trembling with exertion. The girl staggers in place, collapsing to her knees and quickly shoving herself back up to stand and try to hide the sheer tolling level of just how much that had sapped her. She immediately fails when she collapses against Yumi, breathless, sweat beading on her brow and looking a near inch away from just passing out.
    She manages an almost sheepish smile at Link, though.

    It's good that Cecil calls out to Yumi... because, after seeing Ramuh, she's in silent awe. She saw that. She saw that vast eye. She saw the wizened old titan. She saw the mystical bolt fill the room with light, sear the monster alive. Rydia summoned that... that being. Called him from somewhere. Yumi has never been in the presence of something so... so vast. "-ah?!" Oh. Help. "Right, oka-" That's when she realizes, Rydia is collapsing.

    The bat hits the ground, and in a heartbeat, Yumi has her arms out to catch the girl. There's a second or two of worry, but when it becomes obvious the younger girl's in no danger - just tired - relief washes over her face. "Ah, sorry, I... I have to set you down for a second. Just rest for now, alright?" Carefully, Yumi does just that, before taking a few quick steps over to help Cecil.

  The princess stays where she is as the beast is dragged off of her, mostly because it's too heavy to let her move. She tries to pull shaking limbs free from the beast's as best she can to help them. Once it's clear, she just lies there a moment, breath fogging in the cold chamber.

  Zelda shudders, slowly rolls over, and braces on hands and knees, coughing wetly. She isn't going to be sick, though she looks exceptionally pale, but she is going to cough up some more blood. It spatters to the stone, glowing softly. There's enough to suggest either she's wounded, or her panicked efforts to call down Hylia's power tore her up from the inside.

  "Ugh..." The sound is soft, not much more than a breath. She stays where she is on hands and knees, shuddering and squinting. Merciful Hylia, her head's thundering like a cathedral bell.

  Blearily, Zelda cracks an eye open, which is back to its soft, summer-blue colour instead of that blue of a hard autumn sky. She eyes Link as though deciding whether or not to answer him. Her answer is mental, although everyone can 'hear' it. Either she's hurt her throat somehow or she's just too exhausted to speak. Probably the latter.

  I... She hesitates. Even her mental response is exhausted, more like a guttering candle-flame than its usual brightness and vitality. Taking stock of herself seems to require a little concentration. I will live, Zelda 'says' slowly, cautiously, as though feeling her way through the communication.

  Then, belatedly, she huffs a breath. Thank you. She's tried to remember to be kind to Link, since she'd snapped at him and he'd stopped being dismissive or sarcastic in her general direction.

  Even holding herself up on hands and knees is too much. She crumples to the floor again, shivering, squeezing her eyes shut. Make camp here... please. Twilight gone. Safe here.

  Thank you. Everyone. Zelda's sending feels small and distant, and there's a flicker of emotion behind it; gratitude, and also apology. Forgive me. Can't move. Too weak. M-may pass out...

  No sooner has she issued her apologetic warning than her eyes flutter closed again... but she's not passed out; just trying to marshall what little strength she has left.

  Well, it looks like they've gained one winter wonderland castle!

    Winter wonderland castle, huh? Cecil frowns under the helm, but as Zelda is passing out to exhaustion rather than wounds, he assumes, he isn't as worried. Rydia and Link can care after her probably... in the meantime that leaves...

    "We should make camp," he agrees. "And soon. We'll need a fire for warm water and the like. I'll go find some firewood." He straightens, and pauses. "Yumi, if you'd like to come with me, I'm going to take a last sweep of the area for anything dangerous. Or you can stay here with Zelda." It's really either or, for him. He could understand either way. "... nice work, Rydia."

Coughing blood is never a good sign. It's usually a sign of /disease/. Link surveys Zelda with a concerned expression, sniffing at the air. Her spilled blood is powerful-- that much has been obvious for a while. Will it attract any attention if it's left to dry? He considers this for several long moments, and then turns his head to look towards the hearth. They really could use a fire in here, even if it's a lot less cold without the wind whipping about them and snow actively falling upon them.

But then...

They're far away from all civilization, and the Twilight has gone. They'll probably know if something is coming before it realizes how many people are holed up here.

He huffs tiredly, and meanders over to Zelda's side, lying down on the floor there.

Sit down.

Link barks once, at Rydia. Tosses his head-- he's inviting her to come over and sit with them. There's not really anywhere comfortable with all the furniture ruined or tossed about. May as well just huddle together.

A whine is issued towards Cecil-- a concerned acknowledgement of his intent. Then a bark. Possibly thanks.

Another bark, this time at Yumi. Maybe telling her to come over, too-- or with Rydia? It's hard to tell. The Sacred Beast's expression is positive and friendly, though. A nice canine smile.

    Zelda is free at last - and just about on the verge of passing out. Yumi can't help but frown a little. But this is a decidedly poor time for a lecture. So she'll settle for 'grateful the princess is alright' for now. "Just rest, alright? We'll keep you safe." So she turns, bending down to pick Rydia up as best she can; Cecil is met with a brief glance, and a chagrined, "I think I better stay here. We've got two people down, and only Link to cover them both, otherwise." She'll help the summoner over - or carry her if need be - to set her down next to Link and Zelda.

    "Unh."
    It's a vague sound from Rydia, in response to Zelda's mental voice, once Yumi has set her down. She opts to rest for a long moment, glancing up at the bark. She stares at Link. No, she stares almost through him, only before she vaguely gets the impression of what he is trying to convey.
    Rydia tries to pick herself up. The key word is try, as she staggers to all fours and barely manages to drag herself anywhere before Yumi hoists her up. The girl is light, it's easy enough to set her down.
    Where she promptly leans herself against Link, closes her eyes and passes right out like a light.

  There isn't any immediate response from the princess, which does little to suggest she's still conscious. She is, though, and she can listen. That doesn't require much strength. Every so often she shudders, though whether from cold or whatever her powers have done to her, it's hard to say. It's probably a little of both.

  She's silent even as she can hear Link's lupine nose sniffing nearby, stirring in response to the sound. It's close, but she can't see how close.

  There's no mental response to Cecil's commentary on making camp, but there is a roll of something that might be approval and encouragement from the princess. Zelda isn't even using words any more. Her consciousness is bleeding away slowly, rather than Rydia's pitching over. Some detached part of her mind watches it go in morbid fascination.

  In response to Link's invitation to sit, there is a vague sense of gratitude from her, a flicker. There's a hesitation and a sense of apology -- before he might feel her scoot sideways until she's near enough to his warmth to stop shivering so convulsively. He might even feel an arm loop around his shaggy shoulders, and the sensation of her burying her face into his fur.

  She can be appalled at her own behaviour when she's conscious. Aside from the fact that he's a stranger and she /knows/ he's human, he's got the instincts of a wild beast, and touching wild beasts tends to be an invitation to disaster. Or at least bleeding a lot. .Right now, though, she's too far gone for that. All she recognises is that she's damagingly cold and he's a source of warmth.

  ...Eh. She'll apologise later, when she can string more than two words together.

  For right now, the best she can do is curl up against the beast, with a soft sound in the back of her throat that might, if she had the strength, be a bleary 'thank you.'

>> GAME >> Zelda spends an Edge for: Whoops forgot to do this again. Restraining an Evil Critter.