World Tree MUSH

  Within a day's ride of Peak Province's trailhead, the terrain is still rocky and uneven. Hills plunge suddenly into deep, narrow canyons; inclines slope down toward the plains far below in shifting, uncertain pathways.

  Two days after a firestorm swept the area, it looks like a Hyrulean vision of hell.

  The plains here are still scarred, the earth blackened and hot to the touch where it smolders still. Trees lie broken and charred. A thick pall of smoke still chokes the area, washing out colour and muffling sound, smelling and tasting of ash.

  There are travellers, here, almost more ghost than person, flitting about the ruins of villages and scavenging anything salvageable. Another group moves with more purpose through the blackened ruins: A small caravan, with a wagon at its head pulled by a huge black horse. Walking beside the horse is a slight figure in a hooded black robe, its fabric washed out to grey by wisps of fine ash sifting down from smoky skies.

  Hmm. That caravan, at least, seems to be moving with much more purpose than the handful of souls flitting throughout the village ruins. Those villagers, incidentally, are spooked; they inevitably scatter from anybody who tries to engage them. There are scavengers in the area, and worse.

    There's a person up ahead, outside the village, just visible after the caravan clears a few of the taller ruined structures. A person dressed in a similar manner to a certain princess, in fact - a hooded black coat that completely conceals their features, even if they weren't facing away from the group. They appear to be humanoid, at least.

    They're just... standing there. Unmoving.

    Suddenly, a bokoblin springs out of hiding, club held high, aiming to clobber this strange, stationary figure!

    The cloaked person moves suddenly, a bright white blade appearing out of thin air in their black gloved hands, skewering through the monster before another sword is produced from the other hand and the green-skinned demon is beheaded.

    The hooded person probably drops both swords, which vanish into motes of light, and then goes back to its neutral pose, now facing a slightly different direction but otherwise unchanged.

    Alongside that hooded figure walks a girl in more 'modern' earth clothes; hands in her pockets, scarf around her neck, dressed for the cooler temperatures of Peak province, Yumi Tachibana walks on. "I'm... I'm really sorry I couldn't have been here," she murmurs to the older woman, looking around with a frown. "But then, I... I'm not sure I would have been much use for putting out a fire." Not much solar magic can do, after all, or a big flat sword. But she still feels guilty. "At least with monsters, I can do some... thing." She trails off, because there's someone in the distance, just... standing there and letting monsters come to them? And twoshotting them? "...Looks like we're not the only people out here dealing with them, though."

    Rydia had said she's be ready to ride by morning. ... Ready is... Arguable considering the state the girl is in. Wobbling in her saddle as her trusted chocobo plods along, the child is sickly pale. Eyes sunken in, breath ragged, she clutched the reins with trembling hands. Between still being on the mend from summoning an Eidolon, and the state of the lands all around her, Rydia of Mist is barely fit for travel, and jade eyes survey the sheer rampant destruction with a way too vacant stare, breathing a little too hard.
    Every now and then the big yello bird she's mounted on casts a glance over shoulder to make sure she hasn't fallen off; which she has not thanks to the thin mist lingering around her seemingly nudging her back into the saddle every time she wobbles a little too far.
    "Mnf... These people... These people have lost everything..."

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Rydia looks like death literally warmed over. Also may be suffering some PTSD. Lamenting for the people.

    To add another note of guilt to the melancholy scene wouldn't take much. Terra doesn't so much echo Yumi's thought as feel them in the pit of her stomach. Whether her presence would have made any difference or not makes no difference to her. She'd said she'd be there and be of help and she simply wasn't! To say she's rather gloomy would be an incredible understatement.

    Still, she's present now! So as can be expected, she's lingering very near Rydia's bird. She's opting to walk for the time being, as if she might need to either catch the swaying summoner if she falls from the saddle or at the very least take up the animal's leads to give the clearly frail girl a break.

    She doesn't seem to notice that the ash clings and muddies the bright color of her boots, or the way it lays upon her person as it drifts about. She's got other things on her mind.

Lex Brando is sticking around for the time being. She made it back to where she'd originally been planning on going when the Vine got redirected, but her boss sent her back to Hyrule, more-or-less out of curiosity. Now she's wearing a bit more padding and light armor, and she has the same cutlass at her hip.

She's been circling the caravan more-or-less as a guard, and she frowns as her circling takes her up by Rydia and Terra. "Yeah, really," she says gently, regarding Rydia for a moment. "I've seen awful stuff in my time, but." She adjusts her glasses. "This kind of thing is, like, outta my league. I mean. As far as stuff I've seen in person, and all that."

She pauses as she sees that other hooded figure over there dispatch monsters with relative ease. Her reaction is basically the same as Yumi's. "... Huh."

Duncan rides along with the caravan heading for Zora's Domain, mounted atop Nemesis, that mean-looking albino chocobo. Depending on the time of day, it might actually be wearing something similar to blinkers (like might be seen on a horse). Though of course these have a different purpose; Nemesis's albinism comes with light-sensitivity. Apparently she trusts Duncan enough to let him be her eyes.
 
He's still wearing that dark armor, but until there's danger, he has the helmet off and hanging by a hook on his chocobo's saddle. It might help make him look less like a shadowy murder machine. His features are squarish, but he doesn't look terribly old -- well into adulthood, but not old.

As quiet seems the flavor of the trip -- understandable, given the scene of devastation that's the backdrop for this trip -- Duncan remains quiet. Though he keeps an eye on the surroundings, since just because the village was burned doesn't mean there aren't more monsters about...

In fact, the monster harassing the hooded figure catches his attention! He tenses, preparing to jump in... but the hooded figure has it handled before he can do much more than that. So he relaxes. Though he does offer a nod to the hooded figure.

>> SUMMARY[Duncan Ritter] >> Duncan's riding with his helmet off until there's trouble. Staying quiet, but keeping an eye on the surroundings. Oh hey what's that, a monst -- oh, it's handled. But hi!

  The hooded figure of the caravan has its arms upraised to hold the horse's bridle, walking close beside it to adjust the mask over that enormous velvety nose. Both keep their heads down for the most part, other than to scan the horizon every so often. The quiet ashfall and the rags of cloth tied around the horse's hooves help muffle the sound of their passage, but best not to tempt fate.

  There's a pause, though, as Zelda spots the distant figure of Xion suddenly springing to life and metaphorically killing an ant with a sledgehammer. That bokoblin sure is dead now. His buddies sure are running away as fast as their stubby legs or their saddled boars can take them.

  Impressive. It's like watching a praying mantis wearing a robe. The lack of movement is also impressive. Was that, then, what the Sheikah of old were like...?

  In answer to Yumi, Zelda only shakes her head. She's been grim and silent since Sunday night, when she'd returned with the stricken Rydia. "There was no fighting this fire. Only running. I did not think so much of Hyrule Field had burned, though... a hundred-year drought, winds from the steppe, and you have the perfect storm for fire on a massive scale." Her face twists; an expression of genuine pain. "Rebuilding Hyrule will take years, if not decades." She sigh and shakes her head. "You were not there, but I do not hold that against you, Yumi Tachibana. You cannot be everywhere at once, after all. You are here, now, and that is what matters."

  She sighs and shakes her head. Priorities. As much as it wrenches her heart to see her people suffering like this, she can't help them right now. Half a glance is spared toward Rydia, dubious. She's not going to pass out, is she? Did she really have to come along? Zelda did warn her that this was what they would find.

  "I know." Zelda's voice is hushed, in response to Rydia. "They have, indeed. But we cannot help them right now. The only way I can help them is to get to the bottom of Hyrule's problems, and remove that spineless viper from my throne as soon as possible. And to begin that, we must needs travel to Zora's Domain."

  The mean-looking albino chocobo of Duncan's has been getting dreadful looks from Zelda's mean-looking gigantic warhorse. Probably the only reason Lynel hasn't gone for blood is because he's hitched to a small wagon of supplies. He's looking, though. OH BOY, HE'S LOOKING--

  Ahem.

>> SUMMARY[Zelda] >> Zelda watches Xion kill a bokoblin. Impressive. Tells Yumi don't sweat it, I got jobs for you. Rydia plz don't pass out or BSOD out. Zelda's big mean horse Lynel is exchanging mean looks with Duncan's big mean chocobo Nemesis.

    The hooded figure continues to stand motionless for a while, until the caravan gets a little closer. They slowly look towards the approaching band, the hood doing a good job of completely hiding the top of their face in shadow. Only their chin and mouth are really visible.

    Pale, human-toned skin, at least. Probably human, or Hylian.

    The person under the hood moves their head to scan the group briefly, stopping to look at everyone in turn, before their eyes appear to stop on Rydia.

    They're soon moving very quickly towards the group. "Rydia," says a voice from under that hood. A young, feminine, monotonous voice that... sounds... almost familiar to a few people present. But it's hard to place, really. Maybe she just has one of those voices?

    "Cure," she says, hand extended outwards. A small flower promptly materialises above Rydia's head, wiggling back and forth and making a chiming sound, releasing green motes of healing light. The flower promptly vanishes as suddenly as it appeared. It's... well, any cutes or bruises Rydia might have are healed pretty nicely, although it won't solve the 'totally out of MP' problem.

>> SUMMARY[Xion] >> Oh hey it's a girl. A girl who casts healing magic on people who look like death warmed over. Does she know Rydia??

    What Zelda has to say is true, of course, but it doesn't stop the redhead from feeling a little guilty. However, there's at least something to distract her in the form of Rydia. The girl gets a concerned look; the redhead gives Zelda a soft nod, then shifts her direction so that she can veer over towards the yellow chocobo and its greenette rider. "Hey," she greets simply, already fishing in her satchel to come out with a trail snack. It turns out to be a simple package of pocky, and she offers it up to the summoner without another word. Duncan gets a brief look as well, and a soft smile; the man's a known face, and she has more than a little sympathy for him after the way they met. But he's still just an acquaintance, so not much to say.

    She finds herself a bit on edge at the approach of the hooded figure, but when whoever-it-is calls out Rydia's name, there's some relaxation there. Someone that knows Rydia. ...and likes her enough to cast healing magic on her. Huh. "Rydia, you know her...?"

>> SUMMARY[Yumi Tachibana] >> Nodding to Zelda, veering off to wander near Rydia. Staring at the new girl.

    Rydia is not going to pass out. She looks like she might at any second, but it is the steel of resolve that keeps the girl from falling out of her saddle, knuckles white where they hold to her chocobo's reins. The look in her eyes soon changes from a vacant and haunted stare to something much harder when Zelda says the only way to solve the issue is to reach the bottom of Hyrule's problems.
    No child's eyes should gleam with such vehement hate.
    "I'm going to help you kill him." Is all she says to the Queen-Regent as she steers her chocobo slowly through the ash.
    It's the call of her name that pulls the green-haired girl from her thoughts of plunging a dagger into a dark wizard's back, and jade eyes flit towards the hooded figure with no small measure of confusion; especially as they cast a curative spell upon her. Though it helps with the aches and eases her pains, the girl still looks way too gaunt after the magic passes over her. "E-ermh... Thaaaaank you...?"
    Needless to say she is thrown completely off her hate groove and can only offer a helpless shrug to Yumi.
    "UH."
    DOES She know this hooded figure? The girl quickly searches her memories.
    Something murky is there. Along with the faces of a dark wizard, an adept slayer, and a girl with metal arms.
    "... Maybe? ... Wait... Yeah... Yeah, you were there at Aloy's world..."

    The display in the nearby- woods? In the murk of smoky ash, anyway, is just a little distracting too, for certain. A brief flurry of violence that solves it self and so goes unanswered by Terra, at least. That is, until the figure begins to approach. Her gaze traverses quickly and locks on the hooded figure expectantly though without any suspicion. If they're fighting back the beasts and monsters what's to worry about? She hopes nothing.

    Yumi gets a glance and a grateful little nod; the gesture of food is usually welcomed by the young summoner so maybe that will help? Again, she can only hope.

    Also distracting is the apparent tension between Zelda's mountain of a horse and Duncan's chocobo, though that stress is comparatively minor compared to everything else going on. Regardless, she listens in on the conversasions. Sparing glances at those who draw nearer as they do so is all she can manage until Rydia speaks up about killing. After wilting just a bit at the mere thought, she straightens.

    "You won't be alone." Simple statement, though her intention is probably not unlike nearly anyone that knows Rydia and would also jump in front of a bullet for the girl. If she has to, she'll do it herself. 

    Quite possibly the most aggressive thought she's had in all her memory. Thanks, Rydia.

Lex Brando spares Duncan a glance; they never got a chance to talk, but if the subject actually came up, she'd agree with him about the whole helmet thing.

She manages not to wince as Zelda describes the situation. "The, uh, the 'spineless viper' in question being that Zant guy?" she calls out in her scratchy and androgynous voice. "I presume?" She gets a faint lopsided smile as Yumi gets out the pocky and offers it to Rydia. Now there's something that's familiar!

But then she frowns and tenses up as the strange girl suddenly casts some sort of healing-ish spell on Rydia, and she frowns in confusion between the two. (She genuinely hasn't seen Xion before, so there's that.) When Rydia indicates that she knows the girl, Lex relaxes ... about halfway.

She hesitates, and nods to Terra when she makes that pronouncement to Rydia. Lex isn't quite sure about her own place in all this, but she just can't hold herself back from at least agreeing with the half-Esper.

>> SUMMARY[Lex Brando] >> Inquiry re: Zant, peering at Xion, and uncertainly agreeing with Terra.

It's fortunate that Nemesis is mostly blinded by those blinkers on her face then, otherwise she'd be glaring back at Lynel! As it is, though, she trots along, merrily unaware of anything but the ground, so she can avoid things on the ground that might trip her up. Or, well. As 'merrily' as Nemesis can manage, anyway.
 
Duncan is unfamiliar with Xion, though if her first action is to heal Rydia, that already goes a good way to giving him the ability to trust her. He offers to her, with a subdued smile, "Greetings." Can Xion can sense he's a Dark Knight (or is at least powered by darkness)? There's no way to know whether she associates 'darkness' and 'evil', but either way he doesn't seem particularly monstrous or evil right now.
 
Yumi also gets one of those subdued smiles of greeting once he's aware she's looking in his direction. He hasn't been ignoring her, no. Just the scenery is somber enough that he hasn't been wanting to break the silence unless necessary.

Duncan also spares one of those greeting nods for Lex as well. Though he's still quiet since there are other things happening. He's watching out, but he doesn't seem to have any questions right now, or anyhing to add.

>> SUMMARY[Duncan Ritter] >> Nemesis is mostly blinded so she can see nothing but the ground at the moment, so she can't glare back at Lynel. But if she could... IF SHE COULD! Duncan says hello to Xion! He smells like Darkness, if Xion can sense it. Also greets Yumi, thought quietly, since sad environment is sad. Also greets Lex silently. But silent Knight is silent Knight, even if he's not a Holy Knight.

  At closer inspection, the figure at the caravan's head is wearing more of an elabourate robe than a long coat. The hemlines are embroidered with strange symbols picked out in silver thread. It looks ornate, if a little in need of some light repair. Portions of the hem near the feet are singed and crisped.

  Zelda is watching as Hood #2 approaches the group. Her hand had started straying for the quiver at her hip and the bow over her shoulder, but smoothly, she goes back to supporting the horse's bridle when it seems she's no immediate threat.

  Rydia's statement earns a quirk of her brow, and a look of mild consideration, as though they were discussing local weather patterns rather than the premeditated murder of another being.

  "Yes. With a caveat." Those blue eyes slide over to Rydia and they're cold, cold, cold. "The kill is mine." Her eyes are drawn then by Suddenly, Magic.

  The horse flicks an ear at the word cure, and Zelda glances over briefly at the twinge of magic. "...Rydia." Her eyes flick to the green-haired Summoner, and her tone is take-no-prisoners. Rydia better tell her this is a friend, or she's cutting the traces and letting Lynel break them in half.

  Half a glance is cast back to Lex; recognisable, from last night, but not someone who's been in Hyrule for too long. Her expression says it all; the spineless viper is very definitely Zant.

>> SUMMARY[Zelda] >> RE: Xion, RE: Yumi, RE: Rydia, RE: Lex. You can assume Lynel is still deathglaring at Nemesis.

    Hood #2 reaches up to take down her hood to show her face. Black hair, vibrantly blue eyes, somewhat pale skin. She doesn't look THAT much older than Rydia, really - maybe 12 or 13 at most. "Yes, we met in that world. This is the fourth time I've seen you but it's okay if you don't remember. My name is Xion, if you forgot." She's speaking with very little inflection, although she's also wearing a warm, friendly smile which doesn't... really extend to her eyes.

    As she breaks eye contact with Rydia, the smile almost immediately vanishes, replaced with a blank expression. Every member of the group is looked at - Yumi gets more of a look than the rest - before she looks up at Zelda with her completely neutral expression.

    "Are you heroes on a quest to kill an evil bad guy? If you are, I'm following you." It's not a request.

>> SUMMARY[Xion] >> I'm Xion! And apparently I don't have real emotions! Let me follow you.

    The look is returned; something about Xion puts Yumi on her guard, and she meets that eye contact for as long as the younger girl holds it. But there's no threat here, so far as the redhead can tell, so it'll just have to stay at 'keeping an eye on her' for now. "Longterm, you're not wrong, but shorter term, this is just moving from one place to another through a potential danger zone. I'm Yumi, by the way. Friend of Rydia's." There's a side glance at Rydia, a silent, 'is she decent people?'

    Xion pulls down her hood. Even still Rydia looks like she's struggling but she quickly shoots Zelda a look that equates to 'no no no, do not sick Lynel on this person'. "Xion, right..."
    But there's a small sigh. "I said I'd help you kill him, not do it for you. You've got to put in some work, too." She replies to Zelda, doing her best to injet a little levity into all the talk of brutally killing someone, as she nods to Yumi's wordless question.
    "It's... Something like that." She asides to Xion. "There's an evil wizard who really needs to die, and that's what we're out to do."
    No she does not admit to being called a hero. Rydia is eight, she is not a hero at all.

    The reactions around her make her wonder all of a sudden if she weren't being overly incautious. Magic, especially of a curative stripe, feels natural and decent enough that it's a relief compared to the haggard atmosphere of this burnt out landscape. Still, she's left questioning her own judgement silently.

    So, her piece said, she simply remains at Rydia's side. The exchange between the summoner and Zelda is heard but she's not really got a lot to add! She's made her promise twice now so best to focus on keeping up her end! Deep breath.

    To the matter of Xion tagging along, she offers, "Just be careful. There are dangerous creatures about and innocent people as well." Not that she's questioning anyone's judgement or prowess but it's good to remember that attacking blindly or without being certain might be problematic. Though, her gaze does linger a little bit longer than she means it to. Maybe something's weird about the young girl but she can't help herself! She reaches out and offers a headpat, her face totally deadpan serious. "So please be careful and don't wander far."

    That goes for everyone! Just... well, she's going to fret just a bit more over someone young.

Lex just ... nods back at Zelda. "Right. Right." She shuffles her feet awkwardly, and isn't able to meet the woman's gaze. In fact, she's right back up to the previous level of tension she had towards Xion ...

Speaking of which, she furrows her brows as Xion says ... that. Yeah she's just letting Yumi and Rydia handle that line of questioning. She can't stop herself from nodding along, though. "I'm just here because, like ..." She gestures vaguely. "A Vine dropped me in this kingdom, and when I got back home, my boss said it was gonna be, like, 'the height of frustration' if she didn't get a better context for ... some of the stuff that happened."

It's Terra who manages to bring relief. "Right, exactly," she says, nodding between her and Xion. "We're, uh, we're basically headed off from point A to point B, kind of thing. And, like, the more the merrier? So, uh ... yeah." She seems to run out of steam at that point, or at least out of words.

Duncan seems okay with Xion -- she did heal Rydia, after all. So as the girl puts the hood back and introduces herself, he offers in return, "Well met, Xion. I am Duncan." Though he leaves the nature of their quest for the others to explain, since he's been here only a very small amount of time. And it's not his place to accept or refuse Xion's company.

>> SUMMARY[Duncan Ritter] >> Greeting Xion properly, but will let others do the explaining about where they're going.

  The lack of inflection earns a hard look from the monarch, but Zelda doesn't comment or interfere in Xion's introduction. She is watching her very carefully, though. Anybody who talks like that is automatically suspect in her book. Hyrule has enough crises to juggle; the last thing she needs is to have one more because she wasn't paying attention to somebody weird and potentially dangerous.

  So she reaches out directly to Rydia and Yumi Tachibana, touching their minds.

    Watch her.

  It's all Zelda says to them, but it's all she needs to say.

  "Not really a wizard," Zelda clarifies, on the tail of Rydia's comment. "The Twilight... it reeks of borrowed power. And he is not smart enough by far to do all of this himself. He is selfish, arrogant; stymied by subtlety, and with the impulse control of a petulant child."

  Zelda, meanwhile, ignores the descriptor of hero. She's simply doing what she has to do to right a series of terrible wrongs. "Try not to frighten the villagers," she says simply, of Xion. "These people have had enough trauma for one lifetime."

  Lex is eyed and shrugged. It doesn't seem to matter to her if other people choose to tag along with the caravan or not. That doesn't affect her purpose at all. So long as they understand they're on their own. She does not claim responsibility for them, not right now.

  Duncan's name is noted, if only because his aura feels so remarkably similar to Cecil Harvey's, and an echo of Temulin Dotharl. They all make her teeth itch. It's both interesting and kind of subsurface annoying.

  ...And now, unless anybody needs her directly, she's going to keep trudging along beside Lynel, making sure her demon-horse doesn't make any attempts to mangle anybody, trudging along in a kind of haze.

    Xion completely fails to pick up on any hostility or wariness directed at her. She just pulls one of those slightly uncanny smiles again, and then falls in behind the caravan and just follows along. "Is the not-wizard 'Zant'? I think I heard that name before. And yes I'll... try not to frighten the villagers? Why would I frighten them?" She sounds confused - the first real inflection her voice has had!

    But she doesn't press for an answer if there's none forthcoming, and just continues to follow along sedately. Her hood gets pulled back up after a while.

    The Hylian voice in Yumi's head receives a soft, affirmative impression in reply; outwardly, she only gives Rydia a little incline of the head, accepting the summoner's word and setting aside her suspicion for now. The watchfulness will remain, but they seem to have a new ally. "That's the person responsible for all this, yes. Zant is a being of Twilight, and long story short, he's responsible for the unnatural twilight plaguing this land right now." She hooks her thumbs in her coat, then adds, "The monsters and creatures produced by the Twilight are pretty shadowy, and people around here are just more suspicious and on-edge in general, so someone all cloaked up like you are could be kinda worrisome for them on two fronts. Just do what you can to not be too threatening, I guess."

    Lex, meanwhile, receives a brief wave. "Hey, I don't know as much as Zelda or Rydia, but I've been here a fair bit. So if you have any questions when they're not around, I can try and field them."

Lex nods slowly. "Okay," she says uncertainly. "I'm Lex Brando, by the way. With the Monadnock Adventurer's Guild." Pause. "Of the Blossom I'm from." She shakes her head. "Uh. Yeah, you know what I mean." She's clearly overthinking her introduction ...

She nods to Yumi. "Okay, cool," she says. "I feel like I'm starting to understand this stuff in general, it's just ... yeah." She looks for a moment like she wants to say something else, but her confidence starts to fizzle out, all too quickly.