World Tree MUSH

  Death Mountain is higher than the sacred spring visited days ago. It towers above the surrounding rocky barrens, its cone-shaped summit smoking ominously. The sulphurous smoke transforms the sky into a smoky orange miasma. Further up the summit, the eerie pall of Twilight hangs, suggesting all is not well here, either.

  The ascent is brutal. Leading through broken cliffs, wrought metal scaffolding shores up where the cliffs have crumbled. Scrap metal anchored to the rock itself provides a way up. The metal is hot to the touch. There must have been rockslides, recently; some of the scaffolding looks new, still bright and reflective.

  Zelda had provided strips of water-soaked cloth to tie over the face, but they don't protect the eyes. Her own are bloodshot and watering at the constant irritation, and hopefully, they won't be here too long. She's eschewed her mourning robe; it's far too hot to wear it. Even her simple riding breeches and tunic feel like too much.

  It takes monstrous willpower not to rub at her burning eyes every few paces.

  So far, there haven't been any signs of the Gorons. Jolly giants, Zelda has described them; a people born of stone, nurtured by stone, and who return to the stone when they die. Her description implies they're pretty big, so it might be a little surprising that they haven't turned up quite yet.

  Something rumbles up ahead hard enough to jitter stones underfoot.

  Zelda looks up, shielding bloodshot eyes from grit and frowning.

  The stones jitter harder. Soon they're juddering uncontrollably. Broken scree goes tumbling over the side by the handful. Whatever it is, it's coming closer.

  A glint of bright steel shimmers as Zelda draws her rapier. A beautiful weapon, it's been crafted to the highest possible standard and maintained lovingly. Not even an aristocrat would be able to afford such an exquisite piece: This was unquestionably made for royalty, and its elegance is at odds with Zelda's peasant garb.

  "Be ready," she comments quietly, to the others. "I mislike this. Eyes forward, please, everyone."

    Unlikely a warrior that he might be, Taavit has stuck around! And has follows Zelda and her crew onward from the spring. Honestly the farther he got from it, the less the hum, the more cocky the kid feels. Of course, a holy spot is no match for a VOLCANO on the uncomfortable-meter, that's for sure. The strips of water soaked cloth only help so much, especially when you're as hirsuite as a troll. He's stripped out of his hoodie, and stuffed it into his backpack, and has rolled up the legs of his jeans to his knees, pinning them in place with a set of hair clips. His shades at least offer a little protection to his eyes, but even if they didn't, because of them, they can't be seen!

    Scratching his chin with a thumb, his tail switching side to side at the tip, the little Dane asks, "You said, there are mountain giants here, yes? I am seeing none. There is something not right-" And then the rumble cuts him off, and he squeaks in surprise not-unlike a Took having been called a fool. He hisses through his teeth, and then steps back briefly at the scattering of stones. When Zelda herself draws a weapon, he frowns, and then hefts his polearm. 

    "Svärdstav, strike true and firm," he utters under his breath at the weapon. He was always kind of hoping he wouldn't need this, but, his mom sent him with it anyway. Moms always know best, right? He adopts the 'waiting for turn' idle-stance he'd always seen in video games; lazily shifting in place from foot to foot to keep himself ready to dodge.. or, well, if it's something hungry enough to eat a troll, run.

    Lex missed the summertide event due to the doctors wanting to double-check everything after her misadventure in Natsuto, but Ezella sent her back to Hyrule as quick as she could.

    She's taken up her previous position of walking around the caravan in a circuit intended to serve as a guard. Every so often, she pauses to clean her glasses on her shirt, but this has limited results. Currently, she's wearing elbow- and knee-pads, but she hasn't put on her light armor; the need to be relatively cool has won out over concerns about protection.

    Nevertheless, that shaking, and Zelda's warning, has started to make her wonder if extra protection isn't worth the heat. She draws her standard-issue cutlass and frowns at the path up ahead, her usual nervousness warring with the desire and her need to help. Lex almost wishes she'd brought a shield now.

    A sideways glance at the unfamiliar Taavit, and a lopsided grin forms. She knows exactly what kind of pose he's doing there.

    Mountain climbing, even with some trail to follow, turns out to be a physically demanding task for even the fit and healthy half-Esper Terra. Of course, she's also very likely to linger very near Rydia. She'll carry the girl if she must and until she's able to help she's going to keep looking and keep lingering on the verge of doting on the smallest summoner.

    Though rather unconcerned with her own discomfort, she nevertheless continues to occasionally fuss with the damp cloth shielding her from inhaling the worst of the volcanic ash and sulphur fumes. It's stifling, or perhaps it's the heat. Really, whether she actually knows it or not, the darkened atmosphere of the Twilight is what's really bothering her. Deeply buried instincts nettle at her nerves until, when rocks start to shift and tumble she looks up. A hand drops to her own weapon and she scans like a soldier might, eyes panning slowly about for silhouettes or movement.

    Of course, of COURSE at this point she doesn't think twice about being near Rydia so she can shield the girl if needed! Though of course, she does try to keep a mental picture of where friends and allies are as well. Yay, training.

    Yumi isn't having too bad a time here... but that's only because she'd transformed when things were starting to get unbearable. She's a great deal tougher in her magical girl mode. But that certainly doesn't make her invulnerable. A jitter in the path is more than a little concerning. At Zelda's warning, she takes a step to the fore, fingers curling a bit, tense and ready. She's not going to call Prominence forth just yet, but she's set for battle regardless.

    Has... has the black-garbed, hooded person always been here?

    She's following along with the rest of the group as though nothing is amiss. Wearing a heavy leather coat that must be absurdly hot in this clime, but not giving a squeak of a complaint. She... was she at the Summertide festival?

    She wasn't. Surely. But then again, she's been following the caravan for days now...

    Just what is the deal with Xion?

    Xion peers out from under her hood. Her eyes are bloodshot, but she's wearing a blank expression regardless. The command to be ready prompts her to pull one of her strange blades out of nothing, gripping it firmly as she peers out from under her hood towards the jittering stones.

    Rydia of Mist could have stayed at the foot of the mountain with the caravan and supplies.
    Rydia of Mist should have stayed at the foot of the mountain with the caravan and supplies.
    Walking up an active volcano is a terrible idea, and there's probably going to be lava up there; or even worse, fire. But here she is; the small, green-haired, Summoner is ascending the mountain by Zelda's side, face bundled in cloth, eyes scrunched tight and just as red and burning as the princess'.
    She has, at least, stopped eyeing Taavit like a threat since the Summertide ceremony, but her focus is a lot more on stuggling up the mountain, every breath a labor thanks to the noxious gases and fumes. There's some of the usual grousing at Terra's normal fussing. But as soon a Zelda's rapier is out, the girl's dagger is drawn, her other hand lingering close to the whip coiled at her belt, as the mist hovering around her swirls around the girl as though agitated.

  Ready for what? Zelda doesn't actually specify, because she doesn't actually know. Not yet. Aside from the rock and the molten blood of the earth, the group seems to be alone on the mountainside. There are no trees, no birds, and no insects. There are no prey animals, nor the predators that hunt them.

  The path is too narrow for Lex to physically circle the caravan, but she's left to her own devices if she wants to haunt the leading edge or the rearguard. It's a steep ascent, and in many places the path is simply too narrow for more than one person to proceed in single file.

  There aren't even any weeds growing on the side of the beaten path.

  Zelda keeps her eyes fixed as far ahead as she can see, but nothing bursts out of the lingering haze. It's almost too quiet after that solitary rumbling. Maybe it was just the beginnings of seismic activity, or maybe the magma's shifting, deep in the heart of the mountain. The Hylian's rapier is a stripe of orange-red against the dull stone behind her, reflecting the sullen glow of the smoke. It remains as perfectly still as the one wielding it.

  The princess cocks her head and listens, blinking to clear grit and tears from her eyes.

  Just when it seems like she might relax, the earth lurches again, threatening to throw travellers off their feet. Zelda is thrown sideways into Rydia, colliding with Rydia before catching herself on a tumbledown pile of broken rocks. The very earth rings as though struck like a bell.

  Something is hurtling down the path toward them. Is it a rockslide? The thing certainly looks like a boulder. It's moving very fast, bouncing every so often, course-correcting every time it caroms off a stationary boulder.

  Zelda frowns, but curiously makes no move to step aside. Indeed, she even takes a step forward toward the rolling rock. Is she crazy?

  "Gor Coron!" Zelda sheathes her blade, and cups her hands around her masked mouth. "Gor Coron, is that you?"

  The rock thunders down. And then--

  --it simply halts, unfolding from itself and moving, which is a thing most rocks aren't really capable of doing. It picks itself up from its tight-wound form, resembling a man-like shape with rounded edges. Where there would be hair, there is instead a spiky crest of differently-coloured rock, even forming a bit of a 'beard' at his chin. Tribal-style tattoos or war paint adorn his form. Caps of stone adorn his shoulders, and he wears a simple loincloth, tiny feet bare.

  His eyes are small, round, and very, very blue. He's about the size of a Hylian, just a bit shorter than Zelda herself as he walks the rest of the way toward the group. His gaze returns to Zelda, squinting myopically. "How do you know my name?" He shakes his head before Zelda has a chance to answer him. "You should turn back, travellers. Goron City is closed to visitors."

  "Gor Coron. Do you really not recognise me?" Zelda tilts her head, regarding the little Goron with a worried air. She dips her head, untying her mask and looking up to the Goron. "Has it been so long since Hyrule's royal family visited? That will not do."

  The Goron looks at her for a moment, motionless but for his blue eyes focusing and refocusing. And then he grins, his wide frog-mouth split to show short, blunt teeth. "Why, Princess Zelda. Is that really you, youngling? It wasn't that long ago that Chief Darbus was carrying you around on his shoulder while your royal father was visiting the Elders."

  He pauses, and then blinks, those little eyes snapping wide.

  "You're alive!"

  "Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated," Zelda comments serenely, already walking briskly past the Goron as she ties her mask back into place. "And the rumours are unfortunately necessary. In any case, we are out of time. Show us where the disturbance is, old friend. We are here to help. I have brought allies."

  Gor Coron turns to eye the others. "Certainly. Follow me," he adds, to the group at large. Turning, he trudges up the path, beckoning for the others to follow. "Things have not been good, Princess. Ever since the dark one took Hyrule Castle--" Zelda visibly flinches, "--the mountain has been restless, but not so restless as today. You've arrived just in time."

  Their path takes them twisting and winding through the mountain, down into a cavern lit by the sullen glow of distant magma. "Chief Darbus volunteered to descend deep into the Goron Mines and investigate. We sent guards to determine his whereabouts, and they came back with strange tales. Darbus lost his mind. It took the strength of we four Elders just to seal him away."

  They're in the mines. Carts and equipment are littered everywhere, but none of it looks like it's been used recently. Zelda looks grim. "And where is he now?"

  Cor Goron comes to a halt outside of a large, metal-plated door inscribed with the Goron sigil. He gestures to it.

  "In here."

  "Have you the key?"

  "Yes." The Goron takes off the metal key he had been wearing around his neck, so small and dull it could be mistaken for a piece of rock. "Here. Majesty, you should not go in there, it is too dang..."

  He was about to say 'too dangerous,' but the look Zelda spears him with shuts him up. Gor Coron shakes his head. "Be careful, Majesty."

  Zelda turns, clutching the key. It's absurdly tiny compared to the great big door. Instead of opening it, she eyes the others. "Prepare yourselves. When you are ready, and I open this door..." Her sideways glance to the door itself suggests the part she doesn't say, which is, 'all hell is going to break loose.'

    Their first meeting with a Goron is... startling, to say the least. Yumi is out and ready to catch or destroy the boulder before Zelda calls out to it. And seeing the boulder unfold itself into a great big rock man? That's more than the magical girl was prepared for. But he's so amiable that she's very quickly drawn out of bewilderment - it's hard not to take a liking to someone that friendly!

    But things are dire enough that there's not much time for pleasantries. Something's happened to the Chief. As Gor Coron warns them, Yumi says, "It's alright. We're pretty strong ourselves." In demonstration, she sweeps her hand across the air, and a series of bright, glowing runes appear - then a blade takes shape around them, the massive form of Prominence, which the knight grabs and shifts up onto her shoulder. "...we'll do what we do best," she replies to Zelda, already taking on a more serious look. "I'm ready."

>> SUMMARY[Yumi Tachibana] >> It's okay, mister friendly rock dude. I have a runeblade as big as I am.

    The direction Lex has chosen to haunt is the front. She scoots a little bit closer to Yumi, having gotten a firsthand look at her ability to defend herself and others (or ... sort of). She glances back to Xion, and does a double-take -- oh right! Xion! -- and leaves a concerned look towards Terra and Rydia.

    But now it's time for action! Something's coming! Something bouldery and dangerous-looking! Wait, why is Sheik just strolling forward!? It's ...!

    ... Gor Coron.

    Lex does a bit of a double-take when Zelda's true identity is revealed. "... huh." She listens to the conversation quizzically, and then gets out her phone. "Add note to log," she says in a low voice, but loud enough for Zelda to hear. "'Fortunately, the Gorons are familiar with Miss Sheik.' End note." Her phone beeps confirmation. Implicit in the action is the promise that she'll keep Zelda's identity secret.

    She pauses as Yumi summons Prominence, just a noticeable amount of awe in her eyes in the brief moment of peace before the battle begins. She nods between Yumi and Gor Coron. "Yeah, everyone here is good at, y'know, fighting and all that," she says. And then she stops, and makes her decision. "... Uh, one sec." She scurries back to the caravan.

    She returns a moment later wearing her armor, and an expression of even more discomfort at the heat than she had before.

    *Boulder*. *Big Boulder*. Taavit's pirated enough Harrison Ford movies to know where *this* is going and he *does not like it*. His eyes widen as the rumbling and rattling of earth beneath foot sends him wobbling this way and that a moment; his shades tipping down that pointed nose of his show off the yellow of his eyes a moment in all their '*oh crap*' glory, before he starts to back off and- .. And uh. Why. Why is the Priestess not. Running..?

    Oh. Ah. A Mountain Troll. (?)
    Taavit blinks once, then twice, then uhs. He sets his polearm down, letting it lean against his shoulder, as he scratches his head about his stubby nubbin goat horns, and then tilts it. When the Goron (?) speaks, he listens. Curious. 

    And then suddenly several shades of *Embarrashocked*.

    "Princess?!" He balks, about falling over in stunned surprise. This Priestess is a *princess*?!

    He's still scratching at his minute rack as he sort of dumbfoundedly follows the Princess (?!) and the Goron up along the trail, finally finding himself somewhat in the middle of the group as they wind up in the mine, and at the precipace of *Doom* (De-doom-doom-doooooom.) A sobering moment though this- He's reminded he doesn't have time to boggle over the fact that he's in the presence of Royalty, because the sight of scattered, disused weapons, and the ruin wrought by the angry Mountain Troll (Goron!) brings him back to the present. He tightens his grip on Svärdstav, and nods. "Forest Trolls love a battle hearty, so do I, let's go and party," he quips haplessly with a weak grin, tail swish-swishing to this side and that.

    Rydia grunts. Having Zelda bowled into her means the smaller girl goes down, but she goes down without much more complaint than that single grousing grunt as she picks herself up-- and then moves to help Zelda back to her feet, eyes flashing wild at the thought that something would dare so much as knock the princess over, let alone try to harm her. It is when the boulder stops that she pauses entirely.
    Falling boulders do not simply just stop like that. Especially when spoken to.
    "What."
    And then the boulder turns out to be alive- not just alive, but a man seemingly made from the rock of the earth itself-- a Goron.
    "... I thought they'd be bigger." She whispers, leaning over to Terra and Yumi. But then the princess' true identity is revealed, and the girl just... Clears her throat softly, before following along the path and into the mines and to the ominous door.
    "Anything behind that door is going to have to get through me before it can get to Zelda, so lets get on with it." The eight year old says with certainty. There's Lex in armor though and she doesn't look too comfortable. Then again in this insane heat, that is to be expected, and Rydia mutters a few words under her breath before motioning at the adventurer.
    "Blizzard."
    It should cool her down at least briefly before the door opens, Rydia's hand finding the way back to her dagger.

    As the boulder approaches, Xion shoots up a hand and begins to gather aether, into a shining ball of holy light. When Zelda addresses the approaching boulder and it unfolds itself into a person, though, the doll- the girl's hand drops mechanically to her side, and the holy light winks out as if it was never there in the first place.

    Xion makes absolutely no reaction to Zelda's true identity being revealed. She's just... standing there, not emoting or really doing much of anything. And then they're walking again, and she's following.

    When they reach the door, she produces one of her Mirage Blades again, and simply nods her head to Zelda. She's ready. Time to do the thing she's meant for.

    Terra doesn't tense up too badly upon sighting the boulder! Just be ready to move! It might not be the actual threat and- Oh. It's like a person. Is a person. When Zelda relaxes her guard she also removes her hand from her sword. She even steps aside a little so Rydia can get a better look.

    She doesn't miss Lex's look and of course returns it somewhat awkwardly before all attention goes to the exchange between Zelda and this elder Goron.

    Bad timing for a distraction as the entire mountain seems to move, wobbling her unsteadily enough that she can't really intervene when Zelda tumbles into Rydia. At least she more or less keeps her feet? Though now she feels a fool for letting her guard down.

    Not much needs to be said after that and naturally she's totally okay with this. She gets the gist of things, though going deeper into the internals of what seems to be a rather active volcano does concern her more than a little but so many people she trusts are here. She can't not be here to help! Of course, Zelda's indication that things are likely to be intense makes her mouth flatten into as impassive an expression as she can manage.

    A look to Taavit, Rydia, Yumi and Lex is cast. "I'm ready." Then she double-takes at Xion with a very slight startled noise.

  Calmly, Zelda draws her rapier again, studying the sullen orange light reflected down its blade. Lowering the point, she glances to the others as they prepare themselves. Satisfied, she lowers the point, glancing over to the others as they prepare themselves.

  Oh, the Gorons are bigger. Much bigger. Gor Coron is pretty small as far as they go... but they'll find that out later.

  Yumi calls Prominence to hand, and Zelda can't help a brief but admiring look. It's certainly a handsome weapon, and the light of it is a kindred to her own spirit. Lex and Taavit both earn the barest inclination of her head; quiet acknowledgement. Yes, royalty. Not dead like the rumours of the peasantry suggest. Lex's implicit promise earns a faint tilt of her head.

  ...Yep, Taavit, the priestess is the princess. Zelda can't help an amused quirk of her lips at the Danish Troll's shock, but it fades fast when she looks to the door.

  There's nothing to hear from the other side of it, but maybe that's the worrisome part. It's eerily silent but for the sound of churning magma far beneath them all; the heart's-blood of Hyrule itself. Otherwise, the chamber is eerily quiet, its still air almost stifling.

  "You underestimate me," Zelda says quietly to Rydia, with a half-smile. Her eyes are locked on the door, though, the key warm in her free hand. The smile slides right off her face as she reaches up, swiping her sleeve across her forehead. It's obnoxiously hot everywhere here. Where one might think the cavern might provide relief, it's really just the place where the heat is originating, so it's kinda miserable in here.

  Xion is looked at sidelong for a moment, but whether Zelda recognises the other or not, it's hard to say.

  Without another word Zelda lifts the key and unlocks the door. Teeth find levers with a sound that belies the fragility of the key; the booming and ratcheting of the gears and works behind the surface suggest incredible craftsmanship just beneath its metal surface. The last of the internal locks spring free, and with a creak of ill-used hinges, the great big slab of metal swings open. Not a hint of its internal workings are visible even from the inside.

  The chamber is silent and dark as a slim little blade of orange light filters in from outside. It lights two pillars, and between them is chained a massive, man-like figure with a large head, long arms, and short legs; it looks rather like a much bigger, beefier Goron in stature, albeit one that easily dwarfs Gor Coron. It's dark, slumped between the chains.

  Then the light falls across it.

  At once the thing suddenly straightens between the pillars as though electrically shocked. Its thunderous roar echoes in the close confines of the chamber; in time to the booming thud of Gor Coron shutting the door behind them, because seriously, this thing getting out would be bad.

  Straightening, the creature yanks first one giant arm away from the left pillar, snapping the chains, and then the right side; advancing on the party with another thundering roar that echoes painfully from the corners of the carved stone chamber. A metallic mask obscures its face; red slots show where its eyes are -- but it's between the eyes that's most brilliant, with a pulsing, fiery-coloured gem.

  Oh, and when it roars again, the whole thing bursts into flames, causing the chains dangling from its arms to glow red-hot. There's not a whole lot of room in here for manoeuvring. And with the flames rising from its body, the chamber is now very, very hot.

  ...Welp.

  Zelda reaches out without thinking, digging fingers into the Summoner's shoulder and tightening like a vise; a bracing presence. In the meantime, she's looking it over, quickly, trying to work out how to even affect it. It's on fire, after all. Then...

  "Aim for the jewel!" Zelda roars, over the creature's reverberating bellows. "The jewel, on its head!"

    'I thought they'd be bigger.' Yumi doesn't do a great job of hiding the smile from Terra or Rydia.

    But the monster that once was a Goron, though, that's not a matter to smile about. As it's freeing itself, she's already taking a step to the fore, her accustomed location of 'right out in front, ready to tank the big hits'. That fire... that could be bad. She's not worried about herself, but she's not sure how bothered by fire Rydia still is. For the summoner's sake, this needs to end fast.

    As if in answer to Fyrus' ignition, she swings Prominence around herself, the weapon beginning to glow a soft gold-white. And in the next heartbeat, the magical girl charges full speed, launching hserself up into the air for a simple, fierce series of power strikes aimed at the jewel.

>> SUMMARY[Yumi Tachibana] >> Taking a high jump to swing big hits with a glowing Prominence.

    The group enters the room. Xion just walks mechanically, blade gripped tightly in her hand.

    When Fyrus roars and ignites, the blast of hot air knocks down her hood, and Xion suddenly seems to come to life. Her blank expression is replaced by an audacious grin, her eyes almost seeming to light up with a fire to rival the cloak of flames surrounding the giant goron. She is suddenly very real, very present in a way she often isn't.

    She darts to the side as Yumi steps to the fore, immediately accepting Yumi as the frontline and moving to flank and harass. "Light Raid!" she shouts, throwing her blade in a spinning arc towards the Twilight-dosed chieftain. Not aiming for the gem, simply throwing to keep their foe off balance and allow Yumi her opening.

    It's quickly followed by another, than a third, as Xion pulls swords from nowhere and flings them, charged effortlessly with holy light.

>> SUMMARY[Xion] >> Oh hey, Xion's here! And she's throwing her sword!

    Lex blinks in surprise as she's suddenly cooled off by a blizzard. She looks around in confusion, realizes the source is Rydia. "Thanks," she says.

    And then they have a great big ... fire-Goron to contend with. Her gaze shifts sideways to Rydia. Okay, good, Sh-- Princess Zelda is handling her.

    She turns back to Fyrus. "Not many monsters are full, like, on fire kind of thing," she mutters. She clears her throat. "Okay, um!" Her voice sounds even more scratchy and androgynous than it usually does when she raises it. "That ..." But Zelda beats her to the punch of pointing out the weak spot, and then Yumi beats everyone else to a slightly more literal kind of punch. "-- Yeah. And probably -- oh right, ice magic ... if ..." She glances at Rydia. "Uh-oh."

    Uh. Hmm. Let's see, Lex herself doesn't have any ranged attacks. "Sword-beams would be great," she mutters. She rushes forward as she has before, aiming a couple of slashes at Fyrus's legs to harass it from that angle, even as Xion gets goes for the same general concept but considerably more dramatically.

    And then inspiration strikes as her gaze falls on the chains dragging on the ground. "Can we trip 'im up altogether?" she calls out to all and sundry.

    Well, friendly smiles are a comfort. Though Terra doesn't openly respond to Yumi's levity she does feel maybe a tiny bit better! Though when the door opens, even she pulls her weapon, curved blade shining in the relative gloom of the entrance.

    That is, until the Goron-turned-beast roars to fiery life, breaking it's bonds in short order and causing her to lift an arm to shield her face from the heat from that bellow.

    Without thinking she storms forward, seeing Yumi and then Xion engaging the creature head on. She lifts a hand and throws out a crackling pulse of fire- Not at Fyrus but rather, one of his dragging chains, intending to soften or perhaps even melt part of the metal into slag while he's not moving -quite- so much.

    "Rydia!" Hoping the small summoner can muster through her fear and fight, she points to the smear of melting metal and hopes her message might get across. Solder the chain to the floor, if only briefly, to keep it from moving freely?

    It's a thought, though she adds hastily. "The chain!"

    Laugh all you want, Zelda, the little Trold who would's cool-kid attempt is shattered for the moment. Yeah, eyes still kind of stunned, Taavit shakes his head a moment. Then pauses. That rumble, rolling, clicking noise. He shudders a little. Even as obsessed as he is with computers and other high tech (to him) objects, there is something Olde and True about the cogs and wheels which rumble deep within a world's heart; be it the Troldwald, all dark and forboding, the place where children are told not to stray, or be it Hyrule, with it's Twilight, it's Corruption, it's haunted tracks, it's many and few different paths.

    And then. The very Heart is exposed. The wave of heat causing him to wince as sweat starts to dot his brow; the forboding feel of darkness causing him a shiver at the same time. Of course. That's nothing compared to the moment his hair and tail both frizz in a short chain of poof-puff-pouf! Because it's *cause*, well. This thing towers over Gor Goron; Taavit is pretty sure the best he can reach is it's *big toe*. Ears drooping slightly, he slinks back a step- but watches Yumi go for this.. this *Thing*.

    Fyrus.

    He frowns. Not because he can't let a girl show him up (although that's more likely to be the claim later!) but because he can't let any of these cool folks around him get hurt and not feel a *massive* hit to his concience. I mean, seriously, he has this *thing* about being a *good person* it's really kind of a sad failing compared to the legens of Trolls being evil, and stuff. He's about to set his bare footed heels and then charge for the thing's big toe, when Xion suddenly flings her sword and the movement catches his eye, and he turns his head. ??? "Where did she come from?!" he asks of himself, confusedly. 

    Then, he puffs out a breath. And grips his polearm hard. And tight. And then starts *running*. He's fast. He's rabbit fast. (don't tell him he runs like a bunny though.) Wave, weave, zigzag, *leap*. He uses the pole-end of his weapon like a Vaulting Pole; a charge, a plant of polebutt into ground, and then, a fling of his weight upwards; He's specifically aiming to launch himself ...at the wall? No, for a higher spot on the wall, from which he then leaps off, and attempts to fling himself at Fyrus directly, the Svärd of his stav aimed forward, with one hand planted right behind the hilt, and the other planted about mid-bo.

>> SUMMARY[Taavit] >> Still highly confused, Taavit says 'Well heck it, Hecate!' and vaults himself toward f(l)ame, glo(w)ry, and ... Burnination.

    "I don't underestimate you, I merely am stating the fact that I'd stab someone before letting them get close enough to threaten you."
    That is Rydia's duty, after all, as Zelda's self-appointed bodyguard as the princess opens the door. Only to be greeted by the roar of the creature that resides within. It's loud enough to make Rydia flinch, both arms covering her ears as she grimaces.
    Only to look up and watch the dark figure break its mighty shackles... And watch in abject horror as it bursts into living flames right before her eyes.
    The last Summoner's whimper is a sound that is lost in the drowning, overpowering, and monstrous roar as she shrinks herself back, bracing hand squeezing on her shoulder or not.
    "A-ah..."
    Her back is quiskly pressing against Zelda's front, the smaller girl trying to back down and force her way out of the room.
    But a small voice in Rydia's head whispers in her ears that she can't do that. She can't run away.
    That voice is her own.
    Gulping down her extreme terror in the face of this beast, the last Summoner squeezes her eyes shut. Shiva would be really helpful right about now, but the question is would Rydia survive the trip back down the mountain in the state that calling the Eidolons leaves her.
    Instead... Instead Rydia opts to call on something else. Something closer. Something she has better control over than the wild and sultry Lady of the North.
    Rydia's teeth chatter, first from the fear, and then from the sudden cold that emanates from behind her.
    Something is coming.
    Something has heard her call.
    ... Something big and menacing, and utterly, heartlessly, malicious.
    Breathless and shivering, Rydia points a quaking finger at Fyrus, voice resounding with power as she exerts her will over something dangerous.
    "White Wolfos!"
    The beast SHOVES its way through the door, slavering for blood, hate-filled red eyes blazing like coals plucked from the heart of hell itself as it freezes the very air around it, mist wafting from the ice crystals jutting from its pelt.
    Turning its head, the man-sized wolf-beast SNAPS its jaws at the little Summoner and princess behind her, but a crack of Rydia's whip reminds it of why she has called it here, motioning for Fyrus and the chains when prompted by Terra.
    And then the beast turns, charging the flaming montrosity, snapping its jaws down on a melting chain and using its bestial strength to hold it in place while supercooling the heated metal to the floor.

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Summon: White Wolfos. Pray I can keep it under control this time.

  Behold Fyrus, the Twilight Igniter; shadow and flame given form.

  It advances with a wall of flame and sound, thundering. It seems to have every intention of battering at the party with its flaming limbs, but it also seems to have discovered that it can swing those chains around, and the red-hot metal is a dangerous threat all by itself. Not only will it hurt swinging around at that kind of speed, the heat is going to cauterise whatever it touches.

  And then there are swords invading its personal space. A lot of them. The beast bellows again in its rage, thrashing and trying to block or hit those swords of Xion's.

  The Hylian princess looks up as Yumi swings Prominence around, the gleaming blade trailing its own white-gold light. She looks after its trailing arc, and the traces of Xion's flung blades, but she doesn't have time to watch. Each contribution is watched in turn, even as Zelda hangs back, staying with Rydia, sword held firmly. Lex's assault is noted with approval; sometimes, a distraction is critical.

  It works, in this case. Fyrus is too busy trying to chase after Lex's harrying and harassment to bother striking at the sword-wielders bearing down on it. That also means it's too busy to watch what Terra is doing, and as those chains are partly melted, softening and flattening against the hot stone floor, they start tripping the beast up plenty enough. It's enough for Taavit, too, to charge and leap, using his weapon like a vaulting pole and manoeuvre himself straight for Fyrus, blade-first, with all his weight behind it.

  For the moment, Zelda only watches, and one can almost see the wheels turning in her head as she considers her own offensive. She keeps her clawed hand tight about Rydia's shoulder.

  Stand, Rydia. Zelda's mental command is firm in a way her voice is not. There is a thread of Hylia there, but it's mostly Zelda. I am here. We will fight together.

  And then sudden, bitter cold.

  A Wolfos busts through the door, which is about the last thing Zelda would expect to see here. She stares for a moment, unafraid as the beast's slavering jaws part. She does not cower as the beast snaps its jaws, but she lets Rydia do the talking, which she does, with a bullwhip.

  Clearly Fyrus wasn't expecting a creature plucked out of Hyrule's wintriest places to come charging straight at it, in an effort to fuse the chains to the floor. Going by the hissing and the steam and the angry roaring from Fyrus, it's working, because when the fiery beast breaks away to try to go after Lex and the cutlass currently annoying its legs, it gets two paces...

  ...and stops, abruptly, as the chains slam it back to the ground. It actually looks surprised, somehow, before it struggles to rise with burning flailing limbs and a whole lot of angry roaring.

  It's enough that it's down. Zelda brings a hand down on Rydia's shoulder, hard, and then steps around her, raising a hand to the ceiling. Her fingers are open, as though she were reaching up to seize something. Her lips are moving, but it's in the same ancient form of Hylian she'd used at the sacred spring. It's enough, even if nobody else can hear it. Brilliant white-gold light flares around her hand, coalescing into the form of a bow, and in her left hand is an arrow-shaft made of the same stuff. It's almost too bright to look at, the form of the shaft jittering around when directly observed.

  Zelda draws the string back to a pointed ear -- the string glows, too -- and aims for the jewel at Fyrus' forehead. Taking a breath to centre her aim, and to track Fyrus in its flailing, she lets her arrow fly.

  It rips across the chamber in soundless fury, silent and bright enough to paint the room into stark shadow; bright as lighting in the dark, bright as the summer sun. It strikes the jewel with a faint 'tink.' This in turn sets off a chain reaction: A piece of the jewel is sheared off, and then the whole thing erupts in a cloud of strange black motes. Not quite like embers; too angular for that, but not too different. Fyrus collapses into a coalescing mass of seething darkness, which shrinks as it falls. It's still very large -- something maybe twelve feet tall and just as solid -- but its features are indistinct.

  A second arrow is called to hand and trained on the White Wolfos, just in case; Zelda is busy flicking her gaze between the two targets, just in case that single arrow wasn't enough for Fyrus.

  Even the arrow on her string blazes in light. To those like Taavit, the powerful sensation of divinity is oppressive. It might be uncomfortable, or even painful; Zelda has all of her considerable focus drawn directly on sustaining those arrows.

  Rydia and Yumi might note a flicker of darkness in those otherwise summer-blue eyes. She has not yet called Hylia, but the goddess is not far. Hylia is the Light -- and in drawing on it, she draws on Hylia, too.

    Yumi deflects one chain strike, two, whirling Prominence around with surprising deftness to defend herself; but a third slips by, slamming straight into her front and smashing her skidding back a good four or five meters. She never quite loses her footing, though, and the heavy blow doesn't seem to have seared her through the armor. But it's a good bet she's going to be sore; the brief wince when she takes a breath says there might be a cracked rib. She sets herself to charge in again, watching the opening created by the Wolfos for her chance to get by-

    But Zelda brings it down at last.

    Without skipping a beat, Yumi charges in anyway, but this time, it's so that she can be right under the teetering mass of shadow. So she can catch the falling Darbus, and carefully lay him down. Wouldn't do to have him getting injured even worse. Prominence is left behind, and after a few moments, the sword simply comes apart, a shimmering dispersal of gold-white motes that fade to nothing.

    Oh god Lex has a monster chasing after her! She dodges and weaves through the monster's attacks, and lets out a squawk as it nearly turns her into overcooked floor-pizza. Still, though, she's grinning. Exactly as planned!

    ... She does take the opportunity to side-eye Xion. That sudden change of ... um, everything ... is causing all the side-eying.

    But then it's down. She waits a moment to see if Fyrus gets up again; this would not be the first time that exact thing happened. But no; he's shrinking down, reverting back to becoming Darbus again, and Yumi is catching him. Lex settles down, and sheathes her cutlass.

    She then regards the White Wolfos. "Well, that's cool," she remarks. "... Uh. Pun not intended." ... And then she frowns as she sees Zelda nocking an arrow, and she turns back to the Wolfos, one hand going to her cutlass again. "Okay, not quite as cool," she adds flatly.

    The fact that he manages to hit, then use the backlash of the weapon hitting to leap away at the same time, and then *land* without breaking anything, sets Taavit to momentary boast, especially as the beast behind him bellows in pain (albeit from Rydia's Wolfos!) He stands up, brushes his nose with his thumb, and lets out a crow of delight- Though it sounds oddly like he's actually *sounding* like a Rooster. That is, to say, a cucco. Possibly because for one moment he forgets, and actually does use Rooster language. Whoops.

    And then it's DOWN, shaking the earth beneath his feet as it topples. Taavit whirls and bellows, "Hah! It is the Touch Down!" with a wide, semi-fangy grin, before he grabs his polearm, intent on Victory Dance despite the beast not actually being gone.

    ... That, of course, would be about when Zelda draws first one Arrow of Light, and then a szecond- The first causes Taavit's head to feel suddenly as if there were rocks driving into his hornbeds and temples. It's imbedded in Fyrus so fast though that it's energy is burnt off quickly. The spear in hand drops with his hands flinging for his head. He hisses through his teeth. And then the second arrow is drawn, and, eyes squinting slightly closed, Taavit looks about frantically, and finally centers on the powerful, flickering pulse sensation of the Arrow's head and flames. Backed. By Zelda's... Zelda-ness, and Hylia's presence. He grimaces, stamps a foot or two, and then slides a foot 'neath his dropped weapon, and kicks it up so he can catch it with his hands, and then ship his backpack off as a shield to go between him and the *brilliant glow* of the arrow. He wobbles on his feet as he starts to back away.

    "... Ah hah hah... I.. am fast yes? I will;, go let the Goron know, that it is time for party! Celebration!" he says, though even as he turns he likely sees no obvious way out and away from that thing.

    He silently thanks his lucky stars that they aren't also on Holy Ground..

    Xion is rearing back her hand to throw a fourth Mirage Blade, when suddenly she freezes up as Zelda pierces the crazed Goron with an arrow of holy light.

    She drops her sword as she sees the beast fall and shrink. She promptly ignores Darbus completely, and turns to look at Zelda with a look of curiousity. Just staring at that arrow of light with eyes that, for the moment, are filled with curiosity and awe.

    Rydia quails. It is Zelda's mental voice that seels the girl's resolve, though, allowing her to maintain her control over the Wolfos, several more cracks of her whip, ushering the monstrosity under her command to keep up its attack. Up until Zelda takes position in front of her and summons her holy bow and arrows of light.
    With Fyrus felled, a crack of her whip shoos the Wolfos back out the door, letting t return to the icy realm of Snowpeak from whence it came... Leaving them to deal with the fallen monster-- now Goron as Darbus is freed from his accursed form and Yumi catches him.
    "... Okay. That one is pretty big." She mutters before jolting faintly.
    Was that a cucco she just heard?
    "Damn devil birds." She grumbles under her breath before realizing it was just Taavit. "... Not cool."

    So much is happening so fast! While she does her best to hold a meager defensive line between the raging Goron, there appears to be little need for her slender blade. Instead, her magic is what seems to have the most use. It's a little humbling, watching the likes of Xion, Yumi, Taavit and even Lex in the fray. She's not even really sure where she'd begin to match their ability.

    Still, her gamble in trying to weld the chain to the floor appears to pay off! With that ground shaking fall, the chain seems to hold the beast down and now, she braces to do something else. She scans the combatants and, seeing no immediate need for healing stands aside.

    Zelda's arrow takes the beast in the face, that jewel and she shrinks from the effect of dissipating Twilight.

    Then just like that, it's over. The only thing stopping her from going to the side of the fallen Goron elder is Rydia's Wolfos. Once Rydia clears her way, she trots up and holds her hands out, daring to try and heal the fallen elder. He's not some kind of horribly broken monster, right? He's worth saving, right? She can only hope trying to lay down some healing isn't a misake!

  The aura of divinity about Zelda remains. Her focus is sharpened to a knife's edge, and she waits with arrow primed to make sure that nothing else threatens their group. Blue eyes linger for a moment on Xion. That killing intent is still there, but for now she's just watching as Xion studies her.

  So far, so good. Zelda slowly lowers the bow, easing the string back. Both dissipate in a swirl of white-gold motes. Shaking her hand out, the princess strides toward Darbus and the others. "Are you all right?" The question is directed more or less to everyone; if they are injured, she'll help them out. Healing is something she does very well... but Terra's got it covered.

  She kneels beside Darbus, reaching out a hand, but she doesn't quite touch him. He looks pretty out of it. Unconscious, actually, but he seems to be unhurt. The princess looks him over a moment, before pushing herself to her feet. The Hylian wobbles a bit. Invoking the goddess is always draining.

  Shaking her head to clear it, she turns. "Thank you all. Chief Darbus appears to be all right. Since he's far too heavy for any of us to move, I will inform Gor Coron that his people may come collect him... the Twilight is dispelled." Her eyes flutter closed; she draws on her senses, searching for any lingering taint.

  Nothing.

  No sooner does she rise to her feet, dusting off her hands on her thighs and swiping an arm across her forehead (it's still uncomfortably hot) than the door issues its clicking, ratcheting sequence as it booms open, shoved by the small but apparently strong Gor Coron. He blinks, looking between the assembled heroes and the fallen chieftain.

  "Oh, thank the goddesses," he sighs. "I'll come back with the others. We'll return him to Goron City. Thank you, heroes. Princess Zelda."

  The little Goron shuffles out to go gather up reinforcements, provided nobody moves to stop him.

  Zelda lets out a quiet breath, frowning at Rydia's assessment. Devil birds indeed. No sane person messes with cuccos and expects not to get hurt.

  Eventually her head shakes. "...We have done all we can, here. Come. Back to Goron City. You will have a hero's welcome; food and drink, and lodgings. I will return to the trailhead below and secure the wagon." Another flicker of a smile. Hyrule is, slowly, coming back together again. "Thank you."

  With that, it's her turn for leavetaking, provided nobody stops her.

    Lex glances between Zelda and Taavit in surprise, before realization dawns. Ohhhhh. He's not good with ... with whatever divine stuff Zelda is doing right now. She shrugs, and turns back to face Zelda. "I got a little cooked, but I'm okay, and all that," she says. She's ... not changing how she behaves towards someone she now knows is a princess. She's just not gonna. She smiles as Terra goes to heal Darbus. "So, uh, yeah. Glad I could help!"

    And then Rydia's remark turns her head, and she looks between her and Taavit in confusion. "Devil what?" she says under her breath.