NayruGoddessOfWisdom

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Posts posted by NayruGoddessOfWisdom


  1. ((Sorry for the long reply! Franne and I have been brewing and I HAD to get it out!))

     

    The group guarded the princess between them as they made their way out of the castle. They headed towards the main courtyard, but the battle for Hyrule Castle was already underway. The blades of Scoundrel's and knights clashed against those of hybrids.

    "There's another route," Maia said carefully, realizing the danger. "We can turn back and loop around the outer corridors of the castle."

    So that's exactly what they did. The whole group kept alert as they traversed the narrow, stone walled corridors, put their path remained clear of obstruction. It seems that all warriors had been summoned to the battle. Did they even know that their leader had fallen?

    Suddenly, something caught Torianna's attention. Quiet muttering, sharp intakes of breath, repetitive footsteps. She stopped still. She knew she recognised the voice...

    Endel seemed to have caught onto the matter as well, and was glancing around himself in curiosity. "Can you hear that?" he muttered.

    They followed the sound of the noise, and eventually happened upon one of the castle cells. A figure sat inside, hunched over, wringing their hands together nervously. The window behind them turned the person into nothing but a dark silhouette. But what really struck Torianna's curiosity was that the cell door was unlocked... the shadow muttered again, and Torianna instantly knew who it was.

    "We don't have the time for this," Endel said, glancing nervously up ahead.

    "I'll catch you up," Torianna replied instantly. She couldn't leave him like this...

    "I'll wait with you," Maia suddenly interjected. "I'd be more of a liability in a fight anyway..." she laughed feebly.

    Endel didn't look keen on the idea of separating the group again, but he was without another option. He sighed, clutching his new weapon as he, Lorcan, and the princess continued along their path. Torianna was already preoccupied by the time that they vanished from sight. She was cautiously approaching the figure.

    Up close, she could see how limp his soft brown hair had gotten. It fell over his eyes, the roots a dusty white colour. She watched as he clenched and uncleanched his fists, the action causing inky black veins to pulsate against the inside of his wrists. He glanced up at her, his eyes - once the same deep green as hers - were nothing but black discs in white beds. It was like his pupils had swallowed his iris.

    "Jaydon..." Torianna whispered as she knelt before him. "What the hell did they do to you?"

    He continued to clench and unclench his fists as he spoke. He was hesitant, almost as though the words were unfamiliar to him. "You're not all that..." he said carefully. "They wouldn't stop... stop talking about how you had to be the one to receive that injection. You betrayed us. Why would you deserve that glory?"

    Torianna felt herself cringe, recoiling internally at his words. Glory? Since when did Jaydon think like that...?

    "I stole it. I took it," he said. Torianna's stomach dropped. His sentences were clipped now as his leg began to violently jog. "And everything is going... numb. I felt things. I resented you for what you did. I was... I was... d- I wanted to be important. Now everything- that d- desire has gone numb. I don't feel angry at you."

    The thief couldn't make head nor tail of what he was saying. Why was he stammering? What did he mean by numb? She reached out instinctively, cupping her little brother's hands in hers. His muscles jarred at her touch, tension locking in his upper body.

    "I feel- I f- I am important. For the first time; I'm powerful." He hesitated, unsure. "But I lost... something..."

    Torianna cupped his hands tighter, and a repulsed frown crept across his brow. "Just breathe, Jaydon," she soothed him, glancing at the cell gate nervously, panic welling inside of her. "You're going to be ok... the fairies can help you... or sacred magic!"

    "You can't-"

    "I won't let my baby brother become a demon!" she snapped.

    And just as she had snapped, something snapped within Jaydon. The blackness in his veins flared, bleaching his skin. Pure white rivers were left in his flesh as he stood, tattooed on his arm like lightning bolts. The snarl that escaped his throat was inhuman as those black orbs glared down at her. Jaydon's dagger flashed in the dimly lit room as it sliced the skin on Torianna's arm like butter.

    She could already feel the warm blood beginning to roll down her arm as she let out a hot sob. It wasn't the pain - her body felt numb.

    It was that look of malice on her little brother's face.


  2. Three hybrids were just around the corner, and Torianna wasn't in any mood to face them. She was missing two daggers thanks to her lost jacket, and Maia wasn't able to properly fight. There was no way Lorcan could take out three hybrids alone.

    Suddenly, Torianna had an idea.

    She pulled a copper coin from her trouser pocket, flipping it experimentally off her thumb. Lorcan frowned at her, but she paid him no heed. Instead, she poked her head around the corner, waiting until the hybrids were suitably distracted. Once they turned away, she drew her arm back and sent the coin spinning through the air. It struck the chest plate of an empty suit of armour, letting out a satisfying clanging noise. The hybrids, who were clearly lacking intelligence, took off in pursuit of a non existent intruder.

    Lorcan gave her a congratulatory grin, and Maia smiled.

    "I know where we are!" Maia exclaimed. She dashed forward, beaming from ear to ear at the door the hybrids were guarding. "It's the entrance to Zelda's chambers!" She wasted no time in flinging open the door and dashing off up the stone stairwell. The two of them raced after her. Torianna tried to count how many floors they passed, but she couldn't keep it up.

    Eventually, they reached the door to the princess' room. Lorcan was quick to pull it open, and they found Zelda stood by the iron panelled windows on the far side of the room. She turned to face them, wearing a shocked expression.

    "Princess," Torianna said. "We've freed your soldiers imprisoned within the basement and they should be staging an attack any moment now. We're here to make sure that you get out of here safely."

    But something wasn't right. Zelda didn't look relieved. On the contrary, she almost appeared.... weary...

    "No," she said carefully. "You don't understand. I-"

    But the door slammed shut behind them before she could finish. Lorcan drew his sword, Torianna ripped the dagger from her bootleg, and the three Scoundrels whirled around. Kazdon was stood in the doorway, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his long midnight blue coat.

    "I must commend you," he said carefully. "I'm impressed that you made it this far, even if the whole party didn't make it... a thank-you is also in order. I'm so very touched that you had the heart to forewarn me of the impending attack.

    Lorcan leapt into action, wielding his sword. But he didn't make it more than a step before Kazdon muttered a word in a language that Torianna didn't recognise. Loran's sword clattered to the ground, and the silent guard suddenly dropped to his knees. His body rocked with convulsions while the thief, serving girl, and the princess watched in horror. He eventually fell still, gasping for breath, a hand pressed to his head.

    Kazdon waved a hand at Torianna and Maia. "On your knees," he commanded, "hands behind your head. And drop the weapons!"

    He smirked proudly. "Oh Princess, you really should have warned me that you were having guests."


  3. The trio moved stealthily through the ever thinning braches of the tree. Torianna really hoped that Lorcan was half as good at route planning as he made out to be, because they couldn't keep climbing forever.

    A twig snapped beneath her foot as she climbed, dropping her down a notch. She gripped the branches harder, hoisting herself up until she found firm footing. Maia scrambled up after her. The whooshing of arrows all around her was the only encouragement that she needed to keep moving. From above her, Lorcan cleared his throat suddenly.

    Torianna looked up just in time to see Lorcan leaping from the branches of the tree. He threw his torso onto the rails of one of the castle balconies, clearing the gap with relative ease before hoisting himself over. He ducked back into the doorway, out of range of stray arrows, before nodding at Torianna and Maia, encouraging them to jump.

    Torianna edged herself slowly along the branch, keeping one hand gripped around the ever thinning tree trunk. And arrow shot over her shoulder, and she ducked out of the way just in time. Another quickly wedged itself through the sleeve of her leather jacket and into the tree trunk. She was trapped, her arm pinned to the tree trunk!

    She tugged roughly, but the arrow held firm, locked into the bark. Lorcan let out a grunt of frustration from his concealed doorway, while Maia shuffled uncomfortably a few branches below Torianna. Panic was building up inside of her. She tried to pull the arrow out, but it wouldn't come loose.

    "Do something!" Maia pleaded, an arrow narrowly missing her.

    "Shut. Up!" Torianna growled. "Can't you see I'm trying?!"

    An arrow whizzed over her head, and Torianna grunted in frustration. She knew what she had to do. The manoeuvre was a little awkward as she pulled her leather jacket off her arms and back. She hated to leave such a good jacket hanging there, but she didn't have the time to delay. As quickly as she could she leapt across the gap and hauled herself over the balcony. Maia followed not long behind her, and the trio pushed forward into the corridors of Hyrule Castle.

    Torianna tried her hardest not to shiver. That was her favourite jacket - someone was going to pay for making her loose it.


  4. ((Sorry! I haven't had a moment of rest all weekend!))

     

    Torianna was surprised to find that the final cell she unlocked held not a guard, nor a soldier, but the head of the Scoundrels herself- Telma.

    "Boy am I glad that you lot came down here," Telma said as she exited the cell. "We've been stuck down here for a good couple of days now! And those idiots up there don't know the first thing about hospitality!"

    She grinned as the Trio rounded up, but a frown quickly passed over her face. "Hold up... where's Endel?"

    "The floor collapsed during a battle," Torianna explained. "He fell through. We don't know what happened to him."

    "Oh my..." Telma sighed. "Well looks like we aint got a scratch of good news between us. Keep alert, don't let them get the better of you. And don't let it get to you, Endel is more than capable of handling himself." She glanced down at Maia. "Especially you, okay?"

    The words seemed to be a comfort to Maia, who nodded her head with renewed pride. Telma took charge of the soldiers then, taking them out the back entrance of the dungeons and up to the front of the castle. "Call it a diversion," she said. "It should give you guys enough time to get up to the Princess - she's your priority!"

    The trio nodded firmly, before taking off up the stairs. Torianna and Lorcan walked at the front, with Maia tailing just behind them. Torianna was acutely aware of Lorcan's careful breaths next to her as they broke out into the castle courtyard. They hugged the walls, clinging to the shadows out of fear of being discovered.

    Lorcan suddenly gripped Torianna by the arm, stopping her in her tracks. She glanced back to find her two accomplices stood perfectly still, gazing upwards. She followed their line of sight, and saw exactly what she was hoping for.

    Princess Zelda sat gazing hopelessly out of a window on the top floor. One hand was pressed against the glass longingly, her blue eyes glazed.

    "She's being held captive in her own castle..." Torianna muttered.

    "Well, what are we waiting for?" Maia whispered. "Let's go find her!"

    Torianna shook her head. "It's not that simple. Even with Telma's distraction in place, the Princess is still going to be heavily guarded - we'd never make it up there! There's got to be another way in..."

    Lorcan grinned then. He looked left and right calculatedly, judging every surface and window ledge. Torianna watched with an ounce of admiration as his cool blue eyes assessed multiple routes, before turning to them. His business-like nod said all it needed to: 'follow my lead.'

    With that, he strolled leisurely over to a tree near the edge of the courtyard and hoisted himself up onto the lower branches, slowly proceeding upwards.


  5. That irritating girl.

    Torianna couldn't make head nor tail of why Maia was still here anymore. They didn't need her to speak to the Great Fairies, and it was clear she wasn't much of a fighter. But what irritated Torianna more than anything else, what really burnt her down to her quick, was the way that Maia acted in a crisis situation. Torianna hated snivelling.

    Snivel. Cry. Cower.

    Blah blah blah.

    She couldn't understand what Endel saw in her. And she had the nerve to think Torianna careless? She gripped her pearl-handled dagger tight, her jaw clenched as she checked around the corner before proceeding. Guess what, little serving girl, growing up with criminals meant that caring got you absolutely nothing. Crying didn't solve a situation, and it certainly didn't earn you pity. You handle your own problems, you take care of yourself, and you let others worry about themselves.

    She didn't have the patience to deal with people like Maia.

    As the trio rounded another corner, two lizalfos hybrid guards set out to stop them. But they weren't too much trouble, Torianna and Lorcan were able to take them down fairly quickly with some steady footing, quick dives and carefully placed sword slashes.

    "Hey! You took out the guards..." came a voice from behind them. They turned sharply, and found two men shut in one of the cells. Judging by the clothes they wore, Torianna assumed they must be part of the Hyrule Castle guard.

    "You're part of those Scoundrels, aren't you?" one of them said, stepping forward.

    "Yeah," Torianna replied. She knelt down, searching one of the hybrids for a set of keys. She found them on the second hybrid, and set to work trying to find one that fit the lock on the cell.

    "We're not the only ones here," the second soldier muttered, glancing between the Scoundrels. "They've got more of us round the corner."

    "What about the princess?" Maia asked.

    The soldiers exchanged a glance. "We haven't seen the princess..."


  6. ((I got a message from Endel today, by the way. He says he's fine, he's just been super busy...))

     

    The first thing Torianna knew was Lorcan's arm around her waist. He dragged her backwards, away from the rapidly crumbling stone flooring. She was lifted completely off her feet and spun around until she was standing behind him. She heard a loud yell of surprise, and peered over Lorcan's shoulder just in time to see Endel plummeting downwards before being consumed by the darkness.

    "Endel!" Maia screamed.

    Torianna shoved past Lorcan, kneeling down at the edge of the pit. She stared into the chasm, but all she could see was blackness. She hadn't even heard him land... Maia was quickly by her side, screaming Endel's name into the darkness. They waited, but there was no reply.

    Maia began to sob immediately. She hunched in on herself, weeping loudly into her palms. Lorcan, looking extremely concerned, placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. His lips were pressed into a firm line, his eyes downcast.

    Torianna wasn't quite sure how she felt in herself. Endel was gone - he could be injured, he could be dead. Guilt tugged at her stomach once again. She could have grabbed him, she might have been able to save him. It felt... bad... she had liked Endel.

    But if there's one thing Torianna never did, it was waste time. The group leader was missing in action, the only other alternatives for leaders were a hysterical serving girl or a mute.

    "Maia, look at me," she ordered sharply. The girl looked up, her eyes glassy. "We've got to keep moving, they're going to find us here."

    "How can we continue without Endel? We need to find him!" Maia insisted. "We have to look for him."

    "No," Torianna said as calmly as she could manage. "We can't afford to waste our time on what might be a fruitless pursuit when there are more pressing matters at hand."

    "What do you mean fruitless?" Maia shrieked.

    Torianna looked to Lorcan for some kind of support. He took in a steady breath, but she couldn't read his stoic expression. She sighed. "I mean we probably won't be able to find Endel at all. Even if we could, he might be dead."

    Maia choked then, and Lorcan awkwardly squeezed her shoulder. "How could you say that?" she cried. "How can you just give up on him? Don't you have any kind of compassion? Don't you care?"

    Torianna's gut twisted. She clenched her jaw. She gripped her dagger, and turned away. "Come on," she growled. "There's got to be another way round."


  7. They set out, weapons in hand, along the back streets of Hyrule Castle Town. Torianna twirled her dagger in anticipation as they walked. She shouldn't love this, she shouldn't be enjoying it nearly as much as she was. But the anticipation was absolutely delicious, and she liked being able to fight for something - for someone. She liked having a purpose among the chaotic city.

    Endel walked with an uncertain air. His earlier confession of changing was of interest to Torianna. She suspected something might be coming, with his recent behaviour and how he acted around Maia, but she hadn't expected the boy to question his fundamental beliefs. She felt something akin to pride for him, but shook her head slowly. Soppy idiot.

    She cast her gaze back to Lorcan, looking for a distraction. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but laugh.

    "What's up you big softie. Were you worried about me or something?"

    He rolled his eyes and looked away, playing irritated - but she could still see the smile tugging at his lips. She dug her elbow into his ribs, eliciting a quiet yelp from him.

    "Shh!" Endel hissed as they drew nearer to the concealed castle entrance. "This is the way in. Keep your eye out for hybrids - the devolved. Just stay alert, and we should be able to handle this!"


  8. Torianna felt on edge from the moment that she arrived back in Castle Town. Something was undeniably off. There was hardly anyone about. Sure, it was a late hour, but there should have been more people around than this. The few people that were there avoided her gaze, walking with quick steps and bowed heads. She led her horse along the cobbled pathways and up towards the castle.

    And then she caught sight of it.

    The flags were down. The lights were dropped. The usual patrols of soldiers were nowhere to be seen. She could hear a ruckus from within the castle walls, and then she suddenly realized the mistake that they had made. The princess had vanished, and the whole group had gone off an an escapade to the other side of the kingdom. They'd left Hyrule Castle in the hands of the soldiers alone.

    She couldn't go in there alone, not without the rest of the group. She pulled back sharply on the stallion reigns, turning him about. He let out a loud neigh, then his hooves clopped against the ground as she headed back along the same path at reasonable speed. She wasn't sure where she was headed, but she knew it wasn't safe here any more.

    "Torianna!" someone yelled out to her. She pulled her horse to a sharp stop, casting a weary gaze around. She was relieved when she saw a familiar face leaning out from one of the windows. Ashei was stood in Telma's old bar, her arms crossed. She still wore the same stoic expression that she always did, despite the situation.

    "Where are the others?" Ashei asked as Torianna dismounted her horse and tied his reigns to the front of the bar.

    "I don't know..." Torianna breathed. "We split up, it was the only way to get out of there."

    "Are they together?" Ashei asked. Torianna nodded, and that seemed to reassure Ashei. "Well that's something," she muttered. "Get in here. There's a shortcut we can take to the Scoundrels base - I'll explain everything along the way."


  9. Torianna watched in surprise as Lorcan pulled open a concealed trap door, before leaping forward to fend of the advancing hybrids. Maia and Skallin were first to clamber down. Endel made an attempt to strike at the dodongo-hybrid confining her, but it hissed and forced him away with a blast of fire - Torianna just ducked in time to avoid her hair being singed, though it sent a jarring pain through her shoulder.

    "Go!" she yelled above the ruckus. He shook his head, but she repeated. "Go! I can handle this..."

    Endel looked uncertain, but begrudgingly backed off and down through the trap door. That left just Lorcan, fending off the advances of the hybrids towards the trap door. He locked eyes with her, looking determined. Damn him! Why did he have to be so infuriatingly insistent?

    "I told you to leave!" she said through gritted teeth.

    He shook his head fiercely, dodging another fireball. She sighed. "Trust me, I can do this alone. I need you to leave!"

    He stood for a few moments more, defending the position. But when he realised she was serious, he conceded with a sharp nod. He stepped back, took hold of the trap door handle. Then, in one swift motion, he plunged feet first through the hole, and slammed the trap door shut behind him.

    Immediately, three hybrids took off after the Scoundrels, leaving Torianna alone with the one holding her in an arm lock. This was what she needed, she could handle him herself.

    "Your daddy awaits," he said, his voice monotonous as he led her from the corner and down towards one of the mines. His grip shifted from the confining arm lock to a somewhat easier position, one hand on her shoulder, the other holding her elbow. This allowed her to slowly, and very very carefully, pull her dagger from her waistband. She waited until his attention shifted just the tiniest bit, then unleashed a swift slash to his scaled thighs. She was working with her weaker arm, and it wasn't the most advantageous angle, but it did the trick. He howled with pain and loosened his grip just enough for Torianna to make a break for it.

    She raced back up the corridors towards the front of the disguise-building. Already she could hear the footsteps of hybrids in pursuit. She didn't pause to open the door, but instead barged her shoulder into the wood. It gave way this time, and she broke into the open air. She glanced around desperately, searching for a quick get away.

    A few horses were tied to the front of one of the houses. She knew that Ashei wanted the Scoundrels to stop thieving... but desperate times call for desperate measures.

    She slashed the rope that bound one, a jet black stallion, and leapt up onto his back. With a quick jab of her heels and a tug on the reigns, he took off towards the gates of Hyrule Field.

    She wasn't sure where the other Scoundrels were. She had no idea where that trap door even led to. But she had confidence in them to find their own way out of there, just as she had. With the wind in her hair and the sun on her back, she set off for Hyrule Castle.


  10. It was clear to Torianna that Lorcan was beginning to grow agitated. To his credit, he had been incredibly patient with her up to this point. Ordinarily, she wasn't one for sitting around doing nothing, but there was no way she was going back in there while her father was still waiting on her arrival. Remembering his bitter words was enough to make Torianna clench her fists.

    Lorcan turned to look at her. He wore that unfamiliar expression again. Torianna hated it. She knew when he was angry with her, she knew when he was playing irritated, she knew when he was feeling guilty - but he was wearing an expression that she just couldn't place. She didn't like it one bit.

    "Stop looking at me like that!" she snapped.

    He frowned in confusion. She rolled her eyes, unsure of quite how to explain it.

    Luckily, she was saved from explaining when Endel, Maia, and Skallin emerged from the building to join them. Torianna scuffed her foot over the message Lorcan wrote on the ground, smudging it into an incomprehensible blur as she stood up. She didn't want them to see it. Lorcan rarely spoke to anyone, so to have this written communication with him seemed... personal. She loved to joke with the others about Lorcan's tantrums and grumpy expressions, but this was different.

    Endel seemed too distracted to notice. He gestured back to the building. "You'll never guess what just happened!"

    So Torianna listened carefully as the trio recounted what had happened to them while exploring the mines. Their story was absolutely absurd, and had it been anyone else talking, she wouldn't have believed them.

    "So," Endel said. "That woman in the dessert wasn't looking for cavalry. She was bargaining for information!"

    "Wait wait..." Torianna said. "Maybe I'm missing something because I'm the newbie to the Scoundrels... but where the hell is Subrosia? And what's a Zuna?"

    "That's just it, we don't know!" Endel says. "But it's got to be something important, right?" Lorcan nodded his agreement, and Torianna even managed to dredge up a smile. "Speaking of which, what did you guys find out?"


  11. Torianna felt top heavy, rather like a metal ball balanced on a stick. She felt precarious, and clung to the wall of the building for support; it was either that or Lorcan's arm, and she wasn't up for letting him think she needed his help. Her head felt heavy, saturated with confusion. She let it fall back against the wall behind her. Her breath rattled in her chest.

    She'd known for a very long time that her father wasn't exactly fond of her. He'd always wanted a son, some idiotic idea about a boy to carry on his legacy. It didn't matter to him that Torianna was a better thief than Jaydon, that she knew how to think for herself rather than just follow rules. All that mattered to him was his son, the spitting image of himself. His daughter was of no consequence.

    But she never thought he'd do this.

    She cursed aloud. Lorcan raised his eyebrows from where he stood, less than a foot away, watching Torianna with a confused frown. She continued to curse. She cursed herself for spending all those years bitterly fighting to prove her worth to her father. He was never going to listen anyway.

    Well now he needed her.

    And she wasn't playing his game any more.

    So she dropped to the ground, her back pressed against the wall. She pushed her fingers together and laid them between her knees. She chanced a glance upward, and found Lorcan watching. He nervously flicked his gaze between her and the door, his tall figure looming high over where she sat.

    She rolled her eyes. "Sit down you mute idiot," she sighed.


  12. "The injection is prepared. Everything is set to go, we just need a precautionary test first," Kazdan's voice rung out in the cavern. Various chinks could be heard, like the knocking of bottles and testing equipment.

    Torianna leaned a little closer, straining her ears to listen. Lorcan's grip on her arm remained firm. She was acutely aware of his presence so close to her - arrogant prick.

    "The injection has been customised to work with your DNA. We just need a test subject, to ensure that there are no nasty side effects," Kazdan continued.

    "I know that." Torianna knew that harsh voice anywhere. Only her father could snap like that. "You've got to be patient. We're doing our best to lure her and her little friends closer."

    Torianna tensed where she stood. Did he mean her?

    "Time is of the essence," Kazdan muttered.

    "Alright," her father hissed. "Don't forget we're doing you a favour here. You want to resurrect the Demon Lords? You need our help!"

    "I don't need you specifically..." Kazdan muttered.

    "Except you do," her father spat back. "You need a group of morally ambiguous people. You need them organised into a society that is already tiered in terms of power and skill. You need people with nothing to lose, people who would be willing to let you alter their DNA with your damned injections. You won't find these people anywhere else."

    Kazdan didn't say anything for a few moments. You could practically smell his fury. Torianna's father was right, and he knew it. "It doesn't have to be the girl," Kazdan growled. "Your son would fit the bill. We just need someone with DNA close enough to yours. The injection would work on him too."

    "I'm not risking Jaydon," her father hissed. "He's important to the network and he'd be useful in your plan. It's Torianna, or kiss goodbye to the whole idea."

    It was that moment when Lorcan decided that he'd heard enough. He gripped Torianna's arm tighter and began to drag her back down the narrow mine that they'd just traversed. Torianna didn't bother to fight him this time. She was having a hard enough time trying to clear her head. She had figured out what they meant, but she couldn't seem to process it. Lorcan continued to pull her until they'd marched right from the building. He turned to her, but Torianna couldn't read his expression in the slightest.

    "He's turning the network into Demon Lords..." she muttered. Her lips felt numb, but she forced herself to speak. "And they want me... like some sort of lab rat?"


  13. ((Hey I'm back from Cornwall! Sorry for the lack of replies but trying to get signal down there was virtually impossible. And no, I've heard nothing from him. I'm getting quite concerned about him :/ I've messaged him both here and on fanfiction, but he's been completely inactive...))

     

    Endel took off at the head of the group, looking far too enthusiastic for Torianna's liking. She herself wasn't too keen on the idea of breaking into the networks Kakarikan base. Who knows who might be there? Her brother? Her dad? Kazdan himself? She didn't exactly feel up to having a confrontation with the network. She still didn't know what Kazdan wanted from them. She still didn't know what they wanted with her.

    Lorcan walked uncomfortably closely beside her. His hand remained on the hilt of his sword the entire time, and his cool blue eyes were constantly surveying their surroundings as they proceeded towards an abandoned looking building. She shot him a confused glance, but he didn't even respond. Whatever he was doing, he was taking it extremely seriously.

    As they approached the building, their footsteps gradually got softer and softer. Torianna's skin chilled as they stepped into the elongated shadow.

    Endel pressed a finger to his lips, and they all huddled themselves back against the wall of the building, ready to enter.


  14. Torianna couldn't help but smile at Maia's sudden outburst. The fact that she could be useful in a fighting situation, even if only when the work that needed doing was completely unskilled, made her a little bit less annoying to Torianna. It was good to see her stand up for herself.

    "Nice work, Maia," Torianna said, patting her on the arm. Maia smiled, blushing a little bit.

    "Indeed," Endel said, looking thoughtful. "It's clear from that demonstration that you've got some nerve... especially when it comes to defense. Have you ever considered learning to fight?"

    Maia paled at the mere thought. "Me? Fighting? I really don't think that's a good idea..."

    "Nonsense!" Endel continued, smiling. "Torianna could teach you!"

    Torianna cut him a glare, placing her hands on her hips. Sure she liked that the girl stood up for herself, but that didn't mean she wanted to be lumped with tutoring her.

    "Why couldn't you do it?" Torianna said.

    "Because I'm a man," Endel replied simply. "Men and women have different fighting physiques." He looked around at the two women. Torianna was giving him her worst stare, and Maia looked uncomfortable at the very least. "Perfect!" he said, rubbing his hands together."

    Lorcan nudged Torianna in the ribs, gloating. She gave him a dark glare but he just smirked in the response. The boy was getting entirely too arrogant for her liking.

     

    ((Just to give you a heads up, I'm heading off on Holiday to Cornwall for a week! I have no idea what internet access will be like there, but I'll try to reply if I can.))


  15. The two leapt over the fallen tree and charged onto the unassuming Bulbins. They were strange looking creatures by every definition of the word, tall and broad, with hulking bodies but proportionally tiny heads. Their round, bug-like eyes widened in surprise as they saw the two attackers advancing on them. There were three Bulbins and only two scoundrels, but they knew what they were doing. Torianna watched as one of the Bulbins lumbered towards her, and already she knew the advantage.

    "They're big and they're heavy!" Torianna called out to Lorcan. "They rely on brute force - we need to be quick and we need to be agile!"

    Lorcan nodded as he leapt to the side to escape the reach of a heavy axe. The weapon knocked into a tree trunk, and became jammed into the wood. Lorcan used the distraction to his advantage to land a good number of slashes on the beast.

    Meanwhile, Torianna was busying herself with another Bulbin. She darted round, scuttling left and right around the creature with every attack. Her quick movements seemed to be disorienting the creature. His attacks became slower, and it gave her a good opportunity to land some nasty hits.

    Then suddenly, she was knocked to the side by a heavy blow to the arm. She hit the dusty earth and just managed to avoid knocking her head. She looked up wearily, to see the third Bulbin wielding a brutal looking wooden club. She didn't have the time to delay. With resounding determination, she spat the dust from her mouth and pulled herself to her feet.

    "You messed with the wrong thief, buddy..." she growled.


  16. With Endel's revelation, the group gathered up their possessions and readied themselves for quite a journey. The Desert was a part of Hyrule that few chose to enter. It was virtually empty, with nothing there but the Arbiters Grounds - which no one in their right mind would set foot into. Despite this, Torianna was actually excited. She'd been cooped up in the castle for a good two days now with nothing to do but beat everyone at card games and irritate Lorcan (which she had to admit was fun). Still, she was just itching to do something.

    So they took a carriage and some horses and set out for the path to the Gerudo dessert. Torianna and Lorcan took the reigns this time, with Endel opting to stay in the carriage with Maia and Skallin. They got a few acknowledging glances as they trundled out of Hyrule Castle Town. Since operations had gone public, people became much more interested in the Scoundrels of Virtue. Torianna wasn't used to this kind of attention. Especially seeing as she'd spent her time working for an underground organisation.

    "Don't you think it's strange?" Torianna asked as they pulled out onto Hyrule field. "Having all these people know about the Scoundrels?" Lorcan shrugged, nonchalant. Still, Torianna continued. "I mean I know that some of them knew before, but they didn't really know what was happening. Is any of this making sense?"

    Lorcan just chuckled, straightening himself out on his saddle, keeping his eyes fixed on the dirt track.

    Torianna huffed, but it was only for show. She wasn't really all too irritated with him. Her mind was still elsewhere. She couldn't help but wander exactly what Kazdan wanted with the Princess. And why would he, a powerful political leader and warlock, be dealing with the network? In comparison, they were inferior. But there must be something he wanted from them...

    She was bought back to the present as they came to a gentle stop. "This is it," Endel said as he climbed from the carriage. "The terrain from here on out is too loose, we'll have to take the rest of the journey on foot."


  17. The Tektite-human mutation advanced on Torianna as she pulled out her trusty gold dagger from her boot leg. The man, who had once been an ordinary guard, had multiple legs attached at the hips, and he leapt with the same unnerving height as a tektite. Two vicious looking fangs had been fixed onto the mans upper jaw, and they dripped a nasty looking substance as he advanced on her.

    The mutated creature leapt to attack Torianna. She jumped back out of harms way just in time, but failed on the counter attack. The man's new limbs had the same hard exo-skeleton of a tektite, and it wasn't faring well for Torianna. Suddenly, he let out a disgusting, guttural noise and a sticky web-like substance wrapped itself around Torianna's legs. She hit the ground hard.

    The beast advanced again, lips curled back, fangs dripping to bite. Torianna, in an act of desperation, flailed her legs and kicked the beast away. Her kick sent him scuttling across the floor, likely because he wasn't used to his new form yet. The distraction gave her enough time to cut herself free before the hybrid returned for another round.

    "Let's go spider boy," she growled.


  18. Lorcan glanced around himself nervously, as if he were worried that someone was listening to their conversation. Once he was sure that the coast was clear, he took Torianna by the arm and lead her up the tunnel to a short ladder with some sort of manhole cover at the top. She gingerly followed him up, and found herself in a small alleyway to the north of Castle Town. It was quiet here, cut off from the busy streets. She watched, baffled, as Lorcan sat down cross legged on the ground and motioned for her to do the same. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pale, stubby finger of chalk.

    He leant forward, and began to scrawl across the pavement in his unusual script. His writing was inconsistent, some letters were too large, sometimes the different parts wouldn't meet each other, but it's was legible none the less.

    'The forest was my home.'

    Torianna frowned. "You lived there?"

    He nodded, and continued to write. 'I grew up there. That's where I learned to navigate.'

    A small smile crept across Torianna's face. She laughed lightly, nudging Lorcan. "That's why you love being there so much! I can picture you as a little forest boy; climbing all the trees, sitting by a bonfire, taking a whizz against the tree trunks..." He shot her a glare for that one, but she just laughed. "Come on Lorcan, tell me I'm wrong!"

    He pressed one hand to his head, sighing, which just elicited more laughs from Torianna. Eventually, though, her laughter quietened and she turned to look at Lorcan. "So... why did you leave?" she asked.

    Lorcan's lips pressed into a firm line as he leant down once again, writing a little further away this time. 'Monsters came with the Twilight crisis. They took over the forest and it became corrupt. I couldn't stay.'

    Torianna frowned, her eyes fixed on his last sentence. "So you joined the Scoundrels?" He nodded, before pocketing the chalk and wiping the white dust off on his trousers. She didn't say it, but to her, his actions in the forest made a lot more sense now. He didn't want weapons wielded there, because it had already suffered enough for it.

    He clambered to his feet with a soft grunt, before offering Torianna a hand to help her up. Neither of them spoke as they slowly climbed back down into the underground tunnels and walked back over to join the group. She felt that peculiar tug once again, but it wasn't guilt this time. She didn't know what it was, but she wasn't entirely sure that she liked it.


  19. Torianna blinked, unsure quite how to respond to Ashei's question. Her? A scoundrel? She'd spent her whole life working for the network... though it was the same basic job, it was a completely different type of organisation. Yet the Scoundrels of Virtue caught her attention from the day she first arrived, even if it was just intrigue and first. She'd been operating as a different kind of thief ever since she first met Endel and Lorcan. She knew now that she couldn't be satisfied working with the network again. Not that she'd be welcome there.

    Endel was awaiting her response with a proud smile. Lorcan, who stood beside her, gently dug his elbow into her side, spurring her on. She already knew her answer, but she was enjoying the anticipation.

    Eventually, she smiled. "Well how could I say no to that?"

    Ashei nodded, seemingly satisfied with Torianna's response. They shared a warm handshake, before Ashei crossed her arms once again. "Now, I understand that you've got family ties within the network, that... complicates things a little. Endel tells me that they're family you'd rather do without, but who appear to be quite insistent..." she paused for a moment, then turned from Torianna. "Lorcan. You really should have returned to your ordinary duties by now... but it's clear to me that you offer something to this group, so I'll let that one slide. Instead, for now, you're assigned as Torianna's personal guard. You catch a whiff of the network, you've got to get her out of there! Understand?"

    Lorcan nodded obediently, and Ashei returned her attention back to the group.

    "Now listen up agents," she said sharply. "The Scoundrels are blowing up, we're going public. You need to get your backsides down to the castle and tell the princess about this. I don't doubt that she's got work for you with Kazdan too; knowing the Hylian guard they'll have made a sham of his arrest. Now scram, the lot of you!"


  20. The sunlight was freely streaming through the white linen curtains of Torianna's room when she awoke. It must have been mid morning, because she could hear the sounds of others up and moving about elsewhere in the castle. She had never been much of a morning person. That being said, she seemed to have shed at least some of her anger in the night. She took a hot bath (for she was lucky enough to have an en suite bathroom), towel dried her hair, and pulled the damp remains back into a tight bun.

    A guard escorted her down the dining room where she could chose from a selection of foods. Torianna wasn't used to being treated like this, was this what it was like living in the castle? Being rich? Or was this simply how people lived when they weren't criminals? Endel was sipping hot tea across the table from Torianna, along with Maia. He gave her a small smile as she slipped into her seat. She didn't mention his outburst, and he didn't mention her deceit. It wasn't a soppy apology and a hug, and that was exactly why Torianna liked Endel.

    "Sleep well?" he asked.

    "Like a log," Torianna replied, before taking a bite of her toasted muffin. Maia still wouldn't meet her gaze, but she could live with that. "Any word on Kazdon?"

    "The soldiers have gone out to arrest him. I don't exactly have high hopes," Endel muttered. Torianna grinned.

    Just then, the door opened and a guard entered, followed by Lorcan. He was dressed but missing his armour. His curls were a clumped mess, and he only looked half awake. He flopped lazily down next to Torianna and dropped his head down on crossed arms.

    "He's not a morning person," Endel said with a grin.

    "So," Torianna continued, ignoring the half conscious Lorcan. "What's our orders for today?"


  21. ((Thanks Knuckle!))

     

    The journey back to Hyrule Castle was spent largely in silence. Endel seemed to be in somewhat of a state of shock, so Torianna and Lorcan took the reigns for the trip. Torianna liked it that way, horse riding gave her just enough to focus on that her mind couldn't wander to other things. That was the last thing she wanted right now.

    As they returned to the Castle, Princess Zelda welcomed them graciously, even if Skallin caused her a bit of confusion. The research journals were passed onto her as the evidence she'd requested, and she prepared her soldiers to arrest Kazdan in the morning. Torianna couldn't help but think they'd be lucky if they could get within five feet of him.

    The princess arranged accommodation for the scoundrels within the castle walls. They each got a room to themselves this time, something Torianna was extremely grateful for, as Maia now regarded her with terrified glances. This room, unlike the last few, was rather lavish, but it didn't have the one thing she wanted when she was in a bad mood. So she went on a hunt through the castle, dug through some old storage boxes, and eventually found what she wanted in a smaller reception room to the west of the castle; a dart board.

    Damn her father, and her brother, and that overbearing warlock. Damn them for kidnapping her and attacking Lorcan and trying to use her for their twisted schemes. She didn't even know what they wanted from her, but she knew she couldn't do it; not anymore.

    Her first hit landed on the left side of the inner ring.

    Damn Endel for snapping at her like he did, and Maia for being so terrified yet never saying a word to confront her. Damn them for not understanding why she had to keep this a secret.

    The second dart landed just to the right of the centre.

    And damn Lorcan and all his messy duplicity. Damn his temper tantrums and sadistic threats, his fuming silences and accusatory glares, his defensive words and rescue missions - damn all of it alike!

    Bullseye.


  22. The Kargarok flared it's claws viciously and prepared to dive. This time, it wasn't making to grab it's attackers, but instead slash at their skin. The group had no choice but to split, breaking up individually. Jaydon circled above them, laughing victoriously. That's exactly what he'd anticipated. He pulled his bird into a sharp turn, diving over them all and taking another slash. Endel's clothes ripped open at the shoulder, and Torianna was sure that he'd have a nasty cut there. But she didn't have the time to worry about him.

    As Jaydon flew over her, she leapt back out of the birds reach, wrapping one hand around Jaydon's ankle. With a sharp tug, he was yanked from the saddle and came crashing down to the ground on top of her. She huffed, pushing him off.

    "When are you going to give it up?" Jaydon spat as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

    "I won't!" Torianna snapped back, glaring at her brother. "What's the alternative, Jaydon? I spend the rest of my life working for the network, being just another dogsbody for Dad." She knew that the rest of the group had fallen still now, watching them.

    Her brother was glaring in the orange evening light, still panting for breath. He had the same brown hair as her, the same green eyes, the same lightly freckled skin. But he was different in so many ways to her.

    "Now what?" Jaydon asked. He seemed disgusted, appalled by the fact that Torianna would call out on her own father. "You run off with the scoundrels again? Because Dad isn't going to stop coming after you. And if you think you're safe with these morons, you're sourly mistaken."

    "Why does he even want me back, Jaydon? He's never wanted me around... Why has he changed his mind now?"

    Her brother glanced away, wiping the blood from the cut on his lip. That was all Torianna needed to make her stomach churn. Whatever the network was doing was worse than thievery. She should have read the warning signs, the assassination attempt, the beasts they'd tamed, the lizard-woman, and the warlock they were working with. She didn't know yet what they had planned, but she didn't like the sound of it. And she wouldn't play a part in it if she could help it.

    Jaydon didn't say a word as he mounted his Kargarok one last time. He remained silent still as they took off into the air, flying back towards Castle Town. For some reason, Torianna felt cold to her bones watching him go.

    As she turned back to the scoundrels, the group wore mixed reactions. Most noticeably of all, Endel looked fuming. "The network leader ordered Maia's assassination, sent men to kill us, and had wild animals attack us. We had our necks on the line, Torianna! And you never thought to mention that he was your father?"


  23. Torianna felt utterly frustrated. What did her father even want from her? If she was such a waste of a thief, why was he fighting to get her back? She couldn't get that image of Lorcan's glare from her mind, yet it was followed up with that exclamation...? His duplicity continued to baffle her.

    At that moment, the door to the office was pushed open and Jaydon made his way in. He stood with hands on his hips, glancing Torianna over critically, before deciding that he had more important things to talk about. "The manor seems empty," he said. "The only place the scoundrels could be hiding is in the basement - I couldn't see a thing down there. It's pitch black!"

    "Right," her father said, his voice low, pondering. "Kazdan, would you have any use for this boy?" he asked, gesturing vaguely to Lorcan.

    Kazdan shrugged, appearing nonchalant. "There's always room for more test subjects... he appears to be in healthy condition - a prime specimen!" Lorcan was visibly disturbed by the sound of that. And even if she didn't know exactly what it meant, it didn't sound good to Torianna either.

    Her dad noted her furrowed brow and smiled. "It's your call Torianna," he said. "If you leave now, the boy stays here. Or, you can both come with us. How does that sound, hmm?"

    It should have been a done deal: save yourself. That's what she knew, that's all she'd ever known. You look after yourself, and let others take care of themselves. Yet, that particular response seemed somehow inadequate now as she watched Lorcan struggle against Kazdan's magic. She let out a grunt of frustration. Stupid scoundrels! All their do-gooding was wearing off on her.

    She nodded with resounding defeat. Her father gave the most smug grin as he said "I thought you'd come round, Torianna."

    A sharp word from Kazdan was enough to leave Lorcan slumped against the wall, unconscious. Jaydon made quick work of binding his wrists with Lorcan's own belt, before heaving the unconscious guard over his shoulder. Torianna felt sick to her stomach as her father took her by the arm and pulled her to the exit, Jaydon following just behind.

    Suddenly, a low ringing noise reverberated through the afternoon. It was enough to stop the group in their footsteps, looking around them in confusion.

    Kazdan burst out of the house then, his brow furrowed as he stormed over to them. "Who's with you?" he demanded of Torianna, speaking through gritted teeth. "Who's with you and where are they!?"


  24. Lorcan's screams shook Torianna down to her bones. She had seen this happen before when people had tried to trick her father or betrayed his trust. It happened often to men who tried to cross him, which she supposed Lorcan had done, even if he didn't realise it yet. She pressed her hands over her ears and screwed her eyes shut, trying to block out what was happening.

    She told herself that this was Lorcan's own doing: he should have been more careful sneaking around the manor house, he should have escaped while he had the chance, he should have just spoken because she knew that he could. But there was another part of her, a part at the back of her mind that she didn't want to listen to. It told her that if she hadn't told her Dad that Lorcan was a part of the network, if she hadn't been in such a hurry to rush off with him, if she'd have told him who she really was; he wouldn't be in this situation.

    Guilt was a child relentlessly tugging at her sleeve in a desperate bid for attention. She pressed her face into her hands before pushing her hair back. She shouldn't care, she didn't owe Lorcan anything.

    Except she did.

    Because he'd saved her before.

    She pressed her lips into a firm line and got to her feet. One hand gripped the banister firmly as she vaulted over the top and dropped into the office with surprising speed. She landed with a loud bang on her feet on the heavy desk. Her father instantly loosened his grip on Lorcan, who had turned pale. His blue eyes watched Torianna carefully through damp eyelashes as he slumped down to the ground. Whatever abstract pain Kazdan had been inflicting upon him appeared to stop.

    Torianna grinned. "Better treasure this moment, Lorcan," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Actual evidence that I am indeed human. Who'd have thought?"


  25. Torianna made her way up the staircase to the first floor. The upstairs was just as bland and uninteresting as the downstairs was, but she wasn't here to look at interior decoration. She was here to find evidence of Kazdan's misdoings, and damnit if she was leaving here before she had what she wanted. Something inside of her was thrilled at the opportunity to use her skills for a purpose, something more than just the financial gain that she'd been taught to strive for.

    And as she cautiously entered another room, she heard voices. It was a strange room, to say the least, built with only three walls. The fourth side of the room was simply a stone banister, over looking what appeared to be an office. A figure stood in the office with his back to her, flicking through what appeared to be paperwork. He was dressed in a long midnight blue coat down to his knees with a thick collar which he had turned up. She couldn't make out anything else about him from this distance, but she had a sneaking suspicion that this might be Kazdan.

    Suddenly the door was thrown open and Torianna, thinking quickly, ducked below the banister to reduce the chance of her being seen. Carefully, she peered between the columns of the banister. Her hand flew to her mouth to supress a gasp of surprise at what she saw. Three people had just entered the room. Her father came first, his face contorted into a nasty snarl as her brother followed. He had Lorcan in his grip, arms pinned behind his back. The guard struggled furiously, cheeks flushed with the effort.

    "What's the meaning of this?" the stranger said, dropping his paperwork on the heavy oak desk behind him.

    "You've got a snoop in your manor," her father spat. "He won't talk, but I know this one. He's one of the scoundrels, and I'll bet he's not alone."

    "Huh..." muttered the stranger, taking a step towards Lorcan. "Jaydon, I want you to hunt down his... friends," he said the word carefully, almost as if he were mocking his captive. "Meanwhile, your dad and I will see if we can't find a way to make this one... cooperate."