The Search Begins [CLOSED-'cept for Bawb.]

[Kismet]

Iskra was bored. Escorting merchants to and fro through the Gerudo Desert was well and good, but it got old fast. Sand, blistering heat, dehydration, sand, constant attack by beasts, unreliable navigators, sand, sandstorms, angry spirits, and sand. No wonder the most powerful, twisted, evil being to ever walk the planet had clawed his way out of that desert. No one could really live there. Survive, certainty. Remain biologically alive, aware that every moment was killing you.

Iskra took a slow sip of her ice cool water, relishing it. She sat underneath a patio umbrella outside one of CastleTown's many pubs, enjoying the shade and light breeze. Her travel cloak was cast lazily over her shoulders, cape like, fluttering gently in the wind. She'd manage to earn herself a reputation among the various swordsmen in these parts, few as they were. Men were loathe to venture into the fields were the bulbin raiders rode, let alone the fiersome desert. The few that did held an open and honest respect for each other, forming a close circle of contacts amongst themselves. Perhaps one of them could point her towards work.

Iskra took another sip of her water, and stared into the sky. God she was bored.

[Maelys Knight]

The town was the same as everyday. Calm, peaceful, boring. But not for long. A blue portal appeared over the fountain in the middle of the town, and a girl dressed in a blue tunic fell out of the portal, straight into the fountain with a nice splash. She quickly scrammbled out of the water, but met the gaze of every person in the square. Unfazed, for she was used to being stared at, she walked out of the square.

Kiri knew she had to find Gavin and get back to the palace. But how would she be able to find him in such a big town alone? She had dealt with mercenaries, pirates, and highwaymen before, she was skilled in bartering people into doing things for her. So she looked around, and noticed, to the left, a small alley with a sign saying Telma`s Bar. Kiri figured a Bar would be where the mercenaries and tough guts hung out at. She headed on through there to find a woman reclined in her chair, drinking some beverage that appeared to be water.

Kiri:"Excuse me but, I have a job that I need done. Would you happen to know any mercenaries around here?"

[octavious]

A small portal opened, ejecting a black substance that splattered against a granite wall. It vibrated slightly, then ‘fused’ with it, becoming a two dimensional figure rather than a third. It fell slowly to the ground, still dazed from the impact. Then, as it moved to the ground, two blank white eyes opened, revealing the supposed shadow to be some sort of creature.

“What… where am I?”

“Meow.”

A cat had appeared in front of the silhouette, curiously sniffing and investigating. However, as the saying goes… the obscure being entered the cat’s shadow, and disappeared. A slight jerk went through the cat, and it sat on its hindquarters. Then, it began mumbling to itself.

“So… they didn’t take all of my powers…”

Laughing malevolently, it added, “I’m sure my little pet project has taken care of them regardless…”

Then, it ran off.

After a few hours of prowling and exploration, he now knew that he was in Castle Town, Hyrule. No one minded a wandering cat, so Octavious found out a lot in a short amount of time. A large crash and yelling attracted him, and he eventually found himself at a tavern dubbed ‘Telma’s Bar’. However, there was no way for him to get through the door, so he had to use the window.

Above all the commotion, Octavious sat in the wooden rafters. He was calm and cool, tail slowly waving back and forth. He was merely watching; he had nothing else to do. One girl in particular stood out to him, for several reasons, though, her clothing was the most predominant factor. He saw another woman walk in, and again, her clothes were very strange. He kept a close eye and ear on the both of them. She walked up to the resting woman drinking water and queried her.

"Excuse me but, I have a job that I need done. Would you happen to know any mercenaries around here?"

[Kismet]

Well that was easy. Iskra lowered her glass and raised her gaze, staring into the eyes of the girl. She looked rather young, but she couldn’t pin an age on her. Her skin was fair and remarkably unblemished, despite the Nipponese Katana she wore. Probably some wealthy merchant’s brat, or perhaps even some distaff nobility.

With a nod, she indicated herself. “You’re looking at a merc. What’s the job?”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted a cat peering down from the rafters of the bar, but paid it no notice. After all, it wasn’t a wolf.

[smashbro]

smashbro breathed out heavily, walking into castle town from the east. He headed down the south corridor that came up closest, fearing he would feel bad if he had no rupees to donate to the church. He heard a voice calling, challenging him to a contest. With a small smile, smashbro agreed, and went into the tent.

It was an exhibition. He was mainly having fun as he used his energy to help him jump off of the walls, and grab the glowing orbs. He smiled when the crowd cheered, and after he won he let some energy sparks fly, for the crowd's enjoyment. He walked out before being handed a prize, he didn't have a bow to use anyway.

Outside he found a dog, which of course, was always around town. For a few minutes he sat under the tree on the ground, throwing the bone to it, and watching him bring it back. But after time, smashbro's smile began to fade, remembering why he had come here.

Skulking a little, smashbro patted the dog one last time, and made his way to Telma's bar, entering quietly, and walking up to the bar. He ordered a non alcoholic drink, some sort of fizzy drink a lot like soda, and turned to a couple of girls talking, after hearing the words.

"Excuse me but, I have a job that I need done. Would you happen to know any mercenaries around here?"

Ok, he mainly turned because a girl asked a question, looking for help. But still. smashbro listened.

[Maelys Knight]

That was simple. She found a mercenary. But the question that stood, will this lady take the job.

Kiri:"I require assistance in locating my husband."

She sat down.

Kiri:"We are very important from where we come from, and are needed back as soon as possible."

She pulled out a picture.



Kiri:"This is him, and I can pay well."

She reached into her tunic and pulled out a brown pouch. She pulled five coins made of pure gold, and layed them in front of the lady.

Kiri:"Will you take the job?"

(the coins have zero equivalence to smash coins. Yes, I`m talking to you, Serras)

[octavious]

Octavious observed has the obviously socially high woman offered the mercenary a job by showing her money. Octavious laughed inwardly at the ill-educated aristocrat.

Ha! Gold? Completely worthless in this world, pure or not. Rupees are the form of currency in Hyrule.

Octavious looked away from them to see a male eyeing them from the opposite wall. What struck odd was that he wasn’t looking for a one night stand; that possibility was eliminated when he turned after catching the word of mercenaries. Was he one too, or was the word important to him in another way? Octavious noted that the female warrior saw him, but he knew that she thought nothing of him. He couldn’t resist the urge to groom himself has he continued to survey the situation.

[Kismet]

Iskra sighed inwardly and rubbed her temple. Bluebloods. “That’s very generous.” She said quietly, noting with disdain the increasing amount of attention the conversation was gaining. She lowered her voice further. “However, I would advise that you not advertise your wealth and…importance so freely.” Iskra gingerly collected the coins and absentmindedly bit down on them, denting them slightly with her teeth. Pure gold after all. There was a customs office within the city, where she could trade the gold for Ruppees, which would be more readily usable within the city. “This is, as you’ve surmised, a gathering place for mercenaries and bounty hunters. In other words, people who kill for a living, and some are less scrupulous than myself.”

Iskra reached across the table and took the photo, stared blankly at it. “Do you have any information at all where your husband might be?” Tiredly, she wondered what sort of trouble she was getting herself into. Wouldn’t it just be peachy if someone else from this little gathering ground found this wayward husband. She imagined they’d be able to gain quite a hefty ransom from this wide eyed noblewoman.

[Zeke Sturm]

With a flutter, and a gentle thud, a cloaked figure gently floated down from the castle walls. Brushing himself off, Zeke's cold green eyes stared ahead, surveying the small town. It was about the same size as the one he had left a year and a half ago. He stretched out a bit, and clicked his tongue. Saifer slid out of the sleeve of his outer robe, and wrapped around his left arm, looking sleepy. A gloved hand stroked the black head, and the forked tongue flicked out lazily, tasting the air.

"So this is where you want me to go now?"

The snake looked at him dazedly. Looks like a yes. He sighed, and walked int a nearby building. A strange-looking woman was apparently offering a bounty. Strange-looking. If anyone was genuinely normal looking, it probably wasn't him either.

The most prominent thing he noticed was that she was conversing with someone who was either a money-launderer, or a mercenary... no one else tested coins like that.

"Do you have any information where your husband might be?"
"Who's looking for someone?"

Zeke popped into the conversation in a low, grating voice. Hopefully, no more attention would be brought to the pair (one of them seemed to want a lower profile than the other).

[[[Maelys would like it to be known that I'm the last person joining up... Take it as you will.]]]

[smashbro]

Taking a large swig from his drink, he put down the clear glass back on the counter, and turned to the two women again. Now, there was another man standing with them, and he could see some shifty eyes glancing over every once in a while, so he decided to say something to them. As he was about to get up, the new man was talking to the group, and a shiver went up his spine upon hearing a noise. He looked up to see a cat on the rafters, or at least, a furry animal that made a meow sound. So it was probably a cat. What else could it be? smiling slightly he remembered that part of Twilight Princess, but paid it no more mind.

He got up, and walked to the group. Taking a deep breath they all looked at him. "I wanna help," he whispered, hoping no one else would hear. "And there's this nice little place a little way off, where I know we can talk privately. A few places actually, but I have one in mind. We can go there to finish the conversation. If you want me to join you of course. I don't know if you wanted a smaller group." The woman, Kiri, he thought was her name, glanced toward her wallet. Or purse. Or sack. Whatever.

smashbro shook his head. "No payment, I'll just tag along. More of a personal thing." His voice seemed to drop off, a frown falling down his face. But he quickly turned it into a small smile, and asked again. "So want to follow me? I think it's about a day's journey. Unless anyone has a faster way."

[Maelys Knight]

Kiri: "I have only just cme to this dimension so I have no idea of his whereabouts."

?Who`s looking for someone?"

Ah. Another merc. She was very lucky today. Perhaps these three could help.

Kiri: "His name is Gavin Kirana Arkana. *whispering* He is the emperor of my homeland, and I am empress. *normal voice* So I hope you can understand the need for us to return to our dimension, and the reward. *holds up more coins, then puts them back in the pouch* And a secluded place would be perfect, by the way. My name is Kiri Arkana."

She stood up

Kiri: "Oh, and don`t expect that you can find him and hold him for ransom. He isn`t that weak. Now, shall we?"

She walked towards the door and looked at Smashbro.

[Tony Redgrave]

[Lets keep to an order people. Like after this post, the real order based on my knowledge should be as follows.. (I think) Kismet, Maelys ,Octavious, Smashbros, Zeke, Bob (Thats me ;D) That aside, Maelys, for what I'm saying in my post, I can fix it if your not ok with how its done. Also, this was at night so if they are any errors, please excuse them for now.]

All while the young empress was diligently working to acquire the help needed to seek out her dearly beloved, there was just one other person sitting by and watching the regular odd turn of events unfold, all while sipping on a bottle of somewhat delicious goat milk. Sporting a plain, dark blue poncho and a large brown sombrero tilted low enough to obscure the facial features, this fellow certainly had an "Aura of Mystery" around him.. along with the fact that he was making a fashion statement so bold, it would fly right over heads of this cities denizens. Just what was this mystery person doing around here anyway? He was following Adventurer Rule No.2 of course!

Adventurer Rule No.2: "Bars seem to attract cool people. You should totally go to one if you want some excitement."

Ah the rules, they never failed anyone. Fate had brought to him a new day and what could be a brand new adventure. But first off, he had to make a bit of an entrance seeing as people were just inviting themselves into this little matter. With a soft grunt, he grabbed his milk bottle and moseyed right on over to the entrance of the bar and reached out for the handle, just as if he were about to go in, just like any other patron of course. But instead, he "decided" forgo that option and with his free hand, he tilted his hat upward, revealing the face of a male perhaps younger then all the rest, smiling with what appeared to be glee and amusement. "Miss, you have been talking to these people for maybe.. a few minutes now and you're fine with revealing that not only do you have a noble rank but you even flaunt the cash and jewels that come with said title!"

It was then that this young man had actually began to let loose a silly bundle of chuckles, just for a moment so he finish his thought however. "You definitely are his woman though ya know? You both have that same odd way of conducting yourself. Honestly, I can't tell if its naivete or. an overwhelming confidence that surpasses even my own." Ah silly.. silly.. silly. Even in the midst of these people, he couldn't help but be relaxed on some level. Or rather, he felt there was only one person he should really be wary of.

For you see, among the normal looking fellow, the girl who appeared to not get much sunlight, and the guy who looked like he was hiding from light in general, there was the mysterious beauty of a mercenary with short black hair. Calling her beautiful might get odd looks here and there as to anyone else, she may look like a woman who simply cast away her charm in favor for what was suppose to be a "man's line of work". But those scars, that hardened look, the small hint of wit his ears picked up from afar. Any woman who could actually make it in a line of work as she has was certainly a woman that peeked his interest. But, he wouldn't try to indulge it. The life of adventure strained relationships and.. quite frankly, "The Beauty" he sensed was actually quite a beast. He felt that one wrong move with this one could cost him something valuable like his life for instance.

But such a jovial dude such as himself didn't have to worry about that now did he?

[Kismet]

Iskra suppressed her growing desire to start stabbing things. Three other people had invited themselves into the conversation. Three people. Drawn like vultures to the wanton display of affluence and naivety. This Empress had obviously never stepped outside her Royal Crèche. To reveal that sort of wealth in such a place! To reveal your royal standing in a gathering place of hired swords!

Why, for instance, shouldn’t Iskra simply lead her out into the countryside on the pretense of searching for her husband, and then murder her for the coins in her pockets? She had already offered up five coins of pure gold, and she obviously had more. This woman did not know Iskra, had no way of knowing her scruples or her code of conduct. Just as neither of them could gauge these three new comers.

Iskra had managed to acquiesce herself with most of the local mercs, but these faces were new to her. Two of them, she noted, seemed to display the same wide eyed naivety as her new employer. Though that could hardly be trusted. The third though…the third was blessed with that most dangerous and useful of abilities known as common sense. For a moment, Iskra seriously considered leaving the woman to her fate with these newcomers. It was not her business. She was under no obligation to help this person. But she had already accepted the coins, tested them, and seen the capacity this woman had for placing herself in danger. Iskra closed her eyes and sighed.

Damn it all.

An Emperor. An Empress. Iskra thought, a ping of longing resounding through her chest. It seemed like so long, since she had seen her Emperor. THE Emperor. How could these pampered bluebloods possibly hold the same title as the Godhead of the Kirmizi Empire? The man to whom Iskra’s soul had been sold to, the man to whom she owed her unwavering loyalty? They couldn’t. No one could.

Oh, but there went her ward, off into trouble. Rising from her seat and drawing her cloak around her so as to be able to draw her weapons without detection, Iskra noted the appraising looks of the boy, the one in the poncho. His eyes darted to her scars, her permanent scowl. She dismissed it. Her line of work was considered uncouth by everyone outside the Empire. She was used to condescending glares, shrugs and smirks. She was used to the shallowness people possessed. But as she stood, she admitted to herself somewhere in the back of her mind, that this boy’s look was not unkindly.

But, her wayward charge needed saving. “No, a secluded place will not be appropriate for our discussion.” She said coldly, glaring at charitable young man who’d offered to search for free. “We will discuss the details of the job in CastleTown’s main plaza. The din of the market will prevent the details from being overheard, and the crowd and Royal Guards will ensure that no one does anything…stupid.”

Rounding on her employer, she said “You would do well to listen to the boy, your highness. Do not reveal your wealth and your position again, lest you place us all in danger.” She paused, glaring at the assorted company the woman had amassed, and sighed. “Now, shall we?”

[Maelys Knight]

Iskra: "No, a secluded place will not be appropriate for our discussion." *glaring at Smashbro* " We will discuss the details of the job in CastleTown’s main plaza. The din of the market will prevent the details from being overheard, and the crowd and Royal Guards will ensure that no one does anything…stupid.”

Kiri felt as if this woman was taking charge, which didn`t bother her. Iskra then turned towards her.

Iskra: “You would do well to listen to the boy, your highness. Do not reveal your wealth and your position again, lest you place us all in danger.” *looks at group* “Now, shall we?”

That didn`t help Kiri`s mood. She took orders from Gavin all the time, and he had often stressed not to reveal her identity on spy missions, but this was not a spy mission. She was quite sure she could handle most of these people in here. After all, how many of these people could stand up to a machine designed for the sole destruction of a continent. Albeit she had help with that one.

Kiri: "Well then, all right. The town square."

She walked oout of the bar, flew up above the bar, and located the fountain where she had made her "graceful" appearance. She flew over and sat down on the fountain edge, watching the south walkway.

[Zeke Sturm]

Zeke pushed himself off the floor with enormous difficulty. His hat had squashed over his head, and he couldn't see where he was going.

"By the gods..."

He ran blindly into a wall, yanked his hat off his eyes (Not his head), and staggered out with Saifer safely on his arm. The others were still getting up, and a cat was flattened on the floor in a comedic spread-eagle. He smirked, and walked out.

"I think you pissed her off."

He leapt into the air, and his boots propelled him after Kiri.

"Wait up!"

She turned and stopped, and Zeke had to swerve to avoid hitting her. His turn led him into a fruit stand, and as he crashed, he yelled a string of curses into the air.

"Are you always this accident prone?"
"Do you always make fun of help who's not asking to be payed?"
"Fair point. Get up, and come on."

Zeke pulled his hat back up, and shook off, sending fruit bits everywhere. He ran away from the screaming vendor, and after the young empress who, now that he looked, was shorter than him... Then again, who was taller than him? He hadn't met anyone like that yet.