Live Your Own Story in Hyrule

"Welp, it sounds like we're decided then." _Gatu said, standing up to stretch. He had wrapped and applied some bandages to the area Umbrolos nailed him earlier in that nasty three-hit combo. His last red potion that he took a swig from that Link shared amongst mostly everyone helped heal most of the damage, but they were still somewhat open and couldn't risk infection._ "If we're not gonna go back so we can restock before going in, I'm still gonna come with. You guys won't be able to shake me off that easily- plus, I owe you guys a full-course meal once we find a kitchen; *especially* Mipha since I promised her the best fish-based recipe I know."

"Well, as far as royal courts are concerned, yes, I've known her, but it would be more accurate to say I've known _of_ her. Sometimes, she would show up in public capacities as Princess Zelda's attendant. But, given her abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if she's been present and I didn't know about it." Mipha explained to Irina in a hushed voice.

"She's an effective means of discouraging any foolish intentions. Not the kind of person I would wish to cross paths with as an enemy..."

Leaning away, she smiles, having heard the intentions of preparing her a meal. "Now that we are past the worst of what was here, I look forward to such a meal in the future. Whatever it may be sounds delightful."

Link chimes in at the mention of food. “I hope there are provisions wherever we are going.” Those close to him can hear his stomach roar. “I am so hungry, I could eat a whole octorok.”

_Gatu chuckles at that._
"Challenge accepted then Hero." _Gatu replied. He checks his Moblin Spear over. Other than a bit of wear and tear from so much monster slaying, it was still in decent condition. Like he explained earlier, the upper and lower limbs of his box are compromised. It only had two single shots it could probably make before it finally broke. His Boomerang was alright and the one piece of gear that was considerably pristine; despite all the times he's used it before._

“Princess Zelda's attendant…” Irina whispers back to Mipha. “We are lucky to have her on our side. At least now,” she smiles.

When Link mentions he is hungry, Irina looks again through her bag but does not find anything. The apple was all she had and she sighs, not liking to see anybody hungry when she's around.

The talk of provisions does get Impa's attention. She reaches into her pack and offers Link one of the Sheikah's special rations.

"I would prefer if we did not expose ourselves to unknown foods before we get our bearings, take this: it tastes awful and won't make you happy at all but you can go hours without feeling hungry after consuming one."

With that done, she approaches the Mirror.
Holding the piece up to its whole, she looks over to the group.

"Are we all ready?"

Link eats it without protest. Something about the way he made that thing disappear suggests that he has had his fair share of suspicious food. He rubs his belly and says, "Thanks, that was actually not too bad."

He smiles to her then begins to gather his belongings and check up on those who are resting. "The sage is right. Time is critical now. If you are coming with us, then let's depart." He waits with her at the mirror, wondering who will join them.

Irina stands up, picking up her weapons and bag and placing them across her shoulders. She joins Impa and Link next to the mirrror.

"Finally! Wasn't sure how long we intended squatting here." Revali heads over to the mirror and stands aside. "I'm ready as I'll ever be." He states, while resting his wings behind his back.

Irina looks up to Revali and smiles warmly, clearly glad to see that he's joining.

Mipha stood up and dusted herself off. It wasn't much, but habit dictated that sort of behavior. "Octoroks can be delicious if prepared correctly," she added casually having heard Link's remarks. "You'll want the inner parts of the octorok. The tentacles are too bitter and not fit for eating, but they are good for potions." Walking over to the mirror, she stood a small ways back on the platform. "Alright, I am ready to enter."

Link contemplates Mipha’s culinary advice with the utmost seriousness. He slowly nods, making a mental note. “I always thought that the inner part would be too chewy since it is used as a balloon. I suppose one would need to apply advanced techniques to render it in an appetizing manner.” His smile shows he is impressed by the princess’s knowledge of cephalopodic cuisine. “You are full of surprises, your highness.”

Mipha smiled, rocking back and forth slightly in mild bashfulness at the compliment she received. "The balloon can be turned into thin crisps when prepared. Savory or sweet. I don't know how to prepare octoroks myself, but there are plenty of Zora chefs who do."

Link smiles, thinking about the culinary treats he has yet to try, then turns to the mirror awaiting for the final piece to be placed.

Aio stares at Naomi blankly. He clearly didn't understand her. He wonders why this girl is threatening the other girl.

As he doesn't quite understand the rules of the game, he does the same and chases after Saria, holding his hands up like a dragon as well. He calls out "Raaawr!" and something unintelligible in his language.

Saria lets out a scream as both come after her and laughs, running. She looks at Aio and points at Naomi without stopping. "Attack HER, not me! We are the good guys! Dragon! Dragon! " She repeats, hoping to teach Aio a new word.

Aio begins chasing after Naomi, too, and calls her by what he thinks is probably her name, "Dragon! Dragon!"

Fallon opens the door and is immediately met with screaming and shouts of a dragon. She hurries outside, checking the sky and surroundings to see if one had suddenly popped up. Thankfully, there was no such creature and further processing allowed her to realize they were just playing out here. Of course, that's what they intended to do in the first place, but flashbacks of moldugas and spiders said otherwise. Briefly, anyway.

So, she heads back towards the walls of the inn and leans against them, watching them play and enjoy life for the time being. A refreshing change of scenery to what she knows lies beyond.

Naomi blinks at the swift derailment of her CAREFULLY CRAFTED FANTASY WORLD. o.O; At least Saria seems to get the idea and is trying to explain it to Aio -- but it looks like he still thinks _he's_ a dragon. Okay, well, maybe he can be a knight AND a dragon! Like some kind of...dragon man!

<https://i.redd.it/xcbi8yj0nhv81.jpg>

"Ummm...OHNOES IT IS THE DRAGONBORN! BUT YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME UNLESS YOU FIND THE, ummm, MAGICAL HELMET OF RAINBOW FLAMES! IT IS IN, ummmmmmmmmm...aaaaaa SECRET PLACE THAT--THAT ONLY THE ROYAL FAMILY KNOWS ABOUT!" Yeah, Naomi is totally engaging in AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION and not dumping her DM responsibilities on Saria. n.n

Those were a lot of words and Aio understood none of them! He continues to chase Dragon and shouts her name. He giggles with excitement as the air and sun and open space combine to create a volatile reaction of fun.

As the screams of the children echo through the field outside of the Wolfos, a tall imposing Gerudo woman cuts the horizon perpendicularly. She holds a spear and walks in a relaxed pace but with a serious expression. The expression softens when she sees the children playing, particularly the boy.

She stops and observes them by the stables outside of the inn.

Saria laughs and nods, pointing at Noemi! "Yes! Catch the dragon!"

Seeing Risa arrive, Saria hmms, touching her chin with a finger. She approaches Risa and Fallon and brings her hands to her back. "Excuse me, I have a question."

"As you know, Aio is living in the Kokiri Forest now. Do you know of any grown-ups that may help us build a treehouse for him?"

Risa crouches down to become eye-level with the forest child. She rests her elbow on her knee and says, "A treehouse?" She thinks, and says, "Sweetie, I am from the desert. I don't know much about trees. But I will find someone who can help."

Fallon laughed to herself. Of all the things Naomi could've been, a dragon...born was not one she expected. Yet, she could appreciate her imagination. Those bedtime stories must've sounded far more spectacular to her than she'd thought.

Spotting movement in the distance, she looked towards it and found it was a friendly face upon closer inspection. She smiled as Risa approached, acknowledging her presence with a nod.

With Saria now approaching, she then pondered her question, "You need help with one, hm? Well, I'm not much of a builder, but I can assist in whatever way I can. I'll have to ask my husband if he has any suggestions or ideas. All else fails, I could just read about trees and houses and then attempt to replicate it."

Saria grins, her hands on her back while she listens to them. "You are big and strong women, so I knew you could help! Thank you." With this, she goes back to playing with her friends.

GUUUHHHH!!! &gt;_&lt;; Being a DM is so FRUSTRATING! You put in all this work to give the players an intricate world to interact with, and they just want to be MURDER HOBOS that solve every problem by charging at it swords waving! "Okay, fine! TAG, YOU'RE IT!" Naomi shouts to Aio. Then she turns and dashes away.

Aio didn't quite understand but he understood perfectly what she meant and what his job was now. He gives chase to Naomi and also Saria.

Saria laughs and runs away from Aio, happy to see him enjoying himself. There were some things they needed to figure out but this was probably what he needs for now.

_-OOC- QUIET 9s, A 10 IS SPEAKING._

*The Evil King is surveying his dark kingdom from some precipice, watching the creatures and monsters he cultivated scuffle among themselves.*

"Boring."

*He is impatiently waiting for Edu, who he summoned at his whim and no care for whatever the Twili might have been involved with.*

Edu had received a summons from his supreme overlord, whom he so desires to please. Riding on top of a guardian, he quietly sits until the guardian arrives at his master’s throne, in which the guardian leans forward to allow Edu to slide off, landing on his feet only to kneel on one knee in front of him, bowing his head.

“Lord Ganondorf… I have come, just as you asked!”

The spider whispers while the grown folks start talking, "A spider's name cannot be enunciated by your species' tongue. But you may call me Belinda." She hides back into the shadows.

"That is a pleasant name." Artifa whispers back, also deciding to just tuck herself away someplace nice and unquiet. She gets the distinct feeling there's no real peace to be found down here, so a nearby boulder will just have to do.

*A grunt is all Edu is graced with, as Ganondorf continues to stare over the Depths before he finally glances over his shoulder.*

"You did well draining that overgrown puddle."

*The waters of Lake Hylia are now a raging, roaring river; seeking to carve a bed for itself or an exit. It drowned the weakest and slowest of the Depths' denizens to the Gerudo king's amusement.*

"New job for you: Take this."

*Ganondorf holds a crystal in his hand that he sends to hover in front of Edu. Artifa would recognize it, as it was integral to her test to gain entry to his domain.*

*It vibrates before splitting up into 4 identical copies still hovering in front of the kneeling figure.*

Artifa definitely recognizes those crystals. She didn't even know more were going to be used. This was going to be fascinating to watch unfold and keep record of.

Darkness thickens along one of the jagged stone structures overlooking the gathering. It does not move. It simply exists — heavier than the surrounding gloom.

If one were to look long enough, they might notice the faint suggestion of a figure leaning against the structure — arms loosely folded, one shoulder resting against stone that seems to absorb her rather than support her. Red eyes glimmer once in the dim, observing.

Dark Irina says nothing. She does not step forward, does not interfere with Ganondorf’s commands, does not acknowledge Artifa’s quiet fascination.

She watches the spider, the scholar, the summoned dark guy, and the splitting crystals, and a faint curl of a smile touches her lips.

The shadows around her remain still, as if unaware she was ever there at all.

The spider's laser eye catches the glow of the crystals. Pretty. Her hind legs rub silently with excitement.

Edu glances up at the praise from his master. How exhilarating this was! He was actually being recognized for his efforts, which brought a smile to his face.

_New job..?_ Edu wondered internally, before a crystal is sent floating to him. Edu reaches out to grab it before it splits into 4, a small gasp escaping Edu’s lips. “Yes, Lord Ganondorf.” The words slip from him out of habit, before he reaches again, attempting to grab one of the four crystals.

*Turning slightly so the Twili is more in sight, Ganondorf gives a slow cruel grin.*

"Set these up. Wherever, whenever. When you do, the only thing I want ... Is to make sure it hurts as many people as possible."

*He chuckles deep in his chest.*

"I'm sure you'll all enjoy the results when they've all gone off."

A low chuckle rattles in Edu’s chest as a massive grin stretches across his face. He quickly gathers the crystals, and bows once more to his master. “I'll get right to it!” He shouts, stumbling backward as he raises up from his kneel, however he manages to clean it up with a nice spin that would have looked really cool if he wore a cape. Unfortunately he did not. He hops back on the head of his guardian. “I'll get started on my work right away, m’Lord.”

Dark Irina just rolls her eyes and scratches the side of her neck idly, looking a bit bored now.

"That kind of excitement is admirable for such a daunting task. I almost died from mine and it wasn't even the crystal that was the most concerning..." Artifa remarked to herself while peering over the boulder.

"I'm sure he'll do fine."

*The Gerudo male shrugs lazily, acknowledging Artifa's words as he opens a portal to his next destination;*

"Either the job gets done or he dies."

*Ganondorf disappears into the magic, leaving the question if the bomb or the Evil King himself would be the cause of Edu's death.*