The Zora replies simply to Red, “You are correct.”

"Sounds like the kind of folks that'd keep something really shiny if it meant they could lord it over someone else." Revali huffed after landing nearby. If the sword was anywhere, it might very well be up there given its propensity to do just that: shine. "Well, if what we're looking for is there, it isn't going to be a question of getting it back. We'll have to."

He looks to Red. "I don't know what they have here in terms of weapons or defenses, but I know they don't have what we have. With the combined might of our gales, we could give them the windstorm of a lifetime." He turns to the others. "Add in some ice or fire and anything will freeze or burn."

Setting his sights on the Zora, he continues, "But, before all of that, are they capable of talking or do they like letting force be the only voice they can speak in?"

"I'm all good. I can hold my breath underwater really well." _Gatu replied to Zora Link, dripping and soaking wet. He's fine overall, just needs time to dry._
"Thanks for the warning ma'am. We appreciate it. Glad we didn't fall either... That looks like REALLY far way down."

_Gatu crosses his arms and thinks deeply. He might have a spell to get them across, but the question is how taxing it would be. That was a lot of distance to cover- longer than a standard Hookshot, or its successor, the Longshot, could cover..._
"I think I have an idea of getting us across to the Palaces down there out in the middle of the Abyss... Anyone ever used a zipline before?"

Irina looks up to the floating islands and replies to Gatu. "I am not sure I fully understand how that may work, but we are very limited in tools and materials. Using what we are carrying to reach those islands might prove difficult." She glances in the direction of the Revalis, although she gives Blue a bit of a look.

"I think our Rito friends may be the safest way to reach those palaces. They are strong and fast."

"True. I'll hold off and see if Revali and Red-vali can carry us across before I explain my idea if it isn't plausible to cross by air travel." _Gatu replies to Irina._

The Zora listens silently to the plan. Her cold expression transforms to a skeptical one. She takes a step back into the shadows, maybe sensing Impa's presence.

When silence falls upon the group, her form illuminates slightly as she speaks up. "My people do not know much about what transpires in that area, nor do we know much about its inhabitants. All we know is that we avoid them because their reasons for being down here are never good for us."

"That makes this decision easier. Sort of. There's a risk our advance up to the islands may raise enough of a response that they might move down here to make an example out of you all." Revali begins pacing back and forth. "A zipline could be effective, I suppose, but we would need a way to move up on it. That and as was said, we don't really have the materials to make one."

He thinks to himself, eyeing the islands every so often. "Is there someplace your people can retreat to if those guys decide to move in?" He asks of the Zora. "If there is, then that leaves open the option of a direct approach. Still, that is only an option. Our best course would be to scout the area and see what they're working with." He stops in his pacing and is struck with a thought. "Wait, they've been down here before... How did they get down here? Was it flying or something else?"

The Zora looks blankly at the Rito. Her eyes reveal some deep rooted pain, perhaps from the past encounters with the people in the towers, but her face remains frozen like stone.

She points to the horizon. “They possess the ability to invoke a fog that has mysterious powers. According to the legends, the fog serves as a way that they can traverse time and space. Regardless of what is true, the fog has a detrimental effect on anyone that it touches, so we keep our distance.”

Link gazes out to the horizon, contemplating the myriad ideas and lore presented.

He points down below. “We would easily be spotted from above or anywhere within the sight line of the horizon. But perhaps we could come from below.” He eyes Revali with a mischievous grin.

"A fog...." Revali nodded. He could work with that. "You have a point. For once," he added to Link. "Below would be an unwanted surprise and that's exactly what we want. No time to try and deploy fogs if they can't see the danger coming." He smirked. He liked this idea.

"So, we come in from below. Surprise them and leave them little time to react to our presence. My gale can clear out any fog, disperse clouds, and clear rain. We came here to get a sword back and that's exactly what we'll do."

"I can make the materials for the zipline with my magic and some materials from the surroundings. It might tax me unless I do it by myself, but it would give us a quick entry and escape route point to and from that floating island at the center of the abyss there. If we were to approach from the bottom, we'd need to figure out a way to climb up so we can sneak in, because from here, it looks like it's not jagged enough to have any proper, or no hand holds. I don't have any Magic that can essentially make me wall crawl like a spider at my disposal... at least not yet."

Link likes Revali’s confidence but agrees with the point Gatu brought up. “A rope could be useful, or something that we could use to ascend and descend onto those platforms.”

He walks over to the edge the waterfall and asks the Zora, “What is down below?”

The Zora walks to Link’s side. “A great sea is below but it is shrouded in darkness. No Zora has ventured there and returned. Rumors speak of beasts that stalk the depths.”

Irina nods, “I am sure the group has a couple of ropes.” She looks between Link and Blue. “Are you two proposing to fly there and take a look without being seen?”

"Surveillance would be best. Need to know what we're up against, after all." Revali folded his wings. "And a rope would be good. We might not have what is needed for a zipline, but using the ropes should be sufficient. And truthfully, we want to save as much energy as we can. You don't want to go off taxing yourself and then find you won't have the energy when the time comes to use it," he notes to Gatu.

"But, as you've pointed out, climbing up might be necessary and in that case, ropes are good for that. None of us have any magic to hold onto anything, so we'll have to use what's at our disposal. Besides, I suspect that if they're the ones used to invading, they may not be looking for anyone coming to them. This could work to our advantage."

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.

Jabu's whiskers, that was quite the incident! Mipha certainly wasn't expecting that activity up here, but she's honestly glad it's over. Not that she needed to, but her desire to keep a low profile continues as she creeps her way through towards the graveyward. "My word, I honestly didn't think a moblin would make an appearance here. They ususaly don't find much reason to come this far..."

Wolf Link continues on to the <#C9UT1C3BQ>

_With the villagers' nerves settled, and some of them expressing they're glad he was okay, they left to go back inside and turn off their lights. However, looking over at the inn and starting to walk over there, he finds that it was closed for reservations- meaning there was no place for him to stay the night. Walking over and picking up the Moblin Spear, the young warrior breaks a section of it off so it was more his size and making it balanced so it wasn't unwieldy._
_Checking on their friend in their hat, they seemed to have gotten knocked out from the force of colliding with that tree along with them. Hopefully in time they'll wake up... Using what magic he has access to, they heal themself up a bit so it would be easier to breath. Doing so however making his Life Gauge 'glitch' through different styles until it settled on a different one; causing him a moment of pain._

_With the moment passed, the young warrior adjusts their bunny hood on top of their head after putting his hat back on and fixing their hair. Since loitering wasn't allowed in town, he'd have to go to the graveyard to rest there. Hopefully Dampé was going to be alright with it. They have in the past the few times he came and there wasn't any available rooms in the inn._

_Gatu proceeds, unknowingly, towards the <#C9UT1C3BQ>_

(See <#C5FAAGN80>)

Suddenly, a black crystal slams into the ground at high speeds, with a sudden flash of light in the form of a beam slamming into it, setting it off. Once the dust settles, one can see a Fog begin to form.

Another day, another round of looking for odd jobs to keep body and soul together. -.- It's better now than when John first started at least, he's gotten used to approaching folks at random to ask for work and they've gotten used to the idea that there's this guy around who can save them some trouble in exchange for a few rupees. Still, it's wearisome having to _hunt_ for employment all the time.

"I'm tellin' ya Johnny-boy, ya oughta just sign up wi' the castle guard," Scruvo remarks, guessing John's thoughts. "Gals love a chap in armor."

John rolls his eyes, trying to remember how many times they've had this conversation already. "And what do you think will happen when they ask about past experience and references? 'I was part of the army in the Dukedom of Loranis until I was banished for insubordination.'" e.e

"Cor blimey, an' you think _I_ take liberties in recountin' stories! At least I add stuff IN instead of leavin' all th'good parts out! Tell y'wot, why don't I tell 'em wot happened an' then you can just shoot down the embellishments, that'll get th'full story across AND show 'em you're humble ab--CRIKEY, INCOMIN'!!!"

John dives for the nearest cover, the corner of a building. He hears a dirt-spraying impact followed by an explosion, accompanied by a brief flash brightening the surroundings. After a moment, he straightens up against the wall and takes a peek around the corner, assessing the situation and looking for casualties and at-risk civilians. &gt;.&gt; Maybe nobody's _paying_ him to be a soldier, but the trained response doesn't stop to think about things like that.

In the distance, between the mountaintops, glides a yellow object. It takes note of the strange object that just flew into the town. The young messenger Rito swoops down on the town to take a closer look.

Not too far from the town, a royal guard sees the fog and hurries to ensure everybody is safe. Upon seeing the fog, Kagetora stops before he reaches it. He is aware of what will happen if he touches it... and frowns.

"Everybody, step back! Do not touch the fog!" He warns lifting his arms, stopping any villagers that attempt to approach the area.

The young yellow bird was near the fog but perched slightly above it on a stone chimney. He hops down to the roof and asks the soldier, “What is happening?”

Kagetora looks up to see the Rito while he tries to block people from entering the town. “This fog contains dark magic and is similar to that in Castle Market Town. Those who touch it will be cursed and turned into poes. Please warn everyone to stay away!”

The young Rito squawks in affirmation to the warrior's command, and then hops a few times before taking flight over the town. He begins to call out, "Beware! Beware! Everyone abandon the village! Avoid the fog!"

Ohhhhhjoy. &gt;~&lt; John pushes off from the wall and runs over to the building's door, yanking it open. "ANYBODY IN HERE, GET OUT FAST!!! THERE'S A POISON FOG FILLING THE TOWN!!!" John of course actually doesn't know if the fog _is_ poisonous, but it's a decent assumption based on the bird-man telling people to avoid it and it gets across the desired action quick and easy. A few confused townsfolk come tumbling out, including an old man with more wisdom than speed. U~U; John grabs his arm and throws it over his shoulders, trying to hasten his hobble toward the edge of town.

Meanwhile, the resident sky-watcher who's always hanging out on that roof is still rubbing his eyes from witnessing that sudden bright beam come down from Death Mountain. :dizzy_face: By the time his vision clears, the building he's on top of is already surrounded by fog, and it's starting to creep up the shingles toward him. He waves his arms up at Kanali. "HELP! I CAN'T GET DOWN!"

Over near Kagetora, a dog darts forward to bark and growl at the encroaching phenomenon. &gt;O A small girl runs after it, wrapping her arms around its neck and tugging fruitlessly. "No no Duke, get back!" &gt;n&lt;

Kanali pauses, catching a glimpse of the curious man that is standing on the roof. He looks around, watching the fog rise. He sees a woman holding a cucco and both are transformed immediately into orbs of light as the fog touches him.

"Oh no... this is terrible." the bird mutters under his breath.

"Hold on!! Stay away from the fog!" he shouts at the man on the roof as he hops up and takes flight, being careful to put some height between himself and the encroaching haze. He swoops down and grabs onto the man, already struggling to keep aloft, but says, "I got you! Hold on to me!"

At that, he kicks down on the roof to give himself a boost, breaking several roof tiles in the effort and sending them tumbling into the fog. Kanali takes flight with the man and attempts to carry him to safety, although his piloting skills are rough with the added weight.

Kanali crashes off to the side with the man, away from the fog. "Quick! Run away from the fog!" He dusts himself off, then picks himself up and flies back to the rooftops to see if he can spot anybody else.