War's Mind

== Bartering ==
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Town Streets - Day One
"Don't be cute with me."
His grin broadened, even in the wake of this Twili creature's gruesome unveiling. Even in the wake of the showy attack, the display.
"So you are the source of this undead contagion?" He paused, craning his neck to look up, toward a sky full of striated clouds. Toward the vast, floating necropolis seemingly borne upon those clouds. "Or at least, you're part of the source."
Calculating, affecting an air of calm bordering on submission, Isaac let his hand drop away from the pommel of his dagger.
"Listen, friend. I'm quite serious; we needn't make enemies of one another." He lifted a hand up to his face, turning it over to make a show of inspecting it, wholly unaffected when flames sprang up to envelope it from wrist to fingertips. After a moment, he looked past it to the juvenile Twili. "Not when your desiccated corpses will go up like so much firewood."
He closed the hand into a fist and shook it, dispelling the flames.
"Hell, I'll even make you a deal. I happen to be in the business of making corpses, more often than I dispose of them. I think there's an arrangement to be made here." He turned his eyes, however briefly, toward the castle looming beyond, moldering ruin that it had become, and for an instant the mark upon his cheek pulsed anew. "I'll tell you what. You help yourself to the bodies I leave behind. I've no need for them once their souls are spent. Given time, I'll feed you enough cadaver flesh to swarm over Hyrule and even beyond.
"And all you need do, for now, is lend me those twenty dudes of yours for a little... investigative foray to yonder castle."
Prince, Hyrule Castle Town Streets, Day One''''Holy shit...Someone who speaks his language for once. The boy was so certain this was going to be another instance where he had to waste perfectly good zombies overwhelming anyone who had the balls; Never would he expect cooperation from someone. The opportunity made him giddy to the core, but he kept a stony glare in hopes to hide his excitement. There's nothing 'cool' about squeeing, he wasn't a little girl...God, girls are gross...
"Hmm...Smart thinking there; Was honestly expecting you to lose your cool and try to kill me like everyone else...Or more pathetically, beg for mercy.' he responded, dispelling his sword and crossing his arms. He felt so awesome folding his arms, like that Ganon guy he had heard about when he had his zombies tell him a bedtime story.
'If it means you can net me more zombies than you lose, fuck, who am I to refuse!"
He stopped to consider the situation more thoroughly.
"...But this doesn't mean I trust you, I'm not that stupid. I need a way to keep an eye on you."
As he said this, his fingertips began to glow like they were burning from the inside. Isaac noticed that behind Prince was a zombie that was staring back at him, but more curiously, what appeared to be fingerprints glowed faintly on its temple. The very moment this occurred, the zombie left its clumsy gait and stood at attention, it's eyes fixed on the Twili boy. The sinister implications were clear. 
"Lean over and gimme your head real quick." He said, walking in the most nonthreatening way possible towards Isaac.
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Town Streets - Day One"Lean over and gimme your head real quick," the Twili creature said, even as it took several almost-innocent steps toward him.
Isaac took one long stride back, out of reach of those outstretched hands, his thoughts a surging river, a flood, as he tried to plot on the fly. He had no idea what exactly this kid was, or anything about the nature of his power. He seemed able to control the dead, command them and even possess them across vast distances, which spoke to a degree of psychic power and a fair bit of necromancy, a dangerous combination in his mind. And, whatever this thing, this... child really was, it wanted some manner of access that he was none too keen on.
And yet, there were two other attitudes battling the first. One was the pragmatic side, which told him that he could make great use of the shambling, avaricious dead that the boy could offer. The other was the element of his personality that was ruled by nothing more than overpowering curiosity. In all of his years, never had he come across a being with such a peculiar range of abilities. He couldn't help but wonder exactly what this child could do that had given it so much power over a perpetually contested city.
"Fair enough, kid, but know this," he replied, stepping back toward the eagerly awaiting hands and bending down to offer himself up for whatever the lad intended. "Even I can't be sure how this will all go."
At the first touch of those glowing, burning fingertips, it was as though Isaac's mind had brushed up against something vast, something wholly beyond the physical world. It loomed over him, titanic in scope. It was a thing, an inconceivable mass of interconnected threads stretching like axons from mind to mind, body to body, connecting all within it to one another and back to the fulcrum, the lodestone at the epicenter of the metaphysical web. For an instant, he caught a glimpse of the flashes running back and forth along those threads, the neural messages firing from mind to mind, covering vast physical distances as though such spatial divides hardly existed at all.
And then that world, that massive, all-encompassing network receded from him. His eyes, reflected in the eyes of the Twili child, turned to caverns of roaring fire, with only the serpentine slash of his black pupil to proclaim them as anything else. A sudden heat burgeoned up beneath his breast in the instant during which he glimpsed the unified mind of the dead. Dark, demonic heat burned across his flesh even as his own latent telepathy surged outward in a mental pulse that drove them apart. The Twili child's fingers trailed wisps of smoke as he shook them.
"Sorry kid, looks like you won't be assimilating me after all," he said, rapidly blinking until the heat faded and he was certain that his eyes shone with their human gray once more."If you don't trust my word, then you'll just have to watch me through one of your corpses.
"Do we have a deal?"
Prince, Hyrule Castle Town Streets, Day One''''For only an moment, he could feel Isaac's power join his numbers as the force of Ma intertwined with his. The invisible threads that made up his telepathic connections glowed and pulsated excitedly, as if his own foul magic was feeling the same satisfaction as he. A smirk lightly appeared on his face, which quickly disappeared as stunned surprise replaced it. He stood there dumbly for a moment as Isaac restated his offer, which he almost didn't even acknowledge as his mind raced on the matter at hand.
He...He just...Brushed me off...
'''''
He repeated this fact several times in his mind, trying to make sense of the impossibility that had just taken place. No one had ever even come close to resisting that particular spell, it was the most powerful spell he knew! A moment more of pondering had it hit him like a truck; That force of Isaac's that had become his for only a moment was...alive, and it precisely, actively, knowingly repelled him. Whatever wicked fire burned in the man that stood before him was too spicy for Prince...At least for now. He looked at Isaac and deeply sighed, utterly befuddled, demoralized and frankly terrified as a hand came to shake.
"Ugh...Deal." He growled bitterly, trying to hide that if he hadn't relieved himself a few minutes before, he would have had just soiled himself.
== Remote Control ==
Vykos/Necropolis Panorama Deck/Day 1 
"There's that sodding git again. Now, who is that with him? We have seen his kind before, six months prior. But all this Prince does is insult me and throw a handful of corpses at my Stalmaster Sentries. Ghini! Observe and report."
Several months had passed since the arrival of this troublesome Prince. Corpses were so hard to come by as a result. The slivers had fallen off the grid, but this Prince seldom made himself available for long periods of time. Rather than potentially wasting his forces on a fruitless attack, he sent his Ghini to gather intelligence. In the meantime, he stood out on his Panorama Deck to take a look at the town. 
The Castle itself had heavy amounts of activity, and he knew the faction that had taken it over. Periodically he would send forces that way. And it was time to mount another offensive in that direction.
"I need four Stalfos units to march on the Castle proper. Cathedral. Lots of unusual light patterns. Convert all you find!"
Other Ghini filtered into the Nexus to mobilize that order, and within minutes, he could see his forces marching and shambling. A horde of Stalfos, Stalchildren, and Stalhounds. In the meantime, he looked at the two men and waited for his spy ghost to get into position. This was either some sort of confrontation or it was a deal. People didn't stand out in the open for long unless they wanted trouble of some kind. 
== The Gangs All Here! ==
'?????'All throughout the eons, during this vast age of delirium the hunt was the only constant. Unchanged and unyielding. And here, at its penultimate moment, only one name came to the frazzled mind as he peered through the sordid darkness.
The beast, for that's all that he was now, he had been something else, but that something else was no more. It had long since been lost. No, what this place, this realm of insanity had reduced him to was base and beastial. Feral. All sophistication long forgotten he crept hunkered low to the ground, walking on hands as much as feet and at times all four. The turf, if it could even be referred to as such showed no signs of his passing, leaving little proof that he had ever been there, and it was because of that, that in the now few and far between waking moments of clarity he still had, he found himself questioning. Wondering whether anything here was authentic. Whether anything was real and if things truly were, or if they merely shifted to fit his perception.
Now was not one of those moments of clarity.
Edging closer he crouched, struggling for a glimpse of his prey through the purpled haze, this rabid son of structure, stranded in a dusk blighted chaos leered hungrily. Time had long ceased to carry meaning, as did sustenance and other mundane bodily needs, but perhaps those things hadn't mattered to him when he arrived here either, perhaps he'd just forgotten.
He couldn't remember.
One thing that did matter. That had mattered for as long as he had been here. A lifetime. 100 lifetimes and more. The overarching reason for his being was the drive for vengeance.
Leaping from his cover with a snarl, the beast surged forward, a missile homing in on a lone target. His focus solely upon the heavily armored paladin who stood with his back to him. Reaching out, he tried to call his element to heel and not for the first time found it wild and untamed. Crimson lightning split the purpled sky while a bloody rime spread around his feet, stretching its frigid tendrils outwards in all directions.
Voice barely an audible rasp, he called out,
"Soldat."
Gazing into the hollowed eyes of the paladin, his error dawned on him as he was taken aback by an otherworldly smile, part grin, part grimace it cracked the stony visage. A hint of amusement permeated the air as the paladins shape shifted to that of a nigh featureless woman wreathed in the anti-light of Dusk.
"He was never here."
Polaris leapt.
Polaris Eridanus/ Hyrule Castle Cathedral/ Morning of the First'
His scaled hands never closed around womans neck, for as soon as he came near her, they both winked out of existence and reappeared in the blink of an eye in an entirely different place, in a wholly different realm. The light, though baffled in the high ceilinged cathedral was nigh overwhelming. He knew where he was, and yet nothing was changed. Quickly his wide eyes darted to and fro, side to side. And there, to his side, dripping with the same gore as was he, stood..
He didn’t know. It didn’t matter. If it wasn’t the paladin, then it was she who imprisoned him and thus she who deserved death. The gore streaming down his arms dripped from the chained blades that bound his forearms, loosing them he found the familiar leather wrapped handles of the over sized curved knives in his hands and crouched, swaying side to side like a coiled viper.
Tobias Pepperwhistle and Taur Dagnir/ Hyrule Castle/ Morning of the First
“Bloody ‘ell! Whaddya doin’ yeh big beastie? Get a move on now!” Tobias reached out and rapped the side of the Taurs helm firmly with his cane. The resultant clang echoed loudly along the corridor and Tobias winced and clapped both of his hands over his ears.
His ears rang long after the sound died off, but there was nothing for it, they had to move along. Tobias motioned to the group of miscreants behind him and prodded Taur once more. The gargantuan knight in his coal black armor didn’t budge. Tobias pushed again and again, cursing and spitting all the while and he accomplished nothing more than a slight ruffling of the beasts cloak.
“What gives? I command…”
Taur wheeled around and the wind off the mighty axe Tholcrist, ruffled Pepperwhistle’s hair as he narrowly ducked and fell unceremoniously onto his rump with a look of shock on his face. Taur lumbered forward, pinning Toby flat of his back to the ground with a massive heavily armored boot.
”No more commands.”'''
The few raiders who hadn’t fled when Taur turned on his master, took this opportunity to charge. Their deaths, although gruesome and unceremonious, bought Tobias the time he needed to gain his feet.
The former inter-provincial Terminian boxing kingpin danced forward on nimble feet and, with his pyrodexically modified gauntlets and bracers, he unfurled an explosive flurry of strikes that would’ve reduced even the stoutest pugilist to a quivering pool of pulp and humanity in the floor at his feet.
As it was, if you squinted just right and cocked your head just so, you could make out a legitimate dent in the obsidian breastplate.
Tobias spun on his heel and fled.
Polaris Eridanus
A side door burst open and a ragged looking man in tattered finery, with a monocle, cane and the most extremely peculiar gauntlets forced his way through the room, removing some of the revelers bodily from his path.
“‘Scuse me, ‘scuse me. Comin’ through. Big bloke. Mad as ‘ell and ‘ot on me ‘eels.”
As the door swung back towards closed, it and a large portion of the wall exploded inward, raining stone, cement and body parts in a large cloud of dust. A huge knight strode through the doorway with the severed head of a Hylian street rat mounted on a pike protruding from the top of the largest ax Polaris had ever seen... For the briefest of moments, recognition dawned on Polaris’ face, that realization quickly passed and he once more fixed his gaze on the woman.
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Town Streets - Day OneIsaac took the albino Twili's disgusted acquiescence on its face and, unwilling or unable to speak further with the peculiar creature, resumed his trek toward the ruined castle and the cathedral he would find there. Only now, unlike before, he did it with twenty shambling, rotting, edacious corpses following hot on his heels.
Still, the discomfort he should have felt at the deal struck was nowhere to be found, for he was too deeply sunk into his own thoughts. Whatever the creature had tried to do to him, and he could make a general guess at the nature of the spell, something in him had met the foreign magic with a stiff rebuttal. The reaction had been almost conscious, and yet he knew full well, after six months of investigation and experimentation, that the Brand Serpent, the Primordial Ma, held no sway over him now. Not since his second marking had been made complete. No, the power that had reacted against the psychic assimilation had been his alone, and yet unlike any power he'd ever known.
Thus, a single question arose, echoing over and over in his head as he passed through crumbling outer walls and across an outer courtyard's shattered and riven paving stones: What was happening to him?
Only when the dark pulsation in the deep gray mark on his cheekbone intensified, only when he reached the doors of the cathedral to find them--and the wall in which they'd been set--collapsed inward, did Isaac shove such questions and concerns deep down, burying them beneath the lust of lofty expectation. With a quick gesture of the hand, he left the corpses waiting outside the broken wall. It wasn't yet their time. Instead, he stepped alone through the haze of dust hanging on the air, moving fastidiously over and around chunks of stone and mortar and splintered wood, and came to a halt before the first row of pews.
Four figures of any note filled the chamber. One he knew all too well, while two he'd never seen before. One dressed in what must once have been finery, but was now soiled by months of crude, rough living. The other was perhaps the most monolithic man he'd ever set eyes upon. 
The fourth... the fourth was swathed in a curtain of deepest black, but he felt a familiarity in the pulsing on his cheek, as though his skin could recall the fingers that had brushed gently against it, seeking to claim him.
Isaac let his gaze roam across the scene in its entirety, taking everything in. The left corner of his mouth curled upward in a bemused smirk.
"Gentleman, looks like we've got the makings of a real bacchanalian homecoming," he declared. His eyes swiveled to the crimson Zora, who stood with eyes wide and full of frenzy and blood lust even as gore dripped from his limbs onto the stained stones and tattered carpet. "Welcome back, General Eridanus. There's a lot of folk waiting for you to reappear. It is well that I've found you before matters escalated out of control."
He looked from face to face, to where he suspected the face of the shrouded creature would be, and then back to Polaris. The fingers of his left hand hovered, twitching with anticipation, over the dagger's handle.
"Come with me, Polaris. General Mytura will be relieved to see you."
Senshi/Hyrule Castle/Afternoon 1"Make sure you watch your step from here on out," Senshi warned as he and Mikhail trekked deeper into the cursed castle.
"Why, you're keeping all the ghouls at bay. Shouldn't we be completely saf-" the boy started to say only to fall into a pit trap. To his eternal fortune this particular trap didn't have any spicks at the bottom but instead a curved bottom that force him into a cage.
An old man jumped to his feet as quickly as his warn knees would allow and held a makeshift spear in front of the trapped boy's face. "Who are you? How can you sneak past the undead? Are you with that damned cult?" 
"Relax," Senshi called out as he entered the safe house through the proper entrance. "He's with me, I figure you could all use a medic by now. Plus I need an extra hand with the food. I was able to snag a little extra this time."
The old man took one look at Senshi, sneered, and then sat back down on his stool, "You're late."
"You're welcome." Senshi answered in turn as he opened the cage to let Mikhail out. "Anyway where's Harken?"
"Like I said, you're late," the old man replied, "supplies ran to low so we got despite. He took everyone that big guy and everyone could still fight and went to raid that cathedral."
"That idiot, he should have waited for me," Senshi through down to supplies he was carrying and started to head out. "Mikhail you stay here, I'm going to see if I can't make sure those morons come back alive."
Senshi/Castle Cathedral/Day 1Senshi managed to arrive at the entrance the without much trouble but the sight he saw once there caused him pause. An unusual number of Zombies were clustered together just standing there waiting. The rest of the castle's undead rarely acted so ordered and never formed such tight groups. It wasn't the odd behavior that was bothering, instead it was the density. He hadn't been able to draw as much power from his Scythe as normal lately and he wasn't sure he'd be able to lull them all. Normal he'd just play the sun song and be done with it but this close to the enemy hive that posed an even greater risk. 
His first instinct was to try to find another way in but something else was bothering him, it was to quiet. With the head start Harken had he should here a fight going on right now. Worse there was a feeling he was getting from inside. I menacing feeling that he instinctively knew the meaning of though this one was off from some reason.
Throwing caution to the wind he decided to risk it and push right back the Zombies. His success in doing so would be the only good news though as once he entered the cathedral things were far worse then he excepted. Not only were Harken and his raiders already dead but Kinslayer was there as well. As was... something else; the thing that was giving him the eerie feeling.
Senshi ready himself for battle, expecting to have the fight of his life just to try and escape. That's what he saw him, the man he'd spent the past for month trying to figure out how to rescue from hell in the ancient past. "Eridanus!?"
Polaris Eridanus/ Hyrule Castle Cathedral/ First DayHe was trapped. Trapped in this castle. Trapped in his own mind. His mind, no longer safe, the storm and other such dark things raged there. Much darker things.
Before him, draped in the vibrant, living darkness that Polaris had grown so accustomed to over the eons, his quarry stood silent. The silence was more provocation than a slap in the face and Polaris suspected she knew it. The cathedral was silent, everyone watching, waiting. Some ritual had been performed here and Polaris didn’t know what it was, he did know that, judging by the environment, it wasn’t he who was summoned. He was an extra. No matter what plane they were on, it was her territory he was in once more and he was the stranger. Still trying to find a way home.
Back to himself.
Still with the silence! Don’t they understand? He was alone in the silence, except for when he wasn’t. It was when he wasn’t that he got the itch. It was difficult to describe, an overriding urge, an unscratchable itch like some thing, some… thought or ideal, was trying to burrow its way out of his skull. The drive to satisfy the demands of the beast unleashed during the quiet times was one where reason held no jurisdiction. So it should be without surprise to anyone to know that Polaris longed to kill. To kill the shadow. If he killed the shadow, it would kill the silence.
Fill the silence with her screams and the itch would be scratched. Would go away.
Unaware of when he started moving, Polaris found himself teetering on the precipice of attack, in the instant before the frenzied general let go fell headlong into the mellifluously symphonic sounds of carnage, a voice that made his spine twinge and his gut burn hot with hate broke through the silence.
"Gentleman, looks like we've got the makings of a real bacchanalian homecoming," Isaac Telmar, the Kinslayer himself had found himself at the front of the pews and it was his sarcastic tones that kept Polaris from throwing back the hood of his companion on the dais and sawing off her face with the curved edge of his makhaira.
“Welcome back, General Eridanus. There's a lot of folk waiting for you to reappear. It is well that I've found you before matters escalated out of control."
It was obvious to Polaris that something had changed in Isaac since last they met, it was also obvious that Isaac held at least some measure interest in what happened to the dusk cloaked woman, whether he wanted to be her executioner or savior, Polaris could not yet surmise.
"Come with me, Polaris. General Mytura will be relieved to see you."
Mytura.. Darrel… Polaris strained to focus as his wild eyes roved about the room, looking harder at his surroundings than he yet had. The castle. He was in the ruins of Hyrule Castle. War had done this. A war he’d left unfinished.
Tobias Pepperwhistle
“This ‘as all been real touchin’ mates, truly it ‘as, but I gotta be on me way.”
The bedraggled bloke with the monocle actually, made to exit,
“Eridanus!?”
Another man burst into the room, and despite the frazzled hair and wardrobe change, it was evident that Polaris recognized Senshi Ma, as did Tobias.
“Oh bloody ‘ell! Now you show up? Bout as ‘elpful as shit stained nose plugs yeh are. ‘ark is dead and this big bugger,” Tobias jerked a thumb towards the obsidian mountain of man and armor, clutching the large axe angrily in the corner, “is no longer under me control. Now, tha’ migh’ not sound all that problematic to you lot, but it bloody ‘ell is a big damn deal.”
Tobias cast a sidelong glance at Taur who, uncharacteristically, had not yet murdered everyone in the room. A reserved smile crept across Tobias’ face as he turned and actually, physically tipped his cap to the room, “As I was sayin’ I’ll be leavin’ now so, crazy red fish guy, shadow lass, spiky hair… I’d like ta say it was nice meetin’ yeh, but.. yeah, Taur’s right miffed so… yeah..”
Pepperwhistle hustled his way out of the room and could be heard cursing all down the hall about needing a “touch ‘o brandy and a bloody steak” as he hurried in the general direction of the castle kitchens.
Taur Dagnir
The insignificant ant scurried away in search of sustenance while Taur stood there processing his newly acquired freedom. He should’ve killed Pepperwhistle. He WOULD kill Pepperwhistle and every single soul that claimed a role in that haunting group of raiders.
As it was though, Taur was content to be free and bask in the soul satisfying sustenance of Dusk that rolled off of the cloaked woman in waves.
Polaris Eridanus
The flurry of activity fell by the wayside as did everything else when the storm kicked up in the depths of Polaris’ consciousness.
Kill.
Polaris lunged forward hungrily and it was with surprising agility that the behemoth in the corner moved to put a man-sized axe in his path. Polaris stopped, spun with more grace than the depths of his insanity should have allowed and kicked. Hard. His heel struck the center of the black breastplate flush and red ice exploded outward from the point where he made contact, leaving a perfect outline of his foot as the only unfrozen section of armor.
With Dagnir temporarily immobilized, Polaris moved once more to attack the shadowy figure, and once more he found himself intercepted.
“You really should just come with me to see Darrel. I’m all for murder, but I think it prudent we leave. Now.”
Heat rolled off of the fiery glaive that blocked Polaris’ path, but he didn’t dare shy away from it, he refused to allow Isaac to even harbor the idea of having the upper hand. In that singular moment that lasted an eternity the two masters gazed unflinchingly. Yin and Yang. Fire and Ice. Neither relented. Neither was the same as he was when last they’d met, it was the black marks that seemed to drag their way across Isaacs face that drew Polaris’ attention most.
He’d been touched by Dusk, that much was evident, Polaris had no means of surmising how intimate the touch was or how deep the taint spread, but it seemed that at least in some fashion, the Kinslayer had mastered the insanity. It was that, more than anything that caused Polaris to relent. He didn’t lower his blade, but he didn’t press for an advantage either.
Polaris pushed his way through the maddening depths of his own psyche as his eyes became clearer than they had yet been, the crazy still loomed large in them as Polaris nodded and turned to address the cloaked figure.
”Your rebirth will not be ended this day shadow... As ironic as it sounds, you have the Kinslayer to thank for that.” Polaris spat, before turning his attention back to Isaac. ”Take me to The Sword of the Sunrise, before I change my mind and decide to take this ones head.”
== Burn the Witch! ==
'Prince, Hyrule Castle Town, Day One'Annie Von Jarl sighed heavily as she set aside her photo album and tea, which had regrettably turned cold while she was enjoying her weekly walk. The quite elderly woman moved to get up and start dusting her cupboard, but her strength failed her once...twice...Third was the charm as she finally reached her feet, resting a hand on her back with a groan. Grabbing her duster, Annie went to work cleaning the surfaces of her home which had grown dirty and dusty over a week of neglect. Never a moments rest for the poor girl, almost making her wish that the riches her family line was known for so long ago had endured. She longed for a comfortable life, but like everyone else in this god forsaken and recently war torn world, she had to settle.
Having little stamina at her age, Annie found herself having to take a breather after a half hour of idle cleaning and wiping. She knew that even though her thought to be fatal sickness had cleared up, she was getting up in years, and to be perfectly honest would not be leaving anything of value. Being sterile since birth, she couldn't even leave a next of kin, a detail that she had never tackled in her youth; Her failure to be proactive in at the very least adopting a child weighed heavily on her mind. Alas, another opportunity missed. She returned to her chair to rest, hoping something good would arrive in the mail; Little things like a knock on the door kept Annie's mind off of the depressing goingson. In fact, a knock was at her door just then.
Letting out a sigh that was a mixture of annoyance and amusement in her visitor's timing, Annie pushed herself back up to her feet. Her annoyance soon faded however; She always enjoyed saying her hellos to the mailman. He's such a nice boy, daring the streets despite the dead becoming a more and more...normal sight, sadly. Undoing the lock on her door, Annie opened it with a loud creak; She always meant to grease the blasted thing, but that was for another time, the mail was here!
"...Good Morning..." the mailman's corpse groaned.
She shrieked and slammed the door. Attempting to collect herself in her fit of panicked gasps and sobs, Annie found newfound speed and vigor in her bones. It was time to leave Hyrule, but good; a gesture she had long put off, but with the last good thing in her life gone, there was no putting it off anymore. Grabbing her coat and bagging everything that she truly held dear to her, she made her way to the backdoor of her house in what felt like an hour, even though it was only five minutes. She pushed the door to enter the alleyway...to find that she couldn't. Confused, she peered through the window next to the door, only to see the absolute worst thing. A zombie was holding it closed!
Barely able to keep herself together, she returned to her living room to use the secret door that had once been meant for storing and trading underground goods; A business that had long died when she started living in the old house. Unfortunately, her path was cut off as the first thing she met on her way was a young boy surrounded by zombies...sitting upon the chair she needed to move to get to her escape. She froze, barely able to breathe as a cold sweat chilled her very bones.
"Hello madame.' the child began with a off-puttingly polite tone, 'It's good to see you're alive an well. Was starting to think bonehead up high had taken you first."
He chuckled as he snapped his fingers. Annie could barely move, paralyzed with fear as two zombies promptly shambled forth, each grabbing her arms to immobilize her to that spot. These two undead ruffians had ungodly strength, as she found she couldn't struggle against their grip; A stark contrast to the shambling messes outside during her walks. The pale child smiled, sipping the tea Annie had left next to her chair, raising his black pinky as if to mock her. Smacking his lips, he set the tea back down with a disgusted shudder.
"Eugh...Cold, like this house.' he looked up and down at Annie as he flicked the cup of tea off of the table, spilling the rest on the floor, '...and dear madame, you look cold too."
Annie had a retort, but it died on the way up her throat.
"Eustice!" the boy yelled, as a rather grumpy zombie emerged from the kitchen carrying a bucket.
"...What do you want 'master?'" it groaned unhappily.
"Fucker, you know what I want!' the child chuckled, making beckoning motions, 'Little Annie is looking cold. We need to warm her up."
The zombie, once walking past its master, thrust the bucket forth, splashing Annie and the zombies with the liquid inside. Annie spluttered as some of it got up her nose and in her mouth. It tasted foul and waxy.
"I-is this?...' her question was answered immediately when the boy's zombie assistant moved the chair, the secret door opening as another zombie emerged with a lighted lamp in hand. Annie was immediately hysterical upon the revelation.
"Don't fret, dear Annie.' the boy attempted to assure her with an incredulous chuckle, 'You'll warm up to the idea of working for me."
Like that, the boy and his assistant zombie let himself out, additional zombies outside holding the door closed as soon as he disappeared in the crowd. Annie looked back at the zombie who held the lamp, who seemed to be waiting for something with a rather bored expression. Before she could try to think of anything, the very ceiling began to leak with the same stench that now covered her and the two zombies that maintained their grip. Zombies were pouring the foul flammable liquid atop her house with such quantity, it was leaking visibly through the foundation's imperfections. The zombie in front of her suddenly smiled, before slamming the lamp down with the crash of glass and roar of awakening flame filling the room. Prince sat outside, humming a tune to himself while he watched a yellow and orange glow consume the interior of the house he once stood in.
"Well that was fun." He said, stretching his legs while getting up. He snapped his finger at the zombie he had named Eustice, who obediently responded, much to its chagrin.
"Where to now master?" It grumbled.
"Well, first tell these dudes to collect her body after she's expired, then you're coming with me to go make fun of boney butt."
"...His name is Vykos, master..." the zombie corrected him promptly.
"And you're real name is J'onn Everstone. You don't see me calling you that, now do you Eustice?"
The zombie rolled its eyes and nodded as it turned to wordlessly instruct the zombies that had stayed to watch the fire while Prince walked away. After it was done, the zombie horde that stood there nodded in united agreement as Eustice returned to the Prince's side. The boy grabbed the cadaver's hand as they disappeared, appearing once again inside the Stalfos Lord's throne room, high above the city.
"Ayyyyyye boney bitch!' Prince's voice echoed in the halls, 'What's cooking? Cuz whatever it is, you need to stop; You're looking fat!"
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Cathedral - Day One”Your rebirth will not be ended this day shadow... As ironic as it sounds, you have the Kinslayer to thank for that.” Polaris spat, before turning his attention back to Isaac. ”Take me to The Sword of the Sunrise, before I change my mind and decide to take this ones head.”
What had begun as a gambit, a roll of the dice afforded him by purest and most remarkable chance, yielded what Isaac could only label a success. And an opportunity. The eyes that stared back at him--dark, aquatic eyes--were not full of the self-righteous gleam of the delusion of honor. No, that was gone from the marine countenance, replaced by a look of wild madness bending toward murderous intent. It was a look that Isaac knew only too well.
As Polaris glanced past him, over to the shade-swathed figure lurking somewhere at Isaac's back, he could still feel the pulse in his cheek. The chaotic sickness rolled over him in waves, from before and behind alike. It still clung to the blood-smeared scales of the Red Ice General. The Warp. Polaris too must have come hence, perhaps simultaneous with the other, the unmoving, silent pit of darkness sharing with them the cathedral's dais. The realization placed the Zora warrior's mania in much needed and invaluable context.
He drew the charred-black haft of his glaive from Polaris' path. The Zora twitched, suddenly bereft of the barrier holding him from his quarry, but did not move to resume his assault.
"I know precisely where to find Mytura," Isaac replied. For a moment his gaze too shifted past the other to the titanic armored behemoth encased within sheets of red ice to Polaris' back. "And I suspect we should leave soon. Red ice is tough stuff, but I'm not sure even that will hold our friend there for long."
He ushered Polaris down the steps of the dais and found it surprising that the Red Ice General did nothing to resist. If provenance could be said to exist at all, and Isaac had never been a fan of the notion, then truly it had thrown its support behind him this day. He took two steps down, then paused for a moment to glance, for only the merest instant, back over his shoulder at the immobile, almost unyielding darkness now looming above.
I know who you are, he all but purred, sending the thought in a single, point-to-point telepathic burst. Shinigami stood in attendance, after all, and he had no interest in being overheard. I'll take this one off your hands for now, but know that you and I have business I intend to discuss in the near future.
And then he was down the last steps, wondering if the darkness would intercede, but suspecting it would not. Unpredictable a creature as she was, he doubted their goals were wholly at cross-purposes at so early a juncture. Instead, he followed Polaris down the center aisle between the pews, remembering to send the second private telepathic burst just as the Red Ice General cleared the final row.
Through the hole, where no door stood, came a flood of pallid, cadaverous bodies waiving emaciated limbs somehow still possessed of a surprising strength. Twenty strong, they surged through the threshold and toward Polaris and, soon enough, toward Shinigami himself, who lurked off to one side. Isaac, acting quickly, snagged Polaris by one arm and jerked him back a step, just enough for him to throw one hand out before him to unleash vicious gouts of flame into the tightly-gathered pack. He almost recoiled from himself, from his own power, when the conflagration flew forth a sickly reddish-violet, and spread through the mass of desiccated flesh with an almost virulent ferocity that swallowed corpses whole, even leaped across intervening paces to set fire to the nearest others.
He turned to meet Polaris' eyes, blinking in genuine surprise at what he'd summoned. A moment later, he looked to Shinigami.
"Looks like I've cleared the way for us," he said. Only then did he hear the click-clack of hundreds of bone on bone impacts further on. "We all better be moving on. You're a necromancer, Shinigami, what say you put those talents to good use?"
Senshi/Hyrule Castle/Day OneThe situation had become so ridiculous Senshi couldn’t tell whether it was tragic or some form of divine comedy. The deaths of Harken and all the able bodied survivors were horrible enough, but Pepperwhistle abandoning everyone and Taur being free; in a place like this these were the makings of a realm true despair. On the other hand Polaris had returned to them, though he was apparently off balanced enough to except an offer of friendship from Kinslayer of all people.
The absurdity of the situation didn’t come from Kinslayer’s offer or aid or Polaris’ acceptances of it; it has how casually Kinslayer assumed Senshi would be willing to play along. That the Pyro-philic Pit Fighter would just assume the one Light Warrior he knew had experience in playing the other side would except such a thing with open arms was downright humorous. Senshi expected this kind of thing from Taden, but for Kinslayer this was a new trick.
"We all better be moving on. You're a necromancer, Shinigami, what say you put those talents to good use?" Kinslayer said with absolute certainty in Senshi’s compliance, though such a thing was far from reality.
“Who is this ‘we’ you’re referring to Kinslayer,” Senshi replied showing now concern for the approaching undead. “I don’t know why Eridanus trusts you all the sudden but I sure as hell don’t. I also don’t see why would need your help to find Mytura. I know the way to him as well and unlike you I can navigate the forest without Tsukiakari attacking me.”
Senshi slowing reached for the Shadow Shard in his pouch making sure the other couldn’t tell if he was doing so with the intent in fighting Telmar or the approaching skeletons he’d thus far ignored. “On the other hand, trying to fight you here over the matter would be pointless. I think we could both agree we’d just waist our time and energy only to end in a stalemate. So here’s the deal, there are several refugee’s still stuck living in the castle. I’m sure you figure out by now that I’ve been trying to help keep them alive these past few months but I haven’t been able to secure an escape route. Well thanks to whatever lead to the pile of corpses were standing in right now it seems they’re out of time. You help me get these people out of the castle and I’ll pretend to trust you long enough to get us to Mytura’s camp. I’ll even help you get through the wood unmolested.”
Senshi quickly spun around, forming his scythe and slamming hit but into the ground. A wave of purple magic surged through the floor locking the undead hoard’s legs in place seconds before they were about to pounce. “Do we have a deal?”
Umbra/Day One/Hyrule CastleShadows coalesced. Well, they were more than shadows, really. A half-darkness of True Twilight. She inhaled the sickly air of Hyrule, tainted as it was by the Goddesses who were once worshiped in this foul cathedral. Only the duskblooded gore that smattered the walls and ceilings gave it any bare semblance of acceptability. That, and the sweet stench of Polaris Eridanus mingled with the spicy subtle odour of Isaac Telmar. How wonderful that marked man was present to see her birth into this realm.
Oh, and what festivities they had, too! Fireworks and the threat of the bloodshed. How this place had so fallen apart since Maydni's invasion. The chaos was tangible, and delicious. And dear old Kinslayer was so kind in his thoughts.
I know who you are. I'll take this one off your hands for now, but know that you and I have business I intend to discuss in the near future.
Umbra chuckled lowly to herself. How coy.
"Kinslayer. Kingslayer. Manslayer. Bondslayer. Demonslayer, perhaps one day. Dreamslayer."
She strode forward, following the trio as they began to depart.
"I know you. You were marked for me, as another marked you. Do you really think such oaths can be abandoned so lightly?" Her hand lifted to caress her cheek, in the same spot where Isaac's was marked by a swarthy palm. She could feel the pulse of his blood in her own cheek. Such luscious blood, so fiery. That mere glimpse of the raging inferno coiled within him was enough to make her quiver. But not enough to distract her. She wiped her hand from her cheek, and the mark on Isaac's face began to fade.
"A blessing can be revoked, my dearest. Or it can turn to a curse." She slipped past Polaris, giving him a flirtatious smirk as she brushed across his body. Funny, that. The General's rage burned hotter than anything Isaac held in him at the moment. His makhaira's lifted, but a quick tisk and wag of the finger held him from action. Visions of madness rolled through his mind, a reminder of his time spent with her that left him momentarily paralyzed. She turned back to Isaac, hand raised without a threat toward him.
"You need me more than I need you, Isaac Telmar. But what luck. Despite not needing you, I want you. Polaris... well, take him off my hands, if that's what you call it. You'll come back for me. I'm not the jealous type, not when it comes to something I know I already own. You'll come back to me. You'll have to."
Her hand slid lovingly over his cheek, returning the Duskmark to full bloom.
"Hell," she said with a laugh, "I'd come with you, and what fun we'd have. But I don't think your new friends would much approve of little old me." She leaned to his ear, whispering closely, "Too biased and bigoted."
Than Umbra retreated from the pyromancer, casting a glance at Shinigami. "Though you could benefit so much from my help, sweetling. Just as this one did." She smiled sweetly at Isaac before returning her attention to the troubled young man. "Tell me, Shadowcaster, that you wouldn't like supreme mastery over darkness.
"Oh, and how is your little friend, Misha? Or, no, is it Mikhail at the moment?"
Senshi/Hyrule Castle/Day One
That being he had sense before had finally started to make its move. At the moment it wasn’t acting overtly hostile but was instead more inclined to try and seduce or taunt them. He was more concerned with how it knew them all so well. Senshi wanted to just chalk it up to hit being a mind read since he no longer had a defense against such a thing but it was far too familiar with Kinslayer while at the same time reading Senshi completely wrong.
The creature turned its attention to Senshi one it was done toying with the others, “though you could benefit so much from my help, sweetling. Just as this one did. Tell me, Shadowcaster, that you wouldn't like supreme mastery over darkness. Oh, and how is your little friend, Misha? Or, no, is it Mikhail at the moment?"
“No, I really don’t,” Senshi replied as he raised his hand causing all the pews in the Cathedral to rise into the air. “Oh and Misha fine, thanks you asking.” He clucked his fist tight and all of the heavy wooded church benches suddenly flew at Umbra with the full force of Senshi’s telekinetic might.
The problem seemingly dealt with for the moment Senshi turned back to the others, “Now, can we go?”
Polaris Eridanus/ Hyrule Castle Cathedral/ First Day​
So, the shadow speaks.
Polaris glared from her to Senshi and Isaac and back and found himself annoyed as they walked, yet he struggled to focus. To remain master of the silence, and not to saw her dusk blighted face off with a jagged piece of rock.
When finally the trio found themselves at the doorway Polaris was breathing heavily, but they were almost clear of the cathedral. A few more steps and they’d be on their way. Moving was good. It kept his mind active and alert and drew the focus away from the silence. He was still master of the silence, but a storm raged in his subconscious.
Polaris was so focused on not killing everyone in the room that, Senshi halted the progress of yet another gaggle of those just left of deceased and presented his offer once more before he’d even noticed they’d stopped moving forward
“Do we have a deal?”
However, before either Polaris or Isaac had a chance to respond, that bitch chimed in again. The saccharine soaked simpering was starting to wear thin on his nerves. Polaris could feel himself losing his grip, the silence was mastering him. It was deafening. Without realizing what he was doing, a thin layer of hoarfrost began to spider out from where he stood, climbing up and over crumbled stone and slithering up blackened walls.
And then Senshi flung a row of pews at the scintillatingly shadowed whench and Polaris smirked. He always liked Shinigami.
“Now, can we go?”
A bolt of crimson lightning shot down from on high, striking Polaris’ drawn blades. He didn’t remember pulling the makhaira from their sheaths again. The lightning hissed and crackled as it snaked its way around his body before leaping from his blades and striking the center of the undead horde immobilized before them, outright disintegrating the majority of them and leaving the rest useless.
”Well, I don’t see why not. Please. Lead the way.”
== Two Birds, No Stones ==
Morton, Night 1, Laboratory Wreckage
Summary	Morton Waypost is the name of Sirius Fulmaren’s corpse, which is currently being possessed by a fragment of the dark Ma Ratnis. The actual brain/soul of Sirius is trapped inside a magic notebook called the Lunar Notebook, and that notebook is held by Morton. The rest of Ratnis is trapped in a prison dimension, and Morton is seeking a way to free him from that prison.
Morton is now on his way to Castletown to join Twili forces. He is not aware of how many Twili are there, or if he is better suited elsewhere. Ignorance is bliss.
Music 	ight of them in the dark of night. He then
Ratnis of the Ma held absolute control over the corpse of Sirius Fulmaren. Though Ratnis referred to himself as Morton, in truth it was just a name, the only two real entities involved were Ratnis, and the mind of Sirius, as it now remained locked inside the Lunar Notebook.
Morton had waited in the treetops for hours. When the sun finally edged towards the final minutes of setting, he cautiously made his way back to the wreckage site.
It was a beautiful disaster. Puffs of colored smoke would sometimes still float up from random spots, and the lab continued to give an eerie feeling of life, even as it smouldered into what could only be called the corpse of a hell machine. The jagged metal that stuck out remained very out of place amongst the forest scenery.
Morton clutched the Lunar Notebook. It felt like ants were crawling from its pages up his arms, burrowing into his robes. Sirius was doing it on purpose, reminding him that the mad scientist brain was fiercely fighting for its body back. It was a game now. Father and estranged son dancing around their shared fate.
He entered into the lab, and walked tentatively towards the chambers that Sirius did the majority of his spirit transfer work. They were empty, very empty. No books, no trinkets, not even blood on the floor, which was usually a mainstay of the lab.
(“What are you looking for, Ratnis?”) The telepathic voice of Sirius was grating. The old fool was doing it on purpose, trying to trigger rage and misdirection. Sirius received no reply from Morton/Ratnis. (“Teleportation? Strength enhancer? Magic watch? Multi-dimensional skeleton key? Polarity reversing magic rod? That last one is just a magnet, by the by. Oh I bet you’re looking for some kind of way to take control of my soul as it merges with my body. Well, good luck, but you should know that I destroyed anything that could help you. The only thing left in this lab for you are visions of the past that have only one thing to say. You will be destroyed, all of you.”)
Ma didn’t typically succumb to fear, but at that moment, Ratnis shuddered inwardly. This was his creation after all, at least partially. He immediately began considering alternative plans. It was possible that his plan to control the body of Sirius was too flawed, too incomplete. Ratnis needed a way to open up the prison that kept the rest of his Ma form, and then it would not matter if Sirius reclaimed hi body or not.
At that moment, Morton knew that it had been a mistake to try coming to the lab again. He felt Sirius voice still chattering, but the madman had fully devolved into self adulating grandioseness, so he ignored the thoughts. He turned and swiftly left the lab. This plan just wouldn’t work. Sirius had things airtight. He was out of the lab and back into the forest in seconds. He needed a new plan, right now.
“Time to see what the Twili forces are really all about.” Morton decided castletown would be the next best stop. He still had limited knowledge of modern Hyrule, but he knew that the Twili had the upper hand, and would be his best chance at magic that would allow the rest of Ratnis into Hyrule.
Davus, The Mental Landscape of EridanusThere was no tiring of Polaris dream death. For Davus that would never cease to bring pleasure. It seemed, most beneficially, that Polaris had even developed a strange stockholm syndrome, mixed with symbiotic elements. He had actually acquired a tiny bit of what defined Davus. Powers and attitude.
Polaris use of the lightning was fascinating to Davus. He felt a strange a sense of pride, seeing the almost feral Zora compose himself and then call upon the heavens.
Soon, Davus would have a possible way out of Polaris’ mind. He could sense it. Now that they were back in the realm of Hyrule, it meant reaching Ratnis would be that much simpler. Davus simply had to hope that his master had completed enough of his plan to be able to escape prison.
He could sense Ratnis though. A small fragment of him, though it did not contain a unique persona like Davus. And it had inferior powers, though still lightning based. Ratnis must have found a body, perhaps the corpse of the man that was once Davus’ brother, Sirius.
Davus had not been paying attention to the details of what Polaris was seeing, since inhabiting his mind at such a high level might catch the Zora’s attention, and even Davus didn’t know what that might mean. He decided to focus in anyway, and caught the last bit of what Polaris was saying.
”Well, I don’t see why not. Please. Lead the way.”
(“Kill.”) Davus sent the message rattling throughout Polaris mind. The Zora might resist it, or he might not. He didn’t know. (“Kill, and escape this place. Seek the darkness.”) Davus opened himself completely to Polaris mind. The red general would know in an instant what was happening, and would likely report it to his allies. He needed to push him away in the chaos. Davus linked his mind, letting Polaris also sense the distant presence of Ratnis, hoping it would draw the attention of the Zora.
Morton - En Route to HCT - Afternoon 1
Morton felt it. Davus had reached out to him. He had to be relatively close for that to be possible. The lightning mage knew he was here. He seemed muffled, trapped. It was the Zora, without question. Ratnis knew. When Polaris had killed Davus so many centuries ago, his soul was cleaved in two. One half was retrieved by Ratnis, carefully preserved and used to hatch a new version of Davus. But the second half had remained with Polaris, somehow self regenerating, effectively resurrecting Davus Fulmen.
Finding Davus meant Morton would have the strength to reclaim all of Ratnis, all of himself. Then he could cast aside this body, stop calling himself Morton, and destroy Sirius. Then the real work would begin.
(“I’m not all for this plan.”) Sirius telepathic voice said, reading Morton’s thoughts with ease. (“You see, that’s MY body, as we have discussed before. I will be needing it back very soon. We both know that your full form doesn’t require a vessel to possess.”)
“Correct.” Morton muttered. “Neither I nor Davus truly need vessels, though Davus likely does not realize this yet.”
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Cathedral - Day One"You need me more than I need you, Isaac Telmar. But what luck. Despite not needing you, I want you. Polaris... well, take him off my hands, if that's what you call it. You'll come back for me. I'm not the jealous type, not when it comes to something I know I already own. You'll come back to me. You'll have to."
Her hand slid lovingly over his cheek, returning the Duskmark to full bloom.
"Hell," she said with a laugh, "I'd come with you, and what fun we'd have. But I don't think your new friends would much approve of little old me."She leaned to his ear, whispering closely, "Too biased and bigoted."
We'd paint this whole city red, sweet-cheeks. The two of us would waste this whole blighted land in fire and darkness. Alas, our time will have to wait for now.
Isaac could spend little more time on this business. The wasted, exsanguinous dead were naught but ash, and Isaac could do little but look on as the two ancient Light Warriors made moves of their own.
“Now, can we go?”
Between them, Senshi and Polaris simultaneously immobilized and obliterated the skeletal dead that were fast approaching.
"Well, I don’t see why not. Please. Lead the way."
Isaac complied, taking several deliberate steps back out into the open, out of the cathedral, over the rubble of the collapsed wall.
"You got it, General," Isaac replied without another glance toward Shinigami. The necromancer didn't trust him, and who could blame him for that? "Not that the denizens here have been much of a hindrance, but I've found it expedient to come in and out through the sewers. I'll take us out that way." He directed this time a pointed glance in Shinigami's direction. "I'm not asking you to trust me, Shinigami. We're about six hundred years too late to un-ring that particular bell, but I'm not trying to double-cross you either. The situation... it's complicated, but if you're willing to play along until we have time for explanations, I'll do the same."
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and headed back out the way he'd come. He knew somewhere ahead there would be more ravenous hordes of the undead lurking in every dark crevasse and dimly lit corner. A part of him welcomed the distraction, but another part wondered at the cost.
Kill.
He stopped short, swiveled on one heel and came face to face with Polaris. This time, Isaac didn't just note the madness in the Zora's eyes, he probed into it. Without permission, he lacked the psychic strength to delve into another strong mind, even one as fractured as the Red Ice General's, but he knew what he'd heard. What he felt.
He felt power, of an all too familiar sort. The question... was how? And given all of the strange circumstances surrounding his abilities of late, could Isaac even trust his intuitions?
"Come on..." he murmured, turning back to the road ahead as it passed through broken outer walls and descended into the ruined city anon. He would give no sign now of what he'd felt. He needed time. Time to know. "We'll be good to go, as soon as we find sewer access."
Senshi/Hyrule Castle/Day 1With the numerous distractions finally been dealt with Kinslayer claimed he was willing to play ball, "I'm not asking you to trust me, Shinigami. We're about six hundred years too late to un-ring that particular bell, but I'm not trying to double-cross you either. The situation... it's complicated, but if you're willing to play along until we have time for explanations, I'll do the same."
Kinslayer’s comment amused Senshi but he made sure to hide his smirk behind his mantels collar. What the fire mage didn’t realize was that despite his past allegiances and violent demeanor he was still far more trust worth than the kind of people he’d been helping with the castle refugees so far. Of course Senshi wasn’t about to tell him as much, but he knew Telmar needed some kind of response, “Kinslayer I think throughout history I’ve more than shown myself to be the one Light Warrior who understands the ends justify the means. Who I have to ally myself with is irrelevant as long as I can help the people I’m out to protect.”
The trio slogged there way though the abhorrent gauntlet that the haunted roads of castle town had turned into as they traveled to refugee camp. The trek was made all the more painful by the desperate need to minimize combat for the sake of not drawing attention to their destination as well as Senshi unwillingness to play the Sun Song and reveal his secret possession to the still untrustable Kinslayer.
Upon finally returning to camp the inhabitants that still had the energy to notice were a bit alarmed to see Senshi return with two strangers but without the raid party. The old man that was in charge in Harken’s absence was approached the group, “What’s going on, where’s Harken, who are these people?”
“The raid was a failure, Zeiss is dead. So is just about everyone else. Dagnir’s alive but Pepperwhistle lost control of him and I’m positive that will only make the situation here worse. As for Pepperwhistle, I’m not sure he might be on his way back here or he might have run off. Either way get everyone to pack up whatever they carry, these two are going to help get you all out of here,” Senshi quickly explained, though likely to fast for the old man to have time to process any of it.
Senshi had quickly scanned the area while he waited for the man’s mind to catch up to his ears and became concerned with what he didn’t see, “where the hell is Mikhail?”
“Who?” the man asked completely overwhelmed at this point.
“The medic kid I left here, where is he!?” Senshi yelled barely able to contain his panic.
The old man stumbled to pull his thoughts together, “Oh yeah, he started talking to himself then ran off. It was kind of weird.”
“What do you mean he ran off!? Wait,” Senshi suddenly realized that the old man probably had actually overheard Misha’s two personalities talking to each other. “Tell me what was he talking about?”
“I don’t know stories his grandfather told him or something,” the confused man answered. “No wait, books and I think something about elements. By the way I think the boy might actually be a girl.”
Senshi ignored the additional comment once he’d figured where Misha had run off to. “You get these people out of here. I’ll catch up as soon as I can.” Senshi started to run off but quickly shouted back one last thing before disappearing into the tunnels, “and don’t kill anyone that isn’t already dead!”
Senshi/Hyrule Castle Library/Day 1The Castle Library, once a reservoir of knowledge that had been collected through all of the kingdoms history, was now a decapitated ruin. Most the books had been torn apart or set a blaze by a massive bolder that had been catapulted into the chamber during the battle six months ago. Just one random shot had destroyed centuries of knowledge that may never be recovered. Now the room held little but a few shambling undead and a few decaying bodies that were too mangled to have been reanimated.
Not everything was lost however. There was another chamber to the library, one behind reinforced wall and sealed with a secret door. Behind it was hidden all that which deemed "unsuitable" for the population to know about out. Forbidden forms of magic, historical transcripts of Hyrule of the darker actions taken in war, records of primordial wizards of great power and the fewer who could stand up to them, even some legends that may lead those who would look to closely to the means of destroying society. Only a few people were allowed to know the room existed such as the King, the Sheikah Chieftan, The Grand Librarian, Phoenix, and of course the Hylian Black ops that had filled it.
Now that secret chamber that had been six months undisturbed was slowly filling with redeads. A girl who'd been paying in there from a very young age as her adoptive grandfather worked had returned and in the rush of emotional memories neglected to seal herself in. The girl thumbed through the pages searching for a vague memory. A memory of a story her grandfather use to read to her, one that seemed critical that she recalled. However the focus she need to process the ancient text prevented her from noticing the looming threat that approached. 
It was the blood curdling screech that finally alerted her to the zombie’s presence but at that point it was too late. The Redead's gaze had paralyzed her leaving her helpless to stop the undead horde from slowing rending body it’s an unrecognizable pile of meat and blood. She struggled to move, far too stubborn to give up the vain hope that at the last second but deep down she could only curse herself for her foolish mistake. She teetered back and forth between struggling to survive and resignation of her fate until finally, as if a miracle; she was able to move again. She quickly drew a dagger and spun around to combat her attackers before quickly pausing once she saw there was no need. The redead had all been frozen in place and covered with a pale white hue. In her paralyzed state she must note had heard the song but now she could clearly the man in the door way with his blue ocarina.
"Just what the hell were you thinking!?" Senshi yelled has he used his telekinesis to throw the redeads out of the room and force the chamber shut. "I said help the refugees not run off to find a book!"
Misha was still too much in shock to reply. In fact just standing was proving to be a challenge as all the girl could do in response was stumble backwards until falling back unto a bookshelf and slowly sliding to the floor.
Senshi picked up the book she had been reading to see what this whole escapade was about, "The Grey Warriors, by Citrine Ten. This is why you ran off and nearly got yourself eaten?"
The girl tried her best to explain the books importance while still completely numb, "Mikhail made me remember it. He just needed me to get us here and find the book then he could read it, but we had trouble switching back and, and..." The numbness slowly gave way to tears as the pain she'd been bottling up all these months had finally been set free, "my grandfather use to read that to me when ever he'd take a break for his work in here. It was the one book here with stories of heroes that were form so long ago that it was ok for me to know about. There was this one woman who was a street rat and an orphan just like me but she ended being a great hero and a secret agent. She even had a team of other outcasts and orphans and they all helped save Hyrule. She... she even turned into a beautiful Angel once I think, I don't remember. I'm having trouble remembering anything."
That last part caught Senshi's attention. He finally understood what this was about but decided to let Misha finish, "I don't know what, but I remember something. I remember that there's something important in that book. Something you'd want to know, if I could just remember it."
Senshi reached out his hand to help Misha up and even though he already knew she was in tears it was when she finally looked up at him with the soaked face that he's suddenly realized something important. It was only ever Mikhail that showed emotion, it was only ever Mikhail that was willing to tell him things like this, but right now this was Misha was talking to. Maybe there was a chance of healing her after all. "Come on kid, let’s get out of here."
Morton - HCT Outer Edge - Later Afternoon/Early Evening 1Morton pushed through the rubble of Hyrule Castle Town, cursing to himself all the while, furious with the endless chatter of Sirius.
(“And then I went to the store, but they were out of ember seed synthetics, so I had to go across town. And then across town I of course ran into someone named - get this - Bob. Like who the hell is named Bob? It’s ridiculous. By the way, your assumed name of Morton Waypost means Dead Sign. Way to be obvious. Also I think you’re an idiot for taking on a new name just because you are possessing a corpse. Just complicates things.”)
“Would you shut up!” Morton shouted the words, realizing that he was so loud that anyone in the general vicinity of castle town would have heard. Especially the nearby encampment that was decidedly not of Twili origin. He hadn’t found the Twili as hoped, but he had found his new target, Polaris Eridanus, who now resided in the camp.
The homing signal that Morton felt was stronger than ever. Davus Fulmen’s spirit was locked inside Polaris Eridanus’ body, just like how Ratnis spirit now resided in Sirius Fulmaren’s body. Totally not confusing.
(“Yeah, definitely not confusing.”) Sirius commented.
As Morton closed the distance, he saw a familiar looking figure running off into the tunnels. Senshi. He’d get a chance to talk with that particular fool later. Morton decided the best approach was the direct one.
“Polaris Eridanus, show yourself!” Morton shouted in the general direction of the camp.
(“Surprise!”) The lunar notebook emerged from Morton’s robes, slamming itself against his face with a strange and powerful adhesive. (“I’m not letting this go your way so easily! I want my body back, and this little piece of Ratnis is going bye bye.”)
Morton began to convulse, most likely looking absurd to any observers. After all, it’s hard to take a man in robes with a book on his face very seriously. Especially one having an active conversation with that book. After mere seconds, a black cloud of gas was ejected from his body, in such a way to look as if he had eaten a rough meal the night before.
A cloud of dark matter hovered just to the left of the convulsing Morton, and the lunar notebook sat upon the ground. Morton stopped shaking after a few moments, long enough for the residents of the camp to finally react. The first to step forward, naturally, was Polaris.
“Sirius.” He said in a single word. He recognized the body of Morton as Sirius, since they were one and the same. Morton was no longer Morton. With the dark demon expelled from his body, he was once again Sirius Fulmaren in mind, body, and soul.
“Yes, Hello. One moment please.” The body that had moments before referred to itself as Morton picked up the dusty notebook and looked at the dark cloud to his left. “So this-” He pointed to the cloud. “Is a concentrated cloud of demonic evil. I just exorcised it from this body, and returned my own mind to it. So I’m now once again in control of my own body.” Sirius paused. “Are you getting all this?” He asked with a deranged smile. Polaris didn’t seem amused.
The cloud of dark matter spoke with a disembodied voice.
“You have not defeated me yet, Sirius. My true form waits to be freed, waits to feed on your soul and consume it fully. No more tricks, no more hiding in books. This piece of me will scatter onto the wind soon, but there is another piece of me that is much stronger, capable of sustaining itself without a body. Ask the Zora, he knows.” The dark cloud, otherwise known as Ratnis of the Ma, referred to the spirit of Davus Fulmen, as it resided inside Polaris. Sirius was successful in stealing his own body back, but the battle was not yet won, not completely.
To pretty much anyone but Polaris, the entire scene would have been a confusing mess of voices, bodies, and declarations of evil. Even Sirius was growing tired of the complexity.
“I’m really getting tired of this complexity.” Sirius said. Polaris cocked his head to the side, looking ready to speak. But fate took its turn first, freezing the Zora’s body in place as it too began to spew darkness, this time from the mouth instead of elsewhere.
Lightning began to strike the earth from literally no point of origin. Clouds swirled around Polaris himself, and the ancient foreboding laugh of Davus Fulmen the thunder mage shook the land.
“Shit shit shit shit.” Sirius muttered. He ran up to Polaris, picked up the Lunar notebook, and smacked the Zora in the face with it. Polaris briefly looked as if he was expecting something to happen, but nothing did aside from continued lightning. “That….was never going to work anyway, not sure why I thought it would.” Sirius backed away from Polaris and smiled. “Uh, so that dark cloud proclaiming that Davus was free to leave your body, he wascompletely right about that." Sirius backed off and Polaris seemed to regain control of his body.
The lightning focused into a single massive strike, leaving in its wake a humanoid. Davus Fulmen had escaped Polaris' body and now stood free. Though he took humanoid form, he was capable of changing back at any time. A deadly force to be reckoned with.
== He Likes to Watch ==
Vykos Osteon/Necropolis Nexus/Day 1The necromancer kept firm watch over his battalions of Stalfos headed straight for Hyrule Castle. While the landscape had mostly remained constant, the Dusk cultists had altered the halls of the palace even more than before. Ritual suicides? Sacrifices? Either way it could mean more materials. He considered sending gathering units after the raid. 
And then his Observer was damaged by a wave of supernatural energies. With its view fading, he saw a crimson Zora unleash a volley of red ice and guarantee destruction of his unit. Pulling his palm away from his All-Seeing Eye, he cursed bitterly. 
What he saw next angered him even more. The Prince, who hurled insults at him daily from the ground below, had somehow gotten through all of his elaborate defenses. It was bad enough that his supply of corpses was being starved out. This was blasphemy. 
"You have risked what existence you have to reach my Nexus, and all you have is bony butt? If you survive this, which I doubt, you ought to rethink your priorities."
Raising his staff skyward, green and orange gas began to seep into the chamber. Vykos uttered words of dark sorcery, causing all of the walls to shake. Shambling Stalchildren began to crawl out of the floor, ceiling, and the walls. They had been built into the necropolis' very framework, waiting to come to the defense of their master. 
Their numbers began to increase greatly, and they started to combine upon themselves to form a much larger creature, one nearly fifteen feet tall. Once the last creatures formed a long, two handed blade, it charged to attack the Prince and his companions.
"As I said, you are a fool to come here. Now die! Again, if you must."
'Prince, Necropolis Nexus, Day One'"Well now...That's just cheating. When I stack my assholes, they just moan and groan about how heavy everyone else is..." Prince griped idly as he watched the titanic threat before him grow.
Though I gotta admit, that's pretty fucking cool.
''
The enormous skeleton giant rattled and crunched horrifically as it rose its Bone Sword into the air, prepared to smash the Twili child with tremendous power and force. He refused to budge despite this. Eustice's eyebrow rose at his master's inaction, before raising a declarative finger in his concern.
"Shouldn't we move, sir?" He asked dimly.
"Nah, fastball special."
"...Sir..."
"Before it kills me!"
"Guh..."
The zombie groaned in its annoyance as it scooped Prince above his head, his arms' muscles bulging monstrously before chucking his master at the skeleton mass. Prince could hear the crunching impact of Eustace catching the sword with his momentary strength as his blood-red sword materialized in his hand. Using his momentum and speed, Prince's sword plunged into the chin of the skeleton that had made the head of the massive pile of bones, which promptly popped off as Prince brought it with him as he rolled down the creatures back. Clumsily falling on his face as he reached the floor, Prince attempted to save the moment by getting up as quickly as he could, pointing his skull-adorned sword at Vykos' face.
"Ha! How 'bout them apples, Skeletor?!" He exclaimed proudly, barely noticing the giant behind him turning around.
Vykos Osteon/The Nexus/Night 1The defiance of this Prince knew no bounds. He had his servant hurtle him through the chin of his behemoth. While the invader was airborne, Vykos fired a density control ray at his creation. This would allow a more complete bonding within the frame, and it would also prevent the same antics from happening again.
"Ha! How 'bout them apples, Skeletor?!"
The necromancer remained emotionless behind his plague mask. What Prince didn't know would cause him utmost peril. Tapping his staff's base against the ground in response to another taunt, he chuckled quietly; alarms began to blare. Rumbling intensified throughout the halls. A majority of the master's hordes knew he was threatened and began to close in on the Nexus.
"You really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Why fear death when I've already taken that journey? My forces will ensure you take it, even if you take me out."
Raising his staff in defiance, pale green energies began to cascade around the large gemstone in its head; pure necrotic power.
"Your invasion is blasphemy. I must know how you bypassed my defenses."
Behemoth was turning and approaching; it was not pleased either.
'Prince, Necropolis Nexus, Night One'Prince, despite being surrounded by forces and evil energies that would make even the mightiest hero hesitate with fear, dismissed his weapon. Catching the once pierced skull with one of his puny hands, the boy put his thumb over the hole on the skull's top as he nonchalantly summoned forth a small amount of blood, which pooled inside the skull like it was a cup. His face remaining dismissive and distant about the necrotic power that surrounded him, he chugged the skull's contents before tossing it aside. His appalling lack of respect made Eustace, whom was quite stuck where he was, having his spine temporarily severed from blunt force trauma, begin to worry for what the boy could possibly be attempting to accomplish.
"See, the funny thing about defenses, is they're rather easy to get past if you don't confront them at all. Your floaty hunk of rock had a small crack in it, so we slipped in through there.' Prince responded in a 'as a matter of fact' tone of voice, 'But enough about your crack, I have a proposal of sorts if you can tell Igor here to piss off." He finished, gesturing the giant that had now finished turning.
Eustace pulled a small box from his pocket, which contained a wedding ring inside. Snickering to himself, the zombie tossed the box over the titanic beast of bone, which landed with almost comical precision into Prince's outstretched hand. Said hand was merely gesturing the skeleton monster, but the Twili boy found humor in his next move and decided to roll with it.
"...Vykos, you super creepy dead guy who lives over my house...' Prince began, holding chuckles back as he took a knee, '...Will you join me in unholy matrimony? 'Cuz seriously, it's no secret we're cramping each others style and it'd be just better for everyone if we started a truce...For like...I dunno...A week, tops?"
"He won't backstab you immediately, he's still cross about that Isaac guy."
"Thank you Eustace."
Vykos Osteon/Necropolis Nexus/Day 1This oversight would need to be remedied. All of them would need to be. This Prince's craftiness, defiance, and audacity could be valuable in an alliance. But being the evil curmudgeon he was, he did not entertain the marriage proposal to the extent that Prince had hoped he would.
"Are you taking the piss here? You put on this show and do all this to try to impress me? So far all you've done is try to cut into my corpse market."
Elite undead units began to flood the chamber, holding their position behind the Stalfos Behemoth.
"It's not a matter of what you're asking, but how you're asking. This town is engaged in civil war while a larger conflict rages around it. There are...opportunities. The cultists seem to have had a ritual suicide, and the living shrink in number."
Pacing back and forth, he motioned for them to put the ring away.
"You'll need to prove yourself beyond what you've already done. Consider this a conditional alliance of convenience, and an interim one at that. If you try anything, the endless hordes of this Necropolis will hunt you for the rest of your days, which will be few. We must glean the battlefields to increase our numbers, and send out scouting parties to find them. If we split the corpses fairly, we can lay waste to all of Hyrule! How does that sound, young one?"
His hordes stood at the ready, led by the Behemoth. They appeared skeptical, but Vykos was planning, and he knew not to turn a potential ally away if things could be gained from it.
== Old Pals ==
Polaris Eridanus/ Outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town/ Evening of the First”Sirius.”
Polaris, Isaac and few of the camps inhabitants had rushed to find and silence whatever the commotion was. Noise brought attention in a place like this. Attention in place like this brought death. What Polaris did NOT expect happen upon was the seizing body of his sometime friend, sometime enemy and eternally linked cohort.
As he gained his feet, Sirius ranted about evil demon clouds and the like, usual Fulmaren fare really. When the voice issued forth from the as yet unnoticed black cloud, that’s when Polaris’ skin prickled. Something in that voice resonated with him and also WITHIN him. Polaris had been warring with the storm for some time now. Knowing that he knew and actually acknowledging that he knew what he knew were two different things. Polaris made a birdlike movement, cocking his head jerkily to the side as a thought occurred to him.
There was no chance to elaborate though, as a plague ridden black storm cloud burst forth from Polaris’ gullet. His body was wracked with a searing pain as Davus was extricated and Polaris’ very soul felt like it was being purged. Lightning flashed in the rabid general’s eyes before it flashed and struck the ground before them. Polaris was focused on a singular point in space. All was black and contained within himself and he stayed there for what could have been an eternity, but was really mere seconds. He held posture there until he felt the storm within calm and an icy wind begin to howl. For the first time in a millennium, when he raised his head to look upon he who stood before him, Polaris looked through his eyes alone.
The place stank of sulfur and the air still hummed with static as the electricity began to dissipate. Standing there with living lightning writhing its way around his limbs and torso was Davus Fulmen, his laughter booming across the land.
The remnants of smoke and mist were still swirling as all gathered hung in the moment, the two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity and Polaris steeled himself for battle. Seemingly of its own accord the mist undulated its way to the General, in doing so it tinged crimson. And for one brief moment, Polaris was himself in full.
Drawing Winters Tide, Polaris stepped forward, leveling the named blade with the business end directed at Fulmen, Polaris’ eyes flashed dark and he began to laugh. A raspy, throaty laugh that scraped against the ear like two stones rubbed together. As his laughter melded with that of The Feared, the swirling crimson shot with paisley and the look of the deranged set in once more.
Blade unwaveringly aimed at Fulmen, Polaris looked from Sirius to Isaac and back to Davus, smiling, Polaris raised his free hand and tapped at his temple as he chuckled.
”Getting crowded in there. Hope you enjoyed the Warp as much as I did.”
Sirius - Castle Town Skirt Shop - Night 1Sirius had to wrack his brain to determine what era this Polaris was from. He thought as hard as he could, and for the moment, came up with nothing.
“Well, I tried.” He muttered to himself. He’d just have to act as natural as possible and say yes if Polaris asked him if he remembered anything in particular. Davus on the other hand, he had to be from the Epoch era, given that was when he died.
“Oh wait, so then Polaris must be from that Era too.” Sirius said that a bit louder, catching the confused attention of the warriors around him. “Ignore me!” He waved his hands about, “I’m just an old man that can’t remember things clearly!”
While Sirius wasn’t outright ignored, most attention was squarely on Davus Fulmen, his personality well known to all those present. As was the way of the mad scientist -
“That’s offensive.” Sirius realized he was responding to his own inner monologue and quickly ceased the activity.
As was the way of the mad scientist, Sirius had planned for the return of Davus for centuries, always hoping to try out his heavily theorized lightning in a bottle experiment. It had taken painstaking research, and lots of begging to his dimension hopping wife, Vera, who had at last acquiesced and procured for him some very rare minish based magic from the minish realm, or at least, a minish realm.
“If it pleases the court.” Sirius announced, this time deliberately trying to gain attention from the rest. “I say we shackle this storm, and put it to some better use. I know many of you see me as a villain, but-” Sirius stopped once he noticed all the glares upon him. Villain or friend, his talking was most obviously not welcome. “I will fight alongside anyone here to detain this creature. He is too dangerous to be allowed beyond this encounter.”
Sirius reached inside his pockets, ensuring his trump card was in place. Satisfied, he waited for a response from the group that Davus was to be attacked in unison. He knew that Davus had already been given more than enough time to prepare. Sirius just hoped the number of opponents would be enough.
Polaris Eridanus/ Outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town/ First Night
Polaris chuckled, Sirius and his schemes and concerns for eras and the continuity of things, blade still unwaveringly leveled at the corporeal Fulmen the Feared Polaris addressed Sirius directly.
”Yes, I’m from that era Sirius, but before I went there, I was here. A cruel twist of fate sent me on that journey of enlightenment brother, and yes, you’re as close to that to me as any of my clutch mates were at this point, I traveled through hell and the Dusk Warp to stand back here now.”
The crimson mist that had wound its way around the general all through the conversation began to take on a serpentine form as the head of a crimson dragon, mirroring that of the one on the hilt of Winters Tide, formed in the haze above Polaris’ head.
”I’m really not sure what game you’re playing here Sirius, but I’ll play it.”
The mist dragon reared its head in a silent roar as it bolted forward over Polaris’ head, solidifying into a massive crimson battering ram.
As the frozen dragon fist barreled toward Fulmens chest, Polaris lost hold entirely of his magic and a dusk tinged crimson hoarfrost spread wildly and sporadically across the ground. Places froze over in a completely scattershot pattern as Polaris drew Winters Tide back in a defensive posture as he awaited Davus’ response to his first volley.
Sirius Fulmaren, Castle Town Outskirts/Night 1
”I’m really not sure what game you’re playing here Sirius, but I’ll play it.”
Sirius squinted, convinced it helped him think harder. Probably one of his only beliefs that had no real data behind it, aside from anecdotal evidence and the absolutely certainty of an old man.
Polaris had just attacked Davus, and everyone watched as Davus calmly blinked out of existence, rematerializing a few paces away. The ice fist rushed by, and the rest of the battle attendees were left to avoid the collateral waves of hoarfrost spreading across the ground.
“No games today, Eridanus. Only experiments.” Sirius stood still as the waves of frost spread across the ground beside him. “By the way, did you ever hear what happened to your great-great-whatever-grandpa Kaimu?” Sirius grinned. “He’s all about the dragon thing these days, but looking a little bony, I have to say. I think he actually plans to find you. Something about destroying his descendents to help save lives. Could that mean you?” Sirius kept his tone playful but not without force, for the words he spoke were the truth, for once.
Davus waiting this long to let Sirius talk was unusual. The storm mage had relatively easily dodged Polaris’ incoming strike but mysteriously had not taken further action. It didn’t make sense since he would only be doing that if he needed to build up energy for a larger strike against everyone at once.
“Oh.” Sirius barely had time to yell instructions before the storm hit. “Take cover!” Sirius dove behind some rubble, expecting deadly strikes of lightning to soon begin raining down. And indeed his expectations were met with a thunderous explosion, a jet of rocks and debris blew past where Sirius had been standing, and no doubt towards the others as well, though for the moment Sirius could see nothing but the ground and the bomb-like object in his hand.
“This better work.” Sirius touched the mini-bomb to his forehead and then his notebook, before pulling out a tiny piece of it, and throwing it in the center of the battle arena, where the blast radius would engulf both the warriors, and any foolish civilians that were still too close to the action. The bomb flashed very brightly and then vanished, but made no other sound nor seemed to cause any immediate harm. But then, after a few seconds has passed, its effect took hold.
<RUSH THE THUNDER MAGE>
A telepathic command blasted into the minds of everyone present, or so Sirius hoped. He heard it in his own mind, given that the command originated in his mind, but he expected anyone within fifty feet would hear the message, regardless of telepathic ability. The question now was whether the command was strong enough to work, or if it would simply create confusion.
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Town Outskirts - Night OneRush the Thunder Mage!
The thought was itself thunder in his mind, momentarily blurring his senses. Had Isaac ever been struck, been crushed, by such a powerful psychic command?
He stood some distance away, watching with keen eyes, brushing aside the waves of hoarfrost that threatened to wash over him. Crimson mist hung in the air and lightning crackled in dense black clouds swirling high above.
He who was called Kinslayer had followed all the rest out of the tunnels and back into the fringe street blocks, chasing a sound that was truly audible and threatened to bring waves of the demonic undead down upon their heads. The storm that now raged was a blessing in disguise, grim and turbulent and loud enough to conceal the commotion. However, what came with it was a maelstrom of confusion, half-clever comments, and frankly, a whole rasher of vendettas and personal shit that didn't really excite Isaac too greatly, but for the implications he saw in it all. Polaris knew this man, this aged authority, this geriatric genius. The Red Ice General shared past experiences with him, and it was clear that their relationship was a complicated one.
His relationship with Davus, though, was all too clear. It was not difficult to discern. Davus was an entity of pure chaos, dark and cruel, capricious in his violence as was his stormy mantle. He attracted enemies like iron attracted his element, like Isaac himself did, and some few others in the long centuries.
The compulsion to obey the psychic command was remarkably strong, but Isaac stood firm. How many centuries had he spent heeding such commands in the vaults of his mind, bidding him attack, bidding him spill blood? He itched to attack, yearned to loose the rage of the Scour, and had two directions in which he could move. Polaris had himself once brought lightning and thunder to bear in battle. Did he choose his erstwhile ally, or did he sway off his present path? Was momentary satisfaction more alluring to him now than the promise of greater, rapturous gratification in the future? Still he stood, considering.
But he felt still the echoes and reverberations of the thought bomb in his head, and the answer was clear. Heat rose in him, the heat of anger and the calescence of his power building, awaiting release. Finally he pushed himself from where he'd leaned with his arms folded over his chest, and stepped into the cluster.
"Nice shot, friend," he said with a wry shrug toward Polaris. "But fighting Fulmen the Feared in the midst of a thunderstorm is no easy thing. Maybe I'm crazy, but what say we dispense with the bullshit and get right to it. To hell with the choices, with the compulsions, with the commands. The violence I commit is mine!"
And thus, rather than turn right to hurl himself into the teeth of the storm, or left into the face of the Red Ice General, Isaac lunged straight.
Straight toward the one called Sirius. His blade flashed from its sheath. He swept it across his body as he surged forward. Waves of flame, bright white and dark violet, surging with a pernicious, demonic toxicity through every ember, lashed in a half-moon out before him. The wave rose up, pursued closely behind by Isaac and his gleaming blade, and crashed like a wave down toward the scientist who dared try to put new chains about the Kinslayer's neck.
'Tobias Pepperwhistle/ Outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town/ Night of the First'
Having raided the castle larders and creeping out through a ruined wall, the gory remains of his rebel squad still dripped from his bestubbled face and ran down the front of his chainmail vest, staining the gilded links pink.
Zeiss was dead. Several of their… his now, several of HIS best men were lost as well. And perhaps worst of all, his trump card was in another deck. The axe wielding Twili mountain in his coal black armor was, by all intents and purposes Tobias’ number one enemy.
The camp would need moving. Plans would need changed and by the Four those bloody light warriors needed to win this war so he could start to profit from all of this do gooding.
Stopping in his tracks, Tobias recoiled and threw up defenses as something brushed against his consciousness. Looking around, he saw neither man, woman or otherwise and shook his head before starting off towards the camp once.
As he was putting his thoughts back in order about how to best relocate the camp, he felt the foreign touch at the edges of his consciousness once more and, out of sheer frustration dropped his defenses.
<RUSH THE THUNDER MAGE>
The clarion call carried with it a nigh irresistible force, urging him.. no, ALL to action.
“Bollocks.”
Tobias rounded the corner and as the camp came into view, he dropped the large meat filled sack which had been slung over his shoulder. The bloody red zora and his companion stood stock still with lightning raining down around him as all of those gathered rushed mindlessly to violence. 
“Bloody ‘ell.”
Polaris Eridanus'''
The exchange had been brief, but many things happened before the fighting began. Polaris was disappointed that his attack failed to hit home, but on the whole he was unsurprised. And when Kinslayer lunged toward the Lunar mage, Polaris chuckled, more to himself than anything, but still as he stood unphased and with lightning raining down around him, he spoke loud enough for all those gathered to hear.
”My folly will be no greater than yours, friend. Besting Sirius Fulmaren in the moonlight will be no short order.”
The General reminded himself to keep an eye for Kaimu. He’d need to ask Sirius about that after he and Isaac made nice. With a flick of his crimson wrist, Winters Tide elongated, growing seemingly of its own volition as the blade morphed into a wickedly curved knife, a twin blade took form in Polaris’ off hand. The lightning struck chains emerged, pushing their way up through Polaris’ scaly flesh, gleaming as bright as the day they were forged a thousand years ago. Bonds rattling, Polaris made to move forward and was cut short as a tide of humanity pushed their way toward Davus.
Polaris hesitated. These were men and women. Refugees in their own homes. And yet they idiotically rushed to their own deaths. Surging towards The Feared with reckless abandon.
His eyes held a paisley gleam as Polaris shrugged and marched forward, blades flashing as his crimson rime continued to spread. More than he bothered to count fell to his element as the ice roiled outwards from him. He had eyes only for Davus, anyone else was a hindrance and thus, he didn’t bother to hold back the red ice to spare the wave of fodder that rushed before him.
”Your greatest weapon is of no use here Fulmen. You’ve spent enough time in my mind to know. I may be broken,” Polaris tapped the side of his cheek with two fingers, flashing a charming smile and sharing a knowing wink as he continued to advance, ”But there is no fear in my heart.”
Polaris finally joined the charge, in two long strides he was at full speed, after a few more he was nearly outstripping the rush so he slowed and fell into the midst of the refugees, violence in his eyes in the middle of the pack. As those at the fore came into range Davus’ range, screaming and lunging at the mage, Polaris rose up above the fray on a tide of crimson and leapt forward, blades whipping wildly before him in the hopes that the rush of bodies would be enough to distract his foe long enough for his blades to find their mark.
Sirius, Castle Town Outskirts, Night 1
Sirius plan was to let the others attack Davus, and then he would force a special collar upon the ancient evil, subduing and controlling it. His plan had been meticulously pieced together for years, research on Davus, research on Polaris, and research on what the future held, gathered from his time spent in the ancient caverns that contained murals of past, present, and possible future.
The possible part was the one that seemed to trip him up, and now, Isaac proved to be the first errant point of data in a previously foolproof plan. Oh how Sirius longed for the annoyed voice of Bernard to help break the tension of his very deadly mistake.
Ratnis remained imprisoned, and the creature known as Morton was gone, so that plan had succeeded. But putting a leash on Davus was evidently going to take some improvising.
Sirius had died in a pit of fire worse than the attack Isaac leveraged against him, though he wasn’t eager to experience burning death again so soon. Rather than put on some age defying display of agility, Sirius scrambled to his feet and ran away, putting several meters worth of distance between himself and Isaacs attack.
“Okay look I wasn’t really trying to control you, just...influence you a little. It’s an experiment.” Sirius half explained, half pleaded with Isaac. He was a genius to be sure, and powerful in his own right, but getting caught up in an elemental battle shortly after his own revival from death was a little taxing. Sirius kept backing away, expecting Isaac to pursue. He shoved his hands into his robes and pulled out a collar. It was spiked although the tips were not overly sharp, instead functioning like tiny lightning rods.
The plan had been to shove the collar on Davus after the group rushed, but Isaac’s very presence screwed that beyond recovery.
Sirius could sense something unpleasant was about to happen, but didn’t dare break his stare with Isaac. He was about to begin running again, when he felt a great force push him down, and the collar was ripped from his hands. Then, nothing.
Davus Fulmen, Night 1, Outskirts of Castle Town
Davus stood his ground as Polaris approached.
”Your greatest weapon is of no use here Fulmen. You’ve spent enough time in my mind to know. I may be broken,” Polaris tapped the side of his cheek with two fingers, flashing a charming smile and sharing a knowing wink as he continued to advance, ”But there is no fear in my heart.”
Polaris seemed particularly confident in his knowledge of Davus, but it was not something to be surprised by. Given that the last time the two had entered into combat, the fight was finished with Davus in two pieces, body and soul. So as Polaris arrogantly claimed that he had no fear for Fulmen, the very same Fulmen broke tactic, broke expectation. No shows of power just yet.
Polaris too was predictable, though still challenging. Sometimes knowing what your foe will do simply isn’t enough on its own. Davus had little trouble keeping his focus on the Zora, while he put distance between them, and simultaneously closed the distance between himself and Sirius.
Polaris seemed intent on pursuit, and Isaac likewise was not going to stop his assault on Sirius. There was no time. Davus saw Sirius pull out a collar, and he knew what kind of device it had to be. This wasn’t the first time the mad scientist had tried to put Davus in a collar. And it wouldn’t be the first time he succeeded either.
Davus reluctantly dematerialized and then rematerialized next to Sirius, but in order to do so without weakening himself, he had to reduce the storm vastly, absorbing its energy. He wouldn’t be pulling that trick again anytime soon. Sirius looked up at him, obviously caught off guard by how differently events had played out than expected. Davus didn’t say a word, didn’t offer a single hint. He just snatched the collar, and shoved it onto Sirius, feeling it lock itself once around the old man’s neck. It activated, and Sirius instantly went limp. Davus felt something painful in his head, something he could not ignore.
It wasn’t language, but whatever he felt in his mind was teaching him something. Changing his mind somehow. He knew. He had a connection to the collar, and to whomever the collar controlled.
<Get Up>
Davus ordered Sirius up telepathically. Sirius stood.
<You’re mine now.>
Sirius had no response. He appeared to be mute, a positive side effect to an already positive experience. Davus grinned, control was his. No hiding in the mind of another. Able to take and maintain physical form. Greatest irritation of his life under control. It was turning out to be a good day.
Davus commanded Sirius to his side, and dispersed the storm.
“Do you dare take the risk of 5 more of those thought bombs going off? How resilient do you consider yourselves to be? I’m sure Sirius has plenty of hidden tools left that I can use.” Davus warned the attackers, hoping to slow their advance.
Isaac Telmar - Hyrule Castle Town Outskirts - Night One
Isaac skidded to a stop as the collar clicked into place around the mad scientist's throat. Davus stood at Sirius' side, grinning at the completion of what could only be seen as a power move, a decisive victory. Isaac could read the body language, the tones, and the expressions of those present to know that the leashing of this Sirius was a development of great significance to all.
“Do you dare take the risk of 5 more of those thought bombs going off? How resilient do you consider yourselves to be? I’m sure Sirius has plenty of hidden tools left that I can use.” Davus spoke the challenge high and clear, drawing both Isaac and Polaris to a halt.
"Oh how sweet is the wyrm's turn."
Isaac looked from Davus' face to the slack expression on Sirius' own. The slaver, suddenly a slave. It was a remarkable time in Hyrule. A time for such twists of fate. Isaac knew it only too well.
"There's enough history between us, Fulmen, for you to know that I rarely shy away from such a challenge," he drawled. He began idly twirling his enormous dagger through the fingers of his right hand. Unblooded. Abatheras would never have allowed him to return it to its sheath without claiming a life. To have done so in the past would have brought on the pain, like being burned alive, like the blood of his veins turning to molten lead. "But I have other important matters to attend to, and I'm guessing you do too, else you'd have used those weapons without a warning to forestall us. And besides, seeing that one collared... I could have asked for no better end to this business."
He looked to Polaris. The Red Ice General had a history with Davus that Isaac could not fathom, and he could see easily enough how he strained against prudence, yearning to attack. Still, he did not face Davus alone, now, and Isaac knew little of what Sirius could do. It was clear, though, that Polaris did.
Somewhere in the distance, far beyond the boundaries of the city, the echo of an explosion shattered the sudden silence of the night. In his periphery, Isaac could see distant flashes, eruptions of light.
Off toward the lake.
"What say you, General?"
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