Gerudo Fortress - Esava and Tommy Back At Gerudo Fortress

*Characters involved:*

* *Tommy*
* *Esava*
* *Shemri*
* *Lexa*
* *Nabooru*

**GERUDO FORTRESS**

TommyAPP 9:58 PM
**KER-PLOP**

This is the sound effect I have decided upon for Tommy and Esava's teleportation back to Gerudo Fortress. Maybe it should be more like the shimmering sort-of-whistle you hear when Link uses an Ocarina song to whisk himself to a certain spot, or the ethereal ringing when one of the Six Sages materializes from their colored spark. But hey, how would you write one of those phonetically?

Tommy picks himself up and brushes sand off his clothes. "Corkin' strange t'think I could be 'appy t'see a place wi' barely any water'n'greenery, but 'ere we are!" :slightly\_smiling\_face:

EsavaAPP 5:40 AM
RELIEF!

Pure, unadulterated relief washes across Esava like the vast sea itself when he lands upon the sands near the Gerudo Fortress. On his knees, the tanned figure leans back to look up at the scorching sun with an expression of awe and wonder. "Un...believable..." He mutters, the constant feeling of nausea seemingly vanishing from the pit of his stomach in an instant. For a long moment he just sort of kneels there, mouth agape as his body starts to collect more and more heat.

Then of course, Tommy speaks and he is broken from his frozen mindset. With a quick roll of his ankles and a push, Esava stands up straight and stretches from side to side, as if he had awoken from some long sleep. "Maybe you're starting to really adjust to the desert life, Tom? When all this is over, you might find the swamps too humid for your bark. Maybe you should settle in the wastes?" With a wry grin, the man pivots and starts to head for the Fortress proper. "As nice as it is, we shouldn't delay. Let's go find Nabooru and see how we can best help the Gerudo here."

TommyAPP 10:00 PM
Tommy snorts as he follows Esava. "Oh, trim it off, mate. You *know* it ain't the place itself, it's the *company*! The folk around heah really *get* me!" Tommy waves cheerily in passing to some Gerudo. "Good t'see ya again, duckies! Tommy Twiggins, adventurer extra-ordin-air, is back with some new stories for th'drinkin' table!" ^o^

"Ah. Aha." Tommy turns to see that one Gerudo in the brown homespun dress. "You return at a good time to be of help," Shemri says to both Tommy and Esava. "We are making a dock."

Tommy glances past Shemri to where the construction is going on. Manual labor? OoO; Tommy gulps. "Maybe we oughta have wished t'be someplace else aftah all," he mutters to Esava. >o>;

LexaAPP 10:26 PM
**KER PLOP** is the sound Lexa makes as she finally squeezes her way out from under tommy's hat.

**Yawn** "Did i fall asleep again? Where am i this time it's too dry.."

She stretches.

"So what are we doing now?" The fairy asks, sitting on Tommy's head.

EsavaAPP 5:33 AM
"I should have known," Esava muses to Tommy with a thin, semi-creased smile. "A thief returns to the den of thieves. Did you not feel comfortable on the floating Crimson Wolfos? Or with the group there?" Progressing across the sandy ground, turning around a little to look at the fairy which emerges from Tommy's hat. "Hopefully here to help."

"A dock?" Shemri's revelation earns a curious head tilt, before Esava looks around to take in a wider look at the environment. "I wish I had stayed with your Terminian counterparts more often. They spent their entire lives on the edge of the ocean. Regardless, how we can be of service?" A hand raises to his hip as that thin-smile widens to a smirk. "Come on, Tommy. I think you'd be great at some manual labour. Might really straighten you up, hm?"

TommyAPP 10:39 PM
Tommy shrugs. "Oh, those folk were a'*right*, just not -- " Tommy screws his eyes up to look at the being using him as a stool. 9o9 "Oi, who said me noggin wos y'personal hotbed!? An' 'ow did ya squeeze into such a tiny space without me peggin' ya!? Ya sneaky lil' -- " Tommy pauses abruptly. "...Th'perfect burglah," he mutters thoughtfully. >o>

Shemri nods. "Ah. Aha. We have several Gerudo from Termina on the project, including the overseer, Omat." Shemri points to the woman busy directing the others. "She would be much more able to tell you how to help than I. You shall be given a fair wage for your work, of course."

"Huh, that's code for 'No more free room'n'board'," Tommy grouses under his breath. eoe

EsavaAPP 11:42 PM
"That's all we require." Esava affirms to Tommy with a crease of his brows. "At the end of all of this you will be rolling around in mountains of rupees the size of your head. You'll be the envy of every Scrub in the swamp, provided they don't steal it from you. Surely some time helping out some good people is acceptable?" The man is careful to leave out the small detail that Tommy had not seen any financial gain from his investment into time with Esava yet. Outside of a lot of sand and death, of course.

"I'm Esava, by the way." The introduction made to Shemri is done with a small bow of his head. "From Termina, as you may have guessed. Don't worry too much about this rascal." A gesture is made to Tommy. "He's just... a bit special. Has the Fortress remained largely intact since the flood happened? That's a stroke of good fortune if I've ever seen one. Is the wasteland also still above ground?"

ShemriAPP 7:55 PM
Shemri nods. "I am Shemri Japheth, second in command to Lady Nabooru. I was told of you after you arrived from the wastes, Esava Rutagolea. To travel from afar in pursuit of Dragmire -- this is a noteworthy act." "Very tactful way t'say 'crazy'," Tommy observes. Shemri smirks wryly. "I meant it more as 'courageous'...though perhaps in a rather foolhardy way, yes."

Shemri looks out over the ocean just a little ways beyond the gate which once faced the desert. "The Fortress is stable enough, yes. The way the land rose from beneath us appears to have been quite intentional. The wasteland is now a seabed, so far as I can tell. Of course, it is so vast, for all I know there may be islands of it that sprouted up beyond our vision, though if they did I would expect they would be little more than piles of sand. If you are truly curious, try asking one of the loftwing-riders if they have seen anything."

LexaAPP 9:30 PM
Lexa whispers into Tommy's ear, "What kinda name is Japeth anyway *pfft*

EsavaAPP 6:25 AM
"Noteworthy." Esava repeats. "Foolhardy, some might say." His eyes drift down to Tommy Twiggins when he doubles down on 'crazy'. "I've been fortunate to survive Ganondorf's onslaught once. I should have perished, but... somehow I was brought back to health. It's not a gambit I intend on making again. In the future, we'll need to be sneakier." An encounter he won't forget any time soon!

As Shemri informs the pair of the new standard, Esava just nods slowly in understanding. "Loftwing-riders?" He asks, seeking clarification. "I'm afraid I do not understand what a Loftwing is."

LexaAPP 11:19 AM
"Oh! A loftwing is basically a big bird you could ride and fly with, pretty cool, you know if you're *in* to flying and stuff.."

Lexa flutters her wings and stares at her fingernails. Very obviously showing off.

ShemriAPP 8:13 PM
"Oh, I'unno," Tommy mutters back to Lexa. "Least it's easiah t'say than Rutabagalia." ;)

Shemri points up as a shadow passes over them. "That is a loftwing," she states, indicating a large, colorful bird. "They appeared after the flood. And speaking of which, do you see that ring of driftwood over there? That is our designated place for them to land, so stay out of it. It will prevent accidents." The small black cat who always-has-been-there by Shemri's feet whenever it's narratively convenient to mention him twitches his tail while gazing warily up at the loftwing. Giant feathered noms that are too big to catch and eat -- it's just not natural. ^>.<^; There better not be one of those planning to horn in on Sheikah's role as Shemri's animal companion, or there'll be some extra stuffing for pillows, giant or not. >P

Shemri folds her arms. "So then, you still intend to do something about Dragmire? Any ideas of what?" Her voice is a blunt tone indicating 'I don't think there's much you or I *can* do directly, but I'm interested in hearing possibilities.'

EsavaAPP 6:54 AM
"A big bird that I could fly around on?" The man from the desert briefly considers if he would be up for flying. "Well, I do have a companion back home that lives in the swamp. She flies." Somehow, flying on a wyvern feels like it would be quite a bit different to flying on something as agile as a bird! Regardless, a small smile goes to Lexa. "...so, I've been trying to just live with it, but... erm, what are you, exactly?" Fairies are not a common sight, after all. Especially in Termina wilds.

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or embarrassed that you could butcher my name with such expertise, Tommy." Rolling his eyes with some classic Tommy-Twiggins-like fatigue, before looking up into the sky with a squint. His gaze then goes back to the ring of bark. "I'll be sure to stay clear of it."

The question about Dragmire earns an honest shrug. "Yes, well... I thought we had a plan, but then everything fell apart. We were journeying back to Termina for some reason, but that option was taken away when the flood came." Pursing his lips, Esava considers. "Perhaps we should be working out a way to undo what the Goddesses have done. This feels like a punishment, correct? In my village, people try to prove that they have turned over a new leaf to get out of said punishment. I wonder if we could do that somehow?"

ShemriAPP 10:34 PM
Tommy clasps his hands behind his bushy head. "'Ow's about both?" he replies glibly to Esava. "But honestly, ya oughta *pick* a name for y'self, somethin' catchy an' mem'rable an' easy t'say. That's wot I did." non Tommy glances up at the glowy ball again. "Speakin' o' which, wot's your name? An' remembah, y'don't gotta stick wi' th'moniker y'been plunked with all y'life, 'specially startin' out wi' brand new company like this."

Shemri taps her chin. "A punishment, you say...I must admit I felt that way at first. Before the flood, already we were going through food quicker than we could gather it, because of all the refugees from Castle Town. Then we lost access to even the hunting grounds at the edge of our domain." A loftwing touches down in the landing zone, carrying a large, flopping fish in its beak. It deposits the fish in a barrel at the edge of the ring, then takes off again. "However, the loftwings have turned that situation around, and they have done so *because* of the sea. If it is a punishment, it is also a provision."

Shemri sighs thoughtfully. "As far as turning over a new leaf...the Gerudo clan has already come farther than I dared hope it would in my lifetime. We have defied Dragmire's rule and are at peace with the other races of Hyrule. But of course, I would be most pleased if we could somehow dislodge the idea that a Gerudo must be a thief." e.e;

LexaAPP 10:30 AM
Lexa flicks her wrist at Tommy. "If the great fairy Sayah named me Lexa then my name is Lexa, why would i want to change it? As for what i am.."

Lexa begins pacing around tommy's head her wings ringing softly.

"I'm a fairy! Don't you know what fairies are? Adventurers like you would do well to befriend a fairy, we could heal you up in a pinch! We can also use our fairy magic to share knowledge, meaning i could tell you a little bit about anything... well i *was* able to before the flood, the water flooded most fairy fountains and without those we can't share magic!"

Lexa flies up closer to Esava.

"So what do you say? Wanna be friends? \_Being friends means i get to live in Tommy's head though there's nice soft leaves in there."

EsavaAPP 6:17 AM
"It's *Esava*, Tommy. That's the name. It's surely not that difficult?" The tanned figure pauses. "Wait. You picked your own name? It's not the name that was initially given to you? All this time I've been calling you someone you're not? Wait," Esava says again. "Did you steal the name 'Tommy'?" Oh dear. "From someone?" He was a master thief, after all. Eyeballing Lexa carefully as she floats and hovers, a slowly forming squint forms. "The Great Fairy?" His expression tightens a little bit more when she reveals she's actually a fairy. A look goes to Tommy then, as if doubting what his eyes and ears are saying. "...I suppose it stands to reason that fairies... exist? I just saw an entire world get flooded in a matter of hours." The question about wanting to be friends earns a hard grimace to go with his squint.

"Al...right..." This little gang was becoming just a bit too much.

"So you could have told us how to undo all of this flooding if you had access to your fountains?" His hard grimace and squint eases at that question, seeming earnestly curious if nothing else.

Standing up straight, Esava finally gets a chance to regard Shemri. Y'know, the *normal* one. While somewhat distracted by the loftwing, his concentration mostly lingers on the Gerudo. "So your entire people have benefited from the flood?" Putting a hand on his hip, Esava considers. "Speaking of, your leader, Nabooru? I assume she is the one responsible for turning around your fortunes in the eyes of others? What can you tell me about her? Does she have a family?"

TommyAPP 9:52 PM
Tommy winces slightly. "Oh, I know 'ow this goes," he grumbles. "Th'hero's doin' fine an' dandy, then one day he gets a new mate wi' a special skill. Next thing y'know, he's in a jam wot only that skill can cork him out of every othah day. I don't fancy bein' in scrapes where wot I need all th'time is bein' kipped up from th'compost heap." XP Tommy sighs. "But, the alternative is where th'hero ends up cursin' hisself for not bein' more chummy wi' that odd fellah, so I sure as sunlight ain't sayin' no. Besides, looks like I couldn't keep you outta me foliage if I wanted to."

Tommy nods sagely to Esava. "Oh aye, I reached into a lad's noggin through his pointy ear while he wos sleepin' an' pulled his name out, an' he's been wanderin' around sayin' 'Do you know who I am?' evah since. I heard he did pretty well though, 'cos folk keep mistakin' him for a prince or somethin'." ... "OF COURSE I DIDN'T STEAL ME NAME! I just made one up so I wouldn't be just 'vagabond' an' 'swamp rat' an' 'sticky-stems'!"

ShemriAPP 9:53 PM
Shemri shrugs. "As a whole, yes, everyone living here, both the natives and the refugees, are better off with the sea. There are those who do not see it that way, of course. It does make it difficult to *leave*, if you have not been chosen by a loftwing, and not everyone likes the taste of fish. But I am all too aware of how close we came to starvation." Sheikah grooms his fur. Not liking the taste of scaly noms, pffft! 3P Some people can be so ungrateful, not to mention bizarre.

Shemri folds her arms. "It is a fact that Lady Nabooru had much to do with changing both our ways and our perception in the eyes of others. She is one of the Six Sages who assisted the Hero of Time in sealing away Dragmire years ago. Are you familiar with this story? I suppose it would not be so well-known in Termina. As for her family, I do not know of any close relatives she has living. It is not so uncommon amongst the Gerudo...especially in this age, when the split of loyalty and much warfare has diminished our numbers." :confused:

NabooruAPP 1:17 AM
Nabooru flies right in with one glorious loftwing. As a reflection of herself, he's decorated nicely with gems and so on. Seems one managed to pick her out and it's got just as much spunk as she does. She hops off his back as he ruffles his feathers up and shakes off all the work of the day. "Don't act like I gave *you* a hard time! We didn't even fly for that long!" She shouted up at him, receiving a loud caw back in response. "Stop being overdramatic!" She wanted to put in the last word before he went off to take a nice dip in the ocean and clean himself off.

"Hmph. Anyway..." She looks ahead of herself, approaching the group. "Hey! Wait, how did you guys get back here? Pretty sure last time you were on land and now you've managed to cross the water?" She questioned. "Not that I have much to complain about. Either you guys had help or you're just efficient," she shrugged.

EsavaAPP 5:41 PM
"Sticky stems?" Esava pines with an idle thought and a grin. "I don't mind it, actually. Vagabond and swamp rat are just a touch too crude for my taste."

"Not very familiar, no." The story of the Hero and the Sages is mostly abridged in Termina, and even then it's probably not entirely accurate. "All I know is that once Ganondorf was defeated here, he eventually ended up in Termina." In a way, it was the Sages and Link that drove him there! But he'd never say such a thing. "So she is a being of great magical power."

Speak of the devil! Er, Gerudo. "The Princess brought her here instantly with her magic." Esava replies to Nabooru, eyeing her carefully. That hesitation he had on his expression when he regarded her before is still there, but not as prevalent during this encounter. "The Princess got her powers back. She journeyed to Zora's Domain after bringing us here. Shemri was just telling us how much your clan is thriving here, Lady Nabooru. With the changes in the environment, food appears now to be at a premium. Where the rest of Hyrule struggles, you all push forward." The man pauses, "...given that, I wonder if it's in the best interests of your people to try and maintain things how they are?"

ShemriAPP 9:57 PM
Shemri shrugs. "I am certain you shall learn the details of the story soon enough. Try asking the bard about it, he is a teller of tales, after all."

And then Nabooru drops in on the group, almost literally. Tommy waves cheerfully to her. "Top hole t'see you again, guv'ness! We spent a wish t'be here. Best crew about, after all. Me mate Esava here wos just askin' about meetin' y'family." non

Shemri taps her chin. "That is...an interesting question," she muses. "We shall certainly look foolish if we finish building a dock and suddenly we are back to the desert...and then the problem of food shall return. Perhaps worse, because the land shall be drowned." :|a Shemri glances aside toward the beach. "But then, where did all the fish in *this* sea come from? Perhaps if the goddesses see fit to change things again, they shall make provision for us in a new way. And of course, I do not see what we could do to affect things either way."

NabooruAPP 3:06 AM
"The Princess... So, she's alive?" Nabooru's tone and demeanor shifted. She was here when the Princess decided to leave with Ganondorf. Not long after, the flood started. She had always had pangs within her heart that regretted letting her go, but it seems that she managed to do just fine. She replaces any seeds of concern with a smile. "Well, we are doing a bang up job. When you don't have much, you find a way to workaround, you know?" She laughs, perhaps hiding a bit of her relief in it, but it was a good laugh, nonetheless. "Well, it's good to see you two are doing well. That gives me more hope. Feels like the land was short on that, but well, seeing the traders coming around and then you guys lets me know things are doing a lot better. To be honest, I didn't bother leaving here. I was too concerned for my people to do that, even with a mount that could take me almost anywhere," she cast her eyes up to the sky, watching the loftwings gliding around.

"So, I don't know what's to come if the flood recedes, but a dock could still be useful. Instead of a sea of water, it'll be a sea of sand it'll be used with. Crossing the river is always difficult without proper skill or equipment or you're certain to sink and, if luck is on your side, get shifted around until you're pushed out elsewhere. Otherwise, it's just getting buried in the sand with no way out. A dock could make crossing that portion easy. A sand river that spells certain doom covered with a pathway that spells certain success. A dire dock," she shrugged.

She strides over in a natural saunter to nearby water and looks down. "Hard to say where these fish came from. But, we'll take advantage of them while they last. As for my family, that's a question a lot of people don't ask. So, I have to wonder, why have you asked it?" She turned her attention to Tommy, though the question was directed to him and Esava. She could pick up on something out of him, but she supposes she'd ask before she goes rummaging around for answers herself.

EsavaAPP 5:14 AM
"The bard." Esava repeats to Shemri, his left brow arching in some curiosity. "I'm unfamiliar with the locals here, so I'm not sure whom you're referring to. Should I next encounter a bard though? I'll be sure to ask him or her about the story." The answer to the question he poses Shemri earns an honest looking wry smile. "I presume they came from Lake Hylia? Was there a fishing pond there?" That smile widens into a snicker, knowing that there is no way that a fishing pond full of fish could expand to an ocean. He can only shrug at the will of the Goddesses.

"Alive and well, by our last encounter. She... glowed quite a lot, if that helps. I do not know if she is known to glow, but she was positively radiant as she departed the floating inn. "With the traders now taking to the seas, it looks like life is already starting to adjust. There was a small crew that stopped by us, too. Offering transport and provisions."

Nabooru's counter to his question is a sensible one, but one that Esava is not really expecting. "Let's just call it an idle curiosity." The reply is as brief as it is shallow. Clearly there is more to the question than just that, lest he would not have asked it! "Come to think of it, I'm not too sure how to Gerudo in Termina continue their line, either. Tommy? Any clues?" The man eyeballs the scrub warily. "Legends say that the pirate Gerudo thieve merchants on the seas, have their way with them before sinking their bones to the depths." Pause. "...I'm assuming not a great deal of that is accurate."

ShemriAPP 11:48 AM
Tommy gives Esava an incredulous look. "'Ow should I know? I'm just a lad! I don't even know how *my* kind make seeds!" XP

Shemri grimaces. "I am no expert on the practices of our Termina cousins, but for those who are pirates, I would not put such a thing past them. Still, from what I have heard, when a Gerudo with no qualms about chastity -- which unfortunately has been our culture for many generations -- wishes to bear a child, she need only ask about in the seedier parts of Hylian towns, and she shall likely find a willing partner within a few tries. I expect it is much the same in Termina." e.e Shemri clears her throat. "That is another thing which we who rejected Dragmire are *trying* to change about our clan. It is rather difficult to convince honorable Hylian men to take interest in marriage with Gerudo, though. The bard I mentioned before is one of the few who have wed a Gerudo, and he is...something of a fluke." e.e;

LexaAPP 10:48 PM
"Whoa! A married gerudo! I didn't think they'd even be interested in marriage. I bet i'll learn a lot over here.

NabooruAPP 2:21 AM
"Of course, we are! More than a fling, you know. Not that I'm complaining, but a desire to be loved for who you are is far more important," Nabooru winked Lexa's way as she turned back around to face the group. "But, alright, curiosity. You seem honest enough about the question. Truth be told, I don't have a family in the sense Hylians may know it. No one direct that I can think of readily. I had folks that raised me, but I was raised by the clan more so than any parents, so to speak. I consider the Gerudo my family due to this. Others can tell you who they're sisters with, but not so much me," she shrugged. "Just the way things happened to be. I have no children of my own or siblings." She paused. "That I know of. It's possible someone around here could be, but with how life was under Ganondorf, it's highly unlikely."

She stared off down the way towards the path leading into the fortress. "The latter years of his reign were no less cruel, but with Link's intervention, his attention was spent less on the Fortress and more on Hyrule. This allowed for us to have a bit of a spring, if only for a little while until he was sent to Termina. By that time, I think I lost any semblance I had to direct family members, but hey, I've got my sisters. No use crying over what I don't have. Spent more time taking care of what I do," she smiled warmly. "And with Shemri's help here, the Gerudo have been growing like never before! I'm proud of how far we've come in such a short time."

EsavaAPP 5:17 AM
"Wait, what?" Esava repeats, looking Tommy up and down with an appraising look. "You're just a lad? How old are you?" The thought that he had been dragging around a *child* doesn't really sit well with him. "And... you don't know how scrubs make seeds? Hm."

Shemri's explanation earns an 'aaah' in response, a slow nod following. "I suspect that if Ganondorf had his way, things would be quite different." Nabooru's follow-on answer is enough to sate all of his curiosities, a small smile gracing his expression as he nods again, before glancing to Shemri as she is mentioned, then back to the Chief. "Truly, it sounds like the Gerudo are thriving in every way. At the very least I'm relieved to hear you do not thieve people and deposit their remains in the desert." With a light chuckle, Esava lifts a hand to his stomach which grumbles loudly.

"Do... do you mind if we eat? I've just spent a fair chunk of time on a floating inn and lost a lot of my breakfast."

ShemriAPP 11:41 PM
Tommy shrugs carelessly. "Oh, I'unno, 'bout ten I suppose. The sproutin' years are a bit hazy, y'know. Couldn't tell you exactly how long it took to go from sunnin' in the mud to scamperin' on th'streets."
Shemri nods accomodatingly. "Ah. Aha. My apologies for holding you up. You know your way to the dining hall, yes? The chefs are usually willing to serve up some leftovers between mealtimes, for those with arising needs." Shemri eyes the shrub. "Of course, even the leftovers are not without cost." e.e

Tommy gives a wave and turns toward the indoors. "I remembah th'layout. Toodle-oo, Duchess, 'ave fun with y'birds!" n.n Lucky for him scrubs don't *need* to eat much, Tommy thinks as he struts away. Why, he can make do with a good mug of water. They won't charge for *water*, right?

LexaAPP 3:21 PM
From inside Tommy's head Lexa says "Yeah you should get some water, your head leaves are looking a bit dry."

NabooruAPP 3:49 PM
"You didn't know he was a kid? Well, that's fair. It can be a little hard to tell with Scrubs sometimes. Even I haf trouble, but Saria helped me to figure all that out," she grinned at Esava.

"Anyhow, I'm guessing that satisfied your questions? If there's anything else, I'll do my best to give you answers. For now, I've got to take stove inventory. I'm sure we're doing fine, but I want to be certain."
She began to walk back towards the Fortress. "Besides, I'm getting a feeling that I don't like. Shemri, I'll need you to check with the guards and soldiers later. Just to make sure they're keeping up their strength. I want them to be just as effective on these birds as they are on horses."

EsavaAPP 2:36 AM
"All this time a ten year old has been journeying with me?" Initially Esava seems concerned by such a thing, but he soon realizes that scrubs must age quicker than humans. As Tommy starts to make his leave, the man dips his head politely to Shemri. "You have my thanks, Shemri. Tommy appreciates it, too. Even if he doesn't say it."

"Yes, much. Very satisfied, Lady Nabooru. Apologies if it felt like an interrogation." As the Chief wanders off, so does Esava, heading for the food halls to fill his very empty belly.