Curing the ill; Nabooru

Wollo really had no idea what was going on. He was just awkwardly copying what everyone else was doing. Everyone else was treating him strangely, which was confusing. He seemed to be winning, until the Skull Kid played down a card, a Dragon appearing up front. This prompted a confused, worried, but mostly scared look from Wollo. He was afraid the Dragon would eat him or something, but slowly pushed a card forward. Suddenly, in a flash akin to that of the dragon, appeared a tall man in dark purple armor. He had a glowing green staff in his hand. The two seemed to do battle, but the man easily defeated the dragon.

"Agh! The Dark Wizard, how did you know his weakness!" The Skull Kid shouted surprisingly. Rika just stared confused. "Are they even playing an actual game anymore, this thing has no rules." The Skull Kid quickly seemed to switch games. "Hey, mister amazing, I'm not lettin' givin' you a shoe! I bet you ain't got no two!" That didn't even make any sense. Wollo didn't even know what a 2 looked like, as he looked at his cards confusingly. He had no idea what was what.

"Go Zora!" Rika shouted, as Wollo lacked them. "Rgh! Your skill is impeccable, but you will not win!" The Skull Kid frustratingly said as he drew a card. "Okay Wollo, what card do you wanna call?" Wollo was extremely confused, and just put his snout on the 8 card. "8?! But you called that before, why would you call it again so soon!" Then the Skull Kid realized he had just drew an 8. "Rghhhhhhh! I have lost, you're quite the King of Games." He said. The cards, table, Wollo's hat and glasses vanished in thin air.

"I will concede to you for now, my friend. However, next time I will be victorious!" He shouted. He vanished in a blur of green, as he whispered, "Stay on the path, and you won't find no wrath. Well, maybe not, hehehe." The voice said, fading out with the laugh. "What was the point of that, I wonder. I mean, we were already going in the right direction. Anyway, let's continue." Rika started walking forward, as Wollo continued, still confused about what had just happened.

They continued, soon reaching a point on the base of Death Mountain. Rika could see the flowers sticking out. "There they are! We gotta be careful, though, we're near Ganon's territory." Rika ran forward, to snatch the flowers. However, a patrolling Moblin spotted him. Luckily, it was only one. He let out a pig-like grunt, running towards Rika. He had a wooden club in his hand, not much. Rika quickly snatched a handful of flowers, which was good, as Rika barely avoided, the Moblin rushing into the wall and slamming his feet into where they would be. "That was too close. Anyway, fight time!" Rika ran over to Wollo, setting his hat on Wollo's back and the flowers inside. "Just sit here, Wollo. We'll be back and you can sleep soon." Rika walked forward, pulling out his scythe.

The Moblin had just recovered from slamming into the wall, shaking his head. He was ready for round two.

Boris was frozen in place from fear; no matter how hard he tried, he could not bring himself to move. Life had always been a fairly peaceful thing for Boris, living in the city of Nabooru as a healer, and traveling around Northern Hyrule by air. Nothing had prepared him for his first encounter, up close, with one of Ganon's dark minions. He found the Moblin to appear grotesque; an over grown pig, with jutting snout and tusks, made of rolling fat and skin. It was brutish, didn't seem to belong in nature. Yet, at the same time, he was fascinated by its differences. He couldn't help but wonder about its physiology, and how the Moblin had come to be. Was the Moblin borne of darkness, under Ganon, or was it just another of the races of Hyrule, created by the Goddesses?

The crash of the Moblin into the wall jolted Boris from his reverie. As the Moblin turned around, the two made eye contact; the large pig realized that this Deku seemed far less battle experienced than the Kokiri. Boris' mace hung at his side, and his steel-bound tome was strapped to his back still. Grasping its wooden club in both its hands, the Moblin charged, this time at Boris, and away from Rika. Thinking off his feet, Boris' long arm wrapped around to his back, reached into the pouch that hung on his back, just below his book. Grabbing a flask, he threw it down in front of the charging Moblin, the glass shattering. It was an empty flask, but it did the job; the shards of glass penetrated the thick hide of the Moblin's feet. The Moblin snorted in pain as it continued to stumble forward, its momentous weight carrying it forward. Hopping to the side just in time, Boris dodged the now flailing mace of the Moblin, as it finally slipped and fell to the ground.

Spinning his scythe in one hand a couple times, Rika was ready. Boris had already assaulted the Moblin; Or rather, the Moblin had assaulted Boris. However, due to how the events turned out, it didn't necessarily seem that way. Boris was unharmed and the Moblin was on the ground with shards of glass in his foot. Rika took this chance to run up to the Moblin, jumping on his back. With his Scythe, Rika jabbed straight down, the pointed end of the pole piercing part of the Moblin's back.

The initial stab was easy, but due to a Moblin's thick build, Rika had trouble pushing it in deeper. As soon as it penetrated the skin, the Moblin let out a roar, flipping out and throwing Rika off. The scythe shook, but remain stuck in. Rika was thrown on the ground as the Moblin got up, who was probably pissed. Of course, this wasn't all bad, as he wouldn't be thinking. The Moblin grabbed Rika's foot, picking him up and throwing him. Rika was thrown somewhat of a distance away, kind of skidding with a land.

He struggled up, if somewhat hurt. It didn't damage him very much, but got him a little dirty and made some distance. His scythe was still in the Moblin's back too, as blood dripped onto the floor from the point.

Boris was still in a daze, as he watched Rika run past him, and dig his scythe into the Moblin's back. The blade bit deep, but clearly not deep enough. Blood spurted from the side of the pig's shoulder, showering the flowers next to it. Letting out a roar, Boris watched as Rika was tossed off of its back. Grabbing his ankle, the much stronger Moblin literally tossed the Kokiri, the boy-like figure flying through the air. It had forgotten its club in its adrenaline fueled rage. As it were, it seemed to have forgotten its mind completely, loud snorts moving in and out of its nostrils. Forced into action, more out of instinct, and the desire to protect his new friend, Boris charged the back of the Moblin.

Grasping his mace with both hands, Boris let out an angry squeak, and jumped into the air. Raising both of his arms high above his head, he brought the head of his mace down. It whistled through the air and struck true. The head of the scythe shot forward, as the impact of the mace into the back of the scythe sent it stabbing further into the Moblin. The scythe blade emerged from the Moblin's chest, tearing through its heart in the process. It was dead before it fell to the ground, its face contorted into a horrific visage of anger. Boris landed with both feet onto the corpse's back, his eyes open wide. Golden light blasted out from his goggles, sending streams of yellow at Rika.

Walking off of the body listlessly, Boris walked up to the wall that the Moblin had run into before. He turned around, slumped to the ground, his back against the wall. He had never killed before; it had always been something that had been distant, that had never crossed his mind. He had seen death plenty of times, being unavoidable during a time of war. But he had never felt the shuddering of a body beneath his own, as the last shards of life fled, and known that this was his doing. Looking at the body that lay in the earth in front of him, he couldn't help but feel tears well up in his eyes, a collection of moisture in his body, forming at the bottom edges of his eyes. He cried, not because he pitied the Moblin, for it had been his enemy, had tried to take his life. He cried because he had enjoyed it, had felt sharp elation as blood sprayed across his face in that mortal strike, before being snuffed out by guilt.

As Rika got up, Boris impaled the scythe the rest of the way through the Moblin, as it collapsed to the ground. Rika started to walk over as Boris slowly got off the body. As Boris leaned against the cliff, Rika put one foot on the Moblin, keeping his other on the ground. Keeping his balance steady and keeping his foot on the ground, Rika gripped the scythe tightly, slowly sliding the scythe out of the Moblin's back. Making sure not to let blood sputter on his clothing, he lightly swung the scythe, in an attempt to get the blood off. Of course, it wouldn't remove all of the blood, and he'd have to wipe it off later.

Meanwhile, Wollo saw the Moblin fall- Or rather, felt the ground shake-, and slowly entered the plains. The flowers carefully rested on top of his snout, just in front of his leaf mustache. He slowly walked over to Boris, careful not to drop them. "Fwend okay?" Wollo asked worriedly. Although Boris couldn't tell what he said, it was easy to tell with the sad look on his face, as his snout formed an upside down u. In doing so, the flowers slid off, falling to the ground right beside Wollo's snout and in front of his left foot.

Rika walked over, noticing Boris' expression. ". . . It's okay, Boris. It's not like you wanted to kill; You had to. I know as a doctor you help people, but sometimes saving a life means. . . taking another." Rika said. He picked the flower up, holding them but making sure not to crush him. ". . . But anyway, I know how you're feeling, Boris, but I think we should get going. If this Moblin came by, eventually another troop would, and there could be more then one." Rika said. Rika had not really lived a life of peace, and battled a lot. Although he generally enjoyed battle, he wasn't a fan of killing unless he needed to. It had been quite a while since the first time he had killed someone, however. . .

Boris looked up at Rika, sniffled. His hands, trembling, grasped his goggled from the bottom edge, lifted them up higher onto his head. Wiping at his eyes, using a small cloth he grabbed from his pouch, he tried to quiet himself, tried to regain his composure. "... Thanks." Though Rika's words didn't directly address the reason for Boris' sudden outburst, it did make him feel better. Boris had always felt estranged from the rest of his village, being the only Deku with a permanent residence there, as far as he had seen, and felt glad that he'd found a new friend. In that moment, he felt the full brunt of his age, his eighty two years weighing heavily on his shoulders. He felt exhausted, the burst of something that was akin to adrenaline finally working itself from his small body. Pushing up against the wall behind him with his legs, Boris stood up, rubbed his eyes once more. He placed his goggles back of his eyes.

"You're right. We should get going." He said quietly, his voice still shaky. Taking the flower from Rika's hand, he placed it into a test tube, placing a cork into its opening. The tube glowed a faint purple, lighting up happily, though it had been plucked from its home. Placing it into his pouch, making sure that it was nestled tightly among his other things, Boris looked at Rika, then at Wollo. "I've never killed before... Nonetheless, thank you, friends." He said, nodding at them. "Without the both of you with me, I'm sure that I would have perished this night." He offered them a tired smile. With that, he began to trudge back towards Nabooru, thinking only of the sleeping cap that would cradle his throbbing head, and the bed and sheets that would nestle his aching heart.

"We would've been in some trouble without you." Rika said, laughing a little. Such a serious moment had quickly turned less serious. Anyway, the group headed back through the forest and into Nabooru. Although it took a little bit of time, since they're just travelling through, it was far shorter a trip then before. They quickly reached Boris' house, entering. Wollo was exhausted from all the running, and quickly found a couple blankets. He plopped down in the pile of them, as the blankets somewhat wrapped around him. He would probably fall asleep very quickly.

Rika set down on Boris' examination desk, exhausted. "Man, that was quite a trip. But say, Boris, I know it's late and I don't really feel hurt, but do you think you could give me a quick check up? I don't think the Moblin hurt anything from throwing me, but it could be I just don't feel it. 'S happened before." He asked. Assuming Boris agreed, as he did so, Rika talked a little. "So it seems like everyone in Nabooru really likes you. Everyone knows you and they feel like they can count on you. You're like the Great Deku Tree." Rika said, laughing a little. In a way, he was, you could say. Except smaller and not a deity. "I've never really had a place like that, but it must be nice." He said, if sighing a little.

Finishing his quick examination, Boris looked at Rika. "Nothing that really needs treatment, though I do have some ointment for your bruises. It should help them heal, and will make them feel better. Walking over to where his table was, he rummaged around on the messy tables contents, muttering something about getting his assistants to organize for once. Finding what he was searching for, he returned to Rika, holding a small jar of a strange green paste, that smelled heavily of jasmine. Spooning out some of it with his finger, he wiped it onto Rika's various bruises, gingerly placing it down so as to not cause Rika too much discomfort. Looking up once again, Boris listened to Rika's statement.

"I suppose they do trust me. I've been here for a very long time, and I suppose I've just grown on them." Boris smiled, scratching the back of his head. "Still, it's lonely here. They may not feel like I am an outsider, but I have always felt that I am. It's a good existence, don't get me wrong. But I crave to be among my own people, just ordinary creatures of the forest. Like yourself." Boris pulled up a stool, sat in it, having finished applying the medicine to Rika's wounds. "I was born into a family of noblemen scrubs. I never really fit in there, either, and that's partially how I came to live out here, so far from home." Boris nodded sagely, recounting a part of his past. "That's why I do not return home, even though I miss the forest, and its children." He finished.

"So, I guess, even if a little, I know how it feels to not know where home is." Boris said, replying to Rika's statement of not having had a place to call home. "So, what brings you here, to such a small town, such a long ways from the Kokiri Forest? Where is your fairy?"

As Boris applied the cream, it felt cool to the touch. Rika tried not to move as it was applied, pushing the temptation to squirm out of his mind. As Boris finished, he continued speaking. After he finished, Rika thought for a second, before answering. "Well, I never got a fairy. I've lived in Kokiri Forest for a long time. Most of the other Kokiri teased or picked on me for not having one, and I was generally alone. I had learned how to fight from an old Deku Master, and eventually I decided to leave the forest. This was about 30 years ago, though. It was pretty rough, and I guess I was simply travelling around to meet new people, explore the world, and find out new stuff." Rika re-adjusted his butt, getting slightly uncomfortable from sitting in the same place.

"Although about 10 years ago, I met a Deku named Skylar. We traveled for about five years, he was my best friend. Although he was possessed by this dark force. . . The weird part was, I've met the dark energy before, and it remembered me. A long time ago me and another Deku I had met, Dante, stopped some researchers who had tampered with the dark magic and been possessed. It was weak and unusable then, but it had grown. And I guess since then I've been traveling looking for Skylar. I've encountered him a couple times, but so far, no luck. I'm surprised he hasn't done anymore damage, he must be waiting and getting stronger." Rika spoke his life story, yawning a little at the end.

"I guess I do have a home in Kokiri Village I can go back to anytime, but most of the Kokiri wouldn't be happy to see me and probably be happy when I leave. I guess I don't really have a home to go back to, in a literal sense." Rika finished. "That's about it, really. Hehe, sorry I kind of rambled a little." He said, letting out a small yawn again.

Boris nodded sagely, as he listened patiently to Rika's story. Thinking to himself, Boris realized that they'd had much the same kind of childhood, though the exact details were different. "No, no, that's quite alright." Boris replied to Rika's apology. Removing his goggles from his head and setting them on a table, Boris rubbed his eyes sleepily. Yawning, he unbuckled his full-body flight cap, after slipping his book from his back. Tossing his items towards the Deku Flower, his home-plant greedily sucked the items in and swallowed them. "Well, it was great to get to know you, Rika, but I'm quite tired from tonight's ordeal. There is room here, if you don't want to have to pay for room at that inn from before." Without another word, Boris walked up to his flower, bowed to Rika, then disappeared into his home below.

Rika nodded back at Boris, before finding a place to lay down. Wollo was asleep already, and Rika ought to be going to sleep. Today had been long, for everyone. Sleep would probably do everyone some good. Rika quickly fell asleep, earning some much needed rest for the day tomorrow.

--

The next morning, Rika woke up rather early, to a disturbance. Wollo had nudged him a couple times with his snout, waking Rika up. Wollo spoke that there was a disturbance nearby outside, and it woke Wollo up. Rika and Wollo quickly rushed out, to check what was up.

[Thread --- End~]