In Cahoots With The Cockroach [Deepwood Shrine] - Eev, BP, Squish

Leskar side-eyed the Kokiri, raising an eyebrow. It really was an insistent and impudent child, wasn't it? He sighed, turning his head to face Rika.

"Very well, I sacrificed my arms for them. Where I had four, I now have two." Something flitted over his face. Unease? Morbid curiosity? An unpleasant memory? "To this day I do not know what it was. Some sort of trickster entity." The orbs silently hovered over his shoulders, giving off a gentle, soft glow. "It appeared as a child, not unlike you. Except... malevolent. A faceless child. It challenged me to a game. I accepted." He stated it matter-of-factly, as if he was simply giving Rika the time or the weather, instead of telling him how he blew up his own arms in a gamble with something likely not of this world.

"'t Was a curious wager. But not one I regret."

"A game, you say? Curious." Rika questioned, his inquisitive tone carrying a genuine sense of interest he had not held towards the Great Fairy till now. Perhaps this fool- certainly a fool, there was no question of that, - had something of value for Rika after all. For a moment, Rika even felt a speck of envy toward the strong-armed Great Fairy. But only for a moment. A trickster that played a game, not with coin, but with their own body as the bet? That must have been what happened, though if that were the case, it seemed more akin to a trade than a game. Such a being, was it truly malevolent, or simply a being so powerful that even the concept of sacrificing one's on body was seen differently?

A momentary silence drew on the trio. If Wollo had clothes, he would be nervously shivering underneath them. Normally Rika would have appreciated silence over conversing with idiots, but not when an imposing fool fairy was towering over him with their lockjawed gaze. He had no choice but to deal with it normally, so perhaps conversation would be better.

"So. . ." Rika interjected into the silence, "How exactly did this. . . cockroach," Rika's tongue slowly rolled over the word, as if he had difficulty even bringing himself to say it, "accomplish stealing your ring?" Rika did not even have to try making a joke of his situation- the fact that it happened was already more than enough. The sheer stupidity of it almost took the fun out of making fun of him.

"A gambling game." The great fairy's lips almost curled up in a smile. Did the child finally come to his senses, and regard him with the awe he deserved?

But the moment did not last, not when Rika brought up the dastardly cockroach.

"Hm." Leskar closed his eyes, as if gathering himself for an epic tale. "Through chance and cunning, I suppose."

"I was catching fish in the river. With two hands instead of four, that was no small endeavour. It took most of the morning before I felt one bite. I proceded to pull it from the water, but when I did so, the creature turned on me and devoured the ring off my finger." He stated. "Had I not exacted swift punishment on it it would have slipped my hands and escaped."

"But the force with which I struck it against the rock was enough to launch my ring from its mouth, into the underbrush." Leskar frowned. "I rushed to grab it, my meal forgotten, but a dark figure slipped underneath me and made off with my ring. My possession."

He clenched his fist at his side.

"It was the cockroach."

Leskar opened his eyes once more, lowering his gaze to the tiny temple in front of them. Could he hear faint squeaking inside?

"I will not rest till I recover my ring, and mete out justice. It will not get away with this."

Unfortunately, Leskar deigned not to relinquish the particulars of his ‘game’. He did, however, share with the Kokiri how the cockroach came about ‘making off’ with his ring.

. . .
. . .

He was even stupider than Rika had initially assumed. He was fishing. . . with his hands? There was no wonder why he had spent all day without a single catch. Having more hands wouldn’t improve his success- if anything, it’d only hamper him.

“. . . Have you not heard of a fishing rod?” Rika questioned, not even attempting to be condescending. Based on everything Rika had heard up to now, that seemed likely the case. His ring flew off because he was bitten by a fish, and he struck it against a rock? Then the cockroach just. . . snatched it away?

“Looks like you were targeted.” Rika scoffed, though his expression drew serious as the realization of the truth behind his words dawned on him. “. . . Leskar.” He spoke the Great Fairy’s name, his tone tense. “Cockroaches do not simply poach whatever glamorous gift may happen to fall in their lap, Minish beside. This was no aimless thievery- though I know not why, the cockroach was surely monitoring you, marking you as its prey and waiting for an opportunity to lay claim to its reward.” If Rika wasn’t speaking in such tense words, he would be laughing at the absurdity of what he was saying- but it had to be true. “Your ring, then,” he added, “it holds some value, I presume?"

Leskar narrowed his eyes, sparing the Kokiri a sideways glance. Targeted? Such a lowly creature as a cockroach would have the audacity to target him, a Great Fairy- of Justice no less? Was some dastardly dark force conspiring against him?

“It is a ring of great magic power. I created it myself. Perhaps that is why-”

He abruptly cut off his sentence, glaring holes in the tiny temple. Did he just see the cockroach skitter by through one of the miniscule windows? With lightning-fast reflexes, he shot forward and struck at the window, the impact of his punch cracking the stone and crumbling part of the wall, revealing a narrow... hole. Hallway?

But no sign of the cockroach.

Leskar leant over the structure, trying to spot the scoundrel. He looked much like an angry giant looming over the temple. With a sigh, he leant back, straightening himself again.

“It got away.” He stated, as if that was not completely obvious.

"Of what consequences do this ring entail? Were it a simple gold-colored ring I doubt you would give chase." Rika inquired, muttering a bit as the new hallway appeared. He could have made his presence known if he didn't tone down his voice.

Rika peered down the hallway. It was in fact so narrow that he couldn't make out where exactly it led. He rolled his demure eyes around, seeking the very fibers of the cockroach's legs. The swift little bugger must have escaped at high speed to avoid the succinct punch of such a masculine and cut Great Fairy. Rika bothered his chin with his fingertips.

"Wherever that repugnant roach bent its knees, it will not escape the treacherous bounds of my magic." Rika boasted, smirking a little. He would not forgive himself if he let Leskar leave without bearing witness to his skills.

Wollo curdled his lip. The cockroach looked delightfully tantalizing with its chocolate-like hue and gleaming trinket of gold. How Wollo so wished to purse his snout around the chitinous wings and circular golden treat. He started his way down the slim hallway on his own. Maybe he just wanted a treat for once. "Uhh... Wollo smart. Wollo help friend Rika and glowing man." he stated as he attempted to squeeze through the tiny corridor. Brave Wollo had begun his adventure, albeit without his magnificent armor and sword. He was determined to snuff out the life of that malicious bug. No one tell him he is a little too fat for the hallway.