Mermaid's Cave [BP/Darth]

Triton kneeled next to the fallen Wizzrobes, putting one hand to his chin as he wracked his brain for an answer. Much as he hated to admit it, he was unknowledgeable on the species, having studied the magic rather than the beings themselves. "There is the possibility that our foes lied to us- bluffed in an attempt to mentally unbalance us," he mused out loud as he gently pushed one of the Wizzrobes aside. Maybe there was something underneath the corpses; it wouldn't be the first time that had caught him off-guard. Finding nothing, he got back to his feet.

"The best I can think of is that these Wizzrobes were slain by other Wizzrobes," he said, hand still on his chin, "But what I don't understand is why. Either they were of different tribes, which would explain why their robes are different, or one faction betrayed the other." He shook his head, lowering his hand and turning towards Judith. "But as I cannot hope to understand the workings of minds so alien, I'm afraid we won't find a conclusive answer." He calmly strolled over to the statue of the Goddess of Wisdom, on the far end of the room. He'd never seen this particular material this far from the shore before, as he had thought it responded poorly to humidity. "At any rate, it's quite ironic that a group of Wizzrobes, of all things, was slain before the eyes of the Patron of Magic."

His flippers made an uncomfortable shuffling sound against the sand on the floor, and he strolled back to the water's edge to dip them in and clean them, lost for something else to do. Part of him felt they had to move on quickly, but on the other hand... something felt off. Second later, he realised what it was he sensed and he whirled round, turning to Judith once more. "Sister Vilcaron, do you sense something?"

"That's possible. Considering who these Wizzrobes intend to cast their lot with, I imagine they are no strangers to depravity and treachery. If they did kill each other, though... I wonder what that fiend Vire would have had to say about it." Judith replied, her eyes cast downward. Triton's theory made sense, but it wasn't perfect. If the Dark King hoped to recruit this band of foul wizards, it seemed strange that his lieutenant would allow them to casually murder one another. The forces of evil were, as ever, completely inscrutable to the priestess.

Ugh... Just thinking about all this death and skulduggery was giving her a headache, a pronounced ringing in her skull that only seemed to be getting worse. The din was so maddeningly distracting that she barely heard Triton's urgent query, and when she opened her mouth to respond, no words came out. Confused by her involuntary speechlessness, Judith turned to face her companion and was promptly greeted by a sense of weightlessness in her legs, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor. She tried to pick herself up, but it was as if her limbs were no longer her own. Everything was spinning...

Her features set in an expression of acute alarm, the priestess managed to raise her head slightly, catching a glimpse of the statue of Nayru, which, unlike the rest of the chamber, seemed to remain still.

Then she blacked out.



------

When she awoke, it was dark. The sound of pouring rain and crashing waves echoed all around her, almost unnatural in their volume and clarity. A storm? With a start, Judith suddenly realized that she was outside of the Mermaid's Cave, held in suspended animation above the open sea. She tried to look around, so that she might gauge her surroundings, but found she could not, her gaze locked in place by forces unknown. It was then that she realized she did not appear to have any body to speak of, unable to make out her torso or arms even with her peripheral vision. In the throes of panic, Judith pondered how her disembodied spirit could have become a captive audience... Had she and Triton been ambushed by the Wizzrobes? Was this the result of a spell? She wanted to cry out, but she no longer had a larynx...

Suddenly, she was blinded by a flash of lightning. When her vision cleared, she saw a ship adrift on the water below. Without warning, a boulder smashed upwards through the deck, splitting the vessel in two. Despite her distance from the ship itself, Judith could hear the splintering wood and the cries of doomed sailors as if she had been aboard herself. Another flash of lightning obscured her sight, the peal of thunder near deafening, and when she could see again, she would have gasped had she been able to do so. Where once there had been a single shipwreck, now there were two. A third flash. A third wreck. The process repeated itself, and before long an entire fleet of dead ships lay in front her, each of them bearing the emblem of the Triforce on its flag.

As she beheld the nautical graveyard with a mixture of horror and awe, the priestess felt herself being tugged downward, though too slowly for it to have been gravity. She descended farther and farther, until it became apparent that she was not going to stop as she reached the water and was dragged beneath the surface. Fortunately, though it proved impossible to resist being pulled along, she did not need to breathe in her incorporeal state. Her minor relief at this fact was swiftly annulled when her 'eyes' were abruptly forced to peer into the depths below, and she came face-to-face with the being that had ravaged the ships above.

Something far too large to be wholesome marine life lurked beneath her, its yawning maw wide enough to swallow a house. Blackness engulfed her vision as the beast surged upwards to devour her, and the last thing she heard was Vire's cruel laughter, faint but mocking...

------

Judith's eyes snapped open, and there she was, lying on the floor where she'd passed out. She felt cold, and her flesh was deathly pale. A dream...?

No. A vision. A portent of what was to come, if she did nothing. Sweet Mother Nayru, that was what Vire had meant...!

"T-Triton...!" Judith gasped between breaths, "They... Vire and his m-minions... They've summoned something below, in the deepest chambers... Something terrible! I-If left unchecked, it will... It will...!" Drained by the shock of her augury, the priestess could scarcely muster the words to finish her sentence, though the lack of elaboration conveyed an appropriate sense of danger regardless.

Out of nowhere, Judith suddenly became short of breath seconds before passing out. Triton was with her as quickly as his flippers allowed, catching her and placing her on the ground gently. The power he sensed hadn't vanished, but his companion's sudden poor reaction to it was even more disconcerting. Fortunately, he had everything he needed to perform some rudimentary first aid within arm's reach. He detached her canteen of water from her person, opening it up and pouring some into his cupped hand before casting his Rejuvenation spell on it. The priestess had no visible wounds on her body, but he hoped the refreshing properties of the enchanted water would do her good regardless as he carefully set his hand to her lips and tilted it, pouring the water into her mouth.

When there was no immediate response from his companion, he produced a vial of Red Potion from his own pack, but just as he set it down, he snapped his head up and turned around. "Are you still here?" The Wizzrobe that stood further to the other side of the room looked at him incredulously. "I thought we'd made it more than clear you have no business here." Triton frowned. The monster seemed... confused. Panicky. Especially compared to the last time he'd seen it.

"We will be the judges of that," he said, getting to his feet and picking up the staff Judith had dropped. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Breathe deeply and calmly, Sister Vilcaron had said. At least the staff was a decent size. With a little bit of imagination, he could picture himself holding his own cane. "We have business here as long as you are here." With that, he swung the staff down, casting a fireball at the Wizzrobe. It turned green and warped away, re-appearing to Triton's left and casting an electric bolt of its own. Fortunately, this time Triton had been prepared and swung the staff again, casting Nayru's Affection to return the bolt to its caster.

The Wizzrobe was slower this time, taking the blow in full. Triton was still amazed by this when he started to run towards it, forcing his body to gather the power for another fireball and sending it hurtling into the Wizzrobe at close range while it was still stunned. It shrieked and shivered, soon slumping to the ground. Its power vanished, and Triton exhaled deeply, knowing it was dead and would not attack them again. One left...

That was when Judith jolted awake, hysterical and terrified. He hurried back to her, picking up the Red Potion and uncorking the vial. "Calm down, Sister," he urged. "Are you hurt? Here, drink this and tell me what happened."

Unsettled by her frightful vision, Judith gently pushed the proffered Red Potion away with a quivering hand, shaking her head as Triton inquired about her condition.

"No... No, I am fine. Save this remedy, for I fear we may have need of it before long. My Goddess, in Her infinite Wisdom, has granted me prescience of what lurks in the bowels of this temple... as well as what shall befall the realm if it is not stopped." The priestess shivered, a haunted look in her eyes. "I saw a great sea-beast of unnatural size, capable of tearing even the largest ships asunder with ease. It... It launched giant rocks from beneath the waves. Hyrule's navy was defenseless against such attacks, and the Eastern Sea was stained red with blood. I know not what foul rites the Wizzrobes performed to conjure it, only that it must surely have involved human sacrifice. In truth, I am not even sure they could control it, once unleashed..."

The thought that her Sisters and the other innocents of the shrine had been fed to such an unholy abomination made her sick to her stomach, and Judith instinctively traced the sign of the Triforce across her chest, her face hardening into a resolute frown. The situation was far more dire than any of her superiors had realized, but there was no time to retreat and call for reinforcements. One way or another, this had to end now.

"We must hurry, Triton. A creature of such fell might has likely been weakened by its summoning. If it is allowed to regain its full strength, it may prove virtually impossible to slay." The priestess warned her companion, glad that she had bothered to study the art of conjuring during her days as an initiate. Privately, she was amazed that she managed to avoid stammering as much as she had. The knowledge that a monster of unimaginable power awaited them was indeed a grim burden to bear, but the fact that Mother Nayru had seen fit to provide it was a source of great comfort to Judith. She was watching over her and Triton, entrusting them with its destruction.

And none were as adept at calculating the odds as the Goddess of Wisdom. If She believed they could prevail, then they could. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.

Overcome by a sudden burst of zeal in light of this realization, Judith marched toward a door situated next to the statue of her Goddess without another word, failing to notice the corpse of the Wizzrobe Triton had slain in her haste to press on.

When Judith regaled what she had seen to Triton, the Zora's eyes widened. Not only in fear of the creature she had seen, but also in amazement that she had seen it at all. Those who could see that which had not yet passed were not uncommon in Hyrule, but he had no idea that Sister Vilcaron had been a prophetess. That said, her sudden panic and the way in which she had been shown the vision... either she didn't take well to the visions that she herself saw, or she was not accustomed to it. Which brought on the question- what was it about this shrine that had unsealed the ability within her? He looked around. This might warrant closer investigation....

...but at a later date. For now, the monster she had described concerned him. Large, aquatic servants of Ganon, or simply rabid deep-sea monsters, were not only a problem for Hylian vessels but also for the Zora that made the ocean their home. Destroying it before it regained its full strength was indeed in everyone's best interest. Still, when he got to his feet, he hurried after the priestess largely to grasp her shoulder and stop her. "Caution, Sister Vilcaron," he said, gesturing to the dead Wizzrobe. "It tried to kill us while you were unconscious. I took care of it, but I find it suspicious that I was able to, considering our first meeting. It must have lost power somehow. And if there's something here that can sap the power of a Wizzrobe, then lesser wizards such as ourselves must be careful."

He let go of her, assured that she would not need a second warning, and walked into the next room by her side. They were immediately faced with yet another pool of water, one Triton dove into without a second thought to scout it out. When he found no immediate traps or monsters in the pool, he swam back up to gesture that Sister Vilcaron had to follow him. All things well considered, she had been right- as cautious as they had to be, they could no longer afford to explore every room in detail. Time was of the essence.

"Y-You did? That is... no small feat, Sir Triton." Incredulous, Judith peered at the fallen Wizzrobe with a mixture of amazement and concern. To think that Triton had dispatched it alone, while she was indisposed, apparently without sustaining any injuries... She wished she were half as capable a mage. Part of her regretted not being able to partake in the avenging of her Sisters, but the priestess took solace in the fact that it had been a vision from Mother Nayru that had stayed her hand, showing her that there were more important things at stake than petty vengeance- she quite literally had bigger fish to fry.

Of course, that also meant there was no time for jubilation. If her companion's suspicions that the Wizzrobe had been fighting at a disadvantage rang true, then it was likely that it had been the foul leviathan that had drained its power. She shuddered to imagine what it could with that kind of magic.

"All the more reason to quicken our pace, I s-suppose." She nodded at Triton, then seated herself against the wall, hastily donning her Mermaid Suit whilst the Zora scouted ahead. Normally, she would have opposed the idea of splitting-up, even temporarily, but Triton was a strong swimmer and she trusted him to be discreet. One person was more stealthy than two, and it would behoove them to make sure the beast wasn't right below... she didn't want to let it catch them unawares. Judith prayed that the aquatic fiend was confined to the water by nature of its marine physiology, and would not be able to pursue them onto dry land if they needed to retreat.

True to form, Triton soon resurfaced to give the all-clear, and Judith hopped into the pool. She did not immediately dive, however, instead turning toward her companion with a grave expression. "Be on guard, Sir Triton. Before I came here, my superiors told me that the deepest chambers of the Mermaid's Cave are accessible only via a series of extensive waterways, so we have a big swim ahead of us. Visibility might well be poor down there, too. Let's maintain a tight formation, like last time, so we don't lose track of each other." Better to get that warning out the way while they were still above the surface, so as to conserve her telepathy for an emergency.

Having relayed her inside information, Judith took a deep breath (sheepishly letting it out when she remembered that air was no concern when she had the Mermaid Suit- old habits died hard) and plunged into the murky depths.

At first, the underwater passageway as exactly as Triton had described it: Empty and barren, which unnerved the priestess. It was too quiet. This deep in, she would have expected to run into more of the Wizzrobes' summoned minions. In a way, Judith mused, this lack of action was more stressful than actually confronting the monsters; there was no telling if they were being watched or when they would be attacked, whereas one could at least confront a foe they could see.

After a few minutes of frustratingly uneventful swimming, Judith finally noticed a couple of unusual developments. Firstly, the stone-hewn walls of the tunnel were unmistakably man-made, bearing strange murals of an architectural style the priestess had never seen before. The murals were too eroded to discern anything specific from, but she could tell at a glance that they were distinctly unlike the designs she had observed in the previous rooms. It was as if they had entered a different era altogether... mayhap this passage had not always been flooded? How fascinating! She vaguely recalled reading that the shrine had been refurbished multiple times throughout history. Whatever the case, her archaelogical curiosity was piqued, giving her further incentive to cleanse the site of evil.

Secondly, and more forebodingly, a slight current had materialized in the water, pushing against the priestess as if to discourage her from proceeding any farther. Although it was nowhere near strong enough to sweep her away, the fact that it existed at all was cause for concern, and Judith had been about to notify Triton of her misgivings when she suddenly became aware of a number of dim lights heading straight toward her. When she realized what they were, she scrambled to get out of the way.

A cluster of oversized jellyfish were drifting lazily along the current, about to intercept her and Triton. Their innards, visible through their transparent hides, were crackling with electricity. One touch would be all it took for them to channel those lethal volts outwards... and worse yet, they were interspersed throughout the tunnel. To dodge the creatures, she and Triton would have to weave through the narrow gaps between them... with the promise of certain death if either of them made a single wrong move.

"Triton, look out! Bari!"

Triton had moved through the water at a slow and even pace, seeming languid or lazy to the untrained eye as he had swum with both hands on his back, only using the strong flippers on his feet to propel him through the water. He did not share his companion's fascination with the architectural intricacies of the waterways, but he did notice something else. The water felt... different. Before, it had been lukewarm and all things well considered, a little smelly on account of being standing water in an enclosed area. Now, its temperature was slowly dropping -likely owing to the current that forced him to kick a little harder against the water behind him- and there was an odd tingling on his skin.

He recognised the tingle, however. It was only faint, compared to what he was used to, but it was undeniably the tingle of electricity in the water. He realised the presence of the Bari possibly before Judith alerted him to them, gesturing that she had to stop. He turned around, pointing to himself and then at the Bari, before gesturing that she had to wait here.

The current made the electrified jellyfish much more dangerous than they were supposed to be, but the Zora had a foolproof way of dealing with them. He braced himself for a moment, finally using his arms as well as his flippers to swim forward at breakneck speed. Zora and Bari approached each other quickly, the distance between them decreasing in the blink of an eye. Just as he would collide with the first one, though, Triton pulled up his Electric Aura. With momentum and magical power on his side, his aura cut through the first Bari with ease, and then the second, third, and fourth. Soon, he was at the end of the string of Bari, his aura ending, and he turned around.

To his satisfaction, there were only a handful of the jellyfish left, with plenty of space between them for the less agile swimmer to make her ay through them. He beckoned her, indicating she had to join him.

Triton, no!

Her Message spent, Judith could do naught but watch in mute horror as Triton surged ahead. She waved her arms frantically in an attempt to dissuade him, but it was too late. The Zora scythed through the Bari with ease, his Electric Aura making short work of the monstrous jellyfish. For a moment, their corpses were still as they floated in the water. A less-knowledgeable swimmer might have assumed it was safe and followed Triton, but Judith knew better.

Sure enough, the dead Bari began to stir, each corpse splitting into two very-much-alive Biri with a series of sickening squelches. Where once there had been a small horde, there was now a veritable army blocking the way ahead. Although the Biri were not as individually large as their progenitors, their sheer numbers, coupled with the fact that each was moving in its own independent direction, meant it would be virtually impossible for her to slip past them.

Shrinking back to put some distance between her and the oncoming traffic, Judith wrung her hands. What was Triton thinking? She would have thought that he of all people would be aware of the biological self-defense mechanism of the seafaring Bari!

Damn. He knew it had been too easy.

Evidently, these electrified jellyfish were of the variety that split off when they were killed, and he had not been quick enough to get the resulting Biri with the same shock. His mind raced. He could not make a return trip yet, it was too soon for his Electric Aura. Fire was useless underwater, not to mention it could only get one Biri, two at the very most, in one cast. On the surface he would have thrown an Aqua Grenade, but he didn't know if it would break and detonate underwater... and freezing them was definitely not an option. How he wished he had some sort of projectile at his disposal! The technique his sister used to harden her forefins and throw them like boomerangs would have been incredibly useful right now. As it was, their best hope was to avoid the Biri until he felt he could use his Aura again.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, remembering what Judith had told him about reducing magical strain by breathing. The sooner he mastered the technique, rendering him able to reduce the time between casts of his aura, the better it would be... he just wished he'd had a less dire situation to learn it in.

With no choice but to beat a hasty retreat from the encroaching Biri, Judith fell back, her arms like windmills as she paddled in reverse. This was bad... she could no longer see Triton, and she was a sitting duck alone. She had not the means to disperse the assembled jellyfish in any reasonable time frame; blasting each individual Biri would take far too long. The priestess would have to pray that her companion came back for her before it was too late.

Just then, Judith felt something sharp prodding into her back. In her attempt to flee from the Biri, she had neglected to look where she was going... and now, she realized with a sinking feeling, she was about to pay the price. Half-expecting to be fatally electrocuted by an errant Bari that had escaped Triton's wrath, the priestess tried to get a glimpse of what had stopped her, only for her unknown assailant to violently seize her by the hair and prevent her from peering over her shoulder. The pain in her back intensified, and Judith tensed as she felt the skin break, her involuntary whimper drowned out by the surrounding water.

"I don't think so. Put your hands up."

Although Judith had been using telepathy to communicate underwater all day, she had not counted on being on the receiving end of such a message. The strange, alien voice reverberated throughout her mind, and although it was unfamiliar to her, it nonetheless revealed exactly what manner of being had accosted her. After all, what else in this place could speak with magic in lieu of lips, besides her?

A Wizzrobe, that's what.

Knowing that to resist would invite a killing spell from the wand digging into her flesh, Judith meekly complied with the wicked wizard's demand. As she raised her hands, the Wizzrobe released his icy grip on her hair, instead tugging her staff loose from her sash and tossing it aside. Then, having effectively disarmed her, he roughly shoved the priestess forwards, apparently intent on marching her right into the midst of the Biri.

Of course, Judith was not about to consent to being led to her death, and she furiously searched for a way to break free. Without her staff, she was defenseless... she doubted she could out-grapple the Wizzrobe. More than ever, she needed Triton's aid. It would be best to wait, to see if he would appear and create an opening.

If he did not... She would struggle at the very moment the Wizzrobe prepared to hurl her into the Biri, and hope that by some quirk of fate it would be he, not her, who was pitched into the stinging swarm...

With the electric aura recharged, Triton summoned it into existence and launched himself once more, this time into the horde of Biri. He was pretty sure he didn't get all of them, but certainly enough that if they watched where they swam, they could easily get through the remainder safely. As he sped towards Judith, however, he saw something he certainly hadn't wanted to see. His companion, held hostage by the second Wizzrobe they had fought. Their enemy didn't have to tell him to stop- he halted, flipping backward to counteract his forward momentum. "That's a good boy," the wizard conveyed, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but if you try anything funny, she dies."

Triton took part of a leaf from his sister's book, mentally swearing as he sought a way out of this situation. Talking to the Wizzrobe was hard, underwater, and he couldn't endanger Judith. Most of his spells didn't work underwater... Except for one. He put his hands behind his back casually, still floating around in front of the Wizzrobe. With too few Biris to kill the two with, apparently its plan was to force them to wait until whatever giant monster they had summoned would get here to feast on them.

Fortunately, one of the Biri actually proved helpful- it impacted one of the others, sending a surge of energy through the water. It momentarily distracted the Wizzrobe, as well as providing a magical white noise in which the casting of Triton's spell went unnoticed. However, he had barely sent the white air bubbling through the water behind him when the Wizzrobe conveyed another message. "Hands where I can see them." Triton obeyed, putting his hands up. He'd already cast the spell anyway, his Familiar fully formed behind him. His body obscured it from view.

In an unguarded moment, it moved up, using Triton's head as leverage, and leapt towards it. Of course, the Familiar was harmless and would only phase through the thing, but with luck, the Wizzrobe didn't know that and the sudden movement towards it would give it pause, creating an opening for one or both of the wizards to attack it.

Though unable to identify the creature that had just springboarded off of Triton's noggin and launched itself at the Wizzrobe, Judith decided not to waste this golden window of opportunity in favour of indulging her curiosity. With her captor's attention- and thus his wand- drawn away from her, she was free to act. Driving her left elbow into the Wizzrobe's midsection to stagger him, Judith held her right hand out, palm flat towards the ground, calling upon her Goddess for Her protection. The instant the glittering embodiment of Nayru's Affection appeared, she took hold of it and whipped around, slashing with her improvised weapon.

It had occurred to her that so long as she had Nayru's signature spell, she was not as 'defenseless' as she had previously thought... The corners of the magical barrier it conjured were horrendously sharp, lending themselves well to such an unorthodox application. It was a risky proposition, but so was fleeing; at this range, there was no way the Wizzrobe would miss if he reacquired her with his wand. No, going on the offensive was the safer gamble. She had never studied the art of melee combat... but neither had her foe.

As it turned out, the vaunted arcane might of the Wizzrobe did little to curb Nayru's wrath. Despite Judith's lack of muscle mass and the water resistance, which robbed her strike of valuable momentum, the razor edge of her barrier proved more than enough to offset these disadvantages. It bit deep into her opponent's throat, carving a vicious laceration across the breadth of his neck. The avian Wizzrobe's countenance was frozen in a look of utter disbelief as a red mist exploded from the gaping wound, and he feebly clawed at the gash in an attempt to staunch the flow. Then, with a disturbing finality, his arms fell limp and his body began to float upward.

Judith watched the corpse for a few seconds, her face scrunched into a troubled frown. She had been prepared to do battle with and even kill Vire and his cohorts, but it was still the first time she had taken an intelligent life herself. It felt... wrong, somehow. Mother Nayru had gifted mortals with the art of magic so that they might elevate themselves and explore the deeper mysteries of the universe, not so that they could find new ways to cause pain and suffering. It was truly regrettable that so many mages were forced to devote much of their time toward learning the more destructive uses of Nayru's gift in order to protect themselves and others.

Shaking her head at the senselessness of it all, Judith swam toward the bottom of the tunnel. She needed to find her staff and regroup with Triton. Hopefully the Wizzrobe's blood would not attract any ferocious marine life...

Triton could only watch Judith kill the Wizzrobe, seeing his Familiar vanish in his peripheral vision. The critter had done its job well, and the Zora quickly swam over to his companion to strike an arm around her and steady her shaking form. Was the water too cold? No, it had to be something psychological. She was with the Order of Wisdom, after all. She was less familiar with offensive magic than most wizards- that was the entire reason he'd been asked to accompany her. Still, he couldn't assure her here- time was of the essence. So he led her down the tunnel that had formerly been filled with Bari, grateful for the current being against them. It would push the blood away from them rather than in their direction, thus distracting any beasts that would otherwise attack them.

Once out of the tunnel, Triton saw light above them and guided Judith to the surface, where he breached and guided her to the edge so she could sit down. "Are you alright, Sister? You appear shaken. I apologise for my inability to protect you down there; I momentarily forgot that you were so..." innocent, he thought, but it would probably be a poor choice of words for the situation. "inexperienced in battle. I think it's best we both recollect ourselves for a moment." He put his hands on the edge to push himself out of the water. "After all... I don't think we're far from our goal." He looked back down. Below the edge they were sitting on, there was another tunnel leading deeper yet inside and sloping down...

And deeper inside that tunnel, Triton sensed trouble.

"I-I'm alright." Judith replied shakily, though truthfully she felt anything but. That had been yet another close brush with death... Triton had hit the nail on the head. She WAS a complete greenhorn when it came to combat. Was she really cut out for this sacred duty? Her faith had not wavered an inch, and yet there was still something terrifying about the task that lay ahead. It was not the prospect of her own death that scared her; while certainly frightening, it was a possibility she had been prepared to accept since the day she had sworn her holy vows, and Mother Nayru would safeguard the souls of her followers anyhow. No, what concerned her were the ramifications of failure: If she fell here, how many innocents would suffer for it? The death toll would be staggering.

Part of her wanted to get it over with, to set out immediately and face her fears head-on, so that she might conquer them all the sooner. However, she also recognized that jumping into danger with frayed nerves would be a fine way to expedite her demise, and so she decided to heed her companion's advice, allowing herself a brief break from the surrounding insanity.

"Triton, I must thank you for all you have done. I would never have survived this far alone." Only now realizing the extent of her exhaustion, the priestess laid down on her back, staring upwards as if expecting to catch a glimpse of the heavens through a crack in the rocky ceiling. The swimming, the battles... Judith was no stranger to exercise, but this level of exertion was beyond anything she had experienced before. And that was with Triton doing the lion's share of the fighting! He must have been even more fatigued than she. Truly, the Zora was a marvel, to have shouldered so much without complaint! "Whether you come to believe in Nayru's teachings or not, I will see to it that you always have a place within the Cult. Your deeds in defending it have more than earned that."

Small talk was not her strong suit; she never knew what to say. She had expressed her genuine gratitude for Triton's heroics, now what? Defaulting to the topic of her religion, the lone subject she had any confidence speaking about, might well come across as proselytizing.

"The Cult's goals overlapped with those of my own people," Triton said, smiling. "That being the case, what reason would I have had not to help? And besides, a chance to survey this shrine once it has been cleansed will be more than adequate reward, as well as the wisdom you have already imparted me." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Your courage astounds me. I know we agreed to set onto this pilgrimage together, but for you to do so while unpracticed in offensive magic... 'tis brave, and speaks volumes regarding your trust in me and my art. Your dedication to your peaceful ways is impressive, if slightly impractical."

He turned to his side, to the empty spot beside him. "Hold on to that ideology, Sister Vilcaron. You wear it well, and we will need many of your calibre in these dark days." With that, he decided he'd had enough rest. "Now... let's see what awaits us at the end of the tunnel, shall we? The more we know, the better we can prepare before going down there." He clapped his hands, magic coming off of them like a small cloud of dust, and taking the form of the strange, cat-like creature that had distracted the Wizzrobe from before. "This is my Familiar," he said as the creature turned to observe them both. "Think of it as a magical construct that allows me to extend my senses without endangering my body." He smiled once more. "I would teach you the spell, but I'm afraid I've only recently developed it and it's still very convoluted and confusing. Honestly, the formula is atrocious to look at and I am ashamed of it- I hope to streamline it in the future. It functions well enough, though." With that, he made a gesture with his hand.

His Familiar launched itself into the water, moving through it as if it was a fish rather than a cat, and slowly and cautiously entered the tunnel. Triton took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and aligned his senses of sight and touch with it rather than his own body.

"Brave, perhaps. But Courage is the purview of Farore, not Nayru." Judith sighed. "Stupid is the word I would have used, Triton. It was pure folly on my part to think that I, a mere neophyte with only a rudimentary grasp of offensive magic, could defeat an evil that a full contingent of my Sisters could not stand against." Though he had meant it kindly, it still hurt to hear Triton call her idiocy what it was: impractical. But it was the truth. "No longer. If my Goddess requires me to meet the forces of darkness in battle, so be it. I will study the spellcraft of war, so that I am better-equipped to serve Her and prevent tragedies of this scope in the future." She slammed her staff against the ground for emphasis, her face resolute.

When Triton proposed reconnoitering the area ahead, Judith nodded. Although time was of the essence, knowing the layout ahead of time would be invaluable- a step toward the practicality she had so sorely lacked. She did not care to be ambushed by the... creature... she had seen in her vision. As the Zora demonstrated how he intended to scout the tunnel, however, Judith's stern expression transformed into one of wonder.

"That's amazing, Triton!" Marveling at his Familiar, the young acolyte tried to estimate how many hours of study had gone into the spell. Summoning incantations were one thing, but to have such control over the called being's form, and to be able to substitute its senses in place of your own... If Triton considered this one of his shoddier works, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would look like when he had perfected the formula. "I have never seen a spell of its like."

"Nor have I," rejoined a voice from behind her. Startled, Judith whirled around to discover a Wizzrobe clad in a crimson robe standing only a few feet from her and Triton, facing away from them. Strange sigils had been embroidered on its elaborate apparel, glowing with an eerie green light, and a wide-brimmed hat sat atop its head.

In the span of a split-second, the priestess had already raised her staff to blast the Wizzrobe with a Magic Bolt, hoping to quickly dispatch this dire foe by attacking whilst its back was turned... only to cry out as her staff was yanked from her grasp by an unseen force and sent spinning through the air, straight into the waiting hands of the Wizzrobe. Without bothering to turn around, the malevolent mage briefly inspected the staff, then tossed it back toward Judith.

"A fine staff. I remember when I had need of such implements... Quainter days, those." The Wizzrobe spoke with a distorted lilt, as if it were not wholly flesh-and-blood, as if it existed in the past, present, and future all at once. Judith could not tell if it was being affable or bitingly sarcastic. What WAS certain was that this Wizzrobe was either arrogant or supremely confident, to continue presenting such a vulnerable front... perhaps not unjustifiably, since it had utterly humbled her by disarming her with naught but its own arcane prowess, she thought bitterly as she picked up her staff.

"H-How... How did you-"

"How did I find you? Scrying upon others is the least of my abilities, I assure you. And I grow tired of this game of cat-and-mouse, priestess. You and your companion have bested my disciples. Now you must answer to me."

At this, Judith bristled, recalling how casually the Wizzrobe's brethren had described the slaughter of her Sisters, awakening a righteous anger within her. She stood up straight, resolving not to be cowed any further by this foul murderer, her eyes burrowing into the back of its head. "Your cabal's efforts are in vain. Whatever arrangement you had with the Dark King is void, for your followers are not the only ones who have fallen. Vire is dead."

"Is he?" If this news distressed the Wizzrobe at all, it hid it well. Judith could make neither heads nor tails of its tone or its body language. "Inconvenient... but not unworkable. I suppose this means Octogon is at my disposal, rather than Ganon's. Perhaps I can leverage this to my advantage."

"O-Octogon...?" For some reason, the very name instilled a sense of dread in the priestess' heart.

"Yes, Octogon. I know not how this primordial beast came to be, but its power is matched only by its thirst for blood. Perhaps it is the progenitor of the Octorok species. Or perhaps it is the next stage in their evolution. Whatever the case, its lesser cousins pale before it... and it will destroy you."

No sooner had the last sentence passed its lips than the floor began to shake violently. Judith struggled to keep her footing, though the Wizzrobe did not appear to be having such trouble, firmly rooted to its spot. The nearby water churned furiously, followed by an audible splash that echoed around the chamber, announcing that something had surfaced directly behind Judith.

Something big.

"Unless you join me, that is." The Wizzrobe held up a hand. "I do have to replace the apprentices I lost, after all... and your 'Familiar' intrigues me, Zora. I would have you show me how it is created."

It was fortunate that Triton had opted to not substitute his hearing for that of his Familiar. He did not sense when the Wizrobe appeared, but when Judith kept it occupied and it taunted her, revealed its purpose to them, Triton heard every word. Octogon... where had he heard that name before? He would close his eyes in an attempt to focus his thoughts and efforts on remembering, but he had seen movement in the waters ahead of his Familiar. He followed it, finally spotting a large, dark shape moving quickly in the water and towards the surface... up... up... "You and many others, I imagine," he said, finally untethering himself from his Familiar as it flew through the air and sizzled out of existence when Octogon breached. "Unfortunately for you, my work is mine alone. Once perfected, I might share it with fellow scholars..." He stood up, brandishing his cane in a tight grip. He would not be caught off-guard and disarmed as easily as Sister Judith had been.

"But the only magic I will share with the likes of you," he said, briefly wondering what Thria would have to say about his lengthy speech, "Is fire and brimstone." As if to emphasize his words, he swung his cane, conjuring up a small fireball and sending it flying towards the Wizrobe in the same motion. He did not wait, instead turning to see the bigger problem of the two.

Octogon was not a pleasant sight. As the Wizrobe had said, it was effectively a primordial, or heavily mutated, Octorok. It was a mess of tentacles, in which lay hidden a toothless maw that was undoubtedly at the end of a long, alien set of organs that produced and spat rocks. A pair of large, angry eyes glared back and forth between the Zora and the Hylian, before finally focusing on Triton. Yep. Definitely the bigger problem. "Sister!" he shouted, "Get the Wizrobe and leave the beast to me, for now at least!"

With that, he launched a second fireball, this time at one of Octogon's eyes, to further draw and keep its attention, and dove headfirst into the water that he had sent his Familiar into just minutes ago.

It was valiant of Triton to offer himself as bait in order to lure Octogon away, but that left Judith to contend with the Wizzrobe leader alone... And to make matters worse, the wicked arcanist continued to prove impervious to all forms of attack, deflecting the Zora's parting shot with a casual wave of his arm. She was certain that his hubris was the only reason she was still alive; her chances of triumphing against such a deadly opponent in an arcane duel seemed minuscule.

And yet, she would not give up. Her earlier ardor regarding Nayru and the vindication of her Sisters had not been mere bluster. To crumble at the first sign of adversity would be a disgrace to her Goddess and all the priestesses that had died here. No matter how slim the possibility of victory, Judith would trust in Mother Nayru and answer the call, even if it cost her everything. Life was fleeting, but faith and hope never died... They were eternal.

"Pity. I shall have to bend him until he divulges his secrets." The Wizzrobe flexed his fingers and slowly turned around, his tone undecipherable. A pair of piercing red eyes met Judith's gaze, seemingly peering into her very soul. "And what of you? Will you accept my proposal? Your Cult does pride itself on the sound judgment of its priestesses, after all..."

"Never! I answer to a higher power than you, pawn of darkness!" Judith shouted, brandishing her staff with both hands as she frantically scanned the Wizzrobe, searching for any weakness in his stance. She received a bemused scoff in response, the most emotion her enemy had shown thus far.

"Do you? We shall see who among us is a pawn." No sooner had he uttered the words than the outline of his cowled form began to shimmer, before slipping into the floor and vanishing from sight. Being familiar with the Wizzrobe's method of teleportation, Judith immediately whirled around, lashing out with her staff as she did so, expecting a surprise attack from either her flank or behind her.

No such luck.

Instead, a black mist rose from beneath her feet, quickly surging upwards and engulfing her. The priestess scarcely had time to gasp as the swirling mist coalesced with her skin, then disappeared as swiftly as it had come. For a moment, the priestess stood dumbfounded, confused by what had just happened. Then, slowly but surely, Judith felt her fingers' grip on her staff slackening... with movements she knew were not her own. Realizing too late what the fiendish Wizzrobe had done, Judith fought to keep her implement in her hands, but to no avail. Her staff clattered to the ground, and she along with it, as what could only be described as pure agony coursed through her veins, as if her innards had been set aflame.

"Submit."

An unwelcome voice. In her head. His voice.

Judith could barely formulate complete sentences, let alone think straight. The wax-burn she had sustained paled before this violation of her entire being, and she was struck by a fresh wave of nausea. It took all of her strength just to prevent herself from moving.

"Do not resist, or the pain shall persist. A simple rhyme for a simple child. Be grateful that I have no intention of killing you... yet. You are not so dangerous without your faculties, and this body may be of use to me... as a shield against your Zora, if nothing else."

She blinked, and as her eyelids fluttered open, Judith's irises had taken on a glowing red hue. She wanted to scream out, to warn Triton, to beg him to kill her before she could do him any harm, but it was as if her mouth had been sewn shut. She willed herself not to yield an inch to her mental intruder, fighting to simply lay comatose in lieu of attacking her companion.

She was rewarded with a new torment for her efforts: The sensation of a thousand needles, all dipped in salt, all stabbing into her flesh at once. The metallic scent of blood, her blood, wafted into her nostrils, and she found it increasingly hard to concentrate, her thoughts drowned out by a deafening, discordant noise emanating from within the recesses of her mind.

With no other obvious recourse, Judith clung to the first memory of Mother Nayru she could fathom, holding it tight. She had to hold it here... She had to hold HER- and him- here... had to... hold here...

Even warped by the water above him, Octogon's roar of pain when Triton's fireball impacted its eye was audible, shaking the walls around the Zora. Its writhing tentacles, now spasming erratically with pain, caused random and powerful currents. Enhanced by magic? Now was not the time to worry about that. Triton dove and darted, making a mental note to thank Jabu-Jabu for his people's natural agility when fully submerged, and successfully avoided the thrashing beast until it calmed down, providing Triton an opportunity to dive a little deeper and out of its range.

Well... he wished he knew how much force there was behind an Octoroc's stone-spitting, at least approximately. He had to evaluate what would be the safer environment in which to provoke and target it- and fast, before it would redirect its attention to Judith. He had never seen an Octoroc spit rocks underwater, and above the surface, there was the secondary threat of the Wizrobe to deal with, so in that regard, staying underwater was likely to be the best option available. However, that meant he would have to contend with Octogon's many, many tentacles, as well as the distinct possibility that Triton was not the only one who was much more agile underwater.

Deciding there was no time for second-guessing, Triton righted himself, kicking against nothing and balling his fist as he launched himself upwards through the water. He swallowed and shut his eyes as he approached it, balling another fist and calling his Electric Aura to life once more. The collision with Octogon was painful, although not as much as the impact from its tentacle was when it once more started thrashing. Triton let out a yell of pain that went muted by the water around him as electricity surged through him that wasn't his own to control, causing the arm where he had been impacted to go completely limp. Panicking, he kicked against Octogon's body and shot out of reach, clutching his arm. Of course, a hunting method. Electricity to interrupt the brain functions, or in this case nervous system, of a prey to make it easier to catch when you're that big.

Note to self, Triton thought as he grit his teeth and tried to come up with a plan, dodging those things is the absolute top priority. He could only hope that he would regain feeling and control in his arm soon, and that Sister Judith was faring better above the surface.

"Enough."

Annoyed by Judith's stubborn refusal to give in despite the pain, the Wizzrobe abandoned all subtlety and assailed her mind directly, wielding the sheer force of his will like a psionic battering ram. In an instant, all the mental barriers she had erected were undone with contemptuous ease, her paltry safeguards little match for an accomplished mage like the Wizzrobe. Her defenses thus breached, Judith's consciousness was shunted into a tiny pocket of her psyche; she was nothing more than a passenger in her own body.

Now free to do as he pleased, her possessor had her stand up, kicking her staff aside in the process, then marched her over to the edge of the platform, eyes peering into the water. Again Judith tried to shriek, but no sound passed her lips. No one could hear her, and her darkest fears seemed destined to come to pass...

"Hmmm. Not as talented as I'd hoped. I shall have to substitute my own magic, then, using your body as a conduit.'' The priestess felt her right arm being thrust forward, then... a sudden surge of energy pulsed through her veins, overwhelming her senses! Was this... the Wizzrobe's reservoir of magic?! It was enormous, and already the physical strain on her body was apparent, the spaces between her fingers crackling with raw arcane matter. "Just imagine... this power could have been yours, if you'd agreed to be my pupil. But I digress. Fear not... Though taxing on your frail form, my sorcery will leave no lasting damage. I cannot promise the same for the Zora."

There was movement in the pool. Triton, with the hideous Octogon hot on his heels. As soon as he caught sight of it, the Wizzrobe began channeling an immense amount of energy through her arm, and a shimmering orb materialized in her palm. "As I said, I would prefer to subdue him, but it may prove difficult to pry him from Octogon's belly."

The Wizzrobe watched Triton as he swam, calculating the angle he would need for the orb to intercept him, and then-

Judith sprang into action, hurling herself against the Wizzrobe within her mindscape. Having diverted his attention from her to summon his magic, and weakened by the exertion of doing so, he had dropped his guard ever so slightly... and she wasn't about to waste this chance. She had not the strength to wrest control entirely from him, but there was one simple thing she COULD do.

Seizing her wrist with her left hand, Judith wrenched her right arm to the side just as the Wizzrobe completed the cast, propelling the arcane orb straight into Octogon's backside, where it exploded in a burst of electricity. The beast immediately came to a halt, flailing about in pain.

"What have you done?!" For the first time, a note of panic had entered the Wizzrobe's voice.

His fear proved justified, as the response was swift and deadly. Recovering, Octogon stopped chasing Triton and instead surfaced with a deafening roar, whirling to face the platform, and by extension, Judith. A single swing of its tentacles was enough to sweep her legs out from under her, and she landed hard on her back. The aquatic monster followed-up by wrapping two more tentacles around both her ankles, dragging her toward its gaping maw.

Everything had gone according to plan.

Long ago, as an initiate, Judith had studied mind-control magics- not out of any desire to employ them (as they were forbidden and illegal to boot), but to learn how to detect and foil them. In doing so, she had discovered that when an individual cast a spell that allowed them to inhabit another's body, their soul became inextricably linked with the host's; should the host die, the possessor's life would be extinguished as well. Furthermore, leaving a body was not an instantaneous process, taking several moments of uninterrupted concentration.

With this knowledge in mind, Judith had used her brief moment of freedom to redirect the Wizzrobe's attack to Octogon, banking on the likelihood it would seek retribution. With her in its clutches, the Wizzrobe would have no choice but to harm his own minion- he had not the time to flee Judith's body, for Octogon would kill her before he could, and she sincerely doubted that he was willing to die just to ensure their deaths.

That left two possibilities. Either the Wizzrobe would destroy Octogon, or Octogon would crush them both. Whatever the outcome, she was certain that the victor would be wounded in the struggle, hopefully enough so that Triton could finish what she had started. And as for her... Well, she would soon be in Nayru's loving embrace.

"No! Desist, Octogon! I am your master!" The Wizzrobe spoke through Judith, but the monster paid him no heed, continuing to pull her toward its mouth. Sure enough, the evil wizard answered this disobedience with force, calling forth an energy bolt that severed the tentacle grappling her left ankle. Octogon reeled under the impact, and the Wizzrobe flung another arcane orb into its jaws, which prompted an unearthly screech from the beast. It began to convulse violently, slamming its remaining tentacles against the platform in what Judith could only assume was pain-induced fury.

Wait a minute... Was its mouth its weak point?