Skyview Temple [Soulvis & BP]

Skyview Temple
- Ni'Ran Amiron, Wandering Swordsman (4/2/3 Rito) [Blonde Panther] Reward: Quick Draw + Quicker Draw Augment, +5 Rupees.
- Vayrin Kandar, Answers-seeking Adventurer (2/4/1 Hylian) [Soulvis] Reward: Song of Storms.

"Ah, has it gotten so late already?" Ni'Ran held one hand above his eyes to shield from the day's last rays of sun as he looked up at the sky. "The days go by so quickly lately. Autumn must be setting in." Lowering his hand and instead stretching his arm so his feathered companion could land on it, he stroked her head affectionately. "Well, I guess we'd better find a tree to sleep in. Castle Town shouldn't be far, anyway."

The wandering and eternally-training swordsman didn't normally have a goal set in mind if he weren't on a job or hunting something down- as long as his feet and wings didn't take him to Dragon Roost, he was fine anywhere. However, fact remained that Hyrule Castle Town, being the largest city in Northern Hyrule, was the best place to find interesting jobs or solid intel. He was in no rush -hence why he was walking instead of flying- and had spent most of his journey admiring the scenery.

He stood still, looking around, when he spotted a lone tree on a hill nearby. "Oh," he said, pointing at it with his free hand and prompting the Kargorok to look at it too, "How about that one?" She didn't respond, obviously, but Ni'Ran turned towards it and started walking in its direction.

As he came closer, however, he saw that there was something else on the hill. A small fire, and a human figure crouching next to it. Huh. Well, it never hurt to have company, he supposed. As he came closer and managed to discern more detail, he saw it was a young Hylian girl. What was she doing out here on her own? Ah well, best not to jump to conclusions. He and Evelyn had been pretty adventurous at a relatively young age, too.

Trying not to think about Evelyn too much, he approached the girl and gave her a casual salute with his free hand. "Greetings and salutations," he said. "The name is Ni'Ran, and this here is my companion, Alice. I don't suppose you've got any space around that fire for a fellow traveller?"

Vayrin had been attending the fire in her normal routine at the end of the day. This was it. Her first time into the vast expanses of Hyrule field. She had spent all day walking North from Nabooru, and the vast wonderus world of Hyrule was not what she was expecting. She had no idea what lay ahead, but whatever it was, she was ready. Well, almost ready. The voice of an umfamilier figure startled her as she whipped around, hand on her sword which was temporarily sheathed. She was more then prepared to slash out at whatever it was. After an earlier encounter with an angry patch of Deku Babas she had ran into that day, she was not overly fond of any more suprises. Even so she got one more. The figure was not a Moblin or any sort of monster, she quickly assesed it was a Rito. Although he dressed very peculier for a Rito. His long clad black armor made her feel uneasy, and his knives didint help either.

She had no idea what the Rito was doing so far from Dragon Roost island, but she was not in the mood to ask. Her hand was shaking on her sword handle as she slowly backed up.

"Ho, easy there," Ni'Ran said, quickly taking a step back when the girl reached for a sword. So, not an experienced adventurer, then. "There's no need for that, I'm not gonna hurt you." She shook a little, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why; he was tall, strong, armoured, and armed to the teeth, with a normally-hostile creature on his shoulder. He figured that to a little girl, he could be pretty intimidating. Still, that was exactly why he'd used his least intimidating voice when he'd addressed her.

He put both his hands up, away from his sword and his knives, and continued to speak, slowly. "Easy. Eeeaaaasy. I think we're getting off on the wrong talon here. So um... like I said, I'm Ni'Ran. I'm a mercenary from Dragon Roost Island, and I'm just passing through on my way to the city. I was going to sleep in that tree there," he vaguely gestured to the tree with one hand, "But I can find another one if you want me to."

He hesitated. If she was as agitated as she looked, then asking personal questions was a good way to antagonise her. Still, something about her... Something made him ask. "Question of curiosity, though: Should you be out here alone, in the dark?"

The Rito was speaking to her. Her mind was racing with too many thoughts to count as she watched his movements closely. She took this time to go over what he said. "He's a mercenary, and he wants to sleep in the tree above me..." She thought. His tone calmed her a little, as no mere bandit would try something like that on an inexperienced adventurer such as herself. She slowly lifted her hand off her hilt, still shaking. But she had grown confident that this strange Rito was not going to rob her.

Although, the last thing he said worried her. She choked up a response as best she could, trying her best not to give away the obvious fear she had. "...What's it to you?" She muttered just loud enough for him to hear, not taking her eyes off of his movement. She mostly asked this because his question angered her. She had calmed down, and was not really worried that this Rito had any other intentions on what he was speaking, but the fact that he asked her why she was out here alone annoyed her. She knew why too. Everyone thinks that a girl like her should not be traversing Hyrule by themselves, and she hated it. Her motives were clear, but no one cared. All those years of training were not even visible to others. She stood there, observing the Rito, waiting for his next move.

What was it to him? Ni'Ran shrugged, his hands still held up. "I dunno," he said, "It just seems dangerous. I won't pry if it's a sensitive topic." He slowly started to lower his arms, and when she didn't move to attack him right away, stuck them in his pockets. "Look, I've got my own food, so I won't mooch off of yours. I don't want to intrude. I can even be useful- I can keep watch if you want." He gestured towards the fire. "I don't see well in the dark, but that fire makes up for a lot and I've got pretty good hearing." Besides, even if he did doze off, if anything happened Alice would make enough of a ruckus to wake them both.

"So, um..." With the girl still uncomfortable, Ni'Ran scratched his head. This didn't usually happen. "Are you on your way to Castle Town too? It should just be a day from here. I can take you there if you'd like me to."

She stared blankly at him for a moment, debating whether this was a good idea. She didn't know him, but he was offering to be her guide. All she knew about Castle Town was that it was a few days north of Nabooru, that's all her map would tell her. She thought back to her meeting with the map merchant... "Just walk north for a few days, when you get close you may find others also heading to the same place. Just follow the crowd." Assuming the merchant's info was reliable, this Rito seemed to be the "crowd" she was looking for.

She replied to his proposal. "If you know the way to Castle Town, I would be happy if I had a guide." She then proceeded to walk around the side of the campfire and sit crossed legged in front of it. She looked up at the Rito with a nervous smile.
"Sorry for almost lashing out at you. Your the first person I have seen today in the field..." She paused for a moment. "I'm Vayrin." She said to Ni'Ran.

"Vayrin, then. A pleasure." Ni'Ran nodded in recognition, sitting himself down opposite the girl. "Don't worry about it. You've got spunk, I like that in a kid." He smiled. "Besides, the quicker and less hesitant you are to use that blade, the less likely you are to get eaten by the first Lizalfos you bump into." He reached into his pack, slowly, retrieving his waterskin and showing it to Vayrin so she'd know he wasn't grabbing a weapon before taking a swig.

"At any rate," he said as he lowered the waterskin and wiped a few drops from his chin, "Town is beyond that little grove over there." He motioned north, where a few hours ago they would have seen a small forest- of course, with night having fallen, they couldn't see that far now. "That could slow us down, but if we don't get too stuck in the undergrowth we should be able to reach town within a day, day and a half at most." He stood up, detaching his knives from his leg and putting them into his pack before starting to place the various pieces of his armour against the tree. By the time Alice flew up to find a comfortable branch to sleep on, though, he fastened his sword belt around his waist again- he never slept completely unarmed.

"Well, I'm going to find myself a branch too," he said. "I'll keep an ear out for anything that's not supposed to be here, so sleep tight, okay?" He gave another salute. "G'night, Vayrin." With that, he kicked against the ground and leapt up, grabbing the first branch he came across and pulling himself into the tree, where he sat his back down against the trunk and made himself comfortable.

It turned out better than expected. She had a guide who seemed confident in their route. Although she was still not sure if he was 100% trustworthy, she figured it was worth the small risk. With that thought in mind, she got up and moved to her pack that was lying against the tree. She did a quick 180-degree turn, to makes sure nothing was lurking where it shouldn't, and after she was satisfied she sat beside it, propping her sword next to her.

She sat against the tree, gazing into the fire, thinking about the day's events. She wondered what Ni'Ran had been doing all the way out here. She knew he was a mercenary, but she never heard of one like him. Vayrin thought about all the adventures he must have had, all the things he's seen and done. Her little to no experience could not even compare to his adventures. She'd ask him in the morning, and that would be that. She hoped she would not be too much of a drag when morning came. Vayrin quickly shook the thought and gazed up at the tree above her.

After that then proceeded to open the front pocket of her leather pack, to pull out a small ruined book. She opened it and began flipping the pages. The book had a very weird look to it. It's edging were old and frayed, and it's contents contained crudely drawn pictures, and scribbles of rushed handwriting pointing out important notes. She put the book down on her lap for a moment, gazing off into the distant land. Without realizing it, she continued to do so, until her eyes overcame the urge to stay awake. She lay still, at the edge of a few dying coals....

Morning always came too soon, Ni'Ran thought as he stretched on his branch. The night had been uneventful, as evidenced by Alice sitting on her branch above him, her head tucked under her wings, not having moved since they'd fallen asleep. He looked down, seeing Vayrin sleeping against the tree, a book in her hands. Well, now. That was interesting. It wasn't in very good condition- in fact it looked like it could very well be older than her. He didn't bother to try and peer into it, figuring it wasn't his business. Instead, he swung down from the branch and landed not far from the fire, using his foot to put out the last few embers.

"Hey," he said, quietly so has not to startle Vayrin too badly as he touched her shoulder, "Rise and shine, Vayrin. We're gonna have to leave in a few minutes if we want to make time." He gave her a few seconds before he turned back to the tree. "Oh man," he muttered, "Really, dear?" Alice still hadn't moved, so he put two fingers into his mouth and let out a sharp whistle, startling the Kargorok awake. "There. That's better."

"Hmm..?" Vayrin shook her head slowly, the morning sun had been peering over the distant landscape staring at her, and in its path was the silhouette of a tall figure. She blinked a few times, shading her eyes from the sun's angry glare to see Ni'Ran standing there. It took her a moment to recall the previous day's events and remembered who this Rito was.


"Suns up..." She said yawning, as well as getting up. As she did, though, she noticed the book still in her hand. Vayrin quickly pulled her bag open and placed it inside. Pretending it was not unusual. The bag was slung over her shoulder, as she pulled up her sword, and firmly attached the sheath to her hip. In her other hand, she tossed an apple in the air to herself. Vayrin looked at the Rito and smiled "Long walk today, may as well get started." She was hoping to get the awkward meeting of the two last night out of the picture. She didn't want her only guide to dislike her for threatening him with her sword. Hopefully, cheerful gestures would diminish any long term uncomfortable feelings.

"Yep!" The Rito replied, grinning, as he strapped his armour on and attached his knives to his leg before reaching into his pack to remove a recently-picked corncob. "We can eat while walking," he said, "Let's go."

It wasn't until a few hours later that Ni'Ran got the odd feeling something was amiss. They had reached and entered the forest without incident, but the more time they spent in it, the denser it seemed to become. "Are you okay, Vayrin?" he asked, looking back at his young companion, "Be careful, there's a good chance of tripping over something a bit less innocent than a loose branch or a thick root..." He'd barely finished speaking when his foot caught on a small rock sticking out of the ground. He realised what was happening in time to catch himself before he would fall face-first onto the ground, but Alice flew up from his shoulder, startled by the sudden jerking motion.

Another few minutes passed and the grove -which he swore was a lot bigger than he had anticipated- suddenly opened into a clearing, leading him to shield his eyes from the sudden sunlight. "What in Valoo's name..." Right in the middle of the clearing, gleaming in the sunlight as if taunting them, was a large ruined temple, overgrown with ivy and weathered by rain and wind. "What did we stumble upon this time?"

"Ughh.." Vayrin quickly stumbled through the brush trying to knock off vines and burrs that stuck to her legs, when she suddenly tripped over a large outcrop of rock. "Ahh!" Vayrin fell backwards out of the thicket into the grass that bordered the clearing, beside the concerned Rito. "For the love of Hyrule..." She mumbled to herself as she quickly got up and brushed the dirt off her legs. She glanced up at Ni'Ran and saw him staring off. It was only then she realised they were in a clearing. She followed his eyes to the middle to see a large stone structure invaded by forest moss and vines. That's strange. She never heard of there being any ruins in this grove...

"Well...That's not natural.." She replied. She knew she sounded stupid, but the fact that they had found an old structure in he middle of the grove amazed her. Something about this temple though made her feel uneasy. Could have just been her inexperience...But she had felt it since they stepped into the grove. As if a strange magic lay over it's stone cold walls...

She stared at it for a moment then looked back at Ni'Ran. Her mouth opened as if to say something when a strange sound was heard in the forest behind them. "CRACK!" The sound of a tree falling. She quickly turned her attention off the Rito and spun around. Hand on her hilt.

Ni'Ran snapped his head in the direction the cracking noise came from, his cheerful demeanour from that morning and the evening before gone. "That didn't sound good." For the first time since meeting Vayrin, he took hold of his own blade and removed it from its sheath, the steel glinting in the sunlight as he held it in front of him, ready to parry an incoming blow. It didn't come, but he wracked his brain. The trees they had passed had all been healthy, there was no way one had fallen spontaneously. Something had felled it... but what?

And that was assuming that what they had heard had been a tree in the first place. Suddenly, Ni'Ran felt overcome by a terrible feeling, and he glanced at Vayrin. He knew he could handle most kinds of monsters. But she? She was a kid. He knew damn well what had happened last time he'd let a kid face a monster, even in his presence. Never again, he told himself as he grit his teeth. He turned back, grabbing Vayrin's shoulder. "Get inside," he said. "Don't ask questions, the temple is our best cover. Go!" He gave her a little shove in the temple's direction, waiting a second as he looked in the direction of the cracking noise. Then, he took off towards the entrance, himself.

"Wai-" She shut her mouth. Vayrin thought it was best not to argue with Ni'Ran, as he clearly looked like he knew what he was doing, so she followed his instructions. She ran towards the temple, only after making sure her companion was coming as well. Vayrin was not about to show herself a coward. She stopped at one of the stone pillars holding the old weathered structure's extended roof up. Vayrin then quickly unsheathed her sword, the silver blade glinting in the afternoon sun. She held it with both hands facing the forest, waiting for whatever was out there to emerge. Her eyes fierce with determination. Her experience may not have been much, but her years of training were plenty. Standing at the Temple's broken doorway, prepared to retreat inside if the case need be, she wanted to test her chances against the danger out there...

She stared at the still trees, breathing heavily....Silence.......Then suddenly another large "CRACK" was heard. Then another tree fell. The tree was visible from their distance, and as it did so birds flew out of the surrounding forest. Vayrin quickly positioned her feet in a defensive stance and gripped her sword more tightly. She then looked over at Ni'Ran. His sword was long, and far more heavy then hers she imagined. "We shouldn't go in. We cannot risk being stuck inside this Temple if something bad happens," she replied, moving her head towards the trees once again.

Suddenly a loud and ugly roar burst through the forest piercing the Sky. The trees at the border of the clearing shook violently as a monstrous figure lumbered into view. Vayrin's eyes widened and her stomach yanked. She had never seen a beast like this before. The Monstrous creature was tall and fat. It's orange skin was only slightly covered by a large metal helmet on its head, and cloth undergarments stuck together by a fixture that looked like a cow skull above its short fat legs. It's eyes were completely yellow, except for the small black round pupil in its center. And she could tell by the looks in them it was angry. Its cheeks were fat and in between them lied a small mouth, with tiny fangs sticking out. The creature had two long arms, each holding two different items. In one, a giant square Iron shield, and in the other, a long and jagged spear.

Vayrin thought back of her knowledge on the creatures of Hyrule. She could not place a specific name on this one, but it was definitely some type of Moblin. The Moblin had been jerking its head around sniffing the air, looking for what she could only assume...Was them.

Ni'Ran had always hated Moblins. The lumbering giants were easy enough to fight if you could get and stay behind them, but their layers and layers of blubber stopped all but the sharpest of swords and their own weapons hurt like hell if they hit you. Not to mention that the stench always sent his head spinning and the blood was a nightmare to get out of his feathers.

But more importantly, as long as it patrolled the area, they could not safely leave their cover. Moblins were often accompanied by groups of Bokoblins, marginally smarter and much, much faster creatures. If those swarmed them and slowed them down... He glanced at Vayrin again. "Moblins rarely travel alone," he whispered. "I could try to take this one out, but it'll be dangerous and I do not want you involved." He turned to look inside the temple. Vayrin was right, of course- being caught inside it would be bad. Still, he maintained that it would be the safer option. It offered more cover than staying outside did, and once inside they could use its corridors and chambers to escape the beast.

"Do you sense anything inside the temple?" he asked, knowing that some Hylians were capable of sensing danger. It was an ability he would very much like to have, himself, but for now she would have to do it. "If it's safe in there, I would very much like to use it to our advantage. We can't leave our cover without thinking now." The Moblin inched closer, not being distracted by movements or sounds around it. It really was fixated on their scent, then.

She gazed at the lumbering creature, then turned to temple entrance. Its long dark stairway did not reassure her it was their safest option, but they were running out. She napped her head to Ni'Ran, her eyes drained of confidence. "Well, by this point the Temple is our only option, if we try and run the creature will spot us. It's brethren will soon follow...So right now is not the best time to rely on whatever it is I sense inside..."

She leaned against the pillar and slowly peeked out from behind it to look at the Moblin. She then snapped her attention back to Ni'Ran. "I have an idea to make sure it won't follow us...But we won't be able to come out this way again.." She then nodded her head upwards, gesturing to the roof of the structure. Its old stone was cracked and withered. With enough force it could come toppling down...

He followed her gaze, immediately understanding what she was getting at. His mind ran a million miles an hour, weighing their options. There was one huge problem with Vayrin's plan: They did not know if there was another way out of the temple. Still, it was a safe assumption, and if worst came to worst, he had the Shield Breaker at his disposal to create an opening... He checked his pack quickly. "I have rations for a few days," he said, "And it certainly beats being eaten by a Moblin. Go for it."

Slinging his pack back over his shoulder, he hurried down the steps that led into the temple. He had not sheathed his sword, intending to clear a way for the girl, and made sure to find a balance between speed and silence so as not to alert any monsters inside to his presence. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was met with a corridor lit by blue, bioluminescent mushrooms, making the stone appear a pretty shade of green-blue. He scanned the immediate surroundings, seeing only a handful of Keese hanging from the branches that popped out of the ceiling and the walls. "It's safe," he called up the stairs, "Hurry."

With those words, she ran to the edge of the steps. Vayrin then quickly pointed her sword towards the cracked withered roof. This was probably a bad idea...She did not know if there was another way out...

"GRH?" Oh no....Vayrin quickly gazed at the Moblin which had been staring directly at her....She realized her current position did not provide much cover. The beast let out a roar. And began lumbering as fast as it's legs could carry it towards her. She was out of time to think. She mumbled something under her breath, and her sword started to give off a dark aura. Black fog began creeping up the blade and condensing into black orb spinning on the edge of her weapon.
She grunted as her feet and her body lunged forward, stabbing the air towards the roof. The ball immediately detached itself off the edge of her weapon and began flying towards the structures ceiling. The orb hit with just enough impact it seems..the old buildings roof began to creak and groan. She snapped her head back towards the Moblin...It was clambering up the steps, spear in hand. Old stones began falling from the ceiling. She turned around towards the entrance. Vayrin then dove into the dark tunnel as dust and boulders could be heard crashing behind her as she rolled down the steps. The scream of the Moblin could not be heard over the rocks...All Vayrin saw was a spinning staircase...Then darkness.

Ni'Ran didn't hear anything aside from the huge ruckus when Vayrin presumably collapsed the roof of the entrance. He looked at the staircase, waiting for the girl to come down... and good thing he did, too, for she did come down. However, as opposed to running, she came falling down the stairs. "Oh shit," he swore, "Vayrin!" He leapt over to the stairs, catching her before she would hit the ground. She was unconscious and bruised from her fall down the stairs, but alive and not severely injured. She must have gotten to the roof before the Moblin had gotten to her. "This was not what I had in mind when I said 'hurry'..."

He put her down gently, sitting down next to her cross-legged with his arms draped over his legs. He couldn't go deeper into the temple without her. This place was obviously cooler and less sweltering than the Dragon Roost Cavern, but other than that, it took him back. He would not let Vayrin out of his sight. He would be damned if he let this girl suffer the same fate as he had.

"Cough! Cough!" The Hylian's eyes slowly began to open. Her hair and face were covered in dust. "Ugh...." Vayrin slowly leaned up shaking her head. She looked around the room. The place they were in was lit by bioluminescent mushrooms that grew on the ground and walls. Vines had breached the stone structure's borders, snaking around it and onto the floor. She then turned to see Ni'Ran sitting beside her. "We won't be worrying about that Moblin anymore..." she chuckled.
She then proceeded to shake her head vigorously, getting all the dust off of her. Vayrin then looked ahead of them, the staircase continued to twist downwards, to a destination she could not see. "We should continue." She said not taking her gaze off of the staircase. The sooner they got moving, the more confident she would feel that she didn't kill both of them by trapping them inside the temple. They needed to find another way out...