Snowhead Temple (MM) [Ink, Sinistrari, Cataphractoi]

“I suppose we should.” Faust replied with a wide, playful smile; still not quite finished with getting his fill of laughter at Seven’s expense. He wasn’t the sort to raucously echo his opinion around the room but the sight had nonetheless crippled him enough to do nothing but choke on his candy and watch the child fluster around on the ice.

Coughing back the rest behind a firming mask of composure, the Hylian turned and followed his acquaintances up the stairs without another word. It was a tricky business shifting from snow to ice but his footwear appeared to gain a nice balance between Seven’s troubled stumbles and Tessa’s spirited elegance.

As for what awaited them…? Faust feared – no, expected – more of the worst. His senses itched with trepidation, always paranoid, but he figured that if there was anything even remotely horrible those ahead would scream out a warning way before he was put in harm’s way. He just hoped they didn’t lose any limbs. That would be an iffy problem to solve.

Seven finally made it to the top, standing up proudly.
"Woohoo! I- holy Din what the hell is that?!
A rat-like creature with a huge, round tail was bounding towards him with a malicious grin. His immediate instinct was to leap behind the Tin Woman but before he even realised it Fairy Blue was unsheathed and he was swinging it low, knocking the creature backwards. It landed on its back, squealed, and then made an odd hissing noise without drawing breath. Wait. The noise...was coming from its tail?
"It's like a rattlesnake," he said, stepping closer curiously. The creature's little legs ward in the air and Seven crept closer, grip tight on his scimitar should it suddenly spring to its feed and resume its assault.

Fairy Blue? Why's it hissing?
"I dunno. Poke it."
That's a really bad idea.

Regardless, he reached out to prod the creature with the metre-long length of his blade- and it was this distance perhaps that saved him from immediate death as the creature violently exploded. Without even a yelp Seven flew backwards and hit a wall with a grunt.
"Din!"
He lifted his head.
"M' alright," he groaned. "Ow. Yeah. I'm good."

Fairy Blue, next time let's not poke the monster.
"Agreed."

A burst of raucous laughter emanated from Tessa at the stairs.

"Wow, that seems like something I would do," she managed between giggles and gasps for breath. "I mean..." she collapsed suddenly, laughing too hard to maintain her own balance. Now firmly on her butt, she doubled over, fighting to breath through all the laughing. Every time she almost had it under control, she remembered what happened and the laughter came back with a vengeance.

Layla reached the top of the stairs to find both Seven and Tessa collapsed, and she raised a hidden eyebrow at the sight. She'd heard an explosion, but apparently whatever it had been wasn't much cause for concern. Both appeared to be incapacitated for moment, though, if for different reasons.

"Well, doctor, it would seem your services are already required. You will have to ask your patient as to why, as I have not a clue. I will inspect the room while you see to him."

The sound of an explosion made Faust fear the worst. He had quickened his step with anxious haste, bursting out into a surprisingly nimble sprint up the stairs and whisking right past Layla in the process. Yet the sight which rewarded him struck him off guard. Both of his companions were down, yes, but there there were no signs of gore or blasted limbs. One looked dazed while the other had the brass to kill herself with laughter. They were fine. A fool's luck, I have no doubt.

The doctor released a breath he didn't realise he had been holding and promptly glared both Tessa and Seven down like an angry mother. He came this close to clipping them both around the ear - let alone giving them a bloody good vocal beating - but alas, the Darknut's words spoke true. The wisest course of action was to attend to the more ruffled kid, before which Faust crouched: his face crumpling with disciplined menace.

"How bad is it?" He pressed in a low growl past gritted teeth a chomped lollipop stick.

He was too impatient to await an answer before determining the situation himself, his sharp, angled eyes of black already scrutinising the boy up and down and everywhere. Once that proved inefficient he even got touchy-feely. Any half-hearted attempts to break free of Faust's nursing rotations, prods and twists of his limbs would be futile: only the strongest, most willful yanks would release Seven.

Nonetheless, the doctor soon came to the conclusion that apart from swelling on his upper back and a little on his skull, the brat should be fine. "What happened? I heard something explode."

Seven gave a complaining whine.
“I’m okaayy…” he drew out the word. “Leave me alone, I’m fine. It was some stupid rat thing. It had a bomb on its tail but I- ow!- didn’t realise it was a bomb. I’m fine, really!”

”Wuss,” Fairy Blue’s voice taunted. Seven’s face contorted.
Hey!
“It’s true though. You can’t even handle that little scratch? Please. I’d bet you couldn’t even best a Chuchu with how little you can take.”
Seven didn’t respond, staring at Faust. He tried again to yank his hand back, sullen.
“I’m serious. Get off me, Mr Faust.”

Fairy Blue was right, he thought. He was a metre away, that was plenty space for any decent warrior to jump back. But he had stood there like an idiot and gotten blasted backwards. Seven smoothed down his tunic, playing with a ragged edge, then examined his cloak. A large hole was burned through it near the bottom, and he grumpily unclasped it from the band around his neck. The cloak would need repairing, he decided unhappily. He hated it when he damaged his stuff.
”Boo hoo,”

Seven looked about the room. It was square and high-ceilinged, with what looked like a row of spikes around a wide ledge several metres off the ground above them. In a corner was yet another chest, but Seven ignored it. Let someone else open it. If it was anything good they could argue it out then.

"Yeah that's kind of why it's called a Bombchu," Tessa provided cheerfully. "I mean it's right there in the name! And there's a fuse on the tail! That one's, ah, kind of hard to miss. You...have heard a bomb before, right? You are pretty young, so I guess you just might not have encountered one yet..."

Layla shook her head minutely as she looked around the room. It appeared to be a total dead end, meaning they would need to turn back. The spikes above caused her to suspect there was a way up, but nothing was readily apparent. A shortcut, to be unlocked later, maybe. A concern for later. She stopped at the chest to kicked it, the top shearing off completely from the blow. Accidental, but an amusing feat of strength to share later. The latch was bent, and the hinges were completely destroyed. Those would only be salvaged by a complete reforging, she noted absently. Not that anyone would ever see the need.

"Tessa, I have need of your hands," she called out. While Layla herself could reach into the chest, kneeling in full plate was a chore, and she preferred to save her strength for more important endeavors. Tessa hopped up eagerly, cutting off her comments towards Seven and rushing to Layla's side.

"Oh-ho! What have we here..." Tessa bent at the waist and came up with a wrapped scroll, fidgeting with the string securing it for a moment before unraveling it. One finger traced along the map as she sought their current position, her mind taking in the sheer height of the dungeon in the process. "Ah! Found us! This place is big, wow. Er, right, yeah, it's a map but I guess you probably guessed that already. Wait, how does it even know which rooms we've been in? Does it just like read our minds or something? Creeeeeeeeepy. And how the heck is it highl- nevermind chalk that one up to magic."

She held the map up to where Layla could see it, getting the others' attention in the process and calling them over. She gave them a couple seconds to process the map before continuing.

"Right! So. We arrrrrre here," she said, pointing to a room on the 2nd floor. A quick glance around confirmed that section to be a top-down view of their current room, which was mostly a boring block with a balcony. "Apparently there's a door up there but I dunno how we'd get to it. So I guess that option is right out the door. Other than that...no much choice but to turn around, yeah? On the one hand, dead end, on the other, map. I'll call my guess a win. But yeah no we should go try another door."

That the Darknut could kick open a chest but not bend down to claim the reward made Faust snicker: a much more entertaining sight than the slapped arse of an expression the kid had just pulled at him. But, if the brat was determined to act as a high and mighty adult though then so be it: whatever suited him best. He was in no serious condition anyway, though the doctor honestly at this point just wasn't feeling up to the task of adding more fuel to his aggravated, shamed temper that was all prickles and no damned gratitude. The hassle and risk factors just didn't balance out. Besides, he had left the young Yeti at the entrance for a reason: babysitting just wasn't Faust's thing.

Though speaking of which... I wonder how my own, personal rascal is doing. I bet he's just lapping up the luxury while I sit here in a Freezard's arse with just as unruly a git. The words were harsh but the lopsided smile was anything but. It actually made him feel so melted cheesy gooey inside that when he caught himself in the act of pulling Mummy-eyes at Seven he quickly turned red and snarled.

"But yeah no we should go try another door."

"There was one back in the other room." Faust acknowledged. He sighed at the mere thought of it though when he recalled exactly where it was: it wouldn't just be the kid that'd be all black and blue in a few minutes. "On the ledge. We'd need to jump. But well, I guess that'd only be a problem for me and Seven." Dark, angled eyes of jealousy slid down to Tessa's footwear, and given what the Darknut had showed them already he didn't think he'd suffer either: if anything actually, he might not even have to open a door because he'd slam right through it. Best to let that one go first then.

Without much further thought, the doctor begrudgingly rose to his feet and motioned for them all to leave once more with a very 'ceremonious' jerk of his chin and an expectant look. As much as Faust would have liked to scrutinise the map himself - just to make sure of other potential possibilities - its owner completely put that out of the question. He could barely hold eye-contact with the redhead for more than five seconds (he actually counted), so to even think of getting within that close of a proximity and still be able to concentrate on the parchment was just a ludicrous idea.

Seven scowled.
"I know what a bomb is," he snapped, climbing awkwardly to his feet and holding his arm gingerly. He squeezed it. It didn't seem to hurt TOO badly...probably just bruised, he figured. Just his luck.
Fairy Blue, please don’t talk to me at the same time as someone else. It’s really offputting.
“Boo hoo.”

Ignoring Faust- who had just given him a very doe-eyed look and Seven did NOT like it- the boy walking stiffly over to the two women.
“So, it’s a map, but it’s magic? A magic map? That’s cool, that’s cool. It’s not hexed or anything?”
He didn’t touch it; after the surprise bomb, he wouldn’t be overly shocked if the map had teeth. Probably poisonous ones.

He cast a quick glance at the Hylian doctor before turning back to the stairs they had come in from.
“I don’t think I’m agile enough to jump to that ledge where the door was down there,” he added. “And I doubt Faust over here, with his iron-capped boots, will either. You two might be ninjas, but we aren’t.”

"Wait, what? I have no idea what door you are talking about," Tessa replied in confusion. She scanned the map for a moment before figuring out what they were referring to. "Oh, no, I see it now. Uh, I actually meant we should try another door in the first room where we went right. Though if you're really set on that Layla could probably just sorta chuck you over to the ledge. Or carry you while she jumps it! Either or."

Tessa looked up at the Gerudo woman towering above her, as if for confirmation. Layla thought for a moment and then shrugged, producing a sound that echoed around the chamber they were in.

"I would have to see the chasm to be certain, but you are likely correct in your idea. And think what a story that would be! Not an epic tale or heroic feat of itself, but certainly an exciting component of one! I would gladly provide transport to any who request it, if we choose this course of action."

"Kinda tempted to have you throw me over too. Sounds kinda fun," Tessa put in, grinning into the distance as if seeing the event play out before her. She shook herself hard and turned to the others. "But yeah the other way is probs safer."

"I'm-...not sure...about that first one." Faust scarcely managed, choking the words out of a throat that had tightened with dread. The mere imagery of being thrown by that made him shiver and swiftly petrify for countless reasons. That aside the prompt bite and destruction of his lollipop head - that had occurred in shock at such an offer - had scattered a lot of painful shards down his neck.

The suggested ordeal was sure not to be without its landing pains. While on the other hand his pride swore hatred and damnation that wouldn't allow him to so much as lift his head for the rest of the temple if he did go through with the offer. He may have a limp but he was still a man: and thank the goddesses Faust was still under the wilful illusion that Leyla was a man too.

"The second option then." The doctor readily agreed, still raspy after one or two cringe-worthy grating coughs as he learned how to breathe again. He'd need a new lollipop, and soon. In fact he was already unwrapping a second - this one of a luminous, almost sparkling green - as he started making his way down the stairs again.


(Feel free to auto Faust travelling to the new room with the rest of the characters!)

Seven nodded sagely.
"Well, look at your magic map then. Where does this door downstairs go?"
He turned and looked at the stairs appraisingly, rolling his sore shoulder while he thought.
"Faust here said earlier that the massive blizzard outside was the result of a curse, and you guys came to stop it. Now, I kinda came in by accident, so you're gonna have to fill me in here. How do we stop a curse that's apparently being caused by an inanimate building? Are we supposed to burn the place down? And that Yeti kid's friends, they're apparently in here too. How in Din's name are we supposed to find them in here? Does your map show people?"
"Don't be stupid, Seven," Fairy Blue reprimanded. "A curse has to be coming from the spiritual centre of the temple. The point where the temple guardian resides. You have to find the temple guardian to break the curse."

I know nothing about curses! he said defensively. How was I supposed to know? And why would a temple guardian put a curse around their own temple?
"Maybe something's happened to them. I don't know, I'm not omnipotent,"
You sure act like it.

"I wonder where the temple guardian lives in here?" he mumbled to himself. "It looked huge from outside. This could take hours."
"You're impatient today."
I'm always impatient. Layla- was it Layla?
"Yes."
Layla said that we should go back to the first room we found. Do you think that's a good idea?
"No. The doors down there were locked, I'm pretty sure. I might be wrong. I thought I saw chains. I would have seen more if you didn't insist on covering half of me with that stupid cape of yours.

Tessa was already well along her way back to the entrance, eager to examine the next room. That left Layla with Seven, more out of a lack of speed than anything else. She hummed a note of curiosity as Seven spoke, noting his sudden line of questioning. Why ask such things now?

"We may indeed remain here for some hours. This structure is large, and likely infested with monstrous creatures which we shall be forced to slay as we progress. It may well be that we are forced to examine every room to find what we seek, but such is to be expected. Rarely have I seen an empty room in a place like this. Every chamber is significant in some way, and will be important for out continued progress," she explained in a neutral tone, progressing toward the first room as she spoke.

"As to lifting the curse, a great beast likely resides at the heart of the temple. Slay it, and the curse will break. The battle is likely to be fierce, but we must be victorious."

Sound exhausting, Faust grumbled to himself with a melancholic sigh.

A little bit of complexity here and there to brush the rust off his intellect was perfectly fine, but combined with just how big the place likely was and with a massive battle at the end... Not fun. He had never intended for all of this to drag out. Not like this. In fact, he really wished that he had chosen another day to travel up Snowpeak because then he'd be left perfectly, blissfully ignorant of this whole damned mess. He was sure the rest of them would've sorted it all out in due time whether he was here or not.

But alas. I am here too and there's no turning back now. Though honestly, he had debated making an escape at least six times already. And the excuses only multiplied when he found himself stood before the very ledge he had been dreading the whole time.

"Are you serious?" Faust muttered, secretly praying that at any second now Tessa would return with some good news.

But the Darknut was giving him that look. He didn't have to see his face to know that look, just that silent, fixed stare was enough to communicate his intent. When the doctor did nothing but grit his teeth with hesitant frustration the damned thing started approaching him! Arms at the ready. Metal armour clanking. Any second now he was going to be picked up like a babe and fired off like a circus cannonball head first, neck breaking against the closed door.

"AH!" The Hylian almost screamed. He raised his hands as if in surrender and hastily shook his head. "It's ok, I-...I can do this. Alone. Cheers. Right. Yeah." It didn't take a socially-suave genius to feel his apparent dread as he leaned precariously over the edge of the platform and swallowed a little too audibly. Even from up here he could feel the heat of lava pool hiss against his flesh, all blazing oranges and hungry bubbles. If he failed to make this jump he'd lose more than just his one good leg.

Maybe he should just let the Darknut launch him. And risk breaking my neck too?

Either way you could be breaking your neck really.

So how would you most like to break your neck? With balls, or without balls?

With balls.

Exactly.

"Alright. Stand back, I need to do a bit of run up." The doctor warned, taking a few, exaggerated deep breaths. He tried not to think about how much of a coward he appeared but the shame still stung his cheeks a little. Nonetheless, one step, two step, no wait maybe three, Faust walked backwards as far as the slick, icy platform would allow just in case every bit of extra distance he could fit in would make a difference to his success. Then that was it. It was ready. The way was clear and of course his dodgy, stiff right leg lacked even more feeling than usual: because it wasn't allowed to be easy, right? Not even a little bit?

After a bit more hyperventilation, the doctor braced himself with some inner motivational speeches, spat out his lollipop stick, balled his fists and-! Charged!!!

It was perhaps the most gloriously blundering, comically futile attempt at an elegant sprint anyone had managed. He slipped and skidded. His bad leg hobbled and failed. But somehow, by some divine interference from the Goddesses - or perhaps because he had humoured them - he never once fell over! Indeed, in a few blinks of his eyes he was up and over! Landing with a pound and swerving right through the stone door with haphazard twirls as it raised just high enough, quickly enough, to allow his broken brakes to glide on through. Thankfully the next, intimidatingly massive room was a bit more scarce with its ice and Faust managed to halt himself before a much more lethal drop claimed his life. Because his heart had also lurched into his throat he was saved from making a perhaps very feminine scream too.

Seven stared in disbelief as Faust's disastrous attempt at sprinting somehow actually got him over.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You have a bad leg, for Nayru's sake! How even??"
"The old man is doing better than you, Seven," Fairy Blue remarked.
"Shut up," Seven muttered, looking at the gap. Could he make that? Surely he could. If the old man could make it, Seven should have no problem with it. I'm a fit kid. I can jump that.

Muttering a quick prayer to Din- to Fairy Blue's snorts- and stepped back.
"Don't die," Fairy Blue said. "It'd suck if you died."
"Yeah, got that, thanks," he murmured, then sprinted forward. His boots slid slightly as he pumped his arms, then pushed off at the last possible second. He flew over the gap and landed, slipping back onto his backside for a second time and sliding straight through the door after Faust. Seven raised his arms.
"Yeah! Whoo! You saw that, right?"

Seven's shouts caught Tessa's attention, and she skidded to a stop just past the bridge.

"Oh! Change of plans?" she called out, although no response came. She didn't really need one, granted. With a hop and a skip she headed back over and eyed the ledge, noting the exact amount of space still left there. There seemed enough space for their entire group to fit there, even if Faust and Seven hadn't already entered the next room, but she didn't particularly relish the idea of Layla slamming into her. Tessa gave Layla a little bow and a wave indicating she should go first.

Nodding solemnly, Layla backed up for a running start before launching herself across the gap. Between her Iron Boots and Snowshoe Ring she easily stuck the landing without sliding- fortunate, as her momentum probably could have carried she, Seven, and Faust right over the next ledge and into the lava below.

"Yes, this shall make a great story indeed!" Layla exclaimed upon entering the next room. It was enormous. Describing this room alone would be worthy of a tale!

Without much fanfare, Tessa just sort of walked across the gap and entered behind them.

"And a dreadfully tedious one too at that." Faust latched on in a growling grumble, ignoring Seven's proud glee to instead indulge in some far grumpier spirits. He sighed with incredible weight at the scene looming before them as well as the rest of the group's unfathomable excitement. The dread really had taken root now. He had been hoping that there'd come a point when he wouldn't just suspect that it was too late to turn back but rather know that it was. But fucking Din almighty it's going to take three years off my life to get there. Is there even a bloody point to having this many ledges and floors?

His neck ached as he turned his chin upwards to truly take in their position and fill the full potential of his disgruntled dismay. To make matters worse none of this was going to be easy, was it? "It even looks like some sick twist of Nayru's fate likes to neatly freeze most of the doors, despite more lava, torches and a dry floor." Faust observed bitterly with another sigh.

"At the very least we should try and tackle one floor at a time, I think. That door over there-" His head jerked straight ahead at the yellow frame. "Seems usable. Unless the map gives us any other good ideas that's have a peek through it."

Seven grumbled.
"Trust Nayru to do stuff like this. I'm serious, these goddesses are sadists. I'm telling you."
He looked around the room, mildly annoyed.
"I feel like Faust is the only one around here who actually knows what he's doing," he remarked offhandedly. "Actually, maybe Tin Woman over here does too. But Ginger and I are lost. Please tell me you're lost, Tessa. I don't want to be lost alone,"
"I'm lost," Fairy Blue said suddenly. "You're not lost alone,"
Yeah, but since you're a sword right about now I don't think that you really count.
"Want me to come out of the sword?"
No. They'll lynch me! A random person jumping out of a sword?
"I can go invisible and come around the corner as a butterfly? Maybe a cat, we haven't done cat for a while..."

And how would I explain a random cat popping up out of nowhere?
"I dunno. You sent me in to scout?"
That would only work if you were a crow.
"Aww. I don't wanna do crow. I did crow last time,"
Then fine. I'll say you're a trained cat or something. Whenever you're ready, then, I guess.
"Can I talk?"
I...whatever, it's up to you.
"Yay!"

Fairy Blue sprung invisibly from her sword as a darkly furred cat with an odd, pluming tail; much like the human Fairy Blue's hair appeared, but less vibrant. The feline spirit vanished around a corner as Seven looked back up at his companions, hoping his inaudible conversation hadn't been too noticeable to them.

Tessa shrugged.

"Eh, I'm usually lost. Mostly because I don't care enough to pay attention. Usually works out in the end anyway...you kind of run out of paths to take sooner or later and then bam, there's the destination!" She glanced around the room, taking the insanity of it in stride. No use fussing over it, really. Maybe this was part of the curse, though. Would killing the keystone monster resolve the environmental strangeness of the dungeon, too? It could be a symptom of the problems outside. Perhaps the heat for the lava was being sucked out of the surrounding area, including the ice and rock of the dungeon itself. Like reverse convection, though Tessa knew not the word.

Only one way to find out.

"C'mon steel britches, let's check out that next door," she said to Layla, completely changing subjects. Layla hesitated for a moment before realizing Tessa was speaking to her, and plodded after her with a fake-annoyed grumble.

"I would have you know that my undergarments are just as cloth as anyone else's. Metal chafes," she corrected insistently. Tessa was unsure if the larger woman was being serious or not, but all signs did seem to be pointing at 'yes.' Tessa sighed internally and slapped the next door.

Faust snickered at the Darknut's insistent clarification on the material of his 'undergarments' - a fact worth noting, he joked to himself - as Tessa took the lead and opened up their next oh so lovely surprise: oh yipee, a puzzle...

"Well then," The doctor huffed, deflated. "Now it obviously looks like we're meant to do something very purposeful with a floor so carefully cut out as that one. But-..." He shot a dark, irritated look at the completely 'inconspicuous' two blocks in the left wall. "I'm not even going to try and drag that shit anywhere - if we're meant to, for whatever reason.

"Personally I think we should find another way up onto those ledges, if we can. But I'm not going to object if anyone else-" He glanced not quite so subtly at Layla. "wants to" show off "test their strength on those things."






(((OoC: I feel so incredibly lame writing such a short, crappy post after all this time... My deepest apologies )))

Seven gave a mildly psychotic grin.
"Puzzles! I love puzzles!"
He scampered over immediately to the blocks, examining them from all the sides he could reach.
"I don't think I can move these," he said unhappily.

It was at that point that a random cat, perfectly visible to all in the room, appeared on the ledge above and leaped down to land on Seven's head. Not expecting it, Seven yelped in shock and flailed, throwing both the cat and his beret at the blocks. The cat slammed into the stone with a furious yowl.
"Seven, you bastard!" she screeched. Seven's eyes widened.
"Crap! I'm so sorry!"
He scooped up the sword-cat, who scratched him vindictively on the arm. He barely managed to hold back a scream- bloody Shadow Gem sword-cat scratches hurt. His eyes watered as he offered his companions a guilty smile.
"This is my cat, Fairy Blue!" he said in a rather high voice. "She's feral, ignore her,"
"I'll scratch you again," threatened the cat.