The Second Trial of Fire [Sunwell]

The Second Trial of Fire
- Prince Elliot of Dragon Roost Island, Summoner and Tactician (1/4/4 Rito) [Blonde Panther] Reward: Shadow Orb, Summon Weapon+Permanence Augment, +20 Rupees.
- Sister Judith Vilcaron, Priestess of Nayru (1/5/2 Hylian) [Darth_Slaverus] Reward: Shadow Orb, Blizzard, No Instrument Required for Magic Bolt.
- Drake, Rito Swordsman (5/1/2 Rito) [Magnere] Reward: Shadow Orb, Fireshield Earrings, Spark.
Quest Bureau Thread

Dragon Roost Island itself was safe for the moment, with Lord Valoo calm and no evil energies lingering around the volcano. However, Elliot had not been able to go back to his old life- venerated as a hero on the island, public opinion of him had suddenly surpassed even that of his brothers to the point where there were people arguing he should be made first her to the Chieftain rather than last. His family paid those voices no heed and certainly didn't hold them against him, but Elliot had never wanted to be a hero. Anyone could have done what he had done, and it had been his responsibility as a prince of the island.

News had reached the island that another potential threat had come to the mainland, in the form of portals to different dimensions. The description of one in particular caught Elliot's attention; the one describing a swelteringly hot desert, with an oppressive force that made it near-impossible to move. Magmape had been perfectly comfortable in the heat of the volcano, and appeared without notice. Had it come from this dimension? If so, then it was possible that whoever was behind it would send more monsters like it, and Dragon Roost was evidently a naturally suitable starting point. For the sake of the island, the Chieftain intended to send someone to investigate, and for his experience with Magmape and the volcano, Elliot was the one to be sent.

"Do you have the feeling the air here is thicker than normal?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at his companion as they flew. Drake was a travelling swordsman of sorts, native but not living on the island, who had been asked to accompany and protect him on his way to the Eastern Caves. It set Elliot at ease to have another Rito with him, but on the other hand, he didn't know where Drake stood when it came to the hero-worshipping the others same to do.

The camp they had been told to visit came into view, and Elliot landed in front of it, collapsing his wings. "On arrive..." he muttered, before gently touching the shoulder of a green-haired woman who stood with her back to him. "Excuse me, milady. We are the emissaries from Dragon Roost Island; might you be able to direct us to whomever is in charge of the expedition?"

The first moment he was aware Dragon Roost Island was in danger, he immediately flew back home. However, as he returned, he found the situation already taken care of. Some other Rito's had already destroyed a giant lava ape thing. Being the Rito he was, he felt a mixture of relief and annoyance. Sure, the beast was destroyed, but he didn't even get a chance to help. After checking in with his family and making sure they were all okay and uninjured, he immediately tried to volunteer for any jobs available to him. He needed to prove himself to everyone, especially because he wasn't there to assist in the fight. Drake would have relished the chance.

It wasn't long until he found out that Elliot, one of the Rito's responsible for saving Dragon Roost Island, was in need of accompaniment to the Eastern Caves. Apparently one of several portals had opened up down there, and it lead to a strange dangerous realm. A desert in all appearances. Drake jumped at the challenge. Maybe perhaps working with one of the heroes who saved his home would help show just how good he was as well.

His new earrings hurt like hell, but at least they would help him from burning in the desert hell he was flying straight towards with Elliot. Drake's mother insisted he had a pair before he left, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. If he wasn't currently flying, he would have gently massaged his ears again. He was a little bit distracted as his fellow rito asked him a question, but answered anyways. "I assume it must be the tension in the air. "

As they arrived at the camp, Drake stayed silent and in the background for now. While he desperately hoped that he could have lead the party of the two of them, he knew that Elliot already had the reputation of hero, and he didn't. His hand slowly pulled into a tight fist. Drake didn't have anything against the guy, he barely knew him, but he was rather jealous. It was extremely petty, Drake knew that, but it didn't change how he felt.

Life was full of surprises. Judith knew that any true disciple of the Goddess of Wisdom would have embraced this maxim, recognizing it as one of the few fundamental truths of the universe. But even so, she had never expected to visit the war-torn southern half of Hyrule. The horror stories she had heard as a little girl had proven effective at warding her off despite her innate curiosity, and until recently, she would have reasoned that it simply wasn't safe for a junior priestess like herself to travel there, that it would be best to leave the war to the warriors. However, with her kingdom beset on seemingly all sides by endless tides of monsters... She had boarded the first boat to the southern front she could find. Her father had begged her not to go, of course, and yet.... She had to.

There were three reasons why Judith had chosen to risk life and limb in the desert answering General Onox's call for aid. Firstly, it was her duty; the Cult of Nayru had dispatched priestesses to all three of the rifts the monsters were using to enter this world, lending their magical expertise to the Hylian armies abroad. Defending the innocent was Mother Nayru's will, and Judith was determined not to be found wanting in the eyes of her Goddess or the Archcanoness. Secondly, she was uniquely suited for this mission. Between her water-filled Bottomless Bottle and the new ice magic she'd been studying, Judith was well-equipped to operate in arid conditions. And thirdly... Judith had long possessed an intense personal fascination, bordering on obsession, with the Gerudo tribes native to the Tantari Desert. Their exotic culture was unlike anything she had encountered in the North, and this would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn more about it firsthand! Of course, the Gerudo were fighters above else, and might frown on what they saw as 'soft' outsiders invading their privacy... Perhaps if she could impress them with an act of valour, they would consent to being interviewed...

Lost in her thoughts, Judith shuffled from one foot to the other, letting her toes sink into the hot sand. With the military expedition she was accompanying halted, there wasn't much to do. Adjusting the wide-brimmed hat she'd purchased to protect herself from the sun's harsh glare, the priestess glanced at the rolling dunes that seemed to span for miles in every direction. Now that she had seen it for herself, she could tell there was a history to this place... and not a pleasant one, either. So much bloodshed for so little gain... Would the South ever truly know peace again? Maybe the portal was the key to victory in this conflict. If it could be shut, it would certainly bolster the troops' morale, possibly allowing them to turn the tides and achieve more than a tenuous hold on the South... And if she could play an instrumental role in sealing the rift, then she could help ease the suffering of those who had been displaced by Ganon's foul campaign as well as improve the Cult's prestige! Vowing that this would be the case, Judith made a quick prayer to Nayru for guidance.

So absorbed was she in her meditations that she failed to notice the figure approaching her from behind, practically jumping out of her skin when she was tapped on the shoulder. Spinning on her heel, Judith barely stifled a gasp as she came face-to-face with a pair of Rito. The sudden appearance of two members of the strange avian race would have been startling enough, but the one who had touched her carried an even bigger surprise in his words. Reinforcements from Dragon Roost? Was this what the soldiers had been waiting on?

"T-That would be the C-Captain." Judith replied, raising a shaky hand and indicating the veteran knight with her finger. "S-She's right there. I'm just a priestess attached to this company." She said nothing more, unsure of what to make of the Rito's sudden appearance. The inhabitants of Dragon Roost Island were stalwart allies, but they were also... problematic, at least to her faith.

"Thank you," Elliot said, bowing slightly to the priestess. He considered telling her how he looked forward to working with her, but he was not here on vacation or personal time-killing business. Playing around was not an option, especially not now that time was of the essence. The Captain turned around to him as he approached, giving him time for another bow. "Elliot of Dragon Roost Island," he introduced himself. "This is Drake, my bodyguard for this mission. Did my father send word of our arrival?"

"Aye," the woman said. "We've been waiting for you, Your Highness." The Captain shook Elliot's hand and nodded towards Drake in acknowledgement. "Having you around will boost our morale. How much do you know about the situation?"

"Only what was written to the Island," Elliot said. "I know the other side of the portal is a hellish desert and that there's plenty of monsters pouring forth from it. I assume your sisters have been dealing with them?"

"They have," the Captain said, crossing her arms and looking at the cluster of Gerudo Warriors not far from them with pride in her gaze. "Don't worry about the monsters on the way to the portal, we'll make sure you get there in one piece." She turned back, one hand on her hip as she gave them a pointed stare. "But once you're on the other side, you're on your own. Not that that should be a problem for the likes of you, huh?" She grinned, snapping her fingers at the Gerudo. "Oi! Someone fetch the priestess and the other collateral, and bring me those things. The Ritos have arrived, we can get started."

The priestess was a bit of a mystery to him. He didn't have much experience with the church, of any of the goddesses. Nor did he really understand what the church was even trying do. However, he figured that since the priestess was going to be joining them, she would at least be of some help. Based on the blue triangles on her robes, he immediately assumed she worshiped Nayru primarily. Could have been worse, a prophet of Din could have shown up instead.... After that thought, he was slightly thankful she would be traveling with them as well. As she directed them to the captain, he smiled and nodded at her.

Your... Highness? Drake had to force himself not to freak out, and also forced himself to nod back at the Captain. Elliot, the 'hero.' was a son of the Chief? How did he not know this before? Great. Only more of reputation for Drake to be overshadowed with. He would have sighed in frustration if that wouldn't, have drawn stares. Instead, he clenched his fist tighter, trying not to let his frustration show. Just play it cool, Drake kept repeating in his head. No need to burn himself up over it. There would be time to show his combat strength later. Then again, he didn't even know what Elliot could do.

He nodded his head as he listened to the Captain explain the situation. The soldiers would help them get to the portal, but then they would be on their own. His only concern was how they planned on returning after they closed the portal. They were going inside a portal, to a deadly desert of unknown origin, and their only real plan was to just close to the portal. He wasn't feeling entirely optimistic about the situation, but all the more dangerous, the better chance at being renowned as a hero. Sure, risking your life for just a title was rather pointless, Drake knew that. But he also knew that he was probably the most qualified person to go... asides from the 'hero' Elliot that is. He sighed a little, anxious to get this over with.

When the order finally came to fall in with the rest of the auxiliary staff, Judith was only too eager to oblige, due in large part to a mixture of boredom and a desire to see the assembled Gerudo up close. Sure enough, she was rewarded with the sight of a Gerudo combat formation, standing at attention with their weapons at the ready. What discipline... they radiated strength, and not just because of their toned muscles and physically imposing statures. There was a certain intensity to their unflinching gazes that set them apart from other warriors... And when they moved, they did so with the fluidity of an acrobat, their limbs blessed with the perfect combination of power and grace. Small wonder so many of their kind became performers or dancers in the North! If only she could be more like them...

Even as she gushed over her idols, however, other thoughts were occupying the back of her mind. During the short walk over to the Captain, she had overheard several whispers regarding the camp's most recent arrivals... According to rumour, one of the two Rito was none other than the young prince that had resolved the troubles on Dragon Roost Island a short while ago, the same one that was being held up as a champion of his people? Could it be true? Was there really a bona-fide hero in their midst? As a servant of the Goddess of Wisdom, Judith didn't normally put much stock in gossip and hearsay... But these were exceptional circumstances, given that the fate of the world was at stake. She supposed she would find out shortly, especially if it were true. That would mean the pair of Rito were not couriers from a much larger force of birdmen as she had first suspected, but rather a two-man army that would form the entirety of Dragon Roost's contribution to this offensive.

Peerless warriors on one side, a living legend on the other. How was she, a humble acolyte, to even compare, Judith thought glumly.

Quickening her pace, Judith soon stood before the Captain, offering a curtsy in greeting and immediately noting the presence of the Rito duo beside her.

"You called, Milady?"

The 'priestess' the Captain had mentioned had been the one that had directed Elliot to her. The Gerudo gestured to her. "This is Sister Vilcaron," she explained. "We suspect an evil presence on the other side of the portal -this is the South, we always expect evil presences- so we petitioned an exorcist from the North. Sister Vilcaron is that exorcist." She turned to the Gerudo women who had gathered, in varying degrees of armour and weaponry. "You ladies," she explained, "Are to be her bodyguards. I'd sooner see all of you return, of course, but should the choice be between your own life or hers, the correct answer should be obvious. Should you return without her, I will personally cut all survivors down." There was a certain tone in her voice that made it clear even to Elliot; she was not joking. He swallowed painfully. This was one woman he was glad he didn't answer to.

"And lastly, there's these two fine young men." She opened her hand towards the Ritos. "Prince Elliot and Sir Drake have come to lend their abilities to our cause as well. The way I understand it, Sir Drake is a skilled swordsman in his own right, so there will be no need to concern yourselves with Prince Elliot's safety."

"This is correct," Elliot said, nodding in acknowledgement as she let him speak for himself. "Sir Drake will protect me, so that you can focus your efforts on Sister Vilcaron. For those curious, I am a scholar of sorts, and am familiar with the kinds of conditions we will be facing on the other side of the portal, judging from the reports I have been shown. I assure you that knowledge and analysis is not all that I bring to the table, but the exact nature of my magic is best demonstrated when it becomes important." He decided not to point out how extremely limited he was in his summoning. It would lower morale, rather than increase it. He turned to the captain. "I had assumed Sister Vilcaron was here to place a protective enchantment upon us." Veran had done the same when he and Naomi had descended into the volcano; without that enchantment, they would have burnt to a crisp the moment they had stepped inside. That the priestess had an entirely different purpose was concerning.

"There is no need to worry about that," the Captain said, taking a small case from one of her women. "Some of our finest mages have been working on a counterspell for the arid heat inside for weeks." She opened the case, revealing an array of amethyst orbs. Even with his limitations, Elliot could feel the dark energy they radiated. "These are Shadow Orbs. You will each take one with you, and it will protect you from the extreme temperatures. Be absolutely certain not to lose it, because we do not have any spares." One by one, the Gerudos came forward to claim their Orbs, Elliot and Drake doing the same and Sister Vilcaron taking the last one out of the case.

The captain slammed it shut decisively and handed it back to her subordinate. "We will leave for the portal immediately. Are there any questions before we leave?"

An exorcist??? Her, an exorcist? Judith felt faint. She was not so cowardly or unprepared so as to shy from combat, of course, but she had been operating under the assumption that her primary duties would be to tend to the wounded and unlock the secrets of the portal from a safe distance, not charge headlong into it to destroy the beasts at their source! Surely there was another of the Cult more qualified than she in the vicinity? She desperately wanted to protest to the Captain, inform her that she would be a poor choice for a direct assault, but she was petrified at the thought of shaming her Sisters or showing weakness in front of the Gerudo.

Well... She'd wanted an act of valour. Now she had one. Judith counted her blessings, silently promising to be more careful about what she wished for.

Compounding the issue further, the briefing revealed another shocking tidbit that only served to heighten Judith's apprehension: The Rito man who had spoken to her earlier was indeed the esteemed Prince Elliot, saviour of Dragon Roost. She eyed the avian blue blood curiously, wondering just what drove him to fight. By his own admission, he was a mage, which intrigued her... but if he was truly of royal lineage, then he most likely subscribed wholeheartedly to the Ritos' cultural practices. And while Judith would normally have been glad to trust her back to such a formidable individual, she simply could not feel comfortable with anyone who practiced such a barbaric religion.

The Rito belief in Valoo was... To put it nicely, it was blasphemous, heretical, unholy, and bad! Not only did they mock the Golden Goddesses by worshipping a false deity, it wasn't even a CONVINCING false deity! What sort of god dwelt in the world of mortals, as opposed to the Celestial Realm? Moreover, Valoo was hardly unique; Judith had heard tales of other dragons hidden away in Hyrule's darkest corners. If being a dragon was all it took to be a god, then several gods roamed the earth, she mused sardonically. At least the Zoras' worship of Jabu-Jabu could be viewed as worshipping Nayru through a proxy. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, the priestess pondered how an entire species could be so utterly deceived. Discrimination by race alone was the antithesis of Wisdom, and Judith would have happily welcomed a Rito convert, but their ignorant superstition was deeply entrenched in their culture...

"Your Highness, I apologize for not recognizing you when you first arrived. I beg your pardon. I am Judith Vilcaron, a cleric in sworn service to the Cult of Nayru. Although my sorcery cannot rival yours, my repertoire of spells is quite versatile, and includes healing and protective magics. I pray that my mind will be of use to you, and that Wisdom will guide our steps." Judith bowed her head as she formally introduced herself to Elliot, electing not to voice her misgivings. Best to be diplomatic when dealing with royalty... and mages who could likely shred her without a second thought.

Her pleasantries complete, Judith turned back to the Captain, adopting a grave tone.

"Milady, if I die here, I die for my Goddess, and do so willingly. If that should happen, I ask that you do not punish your troops. The South will need warriors of their caliber in the days to come. If my death would stain your honour, then consider purging the desert of this evil to be a means of atonement."

There. The last thing she needed right now was the additional pressure of the Gerudos' lives weighing on her conscience, and from a pragmatic standpoint, losing so many fine soldiers over a matter of personal pride was pure folly. Believing that she had made her point, Judith fell quiet, having no questions to ask. She would have to think on her feet.

Adapt and overcome. That was another maxim the Cult of Nayru often repeated... It was time to put her ability to the test.

A smile spread across his face as the Captain referred to him as a skilled swordsman. At least someone around here was giving him the recognition he deserves. Even though the entire job of protecting Elliot was on his shoulders, he didn't worry. With Elliot supposedly being magic as well, paired with his skill in swordsmanship, it would be an easy task. Granted, he didn't entirely know what type of monsters they were going to have to fight up against, but if it could bleed, he could kill it. As far as he knew, everything living bled, except for those Stalfos and what not... but they weren't entirely alive to begin with. Just kinda, not dead. Drake shook his head, brushing away the thoughts. There would be time for a discussion with himself on the exact nature of undead beings later, he had a mage to protect.

He carefully took the Shadow Orb from the Captain and examined it closely in his hands. Surely the earrings he got from his mother would be enough, but he wouldn't say no to using a powerful magic object to help. He stared in slight awe as the dark energy flowed around inside the orb, if only he was powerful enough to make magic artifacts such as this on his own. He smiled at the idea, but then frowned a little bit. How was he expected to fight with a sword while holding the orb? Surely holding it only with one hand while fighting was just asking for him to lose his grip on the orb. In any case, he looked back up at the captain and nodded, ready to go.

However, he was not ready for the priest, or rather cleric, as she introduced herself, introduced herself to Elliot. As he expected, she had protective and healing magics. He didn't expect much else from the follower of Nayru, but she would be useful. Even if her beliefs were different from his own, he didn't hold that against her. As long as she could hold her ground, and not die immediately, she could believe whatever she wanted. Drake didn't really care about some magical lady in the sky, or wherever she supposedly was, if she could help them, that was fine by him.

Drake almost didn't even catch that she said that her magic couldn't rival his fellow Ritos magic. Just how powerful was he? Surely he wasn't that powerful, otherwise he wouldn't have needed a bodyguard. Drake didn't really consider himself a mage, but he figured he might as well be one, albeit an unorthodox one. Summoning his blade and duplicating his axes took him quite a while to learn the proper techniques. Even his sword was entirely magical. Speaking of blades, he might as well summon his and show off a little.

Putting the Shadow Orb into his left hand he flexed his fingers of his right. Suddenly his ornate blade seemed to fade into existence, and into his grip. With a smile on his face, he rested the sword on his shoulder and looked over to the noble Rito. "Lead the way."

Urgh. All these people thought he was some sort of exceptionally powerful sorcerer and it made him more self-conscious than he cared to be. It wasn't like he could summon a dragon or anything remotely as devastating into battle. His contribution was very much focused on analysis and strategy. Still, he knew better than to say this out loud in front of all these people who were counting on him. He placed the Shadow Orb in his pouch with his magic crystals, ignoring the soft clinking in the knowledge they were sturdy enough. Drake summoned a weapon out of thin air and with no further questions for the Captain, the Gerudos took their weapons to hand and formed up, forming a loose formation around the three.

Elliot himself did not perform any magic yet, choosing to conserve his crystals until he knew how his body would respond to the world beyond the portal. He wondered how it would be. He knew, of course, that it was impossibly hot and oppressive, but former expeditions hadn't gotten far enough in to conclude anything else. Would the different world interfere with their magic? If so, it was fortunate they were bringing Gerudo Warriors with them. What kinds of creatures would they encounter?

"Hold," one of the Gerudos suddenly said. "Our timing is off." Elliot looked at her in confusion, but before he could ask for clarification, she volunteered the information. "There's a pack of Moblins up ahead. The portal probably just spewed them out. We'll take a while to kill them all."

"Wait. I understood there were teams in place to dispatch the periodical spawnings." The Gerudo nodded to confirm this. "Then it will do us no good to let them slow us down. Priority is reaching the portal and the world beyond it." He reached into his pouch, removing a single crystal while hoping he wouldn't have to waste it. "Kill the ones that matter, but leave the rest to the other squads."

"Yes, sir."

As they set off, it was clear to Drake that this was basically a suicide mission. It was succeed or die trying. Trying not to think too much about the latter possibility, he gripped his sword tighter and trudged off behind Elliot. Hopefully they would see some action soon. That's all he wanted.

It wasn't long till Drake got exactly what he wished for. A group of moblins just got spit out of the portal. A smile spread across his face. Finally, time to do something. Granted, he loved talking as much as most people. But around here, where he clearly was basically hired muscle, he felt out of place. But in there, in the portal, he was going to become somebody, a true hero himself, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.

He spun his sword in his hand experimentally, it wasn't every day he fought in a group of people. So at least for a while, he was going to have to be extremely careful. No haphazardly throwing his sword at targets anymore unless he was sure they were going to hit his targets. No infinitely chucking his axes until he killed something, or teasing his enemies. He had people to protect, as well as himself, and he was going to do his best to do so. Especially Elliot. Unless he was some major spellcaster who didn't even need his help, then Drake didn't even know why he was invited to go along anyways.

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Sorry for such a long wait, life has been hectic.