Wing Dungeon [Darth Panther]

Wing Dungeon
- Nevelle Lumina, Light-Infused Child of Twilight (2/4/4 Twili) [Blonde Panther] Reward: Holy Bolt + No Instrument Required, +5 Rupees.
- Judith Vilcaron, Acolyte of Nayru (1/5/2 Hylian) [Darth Slaverus] Reward: TBD

Had the rain finally let up? Nevelle held out a hand to feel. When after a few seconds, no water drops had touched it, she sighed in relief, raising it along with the other to lower her cowl. She'd been wandering a small forest not far from Lon Lon Ranch when she had been surprised by rain; fortunately, it had only been a light shower, nothing her mantle couldn't protect her from. She was glad for it- rain meant the sky was overcast, shielding her from the sun's rays. And the shower only having been light meant she could stay outside for a while longer.

She quite enjoyed being in forests. A forest had been the first biome she had ended up in when she had somehow been brought to the World of Light, and where she had met her saviour and mentor in the language and culture of this world. Forests felt comfortable, familiar, and safe to her. But there was more to it, this time. An unusual kind of pull. As if something tugged on her mind, compelling her to keep wandering the forest with purpose. She knew exactly where she wanted to go, even if she didn't know what she would find there.

As she emerged from a grove, she knew she was where she needed to be. In front of her stood a large structure, roughly hewn from stone. She didn't need to think twice- this was what she had been looking for. But why? Was there something inside that would help her? And how had she known it was here? Treading carefully, she started to walk towards the gaping entrance to the structure.

When the downpour finally ceased, Judith took a moment to consult her map, withdrawing the vellum trail guide from her pack and going over her route once more. Cartography was not her strong suit, but near as she could tell, she was on the correct path. Satisfied that she was not hopelessly lost, the young woman sighed as she folded up the document and returned it to her knapsack. Had the elements cooperated, this might have been an idyllic hike, the sun on her skin and the sound of crunching leaves beneath her feet. Instead, the gloomy weather seemed to reflect the solemnity of the task she had been assigned.

A few days ago, an ominous note had been discovered on the doorstep of the Cult's Castle-Town headquarters, urging the Archcanoness to "Beware the Oracle of Ages." Of course, Judith and her Sisters had been inclined to believe the message was nothing more than a hoax, a childish prank devised by some irreverent scoundrel to annoy their most sacred leader... until a reference to an "Oracle of Ages" had been found in the Cult's most secret archives. That was information that no civilian could have known, and thus the Archcanoness had immediately opened an inquiry into the matter, delegating various congregations to pour over their grand libraries in search of anything which might shed further light upon the meaning of the strange warning.

So far, all that was known for sure was that the Oracle of Ages was a title employed by the ancient followers of Nayru, which had long since fallen into disuse. Details about what responsibilities the position entailed, as well as records of individuals who had held the office, were curiously absent, and already many Sisters had begun to whisper that perhaps the archives had been altered. Still, although mentions of the Oracle of Ages were frustratingly vague, a few possible leads had been established. One among them was particularly relevant to Judith herself: According to a dusty old tome the clergywomen in Castle-Town had found, an Oracle of Ages had once set foot in a holy site located in a small wood southwest of Lon Lon Ranch. The spot was known to some of the older sisters; it housed a small temple that had been abandoned generations ago.

As the Sister closest to the dilapidated shrine, Judith had been selected to investigate it. Eager to do her part in unraveling the mystery, she had wasted no time in acquiring the necessary supplies before setting off at once. Admittedly, neither she nor her superiors held much hope that this lead would turn up anything... The site would likely have been picked clean by treasure hunters years ago, and indeed Judith suspected the Archcanoness would have sent someone else if she had thought there would be any real danger. But she was just glad to be of service, and maybe, just maybe, she would make a breakthrough in the case.

The priestess continued to walk for several minutes, stopping at regular intervals to ascertain her exact location, until at last she arrived at her destination. Finding herself in a diminutive clearing, Judith spied a crude stone building that looked like it had seen better days... and then realized she was not alone. There, directly in front of her, was a black-cloaked figure, its back turned as it slowly approached the structure. Long, flaming red hair spilled down its back, even longer than Judith's own. A woman?

Judith gulped. She had not discounted the possibility of encountering brigands in her journey, but that did not mean she wished to face any. Normally, she would have stayed silent and allowed the figure to move on unmolested, but it seemed she also had business in the temple... Judith had no choice. It would be best to learn the stranger's intentions right away. If there was going to be a battle, it would be out here, on her terms.

"H-Hello?" Judith called out warily, taking a quick step forward. She readied her staff- one quick flick of the wrist would be all it took- just in case.

Nevelle whirled around when she heard a feminine voice calling out behind her. It had been a Hylian greeting she'd heard, but the tone was completely inappropriate for the word; it sounded uncertain and unfamiliar, not to mention she'd never heard the voice before. Behind her stood a Hylian woman, seemingly not much older or younger than Nevelle herself, dressed in white-and-blue robes. She held a staff aloft, and while she was hardly a threatening figure, Nevelle could feel magic swirling around her and clenched the hand on which she wore her Shield Ring.

She had foolishly not pulled her hood back up before turning around, and her identity was plain to see. The girl in front of her looked surprised, so she hadn't been exposed to Twili before. What would she do? Would she attack her in fear? Nevelle took a step back, stabilising herself mentally. "H-Hello," she said, her accent clearly audible but hopefully not making her impossible to understand. "What are you doing here?"

Had Ganon himself dropped out of the sky at that very moment, Judith Vilcaron would have been less surprised than she was when the cloaked woman turned around. The young priestess' heart skipped a beat, utterly stupefied by what she saw.

"Y-You... Y-You're... Oh my goodness..." Pale, bluish-green skin... glowing orange eyes... Could it be? Like most Hylians, Judith had never met a denizen of the Twilight Realm before, but she had read the memoirs of Sisters who had dedicated their lives to studying the shadowy plane of existence, accounts that, until now, she had always been skeptical of. After all, there were no known means of travel between the two worlds, so how could one truly know what the Twili looked like? Furthermore, Judith was no stranger to fabricated sightings of the enigmatic race... She'd heard of circuses taking advantage of their exotic appeal to make a quick rupee, disguising one of their own with a copious amount of make-up and presenting them as a 'Twili.' And yet... the woman standing before her matched every description she had ever read of the Twilight Realm's native inhabitants. And considering her strange accent... Barring a powerful illusion at work, Judith felt certain she was dealing with a real Twili in the flesh.

Struggling to think of an appropriate response, Judith flushed in embarrassment. Being confronted with such otherworldly beauty had left her at a loss for words, and now she was brimming with curiosity and excitement... But she was making first contact with an intelligent species! Initial impressions were vital; too many questions and the Twili woman might feel overwhelmed and flee! This was a golden opportunity to learn, she couldn't afford to squander it! Of course, she couldn't forget her duty to Mother Nayru, either...

And the woman was still waiting for a reply.

Cursing herself for her hesitation, Judith slowly tucked her staff into her sash, then raised her hands to indicate she was harmless. "F-Forgive me. I am Judith Vilcaron. I am a priestess of the Goddess Nayru. I am... investigating this area, and I mean you no harm. Wh-What is your name?" While it amazed her that the woman could speak the Hylian tongue at all, the priestess wasn't sure how complete her grasp of the language was, so she kept her sentences simple and tried not to speak too quickly. She took a step forward, praying she would no longer be seen as a threat.

In the back of her mind, Judith knew that this meeting was no coincidence. A Twili wouldn't just appear out of thin air... She had stumbled onto something big, here. All the more reason not to upset the mysterious woman, as there was the distinct possibility she knew something of the Oracle of Ages.

Nayru... Nevelle vaguely recalled the name. Her mentor had expained to her that the World of Light had a widespread belief in three powerful female gods; Aspects of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, apparently. He had been more involved with the goddess of Courage, known by the name of Farore, himself, because she had guided his feet and his arrows. This woman, with her white and blue robes, was apparently a follower of the goddess of Wisdom... who he had often connected to Nevelle as well. Apparently, her magic and her mutation to allow her to use light in addition to shadow were more related to Nayru than to any of the other goddesses.

"Y-you must not fear me either," Nevelle said, trying not to warble the sounds of the Hylian language. Twilit relied on warble to differentiate its sounds from one another, and her vocal chords were accustomed to it, but the Hylian tongue only became impossible to follow if warbled. Still, that made her speak slowly and it made her throat hurt a little. This language was so strange. "I was drawn to this place, and wish to examine its insides more closely." She placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Nevelle."

Well, if the priestess wanted to investigate the area and Nevelle insisted on going inside the structure to examine its insides, then their ways would part here immediately. Nevelle nodded at her, before turning back around and continuing her path into the ruin.

Oh no! Had she offended the Twili? After briefly outlining her own purpose for being here, the newly introduced Nevelle had turned and begun to walk away. There was something disturbing about the way the Twilight-born woman had described her attraction to this place, and Judith wasn't about to let it go. She dashed forward, calling out to get Nevelle's attention.

"W-Wait! Please wait, Miss Nevelle! What did you mean when you said you were 'drawn' here?" Already theories were brewing in the young acolyte's head, none of them pleasant. For a Twili to be compelled to approach an area... A massive buildup of Shadow-aligned magic would do the trick, she reckoned. This world of light would be unspeakably inhospitable to those of the Twilight Realm, so it was only natural they would instinctively seek out sources of energy reminiscent of their own home...

But in this world, an infestation of Shadow magic rarely boded well. Such corruption usually marked a territory under the sway of a nefarious sorcerer, or worse, a servant of the Dark King. Judith had a bad feeling about this, and part of her wanted nothing more than to hightail it back to the capital to request reinforcements. Yet her conscience and sense of duty would not allow it. If she left, Nevelle would likely venture inside by herself... the priestess did not even want to think about what would happen if monsters were inside. And she doubted Nevelle would acquiesce to coming back to Castle-Town with her, a total stranger, without definitive proof that it was dangerous. Only one option remained.

"A-Actually, I was sent to check these specific ruins. They might not be s-safe. You should wait outside, at least until I make sure they are secure." Judith implored the Twili, wringing her hands as she did so. She wasn't keen on facing whatever lay within alone, but better her than an innocent. She would go in, find her evidence, and vacate the premises. If her fears were unfounded and the shrine was empty, great.

If not... She wouldn't have to go too far in.

"Secure?" Nevelle halted, looking back in confusion. She had never felt more secure in the World of Light than she did right now, in the presence of a familiar kind of power. "It should be. The shadows do not feel strange." She took a few more steps, less confident now, as she looked at the structure once more. "They are cool. Inviting." She could just... curl up and sleep right now, and be none the wiser, or feel no more threatened than a goldfish in its bowl. Which was rare on this side of the veil. Still, if the woman was sent to investigate... well, it wouldn't be the first time this world and her own varied in moral, aesthetic, and magical judgment.

"I vaguely recall... Light-dwellers such as yourself do not thrive in shadows like we do. Might you be... I do not know if there is a word in the Hylian tongue... unobjective in your judgment?" She shook her head. "If you insist on going in to investigate, take me with you. You do not know the shadows as I do- I can better judge them."

Talk about culture shock! While Judith could hardly blame Nevelle for being in the dark about the historical context behind her distrust of Shadow magic, she found it hard to believe the woman wouldn't think an enclave overflowing with Shadow to be just a tad too convenient. Were their roles reversed, the priestess would surely have suspected treachery... Were the Twili healed by such energy, and harmed by the light? If so, would her Rejuvenation spell work on Nevelle? Once again, a million questions bubbled in the back of her mind, but now was not the proper time to ask them.

One thing WAS clear, though... Entranced as she was by the darkness, Nevelle would be very difficult to persuade. How could she explain her trepidation without seeming prejudiced against beings born of Shadow?

"Perhaps we of Hyrule are indeed biased," Judith finally conceded, "But experience has taught us to tread with caution in these matters. You must understand, there are certain individuals in this world who use Shadow magic to evil ends. As a result, it bears a terrible stigma among most cultures. Few are those who embrace the dark with benevolent intentions, for such spells are most often used to maim, debilitate, and kill... I-In this world, I mean!" Faltering, Judith blushed and looked away. She had realized after the fact that she had been using far too many intricate words to communicate her message, considering Nevelle's fledgling grasp of the language. Even if she had gotten the general gist of it, the priestess was convinced the gravitas of her expository speech had been lost in translation.

"In short, few friendly folk use Shadow magic in Hyrule." Judith concluded, hoping that the simplified statement did not come across as condescending. She paused, her toes fidgeting in the dirt, before raising her gaze to meet Nevelle's.

"Still... I w-would w-welcome your company. You are not wrong when you say you know the shadows better than I. Forgive me, I... I just don't want someone I just met to get hurt because of my own negligen- err, carelessness. E-Especially not a new arrival to our world! Rules of h-hospitality, and all th-that!" Managing her best cheery smile in an effort to seem approachable, Judith held out her hand to Nevelle. "C-Can you defend yourself?"

Truthfully, despite her earlier warning, Judith was glad that Nevelle wanted to accompany her. The Twili were rumoured to be highly competent sorcerers... If Nevelle could live up to even a quarter of the fanciful stories regarding the Twili's proficiency for magic, it would go a long way toward assuaging her concerns over exposing her to danger. On top of that, Judith feared that if she let Nevelle out of her sight for even a moment, the Twili woman would wander out of her life forever. What a blow that would be, both to her own education and the academic community at large!

It was quite a conundrum... She knew she would regret it forever if she didn't take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn more about the Twili, but nor would she ever be able to forgive herself if something happened to Nevelle on her watch. Mentally beseeching Nayru for guidance, Judith resolved to guard the Twili woman with her life, and trust that her Goddess would extend Her protection to her as well.

Nevelle nodded. "I can agree to that." When the Light-dweller asked if she were able to defend herself in case of emergency, she smiled, clenching a fist with the hand on which she wore her Shield Ring. Immediately, the thin shield of light came into existence. "I can use a few cantrips, yes." She didn't add that her magic was limited- she had been studying applications for both types of magic she mastered, but had yet to master most of them. However, she was more than capable of defending herself if need be, and removed her ring to reset it as she walked into the structure.

At a first glance, there was nothing unusual about it. Beyond its entryway, there was a large entry hall hewn from greyish yellow stone, with a warm, sandy floor and quite elaborate statues of various large birds framing a path down the middle. Nevelle walked in, followed by the Light-dwelling priestess, looking around. The shadowy presence was still here, and she shut her eyes in an attempt to locate its source. "I believe it is-" she was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise, seemingly originating from everywhere around them. She turned around, looking back to the entrance, only to see it collapse.

"Oh no!" she cried, taking a step back so she wouldn't be stuck by potential debris. Their way out was rapidly disappearing.

So she was a mage! This was heartening news, for it meant that Judith already had something in common with Nevelle. Mutual interests facilitated friendships like no other. She wondered what the Twili woman knew of her Goddess. To use magic was to commune with Nayru, and to even embark on the path of arcane mastery required both a studious mind as well as spiritual fortitude... qualities the Hylian priestess admired. Maybe she could impart some of her own Wisdom in exchange for information about the Twilight Realm... assuming they got out of this alive.

On that front, however, Judith was considerably less worried. If Nevelle was a Twili sorceress, Nayru would surely look fondly on their endeavour, for two mages were exponentially more powerful than one. Ordinarily, she might have demanded more proof of Nevelle's capabilities, pointing out that an enchanted trinket such as her Shield Ring carried no guarantee that she was personally proficient in the art of magic, but Judith did not want to antagonize the Twili and so decided to take her at her word.

... Besides, how could she say no to an earnest smile like that?

Hastening to walk alongside Nevelle, Judith entered the ruins just behind the Twili. Once inside, she took stock of the immediate area, her staff primed to unleash a Magic Bolt at the first sign of trouble. The old shrine's interior was nothing like she'd imagined it to be... Sandy floors? A plethora of bird-themed statues? The priestess did not understand the significance of this avian imagery as it related to Nayru, believing it to be something more suited for a temple of Farore, but she reasoned if an Oracle had truly paid this ancient place a visit, there must have been some hidden link she was unaware of. The answer, she suspected, was likely rooted in the past. Could it have something to do with the dark aura Nevelle had sensed? Judith looked to the Twili, who had shut her eyes and was attempting to determine where it was emanating from.

Unfortunately, just as the woman seemed to be on the cusp of reaching a conclusion, Judith felt the ground begin to vibrate underneath her feet, which quickly erupted into a violent shaking that engulfed the entire room. An earthquake?!

"Get down!"

Without waiting to see if Nevelle would heed her advice, Judith became more acquainted with the sandy floor as she dove headlong into it, covering the crown of her skull with her hands to protect herself from any falling debris. After a brief moment, the tremors subsided, but as the priestess opened her eyes and rose from the sand, she saw what had happened.

"No," she breathed. Where once there had been an entryway, there was now an insurmountable pile of rubble, cutting the two women off from the outside world completely.

It was too perfect, Judith realized grimly. It was not by mere chance that the collapse had sealed them within the entry hall... It had been triggered by their arrival. This was a set-up. A trap. But for whom? Glancing nervously at her companion, she gulped. Her? Or Nevelle? Neither interpretation could be classified as anything but sinister, and she shuddered to think of what might have happened had she not hurried to catch up to the Twili...

To make matters worse, Judith heard the sound of scuttling feet coming from the opposite end of the chamber. They were no longer alone. Attracted by the noise of the collapse, a trio of Spiked Beetles had crept into the hall to investigate. The priestess was no entomologist, but she knew enough to recognize the serious danger she and Nevelle were in. The prickly creatures were extremely territorial, and were known to aggressively charge much larger beings in defense of their nests. And as if that weren't sufficient reason to qualify them as a threat, their armoured blue shells rendered them nearly impervious to conventional weaponry.

With little hope of evading the beasts, Judith resigned herself to the fact that she would have to make a stand with her magic, or die.

"M-Miss Nevelle... G-Get ready to use that Shield Ring of yours."

"Y-yes," Nevelle said, eyes wide at the sight of the quadruped little beasts who seemed to be mindlessly meandering around the room until they had spotted the two intruders. Immediately, they shuffled their feet, only to start charging towards them. Nevelle hurried, calling her shield into existence and using it to protect herself from the first beetle as it collided with her. It clanged loudly on the light and she pushed it away, mystified. Creatures like this didn't exist in the Twilight Realm. And they had to be native to indoors environs, because she'd never seen any in the World of Light before, either. "They're beautiful, are they not?" she asked the priestess, marvelling at their colours. The blue of their shells was a hue she wasn't used to- in the Twilight, only the greenish blue like the lines on her arm existed.

When it charged at her again, she once again interposed her shield, but when the beetle was pushed back she used her free hand to designate a line under it. Immediately, beams of light shot up from the ground, the force of them tearing open the beast's belly and flipping it onto its back. It was such a shame, Nevelle thought, for something so beautiful to have to die. But it was so aggressive...

Bracing herself as the second of the belligerent beetles rushed toward her, Judith dropped into a crouch and cast Nayru's Affection, throwing her arm out just when impalement seemed imminent. She had read that many adventurers employed shields to deadly effect when confronted by a stampede of these beasts, using the beetles' own momentum to flip them over and expose their soft underbellies. But with no mundane shields in sight, it fell to magical ones to carry the day... which suited Judith just fine.

The tried-and-true technique proved its efficacy as the Spiked Beetle lunged at her, colliding with her arcane barrier and consequently being repelled with such force that it was knocked onto its backside, its stubby legs kicking wildly as it struggled to right itself. Her fervent belief that brute strength was no match for the raw might of sorcery thus validated, Judith followed-up with a casting of Ice, propelling the summoned orb into its unguarded underside, whereupon the shards produced from the resulting impact did the rest, tearing deep into the beetle's vulnerable flesh. Its flailing movements slowed, then stopped altogether.

At the same time, Nevelle dispatched the Spiked Beetle that had attacked her with a blast of... Light magic? What on earth?! Why would a Twili-

She wasn't able to finish processing the thought, though, as her companion turned to her, remarking on the beauty of their insectoid foes and asking the priestess if she agreed.

From what steel were this woman's nerves wrought? She sounded almost serene, apparently unfazed by the danger. And as for her actual query... Already Judith could tell that she and the Twili perceived things very, very differently, which was both a blessing and a curse. There was no greater way to learn than exploring a different perspective, but it would make casual conversation difficult, like now...

"Umm, I s-suppose they are... to the discerning eye." Judith opted for a diplomatic answer in order to hide her confusion, not really seeing the appeal of the Spiked Beetles. True, their shells were a pleasing shade of Nayru's blue, but that was where the similarities between Nevelle and the priestess' aesthetic appreciation of the beetles ended. Maybe an expert in the field could find their forms academically alluring, but to her, they were just vermin standing in the way of her higher purpose, sympathetic though their need to defend their home was. She regarded the corpses of the beetles once more, then shook her head. Certainly not the most beautiful things she had seen today.

Curiously, the third beetle remained stationary on the other side of the room. Why wasn't it on the warpath, like the others? Did Spiked Beetles have poor eyesight? Judith didn't remember, but she was thankful for the respite nonetheless. While she maintained that the mind was more powerful than the muscle, she knew that it was fortunate that the creatures had divided their attacks between her and Nevelle. Playing matador with a swarm of Spiked Beetles would have been a daunting task, shield or not.

When Judith cast her spell, an uncomfortable cold overwhelmed Nevelle and she took a step back to be away from its sphere of influence. She had to be a powerful wizardess, to manipulate the temperatures around them so. With a new level of respect for the priestess, Nevelle watched as her Wall of Light phased out of existence, opening up the way for the third and final creature to run towards them if it wanted to. However, it stayed where it was, much to Nevelle's confusion. "I think it is stuck," she said, not waiting for Judith's response before hurrying over towards it. She still had her shield out so she could protect herself if necessary.

It wasn't overly necessary, however. As she reached the critter, she realised its foot was caught in a snare. She took off her ring so she'd have two hands free, sliding it back just in case it would be needed to protect her, and gently pried the foot out of the snare. As she set it down, she heard a little, adorable growl as the beetle moved to attack her. However, Nevelle was faster, calling a ball of dark magic into existence and slamming it into the ground in front of it. She didn't hit it- she didn't have to. Instead, she allowed the secondary effect of the Shadow Ball spell to take effect, causing immense fear in the primitive mind of the beetle and making it scurry off in the opposite direction.

She smiled as she watched it go, finally looking up at her impromptu companion. "Who would hurt such a beautiful thing like that?" she asked.

As Nevelle advanced on the immobile beetle, Judith moved to support her, readying a casting of Magic Bolt just in case the creature had a sudden change of heart and attacked. In the span of the next few moments, the priestess was buffeted by a whirlwind of emotions- At first, she was relieved when she saw that the beetle was caught in some type of vise, preventing it from harassing them... and then she was beset by dread when she considered the deeper implications of the trap's existence. Before she could give voice to her concerns, however, a fresh wave of fear washed over her as she realized her companion was bending down to free the beetle from its predicament. Judith opened her mouth to cry out a warning, but it was far too late.

Fortunately, the Twili was as alacritous as she was mysterious, for no sooner had she liberated the beast than she had weaved a powerful Shadow spell to frighten it off, leaving Judith utterly astonished. Staggering over to Nevelle's side, the Hylian woman tried to organize her thoughts. An adept of both Light and Shadow? Judith's curiosity could no longer be contained. She just HAD to learn more about Nevelle, even if it came at the cost of a reduced awareness regarding her surroundings. But there were so many topics she wanted to pursue, and she feared it would seem rude if she tried to steer the conversation in the direction she wanted...

For her part, Nevelle was still endearingly fascinated by the Spiked Beetles, unaware of the priestess' dilemma. Biting her tongue as the urge to point out that 'us' would be a viable answer arose within her (considering they had slain the other two beetles), Judith attributed the odd nature of the Twili's question to her unfamiliarity with the Hylian tongue. Why would she ask something to which the answer was so obvious? No, more likely, Nevelle had meant to inquire about the identity of whoever had planted the snare, which seemed a far more plausible interpretation of her words.

"Other people..." Judith replied, recalling the implications she had been pondering not mere moments ago. "Other intelligent beings must be here. This is a man-made contraption." She paused, rolling her shoulders. The device was clearly akin to something a woodsman or hunter would use, but for what purpose had it been set in these ruins? "Watch your step. Where there's one of these, there are many." The priestess gazed pointedly at her bare feet, knowing that such traps tended to be deployed in bulk. She prayed nothing like a bear trap awaited them; having to amputate everything below her ankle was not high on her list of priorities.

Nevelle's mood sank. She thought that over the course of her stay in the World of Light, she had learnt about its ways. However, Judith's response to her question proved otherwise. Nevelle knew nothing- she had never even heard about these kinds of traps, much less that they apparently hunted in packs. She looked at the snare at her feet. There was a little bit of blood clinging to it, no doubt extracted from the creature that had been caught in it prior. Nevelle shivered. Something so simple as a thread, cutting into flesh deep enough to draw blood? The World of Light was filled with terrifying concepts.

Do you think the person who placed it is still in here?" she asked, getting to her feet. The thought made her nervous- Judith, as well as several people in Lon Lon Ranch, were kind to her despite knowing what she was, but many others would not be. Her protector from the woods had warned her of as much. She sincerely hoped there weren't any Twili traps...

Shaking her head to shake the thought, she looked in the direction the beetle had taken off in, frowning. Yet another contraption exclusive to the World of Light, she assumed. "Sister Vilcaron? If you do not mind my ignorance, what is that?" She pointed at it. In the next room, curious tracks lined the ground, with a single large container on wheels standing on one side.

Try as she might, Judith was unable to determine how long ago the snare had been set, which vexed her to no end. The priestess had bent over to examine the trap in greater detail, but aside from a thin layer of dust that caked the stone floor around the snare, there were no clues to be found. Even that didn't prove anything, really- For all she knew, the 'dust' was just sand that she and Nevelle had kicked up when they had crossed the threshold onto the smooth, paved tiles.

Stepping back to ponder the facts, Judith tries to construct a logical framework from which to pinpoint the snare's origins. Obviously it could not have been placed in the days of antiquity... There was no reason for such a thing to exist in the entry hall of a shrine. Nor did she believe it had been set by a treasure hunter to deter others, for it had clearly been designed to catch smaller animals. Either someone from the outside used this place as a hunting ground, or someone deeper within wanted to keep the local fauna out. She was forced to conclude that the latter interpretation was rather more probable, as she had not seen anything to suggest the presence of trappers during her hike.

"It's possible. Likely, even." Her brow furrowed, Judith responded to Nevelle's question in a hushed tone, as if she thought they were being watched. On its own, she could have dismissed the snare as merely unusual, but Nevelle's presence, the build-up of Shadow energy, and the collapse of the entrance all pointed toward something far more sinister.

And if there were any lingering doubts that there might still be a mundane reason for all of this, they vanished when Nevelle drew attention to the device in the next room over. The sight caused Judith's eyebrows to lower even further, to the point where they were practically hugging her eyelashes.

"That? That is called a mining cart. It is used to move people and things... usually rubble or metal ore. It is faster than walking." Judith explained slowly, striding ahead of the Twili to get a better look. Upon closer inspection, the cart showed signs of rust and corrosion, though the priestess could not discern whether or not it had been used recently. Cautiously approaching the worn transport, Judith peered over its rim to ensure it was empty, which it was, then gave it a small shove. She was rewarded for her efforts with a loud, discordant squealing as the wheels scraped against the track. At the very least, the cart had not been greased in some time, Judith mused in annoyance, clutching her ears.

What could this mean? The track lead deeper into the catacombs, and moreover, the priestess spied a second track alongside the first, albeit without a mining cart atop it. These rails must have been installed after the shrine had been abandoned, but by whom, and why? Could it have simply been the result of a meticulous excavation by an especially driven band of looters? She had never heard of an official archaeological expedition to this site... The alternative, then, was that somebody had constructed an elaborate lair within the depths of the shrine. Judith dearly hoped she was mistaken.

"It looks like it gets dark ahead. I'll need to procure a source of light before we proceed." Glancing back at Nevelle, Judith gestured toward the pitch-black tunnel the track disappeared into. She hadn't forgotten about the questions she'd been meaning to ask the Twili; new information just kept cropping up at an overwhelming rate. Thankfully, raising the topic of illumination would surely be an excellent way to segue into the subject of Nevelle's Light magic.

A mine cart, huh? She supposed that made sense. The Twili had used a similar method of carrying Sol stones out of their mines, although theirs had relied on large floating hands of rock that could carry large piles as they hovered stably across pits and marble floors alike. These.. mine tracks... seemed awfully inconvenient in comparison. However, she supposed that the ground in the World of Light was more stable and universal than it was in the Twilight Realm. She would refrain from commenting, especially since antagonising a native was not a good idea.

When Judith mentioned procuring a source of light, Nevelle nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. My eyes are not what they were." In the Twilight Realm, light was scarce, so when she had first arrived in the World of Light, Nevelle had struggled to see much of anything in the bright light that filled it and her vision had been at it best in dusk and nighttime- which was just as well because those were her mentor's preferred times of day to visit her. However, as she'd spent more time here and her eyes had slowly adjusted to the light, she'd lost her ability to see as well in the darkness. She sighed. If only the rest of her had adapted as well as her eyes had, she thought woefully. "Is there no fire around?"

As she spoke, she studied the mine cart more closely, fascinated by it. It was enormous, and would fit a great amount of Sol stones. That was an advantage it had over the mining hands, she supposed- the hands were stable, but their many-fingered nature made it hard to stack many stones on top of them. Of course, that was why the Twili had employed a lot of them. She supposed both methods had their pros and cons. Although... she pushed against the cart, realising that it was incredibly difficult to move. Apparently mobility was lower on the list of priorities in the World of Light than it had been in the Twilight Realm.

"Fear not. I can provide us with fire... I just need something to bear the flame." Stepping away from the cart, Judith scanned the surrounding area as she spoke, wishing she had brought a bottle with which to store her Blue Fire. Her examination yielded no such tool, but it did reveal why she and Nevelle had not been plunged into pitch-blackness following the cave-in: There were more of the strange bird statues in this room, built into small alcoves in the walls... and their eyes were alight with a pale green glow, not unlike Nevelle's skin. She hadn't noticed earlier on account of the commotion with the beetles, as well as the fact that she had only studied the statues before the collapse, but looking back, she could see that the entrance hall was likewise dimly lit by the busts within. Undoubtedly the work of magic, but was it the result of a spell, or enchanted stones embedded inside their eye sockets? Either way, she would not be able to use them to light the path ahead. The statues themselves would be too heavy to carry, and she doubted she could pry their eyes out. She would have to search elsewhere... and fast, she reckoned.

While she was thankful for their light, there was an unnerving aspect to the statues, too. Judith could not explain why, but they made her uneasy, and she felt increasingly certain that they were not of Nayruite make. They appeared to be humanoid in shape; were they meant to depict Wizzrobes? That would not bode well at all.

Deciding not to comment on the striking similarity between their eyes and her companion's flesh, lest the Twili take offense, the priestess tore her own eyes from the avian sculptures and wandered over to the currently empty railway, whereupon a potential solution to her problem caught her attention. There, near the end of the track, one of the wooden planks had been broken off on one side, the other just barely pinned beneath the metal rail. Although this did not engender any kind of confidence in the safety of the shrine's transit system, Judith immediately realized that with a bit of elbow grease, she could probably pull the plank loose and use it as a makeshift torch.

Taking a deep breath as she put her staff away, she approached the wooden board, seized it with both hands, pulling with all her might.

Which, admitedly, wasn't much.

Her frail arms were already beginning to ache, crying out in protest at this strenuous activity. Readjusting her grip, Judith tugged even harder, but the plank was not willing to surrender itself quite so easily. Nayru above, she must have looked so foolish to Nevelle! Should she ask for her aid? She regretted never devising a spell that would make squeezing objects through tight spaces eas- WHOA!

With absolutely no fanfare, the plank abruptly gave way, causing Judith to fall backwards onto her rump.

"Ow..."

The priestess prayed the poor lighting would hide the blush that had spread across her cheeks as she clambered to her feet, though her embarrassment proved an ideal conduit with which to channel her Blue Fire, and soon the tip of the plank was bathed in an icy blue flame that burned with the same intensity as her reddened jowls.

"Th-There. We have a torch, now." Her task complete, Judith turned to Nevelle. "Between this and your Light spells, we should be able to explore the passage ahead. Though, I must admit-" The priestess tilted her head, curiosity written all over her face, "-I would not have imagined a being of Shadow would be capable of such radiant magic. How is that possible? A-Assuming you don't m-mind my asking, of course!"

Ugh... That was as clumsily phrased as they came. If dying of embarrassment were possible, Judith suspected she would keel over any minute.

While Judith busied herself making a light, Nevelle felt herself drawn to the semi-birdlike statues with their oddly glowing eyes. There was something odd about them, not in the last place because their design was eerie. But more than the stone birds, the glowing blue-green eyes were what drew and held Nevelle's attention. Twili magic often had that colour, too, as did the veins that broke up the white and black on her arms. She reached up to touch one of the gemstones. She didn't know why, she just felt compelled to touch it.

Just as her fingertips were about to make contact with the gem, however, she heard Judith tumbling backwards and drew her hand back to turn and look at her companion. "Sister Vilcaron?" she asked, "Are you alright?" To her relief, the priestess had gotten off with a startle, and successfully used the plank she had dislodged from the tracks as a makeshift torch using cold, blue-coloured fire. Once again, Nevelle was caught completely off-guard by the wonders this world had to offer. She had seen fire before, of course, but it had always been the colour of the Twilit sky- yellow and orange, reminding her of the skies in the Twilight Realm. This fire was much more soothing, the blue colour pleasant to her eyes and more reminiscent of the clear sky in this world.

As they walked, Judith suddenly segued the conversation into a territory Nevelle was uncomfortable with; the topic of her light magic. She was well aware of how odd it was for one of her kind to wield it. She had grown up with that knowledge and somehow apparently fled the Twilight Realm with it. Perhaps it was part of the reason why some aspects of her being were adapting so well to the World of Light. All she knew for certain was that it made her physically weak and it had made her thoroughly nauseous more than once. She shook her head. "I would... much rather not speak about it. Not in the last place because I do not understand it, myself... no one does."

Though secretly pleased by Nevelle's concern for her, Judith was nonetheless somewhat troubled by the Twili woman's staunch refusal to discuss her Light-based magic. Her ally had a right to privacy, of course, but there was something in her tone that suggested a more deep-seated issue was at play.

"Ah... F-Forgive me for overstepping my b-boundaries. I... I m-meant no offense." Judith managed, electing to respect Nevelle's wishes and leave the matter be. For a second she considered offering the Cult's aid in helping her to understand her unique affinity for Light, but she quickly dismissed the idea, reasoning that it could come across as incredibly patronizing under the circumstances... especially since she did not even know the exact nature of the problem. She suspected it was a case of instinctive magic untempered by formal training, but it would be awfully presumptuous of her to treat her hunch as gospel.

Falling silent so as not to bother her companion further, Judith forged ahead, using the light of her torch to guide them onward.

Following the tracks soon led the duo out of the hall and into a massive cavern, where a yawning chasm (the bottom of which she could not make out, even when she brandished her torch) awaited them. Short of flying, the only way to cross the sizable fissure was via the mine cart tracks, which had been laid atop a pair of extremely narrow bridges separated by a lengthy pitfall.

"Unbelievable... Was this really a mine shaft once? It must have taken a great deal of time to excavate..." The priestess gasped in bewilderment as she crouched near the precipice, unable to fathom how the chasm had formed. Glancing in the direction of the tracks, Judith winced as she realized that she would have to tread upon them to go any farther. Those wooden planks promised to be a one-way ticket to Splinterville. Nor were the rails any better in that regard; they would be awkward and abrasive for a hardened boot, let alone an unshod foot.

Ugh... Peering back over her shoulder, she briefly wondered if they should double back and ride the cart to the other side. But no, she couldn't be sure the tracks themselves were in an acceptable state of repair, given the origin of her current torch. The last thing she wanted was to be sent hurtling into that abyss in a rickety deathtrap.

As if to compound the precariousness of the crossing, a flock of Keese detached themselves from their roost among the ceiling's many stalactites to circle the air above the bridges, screeching menacingly. Fortunately, they drew no closer to Judith and Nevelle, but if the belligerent bats were to swoop down and assail the women as they crossed... All it would take was one misstep, one stumble, one minor loss of balance. Judith massaged her temples in consternation, keenly aware of the difficulty this additional obstacle presented.

"I know I said it before, but... We'll need to mind our footing. This is going to be very dangerous, even if we are careful."