Woodfall Temple - Kryssie Tyrannith, Brooding Hermit (1/4/4 Kokiri) [Blonde Panther] Renting flying mount for 10 Rupees. Reward: +30 Rupees - Flayre, the Great Fairy of Desire (1/5/3 Great Fairy) [Darth_Slaverus]Reward: TBA Music Woodfall, home to the Deku Royal Family. It was a part of Hyrule that resembled a freak hybrid of a dense forest and an inhospitable swamp. Of course, for the Deku, this was little in the way of a problem as their plant-like bodies allowed them to thrive in these environments. It provided them shelter and protection from the less peaceful races of Hyrule -except for the Mad Scrubs, of course- because the humidity, density, and swarms of insect life were antithesis to most normal lifeforms. Still, for Kryssie, traversing Woodfall was little in the way of trouble. Using her Water-walking to meander around on top of watery patches, her Plague locusts to eat a way through particularly thick foliage, and her sense of where to go to make her way to a fabled location only the Deku Kingdom was supposed to know about. To those in the loop, it was well-known that Woodfall Temple was supposed to hold some sort of immense power, something that could rival that of the Great Deku Tree if used properly. And while Kryssie was no longer the tyrant's prisoner, she would lie if she said that didn't intrigue her. So she had used everything at her disposal to avoid the Deku sentries and make it this far, finally seeing a large, stone structure rise up above the trees. She walked a little faster, hopping off the water to walk on the more solid ground beside it, and rushed to see it. As she reached it as close as she could get, however, she was in for a disappointment. "Well," she said, "Shit." Between her and the temple entrance was a vast expanse of water. And while she could walk across with ease, the entrance was too high up to reach from the water surface. She sat down, cross-legged, and bit the nail of her thumb as she started to ponder a solution to this inconvenience.
Woodfall... A poor man's Kokiri Forest, and the site of her former prison. Much as she loved the beauty of the great outdoors, Flayre could not help but feel that gracing Northern Hyrule's most infamous forest with her presence was the equivalent of going slumming. These woods were dreary and overrun with brigands... and not the dashing, romantic kind of highwaymen she favoured, either. The numerous mortals that resided within the forest had tainted it, despoiling the surrounding flora with their crude camps and hideouts. Aside from revisiting painful memories, there was seemingly no reason for the devious Great Fairy to come here. But every thorn had its rose. In Woodfall's case, that good point was its native Deku population. Isolated from the Great Deku Tree in the south, the Scrubs who dwelled within the Lost Woods were not slavishly devoted to his will, and had instead developed their own fiercely independent culture. A culture, Flayre had been pleased to note, that valued commerce and the acquisition of wealth, training specialized agents known as 'Business Scrubs' to trade with the rest of Hyrule. Ah, Greed... a facet of Desire, and a vice that could be ruthlessly exploited. Moreover, while one among the Deku had named himself king, his rule was far from absolute. They were a people divided, consisting of many different tribes with distinct identities, which made them... malleable. If she could prove herself to be a better sovereign than the so-called king or the Deku Tree, she could potentially amass a large number of converts very quickly. And considering who her rivals were, it was not so much a matter of if, but when. Flayre's only regret was that she had not attempted to ally with the Lost Woods Scrubs earlier, before her capture. Long-lived, skilled at guerilla warfare, disunified... They were the perfect minions with which to begin building an empire. Fortunately, the universe had decided to compensate her for its earlier unfairness, presenting her with a golden opportunity. A bit of snooping around had revealed that the princess of one of the tribes most opposed to the Deku King had been abducted, whisked away by forces unknown to a secluded temple deep in the bowels of the forest. It was for this reason that Flayre found herself in the woodlands, pressing on despite the pedestrian locale. If she could return the princess to her tribe, she could paint herself as a saviour, while at the same time scapegoating the Deku King as the perpetrator, heightening the discord between the clans. Soon, all would bow before her, or die. Discovering the location of the temple itself was child's play- the forest's trees were more than able to provide directions, coaxed by her seductive whispers. She flew above to forest floor to avoid unwanted attention, and as she saw a large stone structure situated in the middle of a small lake come into view, she knew she had made good time. Just as she was about to hover upward to enter the temple, however, something caught her eye at ground level. For a moment she was genuinely surprised as recognition dawned, but her shock swiftly transformed into a smug smile. A familiar face. Today was getting better and better. Truly, the universe itself was looking out for her. "Why hello, Kryssie! You've come a long, long way! I didn't take you as the sort to meditate... though you shouldn't bite your thumb. It's not very lady-like." Flayre descended, her sadistic grin spreading even larger across her face. "Did you miss me?"
Urgh. The one person Kryssie could have done without. "You're kind of hard to miss," she said, not looking up or changing her position. "Your incessant prattling into my ears has not earned you any favours, spirit. I killed my fairy to be -rid- of that." Don't think I won't do the same to you, she wanted to add, but she thought the better of it. She was smarter than to blurt out everything to come to mind. Whether Great Fairy or insignificant spirit, Flayre was much more powerful than she looked and Kryssie had no desire to find out just how powerful. As long as she didn't have the power to make good on her threat, there was no point to making it. Instead, she concentrated back on the temple. She couldn't conjure up a bee big enough to carry her to the entrance, although that would be ridiculously awesome on a whole lot of levels and warranted investigation. Her Wind spell didn't have enough of a backdraft to get her over there. Although, again, this was a concept that warranted further investigation at some point later in time. She sure as hell couldn't jump from the water's surface to the entrance, although she KNEW there existed a spell to do that... "Damn, damn, damn," she muttered. "This thrice-damned temple." She bit her thumb harder, wracking her brain. How was she going to get in?! The solution was obvious, of course- suck up to Flayre and have the spirit carry her inside. But no. Kryssie had her pride and besides, after the stunts she'd pulled last time she doubted the spirit would fall for a facade of subservience once more. Her free hand drew her wand and turned it over and over in her hand. Create a bridge from the water? Too complex and not foolproof. Fly over there? She had no wings. Move the temple closer? Ha, she'd need a little more power for that. Creative options enough, she just lacked the actual power to carry them out.
Bursting into a fit of mocking laughter upon hearing Kryssie's sharp retort, Flayre was forced to shield her mouth with her hand to keep her snickering from reaching an improper volume. By all rights, she SHOULD have been offended by the Kokiri's deplorable manners... but her insults were so feeble, it was impossible to construe the implied threat within them as anything more than a spectacularly poor attempt at comedy. The girl was so terrible at concealing her emotions and desires as to be piteous, and it almost felt like destroying her then and there would be akin to kicking a dog while it was down. Not that Flayre had any compunctions about doing such a thing, but she was in a sporting mood after her recent run of good fortune. "Ahahaha! You always were so fond of your jests, Kryssie. You, killing something?" Flayre gave her hair a toss and cupped her chin in her palm, affixing the girl with her best stare of aristocratic disdain. "You don't have the nerve for bloodshed. As I recall, you left two of your mortal enemy's servants alive when you had ample opportunity to slay them. No, you are nothing more than a gutless, craven little rat, an insignificant speck compared to me, and you would do well to beware of whom you slight. That I should waste my time trying to treat with the likes of you... You should be grateful I acknowledge you at all. And a word of counsel, child: Mind your language! You're easy enough to read as it is, without you uttering such vulgar profanities aloud. I mean, really!" Her scathing tirade complete, Flayre folded her arms, her eyes darting to the temple then back to Kryssie. The girl had let an interesting tidbit slip during her outburst, and the Great Fairy felt she would be remiss not to needle her one last time before she went on her way. "But if you intend to enter the temple, that makes our meeting quite a coincidence! As it happens, I also have business of my own to conduct in there." Flayre fluttered her wings and began to reascend, gleefully emphasizing her coming punchline. "The only difference is, I CAN get inside, while you'll be stuck out here. Perhaps you should consider this a time-out and think on what you've done. Goodbye, Kryssie!"
It was a little surreal, Kryssie realised. She was the one stuck in a child's body, and yet Flayre was the one throwing tantrums when she didn't get her way. "Despite my appearance," she said calmly, "I am an adult. I take orders from no one, least of all from you. If you don't like it, you're free to remove yourself from my presence. I'd welcome it, in fact." Fortunately, Flayre did just that. Kryssie sighed. Perhaps there was a different entrance on a more reasonable height. That was her only hope at this juncture. As she turned around, however, she found herself looking at a large bird of prey. Even among hawks, it was enormous, and it was looking at her. Part of her felt like running away, fearing the Great Deku Tree had finally caught up with her, but she kept her cool. This was a stroke of luck, she realised, and she put her wand away, holding out her hand to stroke the mighty bird's head. "You're friendly, aren't you?" She cooed. "Listen, I need your help. I need you to fly me over there." She pointed at the entrance. The hawk tilted its head as if in understanding, flying up from its perch and allowing Kryssie to grab hold of its talons. As the two soared by Flayre, much faster than the spirit could hover, Kryssie couldn't help but grin. Who was the better person now, spirit?
Were the solution not so obvious, Flayre might well have succumbed to a bout of seething fury when Kryssie zipped past her, astride a mangy hawk. Fortunately, it really was that simple. When curs misbehaved, you whipped them to bring them to heel. For a bitch like Kryssie, this principle was especially applicable. In one clean motion, Flayre 'whipped' out her wand and unleashed a razor-sharp gust of wind in the bird's direction. Hopefully it would blast the foolish creature out of the sky, severing its wings and sending Kryssie plummeting right back down to the mud where she belonged, but at the very worst it would wound, blowing it off-course and giving her ample time to complete her ascent. Ah... this too, must have been an act of providence. What better way to start the day than with the thrill of a deadly race? The pumping adrenaline... The euphoric high of battle, or at least what passed for battle whenever she crushed another insect... It was all so intoxicating! That she was about to half-literally kill two birds with one stone was just icing on the delicious cake of revenge.
Kryssie's euphoria at flying was short-lived when a blast of wind connected with the hawk and sent it reeling, even dislodging one talon from her wrist. "Eek!" They weren't quite at the temple entrance yet, though at the right height, and the sudden buffeting gale had disoriented the bird. Kryssie would have to act fast or drop into the waters below instead of reaching her goal. Fortunately, she had not dropped her wand, and she drew it, pointing it downward and away from the temple, casting a wind spell of her own. She didn't care whether she struck Flayre or not, for retaliation was not her goal. The backdraft from the spell was. Kryssie was small, and the hawk had to be light to fly at all, so the backdraft from the wind spell sent them hurtling further through the air, allowing them to finish their fall on the ledge by the temple entrance rather than in the water. "Are you okay?" she asked the hawk, despite knowing she wouldn't understand his reply anyway, and she sat up to inspect the beast. It seemed mostly shaken but would recover naturally, not requiring any medical attention... although it had folded in one of its wings and seemed unwilling to unfold it again, and cawed quietly as she touched its head. "Thank you," she said, smiling genuinely. "I'll find a way to repay you. And you!" she turned to Flayre, not bothering to hide her anger. "What is your problem?!"
Watching Kryssie frantically fire off a spell in a futile attempt to prevent a crash landing was cathartic to the spiteful Great Fairy, who resumed her climb with a satisfied smirk, humming a merry tune to herself. Granted, it seemed the Kokiri and her oh-so-faithful steed had been dashed across the roof of the temple rather than the disgusting mire below, but that only made their deaths all the sweeter. 'Twas truly tragic, to die so close to your goal, after all! Let Kryssie's fate be a lesson to all who defied her: Undue pride came before a fall. Of course, when Flayre finally arrived at the apex of the stone structure and saw what awaited her there, she twisted her features into a truly frightful expression, her fists clenching into tight balls. As with most developments that did not go her way, Flayre did not take the revelation that her erstwhile minion and her pet were still among the living well. "What's this?" Flayre snarled in frustration, dropping any pretense of composure or niceties. "Not only do you stubbornly cling to life like a cockroach, but you shower that CREATURE with gratitude instead of me! ME! Have you forgotten who went out of her way to free you? Who rescued you from the Great Deku Tree's tyranny? My problem should be clear as day, Kryssie: It's you!" Jabbing an accusing figure at the Kokiri, the Great Fairy continued her tirade, her anger mounting with each word that passed her lips. "You ignore my summons, insult me at every opportunity, and have done nothing noteworthy with your freedom, let alone anything to repay your debt to me. You are not pulling your weight in this struggle, Kryssie, and I grow weary of your insolence and continued assaults on my patience. I am not to be trifled with, child. But if you have such a death wish so as to challenge me, it will be my pleasure as the Great Fairy of Desire to see it fulfilled." Her point made, Flayre turned and floated toward the massive entrance of the temple. Tearing Kryssie apart for her disobedience would have been enjoyable, but time was of the essence, and a quick death was too good for the Kokiri. She needed to find the Deku princess before something terrible befell her... And she wanted Kryssie to suffer. "Now, be a good little girl and stay out of my way. Pray that I am feeling merciful when my task here is complete."
Flayre was sure hell-bent on this Great Fairy stuff. Kryssie scoffed. She'd believe it when she saw it- up until now, the spirit had done nothing any other powerful forest spirit couldn't have done just as well. Well, if nothing else, her tirade confirmed that she had not been interested in helping Kryssie out of altruism. She had certainly hoped to become the Kokiri's new tyrant, replacing the Great Deku Tree. Gratitude was hardly the first thing on Kryssie's list of things to give her for that. A good reckoning was more like it. Still, she held her tongue. Much as she would have liked to point out that the hawk was more noble than Flayre could ever hope to be, or that she talked big only to not finish what she started, she could sense that even if she were to draw her full magic power out, she could not match the spirit in raw power. Instead, she perked. So Flayre had business inside this temple as well, then... she hadn't just shown up to torment Kryssie. Which, honestly, had been a perfectly reasonable initial assumption following her incessant 'summons.' "Wait here," she told the hawk, which tilted its head as it listened to her intently. "I have business inside, too, and if she and I have another falling-out I don't want you to catch the brunt of it." She stroked the feathers on its head before bounding into the temple after the spirit. She made a face as she entered. The strong smell of poison assaulted her senses, and she saw that most of the temple floor was submerged in a purple, thick liquid. The source of the stench, no doubt. Perhaps Flayre would like it, but it was altogether too sweet for Kryssie's senses. Hey, who knew? Maybe the spirit would dive into it to embrace the sickening sweetness and dissolve in the acid. Wouldn't that be a sight? Still, Kryssie needed her own way to get across. Fortunately, there were vines hanging from the walls. She reached out to grab one, testing how well nature had affixed it to the stone.
"Do you have ears, child?!" In an instant, Flayre was right behind Kryssie, her hands placed against her hips in a manner akin to that of a angry parent. Never in her life had she been so blatantly ignored! Perhaps she had been too hasty in deciding to spare the Kokiri. "What did I just finish telling you? This place is not meant for the likes of you. Turn around and leave, right now. Otherwise, if you fancy yourself a monkey and try to traverse this sea of slime via that vine, you will find yourself falling for the second time today. Only this time, you will not survive." There was no doubt whatsoever in Flayre's mind that events would unfold entirely according to her design. One Wind spell would be all it would take to scythe through the vine as Kryssie climbed onto or swung from it, sending it and her plunging into the pungent ooze... The girl was a fool to think her master would overlook her trespass. Speaking of the ooze, though... Careful not to let Kryssie out of her sight lest she make a sudden move, Flayre gave the slime an appraising glare. It exhibited an oddly sweet scent despite its unsightly appearance... Too sweet. As an accomplished seductress, Flayre knew that coming on too thick was just as unconvincing as putting no effort into an act. The smell was clearly intended to mask its true nature, lulling the unwary into a false sense of security. Whatever harmful properties the ooze had, the Great Fairy was willing to wager they would be fatal. Still, even if it turned out she was completely wrong (perish the thought!) and it was harmless, Flayre would give it a wide berth. She had a policy of not immersing herself in strange liquids of uncertain origin. At least the sludge presented yet another obstacle Kryssie would not be able to overcome without her cooperation... Returning her gaze to the insolent Kokiri, Flayre smirked. Having a life in the palm of your hand was a wonderful thing indeed. Would she grovel and beg, pledging her service in exchange for assistance? Or would the girl keep being difficult? Either possibility suited the Great Fairy. She would bring a wayward slave back into her fold... or be given the excuse she needed to destroy the rebellious interloper once and for all.
Kryssie frowned, but otherwise ignored the spirit. That said, if Flayre decided to act upon her threats for once... she glanced at the liquid below them. She certainly did NOT fancy falling into that, and she didn't want to try and see if it would allow her to simply walk over it like water did. Pondering her options, she tugged on the vines again. To her surprise and disgust, they came off the wall almost effortlessly, meaning they would've useless for traversing the liquid by means of climbing across the wall even if Flayre had not been there to tear them off by force. And Kryssie wasn't heavy or strong, but if she could tear them off with little to no effort, then her weigh would easily do the same. However, there was a large hole in the wall behind them. Intrigued -there wasn't really a way for her to progress here anyway- the Kokiri pulled a few more vines away. Was this... Yes, it was! A tunnel, a hallway- name it what you will, but what mattered was that it led deeper into the temple. "Enjoy your flight, spirit," Kryssie said, smirking. "I'm getting as far away from this stench as I can." And from you, she thought as she stepped into the tunnel, drawing her wand and drawing an imaginary line to her back. Soon after, a row of thick, thorny tentacles popped up to block the doorway, hampering Flayre's passage if she had planned to follow behind her. Satisfied with her work, Kryssie tucked her wand away and turned around, jogging into the hallway. To anyone else, the lack of light would have been a problem, especially now that she had closed off the entrance with her own barrier. To Kryssie, who could sense her position in any place she visited, and had the clarity of mind to not run at top speed and crash into walls, however, there was nothing to worry about.
