Vapor Trails (Finished)

[titania]

Titania walked through the area known as Castle Town. But things seemed different. No, it wasn't the town that changed. She had changed. Her eyes were opened by recent events. She had a lot to think about. She hadn't been able to gallivant nearly as much as she wanted to. This was her first time out in a while. She seemed less at peace than she wanted to as she walked among the people of the town. She wasn't able to be her free-spirited self as much as she wanted to be. She didn't feel as beautiful as she was, she felt...tainted. She still was beautiful, but she wasn't really feeling it today.

She made her way through the crowds to the fountain located in the center of it all. She took a knee in front of the fountain and began to pray. She spoke softly to herself, but still felt the need to speak, so the message would surely be sent.

"Nayru, goddess of Wisdom, the lawgiver of Hyrule, grant me the wisdom t do what is right for my people, and all the people of Hyrule. And if the worst must come to pass, grant me forgiveness for my transgressions."

[Merik Dragmire]

A tall, thin man with tanned skin and dark eyes approached from the shadows of a nearby alley and knelt beside Titania. He shook his long, wild hair back as he offered his offered his own obeisance before the Three.

"Din, Farore, Nayru, goddesses of the Golden Light, grant the leaders of this land the strength to endure in the dark times to come...and should they fall from your grace I pray that you see them smashed before your chosen." he said quietly before offering up his true prayer.

"Lady of the Sands, mother of the Golden Goddesses, grant your daughters the power to survive the challenges that have been placed before them since time immemorial, and may they finally find the blessing of the Three as others have..."

[titania]

The presence of the wild-haired man with the tanned skin did not faze her. However some of his words were odd, considering the place. She stood up, finished with her prayers.

"Strange to hear a prayer to the desert spirits. Such a prayer is typically offered by the women of the desert, not by a man. Although...you look like you've braved the desert many a time." Though she spoke words she knew, her voice did not carry the songs they normally did. She had her suspicions, but was in no mood to act on them. Having said her piece to the stranger, she continued to walk, her business with the fountain concluded. Her demeanor was not the typical swagger she said, but she just seemed to walk. Her head was lowered, her face not displaying the radiance it should.

[Merik Dragmire]

He stood up and followed behind her, his demeanor completely serious as he tried to puzzle out what was occurring with Titania.

"And what is it that trouble you so m'lady? Clearly something has come about to steal the light from your life, perhaps I could be of assistance to you? I may not be a blessing from Nayru but I'm sure I could help."

[titania]

Titania didn't pay much attention to the man following her. He wanted to help her but she wasn't so sure about his motivations. You couldn't be too careful with men. But he at least earned a response for following her.

She sighed and looked back at him. "A couple of things happened. There's a lot of turmoil going on right now, and I feel kind of...helpless to stop it. I'm trying to get it all sorted out, but I can't help but feel like I'm making mistakes." She didn't want to spill too many details, or give away her position, but the company felt nice.

"I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to my ramblings. I just need time to make sure I'm doing the right thing."

[Merik Dragmire]

He stopped beside her and listened quietly while Titania spoke, once she had finished he was quiet for a little longer before responding.

"It was inevitable that more turmoil would come about after the catastrophes, the thing you need to understand though is that even if you had all the answers you can't solve all the problems in the world alone." he said with a kind, though somber smile.

"Right now I have nothing better to do than to listen to your ramblings, so how about you explain the situation to me and we'll see what I can do to help?"

[titania]

Titania smiled back, though the smile was obviously faked. "If you're sure I'd appreciate having someone to talk to right now." She wasn't sure how safe it was to talk to this complete stranger, but something about him made her trust him. The desert had given her many great things in the past.

"Let me start by asking you a question" she said, walking down the road alongside him. "What do you know about this figure called the Raven Shade?" This man was at the center of her problems. She had only secondhand accounts of his existence, but nonetheless he had caused her no shortage of headache. She wasn't sure how to proceed from there, since she risked a giveaway of her position in the world.

[Merik Dragmire]

He thought about the very little he had heard of the being called the Raven Shade as they walked.

"Next to nothing honestly, it is a creature that's been attacking and murdering people all across the country; beyond that nothing..." he said honestly, hoping that Titania knew more than he did because he was very interested in this thing.

[titania]

So he didn't know much either. Honestly she knew very little about him too, as she never met the Raven Shade in person.

"He's been the cause of a lot of stress for me. The fact that I can't really do anything about him just bothers me a whole lot. Killing just..." she made a "blech" face, not really knowing how else to describe how she felt. "...I'm just not a big fan. It's just not my thing."

[Merik Dragmire]

"Has he been targeting the Fairies specifically? If so I'm more than a little surprised as it doesn't seem to match his "kill any random passerby" MO." He asked before he could remind himself that she hadn't mentioned being a Fairy.

Well it's not as though probably doesn't suspect who I am anyway...

"And while I understand your hesitation to kill I don't quite understand the hesitation to do anything...unless you mean in a literal sense in which case I'd say find someone you know who could do something about it, I'm sure you've got plenty of friends who could help deal with the problem."

[titania]

His mention of fairies made her pause, then nod. Identity confirmed.

"Oh. It's just you and your magic again. Your prayer made me suspicious but you just gave yourself away." Which was good, because now she could talk openly.

"He's working with one of the Oocca Adjuncts. I had a visitor and I agreed to stay out of matters involving him. In return, he leaves my people alone. I knew it was the wrong decision in the long run, but I had to play for time." She began to avoid some of the crowds, in case they overheard any of this. You never know who could be spying for the Raven Shade.

"I'm trying to win Vriska over by sending an envoy to the City in the Sky. If I can get the Oocca Lord...er...Lady on my side, I can nip this problem in the bud before my court stages a coup because on the surface it looks like I'm letting a fugitive go about his business." She took a deep breath and sighed. "But I'm a bit worried. A lot hinges on that envoy. He has to succeed."

[Merik Dragmire]

"I figured you'd catch me with the prayer immediately, though mention of the Fairies was a slip up on my part." Merik replied with a slight smirk before becoming serious again.

"The fact that the Shade is working with one of the Adjuncts is disquieting...we might have to consider the possibility that he was authorized and released by Ryst before Vriska took charge...but on the brightside if I can get a hold of the Adjunct without being found he'll be quick enough to talk."

[titania]

"I was suspicious with the prayer but in light of recent events I'm being cautious. If the Raven Shade has an adjunct in his command you never know who else might be working for him."

She paused at his other comments. That was not a happy thought indeed. "Do you think this Raven Shade has Ryst or Vriska backing him as well? That would be disquieting indeed. If it's true, especially if it's Vriska, then the envoy I sent is in terrible danger. As for you...I wouldn't worry too much. Your people have enough combat skills that I doubt they have much to worry about. Besides, a trip into the desert is dangerous enough without having a goal of slaughtering others." She would know. She'd made that trip before under a banner of peace and it was bad enough.

[Merik Dragmire]

"I've lost more officers than I'd like to admit in the last few months, more to death abroad than capture and execution. Though I have no evidence yet I'm certain the Raven Shade has had some involvement in at least a few of those deaths." Merik replied with a low growl.

He was quiet as he considered what little he knew about the Sky Lord and Lady from the last few years.

"Ryst may have some involvement but I don't believe Vriska does...at least as of the moment. The Raven Shade has been operating for some time and with the connection to the Adjunct I think it safely rules out Vriska's involvement prior to Ryst's abdication due to her exile here on the ground."

[titania]

Titania wasn't sure about Merik's loss of officers. Maybe the Raven Shade was behind those attacks. She simply shrugged, having no idea.

"Ryst doesn't strike me as someone who would agree to someone systematically kill all races without wings. Then again...he did abdicate...no, I don't see it. Vriska doesn't make sense because if she would kill anyone it would be the oocca, the race that exiled her." She didn't like speculating too much. It made her uncomfortable. She worried about Wolfy, and really needed some good news right now. She sighed and continued to walk slowly, bothered by recent events. It was weird for her, she didn't even have her libido right now.

[Merik Dragmire]

"It's difficult to say, the Adjunct could just be a rogue agent..." Merik agreed as they continued walking.

"Now if neither of us have any knowledge of the Raven Shade, perhaps you could inform me of what you know about the Adjunct? The information could prove quite useful in handling this situation diplomatically."

[titania]

Titania nodded in agreement. "I'll pass any information my envoy gives me on to you. You'll need it to help your people. Don't make me regret that decision." She was lucky to have such a powerful ally. She didn't want her trusting behavior to be regretted. It was tough, she wanted to trust people, but right now things seem to be gray.

"So just out of curiosity, what are you doing here? Surveying your new potential subjects?" Her joke came out flatter than she wanted it to. She was trying to get back her typical groove, but it just wasn't coming.

[Merik Dragmire]

Merik nodded when Titania said she'd provide him with the information.

"I don't suppose I could get the Adjunct's name from you now? I have quite a few friends among the wrong sorts of people that might be able to find me something your little spy misses." he asked afterwards, figuring it would help a lot more to at least know who he was hunting.

"I was finishing up a few meetings with some friends when I saw you, figured I'd say hello but you were clearly preoccupied."

[titania]

Titania looked around the alley, making sure no one else was within earshot.

"Zolanius. Don't know how high up he is in their government. If you want the Raven Shade gone, that's the best place to start." If anyone had the right connections, it would be the pirate king. He knew plenty of ne'er do wells.

"Meetings with some friends huh? Wonder what that entails." Knowing some of the less reputable areas of castle town, he could be doing next to anything meeting with contacts.

[Merik Dragmire]

"Zolanius...that should be a fairly easy name to track, very distinct." Merik said as he marked the name in his memory for later investigation and interrogation.

"Make a few payments, give a few orders, pick up a few messages; nothing that I think you'd really want to know the exacts of." Assassins, thieves, couriers...you could find them in any city of the world if you knew just where to look and he had most of their hideaways locked away in his mind.