Onward to Adventure! (FINISHED)

[Merik Dragmire]

(OOC: Always good for the start of an epic adventure)

Merik stood outside the Gerudo Fortress with Desertfury watching the sun slowly crawl upwards as he awaited the arrival of his travelling companions.

"I've got a feeling this is going to be a fairly difficult mission...good, I'd hate to have made all these plans only for it to turn out to be a walk in the park." he said, mostly to himself, as he felt the temperature start to rise.

[Jin Reno]

"Shields? Check. Clothes? Check. Lisa? Check. Food and water? Check and check. Pirate Stone? Check. Electric collar? Check. Horse? Check."

Jin went over his check list, making sure to look at each item as he listed them off before leading the horse out into the early morning desert heat, bowing his head to Merik before pulling the horse along side the other. Putting his messenger bag onto the side of the horse, Jin looked back at the fortress and stood leaning against the horse, waiting to see if he would be able to say good-bye to Ruma.

"So Merik... we are going into a crazy adventure I guess." He said, looking over at the Gerudo King.

[ruma]

Ruma ran out to greet them before they left. She never got to say her goodbyes to Jin. Glad they didn't leave yet, she ran up and tackle-hugged Jin.

Still in his arms, she punched him in the arm, smiling. "If you die on this adventure, I will kill you" she said with a giggle. She knew it didn't make sense, but it still sounded funny.

With an arm still around him, she pointed to Merik. "If Jin dies on this adventure, I will never forgive you, you hear me."

[Merik Dragmire]

Merik chuckled at Jin's question before Ruma ran out to join them.

"I don't know what you're so worried about Ruma we're just hunting down a serial killer, not like that's ever ended badly before." he replied as he hooked a clanking bag onto Desertfury.

[Jin Reno]

With the strong rushing hug, Jin stumbled back a tiny bit before hugging her back tightly in return. He had no idea how long this quest was going to take, so there was going to be some time in which he missed being around Ruma. As long as he got back just fine though, there would be nothing for him to really worry about.

"Hey, I'm a sturdy guy, so no worries. Plus, its an adventure, and you know how much I enjoy adventures." He added, smiling after she punched his arm. "With Merik and Mabari on my side, I don't think we are going to even have to worry about a serial killer. Also, what is a serial killer?" Jin asked, smiling at the two, a little blissfully ignorant about the word serial.

"I'll make sure to stay armored most of the time too, if that is what you are worried about." Jin added.

[Mabari]

If Jin dies? Shouldn't it be if Merik dies?

Late as usual, the dog strolled up to the group with a strong yawn pushing from his jaws, revealing his clean, sharp canine teeth. Spreading his two legs out, he gave a small stretch.

[Kotone]

XX

Kotone got there when her sister did however she did not get off her horse. Kotone was in a cloak not only because of the cold morning desert but other personal reason. Under the hood of the cloak she looked tried and a bit out of breath. If she knew it hurt it feel this way riding a horse after the night she had before she would not came. However she wanted to see Merik off even if she could do is wave to him.

Of course she be leave soon after the guys to head to the Fairy's or bug's dan home to protect her. She be away from Merik and her sister. It was going to get very lonely with out her family there. Since Kotone does not have the pirate stone she won't have contact with them unless they mail her which is harder. Since Kotone normally don't ever get mail for some odd reason.

[Merik Dragmire]

"A serial killer is someone who consistently commits murders over time." Merik answered Jin's question before before giving Mabari a little shrug.

You would think that would be the case... he responded only to the dog with a smirk before walking over to Kotone's horse and giving her a hug.

"You didn't need to come out you know, head back inside and get some rest." he said quietly with a smirk hidden from the rest of the group. "I'll be fine and back soon enough alright? Take care of yourself while I'm gone."

He held her for a few more seconds before letting go and turning to Ruma with a grin.

"So is that the only goodbye I'm gonna get from you, just the threats?"

[ruma]

Ruma broke off from Jin, turning to Merik, pouting. "It seems to be the best way to get your attention." When her straight face broke, she walked over to him and gave her brother a hug as well. "I'll miss you while you're gone. Try not to conquer the world if you get bored."

After breaking her hug from Merik, she got down to one knee and began to scratch Mabari's head. "You be good too. The kids will miss you dearly." She tickled his belly a little and turned to the last one she needed to say goodbye to, her dear older sister.

"Good luck out in the forest. Don't get too bored out there. And please try to enjoy yourself." She gave her sister a hug as well, worrying about her sister most. The boys could handle themselves, she knew that. Kotone had the toughest job out of all of them.

Waving goodbye to the group, she jogged back to the fortress, needing to finish up a few things then go back to her new administrative duties.

EXIT[/i][/u]

[Jin Reno]

Jin waved as Ruma returned to the fortress and rubbed his head for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Lisa, Armor." He said, and the Tortoise turned into an orb of light and struck Jin's chest, covering him fully in the armor before he climbed onto the slightly confused horse and calming it down. He looked back at the fortress once more before looking forward.

"Merik, the sooner we get going the sooner we can return, so lets get going soon yeah?" Jin asked, looking almost like a monster himself within the armor, the long tail sliding off to the left of the horse. "So we are after a serial killer, where are we heading first?"

[Mabari]

Barking goodbye to Ruma, he turned his attention to Merik and Jin and Kotone. Jin had to be blistering in that armor, and Mabari was going to need large quantities of water with all his fur and being a dog and whatnot. He figured the defender had very well prepared for that however, and was not all to concerned with the issue.

A serial killer, aye. Oocca no less. The skies are his home.

[/i]

He had become more comftorable around them, his new family, and figured that he would allow his natural course of thoughts to overtake him. He couldn't hold up a false front forever though.

Shit its hot.

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[Merik Dragmire]

Merik turned back to his companions and mounted Desertfury.

"We'll head west towards the ruins of the Old Fortress, assuming we don't get held up for too long at the oasis' along the way we should reach there by nightfall. From there we'll follow the Valley out to Lake Hylia and make our way to Castle Town." he said to Jin as he spurred his horse forward with the sun at their backs.

[Jin Reno]

"Aye my King." Jin said, and with one last look back at the fortress, he pressed his horse forward and moved along side of Merik. "So what else can you tell me about this mission of ours?" He yelled over the sound of the horses. The one he had borrowed from the Gerudo seemed sturdy and reliable, so he wasn't concerned about pushing it too far.

"Also, how do you work these pirate stones?" He asked as well.

[Kotone]

XX

Kotone nodded to Merik as she sat there just listening for a bit in a daze. She was still tried and well hurting more then anything but she listen to them. She was going back to the fortress to rest until night before she travel to the bugs home land. As soon she saw the morning sun about to come up she nodded to Merik once more before she turn the horse around and headed back to the fortress. She had her own job to do but she still can't help but worry about Merik.

[Exit]

[Mabari]

He watched as Jin recieved one, and it lightened his heart a little. Finally, he could communicate with the man who saved his life back at the peaks. Just think it and focus I guess, came naturally for me. It honestly did, although his will to speak was far greater than he originally anticipated, so it probably helped him catch on as quickly as he did. Then again, the device was amazingly simple, so who knows.

Looking to Merik, he shook his head. Where you wanna go first?

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[Merik Dragmire]

"You'll both have to be careful not to get lost, I've got a path in mind that will pass a few oasis' along the way to help keep you going." Merik called out as they continued along, glad that the Gerudo lifestyle had accustomed them to going longer without food and water.

~~~~~~~~~~

After a few hours of travel the King slowed the group to a stop as they reached the first oasis. He quickly dismounted and led Desertfury to the water to drink, even though the magical creature had no need for water it always seemed to calm the other horses around when he treated it as a normal horse.

"Jin, get out of that damned armor already, I'm not dragging your boiled corpse back to the Fortress if that's how you die." he said with a chuckle as he sat under the shade of a tree at water's edge.

"Alright this is what we know about the Raven Shade, and I warn you it isn't much:

One, due to the number of victims claimed, and the varying degrees of strength among them it is believed that the Raven Shade is a male, most likely very strong though it is possible that he uses a lot of tricks and traps to defeat his foes.

Two, the only known connection to the Raven Shade is an Ooccan named Zolanius Thyre, one of the Sky Lady's Adjuncts. Based on the Ooccan xenophobia towards the land dwellers and the fact that it appears no flying races have been killed, we believe that the Raven Shade is also an Ooccan, possibly one with a lot of power inside their government.

Three, and mind you that this is purely a possibility with currently no hard facts to support it, there is a possibility that if he has one of the Adjuncts in his pocket that the Raven Shade might also control the former Sky Lord, Ryst Seraphine. The current Sky Lady, Vriska, was exiled by her people many years ago and has only recently been pardoned so it is unlikely that she would be willingly working with a killer who is solely attacking land dwellers.

As our only lead in this matter is the Adjunct I'd like to meet with him but I'd like to know more about him before I do so. When we reach Castle Town I'm going to meet with Zelda and see if she knows where Ryst has gone to ground since giving up his position; hopefully he'll have some useful information on his former advisor."

[Jin Reno]

As they arrived at their destination, Jin chuckled as he dismounted the horse and led it to the water as well. Lisa returned back to her normal self and went for a small swim as Jin took a small handful of water before heading to the same shade that Merik was under. He didn't seem to be any more effected by the heat outside of the armor as he was inside of the armor, since both Lisa and he were more used to the desert heat then anything else.

After listening to what Merik had to say, Jin rubbed his chin softly and nodded his head. There was some strange issues with this mission they where on, as well as several issues with trying to figure out who exactly they were after. "So we figure out who this Raven Shade is, learn who works for or who he is working for, and finally find this mystery killer and take care of him?" Jin said, simply getting to the meat of the point.

[Mabari]

As soon as they reached the Oasis, Mabari indulged in the longest session of water intake the world has most likely ever witnessed. As Merik talked, he listened between the slurps and chugs of his throat as the cool, cold water drained down to his stomach. He refrained from entering the oasis though, as he didn't want his fur to get wet, then dry and become hotter than it was before.

I'll get some information off the streets. Now that I know what to look for this should all flow by smoothly.

Continuing to drink, he looked up to Jin as Lisa made her way through the water. Your turtle pee's in this oasis and I will rip out your jugular.

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[Merik Dragmire]

"We're more or less looking for a pin in a pile of pins and I don't like that; I also don't care for the fact that unless we can find someone who has survived one of his attacks we know absolutely nothing about what he can do." Merik said with a faint growl before lapsing into silence. He was staring off into the desert for a few minutes before looking back at Jin. "And now that I think about it..."

He quickly fished out the remote for the shock collar and deactivated it before unhooking the collar and stowing both items back in his back.

"Now that the charm is attuned to you I'll be able to track you if you try and run, not that you'd get anyway, and people might be a bit more willing to talk if they don't think I'm taking slaves as I go." Well the first part was a lie, but the Human wouldn't know that and the Gerudo wasn't expecting him to try and run anyway. After the wolf had spoken the King nodded in agreement. "It's settled then; when we reach Castle Town and I go to meet with Zelda, Mabari will watch the streets and Jin will check out the local bars for any rumors and information that might be floating about. As long as we've got the charm's on us we'll be able to communicate no matter the distance so it should keep things simple."

[Jin Reno]

A few moments went by after Merik had removed the collar from Jin in which he suddenly sat straight up and got to his feet, rubbing his head and trying to remember the details he had heard before. "A few weeks ago, before I met Ruma, I had a meeting with a Hylian Chancellor and an Oocca Adjunct... and... the Hylian Chancellor... Enzair... spoke about a cloaked figure called Raven Shade!" Jin said, getting more into it the more he remembered.

"They said a group of merchants had been attacked... and a Zora too, and the Zora survived... this Raven Shade was said to had worn a bird mask... and... and... umm... um.... used a scythe and... something to do with needles." Jin said, looking to Merik and Mabari. "I don't remember the Adjunct's name, but I remember Enzair. We need to contact him, because he was looking for a cloaked figure that has a dark history with his family in the past, and if its the Raven Shade, he might have more information about him that we can use." He finished up, before falling onto his back on the sand, feeling helpful.

"Haaa... I think I found who I might need to find and talk too now..." Jin said with a slightly victorious smile. Lisa walked over to him and rested her head on his hand and he pet her a bit. "She won't pee in fresh water Mabari..." He added.