To Lev's surprise, Lethe was something of a magical powerhouse and from her tiny body came a burst of intense flames that extended outwards in a wide radius, not unlike something he read in a book one time. The Poe floated backwards, keeping out of the wall of flame with about as much effort as one stepping out of the street to avoid being trampled by a horse. What he wasn't expecting was for the room to begin shaking, and after watching those who weren't either hefty or well-balanced get knocked around from the seismic activity, Lev found himself thankful that he had no real need to ever touch the ground. As such, the Temple's angry vibrations were not felt by him, but the effects were observable enough.

The words that followed definitely caught his attention. Lethe recounted the tale of the reincarnating Hero, the whole Ganondorf returning bit, and most importantly, the reason for them being in the Shadow Temple. Somewhere within its creepy decaying interior was some sort of object, a keystone, that could apparently help stop arguably the most powerful being short of the Goddesses in Hyrule's history. It almost seemed laughably absurd, but exciting all the same. Here was certainly where his story could find its legs. With the book suspended in front of him, Lev scribbled away with a quill, gauging his companions.

The only question was, who would make for a good protagonist of this tale? 

Jillian was certainly out. Creepy undead children didn't sell books unless it was for a bedtime story about why kids shouldn't be brats.

Graham was giving him strange looks that he didn't entirely trust, and the... what exactly was he? Was either under the influence of something or already out of his mind. He wasn't writing a documentary about the horrors of substance abuse and mental illness.

That clanging machine that spoke peculiarly at best was far too alien to play more than a supporting role for the readers. He'd have to portray Noi as a Goron, since even Lev was having trouble understanding exactly what in Hyrule he was staring at. 

Archer came across as something of a lovable rogue, but hardly someone you could depend on. Comic relief? Maybe he'd be put into a green unitard and have a fetish for balloons. [color=teal][I]Hmm. Better not, people are supposed to hate the villains, not the supporting cast...[/I][/color] Lev thought, crossing that off as quickly as he had wrote it.

Oh, Gerudo lady! Naviela had all the right qualities, she looked strong, she was spirited, attractive, represented a marginalized segment of society that people latched onto... and she was volunteering to go off with Jillian. Another stroke of the quill.

Lev's eyes locked on the old hulking Hylian man with a Gerudo of his own. A doting father caring for his adopted daughter, saved from raiders in the desert and taking her to be his own. Compassionate, powerful, a presence that brings comfort and security to those in his presence and fear into his enemies, a man who has personal stakes in saving the world.

Him. He was [I]perfect[/I].

Lev floated over to Jaege, holding his lantern up to observe the crags and laugh lines that came with advanced age of mortal humans. He wasn't too old to be senile or decrepit, and not too young to be brash and stupid. Excellent. [color=teal]"Hello, Jaege, was it? Name's Lev. You look like you're ready to take on whatever undead horrors lurk in these corridors, and I can get you through them without stumbling into any hidden traps that would just not do for a big adventurous type like yourself, and hello!"[/color] he called, tilting to the side to get a better look at the child-Gerudo, Veitaru, who could not have been more out of place if she were a Stalord attending a toddler's birthday party. The innocent in peril angle was going to work out stupendously. [color=teal]"I'll help you, too! You'll both breeze through here without a single hair on your head being ruffled, unless it's by your giant guardian, eh?"[/color] he said conspiratorially, elbowing the man in the ribs. A thought crossed his mind, he turned to face Felicia. 

[color=teal]"Heey, Felicia! Would you describe yourself as someone with adequate maternal instincts? I'm, uh, asking for a friend."[/color] 

There. The seeds of the "will they, won't they" angle were sown. First few moments of this grand quest and he was already putting all the pieces in place. Lev turned back to Jaege and offered a hand, as it was apparently something mortals loved to do, hold hands and pull their arms up and down like a pair of jackasses. For some reason, it was a sign of respect and willingness to trust. Maybe it's because of the shared embarrassment.   

[color=teal]"Whaddaya say, pal? Lev and Jaege, and of course our little firecracker Veitaru, partner champions of the Shadow Temple? Honestly, it's a good deal. I'm already dead, and so is everything else outside of this room. They'll think twice before dismembering us."[/color]