[center][h1][color=00aeef]Hyrule[/color][color=darkgreen]Warriors[/color][/h1][/center]

[center][color=00aeef][b]Level 4[/b] [/color] - (11/40) + 2 [/center]

[center][color=darkgreen][b]Level 8[/b][/color] - (74/80) + 2 [/center]

[center]Word Count: 1122 [/center]

[hr][hr]

[center][h2][color=darkgreen]Linkle[/color][/h2][/center]
[center][h3][color=red][b]Merge Rate:[/b][/color] 25% [/h3][/center]

[center][color=darkgreen]Location[/color]: Frozen Highlands - Snowdin ~ Snowfield[/center]

[@Lugubrious][@darkred]
[hr]

Linkle gingerly lifted herself up from where she had been planted like an idiot tree, a stab of pain shooting down through her body from her neck. She held her head stumbled forward, almost stepping directly into the gaping chasm that had been opened in the ice field. She yelped and took a step back, briefly ignoring the strangers provocations as she looked down into the inky darkness. "Urgh, did my head do all that?" Grandma had always said she was hard headed, but that was ridiculous. 

Still, stubborn as Linkle was, even she had to admit that The Stranger wasn't an problem that could be solved with cussedness alone. She felt that magic fade out like a dying fire, used up in a single burst from her earlier attack. That had well and truly been not only Linkle's best trick, but her last. She had officially thrown everything she had at The Stranger and none of it had even seemed to slow his pace. 

[color=red] Not every trick.[/color]

"Like four wolves are going to slow him down." She said dismissively under her breath.

[color=red] Not that. Did you hear the crack when you kicked him? He has bones. Give in to me and he will be nothing but a puppet out your strings.[/color]

"Yeah, and then you have him. Shut up." Linkle replied. 

[color=red]It matters little. Give in to win, or let him turn your bones to powder. The result will be the same.[/color]

"I don't need both of you talking down to me!" She yelled, looking back up at the Stranger. She started pacing her side of the chasm like caged animal, training her crossbow on him as though that meant anything. If he tried to clear the gap she was going to treat him like Junpei and bomb him right back. "Why do you care so much?" she called out across at him, anger and confusion mixing in her voice. "You feel nothing, right? If nothing works on you then why does it matter what my friends can do? What do you have to worry about? If Galeem had someone that was invincible why bother with the other Guardians?"

She didn't believe for a moment he was actually invincible. He couldn't be. He had to have some kind of weakness [color=red][s]that she was too stupid to recognize or too weak to exploit[/s][/color] that she just hadn't figured out yet. If he didn't than their entire quest was just some kind of sick joke and that was an idea Linkle was psychological incapable of entertaining. 

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[h2][center][color=00aeef]Link[/color][/center][/h2] 
[center][h3][b]Level Up![/b][/h3][/center]

[center]
[hider=LINK GETS]
[center][url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/9/99/BotW_Stasis_Icon.png/revision/latest?cb=20171222192402][i]Stasis Rune[/i][/url][/center]
A rune of the Shiekah Slate. The Stasis Rune allows Link to freeze objects in suspended time, rendering them completely immobile for a short while. When an object is suspended, a glowing, yellow filter surrounds its form. This filter will eventually disappear, whereupon the object will revert back to normal and resume any movement it had before it was frozen. While suspended in time objects will store any additional kinetic energy that is inflicted upon them, being struck with all of the stored energy at once when the Stasis comes to an end.
[/hider]
[/center]

[center][color=00aeef]Location:[/color] Limsa Lominscuttle Town ~ The Bismarck Restaurant [/center]

[@Dark Cloud][@Lugubrious][@Yankee]
[hr]

Link breathed a sigh of relief as the Admiral and the owner did a complete 180 from their position only moments ago. He gave an appreciative nod to Frog and Geralt, glad that at the very least the worst outcome had been averted, though to him this turn felt a lot like the twist of a knife. He physically winced when the cheer went up, and looked again at the four civilian spirits. Cia wouldn't be the only one working off the debt that had been accrued here today. The least he could do is make sure that at least their families could live in peace. 

As they filed out of the restaurant he wasn't surprised that he was the only one who was dour about how things turned out, but he was surprised at who expressed those feelings. He knew that Frog had been on the verge of death in there but he was taking this rather hard. That pain evident on the knights face as he spoke was frighteningly familiar. It was a pain he wouldn't suffer to fester a second time.

"No." Link said decisively, very nearly cutting Frog off before he could even finish his question. "I've seen where that kind of thinking leads. No one thinks that you failed, not me, not anyone here, probably not anyone in Limsa. Your words wouldn't have held the weight they did otherwise." He looked over at the Cadet and the cat woman they were walking with, beckoning them to agree with him before continuing. "Everyone has regrets. Everyone has things they think they've failed at. But if you focus on them they'll pile on, one on top of the other, until they're all that you can see. So take it from someone that see's you clearly: you are [i][b]not[/b][/i] a failure."

He gave it a few seconds for it to sink in before his face softened considerably. "Ah, sorry for getting so intense. I've still got some regrets of my own to work out." He said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment and looking to change the subject. "Sorry about your shield, too. I've met some great blacksmiths that can beat it back into shape for you if you like. They would probably do it for free if you let them study that weapon you picked up." He tapped the scepter Frog had gotten when he'd broken the Cia spirit. 

[hr]

As they went he was surprised to see that the good samaritan with the giant sword was among them, though he gave the man a wide berth considering who he had just gotten done absorbing. The last thing he wanted to do right now was test whether or not there had been any side effects to that fusion. He was relieved when the man simply ordered his food and left. 

Instead, he gravitated toward Ms. Fortune who had said something intriguing on the walk down to this bar. Luckily enough, the cat woman offered an open invitation to her table that he could take advantage of. Sliding into a seat, he took a menu when presented by the barmaid. "Warm Milk please. Along with..." He took a moment to burry his nose in the menu. "This grilled fish. Some fried potatoes. What's an onion ring? Nah, doesn't matter. It's a vegetable. A plate of those. Some curry rice. Annnd..." He closed the menu and handed it back to the woman. "Whatever you would recommend for dessert." He said with a smile.

The vital issue of the food settled, Link to the opportunity to reach across and offer his hand to Nadia. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Fortune. I'm Link. Thanks for your help earlier." He leaned back and tried to relax. "But as grateful as I am, I know you didn't come running from another region just to rescue little old me. Since Bowser looks like he's taking off and the guardian is probably going to be busy healing people It looks like it falls to you to share the adventure you had in the Dead Zone with the rest of us."