[center][h3]Tora and Poppi[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky - Tostarena Town
Level 9 Tora (99/90) Level 9 Poppi (99/90) Level 5 Big Band (38/50)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Fox’s [@Dawnrider], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Primrose’s [@Yankee], Yoshitsune and Sora’’s [@Rockin Strings], Mao’s [@Potemking], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22], Ellie’s [@Thatguyinastore]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2142[/center]

[center][hider=For Fox]New Striker spiritbound:
[b]Ezio Auditore da Firenze[/b]
A highly versatile, masterful, and valuable spirit. Ezio can strike with a variety of weapons from a variety of angles, appearing from hiding in Fox's vicinity as if he'd always been there, rather than from Fox himself. He possesses a rapier, a hammer, a crossbow, a flintlock, and his iconic hidden blade; he can appear from grates and trapdoors, spring from bushes and haybales, and also just fall out of the sky directly over opponents. Although his up-front damage and defense are low, his assists can deal high critical damage at good speed, and a moderate cooldown means he can be utilized frequently[/hider][/center]

As pleasant as Tostarena Town seemed to be, nobody deluded themselves into thinking that they’d be here long enough to enjoy its various diversions, refreshments, and amusements. Anything beyond a quick meal and a visit to whatever shops might offer the heroes aid on their upward journey could wait until after they’d finished their mission. A reward to spur them onward would serve them a whole lot better, after all, than a distraction to swindle their progress. Still, it took a lot of effort for Tora to shut out the spirited symphony of guitarrónes, vihuelas, marímbulas, and maracas that the Tostarenans had struck up once Ellie’s performance died down. Even after the long train ride and his grueling defensive training, the delightfully lively mariachi music -a total novelty to him- made the Nopon want to bust out dancing, so it was with a heavy heart turned his attention away from the spectacle and to the matter at hand.

He rejoined the conversation just as the topic of mountaineering gear got into full swing. Midna pointed out that the Phantom Thieves had already done some groundwork for them, but while Skull grumbled about the vertically challenged Twilight Princess calling them ‘kids’, Panther spoke up to set the record straight. “Er, actually, we couldn’t even get enough for ourselves, to be honest. We didn’t have a lot of money left over, and there wasn’t, like, a great selection, either.” From her inventory she produced her own acquisition, a hefty overcoat made from the thick fur of a sand seal. “Aside from some scarves and earmuffs, this is it, basically. Mostly ‘cause the boys are pretty much covered, while I’ve got…” she gestured broadly to her red snakeskin catsuit, which thanks to her Lamia fusion couldn’t even be zipped all the way up anymore. “Y’know, this.”

It didn’t take long to realize that just about everyone else shared in the Thieves’ financial woes, too. Raz gallantly offered Midna some cash, which earned him a couple stares from the other broke heroes, but luckily nobody stepped forward to pinch any more of the youngster’s pennies. Still, that left the vast majority of the heroes without suitable preparation for an arduous, freezing climb. Remembering the frigid depths of Tantal made Tora shiver despite the desert heat, although he also remembered the solution employed by a certain Welsh catgirl during those wintry misadventures. “Poppi,” he began, turning to his artificial blade. “What think about switch to Fire core and give Tora piggyback ride on mountain? If Nia get through Tantal by clinging to Pyra, then surely Tora can do same?”

Poppi looked up at the frosty peak with a hand on her chin, considering her Masterpon’s suggestion. “Not bad idea. That way we save on money, and also not get separated even during snowstorm. Plus, can even fly with Tora on back in QT mode if something go wrong.” She glanced back down at Tora with a smug smile playing about her lips. “Plus, Masterpon in terrible shape for rock climbing. Not nearly agile enough on own.”

“Exactly, meh!” Tora agreed, happy as a clam. In one fell swoop he’d just ensured that he would not only stay warm thanks to the ambient heat of Poppi’s ether furnace, but also not need to exert any effort!

“Just make sure that Masterpon keep sharp eye out,” Poppi added. “If Poppi going to be doing all work, Tora need be ready to point out threats and defend Poppi at any moment.”

And there it was. By now Tora expected some sort of catch, although in this case he’d been planning to watch out for his partner anyway, so he didn’t begrudge her one bit. “You got it, meh!” With that taken care of, he dispersed along with the others, heading to the town’s fountain to watch his comrades figure out their own cold-weather accommodations. A number headed over to Deportes Bienes, the sports shop, but his attention quickly drifted when a tantalizing aroma drifted past him on the breeze. “Meeh!” he marveled, breathing in deep the fragrance of Mexican cuisine. “Tora think it good time for lunch!”

Rather than the least bit surprised, Poppi looked amused, as if she’d been running a stopwatch in her head to see how long it would take her creator to broach the subject. “Shocking. Lead way, Masterpon!”

While they scoped out a restaurant where they could grab a table for everyone, Big Band and Peacock joined the crowd inside Deportes Bienes. Raz wasted no time consulting an inner voice of his, albeit in a pretty weird way even by World of Light standards. Even if it took Ellie by surprise, though, the display with Ford didn’t even register for the other teenage girl in the place. Being more or less a living embodiment of zany madcap hijinks thanks to the Avery Unit, goofs were Peacock’s bread and butter, and her baritone chaperone couldn’t have been around her for long without getting at least a little desensitized to such things, too.

Peacock wasted no time getting down to business. “Awright fellas, watch the merchandise!” Eschewing the polite moderation showed by Primrose, she summoned her thuggish pals [url=https://i.imgur.com/GSgFaj2.png]Andy Anvil[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/NPEq95C.png]Tommy Ten-Tons[/url] to help her scour the place for anything useful. Jesse quickly found herself with even more to be apologetic to Ellie about as they rifled through the place, shouting back and forth. 

“Hey, take it easy, kid!” Band admonished. Rather than join them turning the place upside down, he headed for the counter to get help from the wide-eyed cashier. “Hola, amigo. My crew and I are fixin’ to come to terms with the monster flyin’ ‘round the mountaintop, and we were hopin’ to grab some gear for the trip.”

Between the trio of hoodlums perilously close to ransacking the place and the heavy metal giant looming over him, the Tostarenan looked more than a little nervous. “Hahhah, uh, c-certainly! W-well, uh, we’ve got just about everything anyone could...could, uh, possibly need! Cleats, ropes, climbing spikes, bounce pads, zip lines…”

Toward the back of the store, the Heavy voiced his dismay over the hat selection. “What is this puny headgear?!” he bemoaned. “Where is ushanka? Heavy need keep ears warm!” He tossed a baseball cap behind him, which Blue Poison -currently trying on a dark gray cloak sort of thing that went down to her knees- only narrowly avoided.

“Oi!” the Scout, also present to gear up for the ascent, pulled a [url=https://i.imgur.com/a4Hk1z5.png]giant yellow weapon[/url] from a nearby shelf, an industrial tool nearly as long as the dwarf was tall. “Wot’s the idea, mate? This is the same Platform Gun the Engineers use back home!”

“Platform...gun?” Band’s eyebrows went up. With his trench coat and mostly mechanical body allaying the need for warm clothes, he considered himself in the market for anything that might make the climb easier. “Not bad! Guess I gotta have me one o’ those!”

The Scout nearly leaped out of his skin when Tommy jumped over and crashed down next to him, his massive weight shaking the whole store. “You ‘eard ‘im!” The toon grabbed hold of the Platform Gun and attempted to pull it away.

“Piss off!” the Scout erupted. “If the Engineer ain’t around it’s moine! Besides, finders keepers!”

The sharp note of Band’s trumpet blared through the store to calm the chaos. “Take it down a notch, folks!” Although the argument subsided, the detective’s efforts did little to set the cashier’s mind at ease. “Hey now, don’t fret. What else ya got?”

Clearing his throat, the rather overwhelmed Tostarenan continued. “Well, uh. We’ve got lots of our best sellers in stock. The Indie Mantle is, uh, weather-resistant, nice and cozy, and...inconspicuous? And our Basic Glider means you don’t have to worry about falling ever again!”

His eyes were drawn to a comically large pile of items headed his way, mostly Indie Mantles and Basic Gliders, carried by Andy Anvil with great difficulty. With a groan he dropped the goods on the checkout counter, then stood there wheezing while Peacock sauntered up. “Greetin’s! We’ll be takin’ this to go!” Tommy stomped up behind her, having lost the Platform Gun but gained the imprint of a heavy-duty boot in his forehead, and crossed his arms.

The cashier eyed the heap of items. “Er, right, uh...well, I’d need a minute to make sure, but that’ll run you at least a…” Despite having no throat, he managed to swallow. “A thousand gold?”

Band’s eyes widened. “Hold up, we don’t got that much even if everyone chips in.” Two mechanical arms deployed, one to raise his hat and the other to massage his scalp. “Hmm.  I don’t s’pose you take credit?”

“Credit?” The Tostarenan looked confused. “What does that mean?”

Peacock grinned. “Means I’ll gladly pay ya Tuesday for a knuckle sammich today!”

“Y-you mean I give it to you today and you’ll pay later?” Tugging at his collar, the cashier looked unhappier than ever. “N-not to, you know, be rude or anything, but how do I know you’ll actually do that? This doesn’t seem like a good idea!”

“Oh?” In an instant Peacock’s mood turned. “Wise guy, eh?” She reached up over the counter and with menacing slowness deposited a [url=https://i.imgur.com/d24wdy5.png]George Bomb[/url].

Band deployed a mechanical arm with which he swept the George off and into Peacock herself, in whose face it exploded. When the smoke cleared it revealed her pretty much unharmed, though. “‘Scuse us,” Band said hastily. “That was just a joke, she don’t mean a thing.” He cleared his throat. “So no credit. That’s fine. But what if we just borrow the stuff?” The cashier’s incredulous look did not deter him. “We’ll give it right back after we get done. Look, you can take my word for it. I ain’t just a detective, but also a personal friend of King Validar. Ya know, the head honcho over in Al Mamoon? Check it.” In quick succession he showed the cashier his badge, even though it meant pretty much nothing in this world, then the Gold Pass. “Listen here. If you ain’t down, I’ll respect your decision and get these fools outta your hair. But I ain’t puttin’ on the ritz here. We gotta go up either way, and if we don’t got what we need, some of us might die. So I’m askin’ ya. Will ya lend us a hand?”

The cashier looked skeptical, but after considering his options he relented. “Um...well, okay. I’ll just take whatever you have on you right now as collateral. And if you haven’t paid by Tuesday…uh, well, you’ll be terrible people!”

Peacock whooped in triumph and immediately began gathering up the new loot with her gang. Band, meanwhile, held his hand over his heart and gave a solemn nod. “Don’t you worry, sir. We’ll get it all back in your hands before ya know it.”

A few minutes later, the shoppers found most of the other heroes gathered at the [url=https://i.imgur.com/TH8KMLH.png]Happy Hongo[/url], Tostarena Town’s main restaurant. Midna’s best attempt to find quests, secrets, or other ways to get rich quickly bore little fruit; aside from a handful of purple coins found floating throughout the place, this town seemed to offer only ways to spend money, rather than make it. In a stroke of luck, however, Happy Hongo didn’t actually seem to charge for food, so everyone could forgo the tomfoolery that went down inside Deportes Bienes and enjoy a tasty lunch. After meeting Ciella and receiving an explanation from her, a pair of local heroes, [url=https://i.imgur.com/lcl1ELm.png]Juan[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/bDXGdMC.png]Tostada[/url], were on hand to both keep an eye on things and get to know the new arrivals better. 

Once the whole group was together the Conductor, having left his train to take advantage of the free lunch, could reach a more-or-less accurate headcount while everyone munched on their tacos, tamales, enchiladas, and chimichangas. “Eh?! Twenty-peckin’-four of ya’s are all gonna climb yer way up that gigantic mountain?” he questioned, incredulous. “Don’t that seem like a wee bit too many?”

Not so distracted by the smells that she couldn’t consider the situation, Poppi spoke up. “It would be hard to keep track of everyone. There lot more that could go wrong, and not everyone have skills or powers for big climb.”

Tora quit stuffing his face for a moment to chime in. “But if we do boss fight, we need everyone we can get!” He went right back to chowing down as the discussion that would pave the way for the coming ascent continued.

[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Carcass Isle
Level 6 Nadia (38/60)
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate’s [@Archmage MC], Hat Kid’s [@Dawnrider], Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN], Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee], Sakura's [@Zoey Boey],  Link’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Mirage’s [@Potemking], Delsin’s [@Rockin Strings]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2342[/center]

Seeing everyone okay did wonders to lift Nadia’s spirit, even in such a wretched place as this. Sakura’s sheer joy at being returned to normal warmed the heart, and though not everyone could find it within themselves to express their relief with quite so much exuberance, she really did speak for all of them. The Seekers’ escape from the hellish bowels of the Maw, now just another of this foetid island’s lifeless, beached ruins, as well as the return of their true selves, was something worth celebrating.

Closing out that abominable chapter of their adventure also meant any even greater communal debt to Blazermate. Full-size and flight-capable, she could have left the kids behind at any time inside the Maw to save herself, but instead she remained behind to see them safely through. Without her medical aid, the acid rain sustained by just about everyone in the Depths might have been the end of the Seekers’ tale. Now, with everyone collected from the pounding surf, she could practice some well-earned self care.

[center][hider=For Blazermate]New item acquired:
[b]Beloved Hand Mirror[/b]
[i]I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
What ever you see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful---
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish[/i][/hider][/center]

The only other team member not to see a substantial size increase was Hatty. Though she didn’t look happy by any stretch, the little girl was okay, and seeing that even the group’s smallest and possibly most fragile member made it out of that nightmare alive and well (or at least, as alive and well as one could hope) put a lot of worries to rest. Now that everyone knew how much it sucked to be both miserable [i]and[/i] tiny, the Seekers were only too happy to share with her what comfort they could.

Nadia was relieved to see that the Koopas made it out in one piece. It honestly came as a surprise to the feral how integral the troop of goofballs had become. At some point, with nobody noticing, that oddball family of dragon-turtles came to be both the physical and emotional core of the team, which made the realization that Junior especially was back to normal all the more impactful. Still, the lack of Chef Bros and baby behemoths was a sobering reminder of the danger they’d all endured.

[center][hider=For Junior]New Striker spiritbound:
[url=https://i.imgur.com/M2tvHtX.png]Chef Bro[/url]
Summon a small gang of Chef Bros, who are Hammer Bros (pictured above) with chef hats and frying pans instead of hammers, to deliver a volley of hard-hitting cast-iron skillets to batter down anything in their path. Highly effective against anything weak to blunt force and a good distraction[/hider][/center]

Accompanied by Peach and Rika, both shipshape in their own ways, the Koopas joined the others in their coral shelter with an extra surprise in store. A little magic from Kamek restored the Atomos to its full size, instantly providing the whole group with a dry and spacious refuge from waters above and below. A quick examination confirmed that something about this accursed island rendered its magitek engine practically nonfunctional, but given the circumstances, any blessing was a welcome one.

Nadia was also glad to see the team’s offensive backbone of Link, Mirage, and Geralt okay. Although the’d been sort of cute and surprisingly capable as kids, the team needed their full might now more than ever, and though all three weapons experts would be indispensable, nothing screamed ‘full might’ more than the giant Witcher’s imposing size. No matter how many monsters lay in her team path, Nadia felt certain, their own monster would reign supreme.

Nobody’s welfare, of course, struck her quite so much as Ace’s. For a minute there Nadia had begun to worry anew that maybe all of the monster hunter’s layers of gear had gotten so soaked that no warmth could reach his body, or that maybe one of his many weapons wounded him during the tumult. But Ace’s never-say-die attitude would not be so easily extinguished, and when he stirred at last Nadia heaved just about the heaviest sigh of relief in her whole life. Although her instincts just about made her jerk away when he started moving, she stubbornly stuck it out beneath his arm, hoping with held breath that he didn’t mind. Her worries came to an abrupt end when he suddenly squeezed her in a hug, which left her red-faced and grinning like an idiot. It was hard to explain, and even kind of hard to think, but for some reason no amount of cold, rain, brine, muck or corpse-stink could wipe the smile off her face.

After another moment they slid apart, with the hunter needing to make sure nothing on his person was amiss. Nadia tuned into what Sakura was saying, and agreed that lingering here didn’t make a whole lot of sense when they didn’t know what awaited them elsewhere on this island. The street fighter also mentioned her fusion with Arashio, which made Nadia remember the state of her own. “Oh, that’s right!” she hopped up and went over to Peach, grabbing her by the arm. “Can you undo mine? I can’t use my guns or water-walking any more because I’m out of oil, so I guess I’m ‘ship’ out of luck. Might as well go back to Ms. Fortune Classic.” Nodding, the princess obliged, extracting the spirit of ill-fated Northampton from Nadia’s chest. When the light died down, the feral was back to her original self from head to toe, and not just that--every trace of water and grime was gone, leaving her as clean as could be. Her ears perked right up the moment she realized, after which she twisted back and forth, looking herself over. “Whoa, hey! I thought I’d be soakin’ wet fur-ever!” Given the heavy rainfall she wouldn’t be dry for long, of course, but even just a few moments of comfort would be wonderful.

The idea of re-fusing with Northampton, and hopefully regaining her powers at full, hit her a moment later, but when Nadia tried to insert the spirit again she found that it wouldn’t go in. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” she allowed. “No use tryin’ to game the system.” She glanced around between the others and offered the spirit. “Anyone want her?”

It was at about that time that a stranger showed himself, an ordinary-looking human who looked only a little less put-upon than the refugees from the Maw. In a place like this Nadia couldn’t help but be suspicious of anything she didn’t know, but the wood that Delsin offered wasn’t just real, but also dry. Before the Koopas could light a fire inside the Atomos’ cargo bay Peach wisely pointed out that the smoke buildup inside could present a hazard, which left the group’s shelter beneath the coral trees as the best option. With added material from the airship’s inside the team got a lively campfire going in no time. It plus the privacy of the airship’s rooms meant everyone could warm and dry both themselves and their clothing, undoing the damage done to them by the elements. That left only the possibilities of food and rest, but given the atrocity of consumption they’d suffered through, the heroes could make do without eating for now, and with all the energy lost during the Maw voyage undo, another few minutes’ rest would be enough to get everyone going. Nadia sure as hell wasn’t going to eat these dead things, after all, no matter how much she liked fish.

They spent part of that time learning about Delsin, and though those who questioned him were more concerned with his presence on this island than anything, the Conduit -as he called himself- went ahead and prefaced his explanation with a few shreds of his life story. [i]Another shipwreck, huh?[/i] The mention of weird things ignited the cat’s curiosity. “Miss Fortune,” she told him, encompassing both her name and his situation. “I split apart. What kinda weird stuff, dude? Anythin’ you can tell us, we wanna know.”

Delsin didn’t know much about the island or the village, but his account of the sailors’ fate certainly complicated things. A few moments into the conversation, however, a lightning strike brought it to an abrupt end. The bolt struck the Maw, it being the highest metal object around, far enough so that it endangered nobody but still close enough for the flash and thunder to take everyone by surprise. In the moments that followed the heroes were quiet, with no noise except the rainfall and the occasional squelch of parasites hard at work eking a living from the carrion, such that it was. Peach took a deep breath. “Well, I hope everyone enjoyed being dry for a little while. Let’s go.”

Nadia steeled herself for the wet and the cold as best she could, then stepped out into the rain.

[hr]

Going inland along the river that emptied into the sea, the heroes found the terrain quickly getting dicier on either side. Large outcroppings of rock, encrusted with barnacles, grown over with seaweed, and forested by ghost-white corals, rose precipitously. Everything looked hard, sharp, and slippery, making the idea of climbing both difficult and dangerous. If something ambushed her group the moment they stepped into the village, Nadia worried that everyone crammed into the little river valley would make for easy pickings. Luckily, nothing jumped out at them as they approached the first buildings, each nestled tightly against the rock and packed together like sardines, showcasing a certain economy of construction. Maybe whoever built this place cannibalized their ships in order to make these homes, requiring them to make the most of every plank. The result, however, was a claustrophobic and squalid cluster of hovels, and with everything horribly overgrown by sealife it was nigh impossible to tell where one house ended and the next began. Gurgling, sucking noises issued from within that Nadia didn’t care for one bit. She ran her fingers along the wood, found it soft and slimy, and shivered. Although the stink of death had faded, a fishy foulness so thick she could taste it had taken over, and the feral couldn’t say that she liked it better.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/B9cpvem.png[/img][/center]

The group proceeded down the street, sloshing through the ankle-deep water. It looked like the whole village lay under at least six inches of water, though at least the earth beneath turned out to be mostly even. They found signs of life straight away, taking the form of [url=https://i.imgur.com/cjRzCFT.png]sea maggots[/url] among the barrels and nets. Slow but extremely tough, they spewed stinging brine at anyone who got too close, then retreated into their shells when threatened. Nadia gave one an annoyed kick and moved on, unwilling to spend any effort on the pests. With the others she splashed by a lone lantern sitting out in the rain, its candle long since extinguished, then passed beneath a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ChWvyrG.png]crude bridge[/url] silhouetted by that bizarre, sickly yellow moon. It was at that point that the Seekers entered the village proper.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GitdztH.png[/img][/center]

They found themselves at the edge of a wide-open area surrounded by walls of decrepit, sealife-infested shacks, some two or even three stories high and many connected by ropes if not bridges. The ground fell away in front of them, forming a basin in the roughly circular plaza, at the center of which it abruptly rose again to create a little island topped by a well, upon which grew a number of hideously pulsating sacs. Many of the buildings featured [url=https://i.imgur.com/gFMhx6j.png]little piers and boats[/url], suggesting that this sorry hamlet may have always been submerged. The chief issue, however, wasn’t the water. It was the monsters. A multitude of glassy-eyed, slack-jawed fishmen scuttled around the place, some [url=https://i.imgur.com/ovd1yrA.jpg]agile[/url], some [url=https://i.imgur.com/4fYgnvf.jpg]bloated with pus[/url], and a few [url=https://i.imgur.com/AhGN5bd.png]ghoulish things[/url] with organic lights dangling from their foreheads. Most of them seemed intent on the area’s east side, where the water deepened into a harbor ringed by leaning, peaked shacks, and a great pit down through the island into the depths provided ocean access. A huge and [url=https://i.imgur.com/1zExJk0.png]especially horrid carcass[/url] was lodged there, perhaps having come up through the tunnel at some point in the past only to get stuck. The murlocs chipped away at its still-living body, harvesting it piece by piece for food and materials to make their weapons. Still, a good few murlocs lurked throughout the town center, and when gangs of them spotted the intruders they moved to attack. They slid through the water with eerie fluidity, then emerged to hop through the shallows in a jarringly inhuman gait, wielding their weapons of bone.

Nadia’s lip curled, and she bunched her muscles before leaping into the air. She climbed onto a nearby building, ready to do her fighting somewhere the fishmen didn’t have an advantage. The creak and bend of the rotted planks beneath her gave her second thoughts, but any cat worth her salt could be light-footed enough to make do. “Up here, fishsticks! Who wants to get chummy?” With claws at the ready she waited for murlocs to come after her, eager to slice them to repugnant pieces, and when a handful leaped up onto the roof after her she got right down to business. 

A good twenty-five murlocs infested the fishing hamlet’s center, fourteen green, seven blue, and four glowing. As she fought, cutting and drilling through the monsters’ flesh, Nadia spotted an [url=https://i.imgur.com/T8YTq2M.png]unusual fishman[/url] who looked tougher than the rest hanging back near the well. Meanwhile, the two [url=https://i.imgur.com/uC3TALJ.png]shark giants[/url] didn’t hold back one bit, instead plowing forward both through the water and across the land to tear the Seekers limb from limb as they roared. Even if they couldn’t reach Nadia on the roof, the rest would need to be wary of their brutish power. Even worse, if anyone got too close to the [url=https://i.imgur.com/jtQg6ch.png]jellyshrooms[/url] growing here and there, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/G7h97sf.png]crabsnake[/url] would lunge out to grab the hapless hero and try to drag him or her in, creating an opening for the fishmen to do their worst. It was a tough fight in a terrible arena and awful conditions, but after the Maw, everyone was itching to do some damage.

[center][h3]Red Team Neo[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Hammerhead, Paved Wilderness
Banjo/Kazooie’s [@Dawnrider], Pit’s [@Yankee], Yuri’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy][/center]

While typically just about anyone would loathe the prospect of being assigned additional work after just barely scraping through a previous assignment, the members of Nero’s little team took the news pretty well. Pit seemed eager to see the sights that the ultra-variable composite world had to offer, and Nero couldn’t really blame him. Though not the type to go on safaris, hikes, and travel abroad in search of novelty, this crazy realm sure did have an awful lot on offer. Mostly an infinite smorgasbord of various monsters to fight, according to Nero’s experience so far, but finding something could would be a nice change, and the name ‘Rocket Arena’ left the devil hunter cautiously optimistic.

Though not nearly as jazzed by the idea, Yuri at least seemed to agree to the exploration mission, and to Nero’s surprise the thoughtful kid immediately paid some mind to practical concerns like food and water. It struck him as funny and maybe a little sad that this high-schooler was being more responsible when it came to team welfare than he was. “Yeah, yeah, let’s do that,” he said quickly. “The diner can probably box some food up for us. How about it, Banjo?” If the bear and bird consented they’d be given a portion of mission funds to buy some meals and drinks for the road. Meanwhile, Nero made for the gas station shop. “I’ll find us a map, see if I can figure out a route for us to take.”

Several minutes later everyone reconvened in the Minotaurus, plans made and rations acquired. Cindy cheerfully waved farewell to Nico and the rest as they pulled out of Hammerhead and took a road headed north. “Good luck, fellers! See y’all real soon~!”

[hr]

The Paved Wilderness was pretty large, but compared to the Land of Adventure, it wasn’t that big, especially going north-south. Northward travel also had the added benefit of bringing the van and its passengers steadily closer to the unfathomably vast black pit at the center of the continent, giving them a better look at the vast array of asteroids, planetoids, and other cosmic debris floating up from below. Nero could only imagine, as crazy as it sounded in his head, that some sort of space-themed area must exist down there. He’d only been on the brink once, back in the Dead Zone’s Charnel lane when the Suffering attacked, and he’d been a little too busy trying to save the van to peer down into the depths, but that was the impression that his brief glimpse gave him. Of course, that beggared the question of if -and how- the forces of Alcamoth might operate in such an impossible region. For now though, he didn’t want or need to think about any of that. Exploring the Paved Wilderness was his mission, and that started with the Rocket Arena.

[center][img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-wYZQ-2QfDA/maxresdefault.jpg[/img][/center]

Nestled next to some pretty extreme crags, which themselves featured industrial pipes big enough to drive trains to and a giant skull big enough to flatten an apartment building were it to fall, was a glass-domed arena surrounded by towering multi-tiered spectator stands. In front of it stretched an immense parking lot home to vehicles of all kinds, from relatively standard [url=https://i.imgur.com/dpHS0nd.png]cars[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/xZlMWH6.png]sports cars[/url] to more futuristic [url=https://i.imgur.com/bmqvoEE.png]hover bikes[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/q4tdFYT.png]racers[/url] to mega machines like the [url=https://i.imgur.com/9F5ZC6C.png]Apocalypse Sasquatch[/url] and the aptly-named [url=https://i.imgur.com/aG15nbi.png]Mammoth[/url]. Naturally, a whole bunch of vendors lined the parking lot, mostly food trucks of various stripes. The whole thing made for one crazy sports supercenter, and Nero knew he’d be lying if he told himself he wasn’t at all interested in seeing what a game of Rocket League actually looked like.

“Well, looks like we’re here,” he announced as Nico pulled into an empty parking spot between a [url=https://i.imgur.com/3JkOkOQ.png]tough-looking buggy[/url] and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/AnclGXm.png]bathtubmobile[/url]. Everyone vacated the van and set off through the parking lot, headed for the main building. As Nero watched, a car rode up the inside of the glass well, defying gravity through sheer speed and grip to intercept a soccer ball as big as tall as a two-story building. His eyebrows rose. “Huh. Well I guess this won’t be boring, huh?” He glanced between the others. “Any thoughts? We probably wanna get in touch with some locals, figure out what we can about the area. Probably no need to stick together, either.” As the group neared the stadium, he listened for any suggestions from his company.

[center][h3]The Chalk Prince and the Skullgirl[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Alpine Skyline
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Frisk’s [@Majoras End][/center]

Even if he seemed rather impersonal at times, Albedo remained a living being at the end of the day, and that meant he couldn’t stand the aura of extravagant cold that radiated from Linkle in the midst of her tranquil fury. He backed away, giving the Skullgirl a wide berth as she approached the remains of Tuley’s home. Her every step crystallized the grass and soil in a small area around her, a couple feet in diameter, leaving behind a flash-frozen trail. When she reached the briar patch, however, she allowed the true, lethal strength of her cryomancy to really shine. Her frigid touch glazed over and then into the entire loathsome plant, chilling it to the core foot by foot and yard by yard, until all that remained was an ivory-white sculpture spiked with icicles. Then it shattered, its brittle mass crumbling to nothing under the power of Linkle’s kick.

It was a more symbolic than functional act, since that alone wouldn’t restore Tuley’s livelihood, but it helped take the edge off Linkle's temper. Her aura of absolute cold faded away, though it would be a while before the chill left the air, and a while longer before it left Albedo’s spine. Throughout his travels with her so far the alchemist had seen so much of the girl’s warm, friendly side that he’d almost forgotten about the side of her that trapped the Stranger beneath a mountain of ice. He was glad that this young woman, a veritable avatar of cold and death, was a good person at heart--and not the monster either the goddess Freya or the detestable Skull Heart made her out to be.

For now Albedo didn’t spend much time wondering what drove the witch of the woods to do exactly what she did. Instead he moved forward to lend a hand. Once Linkle went quiet, he picked up the slack. “She’s right. It would be unwise for you to stay,” he told the little old gardener. “We will help you as best we can. It is only fair that we do our utmost for you, seeing as our arrival played a part in this debacle. You did nothing to merit such cruelty.” When it came to helping with Tuley’s things, he made overt use of one of his more subtle abilities, stowing the gardener’s various belongings in an invisible Inventory on his person that did not burden him in any way.

In short order everyone was ready to go, and a good thing too, since Linkle realized something important. Albedo nodded and picked up Tuley, following Linkle to the flagline. Just as before, they rode the gravity-defying rope banner skyward, flying up through the mists with their little passenger held tight. After ascending past the clouds Tuley gawked at the glory of the Alpine Skyline with wide eyes, seeing for perhaps the first time in his life a glimpse of the world’s vastness. With no time to waste, the teenagers took flagline after flagline between the peaks and soon arrived at Goat Village, where they explained the gardener's situation and pleaded for the villagers to lend him a hand in these trying times. Luckily, the mountain folks accepted wholeheartedly. Before he knew it Tuley found himself surrounded by villagers eager to help him get situated, offering to carry the seeds, tools, and other things the pair salvaged from Tuley’s ravaged home.

Now that the sorry affair had as happy of an ending as they could hope for, Linkle and Albedo sped onward, zipping higher and higher still until they reached the Cold Monastery. Father Guerra was surprised to see them again so soon, and when confronted by their urgent questions and warnings assured them with placating hands that there had been no new arrivals or disturbances since their departure. A thorough search, with the battle priests and priestesses helping, turned up no sign of Freya. Skadi, meanwhile, was just as the blonde teens left her. Nothing seemed to be amiss.

“Plants, hm?” Guerra mused, rubbing his whiskers. “Might be her power’s limited up here in the cold. Whatever the case might be, rest assured we’ll keep a sharp eye out. We’re a peace-loving place, but anybody who might think us weak is in for a rude awakening. The average monk here is a master of kung fu, the clergy can weaponize their faith, and even I...” With a rather dark chuckle, the good father crossed his arms. “Well, I have my ways. If this Freya is as bad as you say, she will not escape justice. As they say, may God forgive her, for I will not. Peace be with you, my children...”

With no sign of the errant goddess and the Cold Monastery about as secure as it was going to get, there wasn’t a lot left for Linkle and Albedo to do other than follow their original plan. Since Albedo didn’t know a way there other than one from Snowdin, that meant retracing their steps across the icy cliffs and through the pine-dotted snowfields. There, they got the chance to re-experience the delight that was constant ice elementals and, just when they thought they found somewhere to hide, the deceitful and painful Tree Women lashing out at them with icy breath, whiplike branches, or ember clouds. By the time the pair finally made it back to Snowdin, it was mid-afternoon, and even if Linkle was raring to forge onward they couldn’t set out straightaway, either.

“I am sorry, but I need a moment,” Albedo gasped after entering town, his already soft voice weaker than usual. “The cold has set in. The ice from the mountains most likely melted while we were down in the glades, dampening my coat and decreasing its protection. If I go too much longer, I may risk serious and perhaps permanent damage.” He pointed in the direction of Grillby’s, and the two hurried inside the alchemist’s usual haunt. Albedo removed his coat and with Grillby’s permission hung it by the fire to dry, then eased into a booth. “Hot cocoa, if you don’t mind,” he requested, and with a nod the dapper flame elemental got to work. Rubbing his hands together, Albedo did what he could to get the heat flowing through him once more, and not keep Linkle waiting too long.