[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon][i]Mission EXP +15[/i]
Word Count: 967 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 71/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue[/color][/center]
Leaving the ruined shack, the Cadet was already feeling significantly better. Maybe even more so than when he went into it. The battles had wound down and everyone was okay. He imagined that he could feel the warmth of Nadia's shoulder against his even through his armor and the rain. A familiar piece of home helped a lot too, as he hefted the ridiculous lance over one shoulder. It was a good weapon, if a bit cumbersome. Could he juggle it with his others? Well, he'd find out soon enough.

He was a bit too late to help out with putting that giant monster Scylla down (as he'd assumed that was the original intent), but the Cadet still made his way over towards it as it was dying. When they'd initially woken up on the island, inventory space (among other things) stopped the Cadet from scavenging the corpses on the beach, but come on - look at that thing. Now [i]that[/i] was a monster, and it was too hard to resist at least carving a few pieces off of it. Plus he could start getting some use out of that gross book that Kamek had given him. Hopefully the old Koopa wasn't upset with him or anything. Ah well. With the red cookbook in one hand and his carving knife in the other, he went to work chunking some of it's body away. There wouldn't be time to get the bones, but while spirits were being sorted he could collect skin, scales, and smaller fins with no issue so long as it's body held out long enough before it turned to ash. It held out, and the Cadet tucked away what he could into his pouch. Link had stuck around the body and was observing, which the Cadet did not mind at all. Link also had a much larger inventory that he graciously offered to take advantage of, so between the two of them they had a decent number of materials before Scylla's body was gone.  

They all regrouped at the well in the center of the area, where they were assured by Hat Kid that the path ahead was at the bottom of it. So one by one they descended, with the easy way back destroyed after Bowser's turn on it. It was just as well, since no one was about to turn back now, even though they were in yet another disgusting and decrepit place. The Cadet wasn't sure what he expected really, the entire island was probably like that. The grotto was soggy and rancid, with nets hanging everywhere like webs, but on the bright side at least they were suspended above the ground level which was filled with... slugs and leeches? Gross. Some of them down there must have already been dead, given the smell - and Blazermate's comment about raising them. 

[color=salmon]"Probably wouldn't be that easy,"[/color] the Cadet replied. Not to say it wouldn't help though. They did have a skeleton with them now apparently, and he - it? - seemed pretty helpful. The Cadet peeked over the edge of the walk way, eyes drawn to the various things pointed out by the others. That wall of fog... yeah, that was definitely the way forward. [i]Wonder if there's a walkway leading down?[/i] Thoughts about getting down were interrupted by a quick shout, which had the Cadet thinking that someone [i]fell[/i] down - but the prank was revealed pretty quickly. Ace Cadet chuckled, glad that Sakura was feeling good enough to joke around. It just meant that the group's spirits were up.

Well, time to get to the ground and move on. The Cadet wasn't a flyer, and he wasn't sure if even the clutch claw could hold to the smooth and slick surfaces of the grotto's rocks. He didn't want to risk it getting tangled in the netting either, so directly down he went. He sloshed through the little creatures until he and the rest of the walkers caught up to the others on the mostly stable foot hold of slugs packed tightly together. It was impossible to see what was the fog, but it should be easy enough to just pass through. It it weren't for the appearance of a certain entity.

[color=salmon]"It's that thing!"[/color] That hand that summoned all of those people to shoot at them back in the Land of Adventure, back when they met and recruited Link. Unfortunately no one's attempts to attack it were successful, leaving them frustrated and anxious. Then the hand started to 'speak,' giving them another trial. The Cadet felt a string on his hand, and a slight sinking feeling that he was starting to piece together now, but there was literally not time enough to dwell on it. This trial had a time limit, and a grave consequence for failing.

The Seekers wasted no time splitting up to tackle the individual trials at the princess' command. For the Ace Cadet, his choice in tunnels was pretty easy, in that he didn't think about it at all. He followed Ms. Fortune's back, ending up with her, Hat Kid, Geralt, and their newest recruit in a flooded cave. With his water walking the Cadet wouldn't have to stick to the raised platform, but it turned out that their enemy didn't have to stick to the water like he'd assumed, given the kind of creatures they'd already seen here. It could [i]fly[/i]. And it summoned a handful of animals made from water, the same as itself it seemed. The Cadet judged that out of his options, the sword and shield would be most useful here. Thankfully it's enchantment was long gone already. He obeyed Geralt's call to cover his ears before the cannon fired, and then drew his own weapon ready to take the elementals on. [color=salmon]"Okay, let's make this quick!"[/color]