[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 783 (+4 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 102/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue[/color][/center]
The Koopa Troop's plan worked. Faced with a brigade of Bowsers, the Orphan got dogpiled and disappeared under the combined weight of the multiple Koopa Kings. Though successful, such a plan wasn't without consequence - and the Orphan's retaliation was swift and powerful. An explosion forced the Koopas off of it, destroying the mimics and sending the real deal flying. The familiar squeak of wooden wheels signaled the arrival of the felynes before Bowser even hit the ground, and the sight of them filled the Ace Cadet and the rest of the Seekers with a strong duo of emotion. On the hand, Bowser would be alright. He was being patched up and carted back to safety right that very second. On the other, that was their last palico save. No more cats would be coming to rescue them. Now it was do or die, for real.

The Orphan emerged from the chaos looking more formidable, it's body and blade growing larger and something like wings floating around it's back. [i]Don't start flying,[/i] the Cadet silently pleaded with it. It was already so fast and mobile, if it suddenly started to fly things would get much worse. They'd soon find out that it didn't need the power of flight to make the situation worse though - it let out a deafening roar and summoning a bolt of lightning down from above. Electricity started to roll in waves across the beach, with a few smaller lightning bolts striking the area. The bolts he was confident enough to deal with, but the waves were another story. He sought higher ground so as not to be electrocuted, finding one of Kamek's clones offering a leg up. He probably should have taken it, but that wasn't even Kamek herself, just a magic copy, so he turned away and fired the clutch claw at an outcrop of dark rocks in the other direction.

He'd made it out of the way of the electricity and the lightning, but didn't have much time for anything else. From his new spot he got harrowing view of the Orphan moving in on Nadia, and the feral getting quite the shock - then, the worst scenario all too soon. Delsin had jumped in to save her, but ended up torn to pieces. Gone. 

The Cadet's heart was thumping wildly in his chest. Where he'd ended up was away from the rest of the heroes, close enough to see what was going on but too far to be able to help in a pinch. He watched Geralt and Sakura continue their melee onslaught, Blazermate fly up to heal the princess, and poor Nadia paralyzed on the ground. This wasn't a good spot, he needed to be closer to help stop the monster from killing anyone else. He was on the move as soon as the electricity stopped, though Kamek's shout that she could fix Delsin gave him momentary pause. [i]That's right, something about raising the dead![/i] He sure hope it worked, and to that end he changed course. He kept his distance but got to a slightly more strategic spot up on the rocks, one he could crouch on with little issue.  

Set up took just a few hurried seconds, popping the coating out of the bow and scraping an arrow head across the stone to make sure it could spark. He was kind of relying on Rika and Jr's plan to buy that time. With most of the Seekers moving closer to the Orphan, there wouldn't be enough space for Kamek to do whatever she needed to do. Plus, Nadia was still right in harm's way. So, the Cadet's plan was simple - he'd just call it over to him. The hunter's mind was telling him this would drop their damage output, but if it kept them alive then it didn't matter. He was sure he could handle whatever was about to come his way. Probably... [i]no, definitely![/i]

[color=salmon]"Someone grab Nadia and make sure she's okay!"[/color] He shouted at the others. Next he focused on the Orphan shooting one arrow at it's head along side another shout to get it's attention.

[color=salmon]"Over here, crybaby!"[/color] Without pause he knelt on the rock, scraping one of the great arrow's heads on the surface until it sparked and just began to catch fire and nocking it in one motion. The Cadet didn't really fancy himself a gambler, but he was betting that it would head straight for him and that his aim was true enough to get one good shot before he had to rely on his dodging skills. He pulled the bow back hard and the arrow crackled like crazy, ready to be let loose and burn through it's target.

[hr]
[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/88KWNj5/OTbanner.png[/img]
[sup]____________________________________________________[/sup]
[color=FFC6C6][u]Level[/u]: [b]6[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 74/60[/color] [color=2e2c2c]------[/color] [color=BC8DBF][u]Level[/u]: [b]2[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 16/20[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color] [color=2e2c2c]----------------------------[/color] [color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color]
[color=lightgray]Word Count: 539 (+1 exp)(+8 Battle Reward)
[b]Location[/b]: Sandswept Sky - (Inner) Split Mountain[/color][/center]
With the danger passed, for now, the Seekers quickly got back to work getting the lift up and running. Diligently Primrose help to tend to the wounded, and then rested well within the brightest areas to regain her stamina. Her fellow Traveler stood as one pair of eyes keeping a look out for any other interruptions, shifting in place from time to time to stop from shivering in the cold. 

Once their ride up to the top was ready, the two of them wasted no time piling in to the cart alongside the others. At least, the others that couldn't fly themselves - which surprisingly included Big Band.

Besides the sound of the clinking chain and the groan of the pulley, most of the ride up was quiet. It was a companionable silence, and no one seemed to mind when it was broken. Primrose nodded to Tora and Poppi.

[color=D34C25]"Well enough."[/color] 

Primrose pulled the white scarf a little tighter around herself, half due to the cold and half to hide the little smirk Tora's comment brought to her face. She really was fine, memory of that ghoulish face lunging at her notwithstanding. Thankfully she hadn't been raked by the wendigo's claws, so her recovery had gone a lot more smoothly than the others. She counted them all lucky that they'd been able to tend to Yoshitsune and Laharl in time. Though Sora and Yoshitsune's departure ultimately lowered their collective battle power, at least they still had the reserve team ready to join them at the mountain's top.

The next person to break the silence was Midna, and Primrose nodded at her as well.

[color=D34C25]"It is as Poppi said earlier, their ghosts flew away. They didn't turn into a normal spirit orb."[/color] 

[color=BC8DBF]"What about a 'spirit orb' is [i]normal[/i], exactly?"[/color] Therion couldn't help but chime in, meeting Primrose's eyes with a quirked brow.

[color=D34C25]"...I suppose 'common' would be a better word. You get used to it, and you'll learn more soon enough."[/color] 

[color=BC8DBF]"What's that supposed to mean?"[/color]

She ignored the last question, continuing the conversation about the wendigo. [color=D34C25]"Besides that, it seemed they were only truly defeated with fire."[/color] 

Therion scoffed, crossing his arms under his shawl. [i]Of course[/i] they were only weak to fire. Just their luck. To be fair they were in a frozen wasteland on the inside of a ice mountain, he guessed that pretty much everything here would have a weakness to fire... and he still couldn't use his magic to help out with that. The thief spent the rest of the ascent tucked into one corner of the cart, legs crossed at the ankle to match his arms. He observed the ragtag group, including the curious flyers, though his red-tinted eyes didn't dare look down over the side of the lift. Primrose understood the feeling. Even though this type of lift was much more in line with she and Therion's experiences in their own world, truth be told she would have preferred to ride inside of Alibaba again just for the security. But the claw gripped the cart tightly, and the chain looked strong, so they'd probably be alright. They just had to prepare for whatever the summit of the mountain had in store for them.