[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4DgO1VH.png[/img]
[color=FFC6C6]Word Count: 777 (+2 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 103/80 
[b]Location[/b]: The Under - Ruins[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color][/center]
As the group continued back toward the temple, Primrose filed away the information that Barnabee gave them about the mask in case it might be useful. To be honest she wasn't sure any of the short story the Hive Knight had shared would matter at all, given it seemed to be a piece of mythology rather. Even so she picked out the words [i]Lurien[/i], [i]Home of Tears[/i], and most importantly: [i]two more fragments.[/i] When he finished she gave him a wordless nod. It turn out that the mask fit into one of the grooves in the door, so at least they were making progress. The rest of that particular mask's pieces would be back through that colorless forest no doubt, while the others remained to be found. The Koopa Troop had their theories about the them, and while Primrose didn't have any opinions on 'evil workmansship' when Kamek mentioned the person that attacked them earlier her eyes narrowed in distaste.

[color=D34C25]"That Consul... I wouldn't be surprised if they did do something like that just to sit back and watch us flounder and struggle."[/color] An irritating thought, but ultimately there was nothing that they could do about it until F showed his face again. 

First, though, there was a reunion due.

They moved on, back the way they'd originally come and up to the edge of a vertical cavern that the other group had descended. Primrose looked over the edge, watching father and son make their way down. Before the rest of them moved, Kamek offered to conjure them mounts. The dancer watched with interest as the old koopa cast his magic, though when a spider hatched from the egg Primrose's lip twitched, unamused. Though Kamek assured them that he could conjure creatures other than spiders, and Primrose believed him, she declined his offer. Her hair and the fabric of the twin crown bounced as she shook her head.

[color=D34C25]"Thank you kindly Kamek, but I would rather rely on my own legs,"[/color] she said, further put off by Rika's comments. 

She jumped down into the shaft, her form more elegant now with the glowing scarf unfurled behind her than it had been in battle with the brood mother. She floated gently between platforms, generally steering clear of bothersome bugs until touching down at the bottom. From there, they found the remains of a battle and the mapmaker that the others had been looking for. Naturally, it seemed after purchasing a map the other group continued on. So the six of them continued on as well.

After a while of walking down darkened tunnels and listening to the echoes of scuttling bugs with no sign of their companions, Primrose held in a sigh. [i]They must have traveled further than they intended to, just like we did,[/i] she thought. Either that, or they had taken a wrong turn and were treading a different path. Primrose considered herself to be pretty good at reading maps after traveling for months in her own world, so she tapped Kamek on the shoulder in order to peek at the one he'd purchased. He showed it to her and she found it to be... incredibly lacking. [i]Still a work in progress, I see...[/i]

There was nothing more to do than press on, and even with a vague map it would be easier finding their way back again. At one point Rika split off to chase after another of her planes, and after some doubling back to look for her, she returned with Bowser Jr. safe and sound. Primrose didn't mind listening to the chastisement Bowser and Kamek were giving her as the group began moving forward again. The strange little family's dynamics were endearing. 

When the path split, the Seekers came upon a huge cavern - one that they were all surprised to find, Barnabee included (she had taken the bee's claims about not getting lost with a large grain of salt anyway).

[color=D34C25]"They had Ganondorf and that little knight with them,"[/color] Primrose mused, [color=D34C25]"so I suppose it's possible they could have been led through this area around the... worms."[/color] Her gaze was set on the ground where the Goams popped up and down, unsure what else to call them. Still, if the others came through here they least they could have done was left some sort of sign or trail to follow. To that end, while Bowser Jr. called out to some of the more intelligent looking bugs Primrose went back to the cavern's mouth, just inside the tunnel they'd emerged from. There, she used the devout beads whip to carve a quick and crude 'X' into the wall and then returned to the group.

[indent][/indent]
[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/rHBxLGZ/therionbanner.png[/img]
[color=BC8DBF]Word Count: 975 (+2 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]5[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 63/50 
[b]Location[/b]: The Under[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●●[/color][color=gray]●●●[/color]
[i]Stress Level: 35[/i][/center]
In, slash, stab, out. Rinse, repeat. It was working, and gradually the number of enemies in the room was getting lower, even when more spawned in. The queen bee commented that if they didn't focus on the giant, the battle would only last longer. At that, Therion grit his teeth in irritation. [i]Easier said than done,[/i] he thought as he fended off a Brawler. 

[color=BC8DBF]"Instead of complaining about it, find a way to keep it still so we [i]can[/i] attack it,"[/color] he snapped at Sectonia. The whole group had been peppering the giant whenever they could, but it was quick and dangerous - and the monsters it summoned were even more troublesome. They'd be dead if they ignored them.

Case in point, while he'd been briefly distracted with admonishing Sectonia the Brawler lurched toward him with its pulsating red flesh curled around its arm, extending the limb into toothed cleaver. The exchange had only taken a second, but it was time enough for the Brawler to land a blow on Therion, who'd hastily thrown his arms up in defense. The Brawler's claw cracked against the fool's bangle and sliced his forearms, sending another shock of pain and stress through his body. The thief backed off quickly, throwing a cast of Wildfire at the monster to stave it off for a few moments. While it writhed in the flame, Therion caught his breath. [i]Fuck, feels like it nearly took my arms off.[/i] Thankfully, they were still attached. The thought crossed his brain that he really needed to learn how to use that shield he picked up for situations just like this when the Brawler wiped it's arms out with a grunt, scattering the fire. 

It was on it's last legs, scorched and battered from skirmishes with other Seekers. Therion was eager to put it out of its misery, and so he dove towards it after flicking the blood from his arms. He went low, ducking under the wide slash the Brawler aimed at him. He stabbed the fleshy limb with the stinging dagger, slicing a line down through it. Drawing it out and swapping the weapon to his opposite hand, Therion thrust the blade up through the underside of the Brawler's chin. Aggravated and dying, the Brawler brought its still-human hand around to capture Therion's wrist and try to wrench the weapon out, but its grip weakened as it began dissolving. Reduced to ash and spirit, Therion left it there and returned to the relative safety of the room's arches.

From there, he heard a scream of pure fear over the din of battle. His head snapped toward the noise to find Ms. Fortune escaping the maw of the abomination that had been the cultist priest. That one was a real pain, but it was hard to find a good opening to go after it. Just after that, another voice rose above the chaos, that of the FBC Director. 

[color=BC8DBF][i]"Alive,"[/i][/color] he called back. Hurting and stressed out, but alive and looking to stay that way. He was no strategist or tactician, but he took a moment to get a picture of the battlefield and saw that everyone was in various states of wounded, some worse off than him and some nearly untouched. He didn't speculate on what that said about some of them, instead Therion shifted his attention back to Ms. Fortune as she prepared to take on the Priest. He moved, waiting in the wings for his cue. 

When it came thanks to the combined efforts of Nadia and Jesse, Therion took over. Adverse to getting any closer than he really had to, the thief kicked off from a pile of rubble and jumped into the air over the Priest while summoning his striker beneath him. Curled into its iron ball the junicorn slammed down into the Priest, splattering the eldritch monster into juicy chunks. Weakly its tentacles squirmed from underneath the junicorn to no avail. Therion landed on top of the striker, one leg tucked in a kneeling position and his tail swishing back and forth. Finally, the Priest was defeated. Therion turned his head to Ms. Fortune, giving her a very unamused look after she made her double pun.

It was through even more puns that she claimed the battle was nearly over. Above them, the giant roared and summoned another fresh batch of enemies. Among them was another damned cultist priest, and another much more menacing looking monster. At that moment, a bright light on one side of the room caught Therion's attention only to see Ganondorf turn into a monster even larger and more dangerous looking than any that had been summoned so far. He was charging at the giant's leg, so while that happened Therion tapped the junicorn and pointed toward the Impaler. The junicorn stood up, its crimson horn appearing as it took aim. Just before it fired, Mom stopped down nearby. It wasn't close enough to disrupt the striker, but Ganon's wild swings as he came in to attack the giant certainly did. 

Therion didn't know if the junicorn's shot hit its target, he'd been too busy getting out of the way when he realized that he'd end up collateral damage to Ganon's attacks if he stayed put. He leapt off of the junicorn and out of the way, but the striker wasn't as lucky. One of those massive swords struck it and sent it hurdling away. Though the junicorn's defense was high, the wild swing's damage transferred over to the thief - it felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. 

[color=BC8DBF]"What the hell!"[/color] he shouted to Ganon after a wheeze and a cough, though if the king of evil could hear it he did not respond. Once more Therion headed to the fringes of the battle. His support from here would be in the form of flying daggers, but ultimately he was leaving the remaining Seekers to deal with the cultists, and with Mom.