Day 4, Late Morning, May 7th
Weather: Clear
Chp. 5~ Shining Silver and Tarnished Gold

The Gold's Tarnish

The sun is still climbing, nearly at its apex, and the sky is slowly clearing. The morning fog is most definitely gone. Our group, one holy sword and a golden triangle more than before, makes their way through the outer reaches of the Deku woods, heading north towards the lake, and to the Oracle's shrine in hopes of protecting a life and the Triad of Wisdom.

They do not see any monsters along the path, probably because the Deku Tree is going out of his way to make the path clear. The trip will go all the more quickly.

Despite the clear, sunny sky, the overall mood is somewhat eerie. There is hardly a bird call, and no wind, thus the only noise is that of their feet and their breath. It seems odd to have such a rediculously calm day after last night's storms, in both the literal and metaphorical senses.

Nova mutters, "I dont like this... animals and monsters dont scatter and hide like this without a reason. Turafa, can you sense anything out of place?"

He hesitates several seconds before answering. "Well... I... er.... I... can't quite sense any outstanding magic or life forms... but... Well... the power of that sword along with the Triad.... They seem to be clouding my perception.... It's.... It's like trying... to see a campfire agains the light of the sun... I guess.... it could be scaring away any monsters."

Jokarne nods in agreement. "Indeed, this is most odd." She draws out the katanas Nova gave a short time before. "I don't like it one bit. Makes me nervous, like something is coming."

"I think they're all scared poop because they sense that the triforce of power has fallen into the wrong hands... then again, it would be kinda twisted if Darkrova ended up with Wisdom, wouldn't it though?" Kiri says in a bored tone, strolling along, but keeping his eyes peeled, "I know there's usually nothing around here that would scare them."

Zarala, too, feels the unease. She walks silently, but vigilantly, glancing around her constantly. Despite the danger the group is heading towards, it feels good to be heading North to Lake Hylia once more, to see the Oracle and, who knows, maybe her sister.

Turning to Roma; "Do you think there's anything I can do for Nova? I know I'm not the strongest fighter, and I've only got very limited magic. Do you think I can do anything? Carry something for her, maybe? I just want to be able to help when it comes to the final conflict..." she trails off. This is obviously something she's been brooding over.

Brittok and Tiran walks behind the group, just mindlessly listening in the group conversations. They agree with Nova on her assessment of the current environment.

Eto pats Zarala on the shoulder. "I know what you mean; sometimes I feel like I'm the only person here without some sort of specialized ability or magical power; especially now that we've got things like our trump card over there."

"Don't worry; Zarala, your magic is far stronger than you seem to realize, and you should know better than to think that the lack of a magical item makes you ineffective in battle, Eto." Kael looks around at the still canopy above them before continuing on. "As for the forest... I'd have to assume one of two options. Either they're keeping away from the sword... or Darkrova's sent something powerful to track the Triad of Courage, and they've now drawn close."

"I aggree, Zarala. Your magic potential is much greater than you seem to realize. Perhaps some time soon we will finall find a decent rest period for training..."
"Maybe... Maybe the displacement of the Triad has had some adverse effect on this land," Roma suggests. "I wonder what the sacred realm is like now, without the light of the goddesses shining upon it."

The ground becomes hilly rather suddenly, and even more suddenly the forest ends. They can see a wall of trees curving around on either side and they can just make out the lake in the not too far distance. Towering above, just beyond the lake, is Death Mountain, its peak stretching high up into a ring of mist that has formed around the peak.

Just past the line of trees, they pass between two steep hillsides, and the echo of a sour memory comes up for those who went into the Lost Woods just last night. This is the spot where Darkrova's forces ambushed them. In a few dirt-covered places, the remnants of monster foosteps can be see, partially erased by the rain. Most of the ground is covered in grass, though. One might feel a bit paranoid passing through here, but they get by without incedent, though somehow that is not completely reassuring.

As they walk along the coast of the lake, the strange lack of wind leaves the water with a shockingly crystaline appearance, reflecting the sky and the horizon almost perfectly. The only disturbance is the occaisional fish popping to the surface for food.

Nova is on edge, visibly. She's got a death grip on the A.S. so tight her knuckles are white. Her eyes dart from place to place, looking for the first sign of trouble. When the first fish jumps, she jumps and yelps.

Leafsbane seems to wither in the still air. "No breeze, no breath of life. Choking, stifling. Whats going on?"

Kiri's already stringing together a fishing pole and digging for bait, but he still keeps up. For some reason he doesn't seem at all affected by the dismal atmosphere, despite the fact that he's watching every ripple in the water like it might hide a trapdoor spider.

Brittok says in an almost distant tone, as if he was wondering:Everything looks the same, yet so different. I wonder if Keta Village and Mt. Keta has been changed a bit as well...

Tiran looks at Brittok in a way that could pass as confusion to the reason why Brittok would be thinking about the Keta region when he should be focusing on the job on hand..

As they walk past the lake, Gotetsu looks around at the place he was at only four days before, the place he had met Zarala and Nova, and a slight chuckle escapes him.

Under his breath, he says, "Just like the pieces of the Triad... eh, Zarala?" Picking up the pace, he walks up next to Nova and pats her on the back. "Oi, Nova, is that anyway for the weilder of the Triad of Courage to act? You're the one who taught me courage; don't make me think I had the wrong teacher..." He then smiles and laughs.

Kael looks around the lake, hiding his anxiety from the others. "We should hurry to the Oracle... but Nova, I'd like you to remain behind. If Darkrova got her first, and this is a trap, we can't afford to lose the Triforce of Courage to her. Save your fight with her for when we can decide the terms of the battle."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? It is our trump card, after all..."