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Linehart      Adventurer's Guilds are everywhere. They're part of life in the Multiverse. You can't go anywhere without running into one; the sheer quilted worldscape of the Multiverse guarantees that wherever you go there's probably at least something that fulfills the function, whether a government-run agency or a genuine old-school tavern.

     In Masktown, it's the Screaming Tengu.

     It's run by an old skeleton by the name of Tengu. Nobody knows if it's his real name, or if it's just a nickname based on the mask he chose. He's not a particularly jovial sort, nor a particularly talkative sort - rumor has it that Tengu has only ever said three words in his unlife, and they were "please excuse me" as he was trying to get the door. When new people come in, he just taps the registration book, points at the crowfeather quill, and points at the ink book. Besides Tengu, a lot of monster adventurers tend to come here. A necromancer is playing cards with an undead cowgirl, a werewolf priest, and a ghost ninja. A lich over in the corner is reading a book with a face on it. A bunch of skeletons are chattering over some kind of meal they appear to be having, somehow. It's a wild place full of wild and scary things all acting like normal people, having normal people chatter among the falling leaves.

     And yet as weird as it is all of them brace themselves when the Mirror Knight enters.

     Seven feet tall. A cross-scar visor blazing with red light. A cloak of smoke roiling about his shoulders. Armor as black as a midnight storm. A deep, ominous music, a miasmic melody that fills the room. The armor makes no noise as it moves. The Knight says nothing. He doesn't even survey the room.

     The ghost ninja disappears. The undead cowgirl slowly reaches for her gun. The lich closes his book and raises his hand as if to get the check and leave. The skeletons shudder and shiver and clackity-clack-clack. The priest clutches his staff. The necromancer surreptitiously slips the pot into a bag of holding and starts murmuring a teleport spell under his breath.

     The Mirror Knight walks up to the counter. Tengu looks up.

     Tengu taps the registration book, points at the quill, and goes back to cleaning a glass.

     The Mirror Knight picks up the quill and starts writing, and the entire Guild (metaphorically) breathes a sigh of relief.
Tetra     As Linehart steps in and the tension in the room thickens, a pretty young woman with elfin ears and long, blonde hair in a ponytail looks away from the posting board. She tenses up, a hand on the sword at her hip. She reads the room and relaxes with the rest, and simply leans against the wall to watch the Mirror Knight a moment, arms crossed. Interesting... it's not often one finds something that'll raise the hackles of a place like this.

    As he finishes registering, she moves to intercept him, The girl, with a scarred cheek and striking blue eyes, smiles curiously at the imposing knight. Her leather chestpiece bears the red outline of an open eye shedding a tear. "Well. You certainly know how to get attention," she tells him affably.
Linehart      He's addressed.

     The Mirror Knight's helmet tilts up from finishing his application. It turns to stare at the girl. There's no facial expressions visible at all. There's...just that horrible red cross-scar visor, and the deep, malevolent black. She can see her reflection in that black, against all common sense. Nothing that absorbs light so fiercely should turn it back upon itself, and yet, it does - as if she is literally looking into the darkness, and the darkness is looking back.

     The seven-foot knight is silent for a long time, as if debating something. Then, a textbox bwips up in front of everyone in the room. It has his armored face on it. It makes a little 'bwip' noise as it opens.

     Such was not my intent. Yet I have never shied away from scattering those weak of will.

     And yet despite that really ominous statement in that super weird box, the music picks up from an ominous, low tone to a more cheerful beat. It's the same song, no doubt, but the pace is sped up a little, and the notes raised a bit higher.

     A bunch of the undead adventurers in the bar are probably super unhappy about that statement, bristling a little, but none of them are willing to go up to the guy oozing Final Boss and call him on it. Nobody's stupid enough to pick a fight with a Final Boss.

     I am Linehart, the Mirror Knight. My Sphere is Evil Knight.

     The armored figure lowers its head slightly. One can almost imagine the deep voice that should be coming from that textbox, strong and grim and focused, determined.
Tetra     The girl looks a little bit unsettled as she examines the armor, and is visibly startled by the text box. Her ears perk visibly at the shift in music, and she glances around--she's just now realizing that music isn't being played by anyone, that there are no musicians here. Her grin lowers slightly, seeming more bemused than amused now.

    "Your sphere?" she asks. "So... your job?" He certainly looks the part, she thinks. "I'm Tetra. Adventurer by trade... that, uh. That music is you, isn't it?" she asks, gesturing vaguely around her.
Linehart      Again the armor just...stares at her for a few moments before actually responding. And his response is just...a nod.

     The second question gets a Yes. It is the harmony at the end of the world. He pauses. It cannot be silenced.

     Again, a bunch of bristling, but the music remains cheerful, so presumably that's metaphorical? And he literally can't silence it?

     I admit that I am impressed. Few have bothered to stop me on my way through these worlds. Fewer still have spoken to me but in fevered tones.

     The Mirror Knight turns his full self towards her. He's big, but he's not Ganondorf big. He's certainly taller than Tetra, but it's a lot less huge than he looked when he entered; it's probably just distance and misjudgement.

     Still, though.

     Have I whet your idle curiosity? Or did you seek more from me than mere conversation? I understand battle is as common as speech in this Multiverse, though I am in no mood for conflict this day, if that is what you seek.

     If it is something else you need, then walk with me. I have an errand to run in this place and it shall not be delayed.

     His music drops back to its more neutral tone as he turns to walk out the door.
Tetra     Right. So, this man speaks in magical text boxes, and he's accompanied by music, like a play... or a 'movie'. How strange. She's about to speak when this dismissal comes--and as he moves toward the door, she follows behind him.

    "I try not to shy away from interesting things," she replies. "Someone who can give /this/ menagerie pause just walking in to register, that's... 'interesting' isn't the word for it. I'm curious, and I've been looking for something to do, someone to talk to." She glances back at the postboard. Nothing this cool on there anyway... and this music is, hopefully, telling her she's not *un*welcome.
Linehart                          TETRA HAS JOINED THE PARTY                        

     The pop-up appears in front of Tetra, just some words in a box. Unlike Linehart's speech, it's not blue on white; it's just sort of...coppery, with the words in the middle? Weird-looking. At least it answers whether or not she's welcome, probably. He hasn't said anything to her about it.

     There's another pop-up in front of her. It's an old-school status screen; it shows his Sphere as EVIL KNIGHT, his Equipment as ALEDVAR (repeated twice - two-handed, or dual-wielded?), BOSSARM10, BOSSACC00, BOSSACC01. His HP and MP are blanked out, as are his actual attributes.

     Notably, it shows his actual face. Dark skin, flowing white hair, and an eyepatch. One eye, the color of a gold coin. A sharp chin, and high, noble cheekbones.

     Scrolling down the menu, which seems to just happen automatically, lists a bunch of abilities that Tetra has absolutely no context for.

     The menu closes on its own with a *bwip*. If Linehart noticed it, he didn't say anything about it, either. He simply keeps walking through the streets, ominous, but neutral music playing.

     Eventually, they reach a little house on the edge of town. Linehart does not knock. He simply opens the door and walks inside. He stops in front of a small goblin child.

     The goblin child looks up at him nervously.

     An inventory window pops open.

     A doll appears in Linehart's hand. He simply hands it to the child. The child looks at the doll, then looks up at him, wide-eyed. "Y-you found my doll...?"

     The armored visage says nothing. The child beams, clutching the doll to its chest. "I...I need to thank you...um, here! I don't have anything else, but..."

     The child holds up a wrapped candy. Linehart takes it, and it disappears. Then he turns and walks past Tetra, out of the house, without a word.

     When they're outside, he stops in the street, waiting for her. My errand is complete. Have you a quest in need of aid? I will follow, my lady, and we may talk on the way.

     Wow, that's...a *shift* in tone.
Tetra     Tetra, luckily, has at least some bare familiarity with this--not the gamified aspects, at all, but her experience with Impa's Sheikah Slate is a start. Questions for later. She's silent for the moment, taking time to process all of this. She watches as he returns the doll, and smiles. It's a bright smile, with a bit of surprise. She bobs her head briefly to the child and leaves wih the Mirror Knight.

    At his question, she pulls a folded parchment out of her satchel, handing it to him. It's a posting from the Screaming Tengu's job board; a group of bandits has decided to set up a 'tolling station' along the highway. Standard stuff.

    "Nothing all that difficult. I'd be glad for the company, but, uh... no fancy titles, please. Call me Tetra." She pauses a moment, thoughtful, then adds, "You're... Evil Knight is your 'sphere', but... most evil knights wouldn't return a lost doll for a piece of candy. No offense."
Linehart      He takes the paper in hand. It's hard to tell if he's reading it, but now that she knows he has a *face* under there, it's probably the case. He stares at it for a long moment before he hands it back to her and nods, gesturing for her to lead on.

     Once they start walking, Linehart responds.

     I am no longer content to play the role written for me.

     The music gets slower. Lower. Sad? It sounds sad. It's got that sound of harps playing melancholy strings in a concert hall. Though he has no voice it's easy to tell that he's not happy with the hand Fate dealt to him, whatever else his feelings may be. After a bit he stops walking behind her and starts walking alongside her.

     Then the armor disappears.

     The sword on his back is a colossal hunk of metal. He's...uh, not colossal. He lost like...a foot?...from the armor. Maybe two. He's still a little taller than Tetra but not by much. There's a second sword at his hip, a much smaller, classical longsword. If she was to look at his menu again, she'd see that all of his equipment shuffled around, and also that he's dual-wielding somehow. He falls into synch with her step. He still makes absolutely no noise.

     Freedom is much too precious to waste on reprising my own cruelties.

     That's all he says on the subject. After a bit, he says, Do you know your way through this area, my lady, or should I provide a map? After a moment, he says, My apologies. I do not yet feel I have earned such informality from you. I hope that does not offend you.
Tetra Tetra gives Linehart a small smile at that. A bittersweet one, befitting of the music playing. "... Yeah," she replies simply, quietly, realizing she may have found a kindred spirit. She rubs the back of her neck, and does a double-take as he steps up beside her. She'd figured he was handsome from that portrait, but seeing him properly, in reality... wow.

    She looks over his equipment, looking a little startled as she calls up the menu. "Uh... a map might be a good idea," she replies once she's got her composure back. "I usually like to find my way with the directions they give me, usually, but wandering around for an extra hour or two feels a little rude when I've got a companion. Might be a good idea to make sure we take a more direct route."
Linehart      In truth I do not mind. I have nowhere to be. I frequently simply wander unfamiliar lands looking for people to help. I understand that doing things the hardest way possible is the shortest route to understanding Heroism.

     It's weird that that's capitalized.

     The music goes back to a more neutral tone as he walks alongside her. After a bit, he turns his hand over. Eyes that pieces the gap beyond time - Omnis Intuens!

     A popup appears above both of them, at the corner of vision. It's an old-timey game window. The map starts filling itself out as they walk, noting impassable terrain, easy paths; it's literally an old-school JRPG map that Tetra's been given access to. It's not exactly a way forward, but it helps them not get lost; string through a labyrinth.

     He tries to be conversational. He's bad at small talk. Where do you hail from, my lady? I would visit there next. It is as good a place as any to continue my journey. I will probably find someone who wants this candy there. Hopefully in exchange for a cuckoo clock.

     A frustrated and depressed clockmaker at a tavern I was was speaking of a cuckoo clock he once owned in his youth.

     Yeah he's just describing a Trading Sequence.

     He walks alongside her, his stride even with hers despite his height. Again, absolutely no noise other than that music - not that he needs much else. It's not exactly like he can be *stealthy*. I would simply buy one, but I gave my Jee to a washed-up sculptor, who gave me his prize glue in exchange, so I have nothing to spend.
Tetra     "Well, with a map like this... it might actually make the whole wandering thing a bit easier from time to time." She glances over at it, making a quiet 'huh' sound.

    "I come from the land of Hyrule. Kakariko Village, specifically, in the hills north of Hyrule Castle Town... you might've heard some chatter about the place, recently," she explains. "An ancient prophecy's coming to a head, and a so-called 'Great King of Evil', Ganondorf Dragmire, has risen up."

    She seems more troubled than she's letting on, trying to pass it off casually. "You shouldn't have too much trouble finding cucco clocks around Hateno, they're east of where I'm from--but finding someone who will trade you candy for a clock may be a bit of a tall order. Monster attacks are on the rise, so you could probably earn a few rupees doing jobs that way to help it along." She stops a moment and checks her directions, the map, and the road ahead. "... okay, yeah. We're going the right way..."

     She puts her hands behind her head, looking up at the amber evening sky. "It's funny, we actually have these sorta trade-up games, not too far off what you're describing. They're a bit of a tradition for kids. You start with something small, like... a soup ladle, for instance, and see what someone can give you for it. Something that's less useful to them, but might be useful for you or for someone else. And you keep going until you're satisfied or nobody wants what you're offering. See how 'good' of a thing you can get in the end. Supposed to help you learn about relative worth, and the value of bartering."
Linehart      Linehart glances at her. Well, he's not *robotic*. His way of talking is odd, and his magic is odd, and his status screen is *bizarre*, but his motions are fundamentally human. He's meat. He breathes. He probably eats, though she hasn't *seen* him do so. I try not to pay attention to the radio. Actions speak far louder than words, my lady. I ask that none speak up on my behalf, either, when they condemn me; it would come off as if I had convinced you with evil tongue, when I would rather convince them with my own deeds.

     Someone else might've made a crack about an evil tongue. Linehart apparently does not. The prophecy draws more of his attention, his head turning to face her. Worry not.

     The Hero defeats the villain. I know from experience.

     His music gets melancholic again, that slow, almost waltz pace. I served the evil god, Discordia. I was under its spell, but so I was meant to be. So it was written that I would be. To the world I come from my armor is that of a great evil.

     His head turns back to the road. You may be assured that I have most intimate knowledge of this subject, and do not merely speak platitutdes.

     She talks about trading games. He just nods, like he...expected this? I am frankly surprised that sort of thing isn't more common. The Hero did much of that. It is why I am doing much of it. Did you also play these games? Were you skilled at them?
Tetra     She nods. "... I see. I don't want to pry. That must be painful for you. It's just... even if the hero wins... there are so many things that could go wrong, things that could turn out *worse*. He could die. A suffering people could be ruined further. It's... it's not the sort of clear-cut thing the legends make it out to be."

    She sighs and shakes her head. "Sorry. Don't mean to go on about it. I played a few times when I was younger... I tended to bite off more than I could chew, though. It's hard to get anywhere when you're starting with a hairpin and wanna trade up to a fancy pastry."
Linehart      The consequences in your world are beyond my ability to know. i am not yet familiar with the ways of the worlds beyond my own, and my own is strange even for the multitude.

     I merely wished to reassure you that things would be alright. I suppose now I am indeed speaking platitudes instead of truths. You have my apologies.

     He doesn't say much for a bit. The smaller of his swords comes out in his off hand on the rare occasions actual monsters attack. He's enormously strong, strong enough to blow things back with the wind from his swing. There's definitely the sense that he's not kidding about being his world's equivalent of the Great King of Evil, that that armor isn't just something edgy and for show. After a bit of a march, he says,

     I imagine the first step is to find someone who needs to re-enter their home. In thanks they would give you a coin. You would give the coin to someone who wants to buy a loaf of bread. They would give you a rag. You would give the rag to a painter. The painter would give you some paints. You would give the paints to a man working on his house. He would give you a hammer. You would bring the hammer to the carpenter. He would give you a block of wood and some nails. You would take the wood and nails to the pastry that they might easier hang their sign or set up a table outside. They would give you a pastry.

     Yeah okay he's done that before.

     But you seem the type who would then give your pastry to someone else.
Tetra     "Yeah... that part I got." Tetra grins over at Linehart. "I've never met anyone who talks, or... well, does things the way you do. And you don't need to apologize. I appreciate the thought... it sounds like we'll have some things to discuss if we keep up this association."

    Tetra's sword is a finely-crafted, single-edged blade with a barb near the bottom. Her movement in combat is rapid and agile, dodging strikes and moving fluidly into counters. At times she seems weightless.

    She quirks an eyebrow at the Mirror Knight, cocking a lopsided smile and simply asking, "Do I?"
Linehart      Yes. You seem the type to hand it off to someone else for no reward of your own.

     I assume as much from earlier. You said that most evil knights would not return a doll for a piece of candy. That implied that you had some knowledge of Evil Knights, but more than that, you seemed surprised that I would settle for such a reward, rather than either do it for simple charity, or demand greater. I suppose you may be the type to demand a higher payment, but then you would not have followed me - you did not know how long my errand would last, and you could not have known I would choose to follow you out onto this quest. So I do not believe you care very much about your own time - either you are merely a thrill-seeker, or you have no interest in making money. I choose to believe the latter.

     Linehart doesn't feel like he has any skill at all. It's really weird. Like, yeah, he can swing the sword, and yeah, the force of it is ridiculous, but there's no *style*. No *substance*. It just...swings. It's just raw force. Granted, enough to cleave monsters in half, to cut the air, to knock down trees and rain orange leaves around them, but it's not...it's not a *fighting style*. It's pure brute force. And he doesn't stop walking forward. He never stops walking forward, even if he's being attacked from head-on. He just...smashes through things.

     The weirdest thing, though, is that every time he takes a hit, damage numbers pop up in white above his head.

     Weird. Equally weird is that occasionally he swings his sword, a textbox appears above his head with a fanciful name like BLODSABR, and then his wounds visibly heal and some green numbers pop up over his head.

     He's just.

     Weird.

     He doesn't elaborate on the subject of reward, but there is a sense of confusion from his music. It slowly winds down, though. Maybe he's just confused by her style?

     We must be almost there by now. Though it is not an unpleasant walk, I strain to imagine any problem worth paying for to be much deeper in the forest. His footsteps don't even make noise amidst the autumn leaves. It's probably not that disorienting by *now*, though. She's seen him talk enough - seen his mouth literally mouth the words the textboxes make, seen him laugh and produce the textbox without making any noise, and seen him breathe without actually breathing. The fact that the leaves don't crunch is just...another little oddity.

     What is your Sphere?] He asks finally, like it's an afterthought, like he just realized her fighting style was unusual to him.
Tetra     "Mm..." Tetra regards Linehart coolly. "You're sharp." She chuckles. "You're right, though... it's a bit of both. This was a childhood dream of mine... to do it for its own sake, and to help people."

    She regards Linehart's style, or lack thereof, with a similar puzzlement--is this another quirk of his weird existence, or does he simply... get by on brute force? He certainly has a lot of it.

    "You don't have one of those... information box things for me, like I see when I want to check you? I was trained in the Sheikah arts of combat. We favor precise strikes, fluid motion, and an exceptional focus on agility. Traditionally, the Sheikah are the guardians, eyes, and ears of Hyrule's royal family. Just as much secret agents as we are warriors."

    She stops a short distance later, holding up her hand to indicate Linehart stop as well. Quietly, "I smell a campfire." In the distance, past a blind corner in the road, the telltale sounds of carousing echo. "Yeah... I think they're set up past here."
Linehart      I have everything to learn about the Multiverse. So I tend to pay attention and stay quiet to learn it.

     That explains a lot about his weird demeanor and his wandering around in his strong, silent, super-evil armor. Nobody would make him talk. A lot of people would just ignore him and hope he went away, and carry on about their business. Others would probably just avoid him and go around him. A small few might fight him but they'd probably get slapped once and then run away, especially with that strength. Maybe small parties of adventurers might gather together to try, but...again, unprepared, they probably wouldn't make it very far.

     I do not have a status menu for you.

     Oh, well, okay.

     That I have one myself is...unique. I should not. But I do. Because I have seen The End.

     He doesn't elaborate on that, either. He just kind of nods at her description. She probably can gather that he thinks her Sphere is Sheikah.

     She says the campfire is ahead.

     He removes his heavy blade from his back. He is, indeed, dual-wielding that colossal sword and that longsword. He starts walking forward, heedless of the brush, or even bothering with an ambush. His music becomes deeper, more ominous, as he announces himself to the campfire.

     I am Linehart, the Mirror Knight. My Sphere is Evil Knight. Come, and find your doom at my hands!

     ...well, that's...not...tactical in the slightest.

     He might really be raw brute force.
Tetra     Tetra is about to start laying out a plan when Linehart starts charging forward. "Damn it," she mutters, hand on her blade as she ducks into the trees. He's big, boisterous, and intimidating; unsubtle makes for distracting, and she can use that to her advantage. The girl leaps up into a tree along the roadside, on the other side of the bandits' campsite. She draws her bow and nocks an arrow--the tip glows faintly, and erupts into flame.

    Surveying the site from above, she spots a basket full of bottles. Alcohol... perfect. Making sure Linehart's at a reasonably safe distance, she takes aim for the bottles and looses the arrow.

    The sound of shattering glass fills the air behind the bandits, immediately followed by several liters of booze igniting at once. A couple of them get hit with some broken glass, but the closest of them hit the deck immediately out of fear and reflex.

    Tetra leaps down out of the tree, sword in hand, ready to keep the ones still on their feet from getting away from Linehart.
Linehart      'Unsubtle' is literally the Evil Knight's stock in trade.

     The blaze is catastrophic. Tetra's good work carves a swath of fire through the forest, the campfire becoming a blazing beacon, the campsite swaddled in alcohol-fueled flame. Escape routes are cut off; dry Autumn leaves ignite, spreading rapidly. It probably wouldn't burn the whole forest down - way too much of the forest - but it's certainly a hell of an inconvenience.

     On the other hand, Linehart.

     It's kind of like being stuck between a rock and a murder engine. A murder engine pulling a very literal villain horror show moment, complete with long white hair and massively oversized sword.

     He's not good at Heroing.

     Even not in his absurd massive armor he's durable as hell. At least once Tetra gets a glimpse of him just grabbing a bandit by the face and draining red light out of it, with green numbers popping up over his head. Once in a while his smaller sword gets the same treatment, hitting something and drawing red light into his body. Green numbers, again. Every time he gets hit, whie numbers. He *does* take visible damage - he's not some kind of sprite or glitch or program; he bleeds when he gets cut by arrows, he gets knocked around if he's hit hard enough. It's just...weird to watch.

     It's also weird to watch him hit the ground with that massive sword and just *knock* things down, or blow back the fire and let it come rushing forward to catch enemies coming and going. Again, he's got absolutely no skill with the stupid things, but by God does he hit like a truck full of trucks.
Tetra     Shit. That was bigger than she was expecting. She'd be marvelling at the brick wall of doom Linehart represents, and she does a bit, but her attention's preoccupied. "Keep them occupied!" she tells him pointedly--maybe this party chat thing works both ways--and stretches out a free hand toward where the blaze is spreading into the forest. She pulls against the air, hand seeming to grip something invisible, straining to pull it toward her. The flames cool and redden, the roar of the trees quieting to a crackling whisper...

    One of the bandits knocked down in the blast gets up behind her, grabbing his sword. She spots him out of the corner of her eye, turning toward him, releasing her invisible grip. The fire roars back to life as she clashes swords with the cutthroat, countering two strikes; on the third, she slides her blade against his, catching it in the barb at the base of hers. A yank sideways disarms him, and with a sweep of her hand, crooked pillars of ice erupt from the dirt around and under him, trapping him in place.

    "Shit. Linehart, we need to finish this NOW!" she calls out.
Linehart      One of the important parts of being a Hero is "saving the Princess." When he was a monster...well. No, not here. Eventually. But not here.

     Tetra isn't a princess (as far as Linehart knows). But it's close enough.

     The smaller of the swords goes flying right past her. It embeds itself in the bandit trapped in ice, rips him free, and continues, sticking itself into a tree. It slides straight to the hilt before it stops, the bandit butterfly-pinned as if in a rich man's collection. Two-handing the large sword, Linehart holds up the weapon like a baseball bat, then inverts it. Dark energy ripples around the sword. Words pop up above him - though he's clearly not speaking them, because they don't appear in front of Tetra, or the bandits.

                                SHADOW FLARE                                

     He drives the sword down into the ground.

     Dark radiates outwards from the blade. It's a torrent of raw, elemental darkness, roiling purple and radiant black, sweeping across the field like a tidal wave. It doesn't hit Tetra at all - it passes right over her entirely, harmlessly. It is much less pleasant for the bandits caught inside it.

     As it rolls outwards, once it's caught everyone who hasn't already fled or died, Linehart holds up his hand. The dark just...inverts itself. The tidal wave comes sucking inwards, along with that same red light, until it's entered Linehart's body. There's a miasmic aura wrapped around him, darkness flowing off him like some kind of character from an animated series about men shouting very loud to gather energy. Green numbers start popping up rapidly over his head. Some kind of ominous-looking pop-up appears in the status screen next to him; it reads BOSSUP13, whatever that means.

     He yanks the sword out of the ground and walks over to Tetra, shouldering it. It doesn't have that dark and unpleasant aura.

     You are saved?

     Not *safe*. *Saved*.
Tetra     The sword whips past Tetra, and she's... well, stunned is a good word for it, as she watches Linehart Solve the Problem. She looks... rather uncomfortable at the roiling darkness around her, a sight too close to familiar for her. She tries to hide it, but...

    Just what IS Linehart?

    She stares at him as he asks the question, sheathing her sword. Around them, the fire continues to burn. "Yes... yes, I'm safe," she replies, quietly, stepping back and looking around. "Hold on. You're going to get a bit of a chill here."

    Tetra traces out a spiral around her with her arm, moving it inward and up above her head, a growing dusting of frost forming on her armguard and sleeve. She snaps her arm down in front of her face, palm outstretched. "YAH!"

    An icy mist flows from her in all directions. It flows past Linehart, chilling him considerably; after a moment, the mist dissipates. Where there were raging flames, there are now just glowing, dying embers; here and there is the gleam of white frost, slowly fading as the supernatural cold recedes.

    Tetra brushes the frost off of her arm and lets out a sigh. "I didn't think it'd make such a big boom," she mumbles, embarassed.
Linehart      Ah, party damage. One of the most common tricks of a JRPG, forcing the player to attack a party member to solve a problem. There's a ping of white numbers up above his head, amidst the roiling darkness around him. There's frost across his black (protagonist mode) armor, a layer of it against his face, some of it dripping off his white hair. He just sort of wipes it off with a few gestures. The dark aura hasn't quite gone away yet.

     No matter. That you are safe is enough. He looks around, taking in the ruined camp, the dying embers, the fading ice, in his coin-gold eye. Is there another camp? Or does this satisfy the job?
Tetra     Tetra shakes her head. "Thanks, Linehart... uh, this is it. Just need to find the trophy they want... said something about a..." She trails off.

    After a moment, she finds a bloodied shield painted with a distinctive--if rather crude--design. "Right. Think this is what they wanted. Aaaand..." She steps over toward a box full of various valuables. "This, too. Can you, uh... do that 'inventory' thing with this? It's gonna be a bitch and a half to carry," she inquires, groaning as she hefts it up. Gold is heavy! Who knew?
Linehart      Linehart walks over and picks the box up. It vanishes in his hands. There's probably an icon in his inventory's Key Item slots or something that reads TREASBOX or something truncated like that, because Japanese is a language with fewer characters and the guy who translated everything didn't know how to solve that.

     This is all they stole? There are no precious lockets? No trinkets of great personal import unjustly robbed? It doesn't seem like he's asking for more. The look on his face is genuine confusion. Like that's just what he *expects* from this kind of thing. Like he just...anticipates that the kind of people who Are Bandits Worth Hunting Down steal that kind of thing in the path of stealing the unimportant things like money and jewelry.

     It's weird, but what about him isn't?

     At least the dark aura's starting to die down. He falls into step alongside Tetra. You do elemental magic? Do you do more than ice?

     When the flickering icon goes away, so does the aura. At least *that's* gone, thank God.
Tetra     "Nope. Looks like it was just merchants," replies Tetra. "Lucky none of them got too attached to their valuables... I'd hoped we could bring these ones in alive, but." She rubs the back of her head, shaking it.

    "But this is important, too, if not as... directly," she points out. "If outlaws have control of the trade routes, they slow and eventually stop the flow of goods. Nobody wants to take the roads with bandits on them, so the towns that rely on those roads get choked out. It's essentially a siege unknowingly caused by self-interested banditry... why? Were you expecting more?"

    "As for magic... I have fire and light magic, also. That's how I was trying to suppress the fire, but... I don't think it was gonna work, even if I tried. Too much fire over too large an area."
Linehart      Linehart pauses for a moment. Is that how the shops get goods.

     He shakes his head. No. I suppose I am simply disappointed there is nothing to return. Returning things often gets useful rewards. Like the candy. He produces the goblin candy again from nowhere, holding it up for Tetra to look at. This will come in handy soon. As I said. People will always have some problem that you can find a solution to with a useful trinket.

     He just says it like he Knows For A Fact, which, well, maybe he does. Tetra talks about magic, and he sort of nods. I don't wield ice. But I am a more competent magician than I am a weaponeer by far. My Sphere is not Warlord. I have little talent for the blade.

     You said you were trained by the...Sheikah? Did they give you such training? Or was it something you have carried with you for longer? Some innate talent invested in you?
Tetra     Tetra just hms thoughtfully at that, and nods. "That's an interesting philosophy... and they did train me, but only because I already had the talent. It's really, really rare for Hylians or Sheikah to actually be able to use magic. It was kind of trial-and-error, me figuring out how to control it and them helping me form techniques based on that."

    The return trip is uneventful; upon their arrival back in town, Tetra presents Tengu with the quest certificate and the shield. "Oh, uh... we have a bunch of what they stole, too. Do you happen to have a place we can put that...?"
Linehart      Linehart doesn't say much on the way back. He actually flips back into his armor as they near town - presumably because he doesn't want to talk to random people. He follows Tetra in, and once again, that tension from all the monsters as the Evil Knight arrives sweeps over before they notice Tetra and relax.

     Tengu looks up.

     He stares at Tetra, blue flame eyes behind his pointy-nose mask.

     He taps three times on the counter next to him. Linehart drops the crate out of nowhere on the counter. Tengu goes back to washing the glass.

     Linehart turns back to Tetra. He doesn't say anything. He just stares at her with that unsettling cross-scar visor.
Tetra     Tetra nods. "Right... okay, we've gotta sign the certificate here, I think." She turns it over to reveal a modest array of signature lines. She signs one simply 'Tetra', in a flowing, fancy script, and passes the quill and parchment over to her companion. Once both have signed, she hands it to Tengu. "I think that's everything."

    Tengu stops again, and silently looks at her, then at the certificate, front and back.

    He produces a pouch of coins from behind the counter, dropping it on the counter and returns to cleaning the glass.

    Tetra takes the pouch, and glancing up at the price list, extracts enough coins for two drinks from the bag. She then cinches it shut and tosses it to Linehart. "What're you drinking?"

    A pause.

    "You do drink, right?"
Linehart      Linehart signs the paper. His signature is neither flowing nor elegant. His handwriting is in fact sort of clumsy, like somebody who barely has ever handwritten anything in his life. His signature on the Guild Book is similar - somebody who has never held a pen before in his life except maybe six times trying to write his own name. He knows how to spell it, that's fine, but write it? Apparently he never...learned? Except he can clearly read? Just one more little bit of Strange.

     Yes. I have had alcohol before. And I am quite familiar with how to drink it. I do not especially care. I will drink whatsoever you choose.

     The Dark Knight moves to sit down at a table. Again, the words are only popping up for her, so to everybody else he's massive and silent and just kind of...there. Tetra's especially getting eyes now that she's sitting with him - that's more than a little unnerving.

     Do you drink frequently? What do you prefer?
Tetra     "Mm. Decently often. Try not to overindulge, though... anyway, I usually just drink beer. Wine, sometimes, but I'm usually not a big fan." She orders two beers, then.

    Once they arrive, she takes a deep gulp from hers, arching her eyebrows as she sets it down. "Ooh. That's pretty good."