The Inner Gambit of Darkness - Continued (Part 4)

"Gods gift?" Sergius chuckled a little "A little up ourselves aren't we."

"You are far from saintly, churl." Veritas sneered. "Do not speak to me of modesty. Termagant has done much for the Sheikah race, and far more for me. Twas She that gave me these eyes; these tools of greatness you seek to take from me!"

For a moment it seemed as if the entire arena shook with the aristocrat's rage, but Veritas regained his composure almost as soon as he had lost it. He had a sinister smirk on his face.

"Of course, I should not count you completely worthless. You did send me the most delectible morsel imaginable to me."

Almost in the blink of an eye Veritas was in front of Farore, giving a small mocking bow to the mortal Goddess. "And how are you, my dear? Is my home to your liking? Twas not easy killing so many mongrels to get the skeletons necessary to give it that special 'sinister' vibe."

Lyn was shaking in her boots, her rage and fury boiling over to a point where she hardly thought she could contain it anymore. Her knuckles had gone all but white as she gripped tighter and tighter the hilt of her sword, listening as Veritas and Sergius bickered...

But the moment Veritas had stepped in front of Farore...

Something inside of her snapped.

Her eyes flashed open, wide, and in an instant she had lunged in front of her, placing herself in between the two.

"Leave her alone, you God-forsaken no-good piece of shit!" she roared, her sword ready as she stood defensively in front of Farore.

Veritas seemed both amused and surprised as his eyebrows raised and a chuckle escaped his lips.

"I did not expect you of all people to protect her, Lyndia. Were you not skeptical of this woman's claimed identity? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Lyn's throat tightened. She was caught, and he was right. She didn't know much, either, but she wouldn't give Veritas the pleasure of knowing that.

"Her identity has nothing to do with this," she growled darkly, grinding her teeth angrily together. "You are threatening an innocent woman and I will not idly stand by!"

"Innocent?" the arisocrat laughed. "She and her harpy sisters are the reason why Hyrule is the cesspool it is today!"

"Cesspool?!?" Sergius yelled "Is your arrogance and ego so blind that you believe this worthless place is any better than the land the goddesses themselves created?"

"Of course it is!" Veritas replied. "The land the Goddesses created is nothing more than a trap for the corrupt! A mix-blooded bastard like yourself could never understand the tales told by the Sheikah; how the Sacred Realm planted the lust for power in men's hearts. Warriors from all across the globe came to Hyrule--this "land the Goddesses created themselves", as you put it--to fight to the death for it! That is why Hyrule is in constant turmoil. THAT is why the Goddesses are to blame. And THAT is why you have dared entered my sanctuary to take my power like the petty graverobbers you are!"

(woah, i've been gone for a long time. any weird way i can jump back in again?)

((Verron would be with the others in the Shadow Temple boss room with the others. Right now they're all talking to Veritas about Farore and the other Goddesses. Veritas believes they're the reason why Hyrule sucks in the first place, and given what the games tell you, he's kinda got a point. The prosperity the Sacred Realm brought to Hyrule also brought all of the evil beings as well; starting with Demise and going all the way down the line to the modern Hyrule. But that's just his opinion. ))

(And as far as Veritas' opinion goes, it's up to fuck all. In Sergius' mind anyway...)

((Yup! ^_^ Veritas is a sick little puppy. ))

(...That needs to get put down...)

"How did filth like this come to be created?" Cyrus asked Farore.

"I suppose somewhere along the line, we make a terrible mistake, and it manifests into what we see now." Farore said, playing on Cyrus' words.

(hmm. i see his point. but it also follows that you can't have a perfect world. without the dark, the light wouldn't be noticed. A few months of darkness are -as legend states- always followed by years of prosperity. Isn't the occasional darkness worth the overall prosperity of the land?)

Verron did not jump to the goddess's side, but instead kept her hand on her sword. Now she slowly inched her way to flank the demonic nobleman. If he decided to strike, she could respond from here and perhaps find a blindspot.

"You make many, many, mistakes, my dear." Veritas smiled darkly. "The worst being stepping into my home."

He walked back towards the far edge of the drum and turned to face the group. Without a word, the aristocrat floated away and immersed himself in the black void beyond.

Let us see what a mortal Goddess is capable of...

Something shook the drum's surface, making the entire area shake. Then there was another one, then another. It was growing into a steady beat growing faster with each measure. It was as if giant hands were beating the drum, and Veritas was pulling the strings.

"whoa!" Verron tried to steady herself on the shuddering skin of the drum.

Mortal... goddess? Lyn narrowed her eyes in confusion at this. Even if Farore WAS the Goddess she claimed to be, there was no way she was mortal. Was she...?

But before she could say anything else, Veritas had disappeared- and the ground began to shake.

Instantly, Lyn drew out her bow, looking up and around them. "Stay behind me, Farore," she commanded as she looked around for the source of the shaking, readying her bow.

Dalikos had steadied himself and was waiting for something to come at him. He got behind Farore and held his sword at the ready.

"Lyn, I got the back. Can you keep the front clear?" He asked.

"Ah, hell." Sergius said, looking upon the invisible creature.

The invisible creature's left hand silently went to slap the heroes away, starting with Verron, who was closest to it.

Cyrus saw the hand move to attack Verron, he took his chance, he threw his lance at Bongo-Bongo's incoming hand.

(how'd he see the invisible hand?)

(Bongo-Bongo's hands aren't invisible.)

Suddenly, Lyn's eyes flew open wide as one of the hands came toward them. She ducked, shouting as she did so, "What the hell was that?!"

Still, standing up and quickly regaining her composure, she aimed and quickly shot a quick succession of nearly half a dozen arrows towards the hand.

The zooming hand twitched in pain, paralyzed where it was. The right hand, however, was already prepared to rush the group through the middle of the drum.