The Inner Gambit of Darkness - Continued (Part 4)

Unsurprised by the offer, Lyn cast her eyes slowly up towards the parchment, using her free hand to gently slide the paper over towards her, looking once over the picture. She nonchalantly took another sip of her water, saying calmly and quietly as she put it down, "Fifty percent up front. Sixty percent when I bring back their head." She was the best in the business around the bar, and she hardly cared if he denied her for her prices. Like she thought earlier- there would always be more. There was always someone in the world who wanted someone else dead.

Nayru looked at Atticus' hands, then to him. Never had she been touched by a mortal before.

=====

"On second thoughts, I want them alive." the cloaked figure said "You will get 200% after they have been successfully delivered to us. That is my counter offer."

Atticus stared at her. "Focus....focus..."

Orpheus loomed over Steven. He raised his spear and swung it like a club at Steven's head.

Nayru was trying, but Orpheus' dark energy was intertwining with her own, making it hard for her to gather the energy she needed to warp them all to safety. Warping was Farore's speciality, but she was in no condition to warp, let alone all the others as well.

Lyn gave a slight , inaudible sigh. It was always more difficult to bring targets back alive, they struggled... Still, her eyebrows rose lightly at his increased offer. Perhaps he was a Duke, or someone of high royalty standing who could afford such a high bounty. Either way, she could tell instantly that this was a high priority bounty... With a high priority offer. Something was stirring strangely in the back of her mind, but... She ignored it.

Calmly, she slid the parchment closer towards her, pocketing it in the back of her cloak. "You have yourself a deal," she said calmly, still not even caring to look her commissioner in the face. She merely awaited the payment, and then she would be on her way. The upfront would allow her money to purchase supplies for the journey- and buy her word-of-mouth on where her targets might be hiding.

Steven's head was whacked clean off. It landed near the Goddesses and Atticus with a blank expression.

Atticus stared at her, slightly fustrated. "What can I do to help you?"

"N...nothing, I'm fine." Nayru said "Don't rush me, Orpheus' evil energy is clashing with mine and making it difficult to gather the energy I need to warp you all back to Hyrule."

=====

The cloaked figure rose and started to walk, they tossed a bag full of rupee's over their shoulder and it landed in front of Lyn. They left the smokey bar and made thier own way.

When they were a good enough distance from the bar they lowered the hood revealing their true identity. Pale green skin, hidden under red hair and penetrating yellow eyes, Ganondorf, the Gerudo King.

He gave a small laugh "Killing her by my own hand. A satisfaction I can't wait to please." he began to disappear in a flurry of Twilight Shadow.

Atticus looked back at the creature. "...what is he?"

Deserax realized he wasn't doing much to help, so he went over to the goddesses.

"If it helps any, I can warp using fire, but for a big warp, i need someone to help me focus energy on a point."

"No..." Nayru said, still concentrating. "The Sacred Realm is only a place where my sisters and I can come and go freely, no mortal can, only by the gateway, but we do not know where the new gateway is, that was under Din's knowledge."

The pouch of rupees landed smoothly in Lyn's outstretched hand, and she quickly stuffed it into her cape pocket. A single green rupee was left on the table for her water, and she sighed quietly as she stood up, lightly stretching as she prepared herself both physically and mentally for her next job. It would be a nice one, and she'd be able to send a hefty chunk of it home to mother... Once more she tugged out the parchment given.

"'Nuala', huh..." She frowned as she quietly read the name, then looked at the picture of the woman beneath it. She frowned, putting it back into her pocket- but not another thought was given to it as she turned and quietly began to walk out of the bar.

Dalikos' head perked up right as she left the bar.

"Wait... Nuala... Oh that does not sound good!" He then dug in his pocket, and even thoughe hadn't got his drink yet, he left a red rupee on the bar stand and went to try and find the girl again.
-----

"Darn." Deserax thought for a moment, but nothing else came to mind.

"Can anyone read dead minds?" He asked, being serious.

Lyn was quick and quiet as she exited the bar, taking a sharp left turn once she was outside and walking over to the posts. There a brown mare, all saddled and geared up, was tied waiting for her. Upon Lyn's arrival, the horse whinnied in excitement, her head lifting and her eyes brightening. Tossing a blue rupee to the boy who had watched her for her, Lyn was calm and quick as she got atop her horse, settling herself in and picking up the reins.

"Alright, Filly," she muttered quietly, patting lightly the side of her horse's neck, "We've got a job to do."

By the time Deserax got out of the crowded bar, he saw the same girl riding on a horse, already a good distance away.

"Fuck!" He said out loud. He hadn't heard the whole conversation, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what the girl was going to do.

Once atop her horse, Lyn once more brought out her parchment. Summoning the boy back to her side with a wave, she showed him the picture, quietly and sweetly asking if he knew such a woman and where she could be found. Eagerly nodding, the boy turned and pointed north, towards Castle Town. Lyn gave a small smile- this should be much easier than she thought, if her target was so close. She patted the boy's head, tossed him another blue rupee, and once more reined in her horse as she quietly began to walk through the crowded streets. She was in no hurry, and had no desire to be spotted as out of the ordinary- at least not until she was out of Kakariko.

Afterlife

Sitting atop a hill of monsters sat Ryan, he held a large axe over his shoulder and glanced around. "Yep, heaven or hell, this doesn't matter, keep bringing them on, I got eternity to fight you off." he smirked as an endless horde of monster surrounded him.

---------------------------

Back with Mark in the Garudo desert an inside the spirit temple, the Burufaita grinned as he looked arouind for some treasure to find.

Dalikos saw the girl riding through the crowed streets, and started to make his way towards her. He maneuvered in between the people to try and get to the girl.

She knew when she was being followed. Taking small and calm turns, nodding politely to passer-bys and maneuvering her horse through the street, she could easily see the man walking after her out of the corner of her eye. She became subconsciously aware of the dagger on the side of her belt, and, knowing only a select few ways to resolve it, opted out of the safest and quietest method. She was in no mood to cause a scuffle- especially not here in Kakariko, where she actually had a good reputation, unknown to others as the assassin that she was.

Without giving any hint that she knew she was being followed, she took another turn, though this time down a much less-crowded street, slowing her horse's pace. Pretending to walk up next to a nearby grocery's store, with no others in the outside corridor, she calmly dismounted and began to tie up her horse.

Dalikos almost lost track of her, but saw her turn to a less crowded street. He started moving faster in between the people faster, and saying, "Sorry, in a rush! 'scuse me," and things like that. Soon he got through the crowd and turned the corner to find the girl tying up her horse. He then calmly started to approach her, but was ready to grab his sword a a moments notice.

"Hey there! Can i talk to you for a sec?"

Her hood was still down, and to all the world, she was a simple farm girl, doing errands for her mother in the market. And her thoughts were confirmed when the man who had been following her called out after her, arriving in the alley that she had stopped at. Standing next to her horse, Lyn turned to him and gave a small smile. "Of course," she said calmly, finishing up tying the rope. "Though I hope you're quick," she added with a small laugh and jerking a thumb to the door beside her, "I've got to get some groceries back to the farm before sundown."

"Well, if I keep you that long, I'll help you take them my self." He said in a kind tone. So far, the only thing he could see was her hood, so she did just look like a normal farm girl.

"Actually, what i wanted to talk about, was what i heard at a bar somewhere." Dalikos said, leaving it open ended as to give her a chance to admit she had been seen.

Lyn crossed her arms easily, leaning against the post as she looked over at the boy. In her mind, she was already figuring things out- he'd seen her, heard the deal. Perhaps he knew her target, perhaps he was competing for it, or perhaps trying to protect her. There were many options. All she knew is that she still had a job to do, regardless of what he said. Still, her eyebrows rose lightly in curiosity at his words. He was being subtle in telling her he'd heard the conversation... But she would still not give him the bait that easily.

She smiled. "Oh? What's the rumor going around town this time?" she asked, her voice calm and cool, almost testy.

Dalikos smirked. He heard the slight test in her tone.

"Oh, just a small rumor, but one none the less." His tone was calm, but still happy in a way.

"The rumor, my dear, is actually about you."