Gaia's Ice Cavern... [RP w/kasumu_sekai]

[feathered_mages]

The dripping sounds and occasional gurgle of running water are more noticeable inside the Ice Cavern. A few patches of bare rock show through, but in most places the ice is still thick. The water and slush make the floor even more slippery than solidly frozen ice would be, as the Magelets soon find out. They seem to find it fun, though, not bothered at all by the cold as they look around.

Mistral looks around as well. He can see the place falling apart with the underlying magic gone, making it look changed and somewhat unfamiliar - but not as unfamiliar as it should be for someone who's never been inside it. He knows the way through, if none of the paths have been blocked by the thaw. And if they had, ice spells should let them make a way around.

Comments

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods, and then points up at the peak of Death Mountain. "Dodongos are from a cave up there. I'll have to put the guard to sleep again."

"Hey, there's something shiny here," says Kaze, tugging on one of the large-leaved grassy plants next to them. He eventually manages to pull out a small green faceted gem.

Mistral nods. "They use those for money here. We got a lot of them the last time, but I didn't think to bring any."

There are sheer cliffs in the direction of Death Mountain, and steps are carved into one part of the cliffside. Between them and the stairs is a river, with a stone bridge. Mistral will just head that way.

[feathered_mages]

"It didn't seem so to me," says Mistral. "There were just a few jumping bug things, and there was worse down here at night. Maybe it's more dangerous up near the crater, or maybe they just don't like the Gorons..."

The Magelets waddle along, looking around. Luca looks up at that, remembering the Waltzes telling them parts of some of their travels, "Gorons are rock-people, right?"

Mistral nods. "Yes, and they eat rocks from the cavern the dodongos live in."

[feathered_mages]

And they reach the stairs - two wide flights of narrow stairs set into the cliffs. The Magelets start climbing.

Mistral nods. "They live in a city right above the cavern. And there was one outside it the last time. They make bombs and things there, but we didn't get to find out very much. There are fish-people too, the Zoras, but we didn't get to see them last time."

The stairs will eventually lead to the entrance to Kakariko village. Tired Magelets will plop down on the grass to play with a cucco - a Hylian chicken - that they find just outside the village entrance. An archway has lettering on it in Hylian.

[feathered_mages]

Luca has some scratch grains in a pocket, and the Magelets have soon made friends with the cucco.

Mistral nods at that, and whispers to Rydia, "And coming without my brothers is better for studying animals, too. They usually don't kill them before I can get a look at them any more, but they used to a lot."

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "And they did attack us first..." It's hard for him to admit that monsters aren't all cute and fluffy.

The Magelets have recovered enough to look in at Kakariko Village now.

"Oooo," says Galen.

"That's a big town," says Teo.

"They have a windmill," chirps Tavi.

Mistral just chuckles. "They're my brothers too, really. We all hatched at the same time, but it doesn't seem that way. Mages are just different from Waltzes."

[feathered_mages]

A nod from the Waltz. "Yes, I know."

"Where are the dodongos?" asks Lono.

Mistral chuckles. "We're not there yet," he says, and leads the way. He'll avoid the occasional construction worker wandering about - it seems the village is under expansion - as he heads into Kakariko and to the left. Oh dear, more stairs.

The Magelets droop slightly at the sight of more stairs, but they're ready for them now. So up they go. There's a shorter flight after that, all together not as long as the stairs before. And then an even shorter bunch over a wall - but here Mistral will gesture for everyone to stay put for just a moment. He'll fly up just high enough to peek over the wall, and cast a sleep spell...

And then he'll land and look to the others, "Let's go before the guard wakes up..." and starts for the entrance to Death Mountain Trail.

[feathered_mages]

Magelets can waddle pretty fast for short distances. But they are prone to tripping, so Rydia might end up with one or two clinging to her. They can stop for a rest once they're a little way up the trail.

"The guard was some kind of yellow cat thing," says Juro, "but I didn't see a tail."

Mistral shakes his head at that. "It's a mask. He was wearing it the last time, too."

The Magelets look around, not finding all that much to look at but rocks, until they near the first bend in the trail.

Something is crouching on the ascending path near the bend. It tenses and then jumps down towards them on four long insect legs.

The Magelets collectively meep and try to hide behind Rydia and Mistral.

[mage_hatchlings]

At the sound of the bell the Tektite halts its attack, just standing there as if waiting for something.

Mistral shrugs a little. "We saw them last time, too, but I didn't get to get a good look at one. I thing they're some kind of big bug."

"Is it safe?" asks Kaze, peeking at it.

[feathered_mages]

And the Tektite is petted. It makes no move to attack.

At the question, the Magelets exchange glances and then Luca speaks up with a guess, "You rang your bell..."

Mistral nods agreement, as the Magelets waddle out into a semicircle to get a look at the Tektite.

[feathered_mages]

The Tektite just lets itself be petted, even when a couple Magelets join in.

Mistral, meanwhile, checks his pockets and then, with some reluctance, takes off his hat for a moment to scrounge together a bit of ribbon and a piece of cloth so that he can clean up One's old bell.

[feathered_mages]

The Tektite is, indeed, awkward to lift, being a bug-crab-thing the size of a small table. It doesn't weigh too much to lift, though, if one can just find a decent way to get a hold on it. Other than twitching away if grabbed in a way that's physically uncomfortable, and some confused leg-wiggling if picked up, it doesn't protest this treatment either. The Magelets just giggle at the sight.

[feathered_mages]

The Tektite has no intention of hurting them. It just goes back to being petted by Magelets.

Mistral chuckles as he tries to clean off his bell. "Congratulations on your first pet," he says.

[feathered_mages]

"I keep a lot of the bigger ones in the Nexus," says Mistral. "And some of them I've just taken with me instead of using spells to summon them, but using the spells works out better most of the time. Some people can be weird when we try to go into a town and I have some of my pets with me."

"It's a pretty bug thing," says Lono, still joining in on petting the Tektite. There isn't much else to do here, at the lower part of the trail, with cliffs on both sides. Until they notice a spot just ahead where the trail rises and one of the cliffs falls away. Several Magelets waddle over to look at the view.

Mistral, meanwhile, will be explaining some of the differences in the spells. Calling a pet that's kept somewhere else means they can be sent back to where they're kept, but calling a pet that's kept in the same universe means they stay. The best guess as to why is because they've only been transported distances, not between worlds. They don't take as much magic as summoning Eidolons, but with rare exceptions most of them aren't as powerful either.

"Everything looks so tiny," says Galen, looking at the view.

"I wish I could fly," mutters Kaze.