A Study of the Fauna of Termina [For kasumu_sekai]

[feathered_mages]

The next time the younger Rydia sees the little Black Mages, they may seem a bit more prepared for a trip. At least judging from the new little grade-school-type backpacks they're sporting. Blaze had picked those up for them at the Nexus Mall, being of the opinion that visiting other worlds was a great opportunity to pick up Shiny Things and that it might help to have something to carry them in. He couldn't use a backpack himself, what with the wings, but he has no doubts about their usefulness.

Comments

[feathered_mages]

Most of the creatures they pass along the path to the swamp are simply more ChuChus. Some of the ChuChus try to jump on them or follow after them, but they're easy to avoid. And, judging from the Magelets' behavior they're also fun to poke and cause to jiggle.

But straying too close to a couple trees will stir up bats nesting in them.

[feathered_mages]

Most don't attack unless someone tries to climb their trees, making it easy to look and at coo over. The Magelets are fascinated - they've never seen bats before.

"Is it a bird?" asks Juro.

"It doesn't have feathers," says a confused Lono.

And if they should set one off, they'll find it a great chance to get a closer look and give the sleeping bat a few careful pats before floating it onto a nearby tree branch.

"So a ChuChu doesn't jump on him," explains Kaze.

Soon, around a couple bends, they'll find themselves in the first part of the swamp. It's a roughly circular, shallow pond-like area with giant lilypads. There are more shrubs for the Magelets to check for rupees, a Deku Baba in a corner off to the right, and a building up on tree trunk posts in the center. A boat is parked under the building, and a ladder leads up to the porch.

Mistral gives one glance to the Swamp Tourist Center and then looks around at the rest. "It smells a lot better here than last time. Something must have cleaned up the water."

[feathered_mages]

"I don't know," says Mistral, and notes the Magelets are checking shrubbery again. He chuckles. "Be careful of the one over there in the corner. It bites."

Which just prompts them to all go have a look at the Deku Baba, staying just out of range of it. It can't reach them if they stay far enough back, and just snaps in frustration at the end of its vine.

"We could travel part of the way by boat, or hop on the lilypads all the way there," says Mistral, and he looks up at Rydia, "I think you'll have to cast float to use the lilypads, though. They sink if there's anything but a very little bit of weight on them. Even when we were here last, two Waltzes on one at the same time would make it sink."

"We've never been on a boat," says Luca, obviously all for the new experience.

[mage_hatchlings]

As it will turn out after they've gone up the ladder to see about the boat - Mistral thought to bring rupees from earlier trips this time - Old Koume has issues with letting them all pile onto the small boat.

"No, no, there are far too many of you! You'll sink it!" the witch squawks.

"We wouldn't," protests Luca, thinking she means on purpose. The Magelets find her a bit scary.

"They don't weigh that much," says Mistral, but sounds like he thinks it's not worth the trouble. It's not like hopping there on the lilypads is that hard. Worst case, he could PINPoint off to the Nexus Mall for a second and get an inflatable raft.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets will happily snuggle. Once they're back outside and see those lily pads they'll forget all about the boat. The things are huge, perhaps as much as eight to ten feet across.

Mistral will give a few tips for lily pad jumping - they can only take one Magelet's weight at a time, so they'll all have to spread out a bit and follow in a 'line'. And Rydia will have to cast Float, as the lily pads won't take her weight. As it turns out, when Mistral hops on the first one, they'll barely take the weight of Mages - they're not quite so light as Deku Scrubs. The lily pad stays afloat, but noticeably dips in the center.

"Maybe we should all cast float," suggests Kaze, while Mistral wonders how much weight he's put on since his last trip here.

[feathered_mages]

There are float spells all around, then. It's one of the only spells normally classified as white magic that the Magelets can cast - possibly because it's necessary to Waltz flight. Soon they're hopping from one lily pad to the next, and finding it a lot of fun.

There aren't too many interesting animals yet - just fish and frogs and things one would expect of a swamp. Off in the distance there might be a glimpse or two of some kind of giant dragonfly.

They'll soon reach the Deku Palace, but Mistral seems like he plans to just hop right on by it. They don't let in anyone who isn't a deku scrub, anyway.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets are curious as well.

"They don't let anyone in but Deku Scrubs," Mistral explains. Then he thinks of something. "But there was something back there last time... and with the water safe now..." Muttering to himself, he'll lily pad hop back that way and through the entrance in the outer wall.

The Deku Scrub guards at the palace door across the bridge will watch them warily, but Mistral has no interest in them. He'll just hop onto some more lily pads next to the bridge and around to a small piece of land with a large pink flower on it. He'll look up at the cave entrance just above. Just out of reach.

[feathered_mages]

"I saw it from the boat ride the last time. The swamp goes all the way in a circle around this hill, but that goes into it. I saw light through the other end, so I think it goes to another part of the swamp, maybe where the big dragonflies nest at." And Mistral rings his bell then. He wouldn't have done this last time, with the water poisonous, but with it safe now he feels it's ok to summon Sealion.

Sealion is tall enough for them to climb on to reach the tunnel entrance, if the Magelets can be coaxed into doing so. They're still a little skittish around the giant ice monster.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral just chuckles. "I've told you before... he eats fish, not Mages."

The Magelets are coaxed into climbing up, and Mistral sends Sealion safely back to the Nexus - it's a little warm here for him to stay too long. The tunnel, as it is, slopes upwards and isn't really too long - light can be seen at the other end almost as soon as they enter.

On reaching the exit, they'll find themselves standing on what might almost be some enormous flower, or perhaps a mushroom - it has traits of both. The top is nearly as big as a house, and the whole plant itself as tall as a tree, with an area of the swamp far below. There's another of those small pink flowers growing in the center of the thing, and there are more of the tall mushroom-trees scattered through the area. They're a bit too far apart for jumping, though.

There's also a buzzing of nearby insects, and one of those giant dragonflies moving in.

[feathered_mages]

Unfortunately, the dragonflies are decidedly hostile. Fortunately, Mistral was expecting that and has his bell ready so he can make the big bug behave and let them examine it.

A few Magelets look at the dragonfly, some are still looking at the view, and Lono is examining the pink Deku Flower. Although small in comparison to the flower-mushroom-platform they're on, it's still almost as big as he is in width but with a very short stem.

[feathered_mages]

"I don't know," Mistral admits, looking at it. "I've seen them all over, but there are a lot more in the swamp."

The Magelets are whispering among themselves now, looking at the next tree-sized flower-mushroom over. A little gratuitous use of ice spells later, and they've made a decent bridge. They add railings as an afterthought when they realize making ice bridges in warm places means they're quickly slippery. And there they go, heading across before it melts!

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "We could try asking at the Deku Palace. Even if they won't let us in, they might answer a question."

The Magelets don't go too far, only a mushroom-platform away, and then from there a few go as far as a big dead tree trunk just past that. A third mushroom is close enough to the tree trunk to simply walk onto it. They're all easily in sight, and had to cast Sleep on another giant dragonfly that's now snoozing on the second mushroom.

They seem to have spotted two things of interest. Three, if one counts the second dragonfly.

"There's another cave over there," says Kaze, pointing at a ledge a little further ahead.

"Hey!" says Lono, laying on his tummy on the third mushroom's edge and looking down. "We were just down there before!" He points. Far below them can be seen the outside entrance of the Deku Palace.

Mistral blinks and tries flying over to see. "What? We're still going around in circles?"

[feathered_mages]

Mistral looks as well. The Deku Palace was a little further away, and over on the right. They were outside the outer wall now, and they'd been inside that but outside the palace entrance when they'd gone in the tunnel. "Not in circles," he mutters. "It's a spiral, going up and in." And he'll glance towards the second cave or tunnel that was pointed out. "Which means that should be the next part." He'll fly off to scout ahead and see if it is.

Meanwhile the Magelets have now all regrouped near Rydia, most of them lying on their tummies to safely look over the edge of the third large mushroom.

"Everything's so tiny from up here," says Kaze.