The Legend of Zelda:Era's End

"Shall we get back to the real reason we are here?" Tarsis growled out in tone. The Ferau turned to him. "Of course." She still smiled as she said this though. "The camp is not there." She pointed to the fire. "Then who's?" The prince was shocked to hear this; no camp was without fire here. "We have made a reputation of our own." She told him. "We've taken refuge in the Arbiter Prison." Rhyder's realization kept getting wider and wider. "Oh! So you've learned to manipulate the dead there!" She nodded. "A very useful tool, they seem very happy to do their part as well....after we explained to them." She mocked fighting motions with her hands to show her point. "Anyway, the flame beyond isn't a flame at all, so is the smoke; it is actually an illusion made by our dark magic." Tarsis frowned at this and it was apparent to her, yet she didn't know why. "If you keep running in that direction, you will only keep running through endless desert, the flame never getting closer, always staying on the horizon." She turned to Riley for this next part of her explanation. "That was why you couldn't sense anything with those goggles of yours." "Fascinating..." The prince muttered.

She frowned at the thought; an outsider, learning their magic. She merely smiled and turned back to Rhyder. "I was chosen as our ambassador for your arrival. Please, come with me." The prince acknowledged and motioned for the crew to come along. It felt strange not following the false light, and even more ominous that they had to traverse to the facilities of pain and suffering, the prison. Sandworms of all sizes came from nowhere to confront them. However, with the Ferau as their guide, the creatures slithered in a ring around the party as they walked.

"Keep them away? Nonono, you misunderstand. We are not protectex from them, they are protecting us." The Ferau girl told him.

Beings of the dark help assist one another. They keep the desert clean and we feed them the same way. This one asks too many questions... She thought to herself. As they arrived, the sandworms left the group, unable to surface out of the sand. "Forgive me for any trouble I've caused she extended her hand in emphasis to the prison. "Welcome." The failure was no th img more than ruins now, but within, the walls were still intact, obviously preserved by the dark magic the Ferau possessed. No winds blew and strangely a sensation radiated, one of energy, vigor, one that enhanced one's strength.

Some mystical force told the Ferau that Riley was tensed by the sheer amount off dark magic they used. She didn't blame him; however, it was common, with nearly 6 out of the seven tribes of Ferau practicing a form of this magic. "We do not have our beasts slaughter the traveling folk." She said, hoping he would catch her drift. "The desert's will has brought them down, leaving their bodies to the scavengers." Obviously referring to the worms and carcass guardians. She turned back to the entrance of the prison, blocked by the debris that fell as the place came upon age. Chanting in a tongue that poisoned the ear, she opened a secret passage beneath the sand; a pit had developed, dragging the group closer into its center. Rhyder, out of curiosity, was oblivious to the macabre chanting while Tarsis could not bear to listen, covering his ears best he could.

Apparently, Riley had no idea what the prince was capable of, and it was better to keep it that way. If anyone found out, well.... Rhyder was indeed a majo, but kept it secret for the decline would surely cause the people to panick. In actuality, the royal family was a never-ending line of Majo. Back when it was common, they kept record of the many spells and incantations in existence. However, for the sake of racial unity, they shared this knowledge with the sages, who then passed the knowledge as they spread far and wide across continent. They were warned not to, yet the family thought it was best; too much power would never be good. The chant was nearly over as the pit pulled them in. The group was advised to hold their breath as the sand took them under.

Their guide was the first to land, as cats did, on their feet; the others dropped from the hole above like limp bodies. Rhyder's fall was halted as the general caught him, barely. The warrior had fallen himself and managed to recover quickly enough to save the prince. Rhyder thanked him and surveyed his first glimpse at the prison up close. Moonlight flittered down from the whole they fell in from, the sand still coming down slowly like an hourglass. A pile of sand lay at the bottom where the group had come in. columns supported the roof above them, though old, were surprisingly well kempt; the Rajah knew their home well. A passage from the entrance led to yet another graveyard of sand. bones were scattered across the sandy floor, of all sizes, making it impossible to tell how old they were. The sand was treacherous as well, the ever-present sandworm leapt out of its burrow now and then, in a high arc several feet overhead and back down into the sand. The sand pits were present here as well, but Rhyder sensed that those only lead to one place, death. Maybe I should consult Riley, he thought. Turning around, he noticed Riley was not yet at the bottom; he may still be sinking through the entrance. "Riley?" He called out.

"I have no idea." Rhyder was unnerved by the question. "...There may be several thousand underneath the sand right now, from those who trespassed or were amongst the guards here." The prince tried to continue but was stopped when a gondola appeared from behind one of the sand walls. Another cloaked figure seemed to guide it onboard, rowing as if the sand were water. Stopping at their feet, she bowed to their Ferau escort who bowed back in return. "Everyone get on; we're heading deeper in the prison. Everything there is consumed by sinking sand, which is why we use the gondolas." The members of the group gratefully thanked her for this advice and got on. It was crowded, yet there was room for one more.

When she was sure everyone was onboard safely, their Ferau escort took out a dry, wooden staff with a Y formed at the top. Leaping up at the helm of the gondola, she laid the staff gracefully on the bow, the tip touching the very tip. She sat up on the Y branch as the stick stayed upright. Why the laws of physics were void here, Rhyder could assume it was all up to the dark magic that resided here; however, the grace and feather-light movements were of the Ferau's own ability. The other started to turn the oar as the boat turned to the next passage. The sandworms brushed up against the side of the small vessel, assisting the oarswoman since the she did not have the strength to row the whole group. The boat slowly propelled forward arriving within the passage that sloped down. As they row down, they could see that the many dead that lay rest here were still up and about, however, they were at peace. Some remained silent while others laid eyes on the group and waved a friendly gesture. It unnerved the group because of the fact they were dead, not that they were friendly.

As they passed through another tunnel the images of pitched tents and more hooded figures was in view on the shore of the sand river. "I welcome to the Rajah tribe." She spoke up on the stout stick she sat on. The Ferau woman sounded confident, yet this was no ordinary town. The dead patrolled the streets, Rhyder saw. Cloaked figures, most likely the Ferau, were silent as monks in a monastery; there was conversation from time to time however. They went about their daily lives, in this middle ground between life and death. "Make yourselves comfortable." She told the crew as they docked. "Rhy-I mean, your highness." She corrected herself. The prince turned in notice, as did the general. "We will be discussing our terms with Hyrule atop the sand goddess statue." She pointed up above. Part of the roof of the prison had fallen, revealing the night sky and the stone statue. They still had scaffolding placed up near the structure for extra support; they had been constructing steps apparently. The prince nodded and leapt off the gondola, thanking the rower. "Let's go Riley." He headed up the sand where the path led to the somewhat bustling street of town.