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**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-04-2013, 08:38 PM

Sephira sighed and crossed her legs. They're dead, she said in a flat voice. Nearly two years ago, a man who thought they were getting too soft found a race of beings to attack them with. He slaughtered them all. It's only by Farore's grace that I was hunting when it happened and was saved from the destruction of my people. She looked at her hand, then snorted. Even if I had been there, my gift as a phoenix would have made me survive, made me come back to life. I found him and killed him, leaving me, Princess Sephira Phoenix, daughter of Cheif Balthscar, and last of the Stari. She let her hand drop back in her lap. She remember how, as she had come back, a voice had whispered there were still more Stari. But it must have simply been an illusion. A dream following her from the netherworld.

Kaida squeezed Donovan's hand. I'd love to return to Termina. It's my home. Plus, these two want to see it. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. But as long as you're there, I'll be happy. Giants, did I just say that? She mentally shrugged. Oh well. I know he's made of stern enough stuff to survive anyone who comes after me because of my job. He might even be a good help. But being with him, has been better than hunting any criminal or winning any fight.

**Peeps** · 03-05-2013, 02:52 PM

Inga feared that Sephira would say the other Stari were dead. But that was still better than what she originally thought--Inga had believed for so long that there weren't any Stari remaining in Hyrule at all. She respected Sephira quite a bit, knowing what a burden the final Stari must carry. She wondered if there was any hope of Sephira having Stari children and reviving the race, but she didn't think it could be possible without any other Staris around. "Do you think there could be Staris in the other lands?" Inga asked Sephira. "Like Termina."

Donovan smiled, knowing that Kaida felt the same way he felt about her. It seemed like in the past minute his love for her grew stronger than ever, and he couldn't help turning to hug her. "I'm ready to return as well. And I couldn't go back without you," he told her. "I mean it." Donovan couldn't imagine going anywhere without Kaida now. It was like she had become a part of him. And they traveled together perfectly because of their similar backgrounds--him living in the wilderness without a family, and her working as a mercenary also without her family. He figured that if she returned to her mercenary work, he could be a help to her. That would be much better than living alone in the wilderness like before. They already had quite a story to tell, but he knew that there was much more to come in their adventure together.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-06-2013, 10:13 AM

I doubt it, Sephira replied. The Stari who left the tribe for whatever reason left behind the Stati name as well. There might be some who are Stari by blood, but they wouldn't know our traditions, and likely their abilities would be unknown and untrained. No, I am the last. If I'm fortunate, I'll find a mate capable of carrying on my blood-line, and I'll be able to start my tribe anew. But my heart weeps that I never will.

Kaida grinned like a teenager, overjoyed that he liked her back. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Sounds like I need to clean up my house, she teased. It's too messy for just me to live there, let alone another person.

(That sounded better in my head.

)

**Peeps** · 03-08-2013, 03:26 PM

Inga had deep sympathy for Sephira, knowing that she must be pretty determined to bring her race back, and she knew the Stari deserved support from the Sheikah in the future. She didn't know of any other groups trying to help the dying race get back on track. "Well, if you ever need help in the future, the Sheikah tribe is willing to help," Inga assured Sephira, not minding giving away her Sheikah identity. It was probably becoming obvious anyways. "I know your race can be restored." Inga wasn’t meaning to get Sephira’s hopes up, she just had a strong feeling that there was a way the Stari could continue her tribe.

Donovan’s smile grew as wide as Kaida’s as he was kissed, and it seemed he lost all physical feelings in his body besides a pleasant warmth and Kaida’s body in his arms. He couldn’t think much either, but he was assured that he and Kaida were past the stage of being friends.
“Nah, I’ve slept in snow beds,” Donovan told Kaida, grinning. Any kind of house was better than what he was used to. He hadn’t actually thought much about living in a house with her yet, but he liked the idea. He didn’t even want to think about it now, he just wanted to hold Kaida there for a while. “But we don’t need to think about that yet.” When he finished speaking, Donovan seemed to automatically kiss Kaida back, this time on the lips but pulling back before long, still hugging her. It surprised him as much as when she first kissed him, and it felt like something else pushed his head towards hers, like a spirit.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-12-2013, 07:52 PM

"Thanks," Sephira said, smiling. "Goddesses willing, I'll find some way to revive my people." She rubbed Zarola's head, wondering where James was. "One of the frustrating things is that no one knows who a Stari is any more. My people used to be well known, having been the descendents of a prince. You can tell that by some of the old books. Now, only the scholars really know, although I suppose the Sheikah would as well. They were the ones who taught us to be hidden, and how to control the gifts the goddesses gave us." She chuckled hollowly. "Ironic, isn't it? We were so determined to be hidden from all that we become myths. Perhaps if we hadn't been so hidden, we might have survived. Or been destroyed sooner, or enslaved. No offense," she added quickly with a smile to Inga. She personally had always thought of the Sheikah as willing slaves to the Royal Family, because they were clearly more powerful than them. Of course, by that logic, the Stari could have forced their way into control long ago, as Strattus had wanted to do.

Kaida hadn't thought she could get any happier when Donovan had hugged her, but when he kissed her, she was over the moon. She had been kissed before, especially when she was trying to sell a particular cover, but none of them were like the gentle brush of his lips against hers. She felt as if she would burst from happiness as she snuggled into his chest. She wanted to live this moment forever, but she knew it wouldn't last. Her breastplate was making the sun unbearable, so, regretfully, she pulled back. "We should get back to the others," she said, her disappointment clear in her tone.

**Peeps** · 03-15-2013, 04:01 PM

"None taken," Inga said, not completely sure what sounded offensive. Did the Stari think the Sheikah were slaves to the Royal Family? Maybe the Stari will have to be educated a bit about the outside world sometime, Inga thought. It seemed like the Stari might have broken all their links with the rest of the land they lived in. She knew that the Sheikah's job wasn't to be a slave for the Royal Family, although she did know of a few of them who acted that way. Inga herself was probably the least loyal to the Royal Family out of all the Sheikahs. She believed that her skills could be used for something new and different, even though she wasn't sure what yet. She just didn't fully understand why they Sheikahs cared so much about the Royal Family.
"We better get going," Inga said, realizing that her focus had strayed far from the others. "Huh, where did those two go?" She looked around for Donovan and Kaida. In a few seconds she saw their two heads rise above the steep slope of the dune they must have walked down, obstructing Inga and Sephira's view. A quiet "Ah," floated from Inga as she noticed them, realizing that they were having their alone time, whatever that might have been. It was becoming clear to her that Donovan and Kaida would be sticking together for a long time, and she hoped that the girl would never cause harm to him. She knew that Donovan really liked Kaida, and that she was nearly all he had, so she would be quite capable of breaking his heart. But Kaida seemed to like him as well and looked protective, especially when she confronted Sephira, so Inga wasn't too worried. She didn't really like feeling like Donovan's mother, and tried to avoid thinking about those things.

"Yeah..." Donovan mumbled as Kaida pulled away, still a bit confused about what was going on. When they began walking again, he kept hugging her with one arm around the back of her waist until taking it off when Inga and Sephira were in view. Part of him wished they could have stayed behind together until they evaporated into the sky, but they had to get back to the others. At least Kaida seemed to feel the same way. As they walked uphill to Inga and Sephira, he noticed the burning sensation across his whole back. I'm gonna have lots of pain to live through, he thought, dreading the pain of the burn plus his bird injuries. He was still amazed at how while he hugged Kaida it all went away.
"Is it time to go?" Donovan asked when they reached the other two. "The first thing we gotta do is find her friends," he said, referencing Sephira, and walked over to Chadur.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-15-2013, 05:34 PM

Sephira stood and dusted herself off. "That'll be easy enough," she said. "Even with the sandstorm, it should be easy to track my friends. Especially Elwood, since he won't know how to hide his tracks. Star and Midnight would be trying to leave a path for me anyways." She glanced at the woman with the breastplate, the only person of the group whose name she still didn't know. "I don't suppose you have any spare clothes? I'd rather not be wearing Donovan's shirt when we catch up, and it looks like he needs it anyways."

Kaida chuckled, noticing how red Donovan was and wondered if she was as bad. "I might have a spare shirt, although I don't think I have any spare pants." She pulled open her pack and found that she did actually have some. She pulled them out and tossed them over to Sephira. "You look like you're about my size too, so they should fit."

"Why do you think I asked you instead of Inga?" the Stari muttered, pulling the pants on, then turning her back to Donovan before switching shirts.
Zarola stood and stretched lazily. "So if we're heading off, are you going to be walking? Must have some good stamina if you are."
Sephira snorted, tossing Donovan his shirt. "Thank you, but I'd rather ride. One of you want to ride double with me? I'm light enough."

Kaida snorted. "You're welcome to have Ash to yourself. I'll ride with Donovan for now." She turned to him with a smile. "If that's alright?

**Peeps** · 03-15-2013, 06:50 PM

"Thanks." Donovan snatched his shirt out of the air and slipped it on. He felt more protected from the sun, but he knew he would get really hot pretty soon. I hate the desert already, he thought bitterly. It’s the second worst thing to Ikana.
"I would have offered if you hadn’t asked," Donovan replied, smiling back to Kaida when she asked to ride with him. Before getting on himself he helped Kaida mount Chadur towards the back, thinking it might be safer if he rode in front judging from his memory of her riding skills. Chadur was a bit taller than Ash, but was easier to get on because he wasn’t stubborn at all. Once Kaida was on, Donovan hopped up as well. Once he was seated, he regretted making such a quick movement as his body flared in pain.

Inga figured that being a Stari, Sephira wouldn’t have much of a struggle with riding Ash. She mounted her brown horse and looked around for these friends of Sephira’s in the distant dunes. There was a clear view all around, but even with her exceptional vision, Inga couldn’t see any people as far as the sand met the sky. As a Sheikah, Inga was trained well in tracking and navigation and knew just where they were in the desert, but she decided to let Sephira lead the way. Sephira was the only one in the group who could know what direction her friends had gone. “Any idea what direction they could be headed in?” Inga asked, still scanning the desert. She saw a group of Gerudo far away, but they didn’t seem to be any threat.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-15-2013, 10:46 PM

Kaida grinned at Donovan and heaved herself onto the horse with his help. She settled herself as comfortably as she could behind the saddle and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I can move if my breastplate gets too hot," she whispered in his ear, well aware of how hot the metal could get.

Sephira watched the two with mild amusement, and a bit of jealousy. They looked so happy together. Goddesses grant me what they share.
She pulled herself into the grey stallion's saddle. "Ash," she murmured, smiling at how appropriate the name was for her horse. A phoenix riding ashes, she laughed inwardly.
"The sandstorm blew from over there," she said, pointing. "We should head that way, then I'll be able to pick up the trail." She frowned at the reins in front of her. She had never ridden a horse before, but she used to balancing on tree branches swaying in the wind. She'd be able to keep her seat with ease. Harder would be getting it to move, especially since she disliked causing needless harm. Even hunting, she went for a quick, painless death. Zarola, can you help me?
The panther yawned lazily. "It's easy. Just slap its sides or rear to get it to go, and pull those stem things to turn it one way or the other."
"Not helping," Sephira muttered.
"Fine then." Zarola snarled and snapped her teeth. Ash bolted, startling a curse from Sephira as she gripped his sides tightly.

(I seem to like startling my horses and nearly knocking their riders off. lol)

**Peeps** · 03-16-2013, 01:38 PM

In a split second, Inga's horse was galloping right behind Ash, keeping up with ease. Inga chuckled at Sephira's surprise when she accelerated. It reminded her of Kaida's experiences with the horse. "Don't fall in an abyss!" Inga called ahead. She enjoyed the quick pace and the group was headed in the right direction. The group rode further towards the lands unknown to Inga, and she couldn't wait to reach the end of the desert. She hoped that Donovan and Kaida would travel back to their home land and that she could continue to accompany them. She had always wanted to visit the strange little land of Termina. But there was a chance that meeting the additional travelers, Sephira's friends, could take them on a completely different adventure.

"It's fine," Donovan told Kaida. He didn't mind if she gave him a severe burn, he liked her arms around him. She would probably end up falling off if she didn't hold on tight enough anyways. "In fact, hold on tight!" Donovan said as he saw Ash take off with Sephira, Inga following shortly behind. Donovan didn't want to start moving quick enough that Kaida fell off, so with a few light kicks he gradually sped Chadur up behind the others. They ended up travelling a distance behind Sephira and Inga, but at least Chadur was able to keep the same speed as them and the distance wouldn't be an issue.
The group rode in a basically straight path, and Donovan looked around him, taking in the view of the desert. It would have chilled him if it wasn't so darn hot. The lifelessness of it reminded him a bit of Ikana, but there wasn't even a sign of the undead yet. He looked forward to the adventure ahead of them, but was a bit worried that the desert could be linked to the sorrowful valley from his past.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-16-2013, 03:09 PM

Kaida squeezed Donovan as Chadur picked up speed, laughing. "Now that I don't feel like I'm about to fall off, this is pretty fun," she commented. "I feel like an actual dragon going this fast. All I need are the wings."

Sephira waved a hand in grim acknowlegement of Inga's warning, then forced herself into a better balanced seat. "Not even the fiercest gales knocked me out of a tree," she muttered. "No horse is powerful enough to accomplish that."
"If you think you can keep your perch on that prey no matter how fast it goes," Zarola rumbled, "You're mistaken. She started snapping at Ash's heels, driving the horse to greater speeds.
Sephira tried to soothe him, but her voice was too much like a predator's to calm the frantic horse. "You're enjoying tormenting this horse, and me on it," she accused.
"Of course," the panther purred. "You two-legged no-furs like to torment animals yourselves. It is only fitting that you be tormented in turn."
"That doesn't mean you should pick on this horse too!"
She shrugged. "He willingly lets you ride him, lets you work him while you take your ease on his back. He deserves every torture I can give him."
"Merciful goddesses, what happened to you to make you so spiteful?"
"Nothing you can undo," Zarola growled, snapping at Ash's hooves again.

**Peeps** · 03-16-2013, 06:16 PM

Inga continued riding right behind Sephira, speeding up a bit when Ash did. She found it convenient but interesting how Zarola always seemed to pick on Ash only. She knew about animals being able to communicate sometimes, so maybe the panther for some reason disliked Ash or just liked messing with him. Inga took her attention off the panther and looked back towards the horizon, watching for Sephira's friends. How far did the sandstorm displace the Stari?

"Yeah," Donovan shortly replied, grinning. He wasn't used to riding at all, so it was thrilling and a bit scary for him to be moving this fast. After a while, he felt calm enough to speak. "So what are we gonna do after finding Sephira's friends?" he asked Kaida. Besides the wind rushing into his ears and the thumps of hooves, the empty desert was dead silent so he didn't have to shout. He noticed Kaida's breastplate burning into his back, but for some reason it was more comforting than painful and he didn't mind it. Although in the future, Donovan guessed it would have a bad effect. All his other body aches were mixed together into a confusing cloud of pain that engulfed his whole body and he hoped there would be a way to treat it once they were back in Termina.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-17-2013, 04:18 PM

"Continue to Termina, of course," Kaida answered, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "Unless you had other plans?" She wondered if something had happened between him and Sephira before she and Inga had showed up.

Sephira grimaced as Zarola snapped at Ash again. "Will you stop that! I don't want him to go too fast, or I'll go past where I last saw my friends."
Zarola snorted and dropped back. "As if you'd recognize where it was. Sand shifts so much around here, you wouldn't be able to see it. You'd need to smell it.
"Unless I know exactly what I'm looking for," Sephira replied. Sand might shift, but rocks remain the same. She convinced Ash to stop and hopped off as she recognized some of the rocks they were passing. They definately looked different, as some had been unburied more, while others buried more so. She glanced around a bit, moving among the rocks as she looked for clues. After a bit of hunting, she noticed the variations of the sand depths that told her where James and the others took shelter from the sandstorm, then hopped onto Ash again. "It looks like they took shelter in that outcroping when the strom hit. After it blew over, they started that way." She frowned slightly. So that's when Rose got seperated. I wonder if the others have even realized she's dead.

**Peeps** · 03-19-2013, 08:10 PM

"Nope," Donovan responded. For some reason Kaida sounded suspicious of him. "I was just wondering what we were gonna do in Termina."

"Well, I would suggest we hurry in the direction you think they went," Inga said, following Sephira's eyes towards where they thought the other group went. "The quicker we move towards them, the less our paths will diverge and the fresher their tracks will be." It sounded obvious and she didn't really expect to see tracks anyways with the sand constantly being tossed by the wind, but maybe they would be able to see a difference in the sand if the other group was big enough.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-27-2013, 10:34 PM

Kaida relaxed and shrugged. "Probably see if anyone's hiring for what. If there's nothing good, I'll probably hick up Snowhead. The creatures up there can fetch a good price if sold to the right people." She tickled his eartip, her voice teasing. "Or maybe I can start showing you the ropes, what it means to be a mercenary."

Sephira nodded as she tapped Ash's sides gently. "Easy enough," she said as the horse started plodding on. "Now that I have the trail, it won't be long before we catch up to them." She eyed Zarola as the panther crept after Ash. "Don't even think about it," the Stari warned. "I need to control my own speed, and that's easier to do if I'm in charge."
"Fine," Zarola huffed. She walked back to Donovan's horse and growled at it, turning her aggressiveness on the poor stallion.
Sephira sighed. I can't wait to be back with my mild-mannered animals instead of this savage.

(I'll post for them in Mournful Kingdom, if that's alright. You can wait to post until then, if you like.)

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