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**Z64** · 02-06-2014, 10:57 PM

"Well, in a trap. He is aware that I can be impatient sometimes, and knows that he can wait me out. So if any one of us was to go face the other before he plans, it would be me. And since I would be heading towards him, he would be ready for me, with whatever he wants to have. And I could send others, but knowing him, he is more than prepared to match whatever I can throw at him. It's frustrating, and I hate it, but there's not much I can do."

The carriage was now a little ways from Clock Town, heading towards the Southern Swamp, since the mansion was near there. The driver chuckled quietly as he listened to the conversation, finding it funny that they happened to be talking about traps.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-07-2014, 12:00 AM

Zarola, who had settled down on the floor of the carriage, looked up, her ears twitching. Sephira frowned at her, wondering what she heard. "Can't you lure him into a trap? If you two trained together and practically grew up together, surely you know his weaknesses as well as you think he knows yours."
Zarola growled, her fur starting to stand on end as she rose to her feet. "What is it?" Sephira asked.
"It's a trap."

**Z64** · 02-07-2014, 12:17 AM

Maxwell shook his head.

"I do know his weaknesses. Luring him into a trap wouldn't work. Edward is the master of traps and luring people into them. He would never trust any kind of summon unless it was from a heavily trusted friend of his. And I know his weaknesses, but he has his bases covered. He isn't alone, and there isn't anything around the rebel base to hide behind, eliminating the chance of a sneak attack. It was a miracle when I went to their camp and I wasn't killed. It surprises me people join a rebellion against someone who they don't know. I would've killed Edward while I was there, but he was gone, and I didn't bring anything to help me leave a trap for him...wait a second, that's it! I can trap him!" Maxwell laughed, loving his own brilliance.

"When I was at their camp, I gave an informant of mine ink and paper, so he could send letters to me. If I have him write a letter that is supposedly from Edward's little brother, who he left behind in Labrynna, then he'll go to a certain place, and I'll get him. It's brilliant! I guess the note I left for him that said I know about his little raiders is a bit useless, but hey! It probably scared him a lot!"

Maxwell then remembered the animal had said something, and was curious as to what it was.

"What did uh...your friend say? Is there something wrong?"

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-07-2014, 07:22 PM

Sephira reached for her bow, trying to see through the windows. Unfortunately, the carriage was too small for her to draw the weapon, the window too small to see through. "She says it's a trap. I don't know why, but I tend to trust my animal's instincts. She must have heard something or smelled something. I don't know, but when she's uneasy, I am." She silently cursed the bow's length and left it where it was on her back. Instead, she summoned fire, letting flames dance along her arms. After a moment she doused them, although some sparks still appeared around her from her nerves.

**Z64** · 02-07-2014, 07:38 PM

Maxwell's happiness was now turned into seriousness.

"A trap?" Maxwell asked quietly. "The driver must be one of Edward's people. They probably have a checkpoint somewhere along the route where he'll stop and a few of his friends will come out. But between the two of us, we should get rid of them fairly easily."

The carriage stopped, and Maxwell heard the driver's feet land on the ground.

"We are here, sir."

Maxwell got of the carriage with Sephira and stood in front of the horses, facing the driver, who was standing in the path with his back turned. In a second, 14 other people emerged from the forest around them. The driver turned around.

"Do you want to surrender or fight, sir?"

Maxwell started to get a little mad.

"No. I give the warnings here. This is your first and final warning. Run now, and I let you live. But if you stay to fight, I can guarantee your death. Your decision."

The driver simply grinned, drawing his sword. "Interesting last words."

In a matter of seconds, Maxwell pulled out his sword, rushed the driver, and drove his blade straight through the driver's heart. Then, the battle began.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-07-2014, 09:28 PM

Sephira stood quietly by Maxwell as he confronted the enemy. She was a little surprised by his confidence; she wouldn't have felt so confident against fifteen. Zarola growled next to her, hackles rising as she glared at their foes. The panther was apparently just as confident as Maxwell was that they could take on the fifteen. Flames danced around the Stari's fingertips as she wondered at the pair's confidence. Maybe they could take on fifteen. As the driver died under Maxwell's blade, Sephira called on fire. The fourteen still there were incinerated so quickly, they didn't have a chance to even feel the heat of the fire before they were nothing more than ashes on the field.
Sephira's knees buckled and she let herself sit on the grass. Using that much fire took a lot out of her, and she'd take a while to recover from it. She shouldn't have done that. Not because it took so much out of her, but killing so quickly, so mercilessly. If they had fought fairly, they could have had a chance to get away. She could have used her bow and made handicapping shots. They could have returned to Edward, injured, but alive. Now they were all dead. Burned to a crisp, with Zarola sniffing at the remains.

**Z64** · 02-07-2014, 10:18 PM

Maxwell pulled the sword out of the driver, and turned around to see that the men were now ashes. Sephira was on the ground, and Zarola was sniffing the ashes. He went to Sephira's side and crouched down.

"Wow, I'm glad I'm on your side. Are you okay?" Maxwell asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. It was evident that she was burned out, and needed to rest. Luckily, the mansion was nearby, because the horses had run away with the carriage after Sephira used her magic.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-08-2014, 07:37 PM

Sephira took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'll be fine. It's just been a while since I've expended myself so much." She summoned a small fire in her open hand and stared at the flame. "One of the few constants in my life, fire. It's always been part of me, even before I knew of it." She closed her fist. Smoke squeezed between her knuckles as the flame struggled to survive as her will dictated. "You'll find few things more destructive. So what does that say about me?" She opened her hand again, revealing a larger fire, flaring even more as it received the air it needed. After a moment, she let it go and stood, a little shaking on her feet. "I'm sorry. I haven't killed like that since..." She trailed off, then shrugged, not wanting to remember. "It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have used so much energy. Is that mansion of yours nearby?"

**Z64** · 02-08-2014, 07:50 PM

Maxwell stood up with Sephira. "Yeah, it's close." Maxwell said.

"However, while we walk, why don't you tell me about the last time you 'killed like that'. I revealed a sensitive part of my past to you, so now it's your turn to do the same for me." Maxwell said, slightly teasing.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-08-2014, 08:10 PM

Sephira sighed, reaching for her pendent before remembering it wasn't there. She hadn't worn it in quite a while, yet she still forgot that. "Well, I suppose. I've told you that I'm a Stari before. We are a tribe who hid in the forests, watching the borders of Hyrule. The country still doesn't know of us, and now, they never will. I am the last of my people." She clenched her hands together. "One of our own felt we deserved better than we had, and knowing only a few were willing to break old traditions, he decided to purge the tribe and start over. He attacked in the night with his followers. I was lucky to be hunting when that happened. There might be others of my tribe that survived, but in three years' of searching, I have yet to meet any. I hunted them down. I killed every one of our betrayers. Strattus, though, did the worst to me, so I felt he deserved worse than just an arrow through his heart." She looked at Maxwell. "Our tradition is to burn our dead, believing that the spirit is not free as long as the body exists. For Strattus, I decided to kill and free him in one gesture. His screams still ring through my dreams, sometimes a pleasant cry that eases my grief, while other times a screech of pain that fills me with guilt."
"A man crosses you, you shouldn't feel guilty for taking your revenge, regardless of how," Zarola growled. Sephira hoped this would be over soon. She wanted to be back with Star, not this dark-minded panther.

**Z64** · 02-08-2014, 08:23 PM

Maxwell was a bit shocked about what he heard. He didn't exactly know what he had expected in the first place, but he knew hadn't expected what he was told.

"You're the last of your people? I'm...sorry to hear that." Maxwell said, not knowing what else to say. He wondered if there was any way of comparing Sttratus wanting to change the Stari ways to his fight with the Hidden, but quickly shrugged it off, as they had reached the mansion in the time they had been talking.

"And we're here. Home sweet home." Maxwell said, opening the door and holding it open for Sephira. "Ladies first."

***Maxwell moves to The Mansion***

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-08-2014, 09:42 PM

Sephira snorted. "There aren't any ladies here," she muttered as she entered the building. "Ladies go around in frilly dresses and ride horse-drawn carriages." She kicked at the skirt of her dress, annoyed to realize she'd just described who she presently resembled. "What I wouldn't give for some regular leggings and shirt," she grumbled.

*Sephira enters The Mansion*

**Z64** · 02-25-2014, 09:49 PM

***Maxwell, Sephira, and Shade enter from A Visit to the Mountains***

When the trio entered Clock Town, Shade had a mental freak out. He wasn't used to being near a lot of humans at once. He looked around, making sure nobody posed any kind of threat to him. If somebody passed them, he would walk closer to Maxwell. Maxwell noticed this, and laughed. "A bit nervous, Shade?" Maxwell asked.

Shade noticed his tone, and took it offensively. "Says the big strong man who sat down to look at a wound on his wrist."

Maxwell didn't pay much attention to what Shade said and looked at his wrist. How had he let it bleed all this time? He was lucky it wasn't bleeding much, as he would've been dead by now.

"Great. Now we have to find someone to patch this up."

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-25-2014, 10:02 PM

Sephira frowned at Maxwell's words and turned to look. "You should have said something sooner. I didn't even realize you were bleeding." She led him to a stall she remembered from yesterday and quickly purchased some herbs and bandages. "I'm not the best healer, but every Stari has learned some of it," she explained as she took his hand. She carefully applied the herbs and wrapped his wrist up. "There. We'll have to watch it for infection, but those herbs should keep it at bay." With a twinkle in her eye, she leaded over and lightly kissed the bandage. "And that should help with the pain. Anywhere else that needs attention?" she asked mischievously.

**Z64** · 02-25-2014, 10:23 PM

Maxwell wasn't sure how to react to Sephira kissing the bandage. It wasn't that he didn't like it, but it seemed like something that a mother would do. It was at this point that Maxwell did not know if he considered Sephira his girlfriend or his friend.

"Thank you." Maxwell said, masking his actual emotions. "And no, nowhere else needs attention." Maxwell then understood what she was saying, and thought about correcting himself, but decided he wasn't in the mood.

"How about we head to the shooting gallery? I want to see what score you get." Maxwell said, smiling.

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