Stasolya, down on one knee, catches Princess Zelda's hand as she reaches out, and hugs the crying girl in a tight embrace. She croons softly, the keening melody of the song she sings matching the sorrowful emotions storming through the Princess' heart.

"Broken heart, full of pain,
Fire rages through the plain,
Let it burn, be cleansed anew
A fertile field of new green roots."

She smiles as the girl touches the AURYN... "Yes, we must stand together under the banner of the Childlike Empress. Our hope and perseverance is our strongest weapon against the despair of the Nothing."

As Princess Zelda pulls away, the centaur stands. "Now, Princess! Where do we go? I heard some minstrel's tale of the Ocarina of Time, and sought the lamentation of the Triforce of Wisdom. There is also the matter of the Princess Andromeda of Argos, taken by the Kraken to Queen Bavmorda. All of these things have called us to seek them. It was the Princess Andromeda who drew us into this quest. My dear Princess Zelda, Mirror of Justice, know you aught of any of these?"

She turns to face the newcomers who had tumbled through the portal. A look of sadness crosses her face. "And of course there is the matter of our companions, arrived here both old and new, some of whom have deeds to answer for. What path do they wish to follow?"

     "Queen Bavmorda?  That is where we go," Judal asserts, perhaps more definitively than any have heard him say anything.  "She is a scourge and a plague, she must be destroyed.  It is my mission.  It is why the boy and the wizard put me on this path.  If there is knowledge of her whereabouts we should be off immediately!"

While still on guard and very much standing in a defensive position beside her new companion, there is a VERY unusual giddyness to Malenia as her gaze keeps shifting between the retreated band of the Dothraki and the majestic Kocra standing beside her. An almost inperceivable smile has been on her lips this entire time, a certain shine in her eyes as the wonder of the creature she had been gifted had fully overcome her. 

If it werent for the dire situation with the young Princess, There is a decent chance Malenia would already be grooming the Kocra's feathers. Yet as she met Staoyla's gaze, that light in her eyes faded away. Overcome with the immeasurable guilt she had been plagued with since their parting some time ago. Both of her humming weapons retract, the bright, burning blades of energy vanishing as her arms fell to her sides. "Stasoyla..." In barely a whisper, Malenia fell down to her knee's and put her head to the ground before the centaur. Still clutching the reins of the rather patient creature beside her. 

"Selfish, Hate, Anger, Desire. You were right about it all. You saw what I could not, what I had to find on my own. I....sought out the answers I needed in my homeland and found more than what I was searching for, These answers only confirmed everything you had said to me before. Please, I ask your forgiveness for my actions." The calm, monotone tenor of Malenia comes across with a slight tremble. Being the only two remaining of the original members of the Answer, Malenia had always thought the centaur a bit of a idealistic fool but knew now that she was wise beyond her years. 

"Oh, Andromeda..."  Zelda says, her eyes casting down before she raises an arm to wipe the tears away.  "There was a lot going on in my father's court in the days leading up to the attack.  I remember..."  

She thinks for a moment, squinting, her head cocked to the side a bit as she seems deep in recall.  

"The Argosian Emissary did say something about the abduction of Princess Andromeda.  Something about...the Kraken, that was it!  The Kraken had attacked Argos and taken Andromeda away at the behest of Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar.  I wasn't supposed to be listening to this, but I was being sneaky, and I heard the emissary explain to father that there was something about trapping maidens in crystal.  Maidens with power associated with their names.  And that the enemy, I don't know if Lord Vader or Ganondorf or the Lord of Darkness or whoever, they were going to use these crystals as sources of artificial power.  Yes, that's right, I remember now!  They couldn't duplicate the power of the Dark Crystal, you know, one for one, so they were going to gather as many of these maidens as possible and use them to tear holes between the different plains.  Our world, the Sacred Realm, Feywild, stuff like that."

She pauses to hear all the questions the Stasolya was posing, and listens to the others as they all chip in.  

"I'm sorry..."  She says gently.  "The Ocarina of Time...I don't have it.  When the Sheikah whisked me out of the Castle, they took it from me.  Said they'd give it back someday.  Said it was too dangerous to leave it with me for now while I was being hunted.  But I do have this..."  

The Princess rolls once sleeve up that has been draped low the whole time, revealing the back of her right hand.  There is a tattoo there of the three combined pieces of the Triforce.  

"My dad said..."  She starts, pausing for a deep breath.  The band doesn't hear what she says after that.  It is more seen, more felt, more a sensation than a tale told.  

In their concerted vision, they find themselves standing together in the Stygian Wastes as the dusty regolith of the desert swirls about them, about the faces, about their feet, leaves a thin film on their clothes.  South of them, up a mountain pass leading out of the valley-bottom of the desert, are two Sphinx's, no doubt the Sphinx Gate of the Southern Oracle, their gold bodies glimmering in the infinite twilight of the lone sun that now circles the rim of the sky.  The gate, which has allowed no one to proceed south of the Stygian Wastes since the time of the Crystal of Truth, stands ready to destroy anyone who would approach with any shred of doubt in their heart about their own self worth, but the band watches as this young girl approaches, holds her hand up, the tattoo shimmers, and the Sphinx's allow for her passage, and the passage of her companions, into the recesses, and trials, of the Southern Oracle, at the end of which lies the Triforce of Wisdom...

"It is my birthright."  She says, rubbing the tattoo on the back of her hand.  "The Southern Oracle keeps the Triforce of Wisdom safe from anyone who is unworthy.  But because I'm a Princess of the Hylian royal family, I have a pass to it, I guess."  

Lelith's gaze could barely hide her sense of boredom as she listened to the girl's narrative, her attention shifting from the girl to the unfolding tale. However, her indifference transformed into rapt fascination when she heard the mention of the Triforce and the legendary Ocarina of Time. These were artifacts of immense power, of which Lelith held intimate knowledge of their history. As Zelda revealed the Triforce tattoo on the back of her hand, a shimmering symbol etched with ancient magic, Lelith's eyes widened, her interest fully captured.

"So, you are the God-Princess," Lelith exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm, her usually composed demeanor momentarily giving way to a burst of excitement. She hurried over to Zelda, her graceful movements carrying a sense of urgency as she offered the princess a polite curtsy. The corners of her eyes glistened with unshed tears, a mix of relief and happiness at finally finding the one she had sought.

"You cannot possibly fathom the lengths I had to go to in order to locate you. It is beyond heartening to see you safe and sound," Lelith said, her voice carrying a lot of emotions and with it the scent of cinnamon and lavender as her feelings intensified. The Fey were always peculiar.

Unerringly, her joyous expression suddenly snapped shut as she took on a more serious tone. "I would willingly face death right here and now before allowing you to be subjected to danger. But we find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances, and you must awaken your latent powers. While having the Hero by your side would have made things simpler, that accursed Ganon boasted about shattering the Spirit of the Hero. Blasphemy, indeed, yet an unfortunate truth. Your eternal companion is missing, my dear princess, though he is still present in other ways."

"The hero..."  The girl says meekly.  Her eyes shift away from Lelith, and she looks scared, resentful, somehow tired?  "Ganondorf said that?  To you?  Or to all of you?  When did you talk to him?  But yes, it's not just a boast.  My father said that the Spirit of the Hero had been destroyed long ago and scattered.  As for latent powers...I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.  I don't have any powers.  I wish I did.  Well, more than what I've been taught by the knights and mages of the court.  I could have kept my family safe.  And my people.  And I wouldn't have to hide in the Great Grass Sea like a scared little girl."  

"I must admit, the memories of that encounter with Ganon are rather hazy. It's as if his words were spoken directly into my mind when he tried to take me as his bride," Lelith frowned as she tried to peer into the past for a moment before giving up. "Of all my suitors, he is the worst."

Lelith's demeanor instantly softened from her previously serious one. Her heart went out to the young princess, and she stepped closer with a reassuring presence. "Your circumstances are not your fault," Lelith interjected gently, her voice carrying as much empathy as a Winter Eladrin possibly could. "You are not to blame for the calamity that has befallen your realm. Nor are you responsible for the hero's absence. You are, like many in Hyboria, a victim of a relentless cycle of destruction and rebirth."

With a soft smile, Lelith continued, "There's no need to dwell on the 'what ifs.' Instead, let us focus on what we can do now, in the present. The mark on the back of your hand, the Triforce symbol, it carries a significance beyond measure and there's no way of faking it. You are what the world needs—a beacon of hope, a guardian of the balance. Perhaps you might not fully grasp it now, but the power of the Goddess, a part of her, resides within you. It may not be apparent immediately, but it will emerge when the time is right."

"Trust in yourself, your higher self, the Goddess herself to guide us on the right path. You have always triumphed over evil, princess. No matter how dire the circumstances were."

     Judal is visibly impatient with all the chatter and talk about suitors and crystals, god-princesses and triforces.  “Yes, great and all, but how does this get us to Bavmorda?” He blurts when he can control himself no more.  “She must be brought to pay for her sins.  Sooner is much better than never…”

     Judal looks around at the others and is actually a bit surprised he is the only one so focused on Queen Bavmorda. Perhaps he is a bit blinded in his hatred, he does realizes that she is not the greatest of all evils…  but she’s more dangerous than a tarrasque and he and whoever he brought with him were the only Godzilla’s looking to take her down.

Zelda looks uncomfortable with what Lelith is proclaiming, like she doesn't know how to handle it, before shifting her attention to Judal.  

"If anyone can free the maidens...however many there are, anyway...it'd have to start at Nockmaar."  She answers the Bard.  "They say she is powerful, though, and that she was in the good graces of Lord Vader.  Well, I think father told mother that Bavmorda was doing what she could to be in his graces and that Vader found her useful but...not perhaps the way she'd hoped he'd find her useful.  Said something like, Vader has a one track mind, and that she's not what he's looking for.  Something like that."  

     “She has been known to succumb to the dramatic rather than worry about details,” Judal agrees.

     “With Vader destroyed,” Judal starts but then pauses.

     “You did say Vader was dead, yes?” He asks over to Malenia, doubt in his voice.  He quickly shakes it off and continues though.

     “With Vader dead it may be the ideal time to take down Bavmorda…  Strike before she forms new alliances!”

As Malenia drops to her knees before Stasolya and puts her head to the ground, Stasolya looks at her for a minute in surprise. Then she lowers herself down, reaching out her hand, and touches Malenia on the shoulder. She takes the Jedi's hand and raises her from the ground. "You have my forgiveness, Malenia. I am glad that you found the answers you sought. The true battle is in our hearts. Your journey has showed you this... but it is not over. Will you join the fight by my side again, under the AURYN?"

After Malenia's answer, Stasolya turns then to Judal. "You deserted as well. And now you have made plain the path that you wish to follow, the mission that has called you to its completion. But you must also answer for your actions under AURYN. What do you have to say?"

The centaur looks at Zelda, at the tattoo on her hand. And she smiles. "The lamentation finds its reprieve, when the Princess shows her hand," she says. "You have gained a devout guardian of her own accord, and I, and the others who follow AURYN, will be your guardians as well. Protecting the Princess must be our first task. But it sounds as though seeking out Queen Bavmorda may be our second. If the Princess Andromeda, and the others, are being held at Nockmaar, then, I think, that is where we must go." She sweeps an arm out to indicate the whole vast plain that surrounds them, beyond the Dothraki city. "The Royal Maidens hold the light of the Childlike Empress, and the Order that sustains Hyboria against the vagaries of Chaos. What do you say, Princess Zelda? Shall we go to Nockmaar? Or should we seek the Triforce first?"

     "I what now?" Judal asks, stunned, as he turns to Stasolya.  

     "You?  You are calling ME a deserter?  You?  You who floated high above and looked down as other risked life and limb but you chose to stay safe??" Judal asks incredulously and with obvious injury and insult.  "I don't know who you think you are or why you think EVERYONE is going to kneel down before you...  But I am a son of Tir Asleen.  I am a Knight of Galladoorn.  I have been an honored guest at the court of Guilder and apprenticed to Miracle Marv.  To which of those do you claim I deserted?  Which duty or oath or pact to them have I broken?"

     "In my time I have had much scorn and derision placed upon my name...  Some were true or earned, and I have accepted them and wore them with my head on high.  But never...  Never has anyone suggested I was a deserter... And oath breaker...  So please, from your lofty perch on high where it is safe, do prosecute your case against me.  Surely I have the right to hear not only the crimes but the proof of them which you use to accuse me so BEFORE I must defend myself?  Or do you keep your honor safely tucked away with your courage?"

Stasolya turns to face Judal again. "Did you not accept an assignment from Atreyu and Gandalf to join the mission of Andromeda's Answer? You deserted that mission of your own free will, with my decisions on the battlefield as your excuse." She holds up the AURYN. "My authority comes only from Atreyu, who gave me the AURYN, and it is only to fulfill his mission that I hold it. Opinions will differ on every battlefield. That is why we have a chain of command. If you disagree with my decision, your responsibility is to take your concern to Atreyu, who is my commander. Instead, you left, abandoning the orders Atreyu gave us, and even now you insult me for confronting your conduct. The forces of darkness are hard at work in your pride, Judal."

"If you do not wish to be part of Andromeda's Answer, for which I hold AURYN, then you are free to leave, and pursue your own path. But if you wish to remain, it will be under Atreyu's authority, and you must promise your allegiance." The centaur sighs, her tail swishing as she stamps a hind foot in frustration.

     Judal walks up to Stasolya, not quite in her face but near enough, and smiles.  "Everything I do is of my own free will." Judal assures her.  "Perhaps you believe the old man or the boy are in charge of me.  I assure you, they are not.  I have pledged no fealty to them, other than friendship.  Friendship is a powerful force in my heart, but not one strong enough to get me to follow a coward..."

     "I do not even know what this Auryn you speak of is, but I agreed to help on the mission we were sent on.  I did, rather than standing back and watch others do so.  Is there more to do?  Isn't there always.  But I have not deserted the task merely followed one I actually believed was up to it.  Their path may have been more winding than soaring high above the world and doing nothing nothing but it was not desertion," Judal insists.  

     "If I insult you it is not due to you 'confronting' my conduct, I am comfortable with all my actions and decisions, but rather for your lack of willingness to lend aid to those in desperate need.  You wish to judge me by my actions?  You can expect me to judge you likewise.  That is... if you ever take any."

     Judal turns a bit to look more at the others than Stasolya.  "I would be honored to continue the journey with Malenia and Lelith and Riair...  I trust them to have my back and so I am willing to have theirs.  But you?" Judal asks, turning back to the centaur.  "I can promise nothing to one who I do not trust or believe in."

Rising to her feet with the aid of Stasoyla, There was a visible shift in shoulders upon the Centaurs willingness to forgive her for the actions that had parted them. Then a very visible sign of emotion crept from Malenia, the normally stoic, Stone-faced Jedi had a single tear rolling down her left cheek. "Thank you Stasoyla....You have my blades at your side for this quest on which you embark."

Having overheard the chattering of the child known as Zelda, Malenia was indifferent to the plea yet was adamant she would follow after Stasoyla. Turning to the Kocra, the brass hand of her prosthetic gracefully strokes the large bird's soft plummage. "What do you think Kazu? Will you come with me?" 

Her interest then shifts to the bag across the back of the creature, rummaging through it to see just what the Queen of the Winters court had bequeathed unto Lelith, to give to them.

"Very well, Judal. I do not ask for your trust or belief, but neither must you ask to be part of my mission. You may follow your own path, but you will not follow it with me. One who has no allegiance to AURYN owes no allegiance to me. I wish you well on your quest in friendship to Atreyu, wherever it may take you. We part ways here."

Stasolya looks to the group that had recently tumbled through the portal. "You have all arrived here unexpectedly, and each of you may choose where you wish to go. None of you are beholden to the mission of Andromeda's Answer, or to me." The centaur turns to Princess Zelda and bows again. "My Lady, what is your wish?"

     Judal's eyes narrow.  He starts as if he is going to say something, but then a swirling fog envelopes the area, heavily obscuring everything for twenty feet around.  Moments later a powerful black hound bounds out of the fog and off into the distance until it is out of sight...

The young Princess stands back, watching in stark disbelief at what is happening.  Her jaw drops as the argument ensues, and then she watches the Bard transform into a wolf and bound away.  

A strange, stoic calm washes over the girl as she sees this, and she slowly reaches up and out, her hand wrapping around Stasolya's.  

"I think you have another calling."  She says, but she doesn't look up at Stasolya.  Her voice doesn't seem to be her own.  Her gaze is off in the distance, north by northeast.  "There is another King whose call you can hear.  I know you can.  He'll show you the way."  

When Zelda looks up at the others, she seems confused, even as she adds the next line.  

"The path to Bavmorda is ours, now."  

     The Judalhound hears the words faintly.  He’d have missed them as himself but in this form…  we’ll almost everything was clearer in this form.

     “The path to Bavmorda is ours, now.”

     The words halt him from his full run.  He kicks up dirt and grass as he skids to a stop, turning to look back as he does, his head tilted.  There is a soft rumble in his chest as he wonders if this is some kind of trick.  He waits and watches and sniffs at the air but there is no more scent of the one he refused…  

     The Judalhound takes a tentative step forward and a questioning whine escapes him as he waits…

Stasolya sadly watches Judal transform and bound away, the similarity to Gmork's furtive and slinking form not lost on her. She grasps the AURYN around her neck and whispers, "O Childlike Empress, if your people fall away to hatred and destruction, there will be none left..."

As Princess Zelda's hand finds hers and the girl speaks words in a voice other than her own, Stasolya's attention is pulled from the tragic departure of Judal, and riveted suddenly on a horizon far across the Great Grass Sea. Argos... the call of the sea... the Maidens' protectors have come...

The centaur begins to sing, her practiced bard's voice sailing across the plains in a melody both alien and otherworldly, and yet hopeful.

"Mortal kings and elven bred
Caught up in the tide of red
As Chaos, darkness, tears the land
The Nothing threatens Order's hand

The great Tarrasque unleashed its ire
The Lord of Darkness spread his fire
Tower crumbled, Atlantis fell
The Triforce woke the great death knell

The Apex slept but now he wakes
A King beyond all mortal fate.
I saw his might in Argos' hurt
Bards' tales of him fallen short.

Some fight on cosmic scale so vast
Some pull the trodden from the cask
Some take in those who broken, come
And make a place for them called home.

Each has their part to play to find
The fabric of the Empress' mind.
Some gallop long under the stars
Some sail the seas to find foes far.

The Princess and the Unicorn!
The pillars of Hyboria shorn
Protect them close within your band
They sprout within the Empress' hand..."

As her song finishes, Stasolya lets her hand drop from the AURYN. She smiles at her companions, her eyes shining with tears. "Princess Zelda has spoken. My friends, the Childlike Empress would not lose another to darkness."

She turns to the Jedi. "On your path to redemption, Malenia, you have brought others into your hand, and there you must keep them. Your words of loyalty to me are well kept, and I appoint you now in my place... to walk the path I have trodden... the quest that Atreyu gave us. You have the strength in your heart to carry it on, now. To lead these guardians of the Princess and the Unicorn, and to protect your solemn charges." Reverently, she lifts the cord holding the AURYN around her neck, and removes it over her head, holding it out as if to place it over Malenia's head. "Will you accept?"