[RL, Nabooru & Kuja: Gerudo Valley: Hyrule]

[sandy_requiem]

Nabooru was returning from the horseback archery range, having gone up there to stave off her boredom, when a strange light struck the entrance to the Fortress. It wasn't long before she heard shouts, and she jogged down the path to see several sisters blocking the entrance, weapons drawn - it was then that Nabooru remembered that even though she

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[sandy_requiem]

She arched an eyebrow at the young man's appearance; quite effeminate at first, but Nabooru knew he was male...call it intution if you must. A beautiful man, but a man nonetheless.

"Vartila." One of the sisters still had her spear raised and ready to attack; upon hearing her Queen's voice however, the younger one lowered her weapon. A soft chuckle escaped Nabooru's lips as she looked over her visitor.

"My apologies - we are quite wary of outsiders, especially those who are male," she replied casually, folding her arms. "So you must be Kuja."

[sandy_requiem]

A scarlet eyebrow arched as a smirk danced across Nabooru's lips. So he had manners as well. Despite his appearance, Kuja was already better than nearly every other man she'd met.

"The pleasure's mine," she replied, shaking her head when he continued. "There's no problem with your timing; I'd only been practicing my archery. There isn't too much going on at the moment."

Glancing at Vartila, Nabooru nodded once. "Return to your posts" was the simple order; in moments, the crowd had dispersed, leaving the Queen and her visitor on their own. Turning back to Kuja, she tossed her hair back, the casual smirk still lingering. "So. Where would you like to start? Or did you want to discuss things first?"

[sandy_requiem]

A notch down on the scale; he'd gone ahead of her. But if he continued with the respectful, polite treatment, she supposed she could excuse it for now.

It only took a few steps for Nabooru to come up beside Kuja, and she nodded in response to his statements, slightly amused by his gestures. "I'll continue first," she replied, pushing the wooden doors open to the entrance of the Fortress. "This is our home; the Gerudos are the daughters of the deserts of Hyrule, and so this area is named for us all. This fortress is ageless; it has been around as long as any of us can remember, and is impenetrable by outside forces - not even the Gorons could break down our walls."

She brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes as she continued, nodding briskly to the guards as they made their rounds. "We are all sisters here, as our race consists only of women, save for the one man born every one hundred years. As of this time, we have none."

[sandy_requiem]

"Barged through?" she laughed. "Of course not. Even Darunia and his Goron army were unable to get in when we were at arms during the Great War. However, we did have one incident, but...it was excusable, as the infiltrator was here on the orders of the Goddesses," she continued, waving a hand dismissively.

She nodded at his remark on the Gerudos. "It is unique among the races here in Hyrule," Nabooru replied; when Kuja met her gaze however, she arched an eyebrow. If it was an attempt at intimidation, it certainly wasn't working. "We are Gerudos...a race of thieves, and the best in this realm. It would explain most of the security around here now, wouldn't it?" she asked.

[sandy_requiem]

"That was the only incident."

She tilted her head, the smile widening slightly. "None necessary - it is something we hear quite often. We're not your usual pickpockets, for we go after much more than just your wallet. But, we are justified in what we take, and actually have alliances with most of the peoples here. It is those who think to challenge us that we need to...teach a lesson to."

Nabooru flexed her wrist, looking over the rings on her fingers as she spoke. "We are also warriors. Each and every sister here has seen combat at least once in her life - some of us more than others. We are all trained in swordplay and archery, though the only one here who knows how to harness magics would be me." She peered over her shoulder, amused at the thoughtful look on Kuja's face. He certainly hadn't expected to hear half of what she'd said to him - but it didn't surprise her.

"That changes your opinion of us and myself, doesn't it?"

[sandy_requiem]

"Oh? That's a surprise, if you don't mind my saying so," Nabooru replied, returning Kuja's smile with one of her own.

Stretching her arms above her head for a moment, Nabooru sighed, looking toward a pair of large wooden doors - the ones that led to the Spirit Temple, where she would be if she wasn't entertaining a guest. Usually, she didn't allow anyone without a drop of Gerudo blood in their veins to to even attempt to cross the desert and enter the Temple, but...

"You came here to discuss matters of history, correct?" she asked. "We can continue talking here while walking through the Fortress, or if you'd like, we can go to the Spirit Temple. I should tell you though," she paused, glancing over her shoulder, "it is a privilege to be invited to the Temple."

[sandy_requiem]

She arched her eyebrow at the statement. "Full of surprise, hmm? I just may have to keep an eye on you, then," she replied, chuckling under her breath.

When Kuja offered his arm however, Nabooru surprised herself by taking it. It was a polite gesture, and it had been a long time since anyone had been this nice to her - nevermind a man - but still...shaking her head, she reached into a hidden pocket, extracting a small green crystal.

"I figure we can get there much quicker with the use of magic rather than walking through the desert - though you are dressed rather well for the heat," she quipped.

Without waiting for a response, the Gerudo Queen muttered an incantation under her breath, then threw the crystal to the ground; the two vanished from the Fortress, reappearing at the entrance to the Spirit Temple only a moment later.

[sandy_requiem]

"A simple technique," Nabooru replied, brushing her hair from her eyes. "But as it is, I am the only Gerudo adept with magic."

Walking alongside Kuja, she pushed the doors open to the temple, nodding slightly. "The three Great Goddesses of our realm - Din, Nayru, and Farore. This Temple though, is a testament to our people and our illustrious history. Those who actively worship do so in the Temple of Time."

It was always a relief to enter the Temple; as it was, this was the place Nabooru usually resided in, despite some of the less-savory memories. She smiled lightly, gazing over the statues on either side of the entrance.