darkSpyro

Angora put her hand over her chest, where she had her orb hidden. She didn't want it to be confiscated.
"Yeah... I... somehow got it back." was all she could answer, being too startled with the sudden voice. It was the same, cryptic message all over again. She had thought she had been over it when she left the island, but the stranger... it was still following her, and still making the very same promise. While she wanted nothing more to have the fun, peaceful life she once had with Shade and Maverick, she was still bothered with one detail of that promise.

"Won't you ever tell me what you mean with... born anew?" she asked to the orb quietly, even if it became dormant again. She realized now that the reason, or at least part of the reason why her orb was taken was to turn it into some form of communicator.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi tried to look at Maverick directly, but still couldn't bring herself to do so. "Financial support? Uh... I don't... that's not what I'm... that's not what I... I mean... I wish you could... support me in a... a bit of a different way, you know? Like..." It took every bit of nerve Ilasi had to get that out - she was struggling to be forward, and was hoping it didn't backfire horribly or make her come off as too needy.

Maverick could see Ilasi was already uncomfortable enough as it was, so he decided to change subjects.
"Let's talk about something else, shall we? The mermaid thing... you think there's a magic that could turn me into one so that I won't have to bother you with the bubble all the time?" Maverick asked, knowing that it was a sudden and abrupt change of subject, but he didn't want Ilasi to feel uncomfortable, especially now that she was still through the transformation.

Ilasi wasn't completely sure of the sudden change of topic - was she coming off as too pushy? Did Maverick not like her as much as she thought he did, and the subject made him uncomfortable? Or was he just doing it for her sake?
Either way, she wasn't going to dwell on it. She slowly gained her composure and looked at Maverick again. "If there is a spell, I don't really know of it," she said. "Something like that would probably be doable by someone who practices the more organic, body-altering kinds of magic. That is far too advanced for someone like me." Indeed, the only people that immediately came to mind were stories of mages gone insane with experimentation.

Maverick could still sense her uneasiness, and was getting at a loss on what else to do.
"Well the bubble is fine. I don't want to ask much you know. I... you know, you have magic. I don't. That is in itself impressive you know. I mean, surely we can still do many things together besides exploring the ocean." Maverick commented, the hair on his arms standing again. He looked so concerned. He was trying too hard not to mess things up, but he felt like no matter what he did, he always made Ilasi feel uncomfortable. In embarrassment, he started to touch the wood of one of the columns of the balcony as if contempt,acting the material, not knowing anymore how to approach Ilasi without having things so awkward.

"Many things?" Ilasi's demeanor picked up noticeably. "Like spend a lot - uh... spend some more time together?" Ilasi looked away once again as she spoke, still feeling quite nervous at the thought of bringing the conversation this far. She failed to pick up on Maverick's own nervousness and embarrassment, so focused was she on her own.

Maverick lifted an eyebrow, still not understanding why Ilasi was feeling so nervous.
"Of course Ilasi... I mean... yes. Sí. Isn't that the idea? We can go treasure hunting, be traveling merchant, and maybe even..." but Maverick stopped abruptly, not wanting to take the conversation too far, feeling like Ilasi wasn't ready for that subject and unaware that she was going on the same road.

"Maybe, well, you know, just be happy." Maverick concluded, trying to finish up the conversation somehow. He honestly didn't know what was going on. He wanted to stop Ilasi from feeling so uneasy, but he didn't know what else he could do to accomplish it. He turned away for a moment, biting his fist, fearing that he might've messed up this conversation too in some way.

"So, uh... be happy together? I can... I can... that sounds good. Fun. Doing fun things together... You know, it's kinda like what the boy was..." Ilasi froze up, feeling extremely nervous and vulnerable, as if she just overstepped into unfamiliar territory and had no way out. Oh, how she wish she could save herself from the moment; she should have let Maverick just redirect the conversation. After all, he probably would've mentioned something if he felt the same way... right? Ilasi, still absorbed in her own feelings, was unaware of the complete irony in her thinking.

When Ilasi mentioned the boy, it was finally then that Maverick was finally starting to suspect where Ilasi was going with this line of words... but he was terrified of being wrong. What if he was misunderstanding? Maverick didn't want to be seen as someone who rushed things, so he wanted to avoid the subject like a vampire with a cross... but knew that in the long run, the subject was going to be brought out sooner or later.
"Curious how someone that young can... well you know. Heh, a hybrid like me, with a half that is believed to be extinct, being noticed by some beautiful mermaid? Some like me, who hangs out with creatures that are hated, like trolls and dragons. Someone that... is finally free to make his own decisions..." Maverick began to say, wanting to give Ilasi clues instead of being so direct. He really wanted to believe she was interested that way, but his own insecurities were making him skeptical. The fact that he was once a pirate and friends with beings that weren't very welcoming into other's societies just added to his skepticism. His crush on Ilasi never vanished, but he didn't believe himself to be worthy of her...

Ilasi blushed in her typical manner as Maverick gave her another compliment. "Well... I never really did think that a man like you would ever pay attention to someone like me... I mean, you have been to a lot of places, no doubt met many people, but still... you've cared for me more than anyone else has, at least on a personal level.. and I..." Was this it? Was the conversation finally going where Ilasi hoped it was going? She subconsciously began to look down again, despite her best efforts to maintain eye contact, and her heart was racing faster than any labor she ever did could make it.

Maverick shook his head gently and proceeded to answer her about the matter, noticing that her transformation was still proceeding.
"But Ilasi... it is I who should be surprised that somebody like you is paying attention to someone like me. I'm a former pirate, and a vulgar hybrid. I've been treated like a criminal more than once, and I always upset you in some way. If I'm not doing something stupid, I'm probably saying something stupid... stupid and foolish. I always mess things up and I never realize it until it's too late. Honestly, this is too much patience you're showing me. You, who come from a pure and respectful society." Maverick confessed, finally deciding to be truthful to Ilasi and show her why he was being so nervous right now. Even right now, he was afraid to say something that would upset her again. He really tried hard, but he always seemed to mess things up and never gets a clue as to when he does it. He was just so unsure of himself. Even after being free from his father, most of his life afterwards was being a lonely traveling merchant. It would be years before he encountered Angora and Shade, and only months passed when he began traveling with them. Maverick didn't know too much about socialization, which is why he always tried hard to please people, especially if he liked them.

Now Ilasi was beginning to understand where Maverick was coming from. This, like many other things, was based on a misunderstanding.
"Uh... well, you see... I've... I've always been worried that maybe I'm doing something wrong. Sometimes, when you say or do something, it makes me feel like... like you're judging me. I don't want you to see me as some, uh, some sort of... as someone not likeable. Like our previous conversation. THe way you speak about Aelinon... it's my society. My culture. A part of my identity. Hearing what you had to say about it... well, it felt like you were rejecting a part of me. I'm admittedly not the best at interpreting people's intentions when they say things. All I can think of is how I've never been good enough for someone..." Ilasi, though not completely composed, was starting to become more comfortable in the current situation. She could only hope that neither of them would open up a can of worms.

Maverick's smile disappeared, having hoped that this particular subject wasn't brought up again.
"I'm sorry Ilasi. I... I didn't mean to judge. That was never my intention. I... I never want to offend anybody. I guess I just don't know how societies and cultures work yet. I was raised most of my life on a ship. Even when I started my traveling merchant job, I never spent too much time in one place..." Maverick expressed, wanting to say a few more things but couldn't find the right words. He once again turned away to look at he garden, feeling too ashamed again to look at Ilasi. Precisely because of that earlier conversation that Maverick was always so nervous to say anything to her, knowing that at some point, he usually ended up offending her. Even though he still found Aelinon's law to be harsh and unfair, he didn't want Ilasi to feel like he was judging the people as well, including her.

Ilasi was beginning to see that she was making Maverick extremely uncomfortable with her own concerns. "Well... there's still a lot of time for you to get to know Aelinon better. Many different races can be found here... there is so much culture just within this city. You know... just like we've been doing. Maybe... we can even get to know each other really well... better than we do now." Ilasi, who was regaining her composure previously, shirked once again in her nervousness, before forcing herself to return to her previous state.

Maverick felt like Ilasi wanted to say something else, but like her, he was just too embarrased to say so. He still had his suspicions, but he didn't want to imply anything, feeling like it was going to be his biggest mess up if he turned out to be wrong.
"Well, that we can do. Redwater alone is huge, and there are so many things we can still do here. You know it much better than I do. Perhaps there are other places you'd like to visit that you never had a chance to? We can get there with Dahlia, and I can teach you to ride her. She likes you very much already. She'll be gentle." Maverick suggested, still feeling too awkward to bring the big subject out. How he wished he could understand women better, specifically Ilasi, so that he could avoid doing anything foolish every time. Facing her again, Maverick sat in the other vacant chair, patiently waiting for her legs to return and still feeling rather embarrased for what that little kid put her through. Even though he didn't initially dared, he brought the chair closer to her so he could somewhat face Ilasi, not wanting her to mistakenly believe that she had done something wrong and that he was turning his back on her because of it.

Feeling as if the subject had gone as far as it would today, Ilasi was content - or rather, settled for - letting things be. "Sure. That sounds fun," she said in agreement, missing Dahlia herself. "For the time being, I guess we can just relax." There was still some of the day left; they would have plenty of time to get in some more activities before the day eas over.

Maverick was rather pleased with how the conversation concluded, but was still rather upset that they didn't touch the boy's subject. Checking out, instead of returning to the inn for other activities as originally planned, they decided to do other stuff in Redwater, with Maverick paying close attention to everything so that he could learn more about the city and not be too overly critical of it the next time the subject was brought up. No news about the ship sailing, so the pair could enjoy many activities. Maverick got Dahlia, who had been well treated but missed them terribly. He taught Ilasi to ride her, but either the buffalo's extreme caution or Ilasi's own nervousness prevented her from moving too much. The lessons would have to wait a little longer. Now a trio, they all enjoyed the sights, with Dahlia being given ocasional glances. It's not every day a dirt buffalo is used as a mount. It was a very pleasant day for them, and there was no rain in the city. When might came, the next in they rented was much smaller, but they at least allowed animals, even Dahlia. The rooms were also smaller, but surprisingly, the beds were softer. Those were good times for Maverick, Ilasi and Dahlia.

In captivity, Shade was being well taken care of by Angora. Although she didn't like force feeding Shade, she nonetheless suggested it to him so that the soldiers could see how much she trusted being in his jaws, and how harmless he actually was. She would give him massages and do a few pep talks, still trying to make him feel better after what happened. For a long while, Angora had been expecting the orb to answer her in some way, but it never happened. There was the stranger again, saying that she will someday have the happiness she seeked, and that she would be... reborn. The lack of explanation still bothered her, but for now, the most important thing was to remain with Shade, and make sure she didn't give any reasons for the soldiers to separate the,, or above all, arrest her.

Meanwhile, Huntress arrived to Redwater, doing some billboard jobs like Latnok was doing in order to pass the time and win money. She was a pro at different tasks, something that nobody ever expected. When nightfall came, she rented a room with a view of the Enduring Legacy, wanting to be there if the ship set sail the next day.

If there was one thing that never changed was Angora's hatred for licks. But she just managed to make Shade smile again, so she decided to tolerate it. At least this way, the soldiers could once again look how sweet and gentle Shade actually was, even if it was a minor annoyance to her...

Despite Angora's best efforts, Shade's current reputation would not at all be challenged; he was infamous for his unwillingness to comply with authority, and he was a mass murderer. They cared little for Angora's attempts; they did not see anything into someone feeding their pet, any more than one would feel concern for the owner of a Rottweiler brushing the dog's teeth or checking his throat. The watch would diligently keep a sharp eye on both of them - especially being wary of any attempt of Angora to tamper with Shade's collar.

The next morning, Sere was already up at first light; news of recent occurrences in Silvianesti hadn't eluded him. As much as he wanted to leave, he knew that he would somehow get dragged into the whole mess that was diplomacy between the two nations. Getting involved in politics was the last thing he wanted to do; however, it would likely be unavoidable, or at least infeasible.
At the very least, he wanted to see Shade's current status, and whether the restraint on him was still significant enough to leave him be. He alighted from the ship via the gangplank; he had a long way to go to get to the pen keeping Veris, but it couldn't be helped. Besides, the wyvern probably wanted to see him again, anyway.

Seraos was already on the wing on his wyvern, with his typical entourage; he was headed to the current demilitarized zone. That is where negotiations would happen; it was the quickest place that both parties could come to an agreement on. Not being able to agree upon a neutral party to observe, they would instead have the negotiations done with important people from both sides all being present, with documentation that would be copied and kept by both sides. Seraos knew that the elves would - or at least should - know better than to try to kill him while they were doing such a thing, so he was not particularly worried.

That morning, Huntress had been busy, gathering information, interviewing people and potential witnesses to this society. Finding a needle in a haystack would be a piece of cake compared to finding a water dragon. Having researched about them, she knew they could make their bodies as amorphous as water itself, so they could literally hide anywhere they wanted, whether it was a glass of water or a simple puddle. As she investigated, she noticed a strange looking lizard nearby, but didn't make a big deal out of it and dismissed it as a simple misplaced animal, probably not to far of being hunted down by a bird or many of the stray animals that lived around there.

Quote: A Guy

Despite Angora's best efforts, Shade's current reputation would not at all be challenged; he was infamous for his unwillingness to comply with authority, and he was a mass murderer. They cared little for Angora's attempts; they did not see anything into someone feeding their pet, any more than one would feel concern for the owner of a Rottweiler brushing the dog's teeth or checking his throat. The watch would diligently keep a sharp eye on both of them - especially being wary of any attempt of Angora to tamper with Shade's collar.

Sometimes Angora would see if the soldiers were paying attention, but other times she would act as indifferent as them. It frustrated her how much she was trying, yet it seemed to be a humongous waste of time. Many times she wished she could make Shade fly and have the both of them escape, but knew that with their ridiculous resources, slipping away would be impossible. So she remained with Shade, proving him with all the comfort and entertainment she could come up with, while at the same time she would try to overhear the soldiers to keep herself updated about Shade's condition as well as Aelinon's.

With the dogs settled into their new home and various man-made 'burdens' removed from the pack-- it wouldn't be long until Latnok, Raclaw, and collared Beagle himself returned to the Easy Eyrie. Titan had opted to keep his collar, although he did opt to have the chain removed. It would be easy enough to bloody up and would serve the symbol of leadership among the pack. Some others opted to keep their collars as well, although most had gladly accepted the collar breaker's help in removing the symbols of ownership. Before the trio parted ways with the pack, Chester had been declared an honorary member of the pack and offered a place among them should he ever need it-- despite the Beagle's current 'owned' status as pet to that of Raclaw and Latnok.

And while the collars had represented pain and suffering to the fellow members of the pack, Chester's own collar had come to mean something entirely different to him. He was owned, he was loved, and the collar so graciously bought for him by Latnok would only continue to serve as a symbol to that love. He was proud to be collared and he was glad to have two loving masters to call friend. He slept comfortably as he soon laid once again against Raclaw.

As the sun came up and the morning light soon shined through the window-- the little Beagle himself would be the first to awaken. He gently awoke from his dreams (himself standing on top of a pile of broken collars) and recalled back to the previous day. He hoped that the pack was doing well in their new life. It wouldn't be long until Raclaw was awake well, although not till he got a good laugh at the sight of a Fur Dragon 'running' in his sleep. Raclaw's front paws moved ever so slightly and his head twitched ever so slightly before his eyes gently opened. "Morning. Happy dreams?," Chester said amusily as his friend and master woke up. "Morning Chester... and you could say that.," Raclaw responded with a slight smile briefly peaking back into the memories of the dream. He could see himself running in an open field along Chester and various members of the pack they had saved. And Latnok was there too-- somehow keeping up with the bunch. "Don't worry-- we all run in our sleep. Just don't accidently bump into a wall. I.. I did that once.," Chester then said.

Latnok would soon awaken as well - feeling quite satisfied with how the job went yesterday. This was, indeed, proof of the concept of negotiation with creatures that would otherwise prove to be a threat to others. He wondered just how feasible it would be in the future...
As per the typical morning, he donned his armor as soon as he got out of bed. "What do you guys feel like eating today?" he asked. Maybe he would also be able to scrounge up a treat for them; they more than earned it.

Ilasi slowly began to wake up herself - feeling rather refreshed in the surprisingly soft bed. Maverick was still sleeping; she would respect that. Taking her violin, she headed outside, finding a good bench nearby; it was there she began practicing, trying to get a feel for how to handle the instrument to start.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok would soon awaken as well - feeling quite satisfied with how the job went yesterday. This was, indeed, proof of the concept of negotiation with creatures that would otherwise prove to be a threat to others. He wondered just how feasible it would be in the future...
As per the typical morning, he donned his armor as soon as he got out of bed. "What do you guys feel like eating today?" he asked. Maybe he would also be able to scrounge up a treat for them; they more than earned it.

"I don't know-- surprise us.," Raclaw said with a smile briefly looking at Chester. The two beloved companions were in a particularly good mood that morning. He didn't know exactly what he wanted, but he did know that he wanted something... different. Recalling the memories shown to Latnok would reveal that the Fur Dragon has been rather fond of a certain exotic fish. And as for Chester-- the little Beagle would of course go for anything, given that he didn't have much of a selection under his old owners. Chester looked at Raclaw and gave a nod, liking the idea.

"Surprise you? You asked for it..." Latnok thought of many things, but one thing came to mind for a particular reason he couldn't point out, at least not immediately - rainbow fish. The inn didn't serve that, however, so he'd have to go out and find some.
"You all wait right here. I'll be back before too long." With that, Latnok left his companions in their room, leaving the inn to find a place that might serve the exotic fish Raclaw was looking for. Redwater, being a huge trading hub, would undoubtedly have some place not too far that sold it.

Huntress' morning was very busy that day. That afternoon, she would come to meet Dex, although she doubted he would show up. His payment was good enough, even if it was half of what was intended, but she was still willing to see if he would show up. For now, her goal was to investigate about this mysterious society he mentioned, but as what was suppose to be expected, nothing came up. Nobody has seen or even heard about this society before, especially since Huntress gave descriptions instead of giving names. What concerned her the most was this Blue dragon Dex mentioned. He wasn't just a dragon. He was a water dragon, probably the most dangerous kind there was. And they could disguise their crimes exceptionally well. Somehow, it was imminent for her to learn more about this fiend before he could strike in a very severe way.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi slowly began to wake up herself - feeling rather refreshed in the surprisingly soft bed. Maverick was still sleeping; she would respect that. Taking her violin, she headed outside, finding a good bench nearby; it was there she began practicing, trying to get a feel for how to handle the instrument to start.

Maverick spent the night comfortable and peaceful, not having a tiny bit of snore in him. That was one of the things Angora liked about him. The rest of his night was dreamless except for the last minutes of the morning, where he had the weird dream of Shade escaping and kidnapping him and Ilasi while Angora was coiled around his tail, and he continued flying, refusing to let go or even stop. It was a weird dream, though not particularly scary, so he continued slumbering away, unaware that dear Ilasi was already up...

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade had fallen asleep with Angora in his arms. He slept a bit easier with her. Though what he did he will never forget.

Angora woke up first that morning, feeling very refreshed and warm. Her waist was completely grasped by the large dragolet, still hugging her tight. She tried to slip away in order to get him and herself some breakfast, but she was stuck. Shade had a strong grip. She was feeling more like a security blanket than a supporting friend, though at least that wasn't so bad, even if it was a bit annoying. She rested her chin on her hand and her elbow on Shade's paws, knowing she won't be able to do much as long as Shade was asleep. She avoid looking to one of the nearby soldiers, firmly believing that a few might even go as far as to make fun of her for this rather silly predicament, but if they didn't, she hoped that at least one of them would bring her breakfast. Luckily, the snacks from the arena had been exceptionally filling, so she wasn't feeling very hungry that morning.

Quote: A Guy

"Surprise you? You asked for it..." Latnok thought of many things, but one thing came to mind for a particular reason he couldn't point out, at least not immediately - rainbow fish. The inn didn't serve that, however, so he'd have to go out and find some.
"You all wait right here. I'll be back before too long." With that, Latnok left his companions in their room, leaving the inn to find a place that might serve the exotic fish Raclaw was looking for. Redwater, being a huge trading hub, would undoubtedly have some place not too far that sold it.

Raclaw and Chester nodded-- and wondered what Latnok would come up with. As they waited, they talked among themselves and briefly played chasing each other albeit very carefully. "Oh-- think you can slip under me? Think again!," Raclaw teased as the action continued. The game ended with Chester on of Raclaw and smiling, pleased how he could so easily climb his larger companion. "Alright, alright-- good game.," Raclaw said they waited for Latnok's return.

Being by the port, it took next to no effort for Latnok to find what he was looking for - a shop named "Fish Dish Wishes." It was a rather decorated building, at least on the outside - it would seem to be the type of place that the more well-to-do kind of people visited. Latnok entered the building to confirm his initial hypothesis.
Indeed, the smell of well-cooked fish could be noticed wafting through the air - the store did a pretty good job of covering up the smell of raw fish. Latnok came to the counter, where a man in an apron over a bit more of a dressy shirt came in.
"Good morning," the man greeted. "How can I help you today?"
"Would you happen to have any rainbow fish?" Latnok asked.
"Why, yes we do," the clerk confirmed. "Would you be interested?"
Latnok thought for a bit - how would Raclaw like his fish? What about Chester? From his experience, the two could appreciate good cooking - so that is what he would get.
"I'll have three dishes of smoked rainbow fish, please. I'll need a container for it, I'm taking it with me."
Most clients here preferred to eat and enjoy the more scenic environment, with a background reminiscent of the sea - but the clerk wasn't surprised at all that a member of the Ardent Guardians wasn't going to sit around for long. They never seemed to engage in most of the things many other people engaged in - always so rough and straightforward. Sometimes he wondered if they were real humans.
"Sure thing, sir. We'll get that ready for you in just a moment."

Later, Latnok was walking back to the inn, the fish in several containers he was carrying for the time being. He really hoped that his companions would indeed like his choice, especially considering it wasn't the cheapest meal around.

Meanwhile, Ilasi was concluding her violin practice. No one really paid her any mind, on account of her skill level not being anything close to amazing yet - still, she would persevere. She only managed to make it as far as she did with hard work and dedication.
She would soon return to the inn - entering the room quietly, in order to avoid waking Maverick should he still be sleeping. With that done, she began reading through the spellbook he gave her - what spell could she practice today...

At that moment, Maverick started to wake up, with his eyes heavy and baggy. With a yawn, he soon noticed Ilasi.
"Oh, already up? Must've overslept again. This is shameful. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed again." Maverick apologized, feeling it was cause for embarrassment whom a man woke up much later than the woman. Stretching and putting up some more of his heavy clothes, he decided to get to work immediately.
"Anything you'd like? I mean, if you haven't had any breakfast yet?" he asked, waiting to compensate for his oversleep.

Ilasi pulled her attention away from the spellbook to give Maverick a light, forgiving smile. She had apparently slept better than Maverick had, at least from initial appearance.
"Oh, I don't know... I'm not feeling too picky this morning. I'll be fine with whatever you come up with. I'm thinking more about the sort of adventures we'll have today..." Ilasi wasn't sure of when Sere intended to leave, or what would happen with Angora and Shade, but she intended to spend as much time with Maverick for the moment as she could.

"Ok. I'll see what I can come up with. This inn is cheap cause it doesn't have room service asides the cleaning. Customers cook their own food in the kitchen below. Found out yesterday before checking in. Not so bad. At least they already have accessible ingredients, and the beds are incredibly soft." Maverick complimented, actually liking this inn even if it had almost nothing to offer like the last one. It was very nice spending time with Ilasi, so the place didn't matter that much. But as he prepared to leave, he wondered if the letters he and Ilasi sent already reached Angora and Shade. It was quite painful not to know how they were. If they were being treated well or if they were viewed as nothing but prisoners. The only thing that kept him hopeful was the fact that Angora was with Shade, and that she may have some fame thanks to her work in the arena and thus encouraging a better treatment. He had been so afraid to see her die that day that he missed the spectacle completely, but if he had known she was gonna triumph, he would've been there. He regretted missing her in her moment of glory.

At Veris' rather quick flying speed, Orcford was reached before very long. As Sere flew around the perimeter of the city, his sights were set on the outpost currently housing Shade and a behemoth. His wyvern touched down near the entrance with little delay.
As soon as Sere approached the entrance, the sentries knew who he was. They let him in without any issue. "Take it you're here for the dragon?" one of them asked.
"I am," Sere said. "Seeing his condition after the last exertion he had. I'm curious to see what sort of effect it had on him."
The sentry nodded, as Sere passed through. Shade, though not as big as the behemoth, didn't take long to find. Sere approached him, ready to check on him - and more importantly, his collar.
"Collar, wake," Sere commanded, and the collar began to send impulses to Shade to interrupt his sleep.
As he did so, one of the soldiers in the outpost was also coming to the pen. In his hand were two letters. "To the Scourge of Redwater," he said, as he tossed them at Shade's feet before leaving.

Seraos was now in the rendezvous point of the demilitarized zone. Arriving on a gleaming pegasus, shortly after, was Silvianesti's very own king - Glaveilio - along with one of his aides. He dismounted his pegasus, securing it to the spot.
The kings and their aids were the only ones to be seen in the demilitarized zone. A table had been thoughtfully set up beforehand. The kings wasted no time sitting down and getting to business.
"King Glaveilio," Seraos called the elder elf. "I believe you know what has inspired recent events."
"We know exactly what," Glaveilio said. "You pin these false accusations on us, take my daughter, murder her guards, and murder an entire elven village? Is this some attempt to cow us into giving up without a fight?"
"You know, it's just as I'd expect from an elf," Seraos said. "How stupid do you think we in Aelinon are? Do you think that, not being elves, we are incapable of identifying what you are doing? How convenient that attacks on my citizens - including my very own government officials - begin happening right as we establish the demilitarized zone. And there's no mistaking it. My top mages identified the traces of the magic. All evidence points to ancient elvish magic... drow magic."
"Drow?!" Glaveilio was suddenly beginning to think that circumstances were not quite as simple as they appeared to be. "There are no drow among us. We've gone our separate ways a long time ago. What you are experiencing could not have been us."
"You expect me to believe that there is some entity powerful enough to cause so many attacks on our soil at far different locations at once, with nature magic that we know for a fact has historically been in your arsenal, without being detected... and they just suddenly decided to start doing this right as this whole dispute started?" Seraos said accusingly. "Don't make me laugh."
"So you use this justification to murder my people?" Glaveilio said. "Why do you provoke us so? And what of the princess? She has nothing to do with this - any of this."
"So you admit that you plotted this without her," Seraos said, completely misinterpreting what Glaveilio said. His advisors had no doubt that it was Silvianesti - all fingers pointed to them. "Unfortunately, in war, the wrong people often get caught up. Like my people, that your spiders have devoured... or your people. They are the ones paying for this in the end - even if their deaths were nothing more than collateral damage. But I understand that those are xenophobic people even by elvish standards, hence why they keep themselves hidden away. An unfortunate accident - but one that I have been pushed to.
Glaveilio wanted to interrupt Seraos, so furious was he, bu decided that maintaining his demeanor was more important than any frustration. "You misunderstand me, King Seraos. None of us have any part of this. And we would be willing to help you find out who is behind this. In exchange, you will pull your troops back, return the princess, and offer recompense for all those you've killed. We do not want to be in a position where we are forced to defend ourselves against Aelinon, and retaliate."
"There will be no recompense," Seraos said. "We will cede some of the border, if this is, indeed, all some misunderstanding, and not just some ploy from you. I shouldn't be this trusting - but in the end, all I want is to keep my people safe. Work with me, and you'll get to learn that soon enough."

As Ilasi sat in the room, she began studying some of the magic in the book. She wanted to learn something new - but knew that it was important to get practice with the spells she had recently learned, or they wouldn't be useful when she needed them to be. She began to fiddle with an identification spell - which would allow her to identify any compound, as long as she was already familiar with all of the ingredients.

Maverick headed to the kitchen and used the present ingredient, which weren't many but they were varied. He chose a meat that he wasn't certain what it was. Perhaps pigeon or pheasant? Even so, when cooked, it smelled divine, so he chose that meat for Ilasi along with an apple and some grapes while he, being a vegetarian, only chose a few fruits and bread.

With the meal ready, he brought it to Ilasi, elegantly decorated as he would sometimes do on the ship.
"Here you go Ilasi. Hope you enjoy it. Not sure what meat this is, but I trust you'll like it." he said, noticing right now what was the book she was reading.
"Oh? Practicing for another spell? Eat first. I'll be ready." he then said, once again willing to be a Guinea pig if it meant pleasing her.

Quote: A Guy

At Veris' rather quick flying speed, Orcford was reached before very long. As Sere flew around the perimeter of the city, his sights were set on the outpost currently housing Shade and a behemoth. His wyvern touched down near the entrance with little delay.
As soon as Sere approached the entrance, the sentries knew who he was. They let him in without any issue. "Take it you're here for the dragon?" one of them asked.
"I am," Sere said. "Seeing his condition after the last exertion he had. I'm curious to see what sort of effect it had on him."
The sentry nodded, as Sere passed through. Shade, though not as big as the behemoth, didn't take long to find. Sere approached him, ready to check on him - and more importantly, his collar.
"Collar, wake," Sere commanded, and the collar began to send impulses to Shade to interrupt his sleep.
As he did so, one of the soldiers in the outpost was also coming to the pen. In his hand were two letters. "To the Scourge of Redwater," he said, as he tossed them at Shade's feet before leaving.

With Shade awake, Angora was free from his grip, although she'd rather remain trapped than see Sere again. With an audible groan, Angora turned her back to him and went behind Shade, unable to stand the old Guardian's presence. Her previous fear of him was replaced with nothing but anger and disgust. She blamed him and his protégée for this situation... and herself. If she hadn't trust them so much, if she hadn't believed they finally had a change of heart, she would've done something. Yet she chose to trust them. To have faith in them. She did noticed the soldier with the letters, Maverick's writing no doubt, but she would read them only after Sere left. She felt as if her eyes were going to bleed if she looked at him again.

Ilasi gratefully took the food given to her by Maverick. "I always do love the effort you go through just to liven up the dish," she said. "It's not something you have to do for the food - but you do it anyway. I really appreciate it."
Ilasi began to eat - as always, feeling a little guilty for ruining Maverick's meticulous design - before she recalled his offer. "I appreciate the offer, but this spell isn't one to be cast on people," she said. "It's to be cast on potions and the like, allowing me to identify their components as long as I know what they are. Now, I just need something to test it on..."

Sere didn't have to be a genius to identify the cause of Angora's reaction. "The king may trust you... but I don't," he telepathed to her. "Not anymore. Not after you plotted behind our back. I should probably let you know - the collar has anti-tampering mechanisms. Any attempt to remove it through unauthorized methods will cause it to detonate, killing Shade in the process. It would probably be in your best interest to ensure that the collar doesn't "accidentally" break.
"Shade has proven himself to be too dangerous to be left uncontrolled. I trusted you before, defended you - but the last time I did, Shade violated several laws before murdering hundreds. No - he will have to be under the control of someone trustworthy for the rest of his life. The cost of not doing so, time and time again, has shown to be too high. And you may dislike it, or not believe it necessary in your ideal world - but this is reality, and too many lives are at stake." Sere had always hoped that maybe, just maybe, one day Angora would understand why he couldn't always pick the "good" option. There would come times he had to be the bad guy - but he would do it if it meant protecting others.

Angora had been expecting some sort of telepathic message from Sere. He often did it, and today was no exception. Only this time, she knew how to use telepathy as well.
"Is that everything I'll be to you? Nothing but a dirty sceimer? I trusted you once too, even if you stopped trusting me. Damn it old man! I destroyed Darkmatter, helped you and Veris in the battle against the White Shadow, and even encouraged you to find Latnok even though you were more than ready to abandon him. Shady made a mistake... a terrible mistake. He killed innocents, but how many have Aelinon killed themselves? Or haven't you heard? An elf village was eradicated yesterday because of a supposed mistake, and you don't see THEM being punished, do you? Are they allowed to make mistakes like that but others aren't? Shade, who finally has control as he proved on the journey back, is meant to be punished for the rest of his life when there are free people out there doing things far worse? When will you stop bringing us misery old man? When it will all end? But hey, I got my back turned on you. Go ahead. Kick me! Squash me like a cockroach! Isn't that what you have always wanted? Will that make you stop? Will that finally bring you happiness?" Angora expressed with hatred, feeling so disgusted by Sere that she couldn't fathom the idea of turning her head to look at him right now. In her mind, there wasn't a person more ungrateful and monstrous than him.

Darkmatter, White Shadow, Latnok, nothing she ever did was good enough for her to be worthy of his help. Everything she has done, yet all the reward she ever got from him was being stabbed in the back over and over again. Even after he has helped her back in the Orcford trial, she firmly believed it has been because it had been in his best interest at that moment, not because of the kindness of his heart or any sort of fondness for her.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi gratefully took the food given to her by Maverick. "I always do love the effort you go through just to liven up the dish," she said. "It's not something you have to do for the food - but you do it anyway. I really appreciate it."
Ilasi began to eat - as always, feeling a little guilty for ruining Maverick's meticulous design - before she recalled his offer. "I appreciate the offer, but this spell isn't one to be cast on people," she said. "It's to be cast on potions and the like, allowing me to identify their components as long as I know what they are. Now, I just need something to test it on..."

"Oh, well in that case, I'll just witness." he commented, finding it cute how bad Ilasi felt for ruining his design.

As they ate, Maverick decided to tell Ilasi about his dream to see what she would think.
"Dreamt last night that Shade escaped and kidnapped us. He didn't have the collar. Took us on this very remote place where nobody would find us. But he didn't lose control once. He only wanted to have peace. He brought us close to his mouth, but I think it was just to lick us. Heh, weird little dream, but it wasn't unpleasant." Maverick commented, missing him and Angora quite much.

Sere was not at all surprised to hear what Angora had to say. Always the same old predictable troll. "It is rather unfortunate that your selfishness will not allow you to see that the needs of the many outweighs the desires of the few. I cannot afford to look at just one life - I have to look at it all in the grand scheme. The Aelinonians have made a mistake - however, King Seraos is still young, and has gotten control of Shade just recently. He is bound to learn from his mistakes, and must now handle the diplomatic fallout - and yet Shade has twice violated multiple Aelinonian laws, and people have paid for his carelessness and selfishness. What I will promise is that I will not allow him to make the same mistake yet again. If this is what it takes, then so be it - but so much power cannot be left in the hands of one so impulsive and volatile with no sort of control."
Sere then approached Shade, not waiting for his permission. Once he did, he began taking a cursory look at the collar, to make sure there were no forms of attempted tampering on it. He felt out for its magic - everything seemed in order. He then began to pace around Shade, checking him over for any injuries or ailments as a result of recent events. Sere's main concern was making sure that the control would indeed hold, and wouldn't cause Shade too much damage in the process.

"So Shade bringing us on a vacation?" Ilasi asked - having decided that she would try the spell on a beverage when they got the chance. "I mean, I appreciate it - but did he not give us any time to ourselves?" As much as Ilasi didn't want to admit it, she still felt just a [i]little bit possessive. Just a little, though.

Just as Sere found Angora predictable, she found him the same way as well. She waited a little while for him to be done with Shade before talking again.
"Yes. Same as always. It's all about control and slavery for you, for the supposed safety of the people, isn't it? You're one to talk. You don't do any saving out of the kindness of your own heart... if you have any. You always receive some sort of payment. There you are, defending the monarch of this land just because he's young. Shade is young too by dragon standards, yet he receives the worse punishment. The king just kidnapped a princess, and you find that alright? He has caused who knows how many deaths because of his arrogance and always jumping to conclusions, and of course, let's not forget about the thousands, if not millions, that have died to feed those ugly behemoths, but of course, you're not going to lecture or punish HIM because he increases your own power. The precious brat king is allowed to make incorrigible mistakes because of his position, but Shade commits a few and instead of being allowed a redemption, he's supposed to be punished for the rest of his life? And you find ME selfish? Purchase yourself a mirror and TRY to think who's the worse of the two of us. But why am I wasting time with YOU? You'll never change. Just go find your little protégée on your precious wyvern slave and continue living in your bubble of ignorance and hypocrisy. Your work here is done, isn't it? Live your life full of power and control and just let us rot here and go find others to make miserable." Angora concluded, falling into a deadly silence. Her aura, her hatred, it was all black. It wasn't enough for Sere to see them in captivity, he had to constantly visit them and rub to her face that he has accomplish his objective and that he didn't want Shade to ever be free despite his newfound control and gentleness.

She was so furious. She wanted nothing more than to maim this man, whom she find as nothing but a hypocrite monster. He constantly told her she was selfish, yet there he was, not lifting a finger to help them despite the good deeds of the past. Orion himself saw her nobility, but not even that was enough for him. Sere only cared about power and his own views, nobody else's. But if he was trying to get to her, she wasn't going to let him. She remained calm and expressiveless, not making any attempts to attack him. Sere claimed that Shade was to be remained here for the rest of his life, but she didn't believe that. Somehow, she would change that. She would somehow convince the king to release them. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but deaths were still happening even with Shade in captivity. Or a miracle could happen. Maybe even Orion himself could help at some point? Also, whoever was the man behind the orb's voice, he looked genuinely interested in helping her find happiness. This man, whom she didn't know, was more willing to help than this old man whom she had known for quite long. Even if she was still skeptical into believing his words, it made her hopeful, and happy that he was somebody that treated her politely and didn't seem to hate her.

Quote: A Guy

"So Shade bringing us on a vacation?" Ilasi asked - having decided that she would try the spell on a beverage when they got the chance. "I mean, I appreciate it - but did he not give us any time to ourselves?" As much as Ilasi didn't want to admit it, she still felt just a little bit possessive. Just a little, though.

"Heh, I don't think it was a vacation per se. I think he only wanted a place where we would be left alone and he could have us all to himself. Angorita was there too you know. I know many still see Shade as a monster, but he's actually very nice and gentle. You slept alongside him that night on the ship Ilasi. You should know." Maverick pointed out before continuing.
"He even feels lousy when he has to kill for food. If dragons weren't excusive meat eaters, I think, heh, he would've gone as far as to become a vegetarian just to spare those creatures he needs to hunt." he then expressed, having seen a few times how skeptical Shade usually was when he captured prey. He has seen that he didn't like to do it, but like any other creature, he needed to eat, so it was more out of necessity than a desire to harm.

"Casualties of war are, in the end, inevitable," Sere said. "Meanwhile, it's perfectly possible to go without breaking the law twice and killing innocent people. Do you see what I'm getting at here? Shade's actions were not in any way justifiable; he deliberately broke the law just after a trial. I care little for politics; it is not my place to determine what a nation does with its criminals, so long as they are actually criminals, or at least convicted on such a basis. If they decide to put criminals on death row to more practical use, so be it. If 'playing nice' is what I need to do to get the resources to save more lives, then so be it.
"But this discussion is an exercise in futility. It doesn't matter. Shade will always have to be under someone's control; if not Aelinon, then someone else. The stakes are too high to be foolishly kind after the second incident. If you haven't yet learned about how the real world works, I believe you will in time here. You despise me now; but in time, if you don't violate the law here, you will thank me for what I've taught you. You're young; you still have a way to go, at least as far as mental development is concerned. I pray you don't do anything rash until you have more wisdom." Sere was simply waiting for Shade to be awake enough to speak and explain how he was currently feeling; once that was done, he would head back.

"Well... nature is nature," Ilasi said. "If certain animals were never eaten, their population would grow much too large, and they would eat all of the food available to them - causing their population to drastically shrink. It is just the natural order of things - but I can respect the sentiment all the same." Ilasi never had any qualms about eating meat; fish was probably the most common meat available to merfolk, and other foods on land proved to be quite tasty.
"I do wish him the best - but I doubt they'll be kind on him. Not after what happened. I can still hope, however..." After Shade had shown his gentle nature, Ilasi really did find his state of affairs sad. However, she understood completely why it was that way.

Quote: A Guy

"Well... nature is nature," Ilasi said. "If certain animals were never eaten, their population would grow much too large, and they would eat all of the food available to them - causing their population to drastically shrink. It is just the natural order of things - but I can respect the sentiment all the same." Ilasi never had any qualms about eating meat; fish was probably the most common meat available to merfolk, and other foods on land proved to be quite tasty.
"I do wish him the best - but I doubt they'll be kind on him. Not after what happened. I can still hope, however..." After Shade had shown his gentle nature, Ilasi really did find his state of affairs sad. However, she understood completely why it was that way.

Maverick wanted to express his opinion about Shade's predicament, and how unfair he still found everything, but knowing how delicate Ilasi was about the subject, he avoided it and said something else.
"Well, at least he isn't alone. Angorita is with him, and I trust that if Shade continues being his sweet, gentle self, the king and his soldiers will find out with time how terribly misunderstood he is." he commented, knowing that Shade was being judged by something that he didn't even do on purpose.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade simply looked away in shame. He felt even more lousy because he wanted to prove he wasn’t dangerous. He simply stood there and let Sere finish up his work. A tear only fell indicating he was still saddened. He gently grasped Angoras hand in his paw. Even though he was bigger he was always gentle enough to never harm her.

Shade's gentle approach wasn't enough to cheer Angora up. She wanted to ignore Sere so badly, but felt like she needed to say something else, even if he was as hard and unreasonable as a rock.
"And what you just said is different from what I said... how? You just repeated what I said in a more heartless matter." Angora started to say, before continuing on the main subject.
"So in conclusion, it's not within your power to interfere with all the injustice happening, and just allow the king and his men to make all the mistakes and savagery they want while you keep kissing their behinds and make those below you miserable. If Shade broke the law that time, is because he stupidly searched for THEIR help. We were injured. He was naive enough to think that Aelinon would help us, even knowing his powers were unstable. He made that one mistake, but look at what Aelinon has done! Using poor Shady as a weapon instead of a being with feelings, causing the destruction of an entire village, and your king kidnapping an innocent princess! Yet you keep aiding them and keep stabbing us in the back. Thank YOU, you say? Then thank you... for bringing us into this hell! Thank you for taking advantage of my stupidity to trust you and think for a moment that... you were helping us. Thank you for being an ungrateful, power hungry codger!" Angora expressed sarcastically, falling into the same silence again, and resisting her urge to sob. All this time, she had been containing it, but it was becoming harder.

Angora genuinely tried to understand why Sere was treating them this way. But no matter in what angle she looked at it, her conclusion was always the same. To her, he was just a sadistic, cruel man that always followed those who gave him more power and authority, no matter how many times he stepped on others. He claimed he was teaching her and doing everything for a greater good, but given their current condition, there was nothing of that she could see. She believed it was just Sere's twisted view of the world.

MEANWHILE...
Quote: A Guy

Later, Latnok was walking back to the inn, the fish in several containers he was carrying for the time being. He really hoped that his companions would indeed like his choice, especially considering it wasn't the cheapest meal around.

As Latnok walked towards the inn and eventually down the appropriate hallway, sounds of his two companions talking could be heard as he opened the door. "You know-- my old owners never took me anywhere, not like you guys at least.," Chester said as he looked up at the larger Raclaw. The beloved Fur Dragon was laying down and 'held' the smaller Chester as he gently petted the tricolor dog with one paw. "From what I know, the wife wanted company while my master went to his job. That was while he still had one at least and after that..." Chester said once again as Raclaw continued to pet him. "I know.. I know. You don't have to talk about it.," Raclaw said in a gentle caring tone as looked down at his smaller companion.

Ilasi had her doubts, but had voiced them enough. She simply nodded in agreement - before something came to her. "Remember when the king said that Shade would serve until he's made amends for all those he's killed? What if, somehow, he was able to save just as many lives?" Ilasi didn't quite know what triggered that thought, or how such a thing would actually happen - but it was at least an idea of some sort...

"MY king? I bow to no one," Sere replied assertively. "I bow to no one. My duty transcends national identities. I do what I need to in order to protect as many as I can - nothing more... nothing less. Regardless of whether you choose to accept it, my decision will save lives. And that is all that matters - I do not have the liberty of doing "the right thing." I have to do the correct thing. The logical thing. A concept far lost on you. My only mistake was letting Shade roam free after we've already noted him losing control. Those people at Redwater - they are dead because of my own negligence. That is not something I will ever allow to happen again. Now I have the matter of our journey back out to attend to. It would behoove you to be on your best behavior." Sere began to leave, but recalled one small thing, and figured he might as well share.
"I hear rumors of an intent to build a machine that uses Shade. What that means, I don't know - but if it's true, it shouldn't be too long before you find out." With his piece said, he began to leave once more.

Seraos was on the move once again - having drafted an agreement with Glaveilio. The two nations would cease hostilities - even if Glaveilio claimed they never initiated hostilities to begin with - and they would work to investigate the matter.
Though not too far from Orcford now, Seraos had one stop - the woods nearby, in some of their new land. He always liked to check on many aspects of war preparations personally - that wouldn't change even if there was a truce in place.
As he and his royal guard landed their wyverns, Seraos began surveying the woodcutting. Trees were falling at a reasonable pace - he knew what could happen to the land should too many trees fall, however, so he wanted to make sure things were kept in line.
As he approached, many of the workers stopped to give him an appropriate greeting, which he returned to them. Checking the area the men were currently working on, everything seemed in order. He would step further into the woods to see what things looked like.
Seraos didn't find anything too out of order. Many of the smaller animals had already scurried away at the sound of the logging. There were animal tracks as always, even if they weren't currently in the area. One set of tracks seemed out of order, though. They were boots - and not like anything he ever saw.
Suddenly, an arrow came darting from the woods. Before Seraos could properly react, he was hit in his left arm; he fell to the ground in pain, as his royal guard leaped into action.
One of the mages present was soon able to get an idea of where the attack was coming from; calling it out, he pointed it out to some of the other guardsmen. As one of the opposing archers took aim at the downed Seraos from another angle, one of his guardsmen reacted quickly with a javelin toss, striking him down.
The fight was chaotic but short-lived; the guardsmen proved their worth many times over, becoming victorious with some casualties but no fatalities. As they did, one began administering first aid to the king while two of them dragged in one of the attackers that was captured. One of his long, pointy ears had been cut off in the attack.
...pointy ears...
"...elf?" Seraos made out, as his wounds were treated.
"It would appear so. Not just any elf, too - look." His armor was Silvianesti style; digging into his pockets, the guardsmen found Silvianesti currency; and further searching revealed a Silvianesti badge used to identify someone as a member of the military - hidden somewhere as to avoid identification on discovery.
"Hmm... so that's how it is..." Seraos said, as the elf struggled, his ear still bleeding. "I truly have been a fool..."
"You are a mongrel who should have been put down!" the elf said, as he struggled in vain. "Everything you have done, and we are not supposed to fight back? Glaveilio has been a fool! He should-"
"Is that what you were told to say?" one of the guardsmen demanded of the assassin. "Send off some assassins for the king, then deny any attachment when you're discovered. Classic ploy. My king, the words of these elves aren't worth the paper they're printed on."
King Seraos didn't have an immediate answer, having become weak from his wound. "...bring him to Redwater," the king said. "Hold him there... I know exactly what we will do with him."

Latnok came in soon after, the smell of the rainbow fish wafting through the air. Kneeling, he put the dishes down for his companions to access. "Figured I'd get you guys something special," he said. "You don't have to worry about those people anymore, Chester; no matter what, I always take care of my own. You can count on that." Chester was a part of the family now; he would be treated just like Latnok would treat any of his men.

Angora almost turned around to demand Sere to explain to her what he just said, but resisted the urge, still being too angry to look at him. But why was he telling her that? Was it all a lie to fill her with more grief? Or if it was true, why was he bothering telling her? That was some vital information. Was he telling her because he knew there was nothing she could do? Angora hugged her knees in despair, hiding behind Shade's elbow. She felt so helpless. She couldn't help Shade escape as long as he had that infernal collar, and if she tried tampering with it, it could kill him. And if she tried to do anything else, she knew too well the king would have her executed in the blink of an eye... but with the life she was leading, that didn't seem like a bad idea...

For the rest of the day, Huntress has been gathering information about Blue and the society, failing miserably. Nobody knew anything, and not even her manipulation and interrogative methods were enough to make somebody flinch if they turned out they knew something. Either she didn't encounter anyone who knew, or if there was a chance they did, they didn't fall for her ploy. There was only one being that she knew that had any information... it was time to rendezvous at the place where she and Dex decided to meet, not certain he would show up anyway, but she was still going to try...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi had her doubts, but had voiced them enough. She simply nodded in agreement - before something came to her. "Remember when the king said that Shade would serve until he's made amends for all those he's killed? What if, somehow, he was able to save just as many lives?" Ilasi didn't quite know what triggered that thought, or how such a thing would actually happen - but it was at least an idea of some sort...

Maverick scratched his head, having thought of precisely that a while ago.
"You know, been thinking of that too. I think that's the better option. Oscurito never meant to take away all those lives, so what better way to compensate and ease up with guilt than helping others? You think... we should suggest it to the king?" Maverick asked, not knowing if the king planned to make Shade redeem himself that way or if he had anything else planned.

Ilasi gave a mild shrug at the suggestion. "I don't know exactly how quickly we would be able to get an audience with the king..." she said. "We would have to put in for it, then it gets processed and weighted against other requests... could take a really long time. King Seraos is said to move around quite often to see his people, however; he has gone as far as to visit the galud tunnels at night, and to have merfolk cast a bubble spell just as I do to allow him to visit those underwater. Maybe we can get lucky and catch him on the street, if the royal guard allows us to; those are some pretty low odds unless we know what he's doing, however."

Once again, the orb in Angora's presence began to glow; this time, however, no voice immediately came out. It was as if it was waiting in anticipation...

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Latnok came in soon after, the smell of the rainbow fish wafting through the air. Kneeling, he put the dishes down for his companions to access. "Figured I'd get you guys something special," he said. "You don't have to worry about those people anymore, Chester; no matter what, I always take care of my own. You can count on that." Chester was a part of the family now; he would be treated just like Latnok would treat any of his men.

"Latnok's right-- you don't have to worry about them ever again. Now come on, let's eat.," Raclaw said releasing his grip on Chester. "Thank-you. For everything.," Chester said briefly nuzzling the fur dragon before positioning himself to eat alongside Raclaw. It wouldn't take long for the delicate smell of the rainbow fish to find its way into the two companions' scent receptors. "That's.. that's rainbow fish.," Raclaw said absorbing the scent. "I haven't had that since-- since I was very young. The taste always stuck with me and I had always wanted to try it again. How did you know Latnok?," he then said looking up at the beloved Guardian. It then struck him-- the memories that Damon showed him. Some part of Latnok would've known for some time.

"Sounds like a lot of work. We can try another day. I... I don't want to put you through all that." Maverick said apologetically, missing his friends and wishing he could do something, but he didn't want to displease Ilasi either.

Quote: A Guy

Once again, the orb in Angora's presence began to glow; this time, however, no voice immediately came out. It was as if it was waiting in anticipation...

Angora noticed the glow, but kept the orb hidden. She wasn't in the mood right now, believing that the happiness she was promised was slipping away with the information Sere gave her. Even though she still had hope very deep inside, even if she wasn't realizing it. This man... was this all a test? It was becoming too much for her...

Latnok gave a verbal shrug. "Call it a hunch," he said. "Almost like I remembered something you showed me." Latnok sat down with his two companions, eating his own food like he would in the field, as opposed to how he usually ate his food in the inn - at a table of some sort. This brought him more "down-to-earth" with his close friends.
What do you REALLY want? The thought returned. Was this what he REALLY wanted? He wanted to believe it was... but was it?

"Well... most of the work is on their end, not ours," Ilasi said. "All we have to do is fill out some paperwork. It would, however, take a long, long time." Ilasi finished her food shortly after; she was ready for the day ahead. "So what's the plan?" she asked Maverick. "You know, there's a pretty nice beach here..."

While Angora tried to ignore the glow of the orb, it came the time where she couldn't anymore. Placing herself below Shade and instructing him to lie down so that she would remain hidden for that while, she spoke to the sphere, remaining it hidden in her hood pocket so that the soldiers wouldn't see it if they made Shade suddenly stand up.
"What are you going to say to me now? Hmm? I'm trying. Honest, but it's just... so hard! Everyone hates us. And that stupid old man, despite my every attempt to please him, all he ever did in return was stab me in the back. Do you know how that is? Do you have any idea how it feels to have everyone hate you and always conspire against you?" Angora vented, feeling free to sob at last from underneath the loneliness of Shade's underbelly, having only the orb's shiny glow as light...

Quote: A Guy

"Well... most of the work is on their end, not ours," Ilasi said. "All we have to do is fill out some paperwork. It would, however, take a long, long time." Ilasi finished her food shortly after; she was ready for the day ahead. "So what's the plan?" she asked Maverick. "You know, there's a pretty nice beach here..."

While Maverick was still thinking if his friends, he decided it was better to just keep spending time with Ilasi and trust Angora would have the same idea. If it takes too long, it won't be worth it.

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Latnok gave a verbal shrug. "Call it a hunch," he said. "Almost like I remembered something you showed me." Latnok sat down with his two companions, eating his own food like he would in the field, as opposed to how he usually ate his food in the inn - at a table of some sort. This brought him more "down-to-earth" with his close friends.
What do you REALLY want? The thought returned. Was this what he REALLY wanted? He wanted to believe it was... but was it?

As Raclaw ate-- he picked up once again on the strange thought, but decided not to say anything so as to not ruin the down-to-earth moment. And as Raclaw ate the long sought after meal, his own thoughts filled with blissful joy and happiness. "This.. this is just like how I remember it. I remember now-- I was 12 when I had first experienced the taste of Rainbow Fish. My adopted parents had wanted to do something special and had wanted to give me a taste of things to come. They had no idea what would happen to me after I left, but somehow they knew that.. that I would have a good life.," the fur dragon said looking up at Latnok. He had a Guardian now, and a family, and.. and he had Chester. He looked at the little dog with smile before slowly taking another bite, savoring the taste. The tender-but-soft flesh had a delicate and slightly nutty taste to it. 'Nothing short of perfection.' he thought.

The orb glowed vividly as it answered. "Have faith, my child. The situation may seem dire now... but the sun only rises after the night has passed. You must reach Falcon's Beak; there, your transformation awaits. You will be reborn into a creature with the power to cause the change you wish to see." The orb dimmed, though it didn't stop glowing completely.

Ilasi began leading the way along the docks. The beach wouldn't be too far away; it was away from the ships, but still, obviously, on the coast. The weather was rather warm on this day, with the sun shining bright; it would be in stark contrast to the brutal winters Aelinon was known to have. As the beach became more visible, there could be seen many people of many different races enjoying themselves, whether that be by swimming, relaxing, or playing sports. The joyous sound of children laughing could be heard in the air, as many ran about.