darkSpyro

Angora played with the three framer pirates, actually enjoying the moment. This would prove to be a great distraction, along making the time go faster. Suddenly, an abrupt movement of the ship almost made the cards scatter.
"Whew, looks like there's one big storm out there, huh? Good thing we're here, dry and warm." Sand Dune commented blissfully, trying to improve Angora's mood and get her to open up. The little troll nodded shyly and gave a small smile, though she remained silent, afraid that she would mess things up if she opened her mouth. Sand Dune and his friends were very patient. They didn't do anything, willing to give her enough space and time to open uo when she's ready.

Quote: A Guy

As the ship continued to rock back and forth, the lightning illuminated a monstrous wave in the distance. Though Sere doubted that it could capsize the ship, it would certainly sweep away anything on the deck.
"All non-essential personnel, in the cabins now!" he ordered via telepathy, to allow those on the deck to listen to him even if they couldn't hear him over the roar of the storm. "Ilasi, you stay behind me. With water magic and force magic, we should at least be able to keep ourselves on the deck."
"I'm ready, captain!" she yelled out. They would have to brace themselves...

Maverick was about to write a reply to Angora, but that would have to wait. He managed to receive the telepathic message, much to his disappointment. Was he supposed to be considered an essential personnel? Sere did say he would have a higher pay than the others, and navigation was very important, so he assumed it meant he had to be on the main deck. Ilasi was probably going to be there too, so the more reason for him to go. He put Angora's letter and the incomplete one in a drawer and headed to the deck, needing to hold himself from a pole when the storm became more brutal than the last time he was there.

Though currently focused on maintaining direction and bearing, Sere was keeping a watchful eye out for any personnel who may have wandered out ill-advised. Maverick just happened to be one such person.
"What are you doing here?!" Sere telepathed to Maverick. "I'm already navigating right now. Go back inside, you'll be doing this when I'm done."

Maverick couldn't return the message the same way, so he simply looked at the direction where Sere was.
"Lo siento! I thought you needed me." he said as loud as he could, moving his mouth considerably so that the captain could at least read his lips in case he couldn't hear him. He wanted to find Ilasi, but if he carried her with a storm like that, he wouldn't help any of them. He would have poor footing on the slippery floor and he would trio along with Ilasi, so the better course of action was to just retreat for now.

Angora continued playing, and at the end, Random emerged victorious in the game of cards.
"Aw, you cheated again!" Opium accused, his voice emerging as a rough and raspy one. Not the kind of voice Angora expected from a man with his appearance. Random simply did some movements with his arms, which prompted Sand Dune to explain the situation to her.
"Oh, forgot to mention. Our friend Random here is mute. He can only communicate through sign language." he explained kindly, Angora suspecting that was the reason for his nickname.
"You better talk soon or he won't be the only one mute." he then said jokingly, promoting Angora to give a very quiet and involuntary giggle.
"Eh, close enough. Up for another game?" Sand Dune asked, with Angora more than ready to accept. He and his friends were so friendly, it was hard to imagine they were once pirates. Perhaps... they were like Maverick? Or were they extra grateful for indirectly causing the bully to be out of their lives? It didn't matter to Angora. Being treated so kindly was more than she could ever ask for. It made her unfair stay in that prison much more pleasant.

Sere maintained his heading, heading towards the golden glow. "I'm not counting on this storm abating any time soon," he responded telepathically. "This isn't an ordinary storm. It doesn't seem to move, and it seems out to kill us. We may use the reprieve to get some repairs done on the lightning rods, however." They could be repaired now, but emergency repairs would likely be needed when they encountered the worst of the storm. Volunteers would likely be needed for those...

Star had ignored Sere's orders, allowing his Dark typing to silence the telepathy while he watched the creature. He stared into its face, trying to read it. It clearly intended to help, but why? He couldn't understand the strange beast. His ears twitched restlessly; despite being absolutely still he was visibly overflowing with nervous energy.
Darkheart sweetly cuddled into Raclaw with a purring sort of noise.

With the ship approaching the shore, the cove provided temporary respite from the storm, as Sere brought the ship to a halt. He would waste no time getting repairs started. He noticed Star choosing to ignore his orders, and fully intended to approach the creature as soon as he had a chance.
He focused his telepathy once again. "On-duty personnel, report to the deck. We will be conducting repairs."

Maverick had remained near the stairs that lead from the main deck to one hallway of cabins, trying to spot the golden creature from the distance, though he didn't have the best of views from there. He heard Sere's message again, but since he was scolded a moment ago for reporting himself and not being needed, he didn't want to show up for repairs unless Sere called him directly...

Many of the crew began to come out of the cabins and onto the deck, having been ready to be called in an emergency. Latnok would be among them. As they began to assemble, Sere waited patiently for them to arrive.
Once enough of the personnel arrived, he began. "The supports for the lightning rods will need to be repaired," he said. "The wind has been wearing on them, and we are done here if they go down. We also need to check the metal for any weaknesses. I trust you can all figure it out - now get to it."
The crew left to begin obeying his orders. Laszur, having been busy reinforcing the spell, would use the opportunity to monitor Shade, and his behavior at the moment. He had one thing to bring up, however...
"Scourge," he called to Shade as he approached. "I have heard that you have been disobedient and have threatened another member of the crew. You will be disciplined harshly for such actions."

Maverick had decided to go to the main deck for now, though not doing anything until being ordered to. He knew plenty about ships, though not how to repair them. His father never let him learn, always saying that ship repairs were left for the lowest ranks and not for the captain or his descendants. He searched for Ilasi, willing to assist her however he could. As he searched, he found Laszur heading towards Shade with some glare, but he believed it was just for another session. He still didn't know what happened.

At the prison, another game of cards was taking place, but once again, Random won.
"That's it! I don't want to play anymore." Opium complained, clearly upset about the loss.
"Easy there Oppy, you know that what Random lacks in voice, he makes up in brain." Sand Dune said with a smile, with such a pleasant aura that it even made Angira feel better. She really liked him. But now with the game of cards was over, it was time for another form of entertainment.
"Well then, Angora, what's your story? You look like such a pleasant little creature. You didn't even defend yourself from that bully. Hard to imagine someone like you would get punished this way... but then again, I've heard the captain of this ship can be quite a harsh jerk... oh, but don't tell him anything." Sand Dume whispered jokingly, raising Angora's spirits. This was just what she needed with a predicament like hers.

Finally wanting to talk, Angora took a deep breath and spoke at last.
"Well, I... disobeyed an order..." she said briefly, not wanting to dwell on the matter. The trio of men looked at each other, clearly expecting more. They were rather glad to hear Angora's voice at last, but she didn't seem so ready to open up. What could she possibly have done to deserve the slammer? Was kind of order was that?

Ilasi herself was heading back to the cabins (not being particularly adept at helping in her current state). Moving across the deck, however, she managed to get a glimpse of Maverick.
"Pardon me." "Excuse me." "Can I pass by?"
Ilasi managed to squeeze by enough workers to reach Maverick. "Hey, Maverick," she greeted. "How are you? We've been having a rough time out here, but something helped us find this spot... I think." She still wasn't completely sure about how or why they were led there, but they would find out.

Star watched the events silently, his mind focused elsewhere. He couldn't seem to focus on the here and now, and his mind wandered. His eyes closed as he leaned on the railing. He steadily relaxed himself before removing his cloak and wringing it out. A few gallons of water had been absorbed by the soft fabric, and after wringing it out he tried to dry his mane. His entire body was drenched from the storm, and his efforts for the next few hours would likely involve drying himself off.
Darkheart fell asleep.

Angora saw that the trio was seemingly expecting her to go into detail, but she wasn't in the mood.
"It's not... worth mentioning, alright? Please, I don't want to talk about it." Angora pleaded, not wanting her slight good mood to be ruined by recalling the reason she was going under that harsh punishment.

While the men were curious, they were respectful enough not to pressure her into telling them things, and let her take her her time in telling them, if she ever did.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be out of here soon. You look like a very docile and good natured little lassie, so whatever happened out there, can't be that bad. Could be far worse. We've heard stories of these Guardians. They don't hesitate in executing those they deemed have no future or redemption, as we saw earlier. We're the lucky ones." Sand Dune assured Angora, with her knowing what the truth was. Latnok murdered the bully without any hesitation or remorse, so she knew how ruthless he and Sere could be. It got her worried though that Sere would go as far as to excecute her if he's influenced by Laszur or if he simply decides she's too 'rebellious'. Latnok did seemed to be kinder to her lately, but she doubted even he could do something about the stubborn old man if he made a decision.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi herself was heading back to the cabins (not being particularly adept at helping in her current state). Moving across the deck, however, she managed to get a glimpse of Maverick.
"Pardon me." "Excuse me." "Can I pass by?"
Ilasi managed to squeeze by enough workers to reach Maverick. "Hey, Maverick," she greeted. "How are you? We've been having a rough time out here, but something helped us find this spot... I think." She still wasn't completely sure about how or why they were led there, but they would find out.

Maverick suspected that 'something' was the golden light he spotted a moment earlier, but he wasn't sure, so he avoided the subject.
"At least we're getting out of the storm. This Falcon Beak place seems to be plagued of storms." Maverick commented casually, believing that so many storms meant that the majority of them were caused by magical creatures instead of nature.

With the repairs well enough underway, Latnok recalled that the prisoners had to be fed. He excused himself in order to head to the kitchen.
Bread and water for everyone - but no one said it had to be the same bread and water. He still recalled the prisoners lying to him, and it left a bad taste in his mouth - so he didn't have to leave a good taste in theirs. He began preparing Angora's bread, just as he did before. For the other prisoners, he found some stale but edible loaves. Setting the tray up, he headed to the brig.
Opening the door to the brig, he moved in to issue the food - he would give Angora's loaf to her, and the others the stale loaves, and give all of them water.
"I'm going to be here to watch you all eat," he said. I can't trust you three to tell me the truth, so I'll have to make sure you all eat your own food. You three can get better bread when you earn it."

But with or without Latnok, neither of the trio had been planning on stealing food away from Angora. Not only to prevent the same fate as the bellied man, but because they liked the little troll well enough. Angora's slightly larger bread didn't escape their notice, but they didn't care. Even with the cut rations, they still got to eat the more than before. Angora took a bite of her bread, realizing that it had meat just like the last time. Did Sere authorized it? Couldn't be. She believed he was too cruel for that. Was this Latnok's own doing? She was very puzzled, but at least she could enjoy her meal slowly without the risk of anyone stealing it. As she ate, she couldn't help it to look at Latnok in the eyes, maintaining the glance as if they were in a staring contest. Here are were droopy and her eyes were large and one could dare to say, glistening. She gave a very unique look to the younger Guardian, one that when watched carefully, it read gratitude, but also confusion. It was more of the former however, but Angora wasn't ever going to admit it.

Latnok was glad that, for once, Angora seemed to actually be looking at him. Though she didn't look to be in a bad mood, she didn't seem to quite be... comfortable? Was that it? Not comfortable with what he was doing?
"You don't tell a soul about this," he telepathed to her. "I don't care whether it's Godfather Sere or Raclaw, no one should know about this. I can keep helping you as long as you cooperate and don't try to screw me over. We'll talk more when you're done eating." There was also another matter Latnok had to discuss with her, but it would be more appropriate to do verbally.

As Darkheart began to purr herself into sleep-- Raclaw would find himself 'trapped' in the loving embrace that was his new dragoness. He had to admit that the slightly taller (unknowingly a lot taller) dragoness was slightly intimidating, but he didn't mind. He was very much a owned claimed dragon and happily so. He didn't know exactly how their relationship and his pre-existing relationship/bond with Latnok would work, but that could wait for later. For now, he would close his eyes and sleep with the comfort of a dragoness. Anyone who checked on the pens would soon find a sleeping fur dragon, a sleeping dragoness, and a sleeping Beagle sleeping some feet away from the newly mated dragons. It was a rather peaceful scene.

Meanwhile, Risar was on deck helping with one of the repairs-- his minotaur strength being a great boon in that department.

Laszur instinctively readied his spear upon the sudden appearance, but lowered it when it appeared that the creature was not hostile. "There are no reports of injuries on the ship," he said. "The main concerns are lightning and waves."
Sere himself was interested in the seemingly benevolent creature. He brought himself over without any hesitation. "Get back to work," he called out to the captivated men as he approached her. "What exactly are you? Why did you bring us here?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Maverick stopped looking at Ilasi and glanced at the creature before them. They were at a considerable distance from it, but it's glow was hard to miss.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok was glad that, for once, Angora seemed to actually be looking at him. Though she didn't look to be in a bad mood, she didn't seem to quite be... comfortable? Was that it? Not comfortable with what he was doing?
"You don't tell a soul about this," he telepathed to her. "I don't care whether it's Godfather Sere or Raclaw, no one should know about this. I can keep helping you as long as you cooperate and don't try to screw me over. We'll talk more when you're done eating." There was also another matter Latnok had to discuss with her, but it would be more appropriate to do verbally.

Angora continued eating, giving what looked like a small smirk. As kind as Latnok has gotten, he still had some of the same roughness that characterized him.
"I wasn't planning on telling anybody anyway." she assured him through telepathy, imagining that was haunting him. She knew very well this meat was forbidden, so it was natural that Latnok would be worried about being found out.

With Angora and the prisoners done eating, Latnok called Angora over. "We're going to have a little chat in private," he said to Angora and the prisoners. "Don't do anything dumb while I'm gone." Whenever Angora was ready, Latnok would start to lead her out of the brig and to his cabin - a spot to talk in without eavesdropping.

Sere was still wary of the creature, but was willing to comply for now. "As long as you are headed in the direction we are headed in, we will follow along," he said. "I wouldn't count on stopping the storm forever, but you can buy us some time at the very least."

Meanwhile, a mastermind floated above, invisible and attentive. "AN INTERESTING CREATURE... WE MUST RESEARCH IT."

Maverick looked at the amazing bird, and wanted nothing more than to go there and contemplate it closer. Sere wasn't attacking it, so it must be docile. By the way it was moving it's beak, was it... talking? The humongous creature from earlier could talk, so it wouldn't surprise him. Most of the creatures from the area have shown to be intelligent enough to speak, so it was something Maverick was getting use to. While he wanted to take a closer look, he didn't want the captain to think he was eavesdropping or minding his business.

Quote: A Guy

With Angora and the prisoners done eating, Latnok called Angora over. "We're going to have a little chat in private," he said to Angora and the prisoners. "Don't do anything dumb while I'm gone." Whenever Angora was ready, Latnok would start to lead her out of the brig and to his cabin - a spot to talk in without eavesdropping.

Just when Latnok couldn't get any weirder, he actually suggested for her to leave her prison just so he could talk to her. What was it with this guy lately? First the meat, and now leaving the prison? Sere couldn't know about this, so why was Latnok taking such a risk? She still believed his slightly kinder personality was due to his bond with Raclaw, but these ideas, these risks, what was going on? While Angora wanted to sulk in her corner and take a nap after her meal, she knew better than to contradict Latnok.
"Ok... um, let's go?" she said with some doubt, Latnok's behavior puzzling her to no end.

The trio of men nodded when Latnok spoke to them, but like Angora, they found Latnok's behavior strange. He must've thought really highly of the creature if he was taking away some of his precious time just to speak to her. These men weren't born troublemakers, especially now that they were finally forced out of their pirate life, so they didn't ask any questions and were willing to let Angora and Latnok leave without any problems.

As soon as the two entered Latnok's cabin, he shut the door behind them. He didn't have any particular seat at a convenient height for Angora, though he took a seat on his bed. "So, first things first," he began. "Do you know why you were disciplined, and do you understand the importance and purpose of what you were punished for violating?" He was speaking to Angora much like a parent would speak to a child to teach them about why something was wrong.

The mastermind didn't seem particularly bothered. "THE CREATURE POSSESSES MUCH CONFIDENCE. WE MUST RESEARCH WHY." As the creature moved, a darker mass slowly began making its way through the water.

Angora hated this line of questioning. There she was having some faith in Latnok saying like he would help Sere see some reason or at least ease the punishment, but it looked like he agreed with it and was asking her if she knew why. What this a genuine question or just a cruel test? Angora had to remain silent for a while before responding, not wanting to raise her voice or come up as rude.
"Why? For disobeying? Disobeying by wanting to try to help us survive? For wanting to avoid unecessary violence, something that a troll is known for?" Angora said very calmly, though she had to stop right there or she knew she was going to lose it. She knew herself very well, but she also knew, or at least thought she knew Latnok. She was almost certain that wasn't the answer he was expecting. She was ready for a scold or another punishment if that turned out to be the case, but Latnok wanted an answer, so she gave him one. Angora believed she was going to get thrown to the brig again anyway, so she felt like she had nothing else to lose...

Latnok sighed heavily as he put a palm to his face and shook his head. "Come on, now. Can you at l ast pretend to care about this sort of thing?" he asked. "Or do you want to be marooned so you never have to see us again? I don't know if you are aware, but Godfather Sere is going to take my word into consideration on whether we should keep you or not, and I can't tell him that we should if you just don't care about following orders and would rather do your own thing. Now, give me a real answer, or I'll consider this all a waste of time and tell him that I think you should be marooned." It appeared to Latnok that, no matter what happened, she would always be stuck in her ways and would never be willing to cooperate if she didn't feel like doing so - which made her untrustworthy and a liability.

"Oh, the storms? The captain said that it's magical in nature, and it appears to be malicious - like we're being targeted," Ilasi mentioned. "We're likely in for a rough time - whatever created this storm is immensely powerful. I can do my part, but there's only so much I can do..." Ilasi was really hoping no one fell overboard - there was a plan for that, but plans could always go wrong. "At the very least, we don't have any injuries - but anything that would cause an injury here would probably kill you."

And that was the Latnok Angora knew. He admitted it himself that he was willing to be cruel enough to let her marooned on an island. Just what did Latnok want from her. What he was really expecting.
"What is it then? What is that you want to hear then, huh? That I will obey each and every single word without questions? If he tells me to hang myself that I should do it? It's not like I formed a mutiny! I tried to give him friendly advice, but he took it as an insubordination! That beast wanted something, and Maverick had plenty of options! In the end, creature left without having something OR doing us harm! Wasn't that enough? One would believe that was the important thing, but nooo! Punish the troll, blame the troll! I honestly don't know what else to do or say anymore! I did bad things in the past, I got punished! But I truly do and TRY to do good things at last and I still get punished, so what's the point? I helped defeating Darkmatter, I even helped Sere and Veris in the battle against the White Shadow, but he still treats me the same or worse as before! What then, huh? What else can I do? What will it take to make it all stop? You too want me to marooned on an island so I could fend for myself and eventually pray that something puts me out of my misery? Will that finally please you and him? Everything I do is disappointing and punishable! I try to help and be good, but NOTHING is ever enough!" Angora vented in agony, managing to use a quiet voice but one that was strained with frustration. She wanted to scream so badly, but managed to resist the urge.

After venting with the last person she expected to do it with, Angora buried her face on her hands, pulling her eyelids to prevent herself from crying yet again. She didn't want to feel this way, but Latnok pushed her to the limit. Why was he even interested? Was this another form of psychological torture? Just when she though he has changed. She doubted he would understand, but she felt slightly better at taking that off her chest, an emotion she painfully kept bottled up until that very moment...

Latnok listened, and it became quite clear that her current viewpoint was incompatible with what the crew needed. "And that is exactly your problem. You can't follow orders. Following orders is part of working as part of a crew. You can't get as much done with your hands if one of your fingers doesn't want to move - and it's the same here. You feel that you're more qualified to decide how to deal with a threat than Godfather Sere - even after you were told how your actions could cost more lives in the end. But he was right, I guess. You actually don't care about others. You don't care about helping others unless it suits you. You don't care about working with others unless you feel like it. And in a team, you don't just get to decide when you want to do teamwork. As it is, it's rather clear that you don't understand why or how we do things - either that, or you don't care. I think it's in our best interest to just leave you on whatever island we find. We're done." Latnok stood up, opening the door and motioning Angora to leave.

By this rate, Angora was severely let down, to the point where her eyes were dry.
"I don't care about others? Trying to do something I THOUGHT was right and could save lives?" Angora rebuffed, wishing that Latnok, for once in his life, could understand her point of view.

But she could see it was futile. Before they left, she spoke again.
"And I thought... you had changed. You say I need to learn things, yet you choose to punish and belittle me instead of teaching me. I open myself to you for the first time, and look how you answer! I was really having some faith that you... could finally understand me. But I guess I was a fool. You want this, don't you? Leave me stranded on an island to die? Will that finally make you happy?" she asked, expecting a blunt yet sincere answer from Latnok. She really was expecting him to answer differently, to hear her plea, and understand why she felt that way, but now she could see that not even Raclaw's bond was enough to soften him up.

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, the storms? The captain said that it's magical in nature, and it appears to be malicious - like we're being targeted," Ilasi mentioned. "We're likely in for a rough time - whatever created this storm is immensely powerful. I can do my part, but there's only so much I can do..." Ilasi was really hoping no one fell overboard - there was a plan for that, but plans could always go wrong. "At the very least, we don't have any injuries - but anything that would cause an injury here would probably kill you."

Maverick nodded to her, holding on to her to prevent her from falling. It has been a dangerous storm indeed, and they had a close call with a humongous creature, though fortunately, nobody was hurt in any of them.

"What? Did you think that you knew better than the captain?" Latnok asked. "You obviously did, because you did the exact opposite of what he asked. I don't care whether you die or not. But your attitude makes you extremely untrustworthy. Your attitude will get us killed if we keep you in our crew. Maybe that's what you want - you see us as people out to make your life miserable, rather than people who have rules for a reason and have to actually enforce those rules to be effective.
"Did you mistake my kindness for weakness? I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, if I was kind to you, you would see that we're not just out to make your life miserable because why the hell not. But you just gave the middle finger to that idea. You don't care to see anyone else's point of view. You won't accept that maybe there's a good reason for your punishment. You can do whatever you want. Find a way off and live a happy life, or starve and die. I don't care I just want this filth out of our crew before it contaminates things." Latnok continued to lead Angora, feeling very disappointed that she didn't at all care about why they did things in certain ways.

Quote: A Guy

"What? Did you think that you knew better than the captain?" Latnok asked. "You obviously did, because you did the exact opposite of what he asked. I don't care whether you die or not. But your attitude makes you extremely untrustworthy. Your attitude will get us killed if we keep you in our crew. Maybe that's what you want - you see us as people out to make your life miserable, rather than people who have rules for a reason and have to actually enforce those rules to be effective.
"Did you mistake my kindness for weakness? I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, if I was kind to you, you would see that we're not just out to make your life miserable because why the hell not. But you just gave the middle finger to that idea. You don't care to see anyone else's point of view. You won't accept that maybe there's a good reason for your punishment. You can do whatever you want. Find a way off and live a happy life, or starve and die. I don't care I just want this filth out of our crew before it contaminates things." Latnok continued to lead Angora, feeling very disappointed that she didn't at all care about why they did things in certain ways.

Angora couldn't believe what she was hearing. Latnok was very cruel in the past, but now he has reached a point where he didn't even care if she died? How could he be so heartless? So cruel... So... evil? There was a chance she would be marooned on the island where the stranger was waiting for her. But what if she wasn't? What if she was left somewhere where not even he with his great powers could reach her? If she had been alone and unloved, she would've accepted this fate, but she had friends. Shade could get out of control and be killed if he got crazy over her being punished like that. And she knew Maverick would be devastated if it happened. For reasons she still didn't understand, he loved her, and he wanted to spare him and Shade the heartache of being left abandoned like a piece of garbage. She grabbed hold of Latnok's leg and humiliatedly dropped to the floor.
"I don't know better than the captain! Why does everyone keeps saying that? Please! Why do you hate me so much? I thought you finally... all I did was try to help! Is that so bad? I don't think or want to be better than anyone else! Please! Why do you think of such a cruel punishment? You want me to obey? That's it? Obey without question? I promise I'll do it but don't think of such a thing! Please!" Angora begged anguished, knowing how humiliating this was, but she didn't care anymore. Her pride and even her very dignity, she was willing to shatter them both, all for the sake of the very few people who loved her. Her agony was so intense, she started to bleed from the nose again, just like when Raclaw exposed her memories. Not even that had been enough to make Latnok understand the emotional destruction he has done to her. She was even expecting him to kick her or worse, but not even that mattered to her anymore. She was so used to being treated like a trashy burden that she was expecting any action...

Latnok stopped in place, not that he had much choice when Angora grabbed him. He looked down at her, not expecting her to have any change of heart.
He once again gave a heavy sigh. "First," he said, "get off of my leg. Next - yes, we want complete obedience. It's not just enough to do so, though - you need to understand why it's important, or at least pretend to.
"Let's say you have five people setting up an ambush for a monster. One guy decides that they don't need to wait, and he rushes out. Of course, he doesn't know as much as the squad leader about the situation, and ends up getting himself killed. Now he's dead - and because of where he ran out from, the ambush is revealed, removing the element of surprise the squad was relying on, which may get them killed. So now they have to fight this monster with less men than they had before, with an opponent they no longer have the drop on. Do you see why that's a problem?
"Actions like that don't just affect you. They affect your team. They affect the mission. And regardless of whether I think you should actually be marooned or not, I refuse to see my friends die because you don't give a damn about them, or about following orders. It's better to cooperate on the wrong choice of action than to have one guy doing his own thing because he thinks he's right.
"Now, I wanted to help you out... I need confidence, however. I'm fine taking risks myself, like feeding you that food - but I draw the line where you pose a risk to other people. I need to have confidence that you won't just pull the rug from under the team because you don't agree with the course of action. That is something that I absolutely cannot compromise on, no matter how much I want to see you actually succeed. Godfather Sere has given up on you - and I don't want to give up on you, but I feel like I have to at this point for the good of the crew. What you said has greatly damaged that confidence of mine - despite our best efforts, you can't acknowledge that we may have a good reason for doing things certain ways. And that poses a problem. Do you see where I'm coming from?" Latnok tried to explain to her as thoroughly as he possibly could why he felt the way he did, but he highly doubted that it would be well-received. If she couldn't see their point of view, there was no chance - especially when Sere was running the show.

Angora listened very carefully, not agreeing with the example Latnok told. It had nothing to do with what happened earlier with the giant eel, but she knew it was better not to discuss anything with him. It was clear that was the view he had and nothing was going to change that. She regretted doing such a humiliating display, but it seemed to have done the work, or at least some of it. Getting off the floor, she noticed the blood below, and realized what happened. Couldn't this get any more embarrassing? Cleaning her eyes and nose, she took the time to breathe and calm herself before responding.
"Fine. I will obey. Even if I think something may go wrong, I will remain silent and just obey. No more friendly advices. Just obey." Angora said neutrally, her face swollen with the agony she endured, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. She had one goal. Reach the island where the stranger was and get his help, cause it was more than clear that she wasn't going to find that in the Guardians. For now, she had to remain on this hellish ship in order to reach that goal. And if the captain made a poor decision and things went wrong, it would be in his conscience, not hers. She would focus on trying mostly her friends if things didn't go well, but nothing more. She was so done with trying to help and make things better. If that's what it took for them to desist such cruel, awful decision, then so be it.

Latnok didn't get a complete sense of sincerity from Angora's statement, feeling that it was more forced out of desperation. "You're not taking this seriously, are you? You don't accept our reasons, do you? This is all just so we don't throw you off. If you consider doing the exact opposite of what the captain said to be 'friendly advice', then you are delusional, and are not fit for us. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll show up tomorrow and see if you're really sincere. For now, we're going back to the brig, and you'll get the time you need to contemplate what we're saying. I'm not going to get people killed because you don't care." Latnok kept moving right along to the brig, seemingly having made up his mind.

Angora said nothing more, not understanding Latnok. He said she should at least pretendshe cared, which is exactly what she was doing. And now it turned out it wasn't enough.
"I really thought I was doing something good... before I knew it, I was disobeying. We were dealing with a monster, and I thought I was doing the best. It wasn't to anger anybody. How can I say I don't care?" Angora asked, with more sincerity this time, though she wasn't done.
"I knew I would be scolded and punished, but NEVER to this level. How can you even consider such a thing Latnok? How can you even consider such... cruelty. Marooned? Left to die?" Angora asked sorrowfully as they ended their walk.

The troll entered the brig without any objections.
"Thank you for trying anyway..." she finally said, returning to her corner, putting her hood to cover her entire face and sulked. She was losing the very little faith she had in Latnok. He hadn't changed at all. He was no better than his master. He said he didn't want to give up on her, but she believed that was a dirty lie.

The dark mass came closer and closer to the ship, its course seeming dead set on the ship. When it came close enough - that was when it suddenly came bursting out.
It wasn't just one creature. Not even a few dozen. Hundreds, if not thousands, of creatures best described as bees with praying mantis forelegs and carnivorous teeth, with some emitting a light glow from the end of their tail, burst out of the water. They all made a beeline for the thunderbird.
OBSERVING BATTLEFIELD CONDITIONS... WILL ADAPT AS NECESSARY. IDENTIFY ABILITIES. ADAPT STORM TO COMPENSATE FOR DEFICIENCIES.

Ilasi hadn't seen what was happening until now. Her heart skipped a beat as the sudden swarm appeared, all headed for the thunderbird. Oddly enough, they didn't seem particularly concerned for anyone else on board.
Sere drew Grimbane, prepared to fight. "What are these things?!" he demanded. "Have you led us into an ambush?!"

Maverick didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't like it.
"First a giant eel, then a golden bird and now a big, black mass. Boy I hate this place!" he exclaimed nervously, putting himself in front of Ilasi to protect her. It didn't matter if he despised fighting. He was ready to draw a weapon if there was no other choice but to battle...

The bug-like creatures were not deterred by the electricity - in fact, they began to move much faster, as they formed a cloud impossible to see through. They seemed to have absolutely no interest in any other than the thunderbird at the moment, as they focused on the thunderbird with hooks and canine teeth bared.
CREATURE APPEARS INCAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING STRIPLING ADAPTATION TO ELECTRICITY ENABLING SURVIVAL IN STORM CONDITIONS. CREATURE POTENTIALLY WANTING IN INTELLIGENCE. The mastermind continued to patiently observe the battlefield conditions, including those on the ship. HYBRID MALE RISKS LIFE TO INTERCEPT POTENTIAL THREAT TO MERMAID. INTERESTING SPECIMEN. POTENTIAL TO STUDY LATER.

The mastermind simply avoided the blows, its keen senses making it adept at detecting attempts to harm it. The swarm once again returned, coming at multiple angles. Perhaps another solution would be needed.

"Hold on a minute," Sere told Shade. "They appear to only be concerned with her for now, though they could have attacked us easily. I don't know whether she brought us here just to handle her bug infestation problem, but I'm not getting into a fight if I don't see it saving lives - there's no evidence that these creatures are territorial, or a danger to ships."

Star snarled as he charge. "Icarus Wings: Activate!" The Icarus Wings sprouted from his back as he moved, briefly, on all fours. Then he jumped, moving to the strange golden bird's side. He slashed at the creatures, trying to assist with the fight. His cloak slowly fluttered to the ground.
Djinn used a ring to teleport to the swarm, believing the creatures a threat to the one person he thought of before himself: Grace. She was in Land Forme, and couldn't bring herself to fight, even in self-defense, due to the pacifistic nature of that Forme. Immense amounts of magical energy collected about his hands, making a faint hissing sounds as he mentally readied himself to cast any number of spells.

CREATURES ON SHIP NOW A THREAT. ELIMINATE THREAT, DETER FURTHER ACTION.
With the attackers coming from the ship, the swarm immediately began to focus their attention on everything on it. As they flew onto the deck, several men were completely covered immediately - and in seconds, would be turned into an unrecognizable pile of meat and bones.
Sere couldn't believe it. How stupid were these guys? It was clear that having Star along was a huge mistake - and would have to be addressed. Sere drew his sword, attempting to incinerate the creatures with a harsh beam of light.
Soon, the swarm began to set their sights on Ilasi and Maverick...

As the ship was *immediately* attacked and verbal/mental screams of men being eaten alive soon commenced-- Raclaw's still very much senses would cause him to quickly awake. "Darkheart-- get up!," he exclaimed as he tried to squeeze out from under the slightly heavy dragoness. "The ship-- it's being attacked! We have to do something! The screams... I can hear them, I can feel them!," he then said now audibly hearing the screams and hoping that Darkheart wasn't too heavy of a sleeper. Chester was awake already and was whining. "Raclaw.. I don't know what's happening out there, but it's not good!," the little Beagle urged. Risar, meanwhile, was on deck fighting off what creatures he could.

Maverick almost had a heart attack when he saw what the creatures did to the men, and became even more panicked when he saw them heading to their direction!
"Take cover Ilasi!" he yelled to his girlfriend, ready to draw a sword, but even in that second Maverick could see that was futile. This dark mass wasn't a mass. It was a swarm of insects. They were going to overwhelm them. Even with the seconds remaining, Maverick's brain was rational enough to remember something he had in his bag. He took some purple balls out as quickly as possible and threw them into the floor.
"Por favor work!" he begged, the balls immediately breaking. They were objects that was sold to him years ago even before meeting Angora again. According to the vendor, they were smoke bombs, but as soon as they broke, the smoke that appeared was more like a white mist, something that could easily be mistaken as fog. Maverick didn't know where the insects were, but his immediate instincts were to pick Ilasi up and use his memory of the ship to take cover among the barrels, thinking what weapons he could use against a swarm like this. How he missed Angora's shield...

At the brig, Angora was still sulking, feeling sorry for the men who wanted to befriend her. She really liked them, and appreciated their attempts to raise her spirit, but she just wasn't in the mood to interact with anybody. She didn't want to take her frustration on them, so it was better to just avoid talking to them.
"Boy, you must really be disappointed in me, aren't you?" she asked to the orb, imagining the stranger was a witness to the pathetic, humiliating display from earlier. But after finishing that sentence, her chest started to hurt. Very much. It was an awful feeling and she didn't knkw why this sudden, painful feeling...

The orb glowed and responded. "The weak on the deck are currently being culled," it spoke. "You are safe here. You must endure. We look forward to seeing you." The orb went dim once more.

The light beam fired by Sere was effective to at least some degree - though there were many more of the striplings than he could deal with. He reached into his pack and grabbed an undiluted dragon brew - and drank a few sips of it. As the bugs began to swarm him and nip at his armor, he suddenly burst into flames - deterring a further attack on him.
I was a fool... I have been far too tolerant. That will end today, provided we survive. The dravon brew wouldn't last forever, and he could only use so much before he burned out like a star.

Latnok immediately ran onto the deck, bow in hand, upon hearing the screaming. He was shocked by the sight - complete chaos and death on a previously stormy but otherwise normal scene.
Meanwhile, the mastermind, with a combination of mind reading and keen senses, detected Maverick - and the swarm began to surround him. "We would like to study you," it telepathed. "Surrender yourself peacefully and we will spare the mermaid." As the telepathy went through, Ilasi tried with futility to push the swarm away with water magic - it continued like nothing happened, surrounding her but not devouring her yet.